Patent Publication Number: US-11040569-B1

Title: Paint brush holder

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The presently disclosed subject matter is directed to a paint brush holder. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     All of us know of the burdens, difficulty and painstaking patience required when performing a painting project. While preparations and material are important, the most common tool used in the painting process is that of the paintbrush. While the common paintbrush has existing for generations, it does not mean that it is not without its faults. Perhaps the biggest problem is where to place the brush, when covered in paint, yet not in use. 
     Such times may occur when the painter is taking a break, answering a phone call, or grabbing something to eat. Many places the brush over the rim of the can whereupon the excess paint drips down the side of the can, thus adding to cleanup duties. Others may place it upon a drop cloth, where a puddle of paint forms that the painter must avoid stepping in to avoid further compounding the mess. All these solutions not only waste paint but end up putting the paint in the waste stream where they can cause environmental concerns. Accordingly, there exists a need for a means that allows for paint brushes being actively used for painting, can be temporarily stored without the disadvantages as described above. The development of the brush holder for paint can fulfills this need. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The principles of the present invention provide for a brush holder for a paint can, comprises a “U”-shaped frame made of a forward stop—the frame provides a holding cavity for holding a paint brush in an upright condition; a bottom grated surface over the paint can such that excess paint drips back into the paint can; a curved rear support having an upper surface—the upper surface is provided with a rolled edge to allow for easy insertion and removal of a paint brush; a rear brace connected to a rear side of the curved rear support via a hinge assembly—the rear brace provides additional stability to the frame when the brush holder is placed atop an open can of paint; a plurality of bristles each having a tip positioned at a junction of the forward stop and the grated surface and a ferrule of each the bristles positioned such that it contacts the curved rear support and remains in place via friction and gravity. 
     The grated surface may be provided with multiple open slots that allow any excess paint within the holding cavity formed by the curved rear support and the forward stop to return the paint can via gravity. The paint brush may be equal or slightly larger than the width of the frame. The upper surface of the curved rear support is provided with a rolled edge to allow for easy insertion and removal of a paint brush. The rolled edge is to wipe excess paint off of the paint brush after dipping the bristles in the paint. The curved rear support with respect to the paint is defined by a displacement angle and is controlled by an adjustment mechanism. The adjustment mechanism is envisioned to include a center mounted adjustment arm, a sliding track and multiple adjustment stops. 
     The excess paint that is removed will flow down the curved rear support contacting a grated surface and transition into dripping paint to flow through the open slots of the grated surface and return to the paint. The hinge assembly may use a pin, a piano hinge mechanism, a flexible plastic area, or other similar means to produce motion. Before placing on the paint can, the brush holder adjusts the center mounted adjustment arm within the sliding track by sliding it along a travel path and engaging a distal end of the center mounted adjustment arm within one of the adjustment stops. The brush holder is made of plastic from an injection molding process which may require a custom mold. The brush holder provides for easy cleanup whether used with soap and water or with a solvent in the case of oil-based paints. The paint can may be one gallon while the forward stop may be two and a half inches tall. The bottom grated surface may be one-half inch deep. While the curved rear support is three and three-quarters inches tall. The forward stop may be four inches wide. The bottom grated surface may be four inches wide. While the curved rear support may be four inches wide. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The advantages and features of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following more detailed description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like elements are identified with like symbols, and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the brush holder  10  for a paint can  50 , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the brush holder  10 , shown in an installed state on a paint can  50 , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a top view of the brush holder  10 , shown in an installed state on a paint can  50 , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the brush holder  10 , shown in a utilized state with a paint brush  95 , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; and, 
         FIG. 5  is a sectional view of the brush holder  10 , as seen along a line I-I, as shown in  FIG. 2 , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTIVE KEY 
     
         
         
           
               10  brush holder 
               15  frame 
               20  forward stop 
               25  grated surface 
               30  curved rear support 
               35  holding cavity 
               40  rear brace 
               45  hinge assembly 
               50  paint can 
               55  rim 
               60  side surface 
               65  paint 
               70  displacement angle “a” 
               75  adjustment mechanism 
               80  open slot 
               85  rolled edge 
               90  travel path “t” 
               95  paint brush 
               100  bristles 
               105  ferrule 
               110  dripping paint 
               115  displacement angle “d” 
               120  center mounted adjustment arm 
               125  sliding track 
               130  adjustment stop 
               135  travel path “x”. 
           
