Colour chart

Abstract

 The invention relates to a colour chart made for selecting a product on the basis of a displayed sample. The colour chart comprises detachable sample slips containing the information required for the colour mixing device in order to mix the selected colour.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a colour chart, which is used to compare and select different colours and colour shades for paints, for instance.

[0002] In prior art, a colour chart is a folder printed on paper or cardboard, from which the colour is selected among optional colour samples. The colour number or any other identifier is recorded and the colour is mixed on the basis of this identifier. The colour may be mixed manually or mechanically by feeding the selected colour identifier into an automatic mixing device.

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to facilitate and automatise colour selection and to eliminate any errors caused by feeding the wrong colour identifier into the mixing device or by erroneous copying of the identifier from the colour chart.

[0004] The advantages mentioned above are achieved with the colour chart in accordance with the invention, which is characterised by the features defined in the characterising clause of the claims.

[0005] The colour chart of the invention comprises an individual casing for each colour, and a slip corresponding to this particular colour can be extracted from the casing. The slips are attached to each other in such a way that the extraction of the uppermost slip from its casing causes the free edge of the subsequent slip to rise and appear so as to be easy to grip. The identifier and other necessary data regarding the desired colour are stored on this slip as a magnetic track. The method used with respect to the magnetic track may be similar to those used for instance in parking tickets in car parks, the ticket, when fed into a machine, opening a rod barrier if the parking fee has been paid. Thus this slip, which contains the colour and data both in the form of a magnetic track and of text, can be directly transferred to an automatic mixing device, and then only the dosing amount to be mixed needs to be chosen.

[0006] The invention is described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

figure 1 is a side view of a pile of slips,

figure 2 is a partial side view of the colour chart,

figure 3 is a partial view of the colour chart viewed obliquely from the front and

figure 4 shows an individual slip viewed straight from behind.

[0007] Figure 1 shows a detached pile of slips 1 viewed from the side with a few slips 2 on the top extracted from the pile of slips. The slips 2 are alternating fixed to each other at the upper edge and the lower edge of each pile of slips 1, forming an accordion-like pile of slips. The slips 2 have been fixed to each other by means of an adhesive surface 3, so that the upper slip is readily detached from the lower slip without damaging this. The adhesive surface 3 used may be of the kind used for instance in various adhesive memo pads.

[0008] Figure 2 shows part of the colour pad as a straight side view. The pile of slips 1 has been placed in a casing 6 behind the face plate 4 of the colour chart, with the edge opposite to the adhesive surface 3 of the uppermost slip 2 projecting from the casing through the opening 8 in the front part 5 of the face plate so as to be easy to grip. Inside the casing 6, a spring 7 or a similar device has been provided to press the pile of slips 1 against the front part 5 of the casing. In the front part 5, the openings 8 shown in figure 3 have been provided to allow a slip 2 corresponding to the chosen colour to be pulled out from the casing 6. At the same time as the uppermost slip 2 is pulled out from the casing 6 and detached by its adhesive surface 3 from the following slip, the uppermost slip raises the edge of the following slip out from the casing for the subsequent customer.

[0009] Figure 4 shows a slip 2 viewed from behind. The slip 2 has a magnetic tape 9, which contains all the information required by the automatic colour mixing device, and an adhesive surface 3, by which it is attached to the following slip. On its front side, the slip 2 comprises a sample of the selected colour and a verbal description 10 of the colour. The verbal description 10 can be placed also on the back side of the slip 2 together with the colour mixing instructions, showing the colourants, their proportions and the necessary amounts to be used in mixing. Only the amount to be mixed needs to be separately fed into the device.

[0010] Thus the customer selects the slip 2 appearing in the opening 8 on the basis of the colour sample on its front side and grips its free edge, which may be either the upper edge or the lower edge. As the customer pulls out the slip 2 through the opening 8 in the casing 6, thus detaching it from the following slip, the free edge of the following slip also rises and appears in the opening. The customer takes the slip 2 to the mixing device, feeds the slip into this and selects the amount to be mixed. No other identifiers are needed as an input in the device, which thus mixes the correct colour automatically, eliminating any risk of human errors. As the device for reading the magnetic tape 9 is installed in the mixing device, the payment of the product can be handled without any staff, since the device can be provided with a facility for using bank or credit cards as a means of payment. Then the slip 2, when fed into the device, asks the amount to be mixed, and after this input, it indicates the price of the dose and asks for the bank or credit card. When the customer has paid the purchase with a credit card, the device mixes the desired colour automatically.

[0011] In a second preferred embodiment, the colour chart is designed as an automat comprising a press button for each colour. When the button is pressed, the automat prints out a slip with the corresponding colour data required by the colour mixing device stored on the magnetic track. The same information together with a colour sample are also shown on the printed slip.

[0012] A number of preferred embodiments of the invention have been described above. Nonetheless, the invention is not restricted to these examples alone, but may vary in different ways without departing from the claims. The essential features are the storage of the data required by the colour mixing device on a magnetic tape, eliminating any risk of error, and providing the customer with a detachable slip containing the colour data and the colour sample.

Claims

1. A colour chart made for selecting a product on the basis of a displayed sample, characterised in comprising detachable sample slips (2) containing the information required for the colour mixing device in order to mix the selected colour.

2. A colour chart as defined in claim 1, characterised in that the sample slips (2), located in their casing (6), are fixed alternating at their upper edge and their lower edge by means of an adhesive surface (3), thus forming an accordion-like design.

3. A colour chart as defined in claim 1, characterised in that the sample slips (2) containing the information required for the colour mixing device can be printed out by pressing a button.

4. A colour chart as defined in any of claims 1-3, characterised in that the sample slip (2) comprises a magnetic tape (9), in which colour mixing information has also been stored.

5. A colour chart as defined in claim 2, characterised in that the pile of slips (1) located in its casing (6) is pressed against the front edge (5) with an elastic means (7).

6. A colour chart as defined in claim 1, 3 or 4, characterised in that the sample slip consists of a credit card.

Drawing