Protector for protecting paint brushes and paint rollers having paint thereon

Abstract

A protector for protecting paint brushes and paint rollers having paint thereon comprises a main body made from a flexible material and having a hollow interior for receiving the head portion of a paint brush or the roller portion of a paint roller therein. A first opening permits a paint brush or paint roller to pass therethrough. A self-sealing plastic strip seals the first opening to preclude paint from escaping from the substantially hollow interior of the main body through the first opening. A second opening is disposed in opposed relation to the first opening, for permitting the handle of a paint brush or paint roller to be received therein. Tape is used to selectively seal the second opening when the handle of a paint brush or paint roller is received therein, to preclude paint from escaping from the substantially hollow interior of the main body through the second opening.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a protector for protecting paint brushes and paint rollers having paint thereon, and more particularly to a such a protector that also covers a person's hand while holding the paint brush or paint roller, during use.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

After using a paint roller or paint brush, it is necessary to either clean the paint roller or paint brush, or discard it. It is very common for people, especially occasional painters, as opposed to professional painters, to clean paint rollers and paint brushes insufficiently after they have been used. Indeed, it is actually quite a time consuming and onerous task to thoroughly and properly clean a paint roller or paint brush.

Further, during the use of a paint roller, and especially a paint brush, it is common for a person, especially an occasional painter, to have paint run down the handle of the brush and onto the person's hand, which is highly undesirable.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,967,903 issued Nov. 6, 1990 to Kettle et al, discloses a used paint brush preservation device comprising a sealed sachet containing a predetermined quantity of brush preserving liquid. The sachet can be opened by cutting along one edge to permit the brush head to be inserted therein and immediately after use to prevent the brush from drying out. Preferably, the sachet is made from a deformable foil which can be wrapped around the brush handle to reseal the sachet.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a protector for precluding paint brushes and paint rollers from drying out after use.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a protector for precluding paint brushes and paint rollers from drying out after use, wherein a supplemental object is not required to ready the protector for use.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a protector for precluding paint brushes and paint rollers from drying out after use, which protector also at least partially covers a person's hand while holding the paint brush or paint roller, during use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is disclosed a novel protector for protecting paint brushes and paint rollers having paint thereon. The protector comprises a main body having a substantially hollow interior for receiving the head portion of a paint brush or the roller member of a paint roller therein such that the main body surrounds the head portion of a paint brush or the roller member of a paint roller. The main body is made from a flexible material that is substantially impervious to the passage of air, water, and oil. A first opening is provided in the main body for permitting a paint brush or paint roller to pass therethrough. There is means for selectively sealing the first opening to thereby preclude a paint brush or paint roller from passing therethrough and to preclude paint from escaping from the substantially hollow interior of the main body through the first opening. A second opening is provided in the main body disposed in opposed relation to the first opening, for permitting the handle of a paint brush or paint roller to be received therein. There is also means for selectively sealing the second opening when the handle of a paint brush or paint roller is received therein, to thereby preclude paint from escaping from the substantially hollow interior of the main body through the second opening.

Other advantages, features and characteristics of the present invention, as well as methods of operation and functions of the related elements of the structure, and the combination of parts and economies of manufacture, will become more apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description and the appended claims with reference to the accompanying drawings, the latter of which is briefly described herein below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the paint roller and brush protector according to the present invention, as to its structure, organization, use and method of operation, together with further objectives and advantages thereof, will be better understood from the following drawings in which a presently preferred embodiment of the invention will now be illustrated by way of example. It is expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration and description only, and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention. In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a preferred embodiment of the protector according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side elevational view of the protector of FIG. 1, taken along section line 2-2;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the protector of FIG. 1, with a paint brush received therein;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view similar to FIG. 5, but with the protector having been folded back over the handle of the paint brush;

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the protector of FIG. 1, with a paint roller received therein; and

FIG. 8 is a top plan view similar to FIG. 5, but with the protector having been folded back over the handle of the paint roller.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Reference will now be made to FIGS. 1 through 8, which show a first preferred embodiment of the protector for protecting paint brushes and paint rollers having paint thereon, according to the present invention, as indicated by general reference numeral 20. The protector 20 comprises a main body 30 that is substantially rectangular in shape, but may be any suitable shape. The main body 30 has a first end edge 31, a second end edge 32, a left side edge 33, and a right side edge 34. Preferably, the main body 30 comprises a bag having first sheet 36 and a second sheet 38 adjoined in parallel relation one to the other. The first sheet 36 and the second sheet 38 are actually either two co-operating sheets of material adjoined together along its second end edge 32, left side edge 33, and right side edge 34, or a single sheet of material folded onto itself at one of its edges, except its first end edge 31, and joined together along its edges, except for its first end edge 31.

The main body 30 is made from a flexible material that is substantially impervious to the passage of air, water, and oil, and typically comprises either a plastic material or a foil material. Any other suitable material may also be used.

The main body 30 has a substantially hollow interior 39 for receiving the head portion 42 of a paint brush 40 or the roller member 52 of a paint roller 50 therein such that the main body 30 surrounds the, head portion 42 of the paint brush 40 or the roller member 52 of the paint roller 50.

There is a first opening 60 disposed at the first end 31 of the main body 30 for permitting a paint brush 40 or paint roller 50 to pass therethrough. Preferably, the first opening 60 extends the entire length of the first end 31 of the main body 30. There is also means for selectively sealing the first opening, to thereby preclude a paint brush or paint roller from passing therethrough and to preclude paint from escaping from the substantially hollow interior of the main body 30 through the first opening 60. In the preferred embodiment, as illustrated, the means for selectively sealing the first opening comprises a self-sealing plastic strip commonly known as a ZIP-LOC™, as indicated by the general reference numeral 70. The self-sealing plastic strip comprises a male strip portion 72 mounted on the inner face 36a of the first sheet of material 36 and a female strip portion 74 mounted on the inner face 38a of the second sheet of material 38 in opposed relation to the male strip portion 72.

