Patent ID: 9656846
Date: 2017-05-23
CPC Classifications: B67B

Claim:
1. A paint can tool for prying off a paint can lid from a paint can, and reducing paint waste, the paint can having a gutter inside a circumference of the paint can and the paint can lid having a rim, comprising: a substantially cylindrical handle; a tool shank extending longitudinally along a longitudinal axis from the substantially cylindrical handle, the tool shank having a plurality of tools integrally formed on its distal end; the tools including; a sharply pointed piercing tip extending longitudinally from the distal end of the tool shank; the piercing tip being sized and shaped for piercing the gutter to produce a hole for any paint that is left over from a pour to be able to drip back into the paint can, thereby reducing paint waste; a depth stop surface immediately adjacent and substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis to prevent the piercing tip from descending too far into the gutter during the piercing; and a curved pry tab adjacent the depth stop surface, the curved pry tab being shaped as an elongated wing laterally offset from the longitudinal axis of the tool shank, the elongated wing being arcuately shaped forming a shallow concave recess between a leading edge of the elongated wing and the tool shank and wherein the leading edge of the elongated wing has a distal end and a proximal end; the concave recess of the elongated wing having a center line parallel to the leading edge of the elongated wing; the center line and the leading edge being oriented at an acute angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the tool shank, wherein a distance between the most distal end of the leading edge of the elongated wing and the longitudinal axis of the tool shank is less than a distance between the most proximal end of the leading edge of the elongated wing and the longitudinal axis of the tool shank, the curved pry tab being sized and shaped for inserting the leading edge of the concave recess of the curved pry tab under the rim of the paint can lid and used to pry off the paint can lid.