         
       
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The best mode for carrying out the invention is presented in terms of its preferred embodiment, herein depicted within  FIGS. 1 through 5 . However, the invention is not limited to the described embodiment, and a person skilled in the art will appreciate that many other embodiments of the invention are possible without deviating from the basic concept of the invention and that any such work around will also fall under scope of this invention. It is envisioned that other styles and configurations of the present invention can be easily incorporated into the teachings of the present invention, and only one (1) particular configuration shall be shown and described for purposes of clarity and disclosure and not by way of limitation of scope. All of the implementations described below are exemplary implementations provided to enable persons skilled in the art to make or use the embodiments of the disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure, which is defined by the claims. 
     The terms “a” and “an” herein do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one (1) of the referenced items. 
     1. Detailed Description of the Figures 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , a perspective view of the brush holder  10  for a paint can  50 , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention is disclosed. The brush holder  10  (herein also described as the “device”)  10 , comprises primarily of a “U”-shaped frame  15  made of a forward stop  20 , a bottom grated surface  25  and a curved rear support  30 . The overall size of the device  10  will vary per size of paint can  50  upon which it is used. However, for a typical one gallon (1 Gal) paint can  50 , the forward stop  20  would be approximately two and a half inches (2½ in.) tall, the bottom grated surface  25  would be approximately one-half inch (½ in.) deep, and the curved rear support  30  would be approximately three and three-quarters inches (3¾ in.) tall. All three (3) components (the forward stop  20 , the bottom grated surface  25 , and the curved rear support  30 ) would be approximately four inches (4 in.) wide. As noted these dimensions are for reference only and are not intended to be a limiting factor of the present invention. 
     The frame  15  provides a holding cavity  35  for the purposes of holding a paint brush  95  in the upright condition as will be described in greater detail herein below. A rear brace  40  is connected to the rear side of the curved rear support  30  via a hinge assembly  45 . The rear brace  40  provides additional stability to the frame  15  when the device  10  is placed atop an open can  50  of paint  65 . Further description on the utilization of the device  10  will be provided herein below. All of the components utilized in the device  10  would be made of plastic in an injection molding process. Such a process would require the design and use of custom molds. The material of construction provides for easy cleanup whether used with soap and water or with solvents in the case of oil-based paints  65 . 
     Referring next to  FIG. 2 , a perspective view of the device  10 , shown in an installed state on a paint can  50 , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention is depicted. The device  10  is positioned such that the rearward side of the curved rear support  30  and the forward side of the rear brace  40  hold captive the rim  55  and the side surface  60  of the paint can  50 . This configuration places the bottom grated surface  25  over the paint  65  such that excess paint  110  can drip back into the paint can  50 . The position of the curved rear support  30  with respect to the surface of the paint  65  is defined by a displacement angle “a”  70  and is controlled by an adjustment mechanism  75  (not shown in this FIGURE due to illustrative limitations) and will be described in greater detail herein below. It is envisioned that the use may wish to adjust the displacement angle “a”  70  to compensate for multiple environmental factors including but not limited to: position of the paint can  50  with regard to location of work, type of paint  65 , amount of paint  65  remaining in the paint can  50 , size of the paint brush  95  and the like. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , a top view of the device  10 , shown in an installed state on a paint can  50 , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown. This figure clearly discloses the grated surface  25  and its position over the paint  65  contained within the paint can  50 . The grated surface  25  is provided with multiple open slots  80  that allow any excess paint  65  within the holding cavity  35  formed by the curved rear support  30  and the forward stop  20  to return the paint can  50  via gravity. As such, the holding cavity  35  remains clear. The upper surface of the curved rear support  30  is provided with a rolled edge  85  to allow for easy insertion and removal of a paint brush, as will be shown in greater detail herein below. It is also envisioned that the rolled edge  85  may be used to wipe excess paint  65  off of the paint brush  95  after dipping the bristles  100  in the paint  65 . Any excess paint  65  that is removed will flow down the surface of the curved rear support  30  as indicated by a travel path “t”  90 , whereupon contacting the grated surface  25 , and transition into dripping paint  110  to flow through the open slots  80  of the grated surface  25  and return to the paint can  50 . 
