Patent Abstract:
Briefly, the present invention is a paint tray assembly comprising a multi-use paint tray having a trough located therein and at least one removable paint containers retained in a lateral fit within the trough of the paint tray with the removable paint container being separately removable from the trough of the paint tray to allow for individual emptying of paint compartments in the paint tray.

Full Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates generally to paint trays and more specifically to a multiple use paint tray assembly for holding one or more removable paint containers. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   In my U.S. copending patent application Ser. No. 09/258,219 titled Paint System filed Feb. 26, 1999, which is incorporated herein by reference, I describes a method of insitu blending different color paints using a paint pad applicator in conjunction with a paint tray that has multiple individual paint compartments. Each of the paint tray compartments holds a different color paint. For example, one compartment can hold blue paint, another compartment can hold red paint and still another compartment can hold white paint. Also, if desired, some of the paint compartments can hold paint of the same color. In order to change the insitu blending one needs to change the color of the paint in one or more of the paint compartments. As certain colors are additive one can change the color of paint in a paint compartment by adding a paint of another color, which is usually done by trial and error. To eliminate trial and error mixing one could empty the paint compartment and refill the compartment with fresh paint of the desired color. However, if a paint tray has multiple compartments it is difficult to empty only one of the compartments as the paints from the other compartments are likely to mix with each other as the user tries to pour the paint from the paint tray back into a paint container. Also a user may want to use only a single paint container rather than multiple paint containers. 
   The present invention comprises a paint tray assembly which allows a painter to apply paint from one paint container and if multiple removable paint containers are used to empty the paint in one of the removable paint containers without having to empty the paint in all the rest of the paint containers. This allows a user to change the insitu blending without having to add paint to a container through a process of trial and error. 
   SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
   The present invention is a paint tray assembly comprising a paint tray having a trough and a plurality of paint containers located therein with at least one of the paint containers removable. The removable paint container has a retaining member for preventing the accidental displacement of the removable paint container and a first axle housing and a second axle housing for supporting an axle of a paint applicator roller. The paint containers each are laterally positioned to form a side-by-side fit within the trough of the paint tray allowing for the retaining member to engage the paint tray to prevent the accidental displacement of the removable paint container when paint is being applied to a paint pad. If multiple removable paint containers are used each of the removable paint containers can be removed from the trough of the paint tray without the removal of other removable paint containers. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  shows an perspective view of the paint tray assembly of the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a cross sectional view of paint tray assembly of  FIG. 1  taken along the lines  2 — 2 , showing the second removable paint container held in a paint tray. 
       FIG. 3  is a blow-up a portion of  FIG. 2  showing the engagement between a U-shaped member on the paint container and a protrusion the paint tray 
       FIG. 4  is a top view showing the transfer of paint from the removable paint containers to a paint pad by the rotation of paint roller applicators. 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a removable paint container. 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view showing an alternative embodiment of a removable paint container. 
       FIG. 7  is a perspective view showing a paint applicator roller used in the present invention. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of the paint tray assembly  10  of the present invention. Paint tray assembly  10  comprises a paint tray  11 ; a first removable paint container  21  having a first paint applicator roller  24 , a second removable paint container  22  having a second paint applicator roller  25  and a third removable paint container  23  having a third paint applicator roller  26 . 
   Paint tray  11  includes a base  12 , a back wall  13 , a first side wall  14 , a second side wall  15 , a skirt  16  (shown in FIG.  2 ), a ramp  17  and a protrusion  30  located proximate the junction of skirt  16  and ramp  17 . A first ramp support  18  supports one side of the paint tray and a second ramp support  19  supports the other side of the paint tray to hold the paint tray in an upright condition. Paint tray  11  also includes a paint trough  20  defined by base  12 , back wall  13 , skirt  16  (shown in FIG.  2 ), first side wall  14  and second side wall  15 . In the embodiment shown three paint containers are shown in a side by side condition in paint trough  20 . In this condition the paint tray can be used for insitu blending of different color paints. A feature of the present invention is that if the user decides that only one color paint is to be applied as opposed to blending of different color paints the user can remove the individual paint containers  21 ,  22  and  23  which allows the paint tray  11  to be used as a conventional one compartment paint tray. 
