Abstract:
A caulk carrying device includes a plurality of compartments for holding tubes of caulk, a handle, and a cavity for receiving and holding a caulk gun. Preferably integrally molded from plastic, the carrying device may include a projection for piercing tubes of caulk and bores in the compartments that are centrally located to facilitate stacking of multiple carrying devices.

Description:
PRIORITY CLAIM 
     This application claims the benefit of prior provisional application Ser. No. 60/851,268, filed Oct. 13, 2006, which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to devices for carrying caulk tubes and related accessories. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In many building construction or other settings, there is a need for a significant amount of caulk. Generally sold in tubes, caulk can be awkward to carry from place to place around a jobsite. It can also be messy and extremely difficult to remove when caulk accidentally comes in contact with unintended surfaces. 
     Some within the industry have tried to solve this problem, but with unsatisfactory results. For example, Guida describes a device in U.S. Pat. No. 6,102,215 in which a panel is mounted to a wall to hold several tubes of caulk and a caulk gun. The device is not transportable, however, and fails to address the fundamental concerns at issue with this invention. 
     Gassel, et al. describes a caulk tube carrier in their U.S. Pat. No. 6,832,797. In the Gassel carrier, several tubes of caulk are wedged within a frame so that it can be carried about a worksite. The Gassel device is limited in several respects, such as the inability to accommodate a caulk gun, the difficulty in removing tubes, and the instability of the device when loaded with caulk. These and other prior efforts have tried but failed to produce a suitable device. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The preferred caulk carrying device is a portable container designed for transporting and storing multiple tubes of commercially available caulk. It is configured to hold new and used caulk tubes in an organized manner allowing the user to easily locate and retrieve a desired tube of caulk. 
     As caulk presently is sold in tubes of different sizes, various forms of this invention are sized to accommodate different caulk tube sizes. Two distinct sizes are presently most common, including a smaller tube that is approximately one and seven-eights inches in diameter and a larger tube that is approximately 3¼″ in diameter. Yet, other tube sizes are possible, and the dimensions of the invention as described below may likewise be adjusted to fit tubes of different sizes. 
     The preferred caulk carrying device is formed from plastic material that is molded into a generally rectangular shaped container. The base consists of a number of separate, cylindrically shaped compartments designed with flat bases with a hole in the center of each base to accommodate water drainage and allow fully loaded caddies to be stacked with the tips of caulk tubes lodged in the caddy stacked upon it. Each compartment is designed to hold a caulk tube in an upright position. The compartments are arranged in two rows with a separation between the two rows to hold a caulk gun. A U-shaped cut out in one end of the compartment receives the caulk gun&#39;s handle. The caulk gun can be inserted into the container at an angle to keep the weight of the cartridge at the bottom and to help secure the gun in place. An opening at the opposing side of the handle opening allows long caulk tube tips to extend out of the container. A metal stud insert located above this opening and would function as a puncture tool for new caulk tubes. 
     The center portion of caddy is equipped with a handle extending upward. A small compartment in the caddy between the puncture tool and the handle can hold several caulk tube caps or other small items. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Preferred and alternative embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the following drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a preferred caulk caddy, shown with exemplary tubes of caulk and a caulk gun in place; 
         FIG. 2  is an end view of the caulk caddy of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of the caulk caddy of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a top view of the caulk caddy of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the caulk caddy of  FIG. 1 , shown without caulk tubes in place. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       FIG. 1  shows a preferred caulk caddy, or caulk carrying device  10 . In the perspective view of  FIG. 1 , the carrying device is shown with several tubes of caulk  20  and a caulk gun  30  in place. 
     In the configuration as shown, the carrying device includes twelve substantially cylindrical compartments  40 , each being sized and shaped to receive a tube of caulk  20 . Though the compartments are preferably cylindrical, they may also be slightly narrower at the bottom than at the top to hold the tubes firmly in place while facilitating easy removal. Although twelve compartments are shown in the example of  FIG. 1 , a greater or smaller number of compartments may be provided, consistent with the invention. Likewise, the tube compartments  40  as shown are all substantially the same size in the version of  FIG. 1 . In alternate examples, the caddy  10  may have one or more compartments sized to receive a first caulk tube size and one or more compartments sized to receive a second, larger caulk tube size. These different compartment sizes may be arranged in alternating fashion or may be grouped on different sides of the caddy, for example. 
     The caddy  10  is preferably produced from a durable plastic material. Thermoplastics such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and other similar thermoplastic materials are acceptable choices, although other materials are also suitable. Members of this family are recognized universally as being versatile and of high quality. The benefits of using thermoplastic materials are that they have a wide range of qualities. They may be lightweight but extremely durable, rigid or flexible, opaque, or transparent, resistant to heat and chemicals, and unyielding or springy. The invention is not limited to material choices for the construction of the caddy, however, which may also be constructed from wood, metal, or other materials. 
