Color selection and identification guides for architectural surface coatings

• US 6,270,123 B1
• Filed: 05/06/1998
• Issued: 08/07/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Evonik Degussa Corporation (Evonik Degussa GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Creanova, Inc. (Ashland Global Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Spangler, Michael C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fridie, Jr., Willmon
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAN, DANIEL TIEN
• Application Number:
  US09/073,882
• Time in Patent Office: 1,189 Days
• Field of Search: 283/114, 434/98, 434/81, 434/103, 434/84, 401/244, 401/242
• US Class Current: 283/114
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 15/00 Printed matter of special format or style not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/52 using colour charts

Abstract

A color identification and selection display for use in connection with the retail sale of custom-tinted architectural coatings and paints is based on lightness values or levels and is assembled from a plurality of take-home cards in the form of elongated strips that are placed with their longer axis in horizontal rows, each strip containing a plurality of color fields arranged in stripes separated by narrow neutral bands. Adjacent color stripes in a given row are of closely related hues that preferably decrease in wave length when moving from left to right along any given horizontal row. Since each strip contains a plurality of closely related colors, only one, or perhaps two, take-home cards need be removed to assist in the final selection of the desired color. Each horizontal row includes a family of colors formulated from a single type of base, i.e., a tint base, a pastel base, a deep base or an accent base. The horizontal rows are preferably arranged in a descending level of lightness, with the lightest pastel colors in horizontal rows at the top and the darkest colors prepared from the accent base in the lowest horizontal row. Methods for producing the color strips and other types of color identification and selection aids are provided.

Claims

1. An improved color selection display for use in collection with the sale of custom-tinted architectural coatings, said tinted coatings being prepared by mixing one or more colorants with bases selected from the group comprising paste base, tint base, deep base and accent base, said color selection display comprising a plurality of paper substrates in the form of elongated strips, each strip containing a plurality of different color fields, each of said color fields corresponding to the color of a custom-mixed coating, the improvement characterized by:

a) a first plurality of elongated paper strips, each strip containing a plurality of adjacent color fields in the form of stripes of a different hue, each of said stripes varying in hue by an increase in wavelength of light along the longitudinal axis of the elongated strip, where each of said plurality of color stripes corresponds to a different color prepared from pastel base;

b) a second plurality of elongated paper strips, each strip containing a plurality of adjacent color fields in the form of stripes of a different hue, each of said stripes varying in hue by an increase in the wavelength of light along the longitudinal axis of the elongated strip, where each of said plurality of color stripes corresponds to a different color prepared from tint base;

c) a third plurality of elongated paper strips, each strip containing a plurality of adjacent color fields in the form of stripes of a different hue, each of said stripes varying in hue by an increase in the wavelength of light along the longitudinal axis of the elongated strip, where each of said plurality of color stripes corresponds to a different color prepared from a deep base; and

d) a fourth plurality of elongated paper strips, each strip containing a plurality of adjacent color fields in the form of stripes of a different hue, each of said stripes varying in hue by an increase in the wavelength of light along the longitudinal axis of the elongated strip, where each of said plurality of color stripes corresponds to a different color prepared from accent base;

e) said first plurality of strips aligned in at least one row, the longitudinal axis of the strips being horizontally aligned with the hues corresponding to the natural color spectrum;

f) said second plurality of strips aligned in at least one row, said at least one row being proximate the at least one row of the first plurality of strips, and said color stripes being aligned in columns of decreasing lightness values;

g) said third plurality of strips aligned in at least one row, said at least one row being proximate the at least one row of the second plurality of strips, and said color stripes being aligned in columns of decreasing lightness values; and

,

h) said fourth plurality of strips aligned in at least one row, said at least one row being proximate the at least one row of the third plurality of strips or the at least one row of the first plurality of strips, and said color stripes being aligned in columns of decreasing lightness values, whereby each stripe in the display is flanked horizontally by a closely-related color corresponding to a color of a custom-mixed coating prepared from the same base.

2. The color selection display of claim 1 where

a) the first plurality of strips corresponding to colors prepared from pastel base are arranged in three rows of pastel colors;

b) the second plurality of strips corresponding to colors prepared from tint base are arranged in two rows of tint colors;

c) the third plurality of strips corresponding to color prepared from deep base are arranged in two rows of deep colors; and

optionally,

d) the fourth plurality of strips corresponding to colors prepared from accent base are arranged in one row of accent colors.

3. The color display of claim 1 where the first, second, third and optionally, the fourth plurality of color strips are divided into a plurality of groups, each group comprising a plurality of horizontal rows of closely-related colors, each of said rows containing color strips corresponding to the same color base, said groups being vertically aligned, one above the other.

4. The color display of claim 3 consisting of five groups, where each group consists of eight rows.

5. The color display of claim 4 which consists of at least 2000 colors.

6. The color selection display of claim 2 where the two rows of tint colors are subadjacent the three rows of pastel colors, the two rows of deep colors are subadjacent the two rows of tint colors, and, optionally, the one row of accent colors are subadjacent the two rows of deep colors.

7. The color selection display of claim 1 where the elongated strips are the same size.

8. The color selection display of claim 1 where the area of each of the pastel color stripes in at least one row is greater than the area of the individual stripes on the strips corresponding to the tint, deep and accent colors.

9. The color display of claim 8 where the width of the elongated strips containing color stripes corresponding to colors prepared from the pastel base is greater than the width of the strips corresponding to the tint, deep and accent base colors.

10. The color display of claim 9 where the pastel base color strips are approximately twice as wide as the strips corresponding to the tint, deep and accent base color strips.

11. The color display of claim 1 where the stripes at the top of each of the columns is a pastel hue exhibiting a greater lightness value than the stripes lower in that column.

