Multi-purpose bucket, particularly for painting

Abstract

A bucket includes a first bay and a second bay, with an upwardly-extending retaining channel situated between the bays. The first bay is sized and configured such that it is particularly well-suited for containing liquids such as paint, washing fluid, etc., and the second bay is particularly well-suited for holding tools such as paint-brushes, cleaning brushes, etc. The bucket may be installed on a ladder strut/rung, sawhorse beam, or other elongated horizontal structure by inserting this structure within the retaining channel such that the bucket is supported on the structure.

1 . A bucket including adjacent first and second bays wherein:
 a. the first bay has a first bay internal depression defined between:
 i. a first bay front wall, 
 ii. a first bay rear wall opposite the first bay front wall and adjacent the second bay, 
 iii. a continuously curving first bay floor, 
 iv. a first bay right wall extending between the first bay front wall, the first bay rear wall, and the first bay floor, 
 v. a first bay left wall opposite the first bay right wall, the first bay left wall extending between the first bay front wall, the first bay rear wall, and the first bay floor, 
 wherein the first bay rear wall and first bay front wall each include: 
 (1) an at least substantially planar portion between the first bay right and left walls, the substantially planar portion defining a major portion of each of the first bay rear wall and first bay front wall; 
 (2) a curved portion between the first bay right and left walls, the curved portion:
 (a) defining a minor portion of each of the first bay front wall and first bay rear wall, and 
 (b) continuing into the first bay floor, the first bay floor curving below the bottom of the first bay front wall and the bottom of the first bay rear wall; 
 
   b. the second bay has a second bay internal depression defined between:
 i. a second bay front wall adjacent the first bay, 
 ii. a second bay rear wall opposite the second bay front wall, 
 iii. a second bay floor, 
 iv. a second bay right wall extending between the second bay front wall, the second bay rear wall, and the second bay floor, 
 v. a second bay left wall opposite the second bay right wall, the second bay left wall extending between the second bay front wall, the second bay rear wall, and the second bay floor, 
   wherein a retaining channel is defined between the first bay rear wall and the second bay front wall, the retaining channel narrowing between the first bay rear wall and the second bay front wall as the retaining channel extends upwardly from an open bottom channel mouth.   
     
     
         2 . The bucket of  claim 1  wherein:
 a. the first bay front wall descends downwardly from a first bay front wall top, 
 b. the second bay front wall descends downwardly from a ledge, and 
 c. the ledge is situated below the first bay front wall top. 
 
     
     
         3 . The bucket of  claim 1  wherein:
 a. a peripheral bucket rim bounds the perimeter of the bucket, the peripheral bucket rim being at least partially defined by:
 (1) a first bay front wall top on the first bay front wall, from which the first bay front wall descends, 
 (2) a first bay right wall top on the first bay right wall, from which the first bay right wall descends, 
 (3) a first bay left wall top on the first bay left wall, from which the first bay left wall descends, 
 (4) a second bay rear wall top on the second bay rear wall, from which the second bay rear wall descends, 
 (5) a second bay right wall top on the second bay right wall, from which the second bay right wall descends, and 
 (6) a second bay left wall top on the second bay left wall, from which the second bay left wall descends, 
 
 b. the second bay front wall descends downwardly from a ledge, and 
 c. the ledge is situated below the first bay front wall top, the first bay right wall top, and the first bay left wall top. 
 
     
     
         4 . The bucket of  claim 3  wherein the peripheral bucket rim descends along the second bay right wall top and the second bay left wall top as it extends toward the second bay rear wall top. 
     
     
         5 . The bucket of  claim 1  wherein:
 a. a peripheral bucket rim bounds the perimeter of the bucket, 
 b. the first bay front wall has a first bay front wall top defining a front portion of the peripheral bucket rim, and 
 c. the second bay rear wall has a second bay rear wall top defining a rear portion of the peripheral bucket rim. 
 
     
     
         6 . The bucket of  claim 5  wherein the peripheral bucket rim descends as it extends from the first bay toward the second bay rear wall. 
     
     
         7 . The bucket of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the first bay front wall and the first bay rear wall includes protrusions arrayed in spaced relation above the first bay floor. 
     
