AU2017100491A4 - A Brush Storage - Google Patents

Abstract

There is provided a storage for storing at least one paint brush, the storage comprising a receptacle and at least one rest for supporting the at least one paint brush in the interior of 5 the receptacle whereby the brush is spaced above the floor of the receptacle in an orientation to allow for any fluid on a paint application portion of the paint brush to drip from the paint application portion onto the floor of the receptacle. Typically, the storage has a plurality of said rests and further comprises at least one elongate support element for suspending the at least one paint brush above the floor of the receptacle, the support 10 element extending across the receptacle from one side of the receptacle to an opposite side of the receptacle and being engaged with ones of the rests whereby the support element is supported above the floor of the receptacle by the rests. In at least some forms, the storage has a said rest for supporting the paint brush above the floor and whereby the brush is retained alongside a peripheral wall of the receptacle, the rest being disposed in the interior 15 of the receptacle. --- 4 0 -0-- ~ .DOO C -i

Description

2017100491 04 May 2017 -1-

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 (Cth)

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

APPLICANT

MILAN METER

TITLE

A BRUSH STORAGE -2-

A BRUSH STORAGE

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a storage for storing one or more brushes and has particular application to storage of paint brushes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Paint brushes can be relatively expensive and may be cleaned in water or solvent many times during their working life to maintain them in good condition. However, the bristles of a bristle-type paint brush can become permanently spread apart or deflected and the brush thereby damaged or ruined if the brush is left to stand on its bristles for prolonged periods of time. This is particularly the case following the cleaning of a brush in the instance the brush is allowed to dry whilst in a standing position. Even if a brush is laid on its side whilst drying, curvature can be introduced into the bristle tuft of long bristled brushes due to sag of the bristles under the effect of gravity. The risk of permanent deflection, curvature and/or spreading of the bristles may be worsened if paint residue present in the bristle tuft dries causing the bristle tuff to harden in a deformed state.

The paint application fleece of the roller cover of a roller paint brush is also prone to flattening after cleaning if left to dry laying on a hard surface. Such flattening manifests itself in the uneven application of paint the next time the brush is used, particularly if the fleece has hardened due to paint residue remaining in the fleece following insufficient cleaning and/or prolonged periods of non-use of the brush. As a result, the roller cover may need to be prematurely replaced.

Good quality bristle-type paint brushes are relatively expensive and brush replacement brush costs arising from poor cleaning and storage can add up quickly, particularly for tradespersons and teams of painters. 2017100491 04 May 2017 -3-

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In an aspect of the invention there is provided a storage for storing at least one paint brush, the storage comprising a receptacle and at least one rest for supporting the at 5 least one paint brush in the interior of the receptacle whereby the brush is spaced from the floor of the receptacle in an orientation to allow for any fluid on a paint application portion of the paint brush to drip from the paint application portion onto the floor of the receptacle.

In at least some embodiments, the storage has a plurality of said rests and further comprises at least one elongate support element for suspending the at least one paint brush 10 above the floor of the receptacle, the support element extending across the receptacle from one side of the receptacle to an opposite side of the receptacle and being engaged with ones of the rests whereby the support element is supported above the floor of the receptacle by the rests. One or more of the rests comprise a respective bracket fitted to the receptacle or be integrally formed with the receptacle. 15 Typically, the support element is arranged for being lifted from a resting position on the rests to permit location of the paint brush on the support element or removal of the brush from the support element.

Typically, the rests comprise a first rest on which one end of the support element rests and a second rest on which a second end of the support element rests. 20 Typically, the storage comprises a plurality of spaced said support elements, the support elements lying essentially parallel to one another. In at least some embodiments, the support elements are disposed in the receptacle at different heights to one another.

Typically, each support element of the storage is a respective rod.

Typically, the storage is for use in storing a plurality of paint brushes. 25 In at least some embodiments, the storage comprises a further rest for supporting a further paint brush so as to be spaced from the floor and whereby the further brush is retained alongside a peripheral wall of the receptacle. Typically, the further rest is for receiving a frame portion of a roller paint brush to retain the roller paint brush in position above the floor of the receptacle. Typically also, the further rest projects into the interior 30 of the receptacle to space the roller paint brush from the peripheral wall of the receptacle.

Typically, the storage has a lid and most usually, the lid is hinged to the receptacle.

Typically, the receptacle is a bin. -4-

In another aspect there is provided a storage embodied by the invention in combination with the at least one paint brush, the at least one paint brush being supported in the interior of the receptacle by the rest(s) so as to be spaced above the floor of the receptacle.

