Patent Publication Number: US-6701975-B1

Title: Lid assembly

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The claimed invention relates to a lid assembly. In particular the invention relates to a lid assembly for use on a paint can or fluid reservoir. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Airless paint sprayers use a paint cup that is attached to the sprayer housing, or an accessory hose that extends from the paint sprayer housing to a paint can or fluid reservoir. With the latter, paint in the reservoir is suctioned into the paint sprayer through a hose that extends from the sprayer housing into the reservoir. Paint is pumped from the reservoir, through the accessory hose, through the housing, and out the nozzle of the sprayer for application of the paint to a surface. It is desirable that the end of the hose is positioned at the bottom of the reservoir so that all the paint may be suctioned from the reservoir during use. 
     Hoses that are conventionally provided as an accessory with airless paint sprayers are shipped in the same box as the paint sprayer. In order to fit the hose in the box, the hose is coiled. The hose oftentimes takes on a coiled shape and rebounds to this coiled shape even when unwound. Hoses often coil upwardly so that the end of the hose is no longer positioned at the bottom of the reservoir. As a result, positioning the coiled end of the hose at the bottom of a paint reservoir may be problematic. Hoses often coil upwardly so that the end of the hose is no longer positioned at the bottom of the reservoir. Various devices have been utilized to solve this problem, such as a clip that may be positioned on the side of a paint can and that holds the hose in position near the bottom of the can. 
     SUMMARY 
     The claimed invention concerns a lid assembly for a paint reservoir. The lid assembly includes a lid, a first rigid suction tube, and a second rigid suction tube. The lid is configured to couple to and cover an opening of a paint reservoir and includes a cover member having an upper surface and a lower surface, and a flange extending downwardly from the periphery of the cover member. The cover member also includes a suction opening and a vent opening that extend axially through the cover member. The suction opening includes a first tubular member that extends downwardly from the cover member. 
     The first suction tube extends through the first tubular member so that an upper end of the first suction tube extends above the upper surface of the cover member and a lower end of the first suction tube extends below the lower surface of the cover member. The second suction tube is coupled to and extends downwardly from the first suction tube, and is configured to extend near a bottom surface of the paint reservoir. A filter may be coupled to a lower end of the second suction tube. 
     The cover member may also include a bypass opening that extends axially through the cover member. The bypass opening comprises a second tubular member that extends upwardly from the upper surface of the cover member. A bypass hose may be coupled to the second tubular member and a suction hose may be coupled to the upper end of the first suction tube. In one embodiment, the cover member is disc-shaped and may be circular. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a paint can with a bucket lid assembly of the claimed invention installed on a rim of the can; 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the various parts of the assembly shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view of the lid assembly taken at line  3 A— 3 A in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3B is an expanded view of the circled area shown in FIG. 3A; 
     FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the bucket lid assembly; and 
     FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional side view of the lid assembly take at line  5 — 5  of FIG. 4, with the lid assembly installed on a paint can. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     A bucket lid  10  is a covering positioned over an opening  12  of a paint reservoir  14 , such as a paint can. The lid  10  engages the opening  12  of the paint reservoir  14  and assists in deterring the spillage of paint from the reservoir  14  during use. The lid  10  preferably prevents leakage of paint from the reservoir  14  under numerous conditions, such as normal use, kicking of the paint reservoir  14 , tipping of the paint reservoir  14 , and the like. 
     As shown in FIGS. 1-3A, the bucket lid assembly  20  of the present invention includes a lid  10 , a first suction tube  22 , and a second suction tube  24 . The lid  10  is formed from a cover member  26  and a flange  28  that extends downwardly around the outer periphery of the cover member  26 . The cover member  26 , in a preferred embodiment, is disc-shaped, and, in an even more preferred embodiment, is circular. The flange  28  is designed to engage the exterior wall of a paint reservoir  14 , such as the paint can shown in FIG.  1 . In addition, the flange  28  has an inwardly extending lip  30  that is positioned near the bottom of the flange  28 . The lip  30  and flange  28  are configured to engage the paint reservoir  14  in a fluid-tight manner such that if the paint reservoir  14  is tipped, paint will not flow between the reservoir opening  12  and the flange  28 . When the cover member  26  is circular, the flange  28  is cylindrical. 
