AU2018100134A4

AU2018100134A4 - Component for attachment to a container

Info

Publication number: AU2018100134A4
Application number: AU2018100134A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Giuseppe Rossi
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2017-02-21
Filing date: 2018-01-31
Publication date: 2018-03-15
Anticipated expiration: 2026-01-31

Abstract

- 10 Abstract The present disclosure provides a component for attachment 5 to a container, the container having an opening at a top portion, and at least one side wall. The component (10) comprises an attachment portion for attaching the component to the top portion of the container, a surface coupled to the attachment portion, wherein the attachment 10 portion is arranged such that, when the component is attached to the container, a lower portion of the surface is positioned over or within the container, and has a lower edge. The lower portion of the surface with the lower edge is inclined relative to an adjacent side wall 15 portion by an angle of less than 90' between the adjacent side wall portion and a tangential line at the lower edge. 9919328_1 (GHMatters) P105124.AU.2 31/01/18 Figure la Figure 1b 9911334 1 (GHMatters) P105124.AU.2

Description

COMPONENT FOR ATTACHMENT TO A CONTAINER

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a component for attachment to a container, such as, although not limited to, a paint can.

Background Art

Paint cans usually have upper rims with grooves that facilitate attachment of a lid. The upper rims are commonly used by a painter to scrape the paint brush and remove excess paint. As a consequence paint may accumulate in the grooves, eventually spill over the upper rims, and run down the sides of the paint can. Paint accumulated in the grooves may dry during storage, which prevents satisfactory sealing of the can when the lid attached. Imperfect sealing of the can causes hardening of the paint.

Summary of Disclosure

In a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a component for attachment to a container, the container having an opening at a top portion, and at least one side wall, the component comprising: an attachment portion for attaching the component to the top portion of the container; a surface coupled to the attachment portion, the surface having a lower edge; wherein the component is arranged such that, when the component is attached to the container, a lower portion of the surface with the lower edge is positioned over or within the container, and wherein the lower portion of the surface with the lower edge is inclined relative to an adjacent side wall portion by an angle of less than 90° between the adjacent side wall portion and a tangential line at the lower edge.

The surface may further have an upper edge and may be arranged such that, when the component is attached to the container, the entire surface between the upper edge and the lower edge is inclined relative to an adjacent side wall portion such that an angle between the adjacent side wall portion and the tangential line at the lower edge of the lower surface portion is less than 90°.

The entire surface may be uniformly inclined.

The angle between the adjacent side wall portion and the tangential line at the lower edge of the lower surface portion may be less than 80°, between 30° and 60°, or between 40° and 50°.

In one embodiment, the angle between the adjacent side wall portion and the tangential line at the lower edge of the lower surface portion is substantially 45°.

In one embodiment, the entire surface between the upper edge and the lower edge is positioned over or within the container.

The attachment component may be attachable to portion of the container and may have a generally arc-like shape for attachment to a container having a generally round cross-sectional shape. Alternatively, attachment component may be attachable to portion of the container and may have a generally round shape for attachment to a container having a generally round cross-sectional shape. In this case the attachment component may surround the container. The attachment component may alternatively have any other suitable shape for attachment to containers having any suitable shape.

In one embodiment, the component comprises elastic material and may be elastically deformable to be attachable to containers of various shapes and diameters, such as cylindrical containers or cubic containers.

The component may comprise or may be composed of a polymeric material.

The component may further comprise a spout member.

The spout member may be removably attached to the component.

In one embodiment, the spout member is positioned between the upper edge and the lower edge of the surface, wherein, when the component is attached to the container, the entire surface between the upper edge and the lower edge is positioned within the container.

In one embodiment, the container is a paint can. The component presents several advantages when used for attachment to a paint can. As in use at least the lower surface portion is inclined towards or into the opening of the paint can, the attachment allows scraping the paint brush and removing excess paint while substantially avoiding spilling the paint over the top portion of the paint can, and over the side wall. Residual paint on the surface of the component is further allowed to flow back toward the inside of the container.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Notwithstanding any other forms which may fall within the scope of the disclosure as set forth in the Summary, specific embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure la is a perspective view of a component for attachment to a container in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure lb is a perspective view of a component for attachment to a container, when attached to a container, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2a is a cross-sectional view of the surface of a component for attachment to a container in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2b is a perspective view of a component for attachment to a container, when attached to the container, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a component for attachment to a container, when attached to the container, in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description of Specific Embodiments

The present disclosure relates to a component for attachment to a container. The container may be a paint can, however it is envisaged that the container may be any kind of container, containing any kind of content, and having any size or shape.

