Abstract:
A hand-vessel designed for holding fluids, viscous materials, loose materials, and particularly to holding paint, varnish, epoxy, stain, and other fluids. The hand-held vessel may use a support frame for a liner-vessel. In some embodiments, the liner comprises a waste gutter located near the upper rim designed to catch drips and reduce the mess caused by wiping the brush against the sides of the vessel and along the top rim. In other embodiments the liner comprises a brush retention cavity. In still other embodiments, the frame includes an attached handle.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/920,657 filed Mar. 29, 2007. 
     
    
     FIELD 
       [0002]    This invention relates in general to hand-held vessels for holding fluids, viscous materials, loose materials, and particularly to holding paint, varnish, epoxy, stain, and other fluids. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Hand-held vessels, especially for holding paint, are widely available. Such vessels allow the user to carry a smaller and more manageable amount of material or fluid. One particular problem with hand-held vessels is how to hold a convenient amount of fluid for an extended period of time while reducing or eliminating operator fatigue. Another vexing problem is controlling the drips that form near the top rim portion of the vessel. Still another problem involves the inconvenience of cleaning the vessel, and storage of material and fluid within the vessel after the job is complete, or when changing fluids. Moreover, no commercially available vessel allows the user to quickly change the use of their vessel to better utilize various implements and applicators. Yet another problem is how to retain the paint brush on the vessel without getting paint on the paint brush handle and the user&#39;s hands. Furthermore, no other currently available hand-held vessel has a see through design to aide the user during mixing, measuring, and identifying the contents of the vessel, especially a liner installed into the vessel. 
         [0004]    Clearly, there is a need for a hand-held vessel that reduces or helps eliminate operator fatigue, prevents drips, and has various easily interchangeable vessel configurations. Furthermore, there is a need for this vessel to accept a lid for temporary and long term storage of the material. Finally, there is a need for a brush retainer that is more effective and less messy. 
         [0005]    While the drawings above illuminate some various embodiments of the invention, other embodiments are also contemplated. Numerous other modifications and embodiments can be devised by those skilled in the art which fall within the scope and spirit of the principles of this invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0006]      FIG. 1  is an exploded view of the first general embodiment of the invention. This figure shows a frame  12 , a vessel or vessel liner  14 , hereinafter liner, and a lid  52 . In this embodiment, the frame  12  supports and retains the liner  14 , and the liner  14  holds the fluid or materials. It should be noted that in some embodiments of the invention the liner  14  may be used without the frame  12 . The frame  12  may utilize a handle  16 , side grips  18 , or any other reasonable gripping means. The frame has a front wall  20  and a rear wall  22 , both of which may be utilized for gripping the frame with your fingers. The frame also includes a bottom wall  24 , side walls  21 , and rim support area  26 . The liner  14  has a bottom wall  30 , side walls  32 , a rim portion  34 , and may include a lid sealing feature  36 , a waste gutter  38 , and a brush holder  40 , or brush retention cavity. In the first general embodiment, the liners are held into the frame by gravity, friction, locking tabs  60 , or any other reasonable locking method that allows for quick and easy release of the liner  14  from the frame  12 . 
         [0007]      FIG. 1  also shows an opening  17  in the frame  12 . This opening  17  will allow the user to see the side walls  32  of the liner  14 . This is especially useful for determining the volume of material left in the liner. The more transparent the plastic used in the liner, the more easily it will be for the user to visualize the level of material remaining in the liner. The frame  12  may contain any number of openings  17 , of various shapes and sizes. The openings also reduce the weight of the frame, making it more ergonomic, and easier for the user to carry for long lengths of time. It should be noted that the frame  12  may consist of little more than a skeletal framework sufficient to hold the liner  14 . 
