Abstract:
A resealable container lid assembly, which may be easily moved from one container to another container of a similar size and which may contain one or more holders for tools, especially flat bladed tools such as a joint compound knife. Generally, the present invention includes an operation platform having a first aperture for providing access to the container and a lid that is pivotally coupled to the operation platform, i.e. with a hinge. The operation platform may include one or more holders for tools, for example a groove for holding a joint compound knife.

Description:
[0001]     This application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. Ser. No. 10/794,739, filed Mar. 4, 2004, currently pending. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Technical Field  
         [0003]     The present invention relates generally to container lids and more particularly to a container lid adapted for use in connection with a pail or bucket.  
         [0004]     2. Related Art  
         [0005]     Containers are used for transporting and storing liquids and solids. Conventional containers are usually made of strong and durable substances such as glass, metal, or plastic. These containers are used to transport substances over great distances and to store substances for long periods of time.  
         [0006]     The usefulness of a container is greatly increased if it is coupled with a lid or cover. A lid may keep the contents of the container from spilling if the container is tilted or shifted rapidly. A lid may also prevent volatile materials such as a petro-chemical compound from being depleted due to evaporation or may prevent substances such as cements from hardening during storage. Furthermore, a lid may be useful in barring the entry of outside substances, which may contaminate the contents of the container.  
         [0007]     One of the major challenges of lid design lies in making a lid that fits tightly onto the container while still allowing the user to access its contents when necessary. For some uses a lid must be airtight to prevent spoilage of the container&#39;s contents. One example of a material that must be stored in an airtight container is joint compound. Joint compound is normally sold, transported and stored in a roughly cylindrical container that is usually made of plastic and is approximately five (5) gallons in size. A full joint compound bucket is normally sold from the factory with a tight fitting lid, which provides an airtight seal to keep the bucket&#39;s contents from hardening from exposure to the air.  
         [0008]     Two problems arise with the use of the original factory lid. First, because the factory lid has a tight fit so as to be airtight, it can be very difficult to remove. This can cause difficulties because workers in the field need to access joint compound repeatedly in order to do their work. The factory lid has been known to cause work delays and even injuries to workers due to difficulty in its removal. Because of these problems, some workers in the field have resorted to leaving the lid off of the bucket the entire time they are working. This solution to the problem may cause the contents of the container to harden between the times the worker accesses the container. A hardened compound may cause a portion of the material to have to be thrown out and thus wasted or may cause imperfections in the compound that the worker uses, negatively affecting the quality of the work.  
         [0009]     A second shortcoming in the original factory lid lies in the fact that the worker has nowhere to place his tools while he is removing the lid. This may cause the worker to place his tools on the floor, resulting in contamination to the surface of the tool or in soiling the floor with the substance on the tool. This is especially problematic with regard to a joint compound knife because the joint compound is sticky and foreign substances easily adhere to its surface. The required cleaning of tools or the floor after contact between the two may cause delays in the work performed by the worker. Conversely, if the worker is not diligent about cleaning his tools, his work surface or the contents of the container may become contaminated with foreign particulates and reduce the quality of the work.  
         [0010]     A number of container lids have been developed in the past, but none adequately address the problems of the factory container lid. One example is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,345 issued for an invention entitled “Lid Adapter for Bucket,” which describes a two-part cover. This airtight, resealable cover is an adapter that is designed to be attached to the top rim of the container to be sealed and a lid that is threaded into the adapter to complete an airtight seal. While this cover preserves an airtight seal, one drawback is that it has an opening that is substantially smaller than the bucket opening, possibly making it difficult for a worker to get a tool such as a wide joint compound knife into the opening. Furthermore, the threaded design may become clogged due to the accumulation of joint compound and cease to function correctly. This lid also does not provide a holder in which to place tools while the worker opens the lid.  
