Abstract:
A bucket holder is presented for mounting to a user&#39;s clothing article, such as a belt. The bucket holder comprises a belt portion and a handle portion with an outer wire entrance. A belt portion has a belt slot that configured to place a user&#39;s belt through. The handle portion comprises a grip slot that is configured to mount a bucket handle having a wire portion and a grip. The bucket holder is designed to first place the wire portion through the outer wire entrance and then slid the grip into the grip slot. The handle portion further comprises a first wire slot and a second wire slot. The first wire slot configured to hold the wire portion when the outer entrance is facing upward, and the second wire slot configured to hold the bucket holder when the outer wire entrance is facing downward.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    Not applicable. 
       FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH 
       [0002]    Not applicable. 
       BACKGROUND 
     Field of Invention 
       [0003]    The invention relates to a holder for a bucket and more particularly to a bucket holder with a belt slot that a belt can be placed through to mount the bucket holder on a user&#39;s belt. 
       Prior Art 
       [0004]    Belt mounted holders are often made to carry tools used by carpenters, tradesmen, and handymen the tool holder placed in or on a belt secured around the individuals waist. This allows the user easy access to the tools and freeing the hands for more urgent tasks, such as climbing, until the tools are needed. 
         [0005]    Some holders may have one or more flip out panels with apertures designed to support containers The inventions may also include wires and rods to support these containers. 
         [0006]    Other bucket holders may provide for the carriage of at least one can, such as a paint can, and a variety of additional tools and equipment. The paint can holders may include one or more harnesses used to secure the paint can. 
         [0007]    It is therefore contended that a need exists for a new and improved type of bucket holder that does not require wires, rods, buckets holding belts or harnesses, or flip out panels. The current invention provides a simple invention with out the inherent drawbacks and disadvantages of the known prior art. It is further contended that the current bucket holder should be easy to use and inexpensive to manufacture. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a bucket holder that is mounted on a user&#39;s belt that allows the user to easily carry a bucket or other items. 
         [0009]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a bucket holder that may be easily installed and placed in operation by the user. 
         [0010]    Still another object of the present invention is to provide a bucket holder that does not require any modifications or the adjustment of wires, rods, belts or harness, or flip out panels to carry the intended load. 
         [0011]    Presented is a one embodiment of the present invention, a bucket holder comprising a handle portion and a belt portion with the belt portion having a belt hold means and the handle portion having at least a grip slot in which the grip of a bucket handle can be inserted. The bucket holder may have a grip ridge slot which a grip ridge (i.e., a raised ridge running circumferentially about the center of the handle) may be placed while the bucket is carried. Further the handle portion may also comprise a first wire slot and a second wire slot. The first and second wire slots are configured to carry the wire portion of the bucket handle when the grip is not used or on bucket handles without a grip. The wire portion of the bucket handle is inserted in an outer wire entrance and the grip then moved into the grip slot. For handles without a grip, once the wire portion is inserted into the outer wire entrance, it is them placed in the wire slot facing upward, either the first wire slot or the second wire slot. The grip slot, the first wire slot and the second wire slot are open at a first end and a second end of the bucket holder allowing the grip and the wire portion to move into and out of each slot. Although the bucket holder is discussed with reference to a bucket having a wire portion and those with and without a grip, the bucket holder may be used to carry other items with a closed loop handle that will fit into the outer wire entrance. 
         [0012]    The invention itself together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of the embodiments when read and understood in connection with accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    In describing various examples of the present invention and, together with the detailed description, the accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of the specification and serve to explain the principles of the invention as illustrated in the following: 
           [0014]      FIG. 1  is a prospective view for the present invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a prospective view of a bucket; 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is a plan view for the present invention looking through the outer wire entrance; 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is a sectional prospective view along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  is a prospective view of the present invention showing the wire portion being inserted in the outer wire entrance; 
           [0019]      FIG. 6  is a prospective view of the present invention showing the grip being inserted in the grip slot; 
           [0020]      FIG. 7  is a prospective view of the present invention showing the grip resting in the grip slot; 
           [0021]      FIG. 8  is a prospective view of the present invention showing the wire being inserted in the first wire slot; 
           [0022]      FIG. 9  is a prospective view of the present invention showing the grip ridge of the grip being inserted in the grip ridge slot; 
           [0023]      FIG. 10  is a prospective view of the present invention with element numbers; and 
           [0024]      FIG. 11  is a prospective view of the present invention with key dimensions. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0025]    Presented is a one embodiment of the present invention, a bucket holder  10  shown in  FIG. 1 . The bucket holder  10  is designed for a bucket  11  having a bucket handle  11   h . The handle may comprise a wire portion  11   w  and a grip  11   g  for the hand, or the handle may only comprise the wire portion  11   w . Looking again to  FIG. 1 , the bucket holder  10  comprises a handle portion  12  and a belt portion  14 , as divided by the dashed plane  14   p , with the belt portion having a belt hold means  15 , such as a belt loop  44 , and the handle portion  12  having at least a grip slot  16 . 