     The lid  10  may be formed in a number of different shapes and sizes depending upon the size and shape of the opening  12  of the paint reservoir  14 . For instance, one lid may have a diameter to fit on a quart-size paint can while another lid may have a diameter to fit a gallon size paint can. 
     The cover member  26  has an upper surface  32  and a lower surface  34 . Several openings extend through the cover member  26 , including a suction opening  36 , a bypass opening  38 , and a vent opening  40 . The suction opening  36  is utilized with the first and second suction tubes  22 ,  24 , which are coupled to a suction hose  42  that extends to a paint sprayer or similar device. The suction tubes  22 ,  24  are utilized to suction paint from the paint reservoir  14  to the paint sprayer. The bypass opening  38  is coupled to a bypass hose  44  of the paint sprayer and is used to return paint to the paint reservoir  14  that is not sprayed through the nozzle of the paint sprayer. The vent opening  40  is used as a vent to allow air to replace paint as the paint is suctioned from the paint reservoir  14 . 
     As shown in FIG. 1, the suction  36 , bypass  38 , and vent  40  openings are positioned near the outer periphery of the cover member  26 . In particular, the vent opening  40  is positioned diametrically across from the suction and bypass openings  36 ,  38 , and the bypass and suction openings  36 ,  38  are positioned adjacent one another. Alternatively, the openings  36 ,  38 ,  40  can be positioned at other locations on the cover member  26 , if so desired. 
     The suction opening  36  includes a first tubular member  46  positioned in the opening  37 . The first tubular member  46  extends downwardly from the lower surface  34  of the cover member  26 . As shown in FIG. 3A, part of the first tubular member  46  may also extend above the upper surface  32  of the cover member  26 . The first tubular member  46  engages the first suction tube  22 , which is inserted through the first tubular member  46 . 
     The first tubular member  46  may be cylindrical or frustoconical. In a preferred embodiment, shown in FIG. 3B, the first tubular member  46  is frustoconical and has a first diameter  48  at the upper end of the member  46  that is larger than a second diameter  50  at the lower end of the member  46 , although it may have other shapes and sizes. The tapered opening of the first tubular member  46  is used to grasp the first suction tube  22  when it is inserted into the opening  36 . In addition, a lip  52  extends inwardly at the lower end of the first tubular member  46 . The lip  52  along with the taper grasps the first suction tube  22  when it is inserted into the first tubular member  46  to create a fluid tight engagement, or a nearly fluid tight engagement. The first tubular member  46  is dimensioned such that if the paint reservoir  14  is tipped over, paint will be deterred from flowing between the first suction tube  22  and the first tubular member  46  to escape from the paint reservoir  14 . 
     A second tubular member  54  is positioned in the bypass opening  38  and extends upwardly from the cover member&#39;s upper surface  32 . A portion of the second tubular member  54  may also extend below the lower surface  34  of the cover member  26 , as shown in FIG.  3 A. The second tubular member  54  is preferably cylindrical or frustoconical, although it may have other shapes. In addition, the diameter of the second tubular member  54  is preferably similar to that of the first tubular member  46 . The second tubular member  54  has a diameter that is compatible with a bypass hose  44 . An open end of a bypass hose  44  is preferably positioned around the second tubular member  54  in fluid-tight engagement, as shown in FIG.  1 . The free end of the bypass hose  44  is then connected to a paint sprayer or similar device. Paint that bypasses the pump unit in the paint sprayer is returned to the paint reservoir  14  through the bypass hose  44  and the second tubular member  54 . 