         [0008]      FIG. 2  shows a handle  16  attached or formed into the rear portion of the frame  12 . While the handle  16  may be formed from the same material as the frame  12 , it will likely incorporate some form of gripping means. The gripping surface  28  of the handle may contain multiple ribs  42 , as shown, or any other reasonable configuration, such as inserts or coatings manufactured from elastomeric or rubberized grip material. To improve the grip and ergonomic comfort, the handle may also include one or more raised protrusions  44 . The handle may also incorporate a trigger type finger grip feature  46 , which improves the gripping effectiveness by allowing one or more fingers to interlock into the handle. 
         [0009]      FIG. 3  shows the frame bottom  24  and finger support ribs  50 . These ribs may be made of various thicknesses and configurations designed to support, grip, and comfort the fingers as they support the bottom of the frame. 
         [0010]      FIGS. 4-7  show at least four distinct and ergonomic hand grips a user may use. As shown in  FIG. 4 , the user can insert one or more fingers through the trigger style finger grip feature  46  as they grasp the handle  16  like a user might hold a typical frying pan. As shown in  FIG. 5 , the user can insert one or more fingers through the trigger grip feature  46  as they grasp the rear wall  22  of the frame with their remaining fingers. This grip could be called a modified side grip. As shown in  FIG. 6 , the user can insert one or more fingers, particularly the user&#39;s thumb, into the trigger feature  46  as their remaining fingers wrap under and support the bottom wall  24  of the frame. As  FIG. 7  shows, the user may also grasp either the front wall  20  or rear wall  22  of the frame using a side grip. In this figure the user is shown grasping the rear wall  22 . 
         [0011]      FIG. 8  shows a perspective view of a liner  14 . It should be noted that this is just one embodiment of the liner. Here, the liner  14  has a lid sealing feature  36 , waste gutter  38 , and a brush retaining cavity  40 . In some embodiments the liner will be more heavily made, and may be cleaned and used again and again. In other embodiments, the liner will be more lightly made, and meant to be disposed after a certain number of uses. The liner material will be thin walled in most embodiments of the invention, usually less than 0.200″. 
         [0012]    The liner material may be clear or semi-transparent so to make it easier for the user to meter, mix, and identify the contents in the liner. Other liners may be colored plastic to help organize a project. The liners can be made from any number of suitable plastics used in thermoforming or injection molding processes, such as PETE, PP, PETG, HIPS, PS, PPE, HDPE, LDPE, Polycarbonate, Polypropylene, ABS, Nylon, and any suitable blend of polymer or co-extrusion of polymer. In yet another embodiment, the liner will be made from a biodegradable plastic. Finally, it should be noted that in some embodiments the liner will be sized to accommodate the retention of a small paint can inside the cavity, such as a common 1 qt. or ½ pt. paint can. 
         [0013]      FIG. 8  also shows a number of graduations  70 . These graduations  70  may be printed, applied, or molded into the liner  14 . 
         [0014]      FIG. 8  also shows a lid  52  that is designed to fit the hand-held vessel. In this embodiment, the lid  52  has a predetermined recess  54  sized to accommodate a typical 1 qt. paint can, making this particular embodiment useful as a spill guard for small paint cans. The lid  52  has a sealing feature  56  molded into the perimeter which mates with the sealing feature  36  in the hand-held vessel, or liner  14 . Furthermore, the lid has a special lifting tab  62  to make it easier for the user to remove the lid  52 . The lid also may be formed with text for purposes of recording the material being stored, where it was used, the date, etc. Various embodiments of the liner  14  or hand-held vessel will obviously require lids of various sizes and configurations. 
         [0015]    As shown in  FIG. 9 , the invention includes one or more scraping edges  64  located along the inside perimeter of the liner  14 . In other embodiments, the scraping edges  64  may only be formed along a predetermined portion of the inside perimeter of the liner  14 . 
         [0016]      FIG. 14  shows another alternative embodiment of the invention. Here the liner  14  contains one or more cavity separators  68 . This type of liner is especially useful when applying two different fluids. A typical example is when the user needs to apply more than one color of paint at one time. This particular embodiment may or may not utilize a brush retention cavity, lid sealing area  36 , or waste gutter  38 . 
