Abstract:
A bucket holder is provided with a handle portion for ergonomically carrying and holding a bucket during transportation and use. The body portion is comprised of a surface pressed up against the can, while a hook opposite from the surface holds the bail in tension, using gravity and distance between the surface and the hook to maintain tension. The holder has at least one surface that can be pressed up against the can, allowing more than one position for the handle to be located.

Description:
This is a continuation of pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/213,330 filed on Mar. 14, 2014, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/793,342 filed Mar. 15, 2013, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This present disclosure relates to devices to ergonomically hold buckets with handles, specifically a paint bucket with a wire bail. Painting frequently requires the user to twist and hold their bodies in many positions, while at the same time, hold a bucket full of paint along with a wet paint brush. Frequently, holding and carrying a bucket in various positions can cause fatigue, especially when the bail provided on the bucket is a relatively thin metal wire. Professional painters can suffer various levels of discomfort and repetitive stress injuries. There are devices currently on the market that are designed to improve the ergonomics of painting by connecting to the bail and the bucket in some fashion and providing some sort of handle, but these do not allow the flexibility of putting the handle in more than one position. Most standard paint container bails are only designed for use in tension. These bails, when put in compression, can unexpectedly disengage from one or both pivots. Not only can this create an unwanted mess, but bail failure can be very dangerous if a painter is working on a ladder. The holding device solves this problem by keeping the bail in sufficient tension to safely function when gripping upward, downward, or somewhere in between. In addition, devices currently available do not have the flexibility to be used with multiple styles of cans. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present disclosure describes a device for securely holding a common paint bucket using the outside surface of the can and the bail, but can apply to other storage vessels and containers that have a handle and an outside surface. By keeping one surface of the holder against the outside surface of the bucket on one side of the holder and keeping the bucket bail in tension by the opposite side of the holder, it is possible to use a more easily gripped device to hold the bucket. The present invention allows the holding device to be installed in various positions that allow easier access to the bucket&#39;s opening. It is also possible to securely hold the device to a ladder in several positions, allowing the user flexibility not present in anything currently available. The holding device provides comfort and control when painters are using the lower thumb web gripping area. Unlike other container gripping devices for use with the thumb, the device&#39;s lower gripping area does not force the thumb to be crushed against the side of the can. The device is uniquely able to offer both upper and lower gripping options at the same time which is useful for switching hands. The user can also attach the device to multiple bucket styles. Other marketed handles cannot be installed on cans with exterior lips and even a slight motion of the handle toward the container opening will result in disengagement of these marketed handles from the adjacent installed position. The holding device solves this dangerous limitation by providing a surface that can snap under an exterior lip which creates a strong device attachment by holding the bail at a specific distance below the lip and adjacent to the can creating a strong tension in the bail and compressing the device strongly against the can. Additional features of the device allow buckets with an external lip to be held in various positions. The device can be rotated so the bucket can be held at different angles, thereby increasing the painter&#39;s comfort. By attaching a magnet to part of the device, it makes it easier to temporarily but securely store a paint brush or paint scraper over the bucket while the user is moving from one area to another, taking a break, or doing something that requires a free hand. The device can be used with alternate bucket designs, such as buckets with an external lip. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       A preferred embodiment of this invention has been chosen wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of the holding device as it is installed on a lipped can; 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the holding device as it is installed on a non-lipped can; 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of the holding device as it is installed using an alternate can facing surface; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective side view of the holding device; 
         FIG. 5  is a front view of the holding device; 
         FIG. 6  is a side view of the holding device; 
         FIG. 7  is a front view of the holding device as it is installed; 
         FIG. 8  is a front view of the holding device as it is installed in an alternate angle; 
         FIG. 9  is a top view of the holding device as it is installed; and 
         FIG. 10  is a top view of the holding device as it is installed using an alternate can facing surface; 
         FIG. 11  is a partial top view of the holding device suspending a can from a ladder; 
         FIG. 12  is a partial side view of the holding device suspending a can from a ladder; and 
         FIG. 13  is another top view of the holding device suspending a can from a ladder. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     A traditional paint can  10  as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3  has a bail  12  and a container  16  with an outside surface  18 . The bail  12  pivots about the pivot points  14 . The bail  12  is commonly made from metal wire bent to fit into the bail pivot points  14 , which are typically near the top, as is commonly known in the art. The container  16  typically is round but other shapes are possible. The bail pivot points  14  are usually opposite on the can  10  such that the bail  12  pivots symmetrically and can be placed on either side of the container. A lipped can  8  as shown in  FIG. 1  contains a bail  12 , a container  16 , and an outside surface  18 , but has a lip  102  at or near the top surface  26 . 
