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US 8,542,361 B2Granted
Color matching device and method
AssigneeThe Sherwin-Williams Company
InventorLouisa Meijer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A color matching device including a flexible template having at least three windows extending from a front face through a back face of the template, the windows sized to allow visual comparison of colors located in the windows, wherein at least a first separation distance between first and second windows is different than a second separation distance between the second and third windows. A method for evaluating colors utilizing the device is also disclosed.
Claims20
A color matching device, comprising:
- a flexible template having at least three substantially same size windows, the windows extending from a front face through a back face of the template and adapted to allow a visual comparison of a color appearing through each of the windows, wherein a first spacer defining a first separation distance is present between and solely separates the first window and the second window, wherein a second spacer defining a second separation distance is present between and solely separates the second window and third window, and wherein the second separation distance is greater than the first separation distance.
A method for evaluating a color match between a proposed color and a target color, comprising the steps of:
- obtaining a color matching device comprising a flexible template having at least three windows, the windows extending from a front face through a back face of the template and adapted to allow a visual comparison of a color appearing through each of the windows, wherein a first separation distance is present between the first window and the second window, wherein a second separation distance is present between the second window and third window, and wherein the second separation distance is greater than the first separation distance;
- locating a color matching sample having a proposed color within the second window;
- locating a substrate having a target color to be matched within each of the first and third windows;
- and
- visually evaluating a color difference between a) the proposed color in the second window and the target color in the first window and b) the proposed color in the second window and the target color in the third window.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.