Patent Publication Number: US-6213365-B1

Title: Painter&#39;s utility belt

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates generally to utility belts for carrying tools on a person. 
     2. Prior Art 
     Utility belts are well known for carrying tools and accessories for various types of work. Some are specifically designed for painting work. A painter&#39;s utility belt disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,489,051 to Robinson is comprised of a hip plate attached to a waist strap. A rigid housing is pivotally attached to the hip plate. The housing is provided with holes for receiving tools, and a receptacle for receiving paint. The housing is rigid and extends far out from the hip, so that it may impede arm movements when walking, and it may catch on the steps when climbing a ladder. The paint receptacle can only carry one paint, and it must be cleaned before carrying another paint. The deep interior of the paint receptacle is inconvenient to clean. No lumbar support is provided by the narrow strap for preventing back injury. It does not carry all the equipment necessary for surface preparation and paint application work, so the painter may have to frequently interrupt work to fetch additional tools. Having to fetch missing tools when working on a tall ladder can be particularly inconvenient. 
     Another painter&#39;s utility belt disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,385,281 to Byrd is comprised of an apron attached to a waist strap. Pockets are provided on the apron for holding tools, and smaller straps are attached to the waist strap for holding paint cans and caulking guns. The paint cans are positioned at the front of the painter, so that it may get in the way when going up or down a ladder. Carrying the heavy paint cans at the painter&#39;s front causes stress which may injure the back. The horizontal paint can strap may allow a heavy can to slip out and spill paint. It also does not carry enough tools. 
     OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, objects of the present painter&#39;s utility belt are: 
     to carry a plurality of paints in a plurality of interchangeable paint pockets; 
     to have paint pockets that are easily cleaned; 
     to securely carry a paint can, caulking gun, tape, or other accessories; 
     to generally carry all the equipment necessary for surface preparation as well as paint application work; 
     to distribute the load of paint and tools evenly on the user; 
     to not obstruct arm movements; 
     to provide lumbar support for preventing back injury; 
     to be adjustable for fitting different waist sizes; and 
     to be durable and comfortable. 
     Further objects of the present invention will become apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing description. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A painter&#39;s utility belt is comprised of an elongated sash with a widened middle portion embedded with lumbar support inserts. The ends of the sash are releasably attached by a buckle on an adjustable strap. A strip of reinforcing webbing is attached longitudinally on the sash. Loops are formed along the webbing for holding tools, such as a scraper and screwdrivers. A pocket is centered on the sash for holding a sanding block. A pair of vertical loops closed with buckles are attached near the ends of the sash for holding caulking guns, tape, or paint cans. A pair of D-rings are attached to the webbing near the opposite ends for holding a hammer, a rag, etc. A pair of combination pockets are releasably attached to the sash in positions corresponding to the hip positions on the user. The combination pockets are each comprised of a paint pocket lined with a liquid resistant material for holding paint, and a plurality of tool pockets for holding tools. Each combination pocket also includes loops for holding pail hooks, spray gun handles, cell phones, pagers, etc. Thus the belt can hold enough paint and tools for surface preparation as well as paint application work. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
     FIG. 1 is a front view of the present painter&#39;s utility belt. 
     FIG. 2 is a front view of the utility belt on a user. 
     FIG. 3 is a rear view of the utility belt on a user. 
     
       
         
           
               
             
               
                   
               
               
                 DRAWING REFERENCE NUMERALS 
               
               
                   
               
             
            
               
                   
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
            
               
                   
                 10. Sash 
                 11. Widened Middle Portion 
               
               
                   
                 12. Inserts 
                 13. First End 
               
               
                   
                 14. Second End 
                 15. Buckle 
               
               
                   
                 16. Adjustable Strap 
                 17. First Portion of Buckle 
               
               
                   
                 18. Movable End 
                 19. Fixed End 
               
               
                   
                 20. Second Portion of Buckle 
                 21. Webbing 
               
               
                   
                 22. Loop 
                 23. Loops 
               
               
                   
                 24. Scraper 
                 25. Screwdrivers 
               
               
                   
                 26. Sanding Block Pocket 
                 27. Sanding Block 
               
               
                   
                 28. Logo 
                 29. Vertical Loops 
               
               
                   
                 30. Buckles 
                 31. Caulking Gun 
               
               
                   
                 32. Masking Tape 
                 33. D-Ring 
               
               
                   
                 34. Rag 
                 35. Combination Pockets 
               
               
                   
                 36. Paint Pocket 
                 37. Liner 
               
               
                   
                 38. Tool Pocket 
                 39. Tool Pocket 
               
               
                   
                 40. 5-in-1 Tool 
                 41. Putty Knife 
               
               
                   
                 42. Tool Pocket 
                 43. Tool Pocket 
               
               
                   
                 44. Knife 
                 45. Vertical Loop 
               
               
                   
                 46. Horizontal Loop 
                 47. Flap 
               
               
                   
                 48. Snaps 
                 49. Snaps 
               
               
                   
                 50. Razor Blade Pocket 
                 51. Razor Blades 
               
               
                   
                 52. Paint Brush 
                 53. Foam Insert 
               
               
                   
                 54. Vinyl Backing 
               
               
                   
