Paint can caddy

The paint can caddy is a holder and carrier for paint cans, as well as associated painting items, such as paint brushes and cleaning rags. The paint can caddy includes a receptacle having a cylindrical sidewall, an open upper end and a closed lower end. A brush holder is mounted on the cylindrical sidewall, adjacent the open upper end of the receptacle. The brush holder extends radially outwardly from the cylindrical sidewall and is angled with respect to the plane of the open upper end of the receptacle. At least one magnet is secured to the brush holder, allowing a paint brush with a magnetic or paramagnetic material embedded in its handle to be releasably secured to the brush holder. A handle is secured to an exterior surface of the cylindrical sidewall, allowing the receptacle to be easily carried and moved.

BACKGROUND

The disclosure of the present patent application relates to holders and carriers, and particularly to a caddy for paint cans and the like.

2. Description of the Related Art

The use and handling of a conventional paint can presents numerous difficulties for a painter. For example, although paint cans are designed to sit on a flat surface, such as on a floor or a ladder shelf, the paint can must typically be held and/or moved during the actual painting process. In the case of quart and liter cans, such paint cans cannot be easily grasped in one hand, thus making holding and/or moving the cans difficult, particularly when the painter is holding a paint brush in his or her other hand.

Larger cans, such as gallon and multi-liter size paint cans, are provided with a wire bail handle, in which the wire is on the order of 1-2 mm thick. These cans are held by the bail itself, resulting in the can of paint being held vertically by the bail. This position, however, poses a problem of dipping the paint brush, since both the hand holding the bail and the bail itself block access to the paint in the can. In addition, a gallon can full of paint is also very heavy and hard to hold for an extended period of time.

In addition to the difficulties inherent in handling the paint can, the painting process is inherently prone to other difficulties, such as accidental drippage from the paint brush. Further, keeping other supplies, such as wiping rags, together with the can and brush is difficult, particularly since the painting process involves constant movement on the part of the painter. Thus, a paint can caddy solving the aforementioned problems is desired.

SUMMARY

The paint can caddy is a holder and carrier for paint cans, as well as associated painting items, such as paint brushes and cleaning rags. The paint can caddy includes a receptacle having a cylindrical sidewall, an open upper end and a closed lower end. The receptacle is sized and shaped to removably receive and hold a conventional paint can. An upper edge of the cylindrical sidewall, adjacent the open upper end, may have an annular groove formed therein for catching accidental drippage or spillage. A brush holder is mounted on the cylindrical sidewall, adjacent the open upper end of the receptacle. The brush holder extends radially outwardly from the cylindrical sidewall and is angled with respect to the plane of the open upper end of the receptacle; i.e., the brush holder is angled upwardly with respect to the open upper end of the receptacle, which is typically parallel to the horizontal.

At least one magnet is secured to the brush holder, allowing a paint brush with a magnetic or paramagnetic material embedded in its handle to be releasably secured to the brush holder. Due to the positioning and angle of the brush holder, the bristles of the brush may be positioned above the open paint can, at a downward angle, allowing paint to drip from the bristles back into the paint can.

A handle is secured to an exterior surface of the cylindrical sidewall, allowing the receptacle to be easily carried and moved. Additionally, at least one hook may be secured to the exterior surface of the cylindrical sidewall, allowing cleaning rags and the like to be suspended therefrom and moved along with the paint can and paint brush.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As shown inFIG. 1, the paint can caddy10is a holder and carrier for paint cans, such as exemplary paint can C, as well as associated painting items, such as exemplary paint brush B and cleaning rag R. The paint can caddy10includes a receptacle12having a cylindrical sidewall18, an open upper end14and a closed lower end16. The receptacle12is sized and shaped to removably receive and hold a conventional paint can. It should be understood that paint can C is shown inFIG. 1for exemplary purposes only. It should be further understood that receptacle12may be manufactured in a variety of different sizes to hold a variety of different paint cans.

As shown inFIGS. 1 and 2, a brush holder30is mounted on the cylindrical sidewall18, adjacent the open upper end14of receptacle12. The brush holder30extends radially outwardly from the cylindrical sidewall18and is angled with respect to the plane of the open upper end14; i.e., the brush holder30is angled upwardly with respect to the open upper end14, which is typically parallel to the horizontal. It should be understood that the brush holder30is shown inFIGS. 1-4for exemplary purposes only, and may have any suitable overall contouring and relative dimensions.

As best seen inFIGS. 3 and 4, at least one magnet is secured to the brush holder30. InFIG. 3, a single exemplary magnet22is shown, and inFIG. 4, a pair of magnets34,36are shown. It should be understood that the overall contouring and relative dimensions of magnets22,34,36are shown for exemplary purposes only. Further, it should be understood that any desired number of magnets may be provided. Additionally, it should be understood that magnets22,34,36may be secured to brush holder30in any suitable manner.

The single magnet22ofFIG. 3or the dual magnets34,36ofFIG. 4allow a paint brush with a magnetic or paramagnetic material embedded in its handle to be releasably secured to the brush holder30. As shown inFIG. 1, due to the positioning and angle of the brush holder30, the bristles of brush B may be positioned above the open paint can C, at a downward angle, allowing paint to drip from the bristles back into paint can C.

A handle28is secured to an exterior surface20of the cylindrical sidewall18, allowing the receptacle12to be easily carried and moved. As shown, the handle28may be positioned beneath the brush holder30. It should be understood that the overall contouring and relative dimensions of handle28is shown for exemplary purposes only. Additionally, at least one hook may be secured to the exterior surface20of the cylindrical sidewall18, allowing cleaning rags, such as exemplary cleaning rag R, and the like to be suspended therefrom and moved along with the paint can C and paint brush B.FIGS. 3 and 4show a pair of hooks24,26secured to cylindrical sidewall18, approximately diametrically opposed from handle28, however, it should be understood that any desired number of hooks may be secured to the cylindrical sidewall18, and that the hooks may be positioned at any desired locations on cylindrical sidewall18. It should be understood that the overall contouring and relative dimensions of hooks24,26are shown for exemplary purposes only. Further, upper end14of receptacle12may have an annular groove32defined therein, as best seen inFIGS. 3 and 4. The annular groove32is provided for catching accidental drippage or spillage.