U.S. patent application number 10/468857 was filed with the patent office on 2004-07-15 for large can for a brushable coating composition which is conveniently closable by a screw-thread lid.
Invention is credited to Booth, Peter, Peacop, Alexandria James.
Application Number | 20040134921 10/468857 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 9911422 |
Filed Date | 2004-07-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040134921 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Peacop, Alexandria James ;
et al. |
July 15, 2004 |
Large can for a brushable coating composition which is conveniently
closable by a screw-thread lid
Abstract
A large can (1) suitable for containing a brushable coating
composition of the type applied at ambient temperatures to surfaces
of buildings and which can is conveniently closeable by a
screw-thread lid (7) where the opening (2) into the can is provided
with screw-threads (5) formed around its external surface and a
brushwipe (9) preferably comprising an edge (10) having different
curvatures (10a and 10b) located in a position remote from the
screw-threads. Provision of the brushwipe guards against the wiping
of an overloaded paint brush on areas of the opening from which
paint wiped from the brush could run to block screw threads and so
make use of the screw-thread lid impracticable. The can preferably
also contains a re-entrant rebate (32) in its side wall (37) to
provide a brush rest (34) within the can and also means for guiding
a user of the can to hold it in a preferred orientation during
painting.
Inventors: |
Peacop, Alexandria James;
(Wiltshire, GB) ; Booth, Peter; (Wiltshire,
GB) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MORGAN LEWIS & BOCKIUS LLP
1111 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE NW
WASHINGTON
DC
20004
US
|
Family ID: |
9911422 |
Appl. No.: |
10/468857 |
Filed: |
February 11, 2004 |
PCT Filed: |
March 19, 2002 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP02/03236 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/695 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B44D 3/128 20130101;
B44D 3/127 20130101; B44D 3/12 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/695 |
International
Class: |
B65D 025/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 23, 2001 |
GB |
0107326.1 |
Claims
1. A large can (1) for a brushable coating composition which can
has a) a circular opening (2) defined by inner and outer surfaces
(3 and 4) and closeable by a lid (7) and b) at least one
screw-thread (5) provided on the outer surface of the opening and
dimensioned so as to be co-operable with a screw-thread (6)
provided on a lid and c) a brushwipe (9) located within the can
whereby a user of the can is provided with brushwiping means remote
from the screw thread characterised in that the can has a capacity
greater than 0.2 litres.
2. A can according to claim 1 wherein the side wall (37) of the can
contains an angled re-entrant rebate (32).
3. A can according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the brushwipe
terminates in distal brushwiping edge (10) comprising portions (10a
and 10b) of larger (10b) and smaller (10a) curvature.
4. A can according to claim 3 wherein the rebate has an angled edge
(35) the line of which at least in part follows the curve of a
portion of larger curvature of the brushwiping edge.
5. A can according to any one of claims 3 and 4 wherein the
brushwipe terminates in an elliptical distal brushwiping edge
(10).
6. A can according to claims 3 and 4 wherein wherein the brushwipe
terminates in a semi-elliptical distal brushwiping edge (10).
7. A can according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the
can has a circumferentially extending waste (36) which extends from
40 to 75% around the girth of the can.
8. A can according to claim 6 wherein the waist is arcuate in a
vertical plane.
9. A combination of a can as claimed in any one of the preceding
claims and a screw-thread lid.
10. A combination as claimed in claim 9 wherein the can contains a
brushable coating composition of the type applied at ambient
temperatures to the surfaces found in buildings.
Description
[0001] This invention relates to a large can for a brushable
coating composition which can has a capacity of above 0.2 litres
and is conveniently closable by a screw-thread lid. The can is
large enough to be useful as a container for paints, lacquers,
varnishes, woodstains and any other coating compositions of the
type which are commonly applied using large brushes (usually at
least 20 mm wide and at least 5 mm broad) at ambient temperatures
(say 5 to 40.degree. C.) to surfaces found in buildings. Such
compositions are often applied by amateur, that is to say
"do-it-yourself" or "DIY" painters. For brevity the cans will be
frequently referred to as "paint cans" even though they are useful
for containing other brushable coating compositions.
