U.S. patent application number 15/277379 was filed with the patent office on 2017-03-30 for paint brush with removable head, sliding ferrule and removable accessory tool.
The applicant listed for this patent is Kenneth Jaworski. Invention is credited to Kenneth Jaworski.
Application Number | 20170086571 15/277379 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 58408480 |
Filed Date | 2017-03-30 |
United States Patent
Application |
20170086571 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Jaworski; Kenneth |
March 30, 2017 |
Paint Brush with Removable Head, Sliding Ferrule and Removable
Accessory Tool
Abstract
A paintbrush features a handle having a longitudinal direction
with a gripping area and a first attachment element at opposite
ends. A removable brush head has longitudinally oriented bristles
and a second attachment element selectively matable with the first
attachment element to carry the removable brush head on the handle.
The first and second attachment elements are slidingly matable in a
lateral direction transverse to the longitudinal direction. A
ferrule is slidable longitudinally of the handle into and out of a
deployed position closing around the attachment elements to prevent
disconnection thereof, and a retracted position enabling removal
and replacement of the brush head. The handle comprises a hollow
compartment extending longitudinally into the handle from the
distal end opposite the brush head. An accessory tool is removably
received in the hollow compartment of the handle for storage
therein.
Inventors: |
Jaworski; Kenneth; (Canmore,
CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Jaworski; Kenneth |
Canmore |
|
CA |
|
|
Family ID: |
58408480 |
Appl. No.: |
15/277379 |
Filed: |
September 27, 2016 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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62233533 |
Sep 28, 2015 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A46B 3/12 20130101; A46B
15/0061 20130101; A46B 9/025 20130101; A46B 15/0063 20130101; A46B
5/0095 20130101; A46B 2200/202 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A46B 5/00 20060101
A46B005/00; A46B 9/02 20060101 A46B009/02; A46B 15/00 20060101
A46B015/00 |
Claims
1. A paintbrush comprising: a handle having a proximal end and a
distal end lying opposite thereto in a longitudinal direction of
said handle, the handle comprising a gripping area defined adjacent
the proximal end for manual holding of the paintbrush at said
gripping area, and a first attachment element at the proximal end;
a removable brush head selectively attachable to and detachable
from the handle at the proximal end thereof, the removable brush
head comprising a second attachment element selectively matable
with the first attachment element to carry the removable brush head
on the handle, and a plurality of bristles carried on the second
attachment and extending in a longitudinal direction of said
removable brush head; wherein the first and second attachment
elements comprise slidingly matable elements engagable together by
sliding one of the attachment elements over the other of the
attachment elements in a lateral direction lying transverse to the
longitudinal directions of said handle and said removable brush
head.
2. The paintbrush of claim 1 wherein said one of the attachment
elements comprises a channel and said other of the attachment
elements comprises a rail over which said channel is slidable in
the lateral direction in a position embracing about said rail to
prevent withdrawal therefrom in the longitudinal direction.
3. The paintbrush of claim 1 further comprising a ferrule arranged
to enclose around the first and second attachment elements after
engagement of said first and second attachment elements
together.
4. The paintbrush of claim 3 wherein the ferrule is slidably
coupled to the handle for sliding movement relative thereto in the
longitudinal direction of the handle between a deployed position
enclosing around the first attachment element and a retracted
position withdrawn out of the deployed position toward the distal
end of the handle to reveal access to the first attachment element
for engagement or disengagement thereof with the second attachment
element.
5. The paintbrush of claim 1 wherein the bristles of the removable
brush head are divided into multiple bundles, at least one of said
multiple bundles being carried by a respective pivotal bristle
support that enables separation of the multiple bundles of bristles
from one another during cleaning by pivoting said pivotal bristle
support about a pivot axis thereof.
6. The paintbrush of claim 5 wherein said pivot axis lies
transversely to the longitudinal direction of the brush head.
7. The paintbrush of claim 1 wherein the handle comprises a hollow
compartment extending longitudinally into the handle from the
distal end thereof, and the paintbrush further comprises a
removable tool received or receivable in the hollow compartment for
removable storage therein.
