Patent Publication Number: US-8528776-B2

Title: Paint rim magnetic brush holder

Description:
The current application claims a priority to the U.S. Provisional Patent application Ser. No. 61/350,738 filed on Jun. 2, 2010. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to an attachment for a paint can with the lid taken off. More particularly, the present invention provides a means to hold a paint brush, a means to prevent stray drops of paint from hitting the opened paint can, a means to smoothly pour the contents of the opened paint can into another paint can. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Traditionally, pouring paint from a paint can is usually messy, which results in paint running down the lateral surface of the paint can and onto the floor, hands, and other inconvenient places. In addition, reattaching the lid to the paint can is difficult once the residual paint has dried on the mouth of the paint can. A user, painting with the paint can and a paint brush, may find it difficult set the paint brush down because the wet paint on the bristles of the paint brush may touch the floor, hands, or other inconvenient places. The paint rim magnetic brush holder is an annular attachment to the paint can that allows the user to both prevent stray paint drops from hitting the paint can, provides a convenient place to set the paint brush down, and situates the paint brush on the convenient place with a magnet. The present invention also has a pouring spout, which allows the user to easily pour the paint in the paint can into another paint can. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a top view of present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a bottom view of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the present invention with the magnet separated from the rest of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAIL DESCRIPTIONS OF THE INVENTION 
     All illustrations of the drawings are for the purpose of describing selected versions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. 
     The present invention as shown in  FIG. 1  is a paint rim magnetic brush holder, which a user attaches to an opened paint can to perform a variety of functions. The paint rim magnetic brush holder comprises a rim  1 , a platform  4 , a paint spout pourer  9 , a tab  13 , an opening  15 , a wall  16 , and a fitting  19 . The rim  1  is an annular object having an inner edge  2  and an outer edge  3  and is relatively flat along its radius. The rim  1  serves as a base for all other components of the present invention to be connected together. The fitting  19  is a tube with the same radius as the inner edge  2  and is connected to the bottom of the rim  1  along the inner edge  2  as illustrated in  FIG. 3 . The fitting  19  engages and attaches the present invention to the opened paint can by sliding into the mouth of the opened paint can. The fitting  19  has an angled bottom surface  20  displayed in  FIG. 4 , which allows the user to better situate the present invention onto the mouth of the opened paint can before pressing the fitting  19  into the mouth. The tab  13  connects to the outer edge  3  and is located on the same plane as the rim  1 . A tab hole  14  is located at the center of the tab  13 , and, together, the tab  13  and tab hole  14  allow the user to hang up the present invention when the present invention is not being used. 
     The first function of the present invention is to prevent paint from dripping onto the onto the opened paint can. The components used to accomplish the first function include the rim  1  and the wall  16 . The outer edge  3  of the rim  1  has a larger radius than the radius of the opened paint can so that the rim  1  extends out over the lateral surface of the opened paint can. The rim  1  catches stray paint drops from a paint brush dipped into the opened paint can and prevents the stray paint drops from hitting the lateral surface of the opened paint can. The rim  1  also prevents the strap paint drops from hitting the mouth of the opened paint can. The wall  16 , which is a perpendicular protrusion attached around the outer edge  3  and on top of the rim  1 . Once the stray paint drops hit the rim  1 , the wall  16  prevents the stray paint drops from rolling over the outer edge  3  and onto the lateral surface of the opened paint can. The wall  16  comprises a first end  17  and a second end  18  because the paint spout pourer  9  radially extends out of a portion of the outer edge  3 , and thus, the wall  16  connects to one side of paint spout pourer  9  with the first end  17  and connects to the other side of the paint spout pourer  9  with the second end  18 . 
     The second function of the present invention is to provide a convenient area to place the paint brush while not being used. The components used to accomplish the second function include the platform  4  and the opening  15 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the platform  4  is a semicircular plate attached to a portion of the inner edge  2  and is located on the same plane as the rim  1 . The platform  4  provides the user with the convenient area to place the paint brush. The platform  4  comprises a cut away  5 , an adhesive  6 , a magnet  7 , and a brush wipe edge  8 . The cut away  5  is an indentation located in middle of the platform  4 , which is shaped to properly situate the magnet  7  on the platform  4 . The magnet  7  is attached to the platform  4  by the adhesive  6 , which can be seen in  FIG. 5 . If the platform  4  is made of a metal, then the magnet  7  will also attach to the cut away  5  by a magnetic force. The brush wipe edge  8  is the straight edge of the platform  4  that does not connect to the inner edge  2 . The brush wipe edge  8  and the portion of the inner edge  2  not connected to the platform  4  form the outline of the opening  15 , which leads into the opened paint can. In order to prevent a mess, the paint brush is placed on the platform  4  in such a position that the bristles of paint brush soaked in paint can drip into the opening  15  and, thus, into the paint can. In this position, the paint brush is unbalanced on the platform  4  and may tip into the opened paint can through the opening  15 . The magnet  7  attracts and attaches the metal portion of the paint brush, which allows the present invention to situate and stabilize the paint brush on the platform  4 . The metal portion of the paint brush is usually the anchor or staple that holds the bristles of the paint brush together. 
     The third function of the present invention is to allow the user to wipe the excess paint off of the bristles of the paint brush once the paint brush is dipped into the opened paint can. The components used to accomplish the third function include the brush wipe edge  8  and the opening  15 . The brush wipe edge  8  allows the user to apply a constant force to each of bristles on the paint brush so that the excess paint on the paint brush is evenly scraped off the bristles. The brush wipe edge  8  also outlines the opening  15  so that once the excess paint is scraped off the bristles of the paint brush with the brush wipe edge  8 , the excess paint can fall through the opening  15  into the opened paint can. 
     The fourth function of the present invention to allow the user to pour the paint in the opened paint can into another paint can without creating a mess. The component used to accomplish the fourth function includes the paint spout pourer  9 . After the paint exits the opened paint can through the opening  15 , the paint spout pourer  9  guides the paint pouring into the other paint can. The paint spout pourer  9  comprises a spout plate  10  and a protruding edge  11 . The spout plate  10  is a panel that is coplanar with the rim  1  and is connected to the portion of the outer edge  3  unoccupied by the wall  16 . The protruding edge  11  is the edge of the spout plate  10  that extends further from the rim  1  than the outer edge  3 . When emptying the paint out the opened paint can, the paint pours out of the opening  15  and flows onto the rim  1 . The first end  17  and the second end  18  streamlines and narrows the flow of paint as the flow of paint moves from the rim  1  onto the spout plate  10 , which allows the user to easily guide the flow of paint into the other paint can. The spout plate  10  extends the flow of paint further out than the outer edge  3  and prevents the flow of paint from touching the lateral surface of the opened paint can when the flow of paint goes over the protruding edge  11 . 
     Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.