         [0026]    The handle portion  12  may comprises at least the grip slot  16 , but preferably also a first wire slot  18 , a second wire slot  20  and a grip ridge slot  22  shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . Looking again to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the grip slot  16  is open at a first end  17   a  and a second end  17   b , and has an outer wire entrance  37  that allows the wire portion  11   w  of bucket handle  11   h  to be inserted through the outer wire entrance  37  and once the wire portion  11   w  is in the grip slot  16 , the grip  11   g  of the bucket  11  is moved into the grip slot  16  through the first end  17   a  or the second end  17   b  with a grip ridge  11   r  of the grip  11   g  resting in the grip ridge slot  22  shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . When the bucket handle  11   h  does not have a grip  11   g , the wire portion  11   w  of the bucket handle  11   h  may be placed in the first wire slot  18  or in the second wire slot  20 , whichever is facing in an up direction U a shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0027]    Looking to  FIG. 5  the wire portion  11   w  (i.e. the wire) of the bucket handle  11   h  is initially placed in the outer wire entrance  37 . Looking to  FIG. 6 , the grip  11   g  is inserted in direction W into the grip slot  16  coming to rest as shown in  FIG. 7 . Looking to  FIG. 8 , when the bucket handle  11   h  consist of only the wire portion  11   w , the wire portion  11   w , may be placed in to first wire slot  18  or if the bucket holder  10  is inverted into the second wire slot  20 . Looking to  FIG. 9 , the same sectional view of the bucket holder  10  presented in  FIG. 4  is again presented showing the grip ridge  11   r  of the grip  11   g  inserted in the grip ridge slot  22 . 
         [0028]    Looking to  FIG. 10 , The handle portion  12  further has a grip belt side surface  23  connected to a base first wire slot surface  24   a  of a first wire slot surface  24  at a first inner corner  25   a . The first wire slot  18  is cut back into the handle portion  12  to allow the wire portion  11   w  of the bucket handle  11   h  to rest in the first wire slot  18  more securely. The first wire slot surface  24  has the base first wire slot surface  24   a  and an opposite base first wire slot inner surface  24   b . The base first wire slot surface  24   a  may be at a 45 degree inner angle to the opposite base first wire slot inner surface  24   b . The opposite base first wire slot inner surface  24   b  is connected to a grip ridge surface  26  at a third inner corner  25   c . The grip ridge surface  26  connects to a grip inner side surface  28  at a fourth inner corner  27 . The grip inner side surface  28  connects to a second wire inner surface  30  at a fifth inner corner  29 . A second grip ridge  32  connects to a wire entrance surface  36  to the second wire inner surface  30 . The grip inner side surface  28  and the second wire inner surface  30  form the second wire slot  20  that is u-shaped. The grip slot  16  is formed by the grip ridge surface  26  connected to the grip inner side surface  28  at the fourth inner corner  27 , the grip inner side surface  28  being opposite the grip belt side surface  23 . The second grip ridge  32  has a second grip ridge surface  34  that is U shaped and joins a wire entrance surface  36  to the second wire inner surface  30 . The wire entrance surface  36  joins a grip opposite base surface  38  at a first outer corner  39 . The wire entrance surface  36  is located opposite the grip belt side surface  23  with the outer wire entrance  37  there between. The grip opposite base surface  38  joins a grip outer side surface  40  at a second outer corner  41 . The grip outer side surface  40  joins a grip part  42   a  of a base outer surface  42  at a third outer corner  43 . 