In another aspect of the invention there is provided a storage for storing of at least one paint brush, the storage comprising: a receptacle; at least one elongate support element; and a plurality of rests, the support element extending across the receptacle from one side of the receptacle to an opposite side of the receptacle and being engaged with ones of the rests whereby the support element is supported above the floor of the receptacle by the rests, and the at least one paint brush is suspended from the at least one support element whereby a paint application portion of the paint brush is orientated downwardly and spaced above the floor of the receptacle.

In another aspect of the invention there is provided a storage for storing at least one paint brush, the storage comprising a receptacle and at least one rest for receiving a frame portion of a roller paint brush to support the roller paint brush in position whereby the brush is spaced above the floor, the frame portion of the paint brush being engaged with the rest whereby the brush is retained alongside an inner face of a peripheral wall of the receptacle.

In yet another aspect of the invention there is provided a method of storing a paint brush, comprising: providing a storage embodied by the invention; and locating the paint brush in the receptacle so that the brush is supported in the interior of the receptacle above the floor of the receptacle by the rest or ones of the rests.

By suspending a bristle-type brush from the support element such that the brush hangs over the floor of the receptacle, the brush can be safely stored for prolonged periods without deflection, bending, spreading or like damage to the bristle tuft of the brush. Also, the storage can be used for drying of the brush with any drips (e.g., of paint, solvent or water) from the brush being collected on the floor of the receptacle for later draining or cleaning from the storage. Likewise, roller paint brushes can be safely stored without the fleece of the roller cover being in contact with a hard surface and resultant flattening being -5- introduced into the fleece. Moreover, particularly advantageously, by suspending a bristle-type paint brush in a hanging position from the support element of the storage or storing a roller paint brush in the storage for drying following cleaning of the brushes, water or cleaning solvent is drawn down the brush under the effect of gravity carrying paint residue remaining in the brush with it, and so may assist in cleaning the brush.

Extending the useable life of a paint brush and/or reducing the frequency of paint brush replacement may result in relatively significant cost savings.

Throughout this specification the word “comprise”, or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers, integers or steps.

Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like that has been included in this specification is solely for the purpose of providing a context for the invention. It is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the invention as it existed in Australia or elsewhere before the priority date of this application.

The features and advantages of the present invention will become further apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention together with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING FIGURES

Figure 1 is a partial cut-away perspective view of a storage embodied by the invention;

Figure 2 is a front view of a bracket of the storage of Fig. 1;

Figure 3 is a further view of the bracket of Fig. 2:

Figure 4 is a front view of another bracket of the storage of Fig. 1; and

Figure 5 is perspective view of the bracket of Fig. 4. 2017100491 04 May 2017 -6-

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION A storage 10 embodied by the invention for storing paint brushes is shown in Fig. 5 1. The storage comprises receptacle in the form of a stiff plastic bin 12 having a lid 14, and back 16, front 18, and opposite end sides 20 and 22 formed by a peripheral wall 24.

For the purposes of description, the front 18 of the bin is only partially shown. Handles 21 are respectively pivotally mounted to the opposite ends 20 and 22 of the bin.

As also shown in Fig. 1, two pairs of rests in the form of brackets 26 are mounted 10 to the inner face 27 of the opposite ends 20 and 22 of the bin. The brackets in each pair are substantially horizontally aligned with each other and receive a respective support element in the form of a metal rod 28 such that each rod is supported in position over the floor 30 of the bin. The respective pairs of the brackets 26 are disposed in the bin such that the rods 28 whilst being essentially parallel to one another are located at different 15 heights in the interior of the bin to allow bristle-type paint brushes 38 of different lengths 32 and 34 to be hung from each of the rods as appropriate and as described further below.

The brackets 26 are formed from a moulded plastics material and are shown in greater detail in Figs. 2 and 3. As best shown in Fig. 3, each bracket 26 has a front slot 36 which terminates at a support surface 39 of the bracket, and is mounted to the bin by 20 convention blind rivets via through apertures 40 aligned with corresponding holes provided in the peripheral wall 24. However, it will be understood that other suitable mechanical fasteners or fastening systems may be used to mount the brackets 26 to the bin. In use, each rod 28 is received in the slots 36 of the corresponding pair of brackets and rests on the support surface 39 of those brackets. 25 The paint-brushes 38 each have an eyelet in their handle allowing the brushes to be slid onto a respective one of the rods 28, the brackets being located in the interior of the bin such that the brushes are spaced from the floor 30 when the ends of rods are received by the brackets 26 and rest on the support surfaces 39 of the brackets as shown in Fig. 1.

As such, the bristle tuft 42 paint application portion of each paint brush is suspended above 30 the floor of the bin allowing any paint or other fluid(e.g., cleaning fluid such as water or a solvent like mineral turpentine) that remains on the bristles following cleaning to drip into the bin. Further, the bristles of the paint brushes are protected from deformation and 2017100491 04 May 2017 -7- potentially permanent damage that can arise when paint brushes are left to dry or are otherwise stored standing on their bristles.