A second opening 80 is disposed at the opposed second end 32 of the main body 30, in opposed relation to the first opening 60. The second opening 80 is substantially smaller than the first opening 60, and is for permitting the handle 44 of a paint brush 40 or handle 54 of a paint roller 50 to be received therein, as can be best seen in FIGS. 5 through 8. There is also means for selectively sealing the second opening when the handle 44 of a paint brush 40 or the handle 54 of a paint roller is received therein, to thereby preclude paint from escaping from the substantially hollow interior 39 of the main body 30 through the second opening 80. The means for selectively sealing the second opening comprises a length of tape 90 having an adhesive on one face thereof, preferably a peel-and-stick type of tape. In other words, the adhesive face 92 of the tape has a release paper 94 on it that is peeled off for use.

In use, for protecting a paint brush 40, as can be best seen in FIGS. 5 and 6, the self-sealing plastic strip 70 is opened and the paint brush 40 is inserted through the first opening 60 and into the substantially hollow interior 39 of the main body 30 of the protector 20 such that the handle 44 of the paint brush 40 is received in the second opening 80, as can be best seen in FIG. 5. The release paper 94 is removed from the tape 90 and the tape 90 is adhered together and to the paint brush 44, so as to selectively seal the second opening 80, to thereby preclude paint from escaping from the substantially hollow interior 39 of the main body 30 through the second opening 80. The self-sealing plastic strip 70 may be closed to seal off the first opening 60, if desired, to thereby preclude paint from escaping from the substantially hollow interior 39 of the main body 30 through the first opening 60.

As can be best seen in FIG. 6, the during painting, the protector 20 is folded back over itself so as to expose the head 42 of the paint brush 40, and to cover the handle 44 of the paint brush 40. As such, a person's hand would be covered while holding the paint brush 40 during use, and paint would not run onto a person's hand.

In use, for protecting a paint roller 50, as can be best seen in FIGS. 7 and 8, the self-sealing plastic strip 70 is opened and the paint roller 50 is inserted through the first opening 60 and into the substantially hollow interior 39 of the main body 30 of the protector 20 such that the handle 54 of the paint roller 50 is received in the second opening 80, as can be best seen in FIG. 7. The release paper 94 is removed from the tape 90 and the tape 90 is adhered together and to the paint roller 50, so as to selectively seal the second opening 80, to thereby preclude paint from escaping from the substantially hollow interior 39 of the main body 30 through the second opening 80. The self-sealing plastic strip 70 may be closed to seal off the first opening 60, if desired, to thereby preclude paint from escaping from the substantially hollow interior 39 of the main body 30 through the first opening 60.

As can be best seen in FIG. 8, the during painting, the protector 20 is folded back over itself so as to expose the roller member 52 of the paint roller 50, and to cover the handle 54 of the paint roller 50. As such, a person's hand would be covered while holding the paint roller 50 during use, and paint would not run onto a person's hand.

As can be understood from the above description and from the accompanying drawings, the present invention provides a protector for precluding paint brushes and paint rollers from drying out after use, wherein a supplemental object is not required to ready the protector for use, and which protector also at least partially covers a person's hand while holding the paint brush or paint roller, during use, all of which features are unknown in the prior art.

Other variations of the above principles will be apparent to those who are knowledgeable in the field of the invention, and such variations are considered to be within the scope of the present invention. Further, other modifications and alterations may be used in the design and manufacture of the protector of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the accompanying claims.

Claims

1. A protector for protecting paint brushes and paint rollers having paint thereon, said protector comprising:

a main body having a substantially hollow interior for receiving the head portion of a paint brush or the roller member of a paint roller therein such that said main body surrounds the head portion of a paint brush or the roller member of a paint roller;

wherein said main body is made from a flexible material that is substantially impervious to the passage of air, water, and oil;

a first opening in said main body for permitting a paint brush or paint roller to pass therethrough;

means for selectively sealing said first opening to thereby preclude a paint brush or paint roller from passing therethrough and to preclude paint from escaping from said substantially hollow interior of said main body through said first opening;

a second opening in said main body disposed in opposed relation to said first opening, for permitting the handle of a paint brush or paint roller to be received therein; and,

means for selectively sealing said second opening when the handle of a paint brush or paint roller is received therein, to thereby preclude paint from escaping from said substantially hollow interior of said main body through said second opening.

2. The protector for protecting paint brushes and paint rollers of claim 1, wherein said main body is substantially rectangular in shape.

3. The protector for protecting paint brushes and paint rollers of claim 2, wherein said first opening is at a first end of the main body and said second opening is at an opposed second end of said main body.

4. The protector for protecting paint brushes and paint rollers of claim 3, wherein said means for selectively sealing said first opening comprises a self-sealing plastic strip.

5. The protector for protecting paint brushes and paint rollers of claim 4, wherein said second opening is substantially smaller than said first opening.

6. The protector for protecting paint brushes and paint rollers of claim 5, wherein said means for selectively sealing said second opening comprises a length of tape having an adhesive on one face thereof.

7. The protector for protecting paint brushes and paint rollers of claim 1, wherein said flexible material comprises a plastic material.

8. The protector for protecting paint brushes and paint rollers of claim 1, wherein said flexible material comprises a foil material.