Abstract:
A paint tray includes a body having a base portion and sidewalls forming a paint well. Each sidewall has an upper top portion. The upper top portions collectively define an upper rim of a mouth of the well. A barred shaped member is hingedly connected to the upper top portion of a first sidewall such that the barred shaped member pivots relative to the body between first and second positions. In the first position, the barred shaped member is disposed within and surrounded by an inner perimeter of the upper rim of the mouth of the paint well. In the second position, the barred shaped member extends away from the upper rim and neither extends over nor within the mouth of the paint well. The paint tray is fabricated out of a molded material, and preferably comprises a single molded piece of plastic.

Description:
COPYRIGHT STATEMENT 
       [0001]    All of the material in this patent document is subject to copyright protection under the copyright laws of the United States and other countries. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in official governmental records but, otherwise, all other copyright rights whatsoever are reserved. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention generally relates to a paint tray and, in particular, to a paint tray with a movable bar. 
         [0003]    There are a variety of paint trays. A paint tray can be a way for a person to access paint as they are painting. A person&#39;s paint brush dipped into paint has the tendency to contain excess paint. If the excess paint is not scraped off of the brush, the paint may drip. Furthermore, as a painter uses a paint brush, excess paint tends to dry on the brush. Some painters also have the tendency to scrape a paint brush on the side of a paint tray to remove excess paint or dried paint from the brush. 
         [0004]    Accordingly, it is believed that a need exists for improvements in paint trays. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The present invention broadly relates to a paint tray and, in particular, to a paint tray with a pivotable paint bar. 
         [0006]    In a broad embodiment of the invention, a paint tray for use while painting includes a body, a base portion, and sidewalls having upper top portions, wherein the sidewalls are attached to the sides of a base portion and form a well for holding paint. The paint tray includes a paint bar hingedly connected to one of the upper top portions that pivots relative to the body of the paint tray. 
         [0007]    In addition to the disclosed aspects and features of the present invention, it should be noted that the present invention further encompasses the various possible combinations and subcombinations of such aspects and features. Thus, for example, any aspect may be combined with any feature in accordance with the present invention without requiring any other aspect or feature. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    Further features, embodiments, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description with reference to the drawings, wherein: 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a paint tray in accordance with one or more preferred embodiments of the present invention. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is another perspective view of the paint tray of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0011]    As a preliminary matter, it will readily be understood by one having ordinary skill in the relevant art (“Ordinary Artisan”) that the present invention has broad utility and application. Furthermore, any embodiment discussed and identified as being “preferred” is considered to be part of a best mode contemplated for carrying out the present invention. Other embodiments also may be discussed for additional illustrative purposes in providing a full and enabling disclosure of the present invention. As should be understood, any embodiment may incorporate only one or a plurality of the above-disclosed aspects of the invention and may further incorporate only one or a plurality of the above-disclosed features. Moreover, many embodiments, such as adaptations, variations, modifications, and equivalent arrangements, will be implicitly disclosed by the embodiments described herein and fall within the scope of the present invention. 
         [0012]    Accordingly, while the present invention is described herein in detail in relation to one or more embodiments, it is to be understood that this disclosure is illustrative and exemplary of the present invention, and is made merely for the purposes of providing a full and enabling disclosure of the present invention. The detailed disclosure herein of one or more embodiments is not intended, nor is to be construed, to limit the scope of patent protection afforded the present invention, which scope is to be defined by the claims and the equivalents thereof. It is not intended that the scope of patent protection afforded the present invention be defined by reading into any claim a limitation found herein that does not explicitly appear in the claim itself. 
         [0013]    Thus, for example, any sequence(s) and/or temporal order of steps of various processes or methods that are described herein are illustrative and not restrictive. Accordingly, it should be understood that, although steps of various processes or methods may be shown and described as being in a sequence or temporal order, the steps of any such processes or methods are not limited to being carried out in any particular sequence or order, absent an indication otherwise. Indeed, the steps in such processes or methods generally may be carried out in various different sequences and orders while still falling within the scope of the present invention. Accordingly, it is intended that the scope of patent protection afforded the present invention is to be defined by the appended claims rather than the description set forth herein. 
         [0014]    Additionally, it is important to note that each term used herein refers to that which the Ordinary Artisan would understand such term to mean based on the contextual use of such term herein. To the extent that the meaning of a term used herein—as understood by the Ordinary Artisan based on the contextual use of such term—differs in any way from any particular dictionary definition of such term, it is intended that the meaning of the term as understood by the Ordinary Artisan should prevail. 
         [0015]    Regarding applicability of 35 U.S.C. §112, ¶6, no claim element is intended to be read in accordance with this statutory provision unless the explicit phrase “means for” or “step for” is actually used in such claim element, whereupon this statutory provision is intended to apply in the interpretation of such claim element. 
         [0016]    Furthermore, it is important to note that, as used herein, “a” and “an” each generally denotes “at least one,” but does not exclude a plurality unless the contextual use dictates otherwise. Thus, reference to “a picnic basket having an apple” describes “a picnic basket having at least one apple” as well as “a picnic basket having apples.” In contrast, reference to “a picnic basket having a single apple” describes “a picnic basket having only one apple.” 
