EP1852365A1

EP1852365A1 - Aerosol canister for paints and the like, with color identification means

Info

Publication number: EP1852365A1
Application number: EP06425250A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Alessandro Lombardi
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-04-10
Filing date: 2006-04-10
Publication date: 2007-11-07

Abstract

An aerosol canister (1) for paints and the like, with color identification means, comprising a canister body (2) for containing paint and the like; the canister (1) further comprises, on at least one surface portion of the canister body, a region (10) printed with a color that matches the paint contained in the canister body (2).

Description

The present invention relates to an aerosol canister for paints and the like, with color identification means.
As is known, with aerosol canisters used for paints and the like it is necessary to identify externally the color of the paint contained therein.
One system that is currently used is to apply to the canister a cap which acts as a color reference, so that the color of the cap matches the contained paint.
This solution suffers the drawback of having to store a large number of caps of the various colors, and further suffers the drawback that once the cap has been removed from the canister, the user does not have an immediate perception of the color of the paint contained in the canister, and this is particularly inconvenient in the case of canisters of colors used by artists and the like, who need to have various colors immediately available and most of all must be able to easily and rapidly identify the various colors.
In order to try to obviate this problem, solutions have already been provided which use a plastic collar applied in an upward region of the canister, generally in the region that surrounds the dispensing valve, thus allowing to have a color indication that remains connected to the canister even when the cap is removed.
However, this form of solution suffers the severe drawback of providing an additional element, with the costs linked also to all the operations needed to apply the identification collar.
The aim of the invention is to eliminate the drawbacks cited above by providing an aerosol canister for paints and the like, with color identification means, which allows to provide a color indication that remains closely tied to the canister without having to resort to the use of additional elements.
Within this aim, an object of the invention is to provide an aerosol canister that allows to display the canister, at the point of sale, both vertically and horizontally, always providing immediate color recognition.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an aerosol canister for paints and the like that allows to reduce costs significantly, further avoiding the need to store caps or collars prepared in the various colors.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an aerosol canister which, thanks to its particular constructive features, is capable of giving the greatest assurances of reliability and safety in use.
This aim and these and other objects are achieved by an aerosol canister for paints and the like, with color identification means, comprising a canister body for containing paint and the like, characterized in that it comprises, on at least one surface portion of said canister body, a region printed with a color that matches said paint and the like contained in said canister body.
Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become better apparent from the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of an aerosol canister for paints and the like, with color identification means, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying figures, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the canister according to the invention;
Figure 2 is a view of the initial step for preparing the application of the identification color;
Figure 3 is a view of the printing step;
Figure 4 is a view of a detail of the canister after printing;
Figure 5 is a schematic front view of the printing apparatus;
Figure 6 is a schematic side view of the printing apparatus, illustrating the sequence of operating steps.

With reference to the figures, the aerosol canister for paints and the like with color identification means according to the invention, generally designated by the reference numeral 1, comprises a canister body of a per se known type, which is closed by the typical dispensing valve designated by the reference numeral 3.
The particular characteristic of the invention consists in that a printed region 10 is provided on a surface portion of the canister body 2 and specifically in the region known as dome, i.e., in the upper region that surrounds the dispensing valve 3; said printed region is provided in the same color as the paint contained in the canister body.
The printed region is provided by tampographic printing, which schematically entails the operating steps of preparing a printing body 20 made of elastically flexible material, which can be inserted in a color transfer plate 21 and subsequently can be applied to the canister 2 so as to transfer the color onto the dome of the canister.
Advantageously, it is also possible to provide lettering, generally designated by the reference numeral 11, in the annular portion that constitutes the region printed with the color that matches the paint; this lettering 11 is constituted advantageously by regions where the color is not present.
In the operating sequence, the printing element 20 is positioned at the plate 21, and once the color has been transferred thereon, it applies the color to the canister, as shown schematically in the operating sequence of Figures 2 to 4.
With the solution described above, one has the great advantage of being able to eliminate the cap that acts as color reference, and the cap can be replaced by a simple valve covering cap, which due to its limited weight and dimensions certainly has a lower cost incidence than the caps used traditionally, also simplifying the storage of caps of different colors encountered instead with the solutions of the background art.
Imprinting the color directly on the dome-shaped portion of the canister allows to distinguish immediately the color of the paint contained in the canister, regardless of any cap removed during use, thus achieving a great advantage for the user, especially if a plurality of canisters of different colors are used, as occurs typically in the particular field dedicated to artists, where it becomes essential to be able to distinguish immediately the color contained in the canister.
The presence of the colored annular ring obtained directly by printing on the dome of the canister allows to display the canister both vertically and horizontally, providing immediate recognition of the color of the contained paint without the aid of the traditional colored cap, using instead as product protection a simple valve covering cap or a traditional transparent cap that covers the entire end of the canister and consequently also the region affected by the color band.
The provision of the region printed with a color that matches the paint allows to provide lettering at the same time, thus allowing to highlight the name of the product or the marketing company, with an aesthetic result at the marketing level that is highly attractive and extremely distinctive.
Moreover, a significant aspect consists in that the provision of the region printed with the color uses an extremely small quantity of paint and consequently has a particularly low cost incidence.
The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the inventive concept.
All the details may further be replaced with other technically equivalent elements.
In practice, the materials used, as well as the contingent shapes and dimensions, may be any according to requirements.
Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims

An aerosol canister for paints and the like, with color identification means, comprising a canister body for containing paint and the like, characterized in that it comprises, on at least one surface portion of said canister body, a region printed with a color that matches said paint and the like contained in said canister body.
The aerosol canister according to claim 1, characterized in that said printed region is formed at the dome of the canister.
The aerosol canister according to the preceding claims, characterized in that said printed region is substantially annular.
The aerosol canister according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said printed region is formed by tampography.
The aerosol canister according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises lettering and the like on said printed region.
The aerosol canister according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said lettering and the like are constituted by regions without color in said printed region.
A method for providing color identification means on aerosol canisters and the like, characterized in that it comprises the steps of providing a plate for transferring a color onto a printing body made of elastically flexible material, positioning said printing body in said plate, and subsequently positioning said printing body on a canister to transfer the print onto said canister.