Abstract:
The disclosure provides apparatus and methods of use pertaining to disposable bucket liners for storing solid or liquid content. One embodiment provides a flexible bag configured to conform to an interior of a common painting bucket and overlap an open top end of the bucket so as to provide stability for the bag and protection for the bucket. The bag includes a reusable closing member that allows the bag to be removed from the bucket and stored to facilitate repeated use before disposal. Other embodiments are also disclosed.

Description:
REFERENCE TO PENDING PRIOR PATENT APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119 (e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/866,442, filed Aug. 15, 2013 by Brannon K. Aki for “DISPOSABLE BUCKET LINER” which patent application is hereby incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Generally, both professional and do-it-yourself painters must spend substantial time cleaning their various tools and containers at the close of a painting session or when switching between paint colors. Such tools and containers may include brushes, rollers, pans, sponges, buckets, and more. 
         [0003]    Buckets are particularly difficult to clean in a manner that leaves the bucket free of dried, clumped, and/or crusted paint at the start of the next painting session. Primarily, painting buckets are generally deep five-gallon containers with a great deal of surface area to be cleaned. These size and depth complications are exacerbated when excess paint, which has been wiped from brushes, rollers, and the like, dries into the upper ridges or edges of the bucket. As a result, a painter must either expend valuable time and effort cleaning the internal surfaces and the external ridges of the bucket to render the bucket reusable or dispose of the bucket altogether. For professional painters charging between $35.00 and $50.00 per hour, a half-hour spent cleaning equipment at the end of the day and/or between each color change amounts to a sizeable production loss. 
         [0004]    Beyond the time required to clean painting buckets when a painter is stopping for the day, breaking for a period of time, or changing paint colors to continue a job, bucket cleaning requires a great deal of water and an appropriate dump site. Many commercial job sites are not equipped with running water due to staged construction and/or other practical job-site complications. Other job sites don&#39;t have appropriate drainage facilities that can accommodate gallons and gallons of paint-tainted water. 
         [0005]    Because cleaning a painting bucket between each paint session disposes of the paint coating the bottom, sides, and ridges of the bucket, each cleaning sacrifices a nominal amount of paint. Over time, this amount of washed-away paint adds up to a significant amount of waste. 
         [0006]    Disposable bucket liners may provide an alternative to cleaning a paint-coated bucket in preparation for reuse. Using a disposable liner, a painter may complete a job and simply dispose of the liner before replacing it with a new one and continuing on with a new paint color or restarting the project after a break or delay in work. That said, current disposable liners, plastic bags, and/or other disposable receptacles exhibit numerous deficiencies. Generally, liners that are sized and configured to fit the inside of a painting bucket have a height that stops short of the height of the bucket so as not to interfere with the bucket&#39;s lid. As a result, the liners don&#39;t overlap or fold over the bucket rim, which allows the liners to shift position when paint is poured inside and fails to protect the top rim and the outer ridges encircling the top of the bucket. In addition, existing liners are designed for one-time use and do not feature reusable closure mechanisms that allow for the removal, storage, and later reuse of the paint-filled liners. As a result, they don&#39;t allow a painter to quickly and easily store unused paint remaining in the liner during a work stoppage, either for a break, and evening, or while the painter switches between paint colors. 
         [0007]    Due to these drawbacks, there is a need for an affordable, disposable mechanism for keeping a paint bucket clean over the course of multiple uses and for allowing paint and painting tools to be stored for easy reuse between painting sessions and color changes. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0008]    This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key aspects or essential aspects of the claimed subject matter. Moreover, this Summary is not intended for use as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. 
         [0009]    On embodiment provides a disposable liner for a five-gallon bucket having a bottom surface, inner and outer sidewalls, and an open top end. The liner may include a flexible bag having a bottom seam, a top periphery, and a reusable closure member that moves between open and closed positions. When the bag is placed within the bucket and the reusable closure member is placed in the open position, the bottom seam connects with the bottom surface of the bucket and the top periphery folds over the open top end of the bucket such that the reusable closure member abuts the outer sidewall of the bucket. 