     The holding device  20  in  FIG. 2  is made up of a handle portion  30  and a body  32 . The handle portion  30  is designed such that it can comfortably fit into a human hand. In the preferred embodiment, many surfaces above and below the bail  12  are contoured to facilitate multiple holding positions. The handle portion  30 , body  32 , and other surfaces can be rounded or smoothed to allow comfortable holding by the user. Grippable surfaces may have varying degrees of softness, resilience, and tactility. Some portions may be gel-filled or elastomeric rubber while other areas may be smooth polypropylene or another relatively strong and durable plastic. The handle portion  30  can be hook shaped as is shown in  FIG. 1  or a continuous loop, spheroidal, or “T”-shaped but is not limited to the forms as described. The device  20  can have additional features such as slots  110 ,  112 ,  114 , as shown in  FIG. 1  for carrying a paint can in different orientations or multiple paint cans at the same time. A catch surface  106  on the inside of the handle allows the device to be hung from a rung or side rail of a ladder. The catch surface  106  is defined by interior surfaces of the handle portion  30  such that the device can be tilted, the side rail fits inside, and compression between the surfaces of the side rail and the catch surface  106  keep the handle portion  30  securely engaged while handle portion  30  rests on a horizontal ladder rung. 
     The body  32  has a first notch  22  and a first can facing surface  24  that are on opposite sides of the device  20 . As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the first can facing surface  24  is wider in the middle than at its top and bottom, and generally configured in an oval shape, although alternative embodiments may take other shapes. The notch is designed to receive the bail  12 . The opening of the first notch  22  can also have a lead-in  36  to guide the bail into the notch. The notch is defined as having an upper surface  58 , a lower surface  66 , and an internal cavity  68 . The upper surface  58  and the lower surface  66  can be made up of surfaces of a specific width and thickness to limit the travel of the bail when the device  20  is installed on a can  10  as is shown in  FIG. 8 . As shown in  FIG. 12 , offset surfaces  65 ,  67 ,  57  and  59  cooperatively contact the bail during the pivoting for the ladder attachment. The upper surface  58  and lower surface  66  can have a restricted area  38 . The restricted area  38  is located between a lead-in  36  and the cavity  68  of the first notch  22 . The restricted area  38  may be slightly smaller than the cavity. The restricted area  38  could also be sized such that it causes an interference with the bail. When the restricted area  38  is sized for interference, the bail  12  passes from the lead-in  36  into the cavity  68 , a small amount of pressure is required to push the bail  12  through the restricted area  38  into the cavity  68 . The same would apply as the bail  12  is removed from the first notch  22 . The shape of the first notch  22  and a restricted area  38  helps to retain the bail  12 . The distance between the inside of the notch and the can facing surface are specific to the size and type of can. The holding device  20  can have a second can facing surface  42 ,  FIG. 5  with a similarly designed opposing second notch  44 . The distance between the second can facing surface  42  and the opposing second notch  44  is specific. It is also possible to have a third can facing surface  46  with an opposing third notch  48  and similar features to the first and second surfaces. The facing surfaces  24 ,  42 ,  46  do not need to be continuous. A surface can be a number of points to define a flat or curved contact area that will mate with the outside surface  18  of the container  16  when device  20  is installed. The surfaces can have holes for alternate holding and installation arrangements. In the preferred embodiment, the second and third can facing surfaces  42  and  46  have a hole  40 ,  FIG. 6  between the two surfaces such that the user can hold the device  20  in alternate orientations. 