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIG.  1 : 
     A preferred embodiment of the present painter&#39;s utility belt is shown in a front view in FIG.  1 . It is comprised of an elongated sash  10  with a widened middle portion  11  embedded with a plurality of lumbar support inserts  12  (one shown) for preventing back injury. Sash  10  is preferably made of 600×600 dinear fabric. In this partially broken view, a foam insert  53  is arranged within sash  10  for flexibility and comfort, and a vinyl backing  54  is attached to the back of sash  10  for waterproofing. 
     Narrowed first end  13  and second end  14  of sash  10  are releasably attached by a buckle  15 . An adjustable strap  16  is attached to second end  14 . Strap  16  is preferably comprised of a hook-and-loop strap looped through a first portion  17  of buckle  15  and attached to itself. The length of strap  16  is changeable by adjusting the position of a movable end  18  on a fixed end  19 . A second portion  20  of buckle  15  is attached to first end  13  of sash  10  by a short strap attached to the sash by a box stitch for strength. 
     A strip of reinforcing webbing  21  is attached longitudinally on sash  10 , and preferably extends the entire length thereof for improving durability and strength for supporting heavy equipment. Webbing  21  is preferably a polypropylene webbing. Loops  22  and  23  are formed along webbing  21  for holding equipment, such as a scraper  24  and screwdrivers  25 . A sanding block pocket  26  is centered on sash  10  at middle portion  11  for holding equipment, such as a sanding block  27 . A logo  28  is arranged on pocket  26 . 
     A pair of vertical loops  29  with detachable ends connected with buckles  30  are attached near the ends of sash  10  for holding equipment, such as a caulking gun  31 , a roll of masking tape  32 , or paint cans (not shown), which are all very important for surface preparation. Loops  29  are preferably attached to webbing  21  for strength. A pair of D-rings  33  are attached to webbing  21  near first end  13  and second end  14  for holding equipment, such as a rag  34  or hammer (not shown). A razor blade pocket  50  is provided near an upper edge of sash  10  for holding equipment, such as razor blades  51 . 
     A pair of combination pockets  35  are releasably attached to sash  10  inward from ends  13  and  14  about a third of the length of sash  10 . One combination pocket  35  is shown detached from sash  10 . They are each comprised of a paint pocket  36  lined with a liquid resistant liner  37  for holding paint and a paint brush  52 ; a pair of tool pockets  38  and  39  in front of paint pocket  36  for holding tools, such as a 5-in-1 tool  40  and a putty knife  41 ; a pair of side tool pockets  42  and  43  on the sides of paint pocket  36  for holding additional tools, such as a knife  44 , window scraper, or sprayer tips (not shown); a vertical loop  45  for holding equipment, such as pail hooks, spray gum handle, pager (not shown); and a horizontal loop  46  for holding equipment with a belt clip, such as a cell phone or pager (not shown). A flap  47  extends upward from the back of paint pocket  36 , and is also lined with liquid resistant liner  37 . Snaps  48  on flap  47  are arranged to mate with snaps  49  on sash  10 . Snaps  49  are preferably attached along webbing  21  for strength. Each paint pocket  36  is preferably large enough to hold half a quart of paint. 
     FIGS.  2 - 3 : 
     The painter&#39;s utility belt is shown worn on a user in a front view in FIG. 2 and a rear view in FIG.  3 . Sash  10  is wrapped around a waist of the user, and ends  13  and  14  are connected by buckle  15  at the front of the user. Adjustable strap  16  is adjusted to provide a snug fit across a range of waist sizes. Sash  10  may be made in a variety of sizes. 
     At the front, vertical loops  29  hold tape  32  and caulking gun  31  within easy reach. Each vertical loop  29  can also hold a paint can (not shown) by looping through its handle. The vertical orientation of loops  29  ensure that the equipment cannot slip out and fall off. Razor blade pocket  50  and D-ring  33  respectively position razor blades  51  and rag  34  or hammer (not shown) within easy reach at the front of the user. 
     At the sides, combination pockets  35  position paint and various tools within easy reach at the hips of the user, but they have a low enough profile to avoid obstructing arm movements, and to keep tool handles below the belt line to avoid poking the user. They can hold up to two different paints that are poured into paint pockets  36 . Up to four different paints can be carried: two in paint pockets  36 , and two in cans (not shown) hung on vertical loops  29 . Combination pockets  35  can be easily interchanged with spare combination pockets to make changing paint very easy. Liners  37  prevent paint seepage and leakage, and make cleaning a breeze. Paint pockets  36  can be inverted for even easier cleaning. 
     At the rear, sanding block pocket  26  positions sanding block  27  in a centered location within convenient reach. Loops  22  and  23  position the longer tools, such as scraper  24  and screwdrivers  25 , on the wider part of sash  10  to avoid obstructing the user&#39;s movements. The belt is generally symmetrical for distributing the load of paint and tools evenly on the user for comfort. 
     SUMMARY AND SCOPE 
     Accordingly,the present painter&#39;s utility belt carries a plurality of paints in a plurality of interchangeable paint pockets. It has paint pockets that are easily cleaned. It securely carries paint cans, caulking guns, tapes, 5-in-1 tools, brushes, razor blades, and other equipment. The pockets and loops can carry any suitable equipment, so that they are not limited to carrying only the equipment shown. It generally carries all the equipment necessary for surface preparation as well as paint application work, so that the user does not have to frequently go fetch additional equipment, which is particularly convenient when working high up on a ladder. It distributes the load of paint and tools evenly on the user. It does not obstruct arm movements. It provides lumbar support for preventing back injury. It is also adjustable for fitting different waist sizes. 
     Although the above description is specific, it should not be considered as a limitation on the scope of the invention, but only as an example of the preferred embodiment. Many variations are possible within the teachings of the invention. Therefore, the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, not by the examples given.