8. A paintbrush comprising: a handle having a proximal end and a
distal end lying opposite thereto in a longitudinal direction of
said handle, the handle comprising a gripping area defined adjacent
the proximal end for manual holding of the paintbrush at said
gripping area, and a first attachment element at the proximal end;
a removable brush head selectively attachable to and detachable
from the handle at the proximal end thereof, the removable brush
head comprising a second attachment element selectively matable
with the first attachment element to carry the removable brush head
on the handle, and a plurality of bristles carried on the second
attachment and extending in a longitudinal direction of said
removable brush head; a ferrule arranged to enclose around the
first and second attachment elements when engaged together; wherein
the ferrule is slidably coupled to the handle for sliding movement
relative thereto in the longitudinal direction of the handle
between a deployed position enclosing around the first attachment
element and a retracted position withdrawn out of the deployed
position toward the distal end of the handle to reveal access to
the first attachment element for engagement or disengagement
thereof with the second attachment element.
9. The paintbrush of claim 8 wherein one of the brush handle and
the ferrule comprises at least one longitudinal slot therein and
the other of the brush handle and the ferrule comprises at least
one guide matable with the at least one longitudinal slot to guide
longitudinal sliding of the ferrule on the brush handle.
10. The paintbrush of any one of claim 8 wherein the ferrule is
removably coupled to the brush handle.
11. The paintbrush of claim 10 wherein the first and second
attachment elements are arranged to block removal of the ferrule
from the brush handle when said first and second attachment
elements are mated together.
12. The paintbrush of claim 9 wherein the at least one longitudinal
slot is defined on the brush handle and the at least one guide is
defined on the removable brush head, and the at least one
longitudinal slot extends through the first attachment in the
longitudinal direction of the brush handle to allow removal of the
ferrule by sliding of the ferrule past the first attachment element
via said at least one longitudinal slot.
13. The paintbrush of claim 12 wherein the at least one slot spans
a fully through the brush handle in a thickness direction thereof,
and the at least one guide comprises at least one internal wall of
the ferrule that spans from one side of the handle to another in
the thickness direction.
14. A paintbrush comprising: a handle having a proximal end and a
distal end lying opposite thereto in a longitudinal direction of
said handle; and a brush head attached or attachable to the
proximal end of the handle; wherein the handle comprises a hollow
compartment extending longitudinally into the handle from the
distal end thereof, and the paintbrush further comprises a
removable tool received or receivable in the hollow compartment for
removable storage therein.
15. The paintbrush of claim 14 wherein the removable tool comprises
a screwdriver tool having a longitudinal body with a bit-receiving
socket at one end for receiving any one of a plurality of different
screwdriver bits.
16. The paintbrush of claim 15 wherein the screwdriver tool
comprises a storage compartment for storing at least one of said
screwdriver bits therein when not received in the bit-receiving
socket.
17. The paintbrush of claim 14 wherein the removable tool comprises
a hanging member at an outer end of the removable tool that resides
outside the hollow compartment at the distal end of the handle for
hanging support of the paintbrush by said hanging feature when said
removable tool is received in the hollow compartment of the
handle.
18. The paintbrush of claim 17 wherein the hanging member comprises
an openable and closable clip.
19. The paintbrush of claim 1 comprising a paint can pry lever
projecting laterally from the handle for use in prying a lid from a
paint can.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) of
Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/233,5338, filed Sep. 28,
2015.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates generally to paintbrushes, and
more particularly to paintbrushes that include removable brush
heads to allow replacement and improved cleaning of the brush, and
paintbrushes including accessory tools that are often also useful
in a painting project.
BACKGROUND
[0003] It has been previously proposed to provide paintbrushes with
a removable brush head to allow replacement or more thorough
cleaning of the bristles, and to divide the bristles into separable
bundles to better remove paint from the overall brush head during
cleaning. Examples of such brushes are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos.
2,246,773, 2,326,879, 2,490,159, 2,509,013, 2,732,578, 2,943,341,
3,783,468, 5,218,733, 7,059,006, 8,402,592 and D639070.
[0004] It has also been known to apply various accessories to a
paintbrush, including hooks for storing or temporarily supporting
the brush when not in use, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos.
2,309,990, 3,231,919, 4,887,327 and 5,636,904, a screwdriver bit
useful to deal with projecting drywall screws or other fastener
issues during a painting project, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.
