Container lid with tool holder
A resealable container lid assembly, which may be easily moved from one container to another container of a similar size and which may contain one or more holders for tools, especially flat bladed tools such as a joint compound knife. Generally, the present invention includes an operation platform having a first aperture for providing access to the container and a lid that is pivotally coupled to the operation platform, i.e. with a hinge. The operation platform may include one or more holders for tools, for example a groove for holding a joint compound knife.
This application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. Ser. No. 10/794,739, filed Mar. 4, 2004, currently pending.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to container lids and more particularly to a container lid adapted for use in connection with a pail or bucket.
2. Related Art
Containers are used for transporting and storing liquids and solids. Conventional containers are usually made of strong and durable substances such as glass, metal, or plastic. These containers are used to transport substances over great distances and to store substances for long periods of time.
The usefulness of a container is greatly increased if it is coupled with a lid or cover. A lid may keep the contents of the container from spilling if the container is tilted or shifted rapidly. A lid may also prevent volatile materials such as a petro-chemical compound from being depleted due to evaporation or may prevent substances such as cements from hardening during storage. Furthermore, a lid may be useful in barring the entry of outside substances, which may contaminate the contents of the container.
One of the major challenges of lid design lies in making a lid that fits tightly onto the container while still allowing the user to access its contents when necessary. For some uses a lid must be airtight to prevent spoilage of the container's contents. One example of a material that must be stored in an airtight container is joint compound. Joint compound is normally sold, transported and stored in a roughly cylindrical container that is usually made of plastic and is approximately five (5) gallons in size. A full joint compound bucket is normally sold from the factory with a tight fitting lid, which provides an airtight seal to keep the bucket's contents from hardening from exposure to the air.
Two problems arise with the use of the original factory lid. First, because the factory lid has a tight fit so as to be airtight, it can be very difficult to remove. This can cause difficulties because workers in the field need to access joint compound repeatedly in order to do their work. The factory lid has been known to cause work delays and even injuries to workers due to difficulty in its removal. Because of these problems, some workers in the field have resorted to leaving the lid off of the bucket the entire time they are working. This solution to the problem may cause the contents of the container to harden between the times the worker accesses the container. A hardened compound may cause a portion of the material to have to be thrown out and thus wasted or may cause imperfections in the compound that the worker uses, negatively affecting the quality of the work.
A second shortcoming in the original factory lid lies in the fact that the worker has nowhere to place his tools while he is removing the lid. This may cause the worker to place his tools on the floor, resulting in contamination to the surface of the tool or in soiling the floor with the substance on the tool. This is especially problematic with regard to a joint compound knife because the joint compound is sticky and foreign substances easily adhere to its surface. The required cleaning of tools or the floor after contact between the two may cause delays in the work performed by the worker. Conversely, if the worker is not diligent about cleaning his tools, his work surface or the contents of the container may become contaminated with foreign particulates and reduce the quality of the work.
A number of container lids have been developed in the past, but none adequately address the problems of the factory container lid. One example is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,345 issued for an invention entitled “Lid Adapter for Bucket,” which describes a two-part cover. This airtight, resealable cover is an adapter that is designed to be attached to the top rim of the container to be sealed and a lid that is threaded into the adapter to complete an airtight seal. While this cover preserves an airtight seal, one drawback is that it has an opening that is substantially smaller than the bucket opening, possibly making it difficult for a worker to get a tool such as a wide joint compound knife into the opening. Furthermore, the threaded design may become clogged due to the accumulation of joint compound and cease to function correctly. This lid also does not provide a holder in which to place tools while the worker opens the lid.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,237,765 for an invention called “Bait Bucket” describes another cover that is attachable to a container. This cover includes a hinged access lid, which is positioned within the main lid so as to provide access to the inner chamber without removing the main lid from the outer box. Although the “Bait Bucket” lid is easy to open and less susceptible to clogging, the opening is still substantially smaller than the container, and the lid makes no provision for the storage of tools.
Other covers have been developed which contain storage for tools, but because of their designs, they cannot be used in conjunction with a full bucket. One example is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,197,961 entitled “Tool Bucket Organizer” issued for a tool holding device that is adapted for connection to a large empty pail or bucket. This device includes a platform member having a generally planar surface through which a plurality of variously shaped holes are located for receiving and holding various tools and materials. This device also includes a cover member, which is pivotally connected to the platform member by means of hinge members. This organizer provides an effective way to store most tools, however it is not designed to be used in conjunction with a container that is filled with an original product, but is instead meant to utilize an empty bucket. The organizer is also not designed with an airtight seal to keep the original product from spilling, spoiling, evaporating, or hardening, depending on the material. The organizer's design also specifies securing it to the bucket by means of glue, screws, nails or a snap-on arrangement, which limits reusability in conjunction with a variety of containers and fails to solve the removal difficulty problem in the factory cover. Finally, the organizer has no slot for holding the blade of a flat bladed tool such as a joint compound knife.
