U.S. patent application number 10/165869 was filed with the patent office on 2002-12-12 for brush holder apparatus.
Invention is credited to Wichman, Colleen M., Wichman, Karl E..
Application Number | 20020185509 10/165869 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 26861766 |
Filed Date | 2002-12-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020185509 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Wichman, Colleen M. ; et
al. |
December 12, 2002 |
Brush holder apparatus
Abstract
A brush holder apparatus includes a cup portion which includes
an open cup top and a closed cup bottom. An inverted U-shaped
hanger portion is connected to the cup portion and extending upward
above the open cup top. The cup portion can include a downwardly
curved top cup edge. The hanger portion includes a front riser
portion connected to the cup portion. A U-shaped bridge portion is
connected to the front riser portion, and a rear descending portion
is connected to the bridge portion. The bridge portion, the front
riser portion, and the rear descending portion provide a fully open
gap between the front riser portion and the rear descending
portion. The brush holder apparatus can be hung from a belt worn by
a wearer to receive a paint brush that has bristles wet with
paint.
Inventors: |
Wichman, Colleen M.; (Middle
Island, NY) ; Wichman, Karl E.; (Middle Island,
NY) |
Correspondence
Address: |
S. Michael Bender
P.O. Box 530399
St. Petersburg
FL
33747
US
|
Family ID: |
26861766 |
Appl. No.: |
10/165869 |
Filed: |
June 10, 2002 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60297004 |
Jun 11, 2001 |
|
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|
Current U.S.
Class: |
224/677 ;
224/269; 224/679 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45F 5/021 20130101;
B44D 3/123 20130101; B44D 3/125 20130101; A45F 5/00 20130101; A45F
2200/0575 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
224/677 ;
224/679; 224/269 |
International
Class: |
A45F 005/00; A45C
001/04; A45F 003/00; F41C 033/02; F42B 039/02 |
Claims
What is claimed as being new and desired to be protected by Letters
Patent of the United States is as follows:
1. A brush holder apparatus, comprising: a cup portion which
includes an open cup top and a closed cup bottom, and an inverted
U-shaped hanger portion connected to said cup portion and extending
upward above said open cup top, wherein said hanger portion
includes a front riser portion connected to said cup portion, a
U-shaped bridge portion connected to said front riser portion, and
a rear descending portion connected to said bridge portion, and
wherein said bridge portion, said front riser portion, and said
rear descending portion provide a fully open gap between said front
riser portion and said rear descending portion of said hanger
portion.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said cup portion included
downwardly curved top cup edge.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein: said front riser portion
includes a front storage hanger reception channel, said rear
descending portion includes a rear storage hanger reception
channel, and said front storage hanger reception channel and said
rear storage hanger reception channel are in registration with each
other.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, further including: a magnet member
connected to a rear side of said cup portion.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said brush holder is color
coded.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein: said cup portion includes a
front cup wall and a rear front cup wall, and said front cup wall
is tilted forward of said rear front cup wall.
7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said front riser portion and
said rear front cup wall are coplanar.
8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said front riser portion and
said rear front cup wall are formed as a unified, integrated
structure.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority based upon my copending
Provisional Application Serial No. 60/297,004, filed Jun. 11,
2001.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates generally to paint brush
holders and, more particularly, to paint brush holders especially
adapted for use on a painter's belt.
[0004] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0005] Paint brush holders, that are worn on a painter's belt, are
well known in the art. In this respect, throughout the years, a
number of innovations have been developed relating to belt-worn
paint brush holders, and the following U.S. patents are
representative of some of those innovations: U.S. Pat. Nos.
4,363,433, 4,746,042, 4,951,857, and 5,489,051.
[0006] More specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 4,363,433 discloses a
painter's holster in which a belt is threaded sideways through belt
loops in order to hang the holster from a painter's belt. In this
respect, to install such a painter's holster on the painter's belt,
the belt must be unbuckled, the holster is installed on the belt,
and the belt must be rebuckled. To avoid the need to unbuckle and
rebuckle the painter's belt, it would be desirable if a brush
holder apparatus were provided which does not require a painter to
unbuckle and rebuckle one's belt in order to install the brush
holder apparatus on the painter's belt.
