Patent Publication Number: US-11383549-B2

Title: Painting tool holder

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/968,640 filed on Jan. 31, 2020. The above identified patent application is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety to provide continuity of disclosure. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to painting tool holders. More particularly, the present invention pertains to a painting tool holder removably securable to a paint can such that a paint brush and a paint roller can be supported thereby. 
     Many individuals utilize multiple paint brushes and rollers during a given painting task depending on the level of control and area of coverage desired. Paint rollers excel at covering wide flat surfaces quickly with an even coat of paint, whereas typical hand-held paint brushes offer a user finer control, allowing a user to get into smaller areas or to avoid painting undesired surfaces. Often, these various painting took are used interchangeably as the need arises, resulting in a wet paint brush or roller being placed in a storage location while the other painting tool is being used. However, it can be difficult to find safe locations to store painting took covered in wet paint, as the paint can transfer to an undesired surface, causing damage which can be time-consuming or expensive to repair. Alternatively, storing paint brushes with the bristles downward in a container can damage the brush, leading to stray or frayed bristles which can accidentally result in transferring paint outside of the desired area. These damages brushes must then be replaced, which can become quite expensive. Therefore, a device that can readily store a wet paint brush or roller in an upright position near the painter for efficient tool selection is desired. 
     In light of the devices disclosed in the known art, it is submitted that the present invention substantially diverges in design elements from the known art and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing painting tool holders. In this regard, the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of painting tool holders now present in the known art, the present invention provides a painting tool holder wherein the same can be utilized for providing convenience for the user when storing wet paint brushes and rollers in an upright position on a paint can. 
     The present system comprises a body having an upper platform and a lower platform, wherein the upper platform and the lower platform are connected via a front support. A rear support extends from the upper platform. In some embodiments, the body comprises an upper portion and a lower portion removably securable to each other, such that the device can be disassembled for storage and to increase efficiency of manufacture. The front support and the rear support define a channel therebetween, such that the channel can receive a rim of a paint can therein, thereby allowing the user to support the body on the paint can. A pair of support rings are disposed on opposing lateral sides of the lower platform. A fastener is disposed on a first side of the upper platform. In some embodiments, the fastener comprises a dip configured to removably secure a stem of a paint roller therein via friction fit, whereas in alternate embodiments, the fastener comprises a magnetic strip configured to magnetically secure the stem of the paint roller thereto. An upper support ring is disposed on a second side of the upper platform. In this way, the user can secure a typical paint brush and paint roller within the painting tool holder disposed on a paint can. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout. 
         FIG. 1A  shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the painting tool holder. 
         FIG. 1B  shows an exploded view of an alternate embodiment of the painting tool holder. 
         FIG. 2  shows a cross-sectional exploded view of an embodiment of the painting tool holder. 
         FIG. 3A  shows a top down view of the upper platform of an embodiment of the painting tool holder. 
         FIG. 3B  shows a top down view of the upper platform of an alternate embodiment of the painting tool holder. 
         FIG. 4  shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the painting tool holder in use. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the painting tool holder. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 1A and 1B , there is shown a perspective view of an embodiment of the painting tool holder and an exploded view of an alternate embodiment of the painting tool holder, respectively. The painting tool holder  11  comprises a body having an upper platform  13  and a lower platform  14 , wherein the upper platform  13  and the lower platform  14  are connected via a front support  15 . In the illustrated embodiment of  FIG. 1A , the painting tool holder  11  comprises a unitary structure. In the shown embodiments, a rear support  16  extends from a rear of the upper platform  13  such that a channel  17  is defined between the front support  15  and the rear support  16 . The channel  17  is dimensioned to receive a rim of a paint can (as shown in  FIG. 4, 40 ) therein, such that the painting tool holder  11  is supported thereon. 
     In the illustrated embodiments, each of the front support  15  and the rear support  16  comprise a pair of legs, however, in alternate embodiments, unitary planar front and rear supports  15 ,  16  are contemplated. In the interest of brevity, the front and rear supports  15 ,  16  will be shown and described as each comprising a pair of legs throughout the disclosure, however this disclosure is not intended to be limited to embodiments having front and rear supports  15 ,  16  comprising a pair of legs. In the shown embodiments, the rear support  16  further comprises braces extending between the upper platform  13  and each leg of the rear support  16 , such that the braces provide stability to the rear support  16 . In the shown embodiment of  FIG. 13 , an aperture  24  is disposed through the front support  15 , wherein the aperture  24  is configured to receive a securement device therethrough, such that the securement device affixes the painting tool holder  11  to the paint can. In some embodiments, the securement device comprises a magnet configured to magnetically secure to the paint can within the channel  17 . In alternate embodiments, the securement device can comprise a threaded rod having a knob, such that the threaded rod extends through the aperture  24  into the channel  17  when tightened, thereby securing the painting tool holder  11  to the paint can via frictional engagement. 
     A pair of support rings  18  are disposed on opposing lateral sides  19  of the lower platform  14 . The pair of support rings  18  are configured to receive a handle of a painting tool, such as a paint brush or paint roller, therethrough. In this manner, the pair of support rings  18  limit the mobility of the painting tool when secured within the painting tool holder  11 . 