These prior closures suffer from a number of drawbacks, namely they are not airtight, are not reclosable, have an opening which significantly reduces the opening of the container, do not function with certain products such as joint compound, or do not have holders for tools, especially flat bladed tools such as joint compound knives. In view of the foregoing, a new container lid is needed in the art that addresses the problems of the related art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention provides a resealable container lid assembly, which may be easily moved from one container to another container of a similar size and which may contain one or more holders for tools, especially flat bladed tools such as a joint compound knife. Generally, the present invention includes an operation platform having a first aperture for providing access to the container and a lid that is pivotally coupled to the operation platform, e.g. with a hinge. The operation platform may include one or more holders for tools, for example a groove for holding a joint compound knife.
In a first aspect of the invention is provided a lid assembly for a container, the lid assembly comprising: an operation platform having a first aperture for providing access to the container; and a lid pivotally coupled to the operation platform for covering the aperture, wherein the operation platform includes a groove for storing a blade of a flat bladed tool.
In a second aspect of the invention is provided a lid assembly for a container adapted to receive a removable hard plastic cover, the lid assembly comprising: an operation platform having a first aperture for providing access to the container; a lid pivotally coupled to the operation platform for covering the aperture; a groove in the operation platform for storing a blade of a flat bladed tool; at least one second aperture in the operation platform adapted to store a tool; a lid gasket mounted to at least one of the operation platform and the lid for providing an airtight seal between the operation platform and the lid; a platform gasket mounted to the operation platform adjacent to the container for providing an airtight seal between the operation platform and the lid; and an extendable fastener for coupling the operation platform to the container, wherein the operation platform is removably coupled to the container after the removable hard plastic cover is removed.
In a third aspect of the invention is provided a container assembly comprising: a container having container wall structure defining a side wall, a bottom and an opening; and a lid assembly removably coupled to the container, the lid assembly having: an operation platform having a first aperture for providing access to the container; a lid pivotally coupled to the operation platform for covering the aperture; a groove in the operation platform for storing a blade of a flat bladed tool; at least one second aperture in the operation platform adapted to store a tool; a lid gasket mounted to at least one of the operation platform and the lid for providing an airtight seal between the operation platform and the lid; a platform gasket mounted to the operation platform adjacent to the container for providing an airtight seal between the operation platform and the lid; and an extendable fastener for coupling the operation platform to the container.
The foregoing and other features of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of embodiments of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSThe embodiments of this invention will be described in detail, with reference to the following figures, wherein like designations denote like elements, and wherein:
With reference to the accompanying drawings,
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Another embodiment of the invention comprises the combination of lid assembly 2 and container 4 as described above.
While this invention has been described in conjunction with the specific embodiments outlined above, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the embodiments of the invention as set forth above are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.
Claims
1. A lid assembly for a container, the lid assembly comprising:
- an operation platform having a first aperture for providing access to the container; and
- a lid pivotally coupled to the operation platform for covering the aperture, wherein the operation platform includes a groove for storing a blade of a flat bladed tool.
2. The lid assembly of claim 1, wherein the lid is pivotally coupled to the operation platform using a hinge.
3. The lid assembly of claim 1, wherein the first aperture has size substantially equal to a size of an opening of the container.
4. The lid assembly of claim 1, further comprising at least one second aperture in the operation platform adapted to store a tool.
5. The lid assembly of claim 1, further comprising at least one bail coupled to at least one of the operation platform, the lid, and the container.
6. The lid assembly of claim 1, further comprising a lid gasket mounted to at least one of the operation platform and the lid,
- wherein the lid gasket provides an airtight seal between the operation platform and the lid.
7. The lid assembly of claim 6, wherein the lid includes an inner ring extending into an opening of the container for separating the lid gasket from contents of the container.
8. The lid assembly of claim 1, further comprising a platform gasket mounted to the operation platform adjacent to the container,
- wherein the platform gasket provides an airtight seal between the operation platform and the container.
9. The lid assembly of claim 8, wherein the operation platform includes an inner band extending into an opening of the container for separating the platform gasket from contents of the container.
10. The lid assembly of claim 1, further comprising a latch coupled to one of the lid and the operation platform to latch the lid and the operation platform in a closed position.
11. The lid assembly of claim 10, further comprising a foot pedal assembly having a foot pedal coupled to the latch for releasing the latch.
12. The lid assembly of claim 11, wherein the foot pedal assembly further comprises a foot pedal anchor for coupling the foot pedal and the container.
13. The lid assembly of claim 10, further comprising an actuator for moving the lid into an open position upon releasing of the latch.