[0002] Artists' materials, touch-up paints for motor vehicles, nail
varnishes and other specialist paints which are conveniently sold
in relatively small volumes are often supplied in small tubes or
small jars having openings which are closeable by means of a
screw-thread lid where threads on the lid co-operate with threads
extending around the opening in order to hold the lid in a closing
position on the tube or jar. One such tube is disclosed in British
Patent Specification GB 835 862 published in 1958 which also
discloses the provision of a circular brushwipe located below the
rim of the opening into the tube. Screw-thread lids on small tubes
or small jars are easy to use by amateurs provided that the tube or
jar is small. Attempts to use screw-thread lids on larger paint
containers (such as paint cans bigger than say 0.2 litres) have
never survived on the market because if the screw-threads become
jammed with dried paint, they make the screwing on or off of the
lid very difficult. Manufacturers of paint for buildings who have
tried to introduce screw threaded lids have always quickly reverted
to using press-fit lids even though press-fit lids require the use
of a relatively sharp tool such as a screw driver to remove the
lids from the press-fits which they make in openings into paint
cans. Less sophisticated amateur painters resent the need to look
for, find and then use a sharp tool merely to open a paint can,
especially if they have previously suffered injury when an
inexpertly inserted screw driver has slipped.
[0003] Hitherto, screw-threads have not successful in use on
conventionally large paint cans because the larger the can, the
more likely is an amateur painter to overload the paint brush with
paint and overloaded brushes are frequently associated with
jamming. It seems that overloading is likely to happen because the
larger brushes used when painting surfaces in buildings and more
particularly, the larger weight and volume of paint they carry all
contribute to decreasing the degree of control which an amateur has
over loading the paint brush. But whatever the explanation,
amateurs do overload brushes whereupon they remove excess paint by
wiping the brush against the rim of the opening into the can. At
least some of the removed paint flows from the rim and into the
area of the can which receives the lid when the can is closed. If
that area has screw-threads designed to co-operate with a
screw-thread lid, the paint will flow into the clearance between
threads and then subsequently solidify or "dry". If the paint dries
before the screw-thread lid is re-positioned on the can, the dried
paint will jam the screw-threads and interfere with the screwing
back on of the lid. Worse still, if the paint dries after the lid
has been screwed back on, then the dried paint will bond the
threads on the lid to those around the opening, so making
re-opening of the can by unscrewing the lid either very difficult
or even impossible. For these reasons, screw-thread lids have not
been thought suitable for use on paint cans of the large size used
for supplying paint used in painting buildings.
[0004] European Patent Specification EP 0 464 083A published in
1992 tackled the problem of overloaded brushes by providing a
chordally extending brushwipe within the circular opening of a
paint can conventionally closeable by means of a press-fit lid. The
can is apparently a large can of about 2.5 litres judging by its
size relative to the human hand shown in FIG. 3 of EP 0 464
083A.
[0005] The brushwipe of EP 0 464 083A did not fully protect the
seating for the press-fit lid from contamination by removed paint
because the extremities of the brushwipe are contiguous with the
seating. This inability to protect fully is aggravated by the
preference many amateurs showed for wiping their brushes against
the corner defined by an extremity of the brush wipe and the
circular seating for the lid. Use of this corner facilitates
removal of paint from the edge bristles of a wide brush. When the
removed paint dried, it made removal of the press-fit lid difficult
even though enormous removing leverage can be exerted by a
screwdriver inserted between the lid and its seating. Cans of the
type shown in EP 0 464 083A were launched commercially in the early
1990's, but they did not survive on the market.
[0006] In addition to overloading their brushes, careful
observation of amateur painters revealed that they have a
significant tendency to rest their loaded brushes across the
opening into a paint can with the loaded bristles supported on the
rim of the opening. This increases the likelihood of paint
transferring from the bristles to the rim and then running into
areas which receive the lid when the paint can is being closed.
[0007] An object of this invention is to provide a large can for
containing a brushable coating composition which is conveniently
closeable and re-openable without the need for a sharp tool by
means of a screw-thread lid. An object of a development of the
invention is to adapt the can to reduce the risk of paint
transferring to the screw-threads from a brush laid at rest by
providing a rest for the brush which rest is inside the can and
remote from the rim of the opening into the can. A further
developement makes the can more comfortable to hold so that it is
easier to control the loading of the brush with the coating
composition and hence overloading is less likely.
[0008] Accordingly this invention provides a large can (for example
a paint can) for a brushable coating composition which can has
[0009] a) a circular opening defined by inner and outer surfaces
and closeable by a lid,
[0010] b) at least one screw-thread provided on the outer surface
of the opening and dimensioned so as to be co-operable with a
screw-thread provided on a lid and
[0011] c) a brushwipe located within the can (preferably a
brushwipe having a distal brushwiping edge comprising portions of
larger and smaller curvatures)
[0012] whereby a user of the can is provided with brushwiping means
remote from the screw thread characterised in that the can has a
capacity greater than 0.2 litres and preferably greater than 0.5
litres. The invention is most suitable for use with the can having
a capacity of from 0.2 to 1.5 litres because such sizes are very
comfortably held in an adult human hand and so greater control
during loading of a paint brush is possible with less risk of
overloading.
