EP1164032A2

EP1164032A2 - Method for handling a can which contains paint and a holder for such a can

Info

Publication number: EP1164032A2
Application number: EP01202042A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Lambertus Prosper Matheusen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-05-31
Filing date: 2001-05-30
Publication date: 2001-12-19
Also published as: EP1164032A3

Abstract

The invention relates to a holder intended for receiving a can containing paint or a similar material, which holder comprises a closed bottom, an upright edge joining said bottom and a handle. The holder furthermore comprises a few flexible ears, which are connected to parts of the holder that extend upwards from said bottom, in such a manner that, in use, the free ends of the ears remote from said upwardly extending parts of the holder will engage the outer circumference of a can that is present in said holder.

Description

The invention relates to a method for handling a can which contains paint or a similar material during painting or the like activities.
Paint or a similar material, such as stain, for example, is generally supplied in standard size cans, for example one-litre cans, half-litre cans and quarter-litre cans. During painting or the like, the can is usually held with one hand, which engages the outer circumference of the can. When carrying out painting work, it is generally impossible to avoid paint dripping down the outer circumference of the can, for example as a result of the brush being wiped off along the upper edge of the can of paint. This phenomenon has several drawbacks. Thus, the user's hands will become soiled, it will be more difficult to hold the can properly when the can is soiled with wet paint on the outside, and if the can is put down at some point in time, the surface onto which the can is placed will likewise be soiled with paint. Another problem is that larger cans, for example one-litre cans, are difficult to hold firmly for a prolonged period of time, in view of their large diameter.
The object of the invention is to avoid the drawbacks of the above-described method of handling a can containing paint or a similar material, which been usual for dozens of years.
According to the invention, in order to accomplish that objective, the can is placed into a hand-held holder, which holder comprises a closed bottom and at least one upright edge joining said bottom.
When this method is used, any paint that may drip down the outer circumference of the can of paint can be caught on said bottom, the underside of which will remain clean, so that the holder with the can present therein can be placed on a surface without there being a risk of said surface being soiled. Furthermore, such a holder may be fitted, in a simple manner, with suitable means by which the holder and the can that is present therein can be held firmly.
According to the invention, a holder intended for receiving a can containing paint or a similar material which is in particular suitable for carrying out such a method is characterized in that said holder comprises a closed bottom, an upright edge joining said bottom and a handle.
When such a holder of very simple design is used, the holder and a can that is present can be held firmly without difficulty, whilst the hand that holds said holder will not be soiled.
In a very efficient embodiment, the holder comprises a few flexible ears, which are connected to parts of the holder that extend upwards from said bottom, in such a manner that, in use, the free ends of the ears remote from said upwardly extending parts of the holder will engage the outer circumference of a can that is present in said holder.
By using the construction according said embodiment, the can will be secured against movement with respect to the holder during use of the holder, which will make it easier to handle a holder/can combination, the more so because the can be positioned centrally in the holder by means of said ears.
The invention will now be explained in more detail by means of a few possible embodiments of a holder according to the invention as shown in the accompanying figures.
Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of a holder according to the invention.
Figure 2 shows a second embodiment of a holder according to the invention.
Figure 3 shows a third embodiment of a holder according to the invention.
The holder 1 that is shown in Figure 1 comprises a bottom 2 and a wall 3 joining the outer circumference of said bottom and extending upwards therefrom. A handle 4 is attached to wall 3. A usual standard paint can 5, which is conventionally provided with a removable cover 6, can be placed into said holder.
As already noted above, paint or a similar material is generally supplied in a standard size can, for example a one-litre, half-litre or quarter-litre can. In connection therewith, the dimensions of the holders will preferably be adapted to the dimensions of the standard paint cans, wherein the holder is so designed that, as is also shown in Figure 4, the configuration of the upright wall 3 is adapted to conform to the configuration of can 5, whereby the internal diameter of the holder is slightly larger than the external diameter of the can. Furthermore, the height of the holder wall 3 is preferably slightly smaller than the height of can 5, so that the upper part of can 5 rises above holder wall 3.
As is furthermore shown in Figure 1, openings 7 may be formed in the holder wall so as to reduce the weight of the holder as well as the amount of material that is required for producing the holder.
When a painting job is to be carried out, the can will be placed into the holder in the manner that is shown in Figure 1, so that the can and the holder can be carried together by taking hold of the handle 4 of the holder. During painting or the like, any paint that may drip down the outer wall of the can 5 will be caught on bottom 2. Since a circumferential, closed, upright edge formed by the bottom portion of holder wall 3 joins bottom 2, any paint that has been caught on said bottom is prevented from dripping off said bottom. The underside of bottom 2 cannot be soiled by paint thereby.
Since holder 1 comprises a strong handle 4, it will furthermore be easy to hold the holder/can combination firmly, also in those cases where the person who uses the holder/can combination has comparatively small hands.
The holder that is shown in Figure 2 comprises a bottom 8, which has an upright edge 9.
Four uprights 10 - 13, which extend upwards from the bottom, join said bottom. At their upper ends, said uprights 10 - 13 are interconnected by a circumferential ring 14, whose outer circumferential edge is positioned at a higher level than the inner circumferential edge. Said sloping configuration of ring 14 makes it easier to insert a can into the holder. Bottom 8 and circumferential edge 14 are furthermore connected by a handle 15, which extends outside the bottom, seen in top plan view of bottom 8 of the holder. Strip-shaped ears 16 are attached to said uprights with their longitudinal edges, in such a manner that said ears extend from the uprights in question into the interior of the holder, that is, over bottom 8, seen in top plan view of the bottom. Preferably, the upper boundary edges 17 of ears 16 slope down from the point where they join the respective uprights so as to facilitate the insertion of a can into the holder.
Furthermore, seen in top plan view, an ear 16 preferably includes a small angle with a radially extending line which extends through the centre of bottom 8 and the point where the ear in question joins the associated upright. Consequently, the flexible ears can readily move out slightly upon insertion of a can into the holder and move into contact with the outer circumference of the can with their free longitudinal edges, thereby securing the can against movement within the holder and retaining it in an at least substantially central position in the holder.
As is furthermore shown in Figure 2, projections 18 are preferably disposed on the bottom 8 of the holder, on which the bottom of a can present in the holder will be supported. The use of such projections 18 ensures that the bottom of the can will remain spaced from the bottom 8 of the holder by some distance, so that paint which may drip down the outer circumference of the can and which is caught on bottom 8 cannot soil the bottom of the can.
In the embodiment of the holder according to the invention that is shown in Figure 3, a closed wall 19, which extends upwards from bottom 8, joins the bottom 8 of the holder, which wall is provided with a circumferential ring 20 at its upper end, whose outer circumferential edge is positioned at a higher level than the inner circumferential edge that joins wall 19, so that edge 20 is slightly conical, which facilitates the insertion of a can into the holder. Furthermore, a handle 21 is fixed to wall 19. A few spaced-apart, flexible ears 22 are furthermore fixed to the inner side of wall 19, which ears are similar to ears 16, and which likewise function to centre a can that is inserted into the holder and to secure said can against movement within the holder.