         [0017]    When used herein to join a list of items, “or” denotes “at least one of the items,” but does not exclude a plurality of items of the list. Thus, reference to “a picnic basket having cheese or crackers” describes “a picnic basket having cheese without crackers”, “a picnic basket having crackers without cheese”, and “a picnic basket having both cheese and crackers.” Finally, when used herein to join a list of items, “and” denotes “all of the items of the list.” Thus, reference to “a picnic basket having cheese and crackers” describes “a picnic basket having cheese, wherein the picnic basket further has crackers,” as well as describes “a picnic basket having crackers, wherein the picnic basket further has cheese.” 
         [0018]    Referring now to the drawings, one or more preferred embodiments of the present invention are next described. The following description of one or more preferred embodiments is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its implementations, or uses. 
         [0019]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a paint tray  10  in accordance with one or more preferred embodiments of the present invention, shown with paint bar  12  in a first position; and  FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the paint tray  10  of  FIG. 1  shown with the paint bar  12  in a second position having transitioned by pivoting about a hinge  30  from the first position to the second position, described in further detail below. With continuing reference to  FIG. 1 , the paint tray  10  includes a substantially square shaped body  14  defining a paint well  16 . The paint tray  10  also includes the paint bar  12  that is pivotably movable relative to body  14  about the hinge  30 . The paint tray  10  is preferably fabricated out of molded plastic, but other materials can be used, such as a metal material (e.g. aluminum). 
         [0020]    The body  14  includes a base portion  20  for supporting the paint tray  10  on the ground. The body  14  further includes four sidewalls  18 ,  19 ,  21 ,  22  connected with and extending upwardly from the base portion  20 . The sidewalls  18 ,  19 ,  21 ,  22  and base portion  20  define a paint well  16 . As seen in  FIG. 1 , sidewall  22  curves in toward paint well  16  forming an internal shelf  24  that may be used to wipe excess paint off of the end of a brush; similarly, opposing sidewall  18  curves too, forming an opposing internal shelf, which is generally hidden in the perspective views of the drawings. The upper edges  26  of at least some of the sidewalls may be curved to provide a location by which the body  14  may be gripped. Further at least one of the upper edges  26  supports a paint bar  12  pivotably movable relative to body  14 . 
         [0021]    While the body  14  is shown with a generally square shape, it is also within the scope of the present invention for the body  14  to have any of a range of possible shapes and sizes. The paint bar  12  includes a generally rectangular barred shaped body having a plurality of internal bars  28  separated by openings extending therebetween. The internal bars  28  extend from a proximal lateral side of the generally rectangular barred shaped body to a distal lateral side, relative to the hinge  30 . The paint bar  12  is connected to an upper rim  36  along one of the sidewalls—upper sidewall  21  as shown in the drawings—by the hinge  30  and is thereby pivotably movable relative to body  14 . In particular, the paint bar  12  is configured to be pivotable relative to the body  14  of the paint tray  10  so as to permit transitioning of the paint bar  12  between a closed configuration, as shown in  FIG. 1 , in which the paint bar  12  rests within and closes over part of the mouth of the paint well  16 ; and an open configuration, in which the paint bar  12  does not obstruct the mouth of the paint well  16  and extends beyond the rim  36  of the sidewall  21  away from the paint well  16 . 
         [0022]    It will be appreciated from the drawings that, when in the closed configuration as shown in  FIG. 1 , the paint bar  12  extends within a first inner perimeter of the upper rim  36  and over a projecting edge  38  of the sidewall  21 ; and when in the open configuration as shown in  FIG. 2 , one of the sides of the paint bar  12  and corner edges of the paint bar closely track with the mouth of the paint well  16  along the upper top portion of the sidewall  21  and adjacent upper top portions of sidewalls  18 ,  22 . 
         [0023]    In use, paint may be poured into the paint well  16  defined by the body  14  of the paint tray  10  with paint bar  12  in the open position of  FIG. 2 . After pouring paint into the paint well  16 , the user may pivot the paint bar  12  to the closed position of  FIG. 1 . The brush, when dipped into paint, has the tendency to contain excess paint. If the excess paint is not scraped off of the brush, then the paint may drip. A user of paint tray  10  may use the paint bar  12  to scrape the excess paint from a brush. Furthermore, as a painter uses a paint brush, excess paint tends to dry on the brush. A user of paint tray  10  may use the paint bar  12  to scrape the dried paint from the brush. Additionally, a painter may selectively clean the paint bar  12 , without the concern of contaminating any paint in the paint well  16 , by pivotally moving the paint bar  12  into the open position for cleaning. 
         [0024]    Many embodiments and adaptations of the present invention other than those specifically described herein, as well as many variations, modifications, and equivalent arrangements, will be apparent from or reasonably suggested by the present invention and the foregoing descriptions thereof, without departing from the substance or scope of the present invention. 
         [0025]    Accordingly, while the present invention has been described herein in detail in relation to one or more preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that this disclosure is only illustrative and exemplary of the present invention and is made merely for the purpose of providing a full and enabling disclosure of the invention. The foregoing disclosure is not intended to be construed to limit the present invention or otherwise exclude any such other embodiments, adaptations, variations, modifications or equivalent arrangements, the present invention being limited only by the claims appended hereto and the equivalents thereof.