[0001] The present invention relates to a paint container.
[0002] Known paint containers include a main body comprising an outer wall and a base, and
a closure which seals onto a rim of the outer wall to prevent paint in the container
from drying. Such paint containers also include a handle which is mounted on the outer
wall body, and moveable between a resting position which is typically when the container
is displayed in a retail display stand, and a carrying position to enable the container
to be removed from the display stand.
[0003] Known paint containers also include a skirt located on the outer wall of the main
body and positioned just below the rim. The purpose of the skirt is to provide rigidity
around the rim area. The skirt also includes a projection which retains the handle
in the resting position.
[0004] Known paint containers typically have a front face, a rear face, and two side faces.
The front face also displays contents information, i.e. information about the paint
in the container, for example, paint colour and finish. The container is oriented
on the display stand such that the front face is visible to a consumer when stood
in front of the stand.
[0005] It would be desirable to be able to position paint containers on the display stand
with either the front face or side face visible, and still be able to view the contents
information, as this different display stand configurations. When the front face is
wider than the side face, it is possible to display more containers within a given
display stand width by positioning the container such that the side face, as opposed
to the front face is visible.
[0006] Whilst it is possible to simply reorientate the paint container such that either
the side face or front face is visible, the handle must still be accessible such that
it can be manipulated from the resting position towards the carrying position to enable
to the container to be removed from the display stand.
[0007] Thus, according to the present invention there is provided a paint container comprising
a main body, a closure to seal the main body, and a handle, the main body having an
outer wall, a base, and a skirt located on, and extending at least partially around,
the outer wall, in which the skirt includes a lower surface and has undercut extending
therefrom that enables a user to manipulate the handle to move it from the resting
position towards the carrying position.
[0008] Preferably the undercut is positioned on one of the corners of the skirt, thereby
enabling the handle to be manipulated when a front or side face of the container is
forward facing.
[0009] The invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the
accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a paint container according to the present invention,
Figure 2 and 3 are perspective views of the paint container of Figure 1,
Figures 3A and 3B are side sectional view of part of the paint container of Figure
1,
Figure 4 is an enlarged perspective view of part of the paint container of Figure
1,
Figures 5 and 6 are perspective views of the paint container of Figure 1,
Figures 7 and 8 are end views of the paint container of Figure 1,
Figure 9 is an enlarged end view of part of the paint container of Figure 1,
Figures 10 to 14 are perspective views of part of the paint container of Figure 1,
Figure 15 is a plan view from above the paint container of Figure 1,
Figure 15A is a side sectional view showing part of the paint container of Figure
1,
Figure 16 is a plan view from underneath of the paint container of Figure 1,
Figure 17 is a perspective view of the paint container of Figure 1,
Figures 18 and 19 are enlarged plan views from underneath the paint container of Figure
1,
Figure 20 is a perspective view of part of the paint container of Figure 1,
Figure 21 is a perspective view of the paint container of Figure 1, and
Figures 21 and 22 are front view of the paint container of Figure 1 on a display stand.
[0010] With reference to Figures 1 to 22 there is shown a paint container 10 having a main
body 12, a closure 14, and a handle 16.
[0011] The main body 12 is defined by a right side wall 18, a left side wall 20, a front
wall 22, a rear wall 24, and a base 26. The side walls 18,20 and front 22 and rear
walls 24 define an outer periphery 15 of the main body 12 which is substantially rectangular
in plan, front, and side profile. The main body 12 includes a rim 13 (partially shown
in Figures 3A and 3B) onto which the closure 14 snap-fits and seals in a known way
to prevent paint (not shown) in the container from being exposed to the atmosphere.
[0012] A front left corner 80 of the container is defined by the intersection between the
left side wall 20 and front wall 22, and a front right corner 82 of the container
is defined by the intersection between the right side wall 18 and the front wall 20
(Figure 5).
[0013] The front wall 22 includes contents information 100 (Figure 1) relating to the paint
inside the container 10.
[0014] The main body 12 further includes a skirt 28 which is substantially reverse L-shaped,
and is reinforced by a plurality of webs 30 (best shown in Figures 16 to 21) extending
outwardly from and substantially perpendicular to the outer periphery 15 of the main
body 12. The skirt 28 extends around the entire periphery 15 of the main body 12.
