Paint can liner

Abstract

A multipurpose attachment for cylindrical cans containing paints, varnishes and the like, which snap-fit engages to the top of the open cans and having uniformly thin, structurally rigid, and singularly molded construction that is disposable. The paint can liner protects the can's sealing channel into which the lid of a metal can mates, and provides an array of benefits suitable for either metal or plastic paint cans. In its preferred embodiment, primarily for gallon or similarly sized containers, the liner includes a pouring spout, an optional filter for use while pouring, a ribbed sloping surface for rolling excess paint from mini rollers, a horizontal shelf for resting either mini roller or paintbrush, and a linear edge for wiping excess paint from brushes.

1 . A paint can attachment for the top of an open typical metal cylindrical paint can, the metal can having an exposed annular rim with an inwardly projected annular ridge defining the innermost circumference of the rim, the attachment comprising:
 a singular thin-walled body forming an annular mounting ring adapted to mount to and enclose the exposed annular rim;   an annular top-wall portion having about its inner and outer peripheries downwardly extending interior and exterior annular side-wall portions;   an annular mounting groove within the interior side-wall adapted to engage with and seal against the annular ridge;   the interior side-wall tapering conically inward and having a diameter at its base less than a diameter of the annular ridge, and having a diameter directly below the mounting groove greater than the diameter of the annular ridge; and   the thin-walled body formed into a singular body from a material sufficiently resilient to permit momentary compression of the interior side-wall during attachment.   
   
   
       2 . The paint can attachment of  claim 1  formed by acting upon an initially flat sheet of plastically deformable material to displace out of the plane of the sheet all molded features contained therein, with exterior and interior edges further defined by severing the sheet material from the body. 
   
   
       3 . The paint can attachment of  claim 2  wherein the molded features are tapered to permit a plurality of the attachments to be stacked in nested relation to each other. 
   
   
       4 . The paint can attachment of  claim 1  wherein the interior side-wall portion extending below the exterior side-wall portion of the mounting ring, and is tapered such that when the mounting ring is in a rested but unattached position on the annular ridge of the can, the interior side-wall is the only portion of the mounting ring to making contact the exposed annular rim. 
   
   
       5 . The paint can attachment of  claim 1  wherein the mounting ring comprises a pull-tab portion adapted to enable gripping and lifting of the mounting ring thereby facilitating removal of the attachment from the can. 
   
   
       6 . The paint can attachment of  claim 1  comprising a laterally horizontal shelf portion that is formed within an arcuate section of the interior side-wall portion below the mounting groove of the mounting ring, thereby providing means for resting and wiping the wet bristles of a typical paintbrush while retaining an unbroken seal to the annular ridge. 
   
   
       7 . The paint can attachment of  claim 6  comprising an array of openings within the shelf to permit the flow of paint up through the shelf during pouring, and to flow down through the shelf. 
   
   
       8 . The paint can attachment of  claim 1  comprising a pouring spout portion extending upward from an arcuate section of the interior side-wall portion below the mounting groove of the mounting ring, thereby providing pouring means while adapted to retain an unbroken seal with the annular ridge. 
   
   
       9 . The paint can attachment of  claim 8  comprising a channel at the juncture of the pouring spout portion and the interior side-wall portion of the mounting ring, and adapted to channel paint dripping down the pouring spout back into the can. 
   
   
       10 . The paint can attachment of  claim 8  comprising a laterally horizontal shelf portion extending outwardly from the interior base of the pouring spout and terminating at its extremities to the interior side-wall below the mounting groove, thereby adapted to support and provide a wiping surface for wet bristles of a typical paintbrush while retaining an unbroken seal to the annular ridge. 
   
   
       11 . The paint can attachment of  claim 10  comprising an array of openings within the shelf adapted to permit the flow of paint up through the shelf during pouring, and to flow down through the shelf. 
   
   
       12 . The paint can attachment of  claim 8  wherein:
 the pouring spout is defined by a convex outer-wall portion concentric to and adjacent to the interior side-wall portion of the mounting ring, and a downwardly sloping inner-wall portion connecting at upper and outer peripheries of the outer-wall;   the inner-wall having a generally planar configuration at its base with increasing concavity toward an apex of the inner-wall; and   an array of openings in the inner-wall adapted to filter out solid paint matter when paint is poured from the can.   
   
   
       13 . The paint can attachment of  claim 12  comprising a channel formed at the juncture of the pouring spout and the interior side-wall and adapted to channeled paint dripping down the pouring spout back into the can. 
   
   
       14 . The paint can attachment of  claim 12  wherein the inner-wall portion of the pouring spout forms an array of upwardly extending protrusions having apexes and the combined apexes of the protrusions provide a generally planar surface adapted to enable rolling out excess paint from a small paint roller. 
   
   
       15 . The paint can attachment of  claim 12  comprising a laterally horizontal shelf portion extending outwardly from the interior base of the pouring spout and terminating at its extremities to the interior side-wall below the mounting groove, thereby adapted to support either a wet paintbrush or the paint roller and to provide a wiping surface for the bristles of the paintbrush while retaining an unbroken seal to the annular ridge. 
   
