Paint bucket with integral brush holder

Abstract

A paint bucket with an integral brush holder for holding a paint brush with a handle of the type that has a narrowed portion between the bristles and the tip of the handle. The paint bucket includes a bottom, at least one side wall ending in an upper lip, and at least one slot defined by spaced slot side walls provided through at least a portion of the width of the lip and communicating with the interior of the bucket and extending downward along a portion of the side wall. A brush can be held in the slot with the narrowed portion of the handle located between the slot walls and the brush bristles hanging into the bucket.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority of Provisional application Ser. No. 60/540,154, filed on Jan. 28, 2004.

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to a paint bucket with one or more integral brush holders.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Paint is usually sold in cans and used either directly from the can or in a tray or bucket. When paint is being applied with a brush, often times paint is poured into a bucket which is then held by the painter, who dips the brush into the paint and then applies it to the surface. It is frequently necessary for the painter to put the brush down. However, as the brush is loaded with paint, it must be placed carefully. Several types of brush holders are available to assist the painter in this regard. Such brush holders are typically adjunct devices that are adapted to sit on or be clipped onto a paint can or paint bucket. Such holders can thus be easily lost, and in any case must be separately accounted for by the user. Accordingly, they have not been adopted for wide spread use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention features a paint bucket with an integral brush holder for holding a paint brush with a handle of the type that has a narrowed portion between the bristle portion of the brush and the tip of the handle. The paint bucket includes a bottom, at least one side wall ending in an upper lip, and at least one slot defined by spaced slot side walls provided through at least a portion of the width of the lip and communicating with the interior of the bucket and extending downward along a portion of the side wall. A brush can be held in the slot with the narrowed portion of the handle located between the slot walls and the brush bristles hanging into the bucket.

The slot may be further defined by a rear wall that is an integral part of the side wall. The side wall proximate the slot may generally define a perimeter shape (such as cylindrical), and the slot rear wall may project outwardly from such perimeter shape. In one embodiment, the slot side walls are generally parallel to one another, in which case the slot may be generally rectangular in shape. The slot side walls may generally come closer together as they descend from the rim toward the bottom of the bucket. In a preferred embodiment, the slot is generally “V” shaped. One or both of the slot side walls may define integral projections jutting out from the walls, to narrow the gap between the walls. The projections may taper toward the side walls from top to bottom.

The paint bucket may further comprise an integral hand grip in the bottom of the bucket. The hand grip may comprise an elongated protrusion in the bottom that defines a hollow in the outside of the bottom adapted to receive several fingers of a user's hand. The paint bucket may further comprise an integral paint roller holder, which may comprise an opening in the upper lip and a widening of the lip along side the opening.

Featured in another embodiment is a paint bucket with an integral brush holder adapted to hold a paint brush with a handle having a narrowed portion between the bristles and the tip of the handle, the paint bucket comprising a bottom, at least one side wall ending in an upper lip, and at least one slot defined by a rear wall that is an integral part of the bucket side wall and further defined by tapered, spaced slot side walls provided through at least a portion of the width of the lip and communicating with the interior of the bucket and extending downwardly along a portion of the bucket side wall. A brush can be held in a slot, with the narrowed portion of the handle located between the slot side walls and the brush bristles hanging into the bucket. One or both of the slot side walls may define integral projections jutting out from the walls, to narrow the gap between the walls. These projections may taper toward the side walls from top to bottom. The paint bucket may further comprise an integral hand grip in the bottom of the bucket comprising an elongated protrusion in the bottom that defines a hollow in the outside of the bottom adapted to receive several fingers of a user's hand. The paint bucket may still further comprise an integral paint roller holder, which may comprise an opening in the upper lip, and a widening of the lip along side the opening.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects, features and advantages will occur to those skilled in the art from the following description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an enlarged partial perspective view of one embodiment of an integral paint brush holder for the paint bucket of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the integral paint brush holder of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of a paint brush held in the paint brush holder of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a paint brush held in the paint brush holder of FIGS. 1-3;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1 for an alternative embodiment of an integral paint brush holder for this invention;

FIG. 6 is a top view of a preferred embodiment of the inventive paint bucket;

FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view of the lower hand grip of the paint bucket of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional close up view of a paint roller held in the paint bucket of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 9 is a view similar to that of FIGS. 1 and 5 of the integral brush holder of the paint bucket of FIG. 6.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

This invention features a paint bucket with one or more integral paint brush holders. The invention can be accomplished in any paint bucket that has an upper lip, regardless of its shape or configuration or material from which it is made. The preferred embodiment described below is accomplished in a molded plastic bucket, but this is not a limitation of the invention.