[0015] With reference to Figures 3A and 3B, the skirt 28 has an upper portion 32 and a downwardly
extending portion 34. The downwardly extending portion 34 is substantially parallel
to the outer periphery 15 of the main body 12.
[0016] The skirt 28 is divided either side of a centre line X-X (Figures 15 and 16) into
a front half 51 and a rear half 53. The rear half 53 of the skirt 28 has an outside
surface 55. The front half 51 of the skirt 28 has an outside surface 57 (Figure 15A).
It can be seen from Figure 15A that the outside surface 57 of the skirt 28 of the
front half 51 is inboard of the outside surface 53 of the rear half 51, giving the
skirt 28 a stepped profile in plan view.
[0017] The skirt 28 has an upper surface 21 and a lower surface 23 (Figures 3A and 3B).
[0018] The front half 51 of the skirt 28 has a left face 60, a right face 62, and a front
face 64 (Figures 1, 5, 6 and 7).
[0019] The left and right faces 60,62 include a projection 66 which extends outwardly from
each face 60,62. The front face 64 includes two projections 68 which extend outwardly
from the front face 64.
[0020] The handle 16 has a left side portion 36, a right side portion 37, and a front portion
38.
[0021] With reference to Figures 6 and 15A, the handle 16 includes an integrated inwardly
extending pin 70 near to each free end of the left and right side portions 36,37 which
locate inside a hole 72 on each left and right face 60,62 of the skirt 28 such that
the handle 16 can be moved from a resting position (Figure 6) to a carrying position
which is substantially perpendicular to the resting position.
[0022] The handle 16 sits upon each of the projections 60,62,66 of the skirt 28 to retain
it in the resting position. The stepped profile of the skirt 28 enables an outside
surface 73 of the handle 16 to be substantially flush with the outside surface 55
of the rear half 53 of the skirt 28.
[0023] The skirt 28 includes an undercut 90 or recess at each corner 92,94 on the front
half 51, each corner 92,94 being positioned at the intersection between the left face
60 and the front face 64, and the right face 62 and the front face 64 of the skirt
28. The undercut 90 extends from a lower surface 91 and is arc-like in form although
other profiles such as rectangular form are envisaged. The undercut 90 has an internal
top surface 99 which is vertically above the lower surface 91 of the skirt 28. The
undercut 90 is in a plane defined by the downwardly extending portion 34 of the skirt
28, i.e. the undercut 90 and the downwardly extending portion 34 are in the same plane.
[0024] With reference to Figures 16 and 20, the skirt 28 has a profile defined by a radius
R
S and a centre point C
s. The handle 16 also has a profile at each corner 95,95, each corner being positioned
at the respective intersection between the left side portion 36 and the front portion
37, and the right side portion 37 and the front portion 38. Each handle corner 95,96
has a profile defined by a radius R
H and a centre point C
H. It can be seen from Figure 16 that the handle centre point C
H is radially outward, i.e. closer to the outer wall of the container, of the centre
point of the skirt C
S, and that the handle radius R
H is less than the skirt radius R
S. Such an arrangement creates a gap 96 between the skirt 28 and the handle 16 in the
region of each undercut 90.
[0025] The undercut 90 enables the handle 16 to be manipulated by a user's finger or thumb
from the resting position towards the carrying position. The provision of the gap
96 facilitates the user when moving the handle 16 by reducing the likelihood of the
user's finger interfering with the skirt 28.
[0026] It will be appreciated that the provision of the gap between the handle and the skirt
is beneficial irrespective of whether or not the skirt includes an undercut.
[0027] It can be seen from Figure 1 that the handle 16 lies substantially horizontally when
in the resting position, and is also substantially parallel to the downwardly extending
portion 34, with the exception of the corner regions where the difference in radii
of the handle and skirt results in a slight deviation from corner regions being parallel.
[0028] It can also be seen from Figure 1 that the handle 16 lies between the upper and lower
surfaces 21,23 of the skirt 28 when in the resting position.
[0029] With reference to Figure 21 there is shown part of a display stand 102 upon which
four identical containers 10 are positioned (only one container being shown in detail).
Figure 21 represents the view a consumer would have when standing in front of the
display stand 102. Each container 10 is configured such that the contents information
100 is on the side wall 18, and the side wall 18 is front facing so as to be visible
to the consumer.
[0030] With reference to Figure 22 there is shown the same display stand 102 upon which
three identical containers 110 are positioned (only one container being shown in detail).
