GB2439941A

GB2439941A - Paint kettle with brush holder

Info

Publication number: GB2439941A
Application number: GB0613639A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ian Metcalfe; John Charles Lupton
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-07-10
Filing date: 2006-07-10
Publication date: 2008-01-16
Anticipated expiration: 2026-07-10
Also published as: GB2439941B; GB0613639D0; GB2439941A8

Abstract

A paint kettle 1 with a resealable airtight lid that comprises the base of a container 3 for maintaining paintbrushes in a workable condition in the intervals between painting sessions without the need for them to be cleaned to prevent their drying out. The paintbrush container has a resealable airtight lid 7. There are projections 13 rising from the base to inhibit the movement of a brush held in the container. The sidewall has a vertical aperture 10 with compression seal 11 to accommodate brushes that cannot be contained wholly within the container by allowing handles to protrude from the container.

Description

PAINT KETTLE WITH BRUSH HOLDER

The invent,on comprises a painter's kettle of a novel design to keep paint and paint brush in a workable condition by preventing their hardening between painting operations requiring the same paint and brush.

Paint kettles are typically used by painters and decorators to hold smaller, usable quantities of paint drawn from a paint manufacturer's tin. Such tins may be too big to be convenient to use during the painting process and, when freshly opened, are also full to the brim.

The use of a kettle therefore reduces the risk of spilling a large quantity of paint, especially when working from height. It also eliminates the possibility of contamination of the main body of paint as a result of repeatedly dipping a brush into the manufacturer's tin.

It is well known that when the process of painting is interrupted, either overnight or between jobs, significant problems are encountered. If left In an unenclosed kettle, unused paint quickly forms a skin that is both wasteful and messy when removed and disposed of. However, returning paint to its original tin can cause contamination of the fresh paint and inevitably some teslduai paint Is wasted when it is either cleaned out of the kettle or left to go hard.

Similarly, unless the brush is either thoroughly cleaned or protected from contact with air to keep it ready for use a short time later with the same paint, it rapidly hardens and becomes unusable.

An object of the invention is to provide in a single unit a simple kettle that meets all the practical requirements of a painter and a reliable, practical means of overcoming the problems described above, thereby allowing a painter to continue working with the same paint and brush later the same or following day.

Accordingly, the invention comprises a container to hold paint in the manner of a typical paint kettle but additionally having a resealabie snap-on airtight lid to exclude air from any paint remaining in the kettle after use.

A novel feature of the invention is that the kettle's lid forms the base of a separate container for the storage of a paint brush. This second container also has its own reseaiable snap-on airtight lid that enables a brush stored In the container with Its lid closed to be left uncleaned for short periods of time without drying out.

The container for the paint brush may also incorporate a vertical aperture In its side wall of such dimensions as to allow the handle of a paint brush to protrude from the container in order to accommodate brushes of different sizes.

The aperture is open at the top and lined with a deformabie compression seal of neoprene or rubber or material of similar characteristics, allowing a brush handle to be pushed into the aperture from above. When the handle of a paint brush is so inserted, the seal then closes around the handle to form an airtight seat. The container is rendered air-tight by its snap-on lid which presses down on the upper ends of the compression seal fitted to the aperture.

The kettle and the brush container and their respective lIds may typically be made from metal or plastic materials.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIGURE 1: shows a perspective view of the device where a paint brush is stored wholly within the brush container.

FIGURE 2: shows a perspective view of the device where an aperture has been introduced into the side of the brush container to enable the handle of a paint brush to protrude from the side of the paint brush container.

FIGURE 3: shows a plan view of a paint brush container that forms the lid of a kettle where the paint brush is wholly enclosed inside the paint brush container.

FIGURE 4: shows a plan view of a paint brush container that forms the lid of a kettle where a vertical aperture has been introduced into the side of the paint brush container and where the aperture has been fitted with a compression seal.

As shown In Figure 1, the device comprises a paint kettle 1 with movable handle 2. A separate container 3 acts as a storage compartment for a paint brush 4 and also as the lid of the paint kettle 1, formIng an air-tight closure with the brim 5 of the kettle by means of a snap-on closure 6.

The paint brush container 3 Is rendered air-tight by closing lid 7 wIth its snap-on brim 8. The lid 7 may be Joined to paint brush container 3 by means of a flexible connector 9.

The two main components -the paint kettle 1 and the paint brush container 3 -combine together to form a unified device that is robust, easy to use, and easy and secure to transport. The containers and lids may be made from a translucent plastic material that enables users to see the level and colour of any paint held in the kettle and to check whether or not a brush Is present In the paint brush container.

Figure 2 shows how a vertical aperture 10 let into the side of the paint brush contaIner 3 and lined with a deformable compression seal 11 enables a brush 4 that is longer than the diameter of the container 3 to be stored in the container by allowing the brush's handle 12 to protrude from the container. The compression seal 11 is so arranged as to close on the brush handle 12 and create an air-tight seal around It. The brush 4 is prevented from moving Inside container 3 by vertical restraints 13 either side of the handle 12; these restraints may either be formed as part of the base of the container 3 or otherwise attached to the base.

Figure 3 shows In plan view the arrangement of the vertical restraints 13 InsIde a paint brush container 3 where the paint brush 4 is wholly enclosed.

Figure 4 shows in plan view a paint brush container 3 where a vertical aperture 10 has been introduced into the side of the container 3 and where the aperture 10 has been lined with a compression seal 11 so that an air-tight seal is formed around a paint brush handle 12 when it is pushed down into the aperture 10. The compression seal 11 Is fitted in such a way that the opposing surfaces of the compression seal are in contact with each other when no brush handle Is present. This ensures that an air-tight seal Is maintained to allow a shorter paint brush to be stored wholly inside the brush container.

Claims

CLAIMS

1 A paint kettle having an airtight resealable lid so arranged as to comprise the base of a container.

2 A container as claimed in Claim 1 that comprises the lid of a paint kettle and which itself is rendered airtight by means of a resealable lid.

3 A container as claimed in Claims 1 and 2 wherein lugs, set wide enough apart to allow the head of a paintbrush to be placed between them, formed as integral parts of the internal face of the base of the container or otherwise attached to the internal face of the base, project upwards into the container in such a way as to restrain the lateral movement of a paint brush placed between them.

4 A container as defined in any preceding or proceeding claim having a vertical aperture let into its sidewall of sufficient dimension to allow the handle of a paintbrush placed inside the container to project through the sidewall, A container as defined In any preceding or proceeding claim wherein an aperture let into a sidewall is lined with a compression seal, the two longitudinal opposing sides of which are in contact with each other so that when the lid of the container is closed an airtight seal is maintained with or without the presence of a brush handle.

6 A container as defined in any preceding or proceeding claim manufactured from any rigid or semi-rigid non-porous material Including metals and plastics.

7 A container substantially as described herein and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.