     Referring next to  FIG. 4 , a perspective view of the device  10 , shown in a utilized state with a paint brush  95 , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention is disclosed. The bristles  100  of the paint brush  95  are positioned such that their tip is at the junction of the forward stop  20  and the grated surface  25 . The ferrule  105  of the bristles  100  is positioned such that it contacts the curved rear support  30  and remains in place via friction and gravity. It is envisioned that a paint brush  95  up to the width of the frame  15  as well as even slightly larger may be used with the device  10 . The paint brush  95  is positioned in the device  10  during times when the paint brush  95  is not in use, but use will resume shortly. These times are envisioned to include, breaks, preparation work, attending to personal manner, or the like. The use of the device  10  provides multiple benefits over conventional storage locations such as on a drop cloth, over the edge of a paint can  50 , cantilevered of the edge of a step of a ladder or the like. Benefits are envisioned to include, keeping the handle of the paint brush  95  clear of dripped paint, allowing for any surplus paint  110  to drip back into the paint can  50 , a commonly recurring storage space such that time is not wasted looking for the paint brush  95  when painting resumes and the like. This configuration allows for dripping paint  110  to the return into the paint can  50 . The conservation of paint  65  result in overall savings as well as reduced ecological impact due to paint  65  in waste streams. 
     Referring finally to  FIG. 5 , a sectional view of the device  10 , as seen along a line I-I, as shown in  FIG. 2 , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention is depicted. This figure clearly illustrates the holding cavity  35  as formed by the forward stop  20 , the grated surface  25 , and the curved rear support  30 , as well as the rolled edge  85  located at the uppermost edge of the curved rear support  30 . The rear brace  40 , working in conjunction with the curved rear support  30  and the hinge assembly  45  form a displacement angle “d”  115 . The hinge assembly  45  may use a pin, a piano hinge mechanism, a flexible plastic area, or other similar means to produce motion. The use of any specific type of hinge assembly  45  is not intended to be a limiting factor of the present invention. The displacement angle “d”  115  is maintained by the use of the adjustment mechanism  75 . The adjustment mechanism  75  is envisioned to include a center mounted adjustment arm  120 , a sliding track  125  and multiple adjustment stops  130 . Before placing the device  10  on a paint can  50 , (as shown in  FIG. 2 ), they would adjust the center mounted adjustment arm  120  within the sliding track  125 , by sliding it along a travel path “x”  135  and engaging the distal end of the center mounted adjustment arm  120  within one (1) of the adjustment stops  130 . It is noted that other types and styles of adjustment mechanism  75 , including but not limited to: threaded rods, extendable rods, angled arms, and the like could be used with equal effectiveness, and as such, the use of any particular style of adjustment mechanism  75  should not be interpreted as a limiting factor of the present invention. 
     2. Operation of the Preferred Embodiment 
     The preferred embodiment of the present invention can be utilized by the common user in a simple and effortless manner with little or no training. It is envisioned that the device  10  would be constructed in general accordance with  FIG. 1  through  FIG. 5 . The user would procure the device  10  through normal procurement channels such as paint supply stores, home improvement stores and the like, while paying particular attention to specifics such as overall size of the paint can  50  as well as the overall size of the paint brush  95  to be used with the device  10 . 
     After procurement and prior to utilization, the device  10  would be prepared in the following manner: the user would manipulate the rear brace  40  with respect to the curved rear support  30  with the aid of the hinge assembly  45  and the adjustment mechanism  75 , depending on the exact usage of the device  10 ; the device  10  would then be placed over the rim  55  of the paint can  50 . 
     During utilization of the device  10 , the following procedure would be initiated: during periods of time where the user is not actively using the paint brush  95 , it would be placed in the holding cavity  35  of the device  10  as indicated in  FIG. 4 ; excess paint  65  would flow off the paint brush  95  via gravity, transition into dripping paint  110 , and fall within the open slots  80  of the grated surface  25  and into the paint can  50  where it can be used without waste. 
     After use of the device  10 , it is removed from the paint can  50  and washed with soap and hot water or the appropriate solvent depending on the type of paint  65  used; it may then be re-used at a future date in a continually repeating process. 
     The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.