The integral brush holder is accomplished with a recess formed in the upper portion of the side wall and lip of the paint bucket. One embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 1-4, in which integral recess 14 in lip 12 and in generally vertical (slightly tapered) paint bucket interior wall 32 is adapted to retain paint brush 40 by the paint brush handle.

Most paint brush handles are tapered such that they have a narrowed region along their length. By configuring recess 14 to have a width between interior walls 24 and 25 that is less than the widest part of the handle toward its tip, and at least as great as the width of the narrowed region of the paint brush handle that is closer to the bristle end, paint brush 40 can be held in recess 14 by inserting the narrowed region of the handle near the brush into the recess, and then allowing the handle to slide down until the width of the handle wedges the handle between walls 24 and 25. The handle naturally rests against narrowed portion 13 of bucket lip 12 and interior edge 19 of lower recess horizontal wall 18. Side walls 24 and 25 of recess 14 can be inwardly tapered as shown to help prevent the handle from falling out of the open side of recess 14.

The recess need not have the configuration shown in FIGS. 1-4. Since the brush is held by the side walls 24 and 25, all that is necessary is to configure the recess such that it has side walls that at some location along their lengths are separated by a distance that is at least as great as the narrow portion of the handle and less than any wider portion of the handle that is closer to the tip of the handle than this narrowed portion. The overall shape of recess 14 is selected in part for ease of molding rather than being entirely functional relative to the brush-holding function.

Bucket 10 preferably has side wall 32 that is angled or tapered slightly inwardly from top to bottom to facilitate release of the paint bucket from the mold. Downwardly flared lip portion 30 provides rigidity to horizontal lip 12. The overall shape of the bucket can be a generally “D” shape with straight rear wall 62 and interior curved wall 32 (typically defining a generally cylindrical perimeter shape) connecting both ends of straight wall 62. Wall 62 may have serrated edge 64 that provides a convenient surface against which a brush can be wiped. Wall 62 may also be inclined inwardly, and may be provided with spaced parallel elongated transverse ridges, so that wall 62 can function as a paint roller tray, for use with paint rollers, for example as shown in U.S. Pat. No. Des. 355,287, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Pouring spout 60 can be formed in lip 12 to facilitate pouring paint out of the bucket.

The bucket can be configured with one or more recesses that are adapted to hold a brush. The recesses can have different widths to provide for holding different width brushes. FIG. 5 illustrates an alternative embodiment with cutout 50 in upper lip 52 of bucket 54. Walls 55 and 56 can be tapered toward one another to create a narrowed open top to cutout 50 that would help to prevent the brush from falling out of cutout 50. This figure illustrates that the function of the brush holder is accomplished by providing an opening or depression having a sufficient width as described above and having a depth that accomplishes a desired angle of the brush from the vertical as best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

FIG. 6 is a top view of a preferred embodiment of the paint bucket of this invention. Paint bucket 100 comprises integral paint brush holders 102 that are partially formed in bucket lip 100. Integral brush holders 102 are shown in detail in FIG. 9. Bucket 100 also includes bottom integral hand grip 104 which, as shown in FIG. 7, comprises inwardly-directed elongated protrusion 114 in bottom 105 and close to rear wall 110 of bucket 100. Feature 104 is designed to allow a user to insert several fingers when bucket 100 is gripped and tipped to pour paint from spout 107.

Opening 106 proximate rear lip portion 108 is included to accept one lobe 130 of handle 131 of a paint roller that also has projecting wire 132 that carries a paint roller (see FIG. 8). Many paint rollers have lobes or hooks 130 that are adapted to allow the roller to be hooked onto the edge of a paint can or the like. In this embodiment of the paint bucket, opening 106 and projecting rear portion 108 cooperate to hold a paint roller essentially vertically with the roller portion located inside of the bucket, in a manner similar to how paint brushes are held in integral brush holders 102.