     It is also possible to position the holding device  20  at various angles as shown in  FIG. 8  to the central axis of the can  10  by defining the first notch  22  as shown in the preferred embodiment. The first notch  22  has a defined width that allows rotating the holding device  20  relative to the central axis of the can  16  within a certain range without disengaging the bail  12  from the first notch  22 , second notch  44  and the third notch  48 . The sides of the notch can be angled such that the angle of the can to first can facing surface  24 , second can facing surface  42 , and third can facing surface  46 , relative to the axis of the can  16 ; is limited in either direction as is shown in  FIG. 8 . Through addition of protrusions  82  to the internal cavity of the first notch  22  as is shown in  FIGS. 1-8 , it is possible to capture the bail  12  at various angles as is shown in  FIG. 8 . By capturing a length of the bail between protrusions  82 , it is possible to fix the angle of the can facing surface relative to the central axis of the can  16 . With a can  8  that has an external lip  102  as is shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 6 , the stop  100  adjacent to the upper portion of the can facing surface  24  on the device  20  allows positioning of the holding device relative to the axis of the can. 
     The holding device  20  is installed on the can  10  by placing it between the bail and the can. The user selects one of the possible orientations of the holding device  20  and places the corresponding facing surface above the can opening and towards the can below. The bail is placed in the first notch  22  and first can facing surface  24  and is held near or on the top of the can  26 . Then the holding device  20  is pivoted and slid about the top edge  26  of the container  16  until the first can facing surface  24  is between the bail  12  and the outside surface  18  of the container. An alternate installation involves using an alternate second can facing surface  42  and third can facing surface  46  and their respective second notch  44  and third notch  48 . By using an alternate surface, it is possible to locate the handle portion  30  in different orientations to the can  10  as is shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 . When two generally opposite surfaces are disposed for attachment, a handle then becomes reversible for use with either the left or the right hand, and the handle portion  30  can be designed for maximum comfort and ergonomic gripping angles. In the preferred embodiment, there are three can facing surfaces; first can facing surface  24 , second can facing surface  42 , and third can facing surface  46  that can attach to a can  16 . When the can  10  is held and suspended by the holding device  20  as is shown in  FIGS. 2, 3, 7, and 8 , the bail is held in tension, maintaining contact between the can facing surface and the outside surface  18  of the can. 
     When the user sits the device  20 , as attached to the can, down and it is no longer held by the holding device  20 , the tension in the bail  12  is released slightly. The holding device  20  then may be allowed to slide down the can  16  as is shown in  FIG. 2 . For the purposes of simplicity, the can  10  is shown as the movable object in  FIG. 2 . When the device  20  is used in the down position  50  as is shown in  FIG. 2 , the hole  40 , located adjacent to the body  32 , would allow the user to support the can on the bottom with one portion of their hand and stabilize it by putting another portion of their hand through the hole  40 . In the preferred embodiment, the body  32  has a hole  40  for insertion of a thumb such that the lower loop created by the hole  40  fits comfortably within the thumb web adjacent to the thumb. A painter may then place one or more fingers under the container  16  for support. A painter may also choose not to support the bottom of the can  16  with fingers and instead place a palm and fingers on the lower side surface of can  16 . By utilizing the thumb web, the thumb is not strained thereby providing comfort and avoiding possible injury. In the released position  50 , the shape of the sides of the notch still allows the first can facing surface  24  to pivot relative to the can  10 . This pivoting allows the painter a better ergonomic grip in all applications. The device&#39;s sliding action up and down within the allowed range of motion as shown in  FIG. 2  combines with the flexibility of bail  12  and the notch resilience to create a springy, shock absorbing quality. This springy nature increases user comfort. 