         [0010]    Another embodiment provides a bucket-and-liner system including a bucket having a bottom surface, inner and outer sidewalls, and an open top end. The system further includes a disposable bag configured to line the bottom surface and the inner sidewall of the bucket. The disposable bag may have flexible walls disposed between a bottom seam and a top periphery and a reusable closure member configured to move between open and closed positions. The flexible walls may be configured to extend across the bottom surface, up the inner sidewall, and over the open top end of the bucket such that the reusable closure member abuts the outer sidewall when the disposable liner is placed within the bucket and the reusable closure member is in the open position. 
         [0011]    Yet another embodiment provides a method of applying paint contained within a painting bucket having a bottom surface, inner and outer sidewalls, and an open top end. The method begins with providing a liner system including a disposable bag having flexible walls disposed between a bottom seam and a top periphery and a reusable closure member configured to move between open and closed positions. The method continues with moving the reusable closure member to the open position and placing the disposable bag within the bucket such that the bottom seam connects with the bottom surface of the bucket and the top periphery folds over the open top end of the bucket such that the reusable closure member abuts the outer sidewall of the bucket. Next, the method includes filling the disposable bag with a desired amount of paint, applying the paint to a surface, and, when finished with application of that particular color, moving the reusable closure member to the closed position. Once the disposable bag is closed, the method continues with removing the disposable bag from the bucket for storage outside the bucket. After storage for a desired amount of time, either for a work stoppage or while the user paints in a different color, the method continues with replacing the disposable bag back within the bucket and moving the reusable closure member to the open position. 
         [0012]    An additional embodiment provides a method of storing liquid or solid matter contained within a bucket-and-liner system including (a) a five-gallon bucket having a bottom surface, inner and outer sidewalls, and an open top end, and (b) a re-sealable liner sized to fit the bottom surface and inner sidewall of the bucket and extend beyond the open top end of the bucket. The liner may include a reusable closure member configured to move between open and closed positions. The method begins with moving the reusable closure member from the open position to the closed position before removing the re-sealable liner from said bucket. 
         [0013]    Other embodiments are also disclosed. 
         [0014]    Additional objects, advantages, and novel features of the technology will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become more apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following, or may be learned from practice of the technology. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]    Non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments of the present invention, including the preferred embodiment, are described with reference to the following figures, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the various views unless otherwise specified. Illustrative embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawings, in which: 
           [0016]      FIG. 1  provides a front perspective view of one embodiment of a disposable bucket liner; 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  provides a front perspective view of a bucket-and-liner system featuring the disposable bucket liner of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  provides a section view of the bucket-and-liner system of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  provides another section view of the bucket-and-liner system of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0020]      FIG. 5  provides a front perspective view of another embodiment of a disposable bucket liner held upright by a stability hanger; 
           [0021]      FIG. 6  provides a front plan view of another embodiment of a disposable bucket liner; 
           [0022]      FIG. 7  provides a flow chart depicting an exemplary method of applying paint to a desired surface; and 
           [0023]      FIG. 8  provides a flow chart depicting an exemplary method of storing embodiments of the disposable liners of  FIGS. 1-6 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0024]    Embodiments are described more fully below in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the system and method. However, embodiments may be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense. 
         [0025]    Various embodiments of the systems and methods described herein relate to the application and storage of paint in a manner that saves time and money and reduces the resources (e.g., water, drainage, excess paint, etc.) traditionally required to complete these tasks. 
         [0026]      FIG. 1  illustrates a front perspective view of one embodiment of a disposable liner  10   a . In this embodiment, liner  10   a  may be an impermeable, disposable bag having two flexible walls  12  that meet at a bottom seam  14  and identical side seams  16 . These bottom and side seams  14 ,  16  may open to form a top periphery  18 . Flexible walls  12  may be formed of any appropriate plastic such as, for example, polyethylene and may have any appropriate thickness. In one embodiment, flexible walls  12  have a thickness between 2 and 4 mil. 
         [0027]    To render liner  10   a  re-sealable, and thus useful for long and/or short-term storage of liquid and/or solid content, a reusable closure member  20  may traverse top periphery  18  at any appropriate offset, o, from top periphery  18 . In this embodiment, reusable closure member  20  includes a zip-type lock formed of a grooved track  22  that interlocks via a press-fit with a ridged track  24 . Reusable closure member  20  is configured to move repeatedly through open and closed positions via a press fit, thereby allowing a user to access and then store liquid or solid content  34  as many times as necessary until the user has finished with content  34  and is ready to dispose of liner  10   a . 
