AU710915B3 - A drip guard for a can - Google Patents

Description

P/00/012 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A PETTY

PATENT

Name of Applicant: Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for Service: FRANK VADALA 119 Dyson St SOUTH PERTH WA 6151 FRANK VADALA 119 Dyson St SOUTH PERTH WA 6151 Petty Complete Specification for the invention entitled: A DRIP GUARD FOR A CAN Details of Associated Provisional Applications Nos: PQ 1031 filed 21 June 1999 Details of Parent Application for Divisional Application: The following is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:- -2- A DRIP GUARD FOR A CAN The present invention relates to a guard for preventing drips from a can. In particular, the drip guard is for use on any type of can, container or canister which holds liquids such as paint or varnish.

When painting, a paint brush is often dipped in a can of paint and then wiped on the rim to remove excess paint from the brush. This can often cause some of the paint wiped on the rim to either enter the channel around the rim that the paint can lid engages with to seal the paint can or, paint drips down the outside of the can. Both of these situations are undesirable as paint in the channel can often overflow over the rim and down the side of the can when the can is sealed with the can lid and paint running down the outside of the can is messy and wasteful.

There is therefore a need for a drip guard which prevents liquid, such as paint from entering the channel around the rim and/or prevents the liquid from dripping down the side of the can. The present invention seeks to address this need.

According to the present invention there is a drip guard for a can including: an engaging portion for engaging a rim of the can; an annular inclined member connected to the can engaging portion, oriented such that in use, liquid runs down the upper surface of the member and into the can while still providing an opening to allow access to the contents of the can; and an upwardly projecting flange connected to the can engaging portion for preventing liquid running over the outer side of the guard, wherein the can engaging portion has a downward projection which is of a complimentary shape to a channel in the rim of the can, whereby the downward projection is receivable by the channel and relatively easily removed from the can, wherein the upwardly projecting flange is relatively higher than the annular inclined member so that liquid tends to run down the annular inclined member without substantially collecting on the drip guard, wherein the annular inclined member is ~_iiCl_;i_ ^-XII -2Aspaced from the upwardly projecting flange by a substantially horizontal platform connecting the inclined member to the flange, whereby liquid is more easily prevented from running over the outer edge of the guard and is more inclined to run down the annular inclined member into the can._ R-~ii; 1 J~~N Q

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In order to provide a better understanding, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an upper perspective view of a preferred form of a drip guard in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the drip guard of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the drip guard of Figure 1 in use; and Figure 4 is a portion of the cross-sectional view of Figure 2.

Referring to the figures, there is a drip guard 10 which includes a can engaging portion 12 which is of annular shape and has a downward projection which engages a channel 16 which extends around a rim 20 of a can 18. The channel 16 normally receives a downward projection of a lid (not shown) of the can 18.

Opposite the downward projection 14, the can engaging portion 12 includes horizontal platform 22. The horizontal platform 22 substantially covers the rim 20 of the can 18 when viewed from above, to prevent paint from entering the channel 16.

The drip guard 10 also includes an upwardly projecting flange 24 which extends from the circumference of the horizontal platform 22. The upwardly projecting flange 24 prevents liquid from running over the outside of the drip guard The drip guard 10 also includes an inclined member 26, annular in shape, that extends from the horizontal platform 22 down toward the inside of the can 18. In use, liquid may run from the horizontal platform 22 down the inclined member 26 and into the can 18. The inclined member 26 extends, in use, further inside the can 18 than the inner .nost part of the rim 20 of the can 18 so that liquid does not make contact with the rim as it runs into the inside of the can 18. The annular shape of the inclined member 26 defines an opening 28 which allows access to the inside of the can 18 in use. The size of the opening 28 is preferably only slightly smaller than the opening into the can 18. Preferably, the angle of the incline is equal to or less steep than the incline of the inner most part of the rim 20 of the can 18.

-4- In use, the drip guard 10 is positioned on the rim 20 of the can 18 so- that the downward projection 14 sits within the channel 16 of the rim 20 of the can 18. The drip guard 10 then securely rests on the rim 20 of the can 18. If a paintbrush is wiped on the drip guard 10 to remove excess paint, the paint stays within the drip guard 10 due to the upwardly projecting flange 24. Paint may then run from the horizontal platform 22 down the inclined member 26 and back into the can 18 as shown in Figure 3.

The drip guard 10 may also be used to support a paint brush, with the bristles of the paint brush on the platform and the handle of the paint brush on the flange. Any paint running off the bristles will go back into the can.

The foregoing preferred embodiment is described with reference to paint cans. This is not intended to limit the scope of the invention and it should be considered to be applicable to any container, canister or can for holding liquids including but not limited to paint, where dripping is a problem.

Modifications are intended to be within the scope of the present invention, which is to be determined from the foregoing description and appendant claims.

R K RAio

Claims (2)

1. A drip guard for a can including: an engaging portion for engaging a rim of the can; an annular inclined member connected to the can engaging portion, oriented such that in use, liquid runs down the upper surface of the member and into the can while still providing an opening to allow access to the contents of the can; and an upwardly projecting flange connected to the can engaging portion for preventing liquid running over the outer side of the guard, wherein the can engaging portion has a downward projection which is of a complimentary shape to a channel in the rim of the can, whereby the downward projection is receivable by the channel and relatively easily removed from the can, wherein the upwardly projecting flange is relatively higher than the annular inclined member so that liquid tends to run down the annular inclined member without substantially collecting on the drip guard, wherein the annular inclined member is spaced from the upwardly projecting flange by a substantially horizontal platform connecting the inclined member to the flange, whereby liquid is more easily prevented from running over the outer edge of the guard and is more inclined to run down the annular inclined member into the can.

2. A drip guard according to claim 1, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated this 12th day of August

1999. FRANK VADALA By His Patent Attorneys GRIFFITH HACK Fellows Institute of Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys of Australia \keep\speci\adriguaf.pp