         [0011]     U.S. Pat. No. 6,237,765 for an invention called “Bait Bucket” describes another cover that is attachable to a container. This cover includes a hinged access lid, which is positioned within the main lid so as to provide access to the inner chamber without removing the main lid from the outer box. Although the “Bait Bucket” lid is easy to open and less susceptible to clogging, the opening is still substantially smaller than the container, and the lid makes no provision for the storage of tools.  
         [0012]     Other covers have been developed which contain storage for tools, but because of their designs, they cannot be used in conjunction with a full bucket. One example is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,197,961 entitled “Tool Bucket Organizer” issued for a tool holding device that is adapted for connection to a large empty pail or bucket. This device includes a platform member having a generally planar surface through which a plurality of variously shaped holes are located for receiving and holding various tools and materials. This device also includes a cover member, which is pivotally connected to the platform member by means of hinge members. This organizer provides an effective way to store most tools, however it is not designed to be used in conjunction with a container that is filled with an original product, but is instead meant to utilize an empty bucket. The organizer is also not designed with an airtight seal to keep the original product from spilling, spoiling, evaporating, or hardening, depending on the material. The organizer&#39;s design also specifies securing it to the bucket by means of glue, screws, nails or a snap-on arrangement, which limits reusability in conjunction with a variety of containers and fails to solve the removal difficulty problem in the factory cover. Finally, the organizer has no slot for holding the blade of a flat bladed tool such as a joint compound knife.  
         [0013]     These prior closures suffer from a number of drawbacks, namely they are not airtight, are not reclosable, have an opening which significantly reduces the opening of the container, do not function with certain products such as joint compound, or do not have holders for tools, especially flat bladed tools such as joint compound knives. In view of the foregoing, a new container lid is needed in the art that addresses the problems of the related art.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0014]     The present invention provides a resealable container lid assembly, which may be easily moved from one container to another container of a similar size and which may contain one or more holders for tools, especially flat bladed tools such as a joint compound knife. Generally, the present invention includes an operation platform having a first aperture for providing access to the container and a lid that is pivotally coupled to the operation platform, e.g. with a hinge. The operation platform may include one or more holders for tools, for example a groove for holding a joint compound knife.  
         [0015]     In a first aspect of the invention is provided a lid assembly for a container, the lid assembly comprising: an operation platform having a first aperture for providing access to the container; and a lid pivotally coupled to the operation platform for covering the aperture, wherein the operation platform includes a groove for storing a blade of a flat bladed tool.  
         [0016]     In a second aspect of the invention is provided a lid assembly for a container adapted to receive a removable hard plastic cover, the lid assembly comprising: an operation platform having a first aperture for providing access to the container; a lid pivotally coupled to the operation platform for covering the aperture; a groove in the operation platform for storing a blade of a flat bladed tool; at least one second aperture in the operation platform adapted to store a tool; a lid gasket mounted to at least one of the operation platform and the lid for providing an airtight seal between the operation platform and the lid; a platform gasket mounted to the operation platform adjacent to the container for providing an airtight seal between the operation platform and the lid; and an extendable fastener for coupling the operation platform to the container, wherein the operation platform is removably coupled to the container after the removable hard plastic cover is removed.  
         [0017]     In a third aspect of the invention is provided a container assembly comprising: a container having container wall structure defining a side wall, a bottom and an opening; and a lid assembly removably coupled to the container, the lid assembly having: an operation platform having a first aperture for providing access to the container; a lid pivotally coupled to the operation platform for covering the aperture; a groove in the operation platform for storing a blade of a flat bladed tool; at least one second aperture in the operation platform adapted to store a tool; a lid gasket mounted to at least one of the operation platform and the lid for providing an airtight seal between the operation platform and the lid; a platform gasket mounted to the operation platform adjacent to the container for providing an airtight seal between the operation platform and the lid; and an extendable fastener for coupling the operation platform to the container.  
