Attachment for grooved-rimmed containers

Abstract

A slightly undersized snap-fitting integrally formed attachment for grooved-rimmed containers comprises an annular ring which has furrows or grooves formed therein. The grooves mate with the beads of the rim of such containers. Integrally formed on the ring is a tab for facilitating easy removal of the attachment from the container. Also integrally formed on the ring is a projecting member. The projecting member comprises two inwardly projecting parts, the spacing between the two parts defining a slot and a slit which extends into the slot. The slot is sized and shaped so that when a conventional stirring stick is inserted in the slot through the slit, the slot will frictionally hold the stick. The edges of the slot also serve to squeegee the stick when the stick is drawn therethrough.

Description

This invention relates to attachments for grooved rimmed containers such as paint, varnish and shellac cans and the like; and more particularly, to annular attachments which are adapted to be readily mounted on and detached from the rim of such containers.

Persons familiar with the handling of grooved rimmed containers which contain paints, varnishes, shellacs and the like, are aware that when such containers are opened it is usually desirable, and often times necessary, to stir the contents of the container with a conventional stirring stick. This process usually poses several problems in terms of avoiding overflow, spilling and messiness. Most conventional containers are equipped with a detachable lid having a friction rib keyed in a channel or groove of the annular rim. By way of example, if the container is a paint can, when the can is opened and the paint is stirred with a stirring stick, paint may spill into the channel of the rim. Secondly, when the stirring operation is completed, many people will draw the stirring stick against the holding rim in order not to remove the excess paint from the stirring stick, and thus avoid waste but also to clean the stick as much as possible in order to avoid a mess when it is put down after using it to stir the paint. As a result, when the can is being used, the stirring stick will pose a problem in that it will be wet from excess paint.

Attachments for grooved-rimmed containers with paint brush wipers are known such as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,873,052 and 2,960,257, and attachments for grooved rimmed containers having paint brush holders secured to the attachment by screws are known as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,016,169 and 3,168,962.

Until the present invention, however, no one has satisfactorily made an integrally-formed attachment which will keep the channels of grooved-rimmed containers dry when the containers are being used as well as hold a conventional painting accessory such as a stirring stick to allow the excess paint to drip into the can when the stick is being held and also act as a squeegee when the stick is drawn through the holding portion of the attachment.

It is therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a simple, practical, economic can attachment which can be readily applied and removed, and which enables the user to overcome the aforementioned problems.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an integrally-formed attachment for covering the channel of the rim of the type of containers described herein, and for receiving and holding a painting accessory.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an attachment for grooved-rimmed containers having an annular portion for protecting the channels when the containers are being used and having integrally formed on the annular portion, a projecting member having a slot for receiving and holding a conventional stirring stick, and functioning as a squeegee for effectively and efficiently removing the excess material from the stick when the stick is drawn through the slot.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an attachment for grooved-rimmed containers with a snap fit to provide a snug fit over the channels of the containers to provide a better seal and prevent the attachment from slipping off.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an attachment which can be easily attached and removed.

Generally, the foregoing and other objects are realized by a slightly undersized integrally formed attachment which comprises an annular ring portion formed of requisite size, shape and resilient material, e.g., rubber or any suitable moldable plastic material. The annular portion has a channel-type adapter, the flanges or walls of which aptly and fittingly apply themselves and provide the desired sealing result. Integrally attached to the annular portion and projectng therefrom is a member having a slot formed therein. The slot is of requisite size and shape in order to frictionally hold a conventional painting accessory such as a stirring stick. The slot can be designed in such a way as to hold the stick and to function as a squeegee when the stick is drawn therethrough.

Other objects of the present invention will in part be obvious and in part will appear hereinafter. The invention accordingly comprises the article of manufacture possessing the construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts which are exemplified in the following detailed disclosure, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the attached claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the present invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the attachment for attachment to a conventional grooved-rimmed container; and

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the plane of the section line 2 -- 2 of FIG. 1, including a cross-sectional portion of the rim of a container;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of another embodiment of the invention, showing it fitted to a cross-sectional portion of the rim of a container.