     An upper support ring  22  is disposed on a second side  23  of the upper platform  13 , wherein the upper support ring  22  is configured to secure a head of the painting tool therein such that the painting tool is retained on the upper platform  13 . In the shown embodiment, the upper support ring  22  is aligned coaxially with one of the pair of support rings  18  in order to maintain the painting tool stored therein in an upright position. In some embodiments, the upper support ring  22  and the pair of support rings  18  comprise differing diameters. For example, the upper support ring  22  can comprise a smaller diameter than the pair of support rings  18 , such that the head of the painting tool is retained upon the upper support ring  22 . Various diameters of each of the upper support ring  22  and the pair of support rings  18  are contemplated such that painting tools of various sizes can be accommodated by the painting tool holder  11 . 
     A fastener  20  is disposed on a first side  21  of the upper platform  13 , wherein the fastener  20  is configured to removably secure a stem of a paint roller therein. In the illustrated embodiments, the fastener  20  comprises a clip configured to secure the stem of the paint roller therein via frictional engagement, however alternate fasteners  20  are contemplated as described elsewhere herein. The fastener  20  is disposed above one of the pair of support rings  18 , such that a handle of the paint roller extends therethrough. In this manner, movement of the paint roller handle is limited, thereby maintaining the paint roller in a substantially upright position when secured to the painting tool holder  11 . 
     In the illustrated embodiment of  FIG. 1B , the painting tool holder  11  comprises a body having an upper portion  28  and a lower portion  29  removably securable to each other. The upper platform  13  is disposed on the upper portion  28 , and the lower platform  14  is disposed on the lower portion  29 . The lower portion  29  comprises a lower support  30  thereon, wherein the lower support  30  is removably securable to the front support  15 . In this manner, the painting tool holder  11  can be disassembled for efficient storage and transport while also providing efficiency in manufacture via parallel processes, such as 3D printing. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , there is shown a cross-sectional exploded view of an embodiment of the painting tool holder. In the illustrated embodiment, the lower support  30  extends from an upper surface  31  of the lower platform  14  and comprises a front wall  36  opposite a rear wall  35  defining a central recess  33  therebetween. The front support  15  extends from a lower surface  32  of the upper platform  13  and comprises a protrusion  34  thereon. The protrusion  34  is configured to removably secure within the central recess  33  via frictional engagement to secure the upper portion to the lower portion. In the shown embodiment, the protrusion  34  is offset from the front support  15 , such that a lower edge  37  of the front support rests flush against the rear wall  35  of the lower support  30  when the protrusion  34  is removably secured therein. In this manner, the rear wall  35  is continuous with the front support  15  to provide stability to the painting tool holder. In the shown embodiment, the rear support  16  extends from a rear edge of the upper platform  13  such that the channel  17  is defined between the front and rear supports  15 ,  16 . The spacing between the front and rear supports  15 ,  16  can vary between embodiments to allow the painting tool holder to be supported on a rim of a paint can at a desired angle. In the illustrated embodiment, the front support  15  is disposed parallel to the rear support  16 . Furthermore, the upper platform  13  is disposed parallel to the lower platform  14  to ensure that the painting tools secured therein are maintained in an upright position. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 3A and 3B , there is shown a top down view of the upper platform of an embodiment of the painting tool holder and a top down view of the upper platform of an alternate embodiment of the painting tool holder, respectively. In the illustrated embodiment of  FIG. 3A , the upper platform  13  comprises the upper support ring  22  disposed on the second side  23  of thereof, and the fastener  20  on the first side  21  thereof. The fastener  20  is shown as a clip having a plurality of receiving openings  27  therein, wherein each of the plurality of receiving openings  27  is configured to removably secure a stem of a paint roller therein via frictional engagement. In the shown embodiment, the plurality of receiving openings  27  comprise a central opening and a pair of arcuate side openings, such that a user can selectively angle the head of the paint roller from an upright position by securing the stem within one of the pair of side openings, in the shown embodiment, a distal end of the central opening comprises a circular cutout configured to contour to a cylindrical stem of a paint roller. In the shown embodiment of  FIG. 3B , the fastener  20  instead comprises a magnetic strip configured to removably secure the stem of the paint roller thereagainst via magnetic force. As the magnetic strip extends along an elongated portion of the first side  21 , the user can selectively angle the paint roller as desired to prevent paint drips in an unwanted area. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 4 , there is shown a perspective view of an embodiment of the painting tool holder in use. In one use, the painting tool holder is placed on a paint can  40  such that the rim of the paint can  40  is disposed within the channel  17  between the front support and the rear support  16 . The rear support  16  serves as an anchor to maintain the painting tool holder on the paint can  40 . The user can then secure various painting tools in the painting tool holder as needed for various painting tasks. A typical paint brush  38  can be placed through each of the upper support ring and one of the pair of support rings, such that the head of the paint brush  38  is retained on the upper support ring. A paint roller  39  can also be secured to the painting tool holder by inserting the handle of the paint roller  39  through one of the pair of support rings and engaging the stem  26  of the paint roller  39  within the fastener  20 . Additionally, the angle of the paint roller  39  can be adjusted by securing the stem  26  in various positions to prevent undesired paint drips contaminating the surrounding area. In this way, when the user wishes to exchange the current painting tool, the user can secure the previous tool within the painting tool holder to prevent wet paint disposed on the tool from spreading to an unwanted surface. 
     It is therefore submitted that the instant invention has been shown and described in various embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.