6,014,785 and published International PCT application WO201366140,
and a bottle or can opener as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos.
4,741,064, 5,575,030, 6,823,553, D538045 and Published U.S.
applications 2004/0163193 and 2014/0338500.
[0005] However, there remains room for improved and alternative
paintbrush designs, and Applicant has developed a unique paint
brush having a number of unique aspects not heretofore seen.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] According to a first aspect of the invention, there is
provided a paintbrush comprising:
[0007] a handle having a proximal end and a distal end lying
opposite thereto in a longitudinal direction of said handle, the
handle comprising a gripping area defined adjacent the proximal end
for manual holding of the paintbrush at said gripping area, and a
first attachment element at the proximal end;
[0008] a removable brush head selectively attachable to and
detachable from the handle at the proximal end thereof, the
removable brush head comprising a second attachment element
selectively matable with the first attachment element to carry the
removable brush head on the handle, and a plurality of bristles
carried on the second attachment and extending in a longitudinal
direction of said removable brush head;
[0009] wherein the first and second attachment elements comprise
slidingly matable elements engagable together by sliding one of the
attachment elements over the other of the attachment elements in a
lateral direction lying transverse to the longitudinal directions
of said handle and said removable brush head.
[0010] Preferably said one of the attachment elements comprises a
channel and said other of the attachment elements comprises a rail
over which said channel is slidable in the lateral direction in a
position embracing about said rail to prevent withdrawal therefrom
in the longitudinal direction.
[0011] Preferably a ferrule is arranged to enclose around the first
and second attachment elements after engagement of said first and
second attachment elements together.
[0012] Preferably the ferrule is slidably coupled to the handle for
sliding movement relative thereto in the longitudinal direction of
the handle between a deployed position enclosing around the first
attachment element and a retracted position withdrawn out of the
deployed position toward the distal end of the handle to reveal
access to the first attachment element for engagement or
disengagement thereof with the second attachment element.
[0013] Preferably the bristles of the removable brush head are
divided into multiple bundles, at least one of said multiple
bundles being carried by a respective pivotal bristle support that
enables separation of the multiple bundles of bristles from one
another during cleaning by pivoting said pivotal bristle support
about a pivot axis thereof.
[0014] Preferably said pivot axis lies transversely to the
longitudinal direction of the brush head.
[0015] Preferably the handle comprises a hollow compartment
extending longitudinally into the handle from the distal end
thereof, and the paintbrush further comprises a removable tool
received or receivable in the hollow compartment for removable
storage therein.
[0016] According to a second aspect of the invention, there is
provided a paintbrush comprising:
[0017] a handle having a proximal end and a distal end lying
opposite thereto in a longitudinal direction of said handle, the
handle comprising a gripping area defined adjacent the proximal end
for manual holding of the paintbrush at said gripping area, and a
first attachment element at the proximal end;
[0018] a removable brush head selectively attachable to and
detachable from the handle at the proximal end thereof, the
removable brush head comprising a second attachment element
selectively matable with the first attachment element to carry the
removable brush head on the handle, and a plurality of bristles
carried on the second attachment and extending in a longitudinal
direction of said removable brush head;
[0019] a ferrule arranged to enclose around the first and second
attachment elements when engaged together;
[0020] wherein the ferrule is slidably coupled to the handle for
sliding movement relative thereto in the longitudinal direction of
the handle between a deployed position enclosing around the first
attachment element and a retracted position withdrawn out of the
deployed position toward the distal end of the handle to reveal
access to the first attachment element for engagement or
disengagement thereof with the second attachment element.
[0021] Preferably one of the brush handle and the ferrule comprises
at least one longitudinal slot therein and the other of the brush
handle and the ferrule comprises at least one guide matable with
the at least one longitudinal slot to guide longitudinal sliding of
the ferrule on the brush handle.
[0022] Preferably the ferrule is removably coupled to the brush
handle.
[0023] Preferably the first and second attachment elements are
arranged to block removal of the ferrule from the brush handle when
said first and second attachment elements are mated together.