Referring in detail to the drawing, wherein like and related numerals designate like and related parts throughout the several views, a conventional container 10 such as the type used to store paints, varnishes, shellacs and the like is shown having an open end with a circumferential rim 12. The rim 12 usually comprises a sheet metal annular body clamped to the upper edge of the container side wall 14 to form outer bead 20. The rim 12 of the conventional container further comprises channel 22 defined by a side wall 24, an inwardly extending annular horizontal ledge 26 at the lower end of side wall 24, a gutter 28 which is formed by side wall 29 which extends down from the inner edge of the inner ledge 26, the bottom inner extending flange 30, the inner side wall 31 which terminates at horizontal ledge 32. Side wall 33 extends above ledge 32 and terminates wherein inner bead 34 is formed. The usual paint can cover (not shown) has depending annular portions which frictionally engage with the rim 12.

When the contents such as paint is stirred and poured from container 10, it is usually difficult if not impossible to prevent some of the paint from spilling into and accumulating in channel 22.

The attachment 40 comprises a preferably solid, integral, monolithic, flexible and resilient annular non-metallic portion which has a substantially flat horizontal center portion 42 and inner and outer rim portions 44 and 46, respectively. The rim portions are formed in such a manner as to provide furrows or grooves which are generally spaced from each other by said center portion 42 and are of such size and shape so as to mate with the inner and outer beads 34 and 20 respectively as shown best in FIG. 2. The ends of rim portions 44 and 46 are drawn slightly inward toward center portion 42 as shown at 48 in the drawings, in order that the attachment 40 may snap-fit onto the rim. The annular portion attachment 40 is made slightly smaller in diameter than the diameter of the container rim, so that as a result of its resiliency and flexibility, the annular attachment can be resiliently stretched onto the rim and mate with the corresponding surfaces as shown. This results in a good seal of the channel 22 as well as a tight fit preventing the attachment from slipping off.

An additional feature of the attachment 40 is projecting member 50, which is made of the same material as the annular portion, is integrally attached thereto and which is composed of two parts 52 and 54.

Parts 52 and 54 are formed so as to provide slot 56 in between. By way of example, the slot is dimensioned so as to accommodate the conventional stirring stick, such as 11/4 by 1/8.

A space or slit 58 between the end portions of parts 52 and 54 is provided in order to facilitate insertion of the stirring stick into slot 56 and to aid in the prevention of damage to parts 52 and 54 due to stresses thereon when the stirring stick is inserted and drawn therethrough.

A tab 60 is also integrally formed on the outside of the annular portion of attachment 40 to facilitate easy removal of the attachment from container 10, after the contents have been used, and the user wishes to replace the lid.

The annular portion of the attachment 40 as shown in FIG. 2 may be modified as shown in FIG. 3. The attachment 70 in FIG. 3 has an inclined surface 72 to enable excess paint to run off and spill back into container 10. Attachment 70 has sides 74 and 76 which are formed to snap fit over beads 20 and 34 respectively insuring the seal of channel 22.

While a particular embodiment of the attachment has been described, it will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made from the foregoing without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An attachment capable of being attached to a container having a rim which is formed into a channel, the ends of said channel having at least one bead, said attachment comprising,

a flexible resilient integrally-formed annular ring,

at least one annular groove formed in said annular ring adapted to mate with said bead, and;

means integrally-formed with said annular ring for frictionally engaging a conventional stirring stick to be used with said container and comprising a projecting member which includes two projecting parts having a slot formed therebetween for squeegeeing said stick when drawn through said slot, wherein the ends of said two projecting parts remote from said annular ring are spaced to form a slit, said slit being connected to said slot and being adapted to receive said stick to facilitate the insertion of said stick in said slot.

2. The attachment as defined by claim 1 wherein the diameter of said at least one annular groove is slightly smaller than the diameter of said bead in order to provide a snap fit between said attachment and said container when said attachment is attached thereto.

3. The attachment as defined by claim 1, wherein two annular grooves are integrally in said annular ring, said grooves being adapted to mate with two spaced apart beads on the rim of said container.

4. An attachment as defined in claim 1 wherein a tab is inteegrally formed on said annular ring to facilitate easy removal of said attachment from said rim.