[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 4,746,042 discloses a belt-attached paint
brush holder which includes a normally closed elastic belt clip
that must be opened in order to install the paint brush holder on a
painter's belt. Rather than being bothered by the need to open a
normally closed belt clip onto a painter's belt, it would be
desirable if a brush holder apparatus were provided which includes
a normally open belt clip.
[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 4,951,857 discloses a paint brush carrier that
includes a rearmost belt clip, an intermediate carrier plate for
the belt clip, and a frontmost brush holder cup that is mounted on
the intermediate carrier plate. For purposes of simplicity and
economy, it would be desirable if a belt clip and a brush holder
cup were integrated so that the need for an intermediate carrier
plate is eliminated.
[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 5,489,051 discloses painter's pouch which
includes a belt worn about a painter's waist, an intermediate plate
attached to the belt, and a container supported on the intermediate
plate. As mentioned above in relation to U.S. Pat. No. 4,951,857,
it would be desirable if a belt-worn brush holder apparatus were
provided that does not include an intermediate plate between the
belt clip and the brush-receiving container.
[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 3,277,599 may also be of interest for its
disclosure of a fisherman's kit which is supported on the
fisherman's belt using belt loops.
[0011] Still other features would be desirable in a brush holder
apparatus. For example, often a painter works with plural colors at
a time. In this respect, it would be desirable if a plurality of
brush holder apparatuses were provided which are color coded.
[0012] In addition, often a brush holder apparatus is displayed in
a store prior to its purchase. Often the brush holder apparatus is
displayed on a display hanger. In this respect, it would be
desirable if a brush holder apparatus were provided that includes
hanger reception channels for receiving a display hanger in a
store.
[0013] Thus, while the foregoing body of prior art indicates it to
be well known to use paint brush holders that are carried by a
painter's belt, the prior art described above does not teach or
suggest a brush holder apparatus which has the following
combination of desirable features: (1) does not require a painter
to unbuckle and rebuckle one's belt in order to install the brush
holder apparatus on the painter's belt; (2) includes a normally
open belt clip; (3) includes a belt clip and a brush holder cup
which are integrated so that the need for an intermediate carrier
plate is eliminated; (4) can provide a plurality of brush holder
apparatuses which are color coded; and (5) includes hanger
reception channels for receiving a display hanger in a store. The
foregoing desired characteristics are provided by the unique brush
holder apparatus of the present invention as will be made apparent
from the following description thereof. Other advantages of the
present invention over the prior art also will be rendered
evident.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] To achieve the foregoing and other advantages, the present
invention, briefly described, provides a brush holder apparatus
which includes a cup portion which includes an open cup top and a
closed cup bottom. An inverted U-shaped hanger portion is connected
to the cup portion and extending upward above the open cup top. The
cup portion can include a downwardly curved top cup edge. The
hanger portion includes a front riser portion connected to the cup
portion. A U-shaped bridge portion is connected to the front riser
portion, and a rear descending portion is connected to the bridge
portion. The bridge portion, the front riser portion, and the rear
descending portion provide a fully open gap between the front riser
portion and the rear descending portion. The brush holder apparatus
can be hung from a belt worn by a wearer to receive a paint brush
that has bristles wet with paint.
[0015] The front riser portion includes a front storage hanger
reception channel, and the rear descending portion includes a rear
storage hanger reception channel. The front storage hanger
reception channel and the rear storage hanger reception channel are
in registration with each other. A magnet member can be connected
to a rear side of the cup portion.
[0016] The brush holder can be color coded. A wearer can wear a
plurality of brush holder apparatuses to accommodate a plurality of
paint brushes used for different color paints. The cup portion
includes a front cup wall and a rear front cup wall, and the front
cup wall is tilted forward of the rear front cup wall.
[0017] The front riser portion and the rear front cup wall can be
coplanar. Also, the front riser portion and the rear front cup wall
can be formed as a unified, integrated structure.