[0024] Preferably the at least one longitudinal slot is defined on
the brush handle and the at least one guide is defined on the
removable brush head, and the at least one longitudinal slot
extends through the first attachment in the longitudinal direction
of the brush handle to allow removal of the ferrule by sliding of
the ferrule past the first attachment element via said at least one
longitudinal slot.
[0025] Preferably the at least one slot spans a fully through the
brush handle in a thickness direction thereof, and the at least one
guide comprises at least one internal wall of the ferrule that
spans from one side of the handle to another in the thickness
direction.
[0026] According to a third aspect of the invention, there is
provided a paintbrush comprising:
[0027] a handle having a proximal end and a distal end lying
opposite thereto in a longitudinal direction of said handle;
and
[0028] a brush head attached or attachable to the proximal end of
the handle;
[0029] wherein the handle comprises a hollow compartment extending
longitudinally into the handle from the distal end thereof, and the
paintbrush further comprises a removable tool received or
receivable in the hollow compartment for removable storage
therein.
[0030] Preferably the removable tool comprises a screwdriver tool
having a longitudinal body with a bit-receiving socket at one end
for receiving any one of a plurality of different screwdriver
bits.
[0031] Preferably the screwdriver tool comprises a storage
compartment for storing at least one of said screwdriver bits
therein when not received in the bit-receiving socket.
[0032] Preferably the removable tool comprises a hanging member at
an outer end of the removable tool that resides outside the hollow
compartment at the distal end of the handle for hanging support of
the paintbrush by said hanging feature when said removable tool is
received in the hollow compartment of the handle. Preferably the
hanging member comprises an openable and closable clip.
[0033] Preferably a paint can pry lever projects laterally from the
handle for use in prying a lid from a paint can.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0034] One embodiment of the invention will now be described in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
[0035] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a paintbrush of the present
invention that features a removable brush head with pivotally
separable bristles, a removable sliding ferrule that conceals and
maintains the attachment between the handle and the brush head, and
a removable utility tool stored within a hollow interior
compartment of the handle.
[0036] FIG. 2 is a partial plan view of the paintbrush with the
sliding ferrule in a retracted position and the brush head
removed.
[0037] FIG. 3 is an end view of the ferrule in isolation.
[0038] FIG. 4 is a plan view of the ferrule in isolation.
[0039] FIG. 5 is a partial side view of the paintbrush with the
sliding ferrule in the retracted position, and with the brush head
removed and opened up to separate the pivotally-carried
bristles.
[0040] FIG. 6 is a plan view of the removable utility tool in
isolation.
[0041] In the drawings like characters of reference indicate
corresponding parts in the different figures.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0042] With reference to FIG. 1, the paintbrush 10 of the
illustrated embodiment features a handle 12 having a proximal end
12a and a distal end 12b lying opposite thereto in a longitudinal
direction of the handle, which is denoted by central longitudinal
axis 14 and corresponds to the length dimension of the brush. A
gripping portion 16 of the handle reaches along the longitudinal
axis 14 from the distal end 12b of the handle to define an area for
manual gripping of the paintbrush by the user, and from this
gripping portion 16, the handle then transitions to a wider
mounting portion 18 that extends to the proximal end 12b of the
handle, at which a removable brush head 20 is detachably
mounted.
[0043] An axial bore extends into the gripping portion 16 of the
handle from the distal end 12b to define a hollow internal
compartment 22 for storing a removable utility tool 24 therein. At
the wider mounting portion 18 of the handle 12, near the end
thereof that transitions to the narrower gripping portion 16, one
end of a paint can pry lever 26 is embedded within the handle 12,
and the other end of the paint can pry lever 26 projects outwardly
from a side edge of the mounting portion 18 in a lateral direction
that lies perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 14 and corresponds
to a width direction of the brush.
[0044] As best shown in FIG. 5, a T-shaped rail 28 is affixed to
the proximal end 12a of the handle 12 and runs therealong in the
lateral direction so as to lie perpendicularly of the longitudinal
axis 14. The T-shape of the rail refers to its cross-sectional
shape in planes lying normal to the rail's length, i.e. planes that
are parallel to the longitudinal axis 14 and normal to the lateral
direction. The lateral direction is denoted in the drawings by axis
29 of FIG. 2. A stem 28a of the T-shape projects axially from the
proximal end 12a of the handle 12 in the longitudinal direction,
and the cross-head 28b of the T-shape perpendicularly crosses the
stem at an outer end thereof lying at a distance from the proximal
end 12a of the handle.