     FIG. 1  shows paint trough  20  having a first removable paint container  21  having a U-shaped retaining member  21   a , a second removable paint container  22  having a U-shaped retaining member  22   a , and a third removable paint container  23  having a U-shaped retaining member  23   a . The removable containers are used for holding paints, preferable of different colors for use in tasks which requires the use of various paint color combinations in order to obtain insitu blending. As shown, located within first removable paint container  21  is a first paint applicator roller  24  that is rotatably supported in paint container  21 . Similarly, a second paint applicator roller  25  is rotatably supported in paint container  22  and a third paint applicator roller  26  is rotatably supported in paint container  23 . The paint applicator rollers are used for transferring paint from the respective paint containers to a portion of a paint pad. The transfer of paint from the paint containers to the paint pad is done by the rotation of the rollers. As each of the rollers rotate they absorb paint from their respective removable paint containers and transfer the paint to the section or area of the paint pad that they engage. 
     FIG. 4  is a top view showing the transfer of paint to a paint pad  54  from a first removable paint container  51  by the rotation of a first paint roller applicator  55 . Similarly, a second removable paint container  52  having a second paint roller applicator  56  and a third removable paint container  53  having a third paint roller applicator  57  transfer paint to a paint pad  54 . As shown, removable paint container  51 ,  52 ,  53  are located in a side-by-side relationship within a trough  58  of a paint tray  59 . As the paint roller applicators rotate, the roller applicators absorb paint from the respective containers and carry the paint upward to where the paint is transferred to the paint pad from the roller applicator. 
     FIG. 2  is a cross sectional view of paint tray assembly  10  of  FIG. 1  taken along the lines  2 — 2  of  FIG. 1  showing the engagement of the second removable paint container  22  with paint tray  11  while second removable paint container  22  holds second paint applicator roller  25 . As shown, a base  29  of second removable paint container  22  engages the base  12  of paint tray  11  while a vertical extending wall  31  of second removable paint container  22  engages the back wall  13  and the skirt  16  of paint tray  11  to hold the paint container in a snug condition to prevent the removable paint containers from moving from side to side. Although located in a snug condition the paint containers are sufficiently spaced laterally so as to allow for removable of an individual paint container without having to remove an adjacent paint container. 
   Located within second removable paint container  22  is second paint applicator roller  25 . Second paint applicator roller  25  is rotatably supported in place within removable paint container  22  by the engagement of an axle  28 , protruding from opposite ends of second paint applicator roller  25 . The axle  28  can engage axle housings such as axle housings  45  and  46  (shown in  FIG. 5 ) or axle housing  38  and  39  (shown in  FIG. 6 ) of second removable paint container  22 . As was previously mentioned, the transfer of paint from the paint containers to the paint pad is accomplished by the rotation of roller  25 . As roller  25  rotates roller  25  absorbs paint from removable paint container  22  and transfers the paint to the section or area of the paint pad where roller  25  engages the paint pad. 
     FIG. 2  shows a retaining member  22   a  of second removable paint container  22  engaging a protrusion  30  of paint tray  11  to hold paint container in position. A blow-up of the engagement between retaining member  22   a  and vertical protrusion  30  of tray  11  is shown in FIG.  3 . illustrating that retaining member  22   a  comprises a U-shaped member that fits snugly over the protrusion to prevent both lateral and downward movement of paint tray  22 . As shown in FIG.  2  and  FIG. 3 , when a force of F 1 , which likely are forces created during the transfer of paint from the roller  25  to a paint pad, is applied on second removable paint container  22  the engagement of U-shaped retaining member  22   a  to protrusion  30  prevents the rocking or displacement of second removable paint container  22  with respect to paint tray  11 . In addition, the retaining members provide a gripping region to allow a user to grasp an individual container and lift the container free of the paint tray. 
     FIG. 5  is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a removable paint container  32 . Removable paint container  32  includes a base  33  having outer edges and a vertically extending wall  34  connected to the outer edges of base  33  which defines a first side wall  36 , a second side wall  37 , a back wall  40  and front wall  41 . Securely attached to front wall  41  is a U-shaped retaining member  35  for engaging protrusion  30  (shown in  FIGS. 1-3 ) of the paint tray  10 . 