[0018] The above brief description sets forth rather broadly the
more important features of the present invention in order that the
detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood,
and in order that the present contributions to the art may be
better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of
the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will be
for the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
[0019] In this respect, before explaining a preferred embodiment of
the invention in detail, it is understood that the invention is not
limited in its application to the details of the construction and
to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following
description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is
capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out
in various ways. Also, it is to be understood, that the phraseology
and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description
and should not be regarded as limiting.
[0020] As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the
conception, upon which disclosure is based, may readily be utilized
as a basis for designing other structures, methods, and systems for
carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is
important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such
equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the
spirit and scope of the present invention.
[0021] It is therefore an object of the present invention to
provide a new and improved brush holder apparatus which has all of
the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.
[0022] It is another object of the present invention to provide a
new and improved brush holder apparatus which may be easily and
efficiently manufactured and marketed.
[0023] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a
new and improved brush holder apparatus which is of durable and
reliable construction.
[0024] An even further object of the present invention is to
provide a new and improved brush holder apparatus which is
susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both
materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of
low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such
brush holder apparatus available to the buying public.
[0025] Still yet a further object of the present invention is to
provide a new and improved brush holder apparatus which does not
require a painter to unbuckle and rebuckle one's belt in order to
install the brush holder apparatus on the painter's belt.
[0026] Still another object of the present invention is to provide
a new and improved brush holder apparatus that includes a normally
open belt clip.
[0027] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a
new and improved brush holder apparatus which includes a belt clip
and a brush holder cup which are integrated so that the need for an
intermediate carrier plate is eliminated.
[0028] Even another object of the present invention is to provide a
new and improved brush holder apparatus that can provide a
plurality of brush holder apparatuses which are color coded.
[0029] Still a further object of the present invention is to
provide a new and improved brush holder apparatus which includes
hanger reception channels for receiving a display hanger in a
store.
[0030] These together with still other objects of the invention,
along with the various features of novelty which characterize the
invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed
to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better
understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the
specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to
the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are
illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0031] The invention will be better understood and the above
objects as well as objects other than those set forth above will
become more apparent after a study of the following detailed
description thereof. Such description makes reference to the
annexed drawing wherein:
[0032] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a preferred embodiment
of the brush holder apparatus of the invention attached to a belt
of a wearer and containing paint brush.
[0033] FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the embodiment of
the brush holder apparatus shown in FIG. 1, removed from the belt
and with the paint brush removed from the apparatus.
[0034] FIG. 3 is a front view of the embodiment of the brush holder
apparatus of FIG. 2.
[0035] FIG. 4 is a top view of the embodiment of the invention
shown in FIG. 3 taken along line 4-4 thereof.
[0036] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of the
invention shown in FIG. 4 taken along line 5-5 thereof.
[0037] FIG. 6 is a rear view of the embodiment of the invention
shown in FIG. 4.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0038] With reference to the drawings, a new and improved brush
holder apparatus embodying the principles and concepts of the
present invention will be described.
[0039] Turning to FIGS. 1-6, there is shown an exemplary embodiment
of the brush holder apparatus of the invention generally designated
by reference numeral 10. In its preferred form, brush holder
apparatus 10 includes a cup portion 12 which includes an open cup
top 16 and a closed cup bottom 18. An inverted U-shaped hanger
portion 20 is connected to the cup portion 12 and extending upward
above the open cup top 16.
[0040] The cup portion 12 can include a downwardly curved top cup
edge 14. The hanger portion 20 includes a front riser portion 22
connected to the cup portion 12. A U-shaped bridge portion 24 is
connected to the front riser portion 22, and a rear descending
portion 26 is connected to the bridge portion 24. The bridge
portion 24, the front riser portion 22, and the rear descending
portion provide a fully open gap 28 between the front riser portion
22 and the rear descending portion 26.
[0041] The front riser portion 22 includes a front storage hanger
reception channel 30, and the rear descending portion 26 includes a
rear storage hanger reception channel 32. The front storage hanger
reception channel 30 and the rear storage hanger reception channel
32 are in registration with each other. A magnet member 34 can be
connected to a rear side of the cup portion 12.
[0042] The brush holder can be color coded. The cup portion 12
includes a front cup wall 36 and a rear front cup wall 38, and the
front cup wall 36 is tilted forward of the rear front cup wall
38.
