SPREADABLE MATERIAL CONTAINER HOLDING DEVICE

Abstract

A device for improving the holding of a spreadable material container such as a paint can is disclosed. A device comprises an elongated strip of sheet material having a U shaped portion shaped to cradle a user's thumb and an opposite hook shaped end portion bent back on itself so as to hook on to one of a wire bail or a rim of a spreadable material container, wherein the container may be easily held by a user's one hand gripping a bottom of the container with fingers and the user's thumb cradled in the U shaped portion.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/054,235, filed Sep. 23, 2014, entitled Spreadable Material Container Holding Device, the contents of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

1. Field of the Disclosure

The present disclosure relates to hand held devices. In particular, it relates to a holding device for use by a worker such as a painter to hold a conventional container with or without a bail with one hand.

2. State of the Art

There are many types of devices for supporting a conventional paint can or bucket having a wire bail. These are often cumbersome, expensive and/or bulky and hence many professional painters simply don't use them. Often a painter will utilize a paint can that is preferably about half-full when doing touch up and finish work. Such a painter usually holds the can with one hand and utilizes the other to manipulate the brush. The painter grips the can by placing his/her fingers across its bottom, hooking his/her thumb around the bail and clamping the can therebetween.

A major disadvantage with this method of holding a paint can is that with a strong grip, after a while, the bail tends to cut off circulation in the holder's thumb and it becomes uncomfortable for the painter to hold the can in this manner. The painter then has to shift the hold to alleviate this pressure from the bail. Thus there is a need for a simple, inexpensive solution to this problem that will be readily adopted by the painter.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure directly addresses this problem by providing a device for holding a spreadable material container that simply hooks onto the wire bail or alternatively onto the rim of the container, preferably a liquid holding container such as a commercial paint can or bucket, and provides a comfortably broad surface for a user's thumb such that the container may be securely grasped between the bail and a container bottom via a user's thumb and fingers. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, there is disclosed a device for holding a spreadable material container comprising an elongated strip of sheet material having a U shaped portion shaped to cradle the user's thumb and an opposite hook shaped end portion bent back on itself so as to hook on to one of the wire bail or rim of the spreadable material container, wherein the container may be easily held by a user's one hand gripping a bottom of the container with fingers and the user's thumb cradled in the U shaped portion. The sheet material may be selected from one of a metal, a polymer, or a plastic. The device may further include a coating of vinyl, plastic or rubber on at least the U shaped portion of the device that provides comfort to the user's thumb and friction between the device and the container, rim or bail of the container. The device may further include a soft material on the U shaped portion to increase comfort for the user's thumb, wherein the soft material may comprise leather or rubber or silicone.

Another embodiment of the disclosure is a device for holding a spreadable material container that includes an elongated strip of sheet material having a U shaped portion shaped to cradle a user's thumb, and an extended arm portion connecting the U shaped portion to a hooked clamp region designed to receive and attach to a rim of a spreadable material container. The container may be easily held by a user's one hand gripping a bottom of the container with fingers and the user's thumb cradled in the U shaped portion. The clamp region is formed at the top portion of the device, whereby the end of the extended arm is bent first at a nearly right angle and then back on itself at an angle of less than 90 degrees, in to a hook sized to snap over the rim of a container like a clamp. The clamp region further comprises a tabbed end that preferably pinches against an inside surface of the wall of the container, and which has an end that is angled back towards the inside of the container to allow for easy disengagement from the rim of the container by creating a tab under which a finger may fit to allow release of the clamp region from the container. The sheet material may be selected from one of a metal, a polymer, or a plastic. The device may further include a coating of vinyl, plastic or rubber on at least the U shaped portion of the device that provides comfort to the user's thumb and friction between the device and the container or rim of the container. The device may further include a soft material on the U shaped portion to increase comfort for the user's thumb, wherein the soft material may be leather or rubber or silicone.

The device in accordance with this disclosure may be made from a flat sheet material. An advantage of this is that a flat part creates more stability upon contact with the side of container. The device may have rounded edges, particularly in the U shaped region, designed for comfort. The thumb receiving portion or hook edge is preferably curved for comfort and structural integrity and secures the user's hand to the device.