         [0028]      FIGS. 2-4  illustrate perspective and section views of one embodiment of a bucket-and-liner system  11 . Specifically,  FIGS. 2-3  show liner  10   a  in an open position and situated within a five-gallon bucket  26 , which is a common tool present on construction, remodeling, and other job sites where liner  10   a  might prove useful. These drawing views illustrate the sizing of liner  10   a  in relation to bucket  26 . Specifically, Liner  10   a  may be sized such that when placed within bucket  26 , bottom seam  14  may contact a bottom surface  28  and an inner sidewall  29  of bucket  26  ( FIG. 3 ). At the same time, top periphery  18  of liner  10   a  may overlap or fold over an open top end  30  of bucket  26  in a manner that allows reusable closure member  20  to abut an outer sidewall  32  of bucket  26 . This overlap allows bucket  26  to perform as a scaffolding of sorts for liner  10   a . That is, when content  34  is added to liner  10   a , the overlap prevents liner  10   a  from shifting as liner  10   a  expands to accommodate content  34  and conform to the inside of bucket  26 . This overlap remains as content  34  is added, preventing content  34  from contaminating or interfering with either closure member  20  or any ridges  36  that are present on outer sidewall  32  of bucket  26 . 
         [0029]    To accommodate a traditional five-gallon painting bucket, each flexible wall  12  of liner  10   a  may be 21.5 inches long. However, liner  10   a  may be any appropriate size, shape, length, width, and/or configuration to allow for sufficient overlap when bottom seam  14  of liner  10   a  contacts bottom surface  28  of bucket  26  and liner  10   a  expands to conform to inner sidewall  29  of bucket  26 . For instance, while  FIGS. 1-4  show liner  10   a  as a flat bag with three distinct seams, it should be understood that liner  10   a  may take a cylindrical, square, oval, or any other appropriate shape. 
         [0030]    With liner  10   a  in place within bucket  26 , content  34 , such as, for example, paint may be added to liner  10   a  and bucket  26  without fear of dripping or smearing excess paint onto inner sidewall  29  or open top end  30  of bucket  26 . Further, the overlap protects ridges  36  of outer sidewall  32  when a painter leverages open top end  30  to wipe excess paint from brushes, rollers, sponges, and the like. As a result, when liner  10   a  is later removed, bucket  26  remains clean and ready for another liner, and thus another paint project or color, or for any appropriate secondary use such as carrying water or storing other equipment (e.g., paint trays, brushes, sponges, etc.). 
         [0031]      FIG. 4  illustrates a section view of bucket-and-liner system  11 , where liner  10   a  is situated within bucket  26  in a closed position. From this closed position, liner  10   a  may be lifted from bucket  26  for storage. For instance, a professional painter could remove liner  10   a  and replace it with another liner before moving to another paint color. Later the painter could return to the original color contained within liner  10   a , all by quickly switching liners with no need to spend valuable time cleaning bucket  26  between each color change. Alternatively, the painter might remove liner  10   a  from bucket  26  to store paint during a break or overnight. In this situation, the painter could store other tools such as brushes and a paint tray within the clean bucket  26 . 
         [0032]    When the liner is removed from bucket  26 , it may be beneficial to store it in an upright position so as to keep content  34  away from reusable closing member  20 .  FIG. 5  illustrates one embodiment of a disposable liner  10   b  that includes a stability aperture  38  situated between reusable closure member  20  and top periphery  18  of liner  10   b . In this embodiment, stability aperture  38  is adapted to engage with a stability hanger  40 . One embodiment of stability hanger  40  may include a first hook  42  and a second hook  44 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , first hook  42  may be curved in a manner adapted to engage with stability aperture  38 , while second hook  44  may be curved in a manner adapted to engage with a fixed external surface  46 , such as a doorknob, shelf edge, or the like. While  FIG. 5  shows stability hanger  40  specifically adapted for a doorknob, stability hanger  40  may take any appropriate size, shape, and/or configuration necessary to support liner  10   b  in an upright position. Further, stability hanger  40  may be formed of any appropriate material such as, for example, metal or plastic. In attrition, while  FIG. 5  shows one stability aperture  38 , embodiments of liner  10   b  may include any number of stability apertures  38  necessary to achieve a stable upright resting position. 