[0013] The invention also provides a combination of the can and a
screw-thread lid in position on the can so as to close the opening
and particularly such a combination which contains a brushable
coating composition such as paint, lacquer, varnish or
woodstain.
[0014] In a development of the invention, a re-entrant rebate is
provided in the side wall of the can to assist users in gripping
the can comfortably and to guide them to a more favourable
orientation of the brushwiping edge. A suitable rebate comprises an
angled concavity created by two mutually inclined webs which extend
into the can and meet along the angle forming an angled edge. If
the brushwipe has a distal brushwiping edge comprising portions of
larger and smaller curvatures (for example if it is elliptical)
then it is preferred that the line of the angled edge should at
least in part approximately follow the curve of a portion of larger
curvature. In particular, if the edge is elliptical, it is
preferred that the line of the angled edge be approximately
parallel to the tangent to the elliptical brushwiping edge at the
extremities of its minor diameter. If the rebate is also
dimensioned so as to receive a human thumb comfortably, then on
gripping the can between the fingers and thumb of one hand with the
thumb in the rebate, the user will automatically be guided to align
the brushwipe favourably. A favourable alignment results in a
wiping action comprising a movement towards or away from the user
as opposed to transversely of the user. Such movement allows good
control over the wiping action. The length of the angled edge is
preferably from 30 to 75 mm.
[0015] The top surface of the upper web also serves as a brush-rest
so avoiding the need to rest an overloaded brush on the rim of the
opening. For this purpose, it is preferred that the top web be
inclined at an angle of from 20 to 50.degree. to the horizontal so
as to provide a good rest whilst allowing paint to flow back into
the can.
[0016] Gripping and alignment of the can may be further assisted by
providing a circumferentiably extending waste which preferably
extends around from 40 to 75% of the girth of the can. The waste
may be dimensioned to receive human fingers comfortably.
Alternatively the waste may be dimensioned to receive a thumb
whilst the rebate is dimensioned to receive the fingers.
[0017] It is preferred that the brushwipe should terminate in a
distal brushwiping edge. This reduces the risk of paint splashing
onto the rim of the opening from where it could flow into the
screw-threads. It is also preferred that the brushwiping edge
should extend completely around the opening so as to offer a some
degree of brushwiping capability irrespective of the orientation of
the can relative to the user.
[0018] It is preferred that the brushwiping edge should comprise
portions of different curvatures. A portion having a large
curvature is useful for wiping the edge bristles of a rectangular
brush whilst a portion of smaller curvature is useful in wiping the
lateral bristles. Conveniently a brushwiping edge may map out an
elliptical or semi-elliptical shape. An elliptical shape allows
greater spacing from the opening in an area where the front and
back lateral faces of an overloaded brush are most likely to be
wiped. The elliptical shape also has the advantage of a relatively
sharp curve around the extremities of the major diameter which can
be used to wipe edge bristles of a brush and also can be used as a
lip to guide paint when being poured from the can. A
semi-elliptical shape is less obstructive in the opening and so
broader brushes can be received into the opening.
[0019] It is advantageous for the brushwipe to slope downwardly
into the can. Such a slope both helps removed paint to flow back
into the can and to fall back into the can along a path well clear
of the side wall. Preferably the slope should be from 20 to
60.degree. to the horizontal.
[0020] The brushwipe can be provided as a separate component which
is fitted into the opening for example by press-fitting,
snap-fitting or push-fitting followed by adhesive bonding if
necessary. Alternatively the brushwipe can be formed in a compound
injection/blow moulding process during which the rest of the can is
also formed. In such a process, the opening and the screw-threads
can be formed very precisely in the injection moulding operation
along with a parison from which the lower portion of the can is
subsequently formed during the blow moulding operation. If the lid
and its screw-threads are also formed by a precision injection
moulding process, it is possible to achieve a good fluid-tight
engagement when the lid is screwed onto the can. Likewise,
precision injection moulding allows precise control of the
thickness of the parison so that the thickness can be varied to
accommodate the different degrees of stretching undergone by
different portions of the parison during blow moulding.
[0021] Once the opening and its threads have been formed by
injection moulding, they can be cooled until they are form-stable.