[0045] Referring to FIG. 2, two longitudinal slots 30 extend
through the rail 28 and into the proximal end 12a of the handle in
the longitudinal direction parallel to the central axis 14 on
opposite sides thereof. The two slots 30 thus divide the rail 28
into three different sections. Each slot 30 extends toward, but
stops short of, the end of the mounting portion 18 that transitions
to the gripping portion 16 of the handle. Each slot 30 extends
fully through the mounting portion 18 of the handle in the
thickness direction thereof, thus spanning fully from a topside of
the brush to an opposing underside thereof.
[0046] Having described the structure of the handle 12, attention
is now turned to the structure of the removable brush head 20, with
particular reference to the disassembled view of the brush in FIG.
5. A base of the brush head is defined by a length of C-shaped
channel 32, which lies in the transverse direction parallel to the
T-shaped rail 28 when the brush is assembled. The C-shaped channel
32 is dimensioned to be slidable over the T-shaped rail 28 in the
lateral direction from a respective side of the brush, as denoted
by arrow 34 in FIG. 2, whereby the C-shaped channel 32 embraces the
cross-head 28b of the rail 28 in order to couple the brush head to
the handle. This mated condition between the T-shaped rail 28 and
the C-shaped channel 32 prevents separation of the brush head from
the handle in the longitudinal direction of the brush. Lateral
separation of the installed brush head from the handle is prevented
by other means, described herein further below.
[0047] Attached by respective hinges to the closed front end of the
base channel 32 are two bristle supports 36, which are shown in
FIG. 5 but are omitted from the other figures for illustrative
simplicity. Each bristle support 36 defines a respective
forwardly-opening channel that spans the full length of the
rearwardly-opening base channel 32 in the lateral direction. The
two bristle supports 36 reside one over the other, and each bristle
support carries a respective bundle of bristles 38 that project
forwardly out of the open side of the channel-shaped bristle
support 36. The terms "front" and "forwardly" are being used to
denote a direction moving longitudinally from the proximal end 12a
of the brush handle in the direction opposite the distal end 12b of
the brush handle. The hinged attachment of each bristle support 36
to the base channel 32 allows pivoting of each bristle support 36
about a respective pivot axis lying in the lateral direction of the
brush. As shown in FIG. 5, such pivotal movement of the two bundles
38 of bristles allows the bundles to be pivoted away from one
another, thus separating the bristles of one bundle away from the
other for improved cleaning of the inner bristles of the brush at
the inner facing-together sides 38a of the bundles 38. In the
assembled state of the brush, the two bundles 38 are maintained in
close or abutting proximity in parallel planes that are parallel to
the longitudinal and lateral axes 14, 29.
[0048] In addition to the handle and the removable brush head, the
brush 10 features a movable ferrule 40 that, in the assembled state
of the brush 10, is slidably coupled to the mounting portion 18 of
the handle 12. More specifically, the ferrule 40 is slidable in the
longitudinal direction of the handle 12 between a deployed position
shown in FIG. 1, and a retracted position shown in FIGS. 2 and 5.
In the deployed position, the ferrule 40 closes around the mounting
portion 18 of the handle at a location enclosing the rail 28
thereof within the confines of the ferrule 40. In the retracted
position, the ferrule is withdrawn rearwardly from the proximal end
12a of the handle 12 toward distal end 12b thereof in order to
expose the rail 28 outside the confines of the ferrule. The
withdrawn position of FIGS. 2 and 5 thus reveal access to the
T-shaped rail 28 of the handle 12 for sliding of the C-shaped base
channel 32 of the brush head onto or off of the rail 28 in order to
install or remove the brush head 20 from the handle 12.