[0043] The front riser portion 22 and the rear front cup wall 38
are coplanar. Also, the front riser portion 22 and the rear front
cup wall 38 are formed as a unified, integrated structure.
[0044] A painter often works with several different colors of paint
out of five gallon buckets, and the painter often has no place to
set the brushes down when not in use. When they are placed on the
edges of the paint buckets, they often fall into the buckets. To
provide a convenient apparatus for storing a wet paint brush 15,
the present inventor provides the subject brush holder apparatus
10.
[0045] To use the subject brush holder apparatus 10 of the
invention, the hanger portion 20 can be slipped over a belt 11 worn
by a wearer 13, as shown in FIG. 1. The belt 11 is received in the
gap 28 between the front riser portion 22 and the rear descending
portion 26. Then, a wet paint brush 15 can be placed in the cup
portion 12, with the wet bristle portion of the paint brush 15
received in the cup portion 12 and the handle portion of the paint
brush 15 sticking out from the cup portion 12.
[0046] When the wet paint brush 15 is to be removed from the cup
portion 12, the wet bristles can be slid up against the top cup
edge 14 so that excess paint will be pushed off of the wet bristles
and flow back into the cup portion 12.
[0047] A plurality of brush holder apparatuses 10 of the invention
can be color coded to accommodate paint brushes used with different
color paints. If desired, a painter can wear a plurality of brush
holder apparatuses to accommodate the paint brushes used with
different color paints. By using the brush holder apparatuses of
the invention, wet bristles can be maintained in a wet condition
and are prevented from drying out when not in use.
[0048] It is noted that a brush holder apparatus 10 of the
invention can also be hung on a ladder or over the side of a
bucket. The magnet member 34 can be used to support the brush
holder apparatus 10 on a ferromagnetic surface. The front storage
hanger reception channel 30 and the rear storage hanger reception
channel 32 can be used to receiver a store hanger (not shown) to
hold and display a brush holder apparatus 10 of the invention in a
store, prior to purchase. Later, the front storage hanger reception
channel 30 and the rear storage hanger reception channel 32 can be
used to receive a hanger in a person's workshop.
[0049] The components of the brush holder apparatus of the
invention can be made from inexpensive and durable metal and
plastic materials. More specifically, the brush holder apparatus 10
of the invention can be made from molded plastic material. In this
respect, the brush holder apparatus 10 can be a made as a single,
unified structure.
[0050] As to the manner of usage and operation of the instant
invention, the same is apparent from the above disclosure, and
accordingly, no further discussion relative to the manner of usage
and operation need be provided.
[0051] It is apparent from the above that the present invention
accomplishes all of the objects set forth by providing a new and
improved brush holder apparatus that is low in cost, relatively
simple in design and operation, and which may advantageously be
used without requiring a painter to unbuckle and rebuckle one's
belt in order to install the brush holder apparatus on the
painter's belt. With the invention, a brush holder apparatus is
provided which includes a normally open belt clip. With the
invention, a brush holder apparatus is provided which includes a
belt clip and a brush holder cup which are integrated so that the
need for an intermediate carrier plate is eliminated. With the
invention, a brush holder apparatus is provided which can provide a
plurality of brush holder apparatuses which are color coded. With
the invention, a brush holder apparatus is provided which includes
hanger reception channels for receiving a display hanger in a
store.
[0052] Thus, while the present invention has been shown in the
drawings and fully described above with particularity and detail in
connection with what is presently deemed to be the most practical
and preferred embodiment(s) of the invention, it will be apparent
to those of ordinary skill in the art that many modifications
thereof may be made without departing from the principles and
concepts set forth herein, including, but not limited to,
variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of
operation, assembly and use.
[0053] Hence, the proper scope of the present invention should be
determined only by the broadest interpretation of the appended
claims so as to encompass all such modifications as well as all
relationships equivalent to those illustrated in the drawings and
described in the specification.
[0054] Finally, it will be appreciated that the purpose of the
annexed Abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers
and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or
legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory
inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of
the application. Accordingly, the Abstract is neither intended to
define the invention or the application, which only is measured by
the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of
the invention in any way.
* * * * *