They then do not need to be deliberately re-heated because they do
not take part in the blow moulding operation. This means that if
the opening is also formed with an integral inwardly extending
shoulder, the shoulder on cooling can provide a shape-defining
surface for a portion of the parison. This allows a portion of the
parison to be blown back onto the shoulder to form the
brushwipe.
[0022] The cans may be moulded from various thermodeformable
materials. Preferred materials are plastics including polyamides,
polyethylenes, polypropylenes, butadiene-styrene polyesters and
polyethylene terephthalates. Crystalline thermoplastics which can
be orientated during blow moulding are especially preferred.
[0023] The invention is further illustrated by the following
preferred embodiments described with reference to the drawings of
which
[0024] FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a paint can according to this
invention.
[0025] FIG. 2 is a perspective view on a slightly smaller scale of
a combination of the can shown in FIG. 1 and a lid.
[0026] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the can shown in FIG. 1 but
angled to reveal a brushwipe.
[0027] FIG. 4 is a plan view on a smaller scale of the can shown in
FIG. 3.
[0028] FIG. 5 is a section on a slightly larger scale taken on the
line A-A in FIG. 3.
[0029] FIG. 6 is a section through an injection moulded parison
used in the manufacture of the can shown in FIG. 1.
[0030] FIG. 7 is a section of the parison shown in FIG. 6 and of a
blow mould in which the parison has been placed.
[0031] FIG. 8 is a section of the blow mould and parison after blow
moulding has occurred.
[0032] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a modification to the can
shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 which modification comprises a re-entrant
portion.
[0033] FIG. 10 is the rear elevation of the can shown in FIG.
9.
[0034] FIG. 11 is the front elevation of the can shown in FIG.
9.
[0035] FIG. 12 is the side elevation of the can shown in FIG.
9.
[0036] FIG. 13 is a perspective view on a slightly smaller scale of
the can shown in FIG. 9 and angled to reveal the re-entrant
portion.
[0037] FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a lid for use in
combination with a can according to this invention.
[0038] FIG. 15 is a section on the line B-B through the lid shown
in FIG. 14.
[0039] FIG. 16 is a plan view showing a modification of the can of
FIG. 4.
[0040] FIG. 17 shows on a large scale a modification to the can of
FIG. 5.
[0041] FIG. 1 shows a paint can 1 suitable for containing 0.5
litres of paint and having a circular opening 2 as shown in FIG. 3
which opening 3 is defined by cylindrical inner surface 3 and
cylindrical outer surface 4. Screw-threads 5 extend around outer
surface 4 and are dimensioned so as to be able to receive
screw-threads 6 formed on the inside of screw-thread lid 7 as shown
in FIG. 15. Threads 5 and 6 can co-operate to retain screw-thread
lid 7 on can 1 as shown in FIG. 2 whereby lid 7 closes opening 2.
Can 1 also has a circumferential rib 8 which acts as a stop for lid
7 to prevent over-tightening which might increase the risk of
jamming.
[0042] FIG. 3 shows a circumferential brushwipe 9 located within
opening 2 and which extends inwardly and downwardly of opening 2 at
an angle of 50.degree. to the horizontal and terminating in an
elliptical distal brushwiping edge 10. Edge 10 throughout its whole
extent is spaced inwardly from inner surface 3 of opening 2. Such
spacing ensures that the brushwiping means constituted by edge 10
is always remote from both inner surface 3 and even more so from
outer surface 4 and screw-threads 5 which receive lid 7 during
closing. The remoteness virtually eliminates any risk of outer
surface 4 and threads 5 being contaminated by paint wiped from an
overloaded brush by use of edge 10. Therefore, lid 7 can be
conveniently screwed on and off can 1 with little risk of
jamming.
[0043] The elliptical shape of brushwiping edge 10 provides a
portion 10a of small curvature which is useful in wiping the front
and back faces presented by the bristles of a rectangular paint
brush whilst also providing a sharp angular portion 10b of high
curvature which is useful in wiping the end bristles of the brush.
Portion 10b of high curvature also serves as a sort of lip when
paint is poured from can 1 so that the flow of paint can be guided
during pouring.
[0044] The inwards and downwards extension of brushwipe 9 helps to
return paint wiped from a brush back to can 1.
[0045] Can 1 is conveniently made by a compound injection/blow
moulding process in which opening 2, screw threads 5, rib 8 and
shoulder 16 shown in FIG. 6 are all formed together with parison 11
by injection moulding a suitable thermoplastics material. The use
of injection moulding allows very precise reproduction particularly
of opening 2 and screw-threads 5 which is important to the
achievement of a the best possible fluid-tight fit between the
screw-threads 5 and 6 when lid 7 is screwed into its closing
position on can 1.