     As shown in FIG. 3A, the cover member  26 , flange  28 , first tubular member  46 , and second tubular member  54  are integrally formed as one piece as the lid  10  of the assembly  20 . In a preferred embodiment, the material of the lid  10  has some flexibility for assisting in grasping a paint reservoir  14 . A preferred material for the lid is polyethylene, although other materials may also be utilized. The lid  10  may alternatively be made of a generally rigid material. 
     The first suction tube  22  is a cylindrical rigid tube that extends through the first tubular member  46  such that an upper end  56  of the tube  22  is positioned above the upper surface  32  of the cover member  26  and a lower end  58  of the tube  22  is positioned below the lower surface  34  of the cover member  26 . Several ridges  60  are positioned around the upper end  56  of the first suction tube  22  and are utilized to adjoin the upper end  56  of the first tubular member  46  to a suction hose  42  and to maintain the hose  42  in coupled relation with the first suction tube  22 . 
     The second suction tube  24  is coupled to the lower end  58  of the first suction tube  22 . In a preferred embodiment, the second suction tube  24  has an inner diameter that is equal to an inner diameter of the first suction tube  22 , although the diameters may be different. The upper end  62  of the second suction tube  24  includes a tapered portion  64  for insertion into the lower end  58  of the first suction tube  22 . The upper end  62  of the second suction tube  24  is tapered in order to seat firmly within the lower end  58  of the first suction tube  22 . Preferably, the second suction tube&#39;s association with the first suction tube  22  is fluid tight such that liquid and air cannot leak out or enter between the two tubes  22 ,  24 . A fluid tight relationship also assists in suctioning since air cannot enter at the joint between the first and second suction tubes  22 ,  24 . 
     The second suction tube  24  is shown in the drawings as having a length that is similar to the length of the first suction tube  22 . However, the second suction tube  24  may have a length that is different from the first suction tube  22 . For instance, different length suction tubes can be used for different sized paint cans. A shorter second suction tube  24  would be used with a quart paint can than with a gallon paint can. Moreover, the length of the second suction tube  24  can be selected based upon the height of the paint reservoir  14  being utilized. Differently sized lids  10  may also be utilized so that the assembly  20  is usable with different size paint cans or reservoirs. 
     A filter  66  is shown positioned at the lower end  68  of the second suction tube  24 . The filter  66  includes a larger diameter portion that has a screen  70  that prevents debris from entering the second suction tube  24 . The size of debris that is deterred from entering the second suction tube  24  is a function of the size of the screen openings. Large pieces of debris are preferably deterred from entering the second suction tube  24  since such large pieces could cause blockage of the suction hose  42 , or damage to the paint sprayer. 
     FIGS. 4 and 5 depict an alternative embodiment of the invention, where a bypass hose  44  is not utilized with the bucket lid assembly  20 . Bypass hoses  44  are not always utilized with airless paint sprayers and the present bucket lid assembly  20  is useful with these types of paint sprayers, as well. As shown in FIG. 4, the bucket lid  10  includes a suction opening  36  defined by a first tubular member  46  for coupling to the first suction tube  22 . The vent hole  40  is positioned adjacent the suction opening  36 . The vent hole  40  may be positioned at other locations on the cover member  26 . Furthermore, while the suction opening  36  is shown positioned near the outer periphery of the cover member  26 , it may be positioned at other locations on the lid  10 . 
     The cover member  26  has been depicted in the figures as circular. However, other shapes of cover members are also contemplated to be within the boundaries of the appended claims, the invention not being limited to a particular shape for the cover member  26 . 
     While various features of the claimed invention are presented above, it should be understood that the features may be used singly or in any combination thereof. Therefore, the claimed invention is not to be limited to only the specific embodiments depicted herein. 
     Further, it should be understood that variations and modifications may occur to those skilled in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. The embodiments described herein are exemplary of the claimed invention. The disclosure may enable those skilled in the art to make and use embodiments having alternative elements that likewise correspond to the elements of the invention recited in the claims. The intended scope of the invention may thus include other embodiments that do not differ or that insubstantially differ from the literal language of the claims. The scope of the present invention is accordingly defined as set forth in the appended claims.