The device includes an open hook to accept thumb, and in some embodiments is not enclosed or wrapped by any material. The device is easily engaged and disengaged, and it permits a user to hold the container with one hand, provides stability when holding with one hand and lessens fatigue associated with holding a can with one hand compared with other ways that painters hold cans. In some embodiments the device may further clip onto a belt allowing for the belt to hold the container.

The device protects a user's hand and arm ligaments, tendons and muscles of the thumb and reduces stress on the wrist, promotes comfort, is not easily lost and is small and unobtrusive. When the user's hand is engaged with the device in use, the user's hand is in a very similar position to when the hand is at rest, thus minimizing fatigue.

The device in accordance with this disclosure can be manipulated to fit different hand and thumb sizes. In some embodiments, the device may be adjustable by using materials that can be bent or reshaped to fit different hands and thumb sizes. The device may also have a built-in mechanism for adjusting the shape, a size, a width and/or a configuration of the U shaped region to fit different hand and thumb sizes.

In some embodiments, the device may be modified for use by a person with limited hand mobility to assist the person with grasping an object. The object may be an eating or drinking utensil, such as a glass, mug, plate, bowl or piece of stemware. The person may be, for example, a geriatric patient, a handicapped person, a person with a disease or an injury, or a person with a prosthetic limb. The disease or injury may directly or indirectly limit the mobility of the hand. The limited hand mobility may be temporary or permanent.

In some embodiments, more than one device may be used on the container. One device may be attached to the bail and another attached to the rim of the same container. In this case, the user may alternate between holding the container with either device, further protecting the user's hand and arm ligaments, tendons and muscles of the thumb, and further reducing stress on the wrist.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosure will be better understood and objects, other than those set forth above, will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description. Such description makes reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a paint can being held by a painter utilizing a first exemplary embodiment of the device in accordance with the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a paint can being held by a painter utilizing a second exemplary embodiment of a device incorporating features of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a separate perspective view of a coated device in accordance with the present disclosure similar to that shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a separate side perspective view of another coated device in accordance with the present disclosure similar to that shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough disclosure. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the art disclosed may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known features may have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the art disclosed.

Turning now to FIG. 1 of the drawings a typical one gallon paint can 10 is being held by a user 12, a painter, utilizing a paint can holding device 100 in accordance with the present disclosure. The holding device 100 is an elongated piece of sheet metal bent so as to have a U-shaped end portion 102 for receiving a user's thumb, and a hooked opposite end portion 104 shaped to fit over and clamp to the rim 14 of the paint can 10. The user simply grips the can 10 between the bottom 16 of the can 10 and the U-shaped end portion 102 of the holder 100 with fingers and thumb respectively. The opposite end portion 104 actually grips the rim 14 of the can 10.

An alternative device (“holder”) 200 is shown in FIG. 2. This holder 200 again has an end portion 202 and a hooked portion 204, but in this embodiment the hooked portion is configured to snap over and onto the bail 8 of the paint can 10.

A further embodiment 300, similar to the holder 300 shown in FIG. 2 is shown in a perspective view in FIG. 3. This holding device 300 has a U shaped portion 302 that is wide enough to accommodate a variety of thumb shapes, and has side edges 303 that are outwardly rounded so as to comfortably contact the fleshy part of a user's thumb. The U shaped portion 302 merges with a straight portion 304 by bending back on itself at bend 305. The straight portion 304 terminates at a tip portion 306. This tip portion 306 is preferably uncoated metal. The rest of the device, portions 302, 304 and 305 are uniformly coated with a flexible material for user comfort. The flexible material may be, for example, leather, vinyl, plastic or rubber.

Another embodiment of a device 400 in accordance with the present disclosure is shown in a side perspective view in FIG. 4. The device 400 has a U shaped curved portion 402, an arm portion and a hooked opposite end clamp portion 404 with a top portion bent first at a right angle and then back on itself at an angle of less than 90 degrees. This hooked portion is sized to snap over the rim of a paint container like a clamp, that permits easy removal of the device from the container, and has a tabbed end 406 that preferably pinches against an inside surface of the wall of the paint container.