         [0029]    The belt portion  14  comprises a belt hold means  15 , such as a belt slot  44  that a user&#39;s belt is placed through. The belt slot runs from the first end  17   a  to the second end  17   b  of the bucket holder  10 . The belt slot  44  comprises a belt first inner surface  46  parallel to a belt second inner surface  48  with a first belt inner corner surface  50  that is u-shaped and a second belt inner corner surface  52  that is u-shaped connecting the belt first inner surface  46  to the belt second inner surface  48  forming the belt slot  44 . The belt portion  14  further has a body side surface  54 , a belt part  42   b  of base outer surface  42 , and a belt opposite base surface  56 . The body side surface  54  joins the belt part  42   b  of the base outer surface  42  at a fourth outer corner  55 . The body side surface  54  joins belt opposite base surface  56  at a fifth outer corner  57 . The belt opposite base surface  56  of joins the grip belt side surface  23  at a sixth outer corner  59 . The bucket holder  10  has first end  17   a  and a second end  17   b  with the handle portion  12  and the belt portion  14  running from the first end  17   a  to the second end  17   b . The first end  17   a  and a second end  17   b  may be generally parallel. The grip outer side surface  40 , the grip inner side surface  28 , the wire entrance surface  36 , the grip belt side surface  23 , the belt first inner surface  46 , the belt second inner surface  48 , and the body side surface  54  may be generally parallel. The base outer surface  42  may be generally perpendicular to the grip outer side surface  40 , the grip inner side surface  28 , the wire entrance surface  36 , the grip belt side surface  23 , the belt first inner surface  46 , the belt second inner surface  48 , and the body side surface  54 ; and the base outer surface  42  may be generally parallel to the grip opposite base surface  38  and belt opposite base surface  56 . 
         [0030]    Looking to  FIG. 11 , the one embodiment may have a length  70  of 3 inches as measured from the first end  17   a  to the second end  17   b , and may have a width  72  of 1.5 inches as measure form the body side surface  54  to the grip outer side surface  40 . The belt portion  14  may have a belt portion height  74  of 2 inches as measured from the belt part  42   b  of the base outer surface  42  to the belt opposite base surface  56 . The handle portion may have a handle portion height  76  of 1.75 inches as measured from the grip part  42   a  of base outer surface  42  to the grip opposite base surface  38 . The grip slot  16  may have a grip slot width  80  of 0.625 inches as measured from the grip inner side surface  28  to the grip belt side  23  surface. The grip slot  16  may have a grip slot height  82  of 0.75 inches as measured from the grip ridge surface  26  to the second grip ridge  32 . The first wire slot  18  may have a first wire slot length  84  of 0.375 inches as measured from the grip belt side surface  23  to the second inner corner  25   b . The first wire slot  18  may have a first wire slot width  86  of 0.25 inches as measured from the third inner corner  25   c  to the base first wire slot surface  24   a . The second wire slot  20  have a second wire slot width  88  of 0.1875 inches as measured from the grip inner side surface  28  to the second wire inner surface  30 . The second wire slot  20  may have a second wire slot length  90  of 0.3750 inches as measured from the fifth inner corner  29  to the second grip ridge  32 . The belt slot may have a belt slot width  92  of 0.2500 inches as measured from the belt first inner surface  46  to the belt second inner surface  48 . The belt slot may have a belt slot height  94  of 1.625 inches as measured from the first belt inner corner surface  50  to the second belt inner corner surface  52 . The outer wire entrance  37  may have an entrance width  95  of 0.2500 as measured from the grip belt side surface  23  to the wire entrance surface  36 . The bucket holder  10  may have grip sidewall width  96  between 0.1875 and 0.25 inches, preferably 0.25 inches and a belt sidewall width  97  between 0.1875 and 0.500 inches, preferably 0.1875 inches. The bucket holder  10  may have a base thickness  98  of 0.50 inches as measured from the grip part  42   a  of the base outer surface  42  to the grip ridge surface  26 . Looking to  FIG. 3 , the grip ridge slot  22  may have a grip ridge slot width  99  of 0.25 inches. All dimensions are dependant on the design load and the materials used and may be adjusted as required. The dimensions provided are for a bucket holder  10  made of a high density polyethylene designed to carry a gallon of paint. The bucket holder  10  may also be made a variety of material such as: metals (e.g., aluminum, steels, and titanium), plastics (e.g., high density polyethylene), composite materials, or other materials with sufficient strength to carry the design load. 
         [0031]    Although the several versions of the present invention have been described in considerable detail with reference to the version thereof, other versions are possible. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the preferred version contained herein. Various deviations and modification may be made within the spirit and scope of this invention without departing from the main theme thereof.