         [0017]      FIG. 15  shows another alternative embodiment of the invention. Here the liner  14  does not include a brush retention cavity, but does include a perimeter waste gutter  38 . It should be noted that, in some other embodiments, the waste gutter will not be located all along the perimeter of the vessel or liner. In some instances, the gutter will be located only along an edge that is substantially used for wiping a paint brush. This particular embodiment may or may not utilize a lid sealing area  36 . 
         [0018]      FIG. 16  shows another alternative embodiment of the invention. Here the liner  14  is configured to hold a larger amount of paint, as well as to be used with other painting implements and applicators, such as pads and mini-rollers. In this embodiment, the liner  14  has side walls  32 , a bottom wall  30 , perimeter lid sealing area  36 , fluid transfer area  35 , and front dam feature  37 . The fluid transfer area  35  is where the user transfers and distributes a fluid to the painting implement, such as a mini-roller or painting pad. To help transfer the fluid to the implement, the fluid transfer area  35  may include a textured surface or a plurality of ridges  33 . The user may load up the implement by either dipping it directly into the reservoir, or by first pouring the fluid into the fluid transfer area  35  by means of tipping the vessel until an amount of fluid flows from the vessel onto the fluid transfer area  35 . The fluid transfer area dam  37  prevents the fluid or material inside the vessel from spilling. 
         [0019]      FIG. 17  shows another alternative embodiment of the invention. In one particular embodiment the liner  14  is retained by the frame  12 . In another particular embodiment the liner and frame are a contiguous vessel. 
         [0020]    In  FIG. 18 , the frame and liner are a contiguous hand-held vessel  13 . The frame in this embodiment does not include a plurality of cut out areas or openings. In this embodiment the invention may be used as a hand-held vessel with or without use of a separate liner. Furthermore, this embodiment may or may not utilize a lid sealing area, waste gutter, or lid. 
         [0021]    In  FIG. 19 , the frame and liner are a contiguous vessel  13 . The frame in this embodiment does not include a plurality of cut out areas or openings. In this embodiment the invention may be used as a hand-held vessel with or without use of a separate liner. Furthermore, this embodiment may or may not utilize a lid sealing area  36 , or waste gutter  38 . This embodiment is shown with a brush retention cavity  40 . 
         [0022]    In  FIG. 20 , the frame and liner are a contiguous vessel  13 . The frame in this embodiment does not include a plurality of cut out areas or openings. In this embodiment the invention may be used as a hand-held vessel with or without use of a separate liner. This embodiment is shown with a lid sealing area  36 . Furthermore, this embodiment may or may not utilize a waste gutter or brush retention cavity or lid. 
         [0023]    In  FIG. 21 , the frame and liner are a contiguous vessel  13 . The frame in this embodiment does not include a plurality of cut out areas or openings. In this embodiment the invention may be used as a hand-held vessel with or without use of a separate liner. This embodiment is shown with a lid sealing area  36 , and waste gutter  38 . Furthermore, this embodiment may or may not utilize a brush retention cavity or lid. 
         [0024]    In summary, the general embodiments of the present invention provides a lightweight and ergonomic hand-held vessel, which, in certain embodiments, further provides an ergonomic, multi-position hand grip, waste gutter, sealing lid, paint brush holder, multiple liner and vessel configurations, and a sturdy, conveniently sized vessel for holding a volume of paint and other materials. Each embodiment of this invention may be manufactured using known methods and techniques and from a variety of materials, such as plastics, polymers, thermoplastic elastomers, or other suitably rigid and/or flexible materials all of which are known in the art of manufacturing. 
         [0025]    While the present invention is considered as illustrative of the principles of the invention, and while the embodiments have been described in some detail, it is not the intention of the applicant to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to any of the specific details, representative apparatus and methods, and illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.