Patent Publication Number: US-6983869-B1

Title: Pour spout including a removable lid

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   Not Applicable. 
   STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
   Not Applicable. 
   REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX 
   Not Applicable. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Technical Field 
   This invention relates to pour spouts and, more particularly, to a pour spout including a removable lid for directing paint away from a paint can during operating conditions. 
   2. Prior Art 
   The design of conventional paint cans has long been a nuisance to the painter. Paint cans for paint commercially sold are normally filled to the brim; stirring or dipping a brush therein usually causes the overflow of paint into the rim channel and often down the sides of the can, sometimes onto the supporting surface. When paint flows into the rim channel, it may dry and prevent effective resealing of the can by the cover. An inadequate seal allows paint in the can to dry out during storage or may result in spillage if the can is upset. 
   Sometimes wet paint flows into the rim channel and the can is resealed before the paint has an opportunity to dry. The wet paint dries and acts as a cement, making it difficult to remove the lid from the can at a later time. Because the rim channel is so narrow, it is extremely difficult to clean excess paint out of the rim channel. 
   Furthermore, design of conventional paint cans does not enhance the pouring of paint. The curvilinear boundary of the inside of the can and the rim channel over which paint must flow makes it difficult to control the flow and to prevent paint from running down the edges of the can. 
   Moreover, the curvilinear edge of the inner surface of the paint can does not provide a suitable surface for skimming excess paint from a paintbrush. Scraping the brush against the inside surface of the can does not uniformly remove paint from the brush, which in turn does not enhance uniform application of paint to a surface. 
   Accordingly, a need remains for a combination pour spout and lid that prevents spillage and improves the shelf life of paint cans that have been opened. The present invention satisfies such a need by preventing the spilling and splashing of paint as it is being mixed or poured. It further reduces the amount of time spent cleaning the rims of paint cans so that a tight seal can be maintained for storing the paint. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   In view of the foregoing background, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an assembly for assisting a user to pour paint from a can. These and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention are provided by a combination pour spout and lid assembly attachable to paint cans and like containers for assisting a user to pour fluid therefrom. 
   The assembly includes a pour spout removably attachable to a top opening of the paint can and including a lower portion extending radially outwardly from a perimeter of the top portion. The lower portion extends radially across the inner and outer edges of the paint can and includes a locking ridge extending downwardly and inwardly for engaging an outer edge of the paint can and a sealing ridge inwardly spaced from the locking ridge and extending downwardly from the lower portion for engaging an inner edge of the paint can. The sealing ridge extends about a perimeter of the pour spout and has a notch for receiving the inner edge of the paint can and for preventing fluid from exiting the paint can via non-spout routes during operating conditions. 
   The pour spout further includes an upper portion integral with the lower portion and extending upwardly therefrom. The upper portion defines an obliquely shaped lip for directing fluid outwardly and away from the paint can while preventing the fluid from contacting the outer edge of the paint can. The upper portion further includes a flange portion integral therewith and extending radially outward therefrom and a lid being sized and shaped to cover the pour spout and effectively prevent fluids from exiting the paint can. The pour spout and the lid are preferably formed from plastic material and have a generally tear drop shape to prevent fluid from exiting a container during non-operating conditions. 
   The lid has substantially planar top and bottom surfaces and a sidewall portion integral therewith and extending downwardly therefrom. The sidewall portion includes a ridge portion integral therewith and extending downwardly and inwardly therefrom and is removably securable to the flange portion of the upper portion. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
     The novel features believed to be characteristic of this invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing a combination pour spout and lid assembly in a preferred environment, in accordance with the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of the assembly shown in  FIG. 1 , taken along line  2 — 2 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a partial cross-sectional view of the assembly shown in  FIG. 1  illustrating the sealing of the lid and the lower portion of the spout; and 
       FIG. 4  is a top plan view of the pour spout shown in  FIG. 1 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiment set forth herein. Rather, this embodiment is provided so that this application will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the true scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout the figures. 
   The assembly of this invention is referred to generally in  FIGS. 1–4  by the reference numeral  10  and is intended to assist a user in pouring paint from a can. It should be understood that the assembly  10  may be used to pour many different types of fluid from different sizes of containers and should not be limited to only conventionally shaped paint cans. 
   Initially referring to  FIGS. 1 and 3 , the assembly  10  includes a pour spout  20  removably attachable to a top opening of the paint can and including a lower portion  21  extending radially outwardly from a perimeter of the top portion. The lower portion  21  extends radially across the inner and outer edges of the paint can and includes a locking ridge  22  extending downwardly and inwardly for engaging an outer edge of the paint can and a sealing ridge  23  inwardly spaced from the locking ridge  22  and extending downwardly from the lower portion  21  for engaging an inner edge of the paint can. The sealing ridge  23  extends about a perimeter of the pour spout  20  and has a notch  24  for receiving the inner edge of the paint can and for preventing fluid from exiting the paint can via non-spout routes during operating conditions. The design of the locking ridge  22  makes it easy for a user to snap on and snap off from the paint can. 
   Now referring to  FIGS. 2 and 4 , the pour spout  20  further includes an upper portion  25  integral with the lower portion  21  and extending upwardly therefrom. The upper portion  25  defines an obliquely shaped lip  26  for directing fluid outwardly and away from the paint can while preventing the fluid from contacting the outer edge of the paint can. This prevents paint from spilling and dripping down the side of the paint can, potentially obscuring important information regarding the contents of such can. 
   The upper portion  25  further includes a flange portion  27  integral therewith and extending radially outward therefrom and a lid  30  being sized and shaped to cover the pour spout  20  and effectively prevent fluids from exiting the paint can. The pour spout  20  and the lid  30  are formed from plastic material to resist corrosion in an outdoor environment and have a generally tear drop shape to prevent fluid from exiting a container during non-operating conditions. The plastic material further facilitates the clean-up process by providing a surface from which paint is easily removed. 
   Now referring to  FIG. 2 , the lid  30  has substantially planar top  31  and bottom  32  surfaces and a sidewall portion  33  integral therewith and extending downwardly therefrom. The lid  30  enables a user to temporarily cap the pour spout  20  without removing it from the paint can so that paint stays fresh while a user takes a lunch or other break. The sidewall portion  33  includes a ridge portion  34  integral therewith and extending downwardly and inwardly therefrom and is removably securable to the flange portion  27  of the upper portion  25 . 
   While the invention has been described with respect to a certain specific embodiment, it will be appreciated that many modifications and changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is intended, therefore, by the appended claims to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. 
   In particular, with respect to the above description, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the present invention may include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation. The assembly and use of the present invention are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art.