[0049] Once the brush head is installed, the ferrule 40 is slid
forwardly into the deployed position, where the ferrule 40 now
closes around both the T-shaped rail 28 and the C-shaped base
channel 38 that is mated thereto. In this condition, the side walls
40a of the ferrule 40 block lateral sliding of the brush head's
base channel 32 off of the handle's cooperating rail 28, thereby
maintaining the installed position of the brush head on the
proximal end 12a of the handle 12. In addition, in the deployed
position, the ferrule 40 reaches past the mated rail 28 and base
channel 32 in order to also close around the two bristle supports
36 of the brush head, and thereby maintain them in abutting
relation to one another in order to hold the two bristle bundles 38
together in a manner collectively forming a singular overall
bristle collection of the assembled brush. The deployed position of
the sliding ferrule thus maintains the installed position and
parallel-bristle condition of the assembled brush, making it
suitable for use. After use of the brush, the brush head can be
removed by sliding of the ferrule 40 into the retracted position,
and sliding of the base channel 32 of the brush head 20 off of the
handle's T-shaped rail 28. The brush head can then be cleaned,
during which pivotal separation of the two bristle bundles 38
ensures a thorough cleaning of all bristles. Alternatively, the old
brush head can be replaced with a new one.
[0050] The sliding of the ferrule 40 in the longitudinal direction
on the brush handle is guided by the cooperation of two internal
guide walls 42 on the ferrule 40 with the two slots 30 in the brush
handle 12. With reference to FIG. 3, each guide wall 42 extends
from a top wall 40b of the ferrule to an opposing bottom wall 40b
thereof at a position between the ferrule's two side walls 40a.
Each guide wall 42 inside the ferrule 40 spans only a partial
length thereof. In the retracted position of the ferrule 40, a rear
end 42a of each guide wall 42 abuts a closed end 30a of the
respective slot 30 in the brush handle 12, thereby blocking the
ferrule from sliding rearwardly off of the mounting portion 18 of
the handle 12. With the brush head 20 installed and the ferrule
deployed, a front end 42b of each guide wall 40 abuts against the
C-shaped base channel 32 of the brush head at its mated position
embraced about the T-shaped rail 28 of the handle 12. Accordingly,
the ferrule 40 is prevented from sliding forwardly off the handle
12 when both the ferrule and brush head are installed.
[0051] A frictional fit between the slots 30 of the handle 12 and
the guide walls 42 of the ferrule acts to retain the ferrule in the
deployed position until a sufficient pulling force is applied to
draw the ferrule rearwardly into the withdrawn position.
[0052] Accordingly, the ferrule 40 will remain in the deployed
position during typical use of the paint brush, thereby ensuring
that the removable brush head remains in place. Although not shown,
the frictional fit may employ a restriction point in each slot 30,
for example as provided by a small protuberance jutting into the
slot 30 behind the rear end 42a of the respective guide wall 42
from an otherwise flat sidewall of the slot 30 in order to resist
rearward movement of the ferrule from the deployed position.
[0053] The lateral retention of the brush head by the ferrule and
the longitudinal retention of the brush head by the mating rail and
base channel thus cooperate the normally maintain the brush head in
the proper working position for use of the brush. In the
illustrated embodiment, the handle's rail and the brush head's base
channel define cooperating attachment elements for sliding lateral
mating of the handle and brush head together. It will be
appreciated that in another embodiment, the rail and channel may
switch positions. That is, a rail may be provided on the brush head
for cooperative mating with a respective channel on the handle,
which would again cooperate to longitudinally retain the brush head
and handle together, and to block sliding of the movable ferrule
forwardly past the deployed position.
[0054] In the illustrated embodiment, the paint can pry lever 26 is
situated in a position concealed by the retracted position of the
ferrule 40. To prevent interference with the sliding of the ferrule
by the pry lever 26, the mounting portion 18 of the handle 12 has
an asymmetric shape at the end thereof that transitions to the
gripping portion 16. Specifically, one side edge of the mounting
portion 18 at this end thereof features a cutaway area 49 at which
the pry lever 26 projects laterally from the handle 12 such that
the pry lever does not project beyond the plane of the remainder of
this side edge along which the respective side wall of the ferrule
slides during movement between the retracted and deployed
positions. At this cutaway area 49, the mounting portion 18 of the
handle is narrower on this side of the central longitudinal axis 14
than on the other side thereof.