     Current caulk tubes are commercially sold in two primary sizes, and therefore preferred embodiments of the invention are configured to accommodate these sizes. One such tube holds approximately a quart of caulk and measures 2¾ inches in diameter, twelve inches from the bottom to the top of the tube, and an additional four inches for the tip. A smaller commercial tube measures about two inches in diameter, just over eleven inches in height, and a tip of about 2¾ inches. Although the invention is not constrained to particular tube sizes and may be made to accommodate these or other sizes of caulk tubes, preferred versions of the invention are configured to accept commercially available tube sizes. 
     As best seen in  FIGS. 2-4 , the caulk caddy is preferably generally rectangular in shape, having a length l, width w, height of the compartment portion, or base, h 1 , and overall height to the top of the handle, h 2 . Based on the currently predominant caulk tube sizes, one version of the invention measures approximately five and one-half inches in height h 1 , 14¾″ in length l, and nine inches in width w. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , each of the compartments  40  includes a base reinforced with a plurality of radially extending flanges. At substantially the center of the base of the compartment is a hole  50 . The hole is configured to allow water or other such materials to drain from the bottom of the compartment. In addition, the holes in the compartments are sized and shaped to allow multiple caddies that are loaded with caulk to be stacked atop one another. The dimension of the holes  50  is somewhat larger than the narrowest portion of the tip if a tube of caulk but smaller than the widest portion of the tip of a tube of caulk. Accordingly, a tip of a caulk tube can be inserted only partially into the hole  50 . Thus, a first caddy  10  may rest on top of a second caddy  10 , in which the tips of the tubes of caulk from the second caddy are inserted into the holes  50  of the compartments  40  of the first caddy. 
     The caddy  10  further includes a projection  70  that serves as a tip puncturing device. The projection  70  is preferably constructed in the form of a metal spike or nail embedded into the plastic forming the caddy  10 . As best seen in  FIG. 5  (with a portion of the base being shown in phantom to better reveal the projection), the projection  70  is housed within a cavity that is sized to receive the tip of a caulk tube. Likewise, the projection is formed such that it is long enough to extend sufficiently into a tube of caulk to puncture the seal within the cylinder of caulk. As shown, the projection  70  is located at one end of the caddy  10 , extending generally upward from the base. It may alternatively be located in other places, and may extend horizontally, at an angle, or in different configurations. In addition, the rim of the cavity is either flush with or slightly higher than the tip of the projection  70  so that users of the caddy will not accidentally cut themselves or other objects on the tip of the projection. Accordingly, the cavity is preferably defined as a cylinder that terminates with a top surface of the caddy that is generally coplanar with the top surface of the compartments  40  as described above. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , in one version the caddy is configured with a first set of compartments on a first side of the caddy and a second set of compartments on a second side of the caddy. As shown, there are six compartments in each set, for a total of twelve overall. A greater or smaller number of compartments may be used. Likewise, each of the two sets of compartments need not be the same in number or size and configuration. Still further, in other optional embodiments there are additional sets or one group of compartments arranged in a circular or other pattern. 
     A handle  80  extends upward from the caddy at a location between the two sets of compartments, overlying the intermediate space between the sets or rows of compartments. Most preferably, the height of the handle is somewhat below the height of the tips of tubes of caulk when inserted into the compartment so that multiple caddies can be stacked atop one another as described above. 
     A central cavity or slot  100  is provided in an intermediate space between the sets of compartments and is open at one end of the caddy  10 , preferably the end opposite the location of the projection  70 . The slot  100  is configured to receive a caulk gun, whether loaded with a tube of caulk or empty. The slot is preferably oriented in a slightly angular fashion so that the tip of the caulk gun is below the handle of the caulk gun. In addition, the overall length of the caddy is such that the slot  100  can fully receive the caulk gun while leaving the handle of the caulk gun exposed for easy access. In an alternate form, the intermediate space may comprise a shelf or similar platform configured to support a caulk gun. 
     As a further feature of the preferred form of the invention, a caulk gun can rest atop a set of compartments (with the compartments empty). As shown in  FIG. 5 , the aligned set of compartments  40  is sufficiently long and unobstructed that a caulk gun  30  can be placed on top of and partially within the compartments. The front end of the caulk gun rests within one compartment while the trigger and base portions of the handle rest within two additional compartments, thereby holding the caulk tip above the floor, countertop, or other such surface. 
     The caulk caddy as described above is extremely easy to use. The user simply loads the compartments with the desired types of caulk tubes and inserts the caulk gun. The user then grasps the handle to easily lift and carry the caddy to the desired work site. 
     While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, as noted above, many changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is not limited by the disclosure of the preferred embodiment. Instead, the invention should be determined entirely by reference to the claims that follow.