The material used for the holders 100, 200, 300 and 400 may be plastic, polymer or metal, but is preferably metal, such as steel. The metal may be from sheet form preferably of approximately 18-24 gauge thickness. The sheet material is cut preferably to between ½″-1½″ in width strips and preferably between 4″-12″ in length. The metal is then preferably coated almost entirely with a vinyl, vinyl polymer, polyvinyl chloride (pvc), plastic or rubber coating. The coated metal is bent or stamped to different forms at either end. The top end is bent or stamped preferably 1″-4″ from the top end into a tight “U” shape radius of preferably 180°. The bend is larger at the apex with a bend radius of preferably 1/16″-¼″ and from the bend returns preferably to almost contacting the opposite surface of the container. The material toward the top of the bend remains flat and it is preferable to the design it remain flat. From the other end of the material, or bottom, a bend is made preferably 1″-4″ from the bottom on a radius of preferably ½″-2″ to preferably 180°. A soft material may be affixed to the U shaped portion of the device to provide additional comfort to the user's thumb. The soft material may be leather, vinyl, rubber or silicone.

The holder 200 of FIG. 2 is attached to the handle or bail 8 of a bucket, can 10 or container preferably for use with one hand. Preferably the container is not larger than 2 gallons in capacity. The holder 200 in accordance with the present disclosure has a flat section which is positioned over the handle or bail of the container with the flat section against the container and seating the bend of the holder securely onto the bail or handle of the container 10. The user grasps the container 10 from the bottom with his or her fingers and simultaneously places his or her thumb cradled in the open hook portion 202 which is positioned against the side of the container 10 and attached to the bail 8 or handle. The flat part of the holder 200 rests against the side of the container and the surface area of the flat portion of the holder helps displace pressure against the container as the holder 200 is engaged by the user. Preferably a coating is applied over at least the U shaped end portion 102 or 202 of the holder 100 or 200. This coating may be vinyl, plastic or rubber and provides comfort for the user's thumb. The coating on the flat U shaped portion creates friction as it is engaged by the user.

The user preferably positions the holder 200 at a location somewhere along the bottom half of the bail 8 of the container 10 to the preference of the user and as it contacts the side of the container 10 it preferably does not change position and stays where positioned by the user from the tension and friction of the coating of the holder 200 being engaged by the user. Leverage is created between the thumb resting in the hook portion 202 and the user's fingers 12 resting against the bottom 16 of the container 10 enabling the user to hold the bucket or can 10 with one hand and leaving the top of the container 10 open and easily accessible to the other hand, which typically will hold a brush. The user may bend and reshape the hooked end portion thumb hook 202 to fit the user's hand and thumb more precisely for comfort and fit. The holder 200 or 300 may also be installed and used on any spreadable material container such as a rectangular drywall mud tray in a similar manner to that shown in FIG. 2 except that in that case, the holder 200 or 300 is attached to the rim of the mud tray as there is no bail on a mud tray.

Accordingly, it is intended that the art disclosed shall be limited only to the extent required by the appended claims and the rules and principles of applicable law.

Claims

1. A device for holding a spreadable material container comprising:

an elongated strip of sheet material having a U shaped portion shaped to cradle a user's thumb and an opposite hook shaped end portion bent back on itself so as to hook on to one of a wire bail or a rim of a spreadable material container, whereby the container may be easily held by a user's one hand gripping a bottom of the container with fingers and the user's thumb cradled in the U shaped portion.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the sheet material may be selected from one of a metal, a polymer, or a plastic.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising a coating of vinyl, plastic or rubber on at least the U shaped portion of the device that provides comfort to the user's thumb and friction between the device and the container, rim or bail of the container.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising a soft material on the U shaped portion to provide additional comfort to the user's thumb, wherein the soft material may comprise leather or rubber or silicone.

5. A device for holding a spreadable material container comprising:

an elongated strip of sheet material having a U shaped portion shaped to cradle a user's thumb and an extended arm portion connecting the U shaped portion to a hooked clamp region for engaging a rim of a spreadable material container, whereby the container may be easily held by a user's one hand gripping a bottom of the container with fingers and the user's thumb cradled in the U shaped portion.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the sheet material may be selected from one of a metal, a polymer, or a plastic.

7. The device of claim 5, further comprising a coating of vinyl, plastic or rubber on at least the U shaped portion of the device that provides comfort to the user's thumb and friction between the device and the container or rim of the container.

8. The device of claim 5, further comprising a soft material on the U shaped portion to provide additional comfort to the user's thumb, wherein the soft material may comprise leather or rubber or silicone.