     Other can designs such as the can  8  shown in  FIG. 1  have an external lip or ledge  102  comprised of a surface that extends out from and is attached to the outside surface  18 . In  FIG. 1 , the outside surface  18  is shown angled forward approximately twenty degrees from vertical to shift the center of gravity to thereby provide better balance to the device and can assembly. The can opening is angled downward away from the handle to provide a larger opening for accessing the contents. The ledge  102  is usually near or at the top of the can. The ledge  102  can have a depth forming a cavity between the inside diameter of the ledge and the outside surface  18 . The depth of the cavity can vary based on can design and shape. The holding device has a stop  100  that abuts or fits inside the cavity created by the overhanging ledge  102  on the can as is shown in  FIG. 1 . Injection molded buckets  8  as shown in  FIG. 1  have the ledge  102  at the top and the bail pivot points  14  located in the external face of the ledge cavity. This alignment of the pivots with the top of the container results in a very different set of forces than those created by the bail geometry of a standard gallon can  10 . As noted, a standard gallon can  10  with pivot points  14  set about two inches below the top surface  26  creates a maximum bail tension point when the bail is adjacent to the container and slightly above the opening plane. In contrast, when pivots are aligned with a ledge  102 , there is no tension point above the ledge to maintain contact between the first can facing surface  24  and the outside surface  18 . The stop  100  has a top surface  120  and can also have a wall  122  and a depression  124  as shown in  FIG. 6 . The top surface  120  is adjacent to the first can facing surface  24  and the wall  122  is adjacent to the top surface  120 . The wall  122  is substantially parallel to or sloping away from the first can facing surface  24 . Where the wall  122  meets the body  32  there is a depression  124 . The wall  122  or top surface  120  is designed to mate with or abut an external ledge  102  that extends out from the outside surface  8  of the can. When the device  20  is used with a can with an external ledge  102 , the top surface  120 , or the depression  124  supports the weight of the can  10  and the wall  122  maintains contact between the uppermost portion of the first can facing surface  24  and the outside surface  18  of the can. For a can that has a cavity too deep for the top surface to provide support, the depression  124  supports the can. The bail  12  installed in the first notch  22  stabilizes the can. In this installation, the bail  12  is held below the top surface of the can  8 . The shape of the top surface  120  and depression  124  is such that the first can facing surface  24  can be rotated relative to the axis of the can  8 . One purpose of the top surface  122  is to serve as a support for the can  8  in conjunction with the first notch  22  keeping the bail  12  in tension to maintain contact between the outside surface  18  and the first can facing surface  24  when the user holds the can at an angle for pouring or tilting. The profile of the depression  124  can follow the shape of the top surface  120  to allow pivoting of the first can facing surface  24  relative to the outside surface  18 . In order to remove the device from a lipped container, one must simply separate the device from its connection to the container lip and then much of the tension on the bail is released. Top stop  100  has a top surface  120  and may further have additional intersecting top surfaces  119 ,  121  extending away from top surface  120  in a downward angle. Similar to depression  124 , top surface  120  may be contoured down and away from its central top surface  120 , or it may be faceted downward with intersecting top surfaces  119  and  121 . 
     The body  32  or first notch  22  can be formed from a flexible material. A flexible notch or body allows the first can facing surface  24  and first notch  22  to move closer together while the user installs the device on traditional paint can  10  or a lipped can  8 . The flexibility of the body  32  or first notch  22  prevents excessive tension in the bail  12  during installation or removal. In the preferred embodiment, the can facing surface  24  between top stop  100  and distal can facing surface  440  is structured as a thin form to provide more resilience than the rest of the body  32  or handle  30 . Primarily the resilient portions of the can facing surface are the angled can facing extensions  410  and  420 . Excessive tension in the bail  12  could damage the bail, rendering it useless or causing unexpected failure during use. Excessive bail tension can occur when a lipped can  8  has a large ledge  102 . Standard gallon paint containers have bail pivot points that are set almost two inches below the top of the can, and this offset bail geometry creates excessive bail tension when the bail is near a ledge  102  and slightly above the container. By flexing during installation, the device  20  not only reduces the chances of damaging the bail  12 , but it also retains better contact between the first can facing surface  24  and the outside surface  18  when the device  20  is installed. 
     The bail retention feature can also be made from several grooves instead of a notch, the user places the bail in one of the grooves or between the protrusions  82  based on the desired handle orientation. As with the first notch  22 , second notch  44 , and third notch  48 , the grooves are a specific distance from the opposing can facing surface such that the bail is held in tension, and the holding device is restrained between the bail on one side and the outside surface of the container  18 . The protrusions  82  or grooves prevent the axis of the can from rotating relative to the first can facing surface  24 . 