The bin therefore not only houses the brushes but conveniently collects any fluid that drips from the brushes. In at least some embodiments, a drain with a removable leak-5 proof plug can be provided in the floor 30 in a comer of the bin to allow any such fluid to be readily drained from the bin in use.

From the above it will be clear that to store the brushes 38 in the storage 10, the rods 28 are individually lifted from the brackets 26, the brushes 38 are slid onto the appropriate rod for the size of the brush/length of the brush handle and spaced apart from 10 one another along the rod, and the rods are replaced back on the brackets such that rods are retained in position within the interior of the bin 12. Removing the brushes for use simply involves the reversal of these steps.

Embodiments of the invention can be used for also, or alternatively, safely storing roller paint brushes of the type having a roller frame with a handle and a paint applicator 15 portion in the form of a roller cover which in use, is fitted to the roller of the roller frame. More particularly, as shown in Fig. 1, the storage 10 includes another rest in the form of a further bracket 44 mounted to the inner face of the back 16 of the bin 12 and which receives the roller frame 46 of the roller paint brush 48 such that brush balances on the bracket and the roller cover 50 of the brush is suspended from the floor of the bin such that 20 the roller cover is hangs in a downward orientation as with the bristle tuft of each of the paint brushes 38.

The further bracket 44 is shown in more detail in Figs. 4 and 5. Like the brackets 26, the further bracket 44 is fabricated from a stiff plastics material and is mounted to the bin by the use of blind rivets through apertures 46 of the bracket. As can be seen, this 25 bracket has a trough 52 which is oriented so as to lie substantially parallel to the inner face of the back 16 of the bin and is spaced from the main body 54 of the bracket by a gusset portion 56, the floor of the trough providing a support surface 58 on which the frame 46 of the roller paint brush rests. The bracket 44, therefore, retains the roller paint brush alongside the peripheral wall 14. As the bracket projects into the interior of the bin the 30 roller cover 50 of the brush is also held away from the back 16 of the bin. Since the roller cover does not contact the bin when the roller paint brush is placed on the bracket, the fleece of the roller cover is not compressed as would be the case if the roller cover of the 2017100491 04 May 2017 -8- brush was to be laid down on a hard surface after being cleaned and/or whilst being stored. As a result, when using a storage embodied by the invention of the above described type, flattened regions are not introduced into the fleece of the roller cover during the drying or storage of the brush. 5 Whilst storage 10 shown in Fig. 1 is for storing two rows of bristle-type paint brushes, embodiments may be provided for storing more than 2 rows of the brushes in the above described manner. Likewise, embodiments may be provided for only storing a single row of bristle-type brushes, or which is designed to only store a single such brush.

The lid 14 is also fabricated from a stiff plastics material and is detachably hinged 10 to the bin 12. As shown in Fig. 1, the lid has a plurality of spaced apart transverse ribs 60 which reinforce the lid sufficiently to support the weight of an average sized workman for occasional use of the storage 10 as a seat or for instance, temporary placement of tins of paint on the storage whilst stirring or preparing the paint for use.

Normally, a storage in accordance with the invention will include at least one 15 bracket 44 of the storage of a roller paint brush 48. Other embodiments, however, may be provided which do not include a bracket 44 and so are solely for storing bristle-type paint brushes. Still further embodiments can be provided for storage of only one or more roller paint brushes and no bristle-type brushes.

As still further alternatives, the rests providing support surfaces for supporting 20 bristle-type paint brushes and roller paint brushes above the floor of the bin in the manner described above may be integrally formed with the peripheral wall 24 itself, or a combination of such integrally formed rests and brackets 26 and 44 may be employed.

Whilst it is desirable for the bin 12 to have a front 18 to it, this is not necessary and embodiments in which the bin does not having a front as generally illustrated in Fig. 1 are 25 expressly encompassed by the invention.

Further, whilst a storage 10 embodied by the invention has particular application to the storage of paint brushes, aa storage as described herein may be used for storing other types of brushes, particularly other types of brushes having bristles, or roller-type brushes.

The bin 10, lid 14, and the brackets 26 and 44 may be fabricated from any 30 conventionally known suitable stiff plastics material such as e.g., high density polyethylene (HDPE) or other appropriate thermoplastic material. 2017100491 04 May 2017 10 -9-

From the above described embodiments, it will be apparent that the paint brush(es) are spaced from the floor of the receptacle and so are not in contact with the floor, and a storage embodied by the invention may provide one or more of the following advantages: • A storage for storing brushes and particularly paint brushes against damage to the paint application portion (e.g., the bristle tuft or roller cover 50) of the brushes. • Extension of the working life of a paint brush or other brush. • Provision of cost savings by avoiding or reducing the need or frequency with which brushes must be replaced. • A convenient location for storing a number of paint brushes of the same or different type altogether in the one place. • A means for collecting fluid dripping from paintbrushes following cleaning or use of the brushes. • A relatively inexpensive storage system for paint brushes.