Each container 10 is configured such that contents information 100 is on the front
wall 22 as opposed to the side wall, and the front wall 22 is front facing so as to
be visible to the consumer.
[0031] A comparison of Figures 21 and 22 shows that arranging the containers with the side
walls front facing enables more containers to be displayed for a given display stand
width. This is advantageous if a greater type of a particular type of paint container
needs to be displayed.
[0032] It can be seen from Figures 21 and 22, that irrespective of the container having
the front or side wall front facing, the provision of undercut 90 on each front corner
enables the handle 16 to be manipulated towards the carrying position.
[0033] In an alternative embodiment, the undercut need only be present on only one corner
of the skirt to enable access when either the front or side wall is front facing.
[0034] Whilst the embodiment above describes a paint container where the undercut is positioned
on two corners of the skirt, it is also possible to include the undercut remote from
the corners, e.g. in the centre of the front face of the skirt. Additionally, an undercut
can be included in the side face of the skirt remote from the corner to enable the
paint container to be oriented through ninety degrees but still retain access to the
undercut when the side wall is front facing.
[0035] Thus it will be appreciated that locating a single undercut on one corner enables
the handle to be manipulated when either the front or side wall is front facing, whereas,
if the undercut is remote from the corners, two undercuts would be required, i.e.
one on the side face, and one on the front face, to enable the handle to be manipulated
when both either the front or side wall is front facing.
[0036] The embodiments above describe a rectangular paint container. The provision of an
undercut in the skirt of a non-rectangular container is also beneficial. For example,
a triangular container is envisaged where the undercut can be positioned on one, two,
or all three corners of the skirt. In the case of a circular container, the provision
of an undercut anywhere on the circumferential periphery will enable the handle to
be more easily manipulated.
1. A paint container comprising a main body, a closure to seal the main body, and a handle,
the main body having an outer wall, a base, and a skirt located on, and extending
at least partially around, the outer wall, in which the skirt includes a lower surface
and has an undercut extending therefrom that enables a user to manipulate the handle
to move it from the resting position towards the carrying position.
2. A paint container according to claim 1 in which the skirt includes at least one outwardly
extending projection upon which the handle sits when in the resting position.
3. A paint container according to claim 1 or 2 comprising a front wall, a rear wall,
and two side walls, a corner being defined on the skirt on at each intersection between
the front and side walls, in which the undercut is positioned on at least one corner
such that the container can be positioned with either the front wall or side walls
forward facing and still enable a user to manipulate the handle to move it from the
resting position towards the carrying position.
4. A paint container according to any preceding claim in which the handle is arranged
relative to the skirt such that, when in the resting position, there is a gap therebetween
so as to minimise interference when manipulating the handle from the resting position
towards the carrying position.
5. A paint container according to claim 4 in which the gap is positioned adjacent the
undercut.
6. A paint container according to claim 4 or claim 5 when dependant on claim 4 in which
the corner of the skirt is defined by a skirt radius and a skirt centre point, and
the handle has a corner in the region of the corner of the skirt defined by a handle
radius and a handle centre point, in which the handle radius is less than the skirt
radius, and the handle centre point is positioned radially outwards of the skirt centre
point.
7. A paint container comprising a main body having at least one front wall, at least
one side wall, a closure to seal the main body, and a handle moveable between a resting
and a carrying position, the at least one front and side walls defining an outer periphery
of the paint container, the main body including a skirt which extends at least partially
around the outer periphery, in which the skirt has a corner at each intersection between
the front and side walls, the corner being defined by a skirt radius and a skirt centre
point, and the handle has a corner in the region of the corner of the skirt defined
by a handle radius and a handle centre point, in which the handle radius is less than
the skirt radius, and the handle centre point is radially outward of the skirt centre
point such that a gap is created between the skirt and the handle, thereby enabling
a user to manipulate the handle from the resting position towards the carrying position.
8. A paint container according to any preceding claim, the skirt having an outer surface,
the handle having an outer surface, in which the outer surfaces are substantially
flush to each other when the handle is in the resting position.
9. A paint container according to any preceding claim, the skirt having an upper surface
and a lower surface, in which the handle lies between the upper and lower surfaces
when the handle is in the resting position.
10. A paint container as substantially described herein with reference to the accompanying
drawings.