12. The color display rack of claim 3 where the first horizontal row of each group of strips is comprised of stripes of pastel hues, and each pastel stripe at the top of each of the columns in each of the groups exhibits a greater lightness value than the stripes that are lower in the column in that group.

13. The color display rack of claim 12 where each of the groups contains the same number of horizontal rows.

14. The color display rack of claim 12 where each group has the same number rows of color strips corresponding, respectively, to the colors prepared from pastel base, tint base, deep base and, optionally, accent base.

15. A kit for stocking a color selection display rack to provide the color selection display of claim 1, said kit comprising:

a) a first plurality of elongated paper strips, each strip containing a plurality of adjacent color fields in the form of stripes of a different hue, each of said stripes varying in hue by an increase in the wavelength of light along the longitudinal axis of the elongated strip, where each of said plurality of color stripes corresponds to a different color prepared from pastel base;

b) a second plurality of elongated paper strips, each strip containing a plurality of adjacent color fields in the form of stripes of a different hue, each of said stripes varying in hue by an increase in the wavelength of light along the longitudinal axis of the elongated strip, where each of said plurality of color stripes corresponds to a different color prepared from tint base;

c) a third plurality of elongated paper strips, each strip containing a plurality of adjacent color fields in the form of stripes of a different hue, each of said stripes varying in hue by an increase in the wavelength of light along the longitudinal axis of the elongated strip, where each of said plurality of color stripes corresponds to a different color prepared from a deep base; and

optionally,

d) a fourth plurality of elongated paper strips, each strip containing a plurality of adjacent color fields in the form of stripes of a different hue, each of said stripes varying in hue by an increase in the wavelength of light along the longitudinal axis of the elongated strip, where each of said plurality of color stripes corresponds to a different color prepared from accent base.

16. The kit of claim 15 comprising strips containing three stripes.

17. The kit of claim 16 which further comprises strips containing two pastel hues.

18. The kit of claim 15 further comprising multiple copies of each strip.

19. The kit of claim 18 where the multiple copies of each of said strips are packaged.

20. The kit of claim 15 where each of the strips is provided with printed indicia associated with the relative location of the strip in the display rack.

21. An improved color selection display for use in connection with the sale of custom-tinted architectural coatings, said tinted coatings being prepared by mixing one or more colorants with bases selected from the group comprising pastel base, tint base, deep base and accent base, said color selection display comprising a plurality of paper substrates in the form of elongated strips, each strip containing a plurality of different color fields, each of said color fields corresponding to the color of a custom-mixed coating, the improvement characterized by

a) a first plurality of elongated paper strips, each strip containing a plurality of adjacent color fields in the form of stripes of a different hue, each of said stripes varying in hue by an increase in the wavelength of light along the longitudinal axis of the elongated strip, where each of said plurality of color stripes corresponds to a different color prepared from pastel base;

b) a second plurality of elongated paper strips, each strip containing a plurality of adjacent color fields in the form of stripes of a different hue, each of said stripes varying in hue by an increase in the wavelength of light along the longitudinal axis of the elongated strip, where each of said plurality of color stripes corresponds to a different color prepared from tint base;

c) a third plurality of elongated paper strips, each strip containing a plurality of adjacent color fields in the form of stripes of a different hue, each of said stripes varying in hue by an increase in the wavelength of light along the longitudinal axis of the elongated strip, where each of said plurality of color stripes corresponds to a different color prepared from a deep base; and

, optionally,

d) a fourth plurality of elongated paper strips, each strip containing a plurality of adjacent color fields in the form of stripes of a different hue, each of said stripes varying in hue by an increase in the wavelength of light along the longitudinal axis of the elongated strip, where each of said plurality of color stripes corresponds to a different color prepared from accent base;

e) said first plurality of strips aligned in at least one row, the longitudinal axis of the strips being horizontally aligned with the hues corresponding to the natural color spectrum;

f) said second plurality of strips aligned in at least one row, said at least one row being proximate the at least one row of the first plurality of strips, and said color stripes being aligned in columns of decreasing lightness values;

g) said third plurality of strips aligned in at least one row, said at one row being proximate the at least one row of the second plurality of strips, and said color stripes being aligned in columns of decreasing lightness values; and

, optionally,

h) said fourth plurality of strips aligned in at least one row, said at least one row being proximate the at least one row of the third plurality of strips or the at least one row of the first plurality of strips, and said color stripes being aligned in columns of decreasing lightness values, whereby each stripe in the display is flanked horizontally by a closely-related color corresponding to a color of a custom-mixed coating prepared from the same base.

22. The color selection display of claim 21 where

a) the first plurality of strips corresponding to colors prepared from pastel base are arranged in three rows of pastel colors;

b) the second plurality of strips corresponding to colors prepared from tint base are arranged in two rows of tint colors;

c) the third plurality of strips corresponding to colors prepared from deep base are arranged in two rows of deep colors; and

, optionally,

d) the fourth plurality of strips corresponding to colors prepared from accent base are arranged in one row of accent colors.

23. The color display of claim 21 where the first, second, third and, optionally, the fourth plurality of color strips are divided into a plurality of groups, each group comprising a plurality of horizontal rows of closely-related colors, each of said rows containing color strips corresponding to the same color base, said groups being vertically aligned, one above the other.

24. The color display of claim 23 consisting of five groups, where each group consists of eight rows.

25. The color selection display of claim 24 where the two rows of tint colors are subadjacent the three rows of pastel colors, the two rows of deep colors is subadjacent the two rows of tint colors, and, optionally, the one row of accent colors are subadjacent the two rows of deep colors.