         [0018]     The foregoing and other features of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of embodiments of the invention. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0019]     The embodiments of this invention will be described in detail, with reference to the following figures, wherein like designations denote like elements, and wherein:  
         [0020]      FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a lid assembly installed on a container;  
         [0021]      FIG. 2  shows a partial cross-sectional side view of the lid assembly installed on a container;  
         [0022]      FIG. 3  shows a partial cross-sectional plan view of the lid assembly;  
         [0023]      FIG. 4  shows a partial cross-sectional side view of one embodiment of the lid assembly;  
         [0024]      FIG. 5  shows a partial cross-sectional view of a coupling mechanism for coupling the lid assembly to the container in one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0025]      FIG. 6  shows a perspective view of another embodiment of the lid assembly installed on a container. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0026]     With reference to the accompanying drawings,  FIG. 1  is a representation of one embodiment of a lid assembly  2  attached to a roughly cylindrical container  4 . Lid assembly  2  includes an operation platform  6  having a first aperture  8  for providing access to container  4 . Container  4  has container wall structure defining a side wall  5 , a bottom  7  and an opening  9 . Container  4  is depicted in  FIG. 1  as cylindrical, but those skilled in the art should appreciate that it may be any shape required, such as a cube, pyramid or the shape of any container now known or later developed. In one embodiment, container  4  is adapted to receive a removable hard plastic cover (not shown). Furthermore, aperture  8  need not be circular as shown but may be any other shape, such as ovoid, rectangular, triangular, asymmetrical, etc., and may be substantially the same size and shape as container opening  9  or a different size and shape. Lid  10  is coupled to operation platform  6  using pivotal coupler  12  in such a manner that lid  10  may pivot to cover aperture  8  of operation platform  6 . Pivotal coupler  12  is illustrated as a hinge but may be any pivotal coupler now known or later developed. Operation platform  6  may have an interior surface  11  on a portion thereof adjacent to first aperture  8 . Operation platform  6  may also have an outer surface  3 . Lid  10  may have a lower surface  13  on a portion thereof adjacent to first aperture  8 . One or each of interior surface  11 , lower surface  13 , and outer surface  3  may be smooth to allow substances, such as dried joint compound, to be easily removed. Operation platform contains a groove  14  for storing a blade of a flat bladed tool such as a joint compound knife. Groove  14  is illustrated as being horizontal and running around an outside edge  17  of operation platform  6 , however, those skilled in the art should appreciate that groove  14  may be in an orientation other than horizontal, such as vertical, diagonal, or otherwise angled, and may be located elsewhere on operation platform  6 , on lid  10 , or elsewhere on lid assembly  2 . As illustrated in  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 5 , a shelf  15  may be formed in conjunction with groove  14  by way of a part  21  of lid assembly  2  adjacent to groove  14  extending beyond an opposing part  19 , also adjacent to groove  14 . Shelf  15  may allow easy insertion of the blade of a flat bladed tool. At least a portion of the inside of groove  14  preferably is made of rubber or some other elastic material  23  to prevent blade damage.  
         [0027]     As shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 3 , lid assembly  2  may include at least one second aperture  16  in operation platform  6  for storing a tool such as a plasterer&#39;s hawk. Second aperture  16  may be circular as shown in the illustration or may be ovular, rectangular, polygonal, asymmetrical, or any other shape. Furthermore, second aperture  16  may be completely enclosed by operation platform  6  or may be partially open. Second aperture  16  may be any size suitable for holding a tool, and may be located at any location on operation platform  6 . Lid assembly  2  may also include at least one bail  18  used, for example, to lift lid assembly either singly or in conjunction with container  4 . Bail  18  may be coupled with operation platform  6 , lid  10 , or elsewhere on lid assembly  2 . Bail  18  may also be coupled with container  4 . It should be recognized by those skilled in the art that bail  18  may be any apparatus such as a bail, handle, hook, holder, etc., for lifting an object that is now known or later developed in the art.  