     Other features on the holding device can include additional handle features. As shown in  FIG. 6 , these features include but are not limited to, holes, a can opener, a notch  110 , slots  112 ,  114 , and protruding arms. Optionally, a magnet  90  can be attached to the handle of the device to hold a paint brush by the ferrule. The device can be installed on the can  10  in positions that allow the user to have free and clear access to the opening of the can at certain installed positions. In other positions, a portion of the handle may minimally extend over the can opening to adjust to the center of gravity of the combined device and can assembly or to optimize use of the magnet. 
     As shown specifically in  FIGS. 11-13 , the device  20  can be used to suspend a can  10  from a conventional ladder  900 . The configuration of body  32  and curved handle  30  allows the device to be “hooked” around the ladder legs  910  above one of the ladder rungs  920 . As shown, curved “hook-shaped” handle  30  extends integrally from body  32  opposite of a secondary arched handle structure  400  formed as part of body  32 . Arched handle structure  400  extends down and away from notch  22  and then it curves forward to connect to distal can facing surface  440  which applies pressure against an outside surface  18  of a container  16  when device  20  is in its central vertical position. Body  32  extends forward above notch  22  to connect to can facing surface  24  at proximal can facing surface  450 . Can facing surface  450  includes the can facing surface side of top stop  100 . Adjacent to proximal can facing surface  450 , angled can facing extensions  410  and  420  extend down and away from the vertical axis of device  20 . Can facing extensions  410  and  420  curve inward to connect to distal can facing surface  440 . Angled can facing extensions  410  and  420  are substantially coplanar with can facing surface  24 . In  FIG. 12 , angled can facing extension  410  provides important can facing support below bail  12  and pivoted notch  22  during pivoted handle use. 
     Handle  30  has an integral neck  310  that emerges from body  32  above notch  22  extending away form can facing surface  24  of body  32  and a distal handle part  320  that bends back over body head  340  to terminate close to the plane of the can facing surface  24 . The grip part  320  is spaced from and over handle neck  310  to form an open area  301 . Grip part  320  is shaped to be easily grasped by the hand when device  20  is used to hand support can  10 , but also to function as a “hook” for suspending the can from ladder  900 . Grip part  320  has a surface area facing handle neck  310  that extends from its distal end until merging into handle neck  310 , which provides the extended catch surface  106  that contacts ladder leg  910  and ladder rung  920  when suspending can  10  from ladder  900 . Device body  32  also has a head part  340  integrally formed between stop  120  and handle neck  310 . Head part  340  extends into opening  301  between handle neck and grip part  320 . Head part  340  has a catch surface  342  that contacts ladder leg  910  when suspending can  10  from the ladder. 
     In use as a can hanger ( FIGS. 11-13 ), the can  10  is held securely by the device  20  which is oriented so that can facing surface  24  lies flat across can surface  18 , the bail  12  seated within notch  22  and the plane of handle  30  is angled slightly with respect to the plane of the can opening. Handle  30  hooks around ladder leg  910  atop of ladder rung  920  to suspend can  10  from ladder  900 . Device  20  is pivoted in relation to the can and then hooked around ladder leg  910  from the rear or underside. As shown, the device  20  is oriented so that can facing surface  24  contacts can  10  tangentially and bail  12  is captured in notch  22 . In this orientation, device  20  acts as a moment arm that allows the device to suspend can  10  from ladder  900 . Device  20  pivots under the force of gravity so that ladder leg  910  is juxtaposed under tension between handle portion  30  and body  32  of device  20 . Catch surface  106  of grip part  320  abuts against the inside ladder leg  910  and contact surface  342  of head part  340  abuts against the outside of ladder leg  910 . Once device  20  comes to rest on a ladder rung  920 , handle  30  is compressed against the interior of the side rail by gravity acting on the container. On a standard gallon can  10 , a secure attachment to the ladder occurs when the container  16  is adjacent to the ladder and disposed at a slight angle toward the painter. This provides a painter with a better view of the contents of the can  10 . Since the device pivots both left and right, it can be attached on either side of the ladder at the painter&#39;s discretion. 
     It is understood that while certain aspects of the disclosed subject matter have been shown and described, the disclosed subject matter is not limited thereto and encompasses various other embodiments and aspects. No specific limitation with respect to the specific embodiments disclosed herein is intended or should be inferred. Modifications may be made to the disclosed subject matter as set forth in the following claims.