[0055] While the slots 30 of the illustrated embodiment pass fully
through the thickness dimension of the handle 12, and the guides of
the ferrule are accordingly full-height guide walls 42 spanning
fully between the top and bottom walls of the ferrule so as to
extending fully through the brush handle from the topside thereof
to the opposing underside thereof via the through-slots, other
embodiments may alternately feature recessed slots in the top and
bottom of the brush handle that don't fully pass through the
handle, and corresponding tabs, tongues or other guides protruding
from the top and bottom walls of the ferrule for sliding receipt in
the recessed slots of the handle.
[0056] The slots of the illustrated embodiment pass through the
proximal end 12a of the brush handle and the attached rail 28 so
that the ferrule can be fully removed from the handle 12 once the
brush head has been removed. To remove the ferrule, it is displaced
forwardly off the proximal end of the handle from the retracted
position that enabled the removal of the brush head. Full removal
of the ferrule allows enhanced cleaning of the overall brush. Other
embodiments may lack the ability to remove the ferrule in this
manner, and accordingly may use slots that terminate short of the
proximal end of the handle and thus are closed at their forward
ends. In some embodiments, instead of having slots on the handle
and guides on the ferrule, the top and bottom walls of the ferrule,
or the side walls thereof, may have slots therein that cooperate
with respective guides on the handle 12 to guide the longitudinal
sliding motion of the ferrule.
[0057] Turning to FIG. 6, the utility tool 24 of the illustrated
embodiment is a screwdriver tool having a longitudinal body 44
featuring a hollow socket 46 opening axially thereinto along the
longitudinal axis 14 from one end of the body 44. This hollow
socket 46 removably receives of a screwdriver bit 48 therein. A
longitudinal bore also extends into the opposing end of the
longitudinal body to define an internal chamber 50 for storing
additional screwdriver bits 52 therein. Each screwdriver bit may be
a double ended bit, as shown in the drawings. A clip 54 is
removably attached to the longitudinal body at the end thereof
having the internal storage chamber 50, thereby forming a lid by
which the chamber is closable to safely secure the screwdriver bits
52 therein. The clip may be attached to the tool body, for example,
by a releasable snap fit or by mating threads on the clip and tool
body. With reference to FIG. 1, the clip 54 is attached to the end
of the tool body 44 that resides at the distal end 12b of the brush
handle 12 when the tool body 44 is inserted into the internal
compartment 22 of the brush handle 12, whereby the clip resides
outside the brush handle 12 at the distal end thereof for use in
hanging the brush during periods of non-use. The clip 54 has a
spring-loaded gate 54a that is spring-biased into the illustrated
closed position, but that can be forced open to enable receipt of a
hook, hanger, string, cable or other member into the mouth the clip
for hanging support of the brush.
[0058] The screwdriver tool may feature a nub or protrusion on the
external circumference of the tool body near the clip-equipped end
thereof to cooperate with a corresponding nub or protrusion on the
internal surface of the hollowed-out handle near the distal end
thereof in order to provide a snap or friction that secures the
tool within the compartment of the brush handle during normal use
of the paint brush. Only upon the application of a sufficient
pulling force on the clip-equipped end of the tool will the
interference between these cooperating protrusions be overcome in
order to allow withdrawal of the tool 24 from the paintbrush handle
12.
[0059] The tool 24 is thus removable from the paint brush while
leaving the handle 12 thereof fully intact, which presents an
improvement over prior art designs in which the gripping portion of
a handle defines the body of a detachable tool, thereby rendering
the paint brush unusable during use of the screwdriver. With the
presently disclosed paint brush, the user of the paint brush can
remove the screwdriver tool and lend it to another painter or
worker while continuing to the use the brush. In addition, painters
often leave their brushes in a paint can during temporary periods
of non-use. In prior art solutions using a detachable portion of
the paint brush handle as the screwdriver body, the lack of an
intact handle on the brush head after detachment of the screwdriver
makes it unsuitable to leave the brush head in a can of paint, as
no handle grip is present for lifting of the brush head from its
submerged position in the paint.
[0060] While the illustrated embodiment features a screwdriver
tool, other embodiments may store tools of other types within the
hollowed out portion of the paint brush handle.
[0061] Since various modifications can be made in my invention as
herein above described, and many apparently widely different
embodiments of same made within the scope of the claims without
departure from such scope, it is intended that all matter contained
in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as
illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.
* * * * *