         [0028]     As shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 3 , lid assembly  2  may also include one or more lid gaskets  20  for providing an airtight seal between operation platform  6  and lid  10 . A lid gasket  20  may be mounted to operation platform  6 , lid  10 , or both and may be made of natural rubber, neoprene, nylon, silicone, acrylic, or any other gasket material that is now known or later developed. A slider type latch  22  (hereinafter “latch”), shown mounted on lid  10 , may be used to couple lid  10  to operation platform  6  in a closed position over first aperture  8 . It should be recognized by those skilled in the art that latch  22  may be located on either operation platform  6 , lid  10 , or both and that multiple latches may be used as necessary. Those skilled in the art should also recognize that even though a slider type latch  22  is shown in  FIG. 1 , latch  22  may comprise any type now known or later developed in the art.  
         [0029]      FIG. 2  shows a partial cross-sectioned side view of lid assembly  2  coupled to container  4 . Lid assembly  2  may include one or more platform gaskets  50  used to provide an airtight seal between operation platform  6  and container  4 . Platform gasket  50  may be made of the same material as lid gasket  20  in  FIG. 1  or may be made of a different material. Platform gasket  50  may be positioned on operation platform  6  such that it is adjacent to side wall  5  of container  4 , as shown in the illustration, or may be positioned such that a platform gasket  50  is adjacent to the top of container  4 , or may be in any other configuration that would provide an airtight seal between operation platform  6  and container  4 .  
         [0030]      FIG. 4  shows a partial cross sectional view of one embodiment of a coupling mechanism  100  for coupling lid assembly  2  to container  4 . Coupling mechanism  100  may include an extendable fastener  152 , which may encompass one or more platform gaskets  150 . Extendable fastener  152  may be constricted by means of a toggle latch  170  to draw platform gasket  150  into an airtight seal with wall  5  under rim  174  of container  4 . It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other constricting latch mechanisms now known or later developed may be used just as effectively. Coupling mechanism  100  may also be self compensating to allow lid assembly  2  to couple to container  4  of various sizes and may complete the coupling process after a pre-determined condition, for example a certain amount of force, is detected. This embodiment may allow lid assembly  2  to be constructed in such a way that no part of lid assembly protrudes into opening  9  of container  4  and thus may allow first aperture  8  of operation platform  6  to be substantially equal in size to opening  9  of container  4 .  
         [0031]      FIG. 5  illustrates another embodiment of a coupling mechanism  200  for coupling lid assembly  2  and container  4 . Coupling mechanism  200  comprises a first fastening member  232  that extends from at least a portion of operation platform  6  and a second fastening member  240  that extends from at least a portion of operation platform  6  opposed to first fastening member  232 . First fastening member  232  and second fastening member  240  each contact an outer lip  234  of container  4  to couple lid assembly  2  and container  4 . Each of first fastening member  232  and second fastening member  240  may contact one half of lip  234  or one may contact a greater portion of lip  234  than the other. Additionally, a portion of lip  234  may not be contacted by either first fastening member  232  or second fastening member  240 . An extendable fastener  252  may encompass all or a portion of an outside surface  238  of first fastening member and an outside surface  254  of second fastening member  240 . One or more platform gaskets  250  may be coupled to the operation platform  6  to provide an airtight seal between operation platform  6  and container  4  when the two are coupled. To couple lid assembly  2  and container  4  using coupling mechanism  200 , the user first slides lid assembly  2  onto container  4  at an angle so as to bring first fastening member  232  into contact with lip  234  of container  4 . The user then presses lid assembly  2  downward onto container  4  so that second fastening member  240  is adjacent to lip  234  of container  4  on an opposing side of the container from which first fastening member  232  is in contact with lip  234  of container  4 . It should be understood that first fastening member  232  and second fastening member  240  are not required to be directly opposed but may instead be offset by some amount. The user next contracts extendable fastener  252 . This may be accomplished, for example, by using a latch  170  such as the one used in  FIG. 4  or by any other contractible fastening means now known or later developed. When the user contracts extendable fastener  252 , it causes second fastening member  240  to flex into contact with lip  234  of bucket  4 . The flexing of second fastening member  240  causes first fastening member  232  to be drawn into closer contact with lip  234  of container  4 . The flexing of second fastening member  240  also causes lid assembly  2  to be drawn into close contact with a top  236  of bucket  4  such that operation platform  6  or a portion of platform gasket  250  are seated upon top  236  of bucket  4 . Contraction of extendable fastener  252  may also bring a portion of gasket  250  into contact with side  5  of container  4 . The contact between platform gasket  250  and lip  244  and side  5  of container  4  forms an airtight seal between operation platform  6  and container  4 .  
