Containers for storing paint, food, and other substances have been in use for many years, and most such containers generally have lids that keep the contents from spilling out. Often containers need to be watertight or airtight or must be sealed to keep out contaminants, but such sealed containers are often difficult to open and close, and once the seal is broken, are not resealable and require tools to be opened or closed. A lid for a paint container, for example, is necessary to keep the paint from drying out. When not in use painting tools such as brushes and rollers must be paint-free in order to prevent the paint from drying in the brush. Many times painters must leave a painting job partially done, whether for a lunch break or an end of day work stoppage or other reason. Under these circumstances, the painter must cover the paint container and clean the painting tools so that they do not dry out and become unusable.
Covering and cleaning paint containers and tools is time a consuming and potentially messy procedure. Some painters have tried to overcome these problems by covering their brushes with plastic wrap or the like, however this procedure tends to be messy and does not always insure that the tools are completely covered, in which case they may dry out. Some painters store their brushes in a jar of solvent or water, in the case of water-based paints. This technique can cause the bristles to bend and become permanently deformed.
Paint container lids are also problematic in that when a can or bucket is closed while paint is in lid receiving rim of the can or bucket, the lid can become stuck to the point that it takes great effort to remove it. Even if there is no paint in the receiving rim, a tool such as a screwdriver is needed to pry open the lid. This process is time consuming and requires the user to have a screwdriver or other lever tool handy.
Finally, a person using traditional sealed containers can has no way to lock the lid of the can so that unauthorized persons can not easily get into the paint or other items that may be stored inside the container.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds