Abstract:
The present invention includes a bucket anchoring device that limits or prevents a bucket from rotating when mixing thick, heavy, or low-viscosity materials within it. The anchoring device includes a ring having a plurality of removable, flexible engagement members extending from an inner circumference of the ring. The bucket is placed in the ring such that the engagement members contact and frictionally engage an outer surface of the bucket, similar to a sprag. The user steps on footpads located on the top of the ring to provide an anchoring force to the ring and therefore the bucket, thereby preventing rotation.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/738,341 filed Dec. 17, 2012 entitled Bucket Lock, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    In the construction, home improvement and other related trades, there is often the need to mix materials in a container prior to usage of those materials. Often this mixing is done with a power stirring mechanism deployed in the mixture being held in a bucket. A user often finds it difficult to keep the bucket from rotating while the stirring mechanism is activated. 
         [0003]    Such bucket movement can cause the mixture to spill or be splattered outside of the bucket. This is wasteful and, in certain circumstances, can be very dangerous to the user and anyone else in the vicinity of the bucket. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    In one embodiment, the present invention is directed to a bucket anchoring device that limits or prevents a bucket from rotating when mixing thick, heavy, or low-viscosity materials within it. The anchoring device includes a ring having a plurality of removable, flexible engagement members extending from an inner circumference of the ring. The bucket is placed in the ring such that the engagement members contact and frictionally engage an outer surface of the bucket, similar to a sprag. The user steps on footpads on the device&#39;s top surface to provide an anchoring force to the ring and therefore the bucket, thereby preventing rotation. 
         [0005]    In one embodiment, the ring includes a plurality grooves to which the engagement members can attach to. Preferably, the ring in includes at least two sets of grooves which are located at different depths or diameters in the ring. In this respect, the engagement members can accommodate different diameter buckets depending on which grooves they are coupled to. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    These and other aspects, features and advantages of which embodiments of the invention are capable of will be apparent and elucidated from the following description of embodiments of the present invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a bucket locking device with a bucket according to the present invention; 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the bucket locking device of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a bottom view of the bucket locking device of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is a top view of the bucket locking device of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  is a side view of the bucket locking device of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0012]      FIGS. 6-9  are various views of an engagement member; 
           [0013]      FIG. 10  is a top view of an arc segment; and, 
           [0014]      FIG. 11  is a bottom view of the arc segment of  FIG. 10 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 12  is a perspective view of an alternate bucket locking device. 
           [0016]      FIG. 13  is a bottom view of the alternate bucket locking device of  FIG. 12 . 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
       [0017]    Specific embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. The terminology used in the detailed description of the embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings is not intended to be limiting of the invention. In the drawings, like numbers refer to like elements. 
         [0018]      FIG. 1  illustrates an embodiment of a bucket anchor device  100  which can prevent or limit a bucket  10  from rotating, especially when using a power stirring device within the bucket  10 . Generally, the user stands on the anchor device  100  to prevent movement of the device  100  relative to the ground while the device  100  frictionally engages an outer surface of the bucket  10  to prevent rotation of the bucket  10  relative to the device  100 . In this respect, the weight of the user helps prevent the bucket  10  from rotational and possibly vertical movement, especially when stirring buckets containing thick viscosity material, such as plaster, stucco, concrete, mortar, thinset, grout, compost, or similar materials. 
         [0019]    In one embodiment shown best in  FIGS. 1-5 , the anchor device  100  includes a ring  102  that fits around the bucket  10  and a plurality of flexible engagement members  106  extend from an inner portion of the ring  102  (i.e., the ring&#39;s aperture) to frictionally engage the bucket  10 . In the present embodiment, six engagement members  106  are depicted, however, any number of engagement members  106  are contemplated, such as between 2 and 10 engagement members or even a single circular engagement member. 
         [0020]    In the present embodiment, each engagement member  106  includes a plurality of fingers  106 A that extend from a curved base portion and terminate with a flat “L” surface  106 B, as best seen in  FIGS. 6-9 . Preferably, the fingers  106 A are angled or lean in a counter-clockwise direction. In one specific example shown in  FIG. 8 , the fingers  106 A have an angle  122  of about 5 or about 10 degrees in a counter-clockwise direction relative to a line that perpendicularly crosses the ring  102  or base of the engagement member  106 . In the same example, the fingers have a final distal width  130  of about 0.375 inches that increases to a final proximal width  126  of about 0.500 inches (e.g., a final proximal half-width  124  of about 0.250 inches). Preferably, the fingers  106 A have a length such that, when the engagement members  106  are connected to the ring  102 , the anchor device  100  can accept and engage a bucket of predetermined size. For example, the fingers  106 A may have a length such that the device  100  accommodates and frictionally engages a bucket  10  having a diameter of about 7.25 inches, 7.50 inches, 7.75 inches, about 8 inches, about 11.25 inches, 11.50 inches, 11.75 inches, or about 12 inches. 