         [0032]     As shown in  FIG. 5 , lid assembly  2  may also include an inner band  244  extending from operation platform  6  into opening  9  of container  4 . Inner band  244  may have a smooth surface  237  adjacent to opening  9  of container  4  to allow the user to easily remove substances that may accumulate on smooth surface  237 . Inner band  244  may also be adjacent to platform gasket  250  and may separate platform gasket  250  from the contents of container  4  when lid assembly  2  is coupled to container  4 . Lid assembly  2  may also include an inner ring  246  extending from lid  10  into opening  9  of container  4  or into aperture  8  of operation platform  6 . Inner ring  246  may have a smooth surface  239  adjacent to opening  9  of container  4  or aperture  8  of operation platform  6  to allow the user to easily remove substances that may accumulate on smooth surface  239 . Inner ring  246  may also be adjacent to lid gasket  220  and may separate lid gasket  220  from the contents of container  4  when lid  10  is in a closed configuration.  
         [0033]      FIG. 6  shows another embodiment of lid assembly  2  that has a foot pedal assembly  300  for unlatching lid  10 . Foot pedal assembly  300  has a latch  322  for latching lid  10  and operation platform  6  in a closed position. Latch  322  may be coupled to operation platform  6  or lid  10 . Latch  322  may be located roughly opposite hinge  12  with respect to operation platform  6  and lid  10  or elsewhere on operation platform  6  or lid  10 . Foot pedal  380  may be coupled to latch  322  with foot pedal connecting rod  382  or may be coupled directly to latch  322 . Those skilled in the art will recognize that foot pedal  380  may be of various shapes and sizes and may be coupled in a variety of ways to any or all of latch  322 , container  4 , and any other portion of lid assembly  2 . Foot pedal assembly  300  may include a foot pedal anchor  384  for securing foot pedal  380  or foot pedal connecting rod  382  and container  4 . Lid assembly  2  may also include an actuator  386  that may be coupled to operation platform  6  and lid  10  and may be used to move lid  10  into the open position. In one embodiment a user may use foot pedal  380  to release latch  322 , for example, by depressing foot pedal  380 . Actuator  386  may then open lid  10  automatically for the user, effectively achieving hands-free operation. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that foot pedal  380  may be used either in conjunction with or separately from actuator  386 .  
         [0034]     As also shown in  FIG. 6 , lid assembly  2  may also have one or more tool racks  390  for holding tools. Each tool rack  390  may hang from one or more of secondary aperture  16  as shown in  FIG. 6 . A tool rack  390  may also be coupled directly to operation platform  6 , lid  10 , or any other part of lid assembly  2 . Each tool rack  390  may be a wire frame assembly as illustrated, but may also include a roller for holding substances such as tape or any other substance which may be rolled from a spool. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that tool rack  390  may also encompass a hook, bin, sleeve, covered container, or any other apparatus now known or later developed for holding a tool.  
         [0035]     Another embodiment of the invention comprises the combination of lid assembly  2  and container  4  as described above.  
         [0036]     While this invention has been described in conjunction with the specific embodiments outlined above, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the embodiments of the invention as set forth above are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.