   Located on first side wall  36  of removable paint container  32  is a first indented wall  36   a  having a first axle housing  38  located therein for supporting a paint applicator roller axle. Located on the second side wall  37  of removable paint container  32  is a second indented wall  37   a  having a second axle housing  39  located therein for supporting a paint applicator roller axle. A feature of the axle housings are that the paint applicator roller axles that are housed within the axle housings are allowed to rotate within the axle housings which in turn allows the paint applicator rollers to rotate and transfer paint to the paint pad. 
   The use of the removable paint container  42  allows a user to quickly use and change several different paint colors while retaining the reusability of the various paints. A user can have a plethora of removable paint containers each holding a different color paint. The user than would place the removable paint container with the desired paint combinations within the trough of the paint tray  11 . When a new paint combination is desire, the user would then remove the removable paint container holding the paint that the user will not be using. The unused paint from that container can then be set aside for later use or else can be poured back into a paint can. Once the paint task has been completed the user can pour all of the paint back to the original containers and clean or dispose of the removable paint containers. This can result in reduced paint cost and less of a mess for the user to clean up. 
     FIG. 6  is a perspective view showing an alternative embodiment of a removable paint container  42 . As shown, the first wall  43  and the second wall  44  of removable paint container  42  does not contain an indented wall as compared to the removable paint container embodiment of FIG.  5 . In addition, to support a roller applicator axle, removable paint container  42  has a first U-shape axle housing  45  integral to the first side wall  43  and a second U-shape axle housing  46  integral to the second side wall  44 . 
     FIG. 7  is a perspective view showing a paint applicator roller  47  used in the present invention. Paint applicator roller  47  has a cylindrical body having a first end  47   a  and a second end  47   b  with a paint absorbing surface  48  for the transferring of paint from the removable paint container to a painting pad. The paint absorbing surface of each paint applicator roller can differ in their absorption ability depending on the material used in the roller. 
   Located through the central axis  49  of paint applicator roller  47  is an axle  50  having a first end  50   a  and a second end  50   b  with the first end  50   a  of axle  50  protruding from first end  47   a  of paint applicator roller  47  and second end  50   b  of axle  50  protruding from second end  47   b  of paint applicator roller  47 . Protruding ends  50   a  and  50   b  of axle  50  engage the axle housings of a removable paint container to support paint applicator roller  47  within the removable paint container while allowing the ends of axle  50  to rotate within the housing. 
   The present invention also includes a method of making a paint tray assembly  10  having removable paint carrying containers  22 ,  23 , and  24  comprising: (1) making a paint tray  11  having a ramp  17 , a trough  20  and a protrusion  30  located at the junction of ramp  17  and the trough  20 ; (2) molding a plurality of removable paint containers such as removable paint container  22  having a U-shaped retaining member  22   a , a first axle housing  38  and a second axle housing  39 . The containers are formed so as to be laterally fitable within the trough  20  of the paint tray  11 . (3) Inserting the removable paint container  22  and similarly removable paint containers such as paint containers  21  and  23  laterally within the trough  20  of the paint tray  11  with the U-shape retaining member  22   a  of the removable paint container  22  engaging the protrusion  30  of the paint tray  11  in a locking manner. (4) Connecting a paint applicator roller  25  to the removable paint container  22 . 
   While the invention has been shown and described with respect to application of multiple paints to a single paint pad applicator it should be understood that the present invention can also be used to hold and apply multiple paint to a paint roller. In the paint roller mode the individual rotatable paint roller applicators in the removable containers are not needed as the paint roller can be rolled directly in each of the paint roller containers. 
   In the embodiment shown each of the paint containers located in the paint trough are removable to allow for emptying of the paint therein. If desired, one of the paint containers can be a permanent part of the paint tray. If the paint container is a permanent part of the paint tray the paint located in the permanently mounted paint container can be emptied from the paint tray by temporarily removing the removable paint container and then emptying the permanent paint container. When completed the removable paint container can be replaced with the paint therein and the permanent paint container can be refilled. For example, in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1  any of the removable paint containers could be made into a permanent container by adhesively securing the bottom of the removable container to the base of the paint tray  11 . In an alternate embodiment one of the paint containers could be molded directly into the paint tray so as to be a permanent paint container that extended only partway across the paint tray  11 .

Technology Classification (CPC): 1