         [0021]    With further reference to the example of  FIGS. 8 and 9 , the L region  106 B has an overhanging length  128  of about 0.370 inches, a thickness  129  of about 0.375 inches and is generally perpendicular to the base portion of the engagement member  106 . While the L region  106 B can be composed of the same material as the fingers  106 A, this region  106 B may also be composed of a different material that may better frictionally engage a bucket, such as low durometer rubber or silicone. 
         [0022]    Preferably, the engagement members  106  include a mechanism for removable mounting at various locations around the inner surface of the ring  102 . In one example, the base portion of the engagement members  106  include a plurality of anchoring ribs  106 C, seen best in  FIGS. 6-8 , that are shaped to slide into channels  108 . In the present example, the engagement members  106  have three anchoring ribs  106 C, each having similar spacing and angular position to slide into and thereby mate with three channels  108 . 
         [0023]    Many types of commercially available products are sold in bucket sizes of common volumes, such as 1, 3, 3.5, 5, and 7 gallon buckets. However, depending on the manufacturer and bucket design, some buckets of a common size may have diameters that vary from each other. For example, many commercially available 2, 2.5, 5, and 7 gallon buckets will have lower-region diameters that vary by about 0.5 inches from other, similarly sized bucket designs. Similarly, different volume buckets may have lower-region diameters that vary from each other. 
         [0024]    The anchor device  100  can accommodate different diameter sizes of buckets by including groups of channels  108  that are set back within the ring  102  by various amounts. For example, the embodiment of  FIG. 3  shows a bottom view of the device  100  and includes a first plurality of channels  108 A and a second plurality of channels  108 B. The first plurality of channels  108 A are set radially outward to a further diameter  108 C within the ring  102  relative to the position  108 D of the second plurality of channels  108 B. In one example, the difference in position between the first and second plurality of channels  108 A and  108 B is about 0.5 inches. Hence, the user can move the engagement members  106  to engage with either the first plurality of channels  108 A to accommodate larger diameter buckets  10  and the second plurality of channels  108 B to accommodate smaller diameter buckets  10 . 
         [0025]    While the present example shows a device  100  with channels  108  having one of two positions, it should be understood that additional groups with additional spacing are possible, such as a third plurality of channels that are located radially beyond the first plurality of channels. It should also be understood that different sized engagement members  106  having shorter or longer fingers  106 A can also be used to accommodate different sized buckets  10 . 
         [0026]    In one embodiment, the ring  102  of the device  100  can be composed of multiple components that can be disassembled for smaller storage size. For example,  FIGS. 3 ,  10  and  11  illustrates that the ring  102  can be composed of three arc segments  110 , each having a tongue member  110 B on one end and a groove member  110 A on the opposite end. These tongue members  110 B and groove members  110 A can be connected to adjacent arc segments to removably engage each other and form the ring  102 . 
         [0027]    In one example use, the user assembles the bucket anchor device  100  by first connecting each arc segment  110  via the tongue members  110 B and groove members  110 A. Next, the user connects the engagement members  106  (e.g., 6 engagement members) to either the first plurality of channels  108 A or the second plurality of channels  108 B, depending on the size of the bucket  10  to be anchored. 
         [0028]    Next, the bucket  10  is pushed into the center of the ring  102  so that the engagement members  106  engage a bottom portion of the bucket  10 . Alternately, the ring  102  can be assembly around bucket  10 . Finally, the user stands on foot platforms  104  to maintain both the anchor device  100  and the bucket  10  in place and begins mixing the bucket&#39;s contents with limited or no rotations movement of the bucket  10 . 
         [0029]      FIGS. 12 and 13  illustrate an alternate embodiment of the anchor device  200  which is generally similar to the previously described embodiment  100 . However, the anchor device  200  includes a ring  102  formed from a single, unitary piece of material instead of the previously described arc segments  110 . 
         [0030]    Additionally, the device  200  includes one or more inset apertures  202  that pass through the foot platforms  104 . These apertures are preferably sized for common-sized screws or nails, allowing a user to screw or nail the anchor device  200  into an anchoring material, such as wood (e.g., 2×4s or a sheet of plywood), below it. If this material is large enough and/or heavy enough, a user may not need to stand on the foot platforms  104  during mixing. 
         [0031]    Finally, as best seen in  FIG. 13 , each group of channels  108  includes two channels  108  instead of the three channels shown on the previously described anchoring device  100 . Hence, the engagement members  106  preferably include two mating anchoring ribs  106 C, as well. 
         [0032]    While a ring shape has been disclosed in the present embodiments, it is also contemplated that other shapes of the device  100  are possible. For example, the device may have an arc shape, a “U” shape, a square shape, an oval shape, a triangle shape, or may even be two separate arc shapes. 
         [0033]    Although the invention has been described in terms of particular embodiments and applications, one of ordinary skill in the art, in light of this teaching, can generate additional embodiments and modifications without departing from the spirit of or exceeding the scope of the claimed invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the drawings and descriptions herein are proffered by way of example to facilitate comprehension of the invention and should not be construed to limit the scope thereof.