Claims

A method for handling a can which contains paint or a similar material during painting or the like activities, characterized in that the can is placed into a hand-held holder, which holder comprises a closed bottom and at least one upright edge joining said bottom.
A holder intended for receiving a can containing paint or a similar material, characterized in that said holder comprises a closed bottom, an upright edge joining said bottom and a handle.
A holder according to claim 2, characterized in that said upright edge forms the lower part of a wall of the holder that extends upwards from said bottom.
A holder according to claim 3, characterized in that the height of the wall of the holder is smaller than the height of a standard paint can that fits in the holder.
A holder according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that openings are formed in the wall of the holder.
A holder according to any one of the claims 2 - 5, characterized in that the internal diameter of the holder is slightly larger than the external diameter of a standard paint can.
A holder according to any one of the preceding claims 2 - 6, characterized in that the holder furthermore comprises a few flexible ears, which are connected to parts of the holder that extend upwards from said bottom, in such a manner that, in use, the free ends of the ears remote from said upwardly extending parts of the holder will engage the outer circumference of a can that is present in said holder.
A holder according to claim 7, characterized in that the upper boundary edges of the ears slope down from the points where they join the parts of the holder that extend upwards from the bottom.
A holder according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that, seen in top plan view, a flexible ear includes a small angle in unloaded condition with a line that extends between the centre of the bottom of the holder and the boundary edge of the flexible ear that joins the upwardly extending part of the holder.
A holder according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the holder comprises a ring at its upper end, whose outer boundary line is positioned at a higher level than the inner boundary line.
A holder according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that projections are formed on the bottom of the holder for the purpose of supporting the bottom of a can that is present in said holder.