IE44021B1 - A paint tray - Google Patents

Description

Wtien the paint tray is to be used with a roller, the plate 23 is removed while the roller is used to apply paint to the wall or other surface and when painting is finished the plate 23 is placed between the two walls 13 and 14 with the part circular recess 27 uppermost. The roller is then passed through the recess so that excess paint on the roller is removed by the edge of tne recess. Thus, a considerable amount of paint can be removed from the roller before the roller is washed or cleaned in the usual way.

When the paint tray has been used with a paint pad the plate 23 is inserted between the two walls 13 and 14 with its knife edge 26 uppermost and the paint filled surface of the pad moved across the knife edge so as to remove excess paint. Similarly the paint tray could be used with a brush and the brush cleaned or excess paint removed from it by moving the brush across the knife edge 26.' · It will thus be seen that by using the plate or blade of the present invention a considerable amount of paint can be saved which would otherwise be wasted during the normal washing or cleaning processes. In addition, the plate or blade enables excess paint to be removed from a pad or brush during painting in such a way as to ensure that paint does not run over the sides of the tray as would happen if the sides of the tray were used to remove excess paint.

The paint tray comprises a receptacle or well for paint indicated generally at 10. The receptacle is generally rectangular when seen in plan view and has front and back walls 11, 12 and two opposite side walls 13, 14. An outw.ardly extending flange 15 5 extends around the upper edge of the receptacle. The base of the tray which can be seen most clearly in Figure 2 comprises a first section indicated generally at 16 which extends substantially horizontally, a second section 17 which extends generally vertically and a third, inclined section IS. The front wall 11 and the 10 sections 16 and 17 define a deep portion of the tray for receiving paint. The inclined section 18 defines a portion along which a paint roller may be pushed so as to distribute paint from the deep portion of the tray over the entire surface of the roller. To assist evenly distributing the paint, the inclined portion 18 is i5 provided with a large number of circular proturberances 19.

Legs 21 are provided adjacent the rear wall 12 of the tray, the base of each leg being on a level with the portion 16 so as to ensure that the tray is steady when on a level surface. As can be seen from Figure 3, at each side of the inclined portion 18 .20 adjacent the walls 13, 14 is a ϋ-shaped channel 22 by means of which excess paint drains from the inclined portion 18 back into the deep recess adjacent the front wall 11 of the tray.

A plate or blade 23 is removably mounted between the side walls 13 arid 14 of the tray at a position approximately one third of the 25 way up the inclined surface 18. Tne ends 24 of the plate are received in complementary recesses 25 formed in the side walls 13 and 14 of the tray. The plate 23 has a knife edge 26 formed along its lower surface, as seen in the Figures, and a part circular recess 27 formed in its upper surface, the edge of the recess 27 30 being formed with inclined surfaces 28 so as to form a second knife edge. 14021 This invention relates to a paint tray for use with a paint applicator which may be a pad, a roller or a brush.

According to the invention a paint tray includes a well for accommodating paint, a generally flat upwardly inclined rolling surface extending from the well and a removable plate or blade extending across the rolling surface and having at least one edge across which a paint applicator may be passed so as to remove paint from the applicator. The plate or blade ls removable so that it may be mounted on the tray with either sf two edges uppermost. One of said edges may be formed with a -.nife edge which may be used for removing excess paint from a >ad or a paint brush; the other edge may be formed with a recess rhich is preferably part-circular and which can be used for •emoving excess paint from a paint roller.

Thus with a paint tray of the present invention a considerable mount of paint may pe saved as excess paint can be removed from paint applicator before the applicator is cleaned. Additionally, he use of the plate or blade instead of» for example, the sides of he paint tray, prevents excess paint dripping down the sides of he tray onto the surface on which the tray is standing.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described y way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in lich:Figure 1 is a plan view of a paint tray; Figure 2 is a section on the line II-II of Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a section on the line III-III of Figure 1

Claims (7)

1. A paint tray including a well for accommodating .paint, a generally flat upwardly inclined rolling surface extending from the well and a removable plate or blade extending across the roiling surface and having at least one edge across which a paint 5 applicator may be passed so as to remove paint from the applicator.

2. A paint tray as claimed in claim 1 in which the one edge of the removable plate or blade is in the form of a knife edge and provides a paint removal edge.

3. A parnt tray as claimed in claim 1 in which a second 10 edge of the removable plate or blade is formed with a recess, the edge of the recess forming a paint removal edge.

4. A paint tray as claimed in claim 3 in which the recess is part-circular.

5. a paint tray as claimed in claim 1 in which the one 15 edge of the removable plate or blade is formed with a knife edge so as to form a paint removal edge and the opposite edge of the removable plate or blade is formed with a recess, the edge of the recess forming a second paint removal edge.

6. A paint tray as claimed in claim 5 in which the 20 recess is part-circular,

7. A paint tray substantially as described herein with reference t·· and as shown in the accompanying drawings.