         [0033]    At the close of a project, a user may throw away the disposable liner. In the case of liquid content  34 , the user may want to fully empty the liner before disposal.  FIG. 6  illustrates a front plan view of one embodiment of a liner  10   c . Liner  10   c  may include a tear-away portion  48  that separates from flexible sheets  12  via a perforated line  50 . Once the tear-away portion has been removed, the user may squeeze liner  10   c  to efficiently remove all remaining liquid from the bag before disposal. For example, a user may remove tear-away portion  48  before squeezing all remaining paint within liner  10   c  back into its original can, thereby minimizing waste. 
         [0034]    Embodiments of liner  10   a-c  allow users to integrate readily available five-gallon buckets into projects that would otherwise require a great deal of clean-up and/or several different buckets to achieve. For instance, rather than using one bucket and cleaning it between each color required of a multi-color paint job, or alternately, employing several painting buckets and cleaning each one at the end of the day or at the end of a work session, a painter may employ one bucket and multiple liners  10   a-c . By alternating liners for each color and storing the liners during work stoppages, as discussed above, the painter may maximize his or her painting time and avoid the need for abundant rinse water, drainage outlets, and/or multiple buckets to be juggled and cleaned. 
         [0035]    Notably, while liners  10   a-c  have primarily been discussed with reference to storing paint and its usefulness in the personal and professional painting environment, liners  10   a-c  and bucket-and-liner system  11 , discussed above, may be used with any appropriate solid or liquid content  34 . For instance, embodiments of liners  10   a-c  may be used to store pet waste or soiled baby diapers between trash-removal days. 
         [0036]      FIG. 7  provides a flow chart depicting an exemplary method  100  for applying paint. Method  100  initiates with the provision of one of liners  10   a-c  of the type discussed above ( 102 ) and continues when a user moves reusable closure member  20  of liner  10   a-c  to an open position ( 104 ). Next, the user may place liner  10   a-c  within bucket  26  ( 106 ) such that bottom seam  14  and top periphery  18  of liner  10   a-c  connects with bottom surface  28  and folds over open top end  30  of bucket  26 , respectively. Once liner  10   a-c  is in place, the user may fill liner  10   a-c  ( 108 ) with paint and proceed to apply ( 110 ) the paint to any surface(s) as desired. When the user is finished with the current paint color, either because he or she is stopping work or wishes to switch colors, the user may unfold top periphery  18  of liner  10   a-c  and move reusable closure member  20  to the closed position ( 112 ) before removing liner  10   a-c  ( 114 ) from bucket  26  for storage outside the bucket according to method  200 , discussed below in reference to  FIG. 8 . If the user is switching to a fresh color, the user may then reinitiate method  100  using a new liner  10   a-c . Alternately, the user may place a previously stored liner  10   a-c  ( 116 ) in bucket  26  to effectively toggle between colors without breaking to clean bucket  26 . 
         [0037]      FIG. 8  provides a flow chart depicting an exemplary method  150  for storing liquid or solid content  34  contained within liner  10   b-c . Method  150  initiates when a user moves reusable closure member  20  of liner  10   b-c  within bucket  26  from the open position to the closed position ( 152 ) and removes liner  10   b-c  from bucket  26  ( 154 ). Next, the user may engage first hook  42  of stability hanger  40  with stability aperture  38  of liner  10   b-c  ( 156 ) and engage second hook  44  with fixed external surface  46  ( 158 ) to support liner  10   b-c  in the upright position. Once liner  10   b-c  has been stored, the user may replace the stored liner with a new liner in bucket  26  or with a liner that had been previously used and stored until needed once more. 
         [0038]    While method  150  is discussed in specific relation to liners  10   b-c , all liners  10   a-c  may be stored by simply removing the liners from bucket  26  and setting them aside. Stability aperture  38  and stability hanger  40  simply provide a mechanism for holding liners  10   b-c  upright in the event that a user desires to keep reusable closure member  20  free and clear of contents  34 . 
         [0039]    Although the above embodiments have been described in language that is specific to certain structures, elements, compositions, and methodological steps, it is to be understood that the technology defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific structures, elements, compositions and/or steps described. Rather, the specific aspects and steps are described as forms of implementing the claimed technology. Since many embodiments of the technology can be practiced without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, the invention resides in the claims hereinafter appended.