14. The lid assembly of claim 1, wherein the operation platform includes an interior surface on a portion thereof adjacent to the first aperture; and the lid includes a lower surface on a portion thereof adjacent to the first aperture,
- wherein at least one of the interior surface and the lower surface are smooth.
15. The lid assembly of claim 1, wherein the operation platform is coupled to the container using an extendable fastener.
16. The lid assembly of claim 15, further comprising:
- a first fastening member, extending from at least a portion of the operation platform and coupling the operation platform to an outer lip of the container; and
- a second fastening member, extending from at least a portion of the operation platform, wherein the extendable fastener causes the second fastening member to come into contact with the outer lip of the container.
17. The lid assembly of claim 1, further comprising a tool rack coupled to at least one of the lid and the operation platform.
18. The lid assembly of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of an inside part of the groove is elastic.
19. The lid assembly of claim 1, further comprising a shelf; including:
- a first part adjacent to the groove; and
- a second part adjacent to the groove and opposing the first part, wherein the first part extends beyond the second part to form the shelf.
20. A lid assembly for a container adapted to receive a removable hard plastic cover, the lid assembly comprising:
- an operation platform having a first aperture for providing access to the container;
- a lid pivotally coupled to the operation platform for covering the aperture;
- a groove in the operation platform for storing a blade of a flat bladed tool;
- at least one second aperture in the operation platform adapted to store a tool;
- a lid gasket mounted to at least one of the operation platform and the lid for providing an airtight seal between the operation platform and the lid;
- a platform gasket mounted to the operation platform adjacent to the container for providing an airtight seal between the operation platform and the lid; and
- an extendable fastener for coupling the operation platform to the container, wherein the operation platform is removably coupled to the container after the removable hard plastic cover is removed.
21. The lid assembly of claim 20, further comprising at least one bail coupled to at least one of the operation platform, the lid, and the container.
22. The lid assembly of claim 20, further comprising a latch coupled to one of the lid and the operation platform to latch the lid and the operation platform in a closed position.
23. The lid assembly of claim 22, further comprising a foot pedal coupled to the latch for releasing the latch.
24. The lid assembly of claim 22, further comprising an actuator for moving the lid into an open position upon releasing of the latch.
25. The lid assembly of claim 20, wherein the operation platform includes an interior surface on a portion thereof adjacent to the first aperture; and the lid includes a lower surface on a portion thereof adjacent to the first aperture,
- wherein at least one of the interior surface and the lower surface are smooth.
26. The lid assembly of claim 20, further comprising a tool rack coupled to at least one of the lid and the operation platform.
27. The lid assembly of claim 20, further comprising:
- a first fastening member, extending from at least a portion of the operation platform and coupling the operation platform to an outer lip of the container; and
- a second fastening member, extending from at least a portion of the operation platform, wherein the extendable fastener causes the second fastening member to come into contact with the outer lip of the container.
28. A container assembly comprising:
- a container having container wall structure defining a side wall, a bottom and an opening; and
- a lid assembly removably coupled to the container, the lid assembly having:
- an operation platform having a first aperture for providing access to the container;
- a lid pivotally coupled to the operation platform for covering the aperture;
- a groove in the operation platform for storing a blade of a flat bladed tool;
- at least one second aperture in the operation platform adapted to store a tool;
- a lid gasket mounted to at least one of the operation platform and the lid for providing an airtight seal between the operation platform and the lid;
- a platform gasket mounted to the operation platform adjacent to the container for providing an airtight seal between the operation platform and the lid; and
- an extendable fastener for coupling the operation platform to the container.
29. The container assembly of claim 28, further comprising at least one bail coupled to at least one of the operation platform, the lid, and the container.
30. The container assembly of claim 28, further comprising a latch coupled to one of the lid and the operation platform to latch the lid and the operation platform in a closed position.
31. The container assembly of claim 28, further comprising a foot pedal coupled to the latch for releasing the latch.
32. The container assembly of claim 28, further comprising an actuator for moving the lid into an open position upon releasing of the latch.
33. The lid assembly of claim 28, wherein the operation platform includes an interior surface on a portion thereof adjacent to the first aperture; and the lid includes a lower surface on a portion thereof adjacent to the first aperture,
- wherein at least one of the interior surface and the lower surface are smooth.
34. The lid assembly of claim 28, further comprising a tool rack coupled to at least one of the lid and the operation platform.
35. The lid assembly of claim 28, further comprising:
- a first fastening member, extending from at least a portion of the operation platform and coupling the operation platform to an outer lip of the container; and
- a second fastening member, extending from at least a portion of operation platform, wherein the extendable fastener causes the second fastening member to come into contact with the outer lip of the container.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 15, 2004
Publication Date: Sep 8, 2005
Inventor: John Stathoudakis (Morris, NY)
Application Number: 10/868,325