Although a number of embodiments of the invention have been described above it will be understood that various modifications and changes may be made thereto without departing from the invention. The above described embodiments are therefore only illustrative and are not to be taken as being restrictive.

Claims (27)

1. A storage for storing at least one paint brush, the storage comprising a receptacle and at least one rest for supporting the at least one paint brush in the interior of the receptacle whereby the brush is spaced above the floor of the receptacle in an orientation to allow for any fluid on a paint application portion of the paint brush to drip from the paint application portion onto the floor of the receptacle.

2. A storage according to claim 1, wherein the storage has a plurality of said rests and further comprises at least one elongate support element for suspending the at least one paint brush above the floor of the receptacle, the support element extending across the receptacle from one side of the receptacle to an opposite side of the receptacle and being engaged with ones of the rests whereby the support element is supported above the floor of the receptacle by the rests.

3. A storage according to claim 2, wherein the support element is arranged for being lifted from a resting position on the rests to permit location of the paint brush on the support element or removal of the brush from the support element.

4. A storage according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the support element is disposed in the interior of the receptacle.

5. A storage according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the rests comprise a first rest on which one end of the support element rests and a second rest on which a second end of the support element rests.

6. A storage according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein one or more of the rests comprise a respective bracket fitted to the receptacle.

7. A storage according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein one or more of the rests are integrally formed with the receptacle.

8. A storage according to any one of claims 2 to 7, comprising a plurality of spaced apart said support elements, the support elements lying essentially parallel to one another.

9. A storage according to claim 8, wherein the support elements are disposed in the receptacle at different heights to one another.

10. A storage according to any one of claims 2 to 9, wherein each said support element of the storage is a rod.

11. A storage according to any one of claims 2 to 10, comprising a further rest for supporting a further paint brush so as to be spaced from the floor of the receptacle and whereby the further brush is retained alongside a peripheral wall of receptacle, the further rest being disposed in the interior of the receptacle.

12. A storage according to claim 11, wherein the further rest is for receiving a frame portion of a roller paint brush to retain the roller paint brush in position above the floor of the receptacle.

13. A storage according to claim 12, wherein further rest projects into the interior of the receptacle to space the roller paint brush from the peripheral wall of the receptacle.

14. A storage according to claim 1, wherein the rest is for supporting the paint brush above the floor and whereby the brush is retained alongside a peripheral wall of receptacle, the rest being disposed in the interior of the receptacle.

15. A storage according to claim 14, wherein the rest comprises a respective bracket fitted to the receptacle.

16. A storage according to claim 14, wherein the rest is integrally formed with the receptacle.

17. A storage according to any one of claims 13 to 16, wherein the rest is for receiving a frame portion of a roller paint brush to retain the roller paint brush in position above the floor of the receptacle.

18. A storage according to any one of claims 14 to 17, wherein the further rest projects into the interior of the receptacle to space the roller paint brush from the peripheral wall of the receptacle.

19. A storage according to any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein the receptacle has a lid.

20. A storage according to claim 19, wherein the lid is hinged to the receptacle.

21. A storage according to claim 20, wherein the lid is detachably hinged to the receptacle.

22. A storage according to any one of claims 19 to 21, wherein the lid has a top side and an opposite underside, and the underside of the lid has a plurality of spaced apart ribs reinforcing the lid.

23. A storage according to any one of claims 1 to 22, wherein the receptacle is a bin.

24. A storage as defined in any one of claims 1 to 23 in combination with the brush, the brush being supported in the interior by the rest so as to be spaced above the floor of the receptacle.

25. A storage for storing of at least one paint brush, the storage comprising: a receptacle; at least one elongate support element; and a plurality of rests, the support element extending across the receptacle from one side of the receptacle to an opposite side of the receptacle and being engaged with ones of the rests whereby the support element is supported above the floor of the receptacle by the rests, and the at least one paint brush is suspended from the at least one support element whereby a paint application portion of the paint brush is orientated downwardly and spaced above the floor of the receptacle.

26. A storage for storing at least one paint brush, the storage comprising a receptacle and at least one rest for receiving a frame portion of a roller paint brush to support the roller paint brush in position whereby the brush is spaced above the floor, the frame portion of the paint brush being engaged with the rest whereby the brush is retained alongside an inner face of a peripheral wall of the receptacle.

27. A method of storing a paint brush, comprising: providing a storage as defined in any one of claims 1 to 23; and locating the paint brush in the receptacle so that the brush is supported in the interior of the receptacle above the floor of the receptacle by said rest or ones of the rests.