Paint Cover

Abstract

A cover shaped to float on the surface of paint remaining in a partially used can of paint to keep the air in the can from drying the surface of the paint. The cover preferably has a de-tachable flexible flange portion that has an outside diameter less than the inside diameter of the surrounding can but larger than the diameter of the opening of the can. Lines are provided to remove the cover from the outside of the can. The lines are connectable to the inside of the can's lid to expedite manual engagement thereof.

Description

This invention relates to means for preventing paint remaining in a can, after a portion of the paint has been removed, from drying or hardening over a major surface thereof. As is well known, it is a difficult and messy operation to remove a hardened coating of paint from the top of paint remaining in a can without leaving broken pieces of the paint suspended in the paint. While it was suggested in U.S. Pat. No. 1,990,918 to use a floatable member to cover milk, to prevent formation of scum thereon, and in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,357,591 and 3,497,103 to keep air out of water, none of these teach the use of a float cover, for paint having a construction or means for freeing the cover from adhering dried paint.

FIG. 1 of the drawing is a fragmentary, cross-sectional and side view of the invention in an open can of paint.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary top view of the invention and the can of paint of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a modification of the means for securing the lines from the cover to the inside surface of the paint can lid.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of a modification of the cover.

FIG. 5 is a similar view to FIG. 4 of a still further modification.

The invention consists of a dish-shaped float 11, having a cylindrical side wall 11a a peripheral flange 11b. The float is preferably formed of plastic but obviously may be of other material light enough or shaped to float on paint 12 in the container 13. The container has a conventional bottom 14 and a conventional lid-receivable top flange 15. The flange has an annular groove 15a which is adapted to receive a complimentary shaped rib (not shown) on a lid 16.

The cover has a flange 11b extending around the periphery thereof and preferably spaced from the bottom of the cover so that when the cover is floating on the paint, the bottom surface of the flange is slightly above the paint. This enables a washer-shaped thin and flexible flange extension 17 to be secured to the under surface of the flange by a non-hardening adhessive 18 and lie on the surface of the paint. The extension is adapted to flex so that the assembly can pass through the opening 15b and then straighten and nearly or just reach the inside surface of the can or container. As the paint on the wall and/or the surface of the paint may dry and/or harden and adhere to the cover, the cover preferably has a plurality of lines 19, made of fabric, metal or plastic, secured to the side wall of the cover. The lines may be secured to the wall by passing them through holes 11c and tying knots in the ends thereof to prevent their withdrawal. Obviously, other means may be used, such as arrowheads molded on the ends of plastic lines, to secure the lines to the cover.

The lines preferably should be long enough to extend from the bottom of the can, through the opening 15a and down to the surface supporting the can. This enables a magnet 20, suction cup 21, or some other suitable means to be continuously connected to the other ends of the lines and to the inside of the lid, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. By grasping the lines that extend from the can the cover 11 may be removed from or lowered into the can and, should the extension be stuck to the can, the flange 11b will tear loose from the extension 17, permitting the extension to remain adhereing to the can as one did before at a higher paint level 12a, as shown in FIG. 1. As the air in the can can not reach the paint on which the cover floats, it can not dry out or harden but remains soft and ready to use, except for the customary or regular stirring. The lid 16 can be placed over the can to close it by lowering the lines 19 onto the cover, leaving the magnet or suction cup to keep the lines available by adhering to the inside of the lid.

A modification of the invention could take the form shown in FIG. 4, with an extension 117 that is detachably connected to the flange 11b by means of an L-shaped arm that releasably clamps the flange 11b. As in the preferred modification of FIG. 1, the extension 117 should also be flexible for the same reason as is extension 17.

Another modification may have the form shown in FIG. 5 wherein the cover may be a one piece sheet of material 211 with downwardly struck or moulded dimples 211a provided, if necessary, to enable the sheet to float on the surface of the paint. A groove 218 cut or moulded in the margin of the sheet reduces the thickness and, therefore the strength thereof so that the center portion may easily be torn from the marginal portion which dried paint may cement to the side wall or walls of the container. Cords 219 threaded through the sheet near the groove 218 and through washer 219b and anchored there by knots 220a.

Claims

I claim:

1. A cover for paint in a container comprising a first central cover portion adapted to float on the surface of the paint and a second peripheral portion having a weak connection with said first portion that enables at least a substantial portion of the cover to easily break free from the paint that has at least partially dried and is adhereing to the side wall of the container and to the second peripheral portion of the cover.

2. A cover as defined in claim 1 wherein said second portion is flexible and is detachably attached to said first portion.

3. A cover as defined in claim 1 in combination with means connected to said first cover portion for lifting said portion from the container and having means for connecting said means to the inside of a lid for the container.

4. A cover as defined in claim 1 wherein said first cover portion is dish-shaped.

5. A cover as defined in claim 4 wherein said peripheral portion is washer-shaped and is weakly and detachably secured to the periphery of said first cover portion.

6. A cover as defined in claim 5 in combination with flexible lines having one end of each secured to said first cover portion and having means for attaching the other end of each of said lines to the lid of a paint container.

7. A cover as defined in claim 1 wherein the cover is of one-piece construction with said first and second portions joined by a weakened portion to enable the first portion to tear free from said second portion.