With reference to Figures la and lb, there is shown a component 10 for attachment to a container 12. In this particular example, the container 12 is a paint can having an opening 13 at a top portion 14, and a side wall 15. The component 10 comprises an attachment portion 16 for attaching the component 10 to the top portion 14 of the container 12, and a surface 17 coupled to the attachment portion 16. The surface 17 has a lower portion 18 that, when the component 10 is attached to the container 12, is positioned within the container 10. The lower portion 18 has a lower edge 19, and the lower portion 18 with the lower edge 19 is inclined relative to an adjacent side wall portion 20 by an angle 21 of less than 90° between the adjacent side wall portion 20 and a tangential line 22 at the lower edge 19 of the lower portion 18. In this particular example, the angle 21 is 45°.

The surface 17 further has an upper edge 23 that is positioned over the container 12. The entire surface 17 between the upper edge 23 and the lower edge 19 has a constant slope, and is uniformly inclined relative to the adjacent side wall portion 20 such that the angle 21 between the adjacent side wall portion 20 and the tangential line 22 at the lower edge 19 of the lower portion 18 is 45°.

It is however envisaged that the angle 21 between the adjacent side wall portion 20 and the tangential line 22 at the lower edge 19 of the lower portion 18 may be any angle that is less than 80°, between 30° and 60°, or between 40° and 50°.

In this example, the component 10 is made out of elastic material such that the component 10 can be stretched to fit onto containers having different diameters and shapes.

The positioning of at least the lower portion 18 of the surface 17 of the component over or within the container 12 allows scraping of excess paint from a paint brush at the lower edge 19 while substantially avoiding spilling paint over the top portion 14 of the paint can 12 and over the side wall 15. The inclination of the surface 17 relative to the adjacent side wall portion 20 further allows residual paint on the surface 17 to flow back toward the inside of the paint can 12.

In another example, with reference to Figures 2a and 2b, the surface 17 has a slope that is monotonically decreasing between the upper edge 23 and the lower edge 18. The entire surface 17 between the upper edge 23 and the lower edge 18 is positioned over the container 12, and is inclined relative to an adjacent side wall portion 20 such that the angle 21 between the adjacent side wall portion 20 and the tangential line 22 at the lower edge 19 is less than 90°.

Figure 3 illustrates the component 10 further comprising a spout member 24. The entire surface 17 is positioned within the container 12, and is inclined relative to the adjacent side wall portion 20 such that the angle 21 between the adjacent side wall portion 20 and the tangential line 22 at the lower edge 19 is less than 90°, in this example 45. The spout member 24 is positioned between the upper edge 23 and the lower edge 19 of the surface 17, and is preferably positioned closest to the upper edge 23 so as to minimise spills of paint on the surface 17, which spills could further flow toward the side wall 15 or the top portion 14 of the container 12.

It is further envisaged that the component 10 comprises a spout member 24 is removably attached to the component 10.

In the claims which follow and in the preceding description of the invention, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word "comprise" or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising" is used in an inclusive sense, i.e. to specify the presence of the stated features in various embodiments of the invention.

Modifications and variations as would be apparent to a skilled addressee are determined to be within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

Claims

1. A component for attachment to a container, the container having an opening at a top portion and having at least one side wall, the component comprising: an attachment portion for attaching the component to the top portion of the container; and a surface coupled to the attachment portion, the surface having a lower edge; wherein the component is arranged such that, when the component is attached to the container, a lower portion of the surface with the lower edge is positioned over or within the container, and wherein the lower portion of the surface with the lower edge is inclined relative to an adjacent side wall portion by an angle of less than 90° between the adjacent side wall portion and a tangential line at the lower edge.
2. The component of claim 1, wherein the surface further has an upper edge, which is arranged such that, when the component is attached to the container, the entire surface between the upper edge and the lower edge is inclined relative to an adjacent side wall portion such that an angle between the adjacent side wall portion and the tangential line at the lower edge of the lower surface portion is less than 90°.
3. The component of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the angle between the adjacent side wall portion and the tangential line at the lower edge of the lower surface portion is between 30° and 60°.
4. The component of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a spout member.
5. The component of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the container is a can of paint.