The preferred design of integral brush holders 102 is shown in FIG. 9. “V”-shaped molded feature 102 is located in part in upper lip 101 and comprises tapered rear wall 103 that projects outwardly from the generally cylindrical perimeter shape of bucket side wall 109, and tapered side walls 120 and 122. In order to more positively retain a paint brush within brush holder 102, in the manner shown in FIG. 4, walls 120 and 122 may each include an additional small thin elongated tapered projection 121 and 123, respectively, that serve to narrow the inwardly-directed opening of brush holder 102 near its top portion, where the brush handle will be captured. This helps to more positively retain a paint brush than would the walls without these projections.

Although specific features of the invention are shown in some drawings and not others, this is for convenience only as some feature may be combined with any or all of the other features in accordance with the invention.

Other embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art and are within the following claims.

Claims

1. A paint bucket with an integral brush holder adapted to hold a paint brush with a handle having a narrowed portion between the bristle portion of the brush and the tip of the handle, the paint bucket comprising:

a bottom;

at least one side wall ending in an upper lip; and

at least one slot defined by spaced slot side walls provided through at least a portion of the width of the lip and communicating with the interior of the bucket and extending downwardly along a portion of the side wall;

wherein a brush can be held in a slot, with the narrowed portion of the handle located between the slot side walls and the brush bristles hanging into the bucket.

2. The paint bucket of claim 1, wherein the slot is further defined by a rear wall that is an integral part of the side wall.

3. The paint bucket of claim 2, wherein the side wall proximate the slot generally defines a perimeter shape, and the slot rear wall projects outwardly from such perimeter shape.

4. The paint bucket of claim 1, wherein the slot side walls are generally parallel to one another.

5. The paint bucket of claim 4, wherein the slot is generally rectangular in shape.

6. The paint bucket of claim 1, wherein the slot side walls generally come closer together as they descend from the rim toward the bottom of the bucket.

7. The paint bucket of claim 6, wherein the slot is generally “V” shaped.

8. The paint bucket of claim 1, wherein one or both of the slot side walls define integral projections jutting out from the walls, to narrow the gap between the walls.

9. The paint bucket of claim 8, wherein the projections taper toward the side walls from top to bottom.

10. The paint bucket of claim 1, further comprising an integral hand grip in the bottom of the bucket.

11. The paint bucket of claim 10, wherein the hand grip comprises an elongated protrusion in the bottom that defines a hollow in the outside of the bottom adapted to receive several fingers of a user's hand.

12. The paint bucket of claim 1, further comprising an integral paint roller holder.

13. The paint bucket of claim 12, wherein the integral paint roller holder comprises an opening in the upper lip.

14. The paint bucket of claim 13, wherein the integral paint roller holder further comprises a widening of the lip along side the opening.

15. A paint bucket with an integral brush holder adapted to hold a paint brush with a handle having a narrowed portion between the bristle portion of the brush and the tip of the handle, the paint bucket comprising:

a bottom;

at least one side wall ending in an upper lip; and

at least one slot defined by a rear wall that is an integral part of the bucket side wall and further defined by tapered, spaced slot side walls provided through at least a portion of the width of the lip and communicating with the interior of the bucket and extending downwardly along a portion of the bucket side wall;

wherein a brush can be held in a slot, with the narrowed portion of the handle located between the slot side walls and the brush bristles hanging into the bucket.

16. The paint bucket of claim 15, wherein one or both of the slot side walls define integral projections jutting out from the walls, to narrow the gap between the walls.

17. The paint bucket of claim 16, wherein the projections taper toward the side walls from top to bottom.

18. The paint bucket of claim 15, further comprising an integral hand grip in the bottom of the bucket comprising an elongated protrusion in the bottom that defines a hollow in the outside of the bottom adapted to receive several fingers of a user's hand.

19. The paint bucket of claim 15, further comprising an integral paint roller holder.

20. The paint bucket of claim 19, wherein the integral paint roller holder comprises an opening in the upper lip, and a widening of the lip along side the opening.