   
       16 . The paint can attachment of  claim 12  comprising a fault line stamped into the inner-wall portion near an apex of the pouring spout that defines a tear-out section for providing a relatively large opening within the inner-wall and adapted to permit paint to be poured more rapidly through the pouring spout when filtration is not required. 
   
   
       17 . The paint can attachment of  claim 16  comprising a pull-tab portion extending upwardly from within a boundary of the fault line and adapted to enable a user to grip and remove a tear-out section formed in the attachment. 
   
   
       18 . A paint can attachment for the top of an open typical plastic cylindrical paint can, the plastic can having an exposed annular rim with an outwardly projected sealing ridge defining the outermost circumference of the rim, the attachment comprising:
 a singular thin-walled body forming an annular mounting ring adapted to mount to and enclose the exposed annular rim;   an annular top-wall portion having about its inner and outer peripheries downwardly extending interior and exterior annular side-wall portions;   an annular mounting groove within the exterior side-wall adapted to engage with and seal against the annular sealing ridge;   the exterior side-wall tapering conically outward and having a diameter at its base greater than a diameter of the annular sealing ridge, and having a diameter directly below the mounting groove less than the diameter of the annular sealing ridge; and   the thin-walled body formed into a singular body from a material sufficiently resilient to permit momentary compression of the exterior side-wall during attachment.   
   
   
       19 . The paint can attachment of  claim 18  formed by acting upon an initially flat sheet of plastically deformable material to displace out of the plane of the sheet all molded features contained therein, with exterior and interior edges being further defined by severing such sheet material from the body. 
   
   
       20 . The paint can attachment of  claim 19  wherein the molded features are tapered to permit a plurality of the attachments to be stacked in nested relation to each other. 
   
   
       21 . The paint can attachment of  claim 18  wherein the exterior side-wall portion extends below the interior side-wall portion of the mounting ring, and is tapered such that when the mounting ring is in a rested but unattached position on the sealing ridge of the can, the exterior side-wall is the only portion of the mounting ring making contact the exposed annular rim. 
   
   
       22 . The paint can attachment of  claim 18  wherein the mounting ring comprises a pull-tab adapted to enable gripping and lifting of the mounting ring thereby facilitating removal of the attachment from the can. 
   
   
       23 . The paint can attachment of  claim 18  comprising a laterally horizontal shelf portion that is formed within an arcuate section of the interior side-wall portion of the mounting ring, thereby providing means for resting and wiping the wet bristles of a typical paintbrush. 
   
   
       24 . The paint can attachment of  claim 23  comprising an array of openings within the shelf to permit the flow of paint up through the shelf during pouring, and to flow down through the shelf. 
   
   
       25 . The paint can attachment of  claim 18  comprising a pouring spout portion extending upward from an arcuate section of the interior side-wall portion of the mounting ring. 
   
   
       26 . The paint can attachment of  claim 25  comprising a channel at a juncture of the pouring spout portion and the interior side-wall portion of the mounting ring, and adapted to channel paint dripping down the pouring spout back into the can. 
   
   
       27 . The paint can attachment of  claim 25  comprising a laterally horizontal shelf portion extending outwardly from the interior base of the pouring spout and terminating at its extremities to the interior side-wall, thereby adapted to support either a wet paintbrush or a paint roller and to provide a wiping surface for the bristles of the paintbrush. 
   
   
       28 . The paint can attachment of  claim 27  comprising an array of openings within the shelf adapted to permit the flow of paint up through the shelf during pouring, and to flow down through the shelf. 
   
   
       29 . The paint can attachment of  claim 25  wherein:
 the pouring spout is defined by a convex outer-wall portion concentric to and adjacent to the interior side-wall portion of the mounting ring, and a downwardly sloping inner-wall portion connecting at upper and outer peripheries of the outer-wall;   the inner-wall having a generally planar configuration at its base with increasing concavity toward an apex of the inner-wall; and   an array of openings in the inner-wall adapted to filter out solid paint matter when paint is poured from the can.   
   
   
       30 . The paint can attachment of  claim 29  comprising a channel formed at a juncture of the pouring spout and the interior side-wall and adapted to channel paint dripping down the pouring spout back into the can. 
   
   
       31 . The paint can attachment of  claim 29  wherein the inner-wall portion of the pouring spout forms an array of upwardly extending protrusions having apexes and the combined apexes of the protrusions provide a generally planar surface adapted to enable rolling out excess paint from a small paint roller. 
   
   
       32 . The paint can attachment of  claim 29  comprising a laterally horizontal shelf portion extending outwardly from the interior base of the pouring spout and terminating at its extremities at the interior side-wall below the mounting groove, and adapted to support either a wet paintbrush or the paint roller and to provide a wiping surface for the bristles of the paintbrush. 
   
   
       33 . The paint can attachment of  claim 29  comprising a fault line stamped into the inner-wall portion near an apex of the pouring spout that defines a tear-out section for providing a relatively large opening within the inner-wall and adapted to permit paint to be poured more rapidly through the pouring spout when filtration is not required. 
   
   
       34 . The paint can attachment of  claim 33  comprising a pull-tab portion extending upwardly from within a boundary of the fault line and adapted to enable a user to grip and remove the tear-out section.