[0046] FIG. 7 shows opening 2 and integral parison 11 in a blow
mould 12 which comprises shape-defining elements 13 and 14 which
define side walls 17 and base 18 of can 1 as shown in FIG. 8. Blow
mould 12 also comprises a plug 19 fitted with nozzle 20 for
admitting air under high pressure into cavity 21. Plug 19 serves to
prevent any inwards distortion of opening 2 and shoulder 16 should
they become unavoidably heated during the time when the
thermoplastics material comprising parison 11 is heat-softened to
permit blow-moulding to occur.
[0047] Blow moulding is performed by heating the thermoplastics
parison 11 to allow it to become deformable and then admitting air
under high pressure into cavity 21 via nozzle 20 where it blows
parison 11 into conformity with shape-defining elements 13 and 14
as shown in FIG. 8. Formation of opening 2 and shoulder 16 by
injection moulding prior to the blow moulding process has the
important additional advantage of avoiding the need for their
further positive heating because they do not have to be shaped
under air pressure as does the parison 11. This means that opening
2 and shoulder 16 remain form-stable and so shoulder 16 can serve
as a shape-defining surface for portion 19 of parison 11. Therefore
during blow moulding, portion 19 is blown back against shoulder 16
with the result that an initially two-leaved brushwipe 9 is formed.
Heat from portion 19 then partially melts the underside of shoulder
16 causing portion 19 to integrate with shoulder 16 to form a
single piece brushwipe 9. The ability of shoulder 16 to remain
form-stable during blow moulding allows brushwipe 9 to be formed as
part of the blow moulding process.
[0048] FIG. 9 shows a paint can 31 identical with can 1 in every
respect except for the shape of its side wall 37 below rib 8. Side
wall 37 has been developed by a modification which guides a user of
can 31 into orientating it so that small curvature portion 10a of
brushwiping edge 10 is presented in the most comfortable alignment
for wiping the flat faces of a rectangular paint brush. A
comfortable alignment encourages efficient removal of excess paint
from the brush which in turn reduces the risk of paint dripping
from the brush onto threads 5 as the brush is withdrawn from can
31.
[0049] Side wall 37 is modified by the presence of a re-entrant
rebate 32 comprising two partially elliptical webs 33 and 34
joined-along the line of angled edge 35 as shown in FIGS. 9 and 11
to 13. The line of the angled edge 35 is approximately parallel to
the tangent to elliptical brushwiping edge at an end of its minor
diameter shown as C-C in FIG. 13. Angled edge 35 is 60 mm in length
and is dimensioned to accommodate a human thumb comfortably.
[0050] Can 31 also has a partially circular waste 36 which extends
around 75% of the circumference of can 31 and it too is dimensioned
so as to accommodate human fingers comfortably when together with
their associated thumb, they grip can 31. When gripped in this way,
the natural orientation of can 31 presents angled edge 35 (and
hence brushwiping portion 10a) in an alignment relative to the user
of can 31 such that the most comfortable brush wiping action
involves a movement of the brush towards or away from the user (as
opposed to a lateral movement relative to the user) which allows
for greater control of the wiping action.
[0051] FIG. 10 shows that the line of waist 36 follows a path which
is arcuate in a vertical plane. This accommodates a natural
tendency for users to be more comfortable if the middle portion of
their gripping figures rise slightly upwards relative to their
thumb.
[0052] FIG. 14 shows precision injection moulded lid 7 suitable for
use on either can 1 or can 31 and FIG. 15 shows screw threads 6
formed on the inside of lid 7.
[0053] Internal upper surface 37 of angled re-entrant rebate 35 is
also used as a brush rest allowing a paint brush to be rested with
its bristles inside can 35 so further reducing the likelihood of
paint contaminating screw threads 6 by providing an alternative to
resting a loaded brush on the rim of opening 2. Upper web 34 is
inclined at 45.degree. to the horizontal.
[0054] FIG. 16 shows a modification to the brushwipe 9 of FIG. 3.
In FIG. 16, brushwiping edge 10c is concentric with inner surface 3
of opening 2 so producing a semi-elliptical shape for brushwipe 9.
The semi-elliptical shape allows broader wide brushes to be
received into opening 2.
[0055] FIG. 17 shows a modification to the brushwipe 9 of FIG. 5.
In FIG. 17, brushwipe 9 is formed separately from the rest of can 1
but it makes an interference fit into opening 2 in which its outer
surface 9a abuts against inner surface 3 of opening 2.
* * * * *