     
         8 . The bucket of  claim 1  wherein:
 a. the first bay front wall includes protrusions arrayed in spaced relation across at least a major area of the at least substantially planar portion of the first bay front wall, and 
 b. the first bay rear wall includes protrusions arrayed in spaced relation across at least a major area of the at least substantially planar portion of the first bay rear wall. 
 
     
     
         9 . The bucket of  claim 8  wherein the protrusions are arrayed in a different pattern on the first bay front wall than on the first bay rear wall. 
     
     
         10 . The bucket of  claim 1  wherein the distance between the second bay right wall and the second bay left wall is less than the distance between the first bay right wall and the first bay left wall, such that the second bay is narrower than the first bay. 
     
     
         11 . The bucket of  claim 1  wherein the second bay includes one or more second bay subcompartment walls extending between the second bay front wall and the second bay rear wall, whereby the second bay has subcompartments defined therein. 
     
     
         12 . The bucket of  claim 1  further including one or more of:
 a. a first bay liner, the first bay liner being:
 (1) configured to complementarily fit within the first bay to line the internal depression therein, and 
 (2) formed of material thinner than the first bay; 
 
 b. a first bay cover, the first bay cover being configured to:
 (1) rest at least partially atop the first bay front wall, the first bay right wall, and the first bay left wall, and 
 (2) extend above at least substantially the entirety of the first bay internal depression; and 
 
 c. a first bay tray, the first bay tray:
 (1) being configured to rest at least partially atop, and extend between, the first bay right wall and the first bay left wall, and 
 (2) including one or more tray internal depressions therein, whereby the tray internal depressions descend at least partially within the first bay internal depression when the first bay tray rests at least partially atop, and extends between, the first bay right wall and the first bay left wall. 
 
 
     
     
         13 . A bucket including:
 a. an upper peripheral bucket rim extending between a front bucket end and a rear bucket end;   b. a first bay including a first bay internal depression defined between:
 (1) a first bay front wall having an at least substantially planar first bay front wall upper portion descending from the upper peripheral bucket rim at the front bucket end, the first bay front wall upper portion defining at least a major portion of the first bay front wall; 
 (2) a first bay rear wall opposite the first bay front wall and adjacent the second bay, the first bay rear wall having a first bay rear wall upper portion which:
 (a) is at least substantially planar, 
 (b) defines at least a major portion of the first bay rear wall, and 
 (c) descends downwardly from a ledge situated below the upper peripheral bucket rim at the first bay front wall; 
 
 (3) a first bay right wall extending between the first bay front wall and the first bay rear wall; 
 (4) a first bay left wall opposite the first bay right wall, the first bay left wall extending between the first bay front wall and the first bay rear wall; 
 (5) a continuously curving first bay floor defining a concave trough curving downwardly from both the first bay front wall and the first bay rear wall, and extending between the first bay right wall and the first bay left wall; 
   c. a second bay including a second bay internal depression defined between:
 (1) a second bay front wall; 
 (2) a second bay rear wall opposite the second bay front wall, the second bay rear wall descending from the upper peripheral bucket rim at the rear bucket end; 
 (3) a second bay right wall extending between the second bay front wall and the second bay rear wall; 
 (4) a second bay left wall opposite the second bay right wall, the second bay left wall extending between the second bay front wall and the second bay rear wall; 
   d. a retaining channel defined between the first bay and the second bay, the retaining channel extending upwardly from an open bottom channel mouth to an upper channel ceiling situated at least partially below the ledge.   
     
     
         14 . The bucket of  claim 11  wherein the retaining channel narrows as it extends from the bottom channel mouth toward the upper channel ceiling. 
     
     
         15 . The bucket of  claim 11  wherein the retaining channel:
 a. has opposing channel sides, and 
 b. at least a major portion of one or both of the channel sides is at least substantially planar. 
 
     
     
         16 . The bucket of  claim 11  wherein the retaining channel is bounded on opposing sides by the first bay rear wall and the second bay front wall. 
     
     
         17 . The bucket of  claim 11  wherein the peripheral bucket rim descends as it extends from the first bay toward the rear bucket end. 
     
     
         18 . The bucket of  claim 11  wherein a major area of at least one of the first bay front wall and the first bay rear wall includes protrusions arrayed in spaced relation. 
     
     
         19 . The bucket of  claim 11  wherein the distance between the first bay right wall and the first bay left wall is greater than the distance between the second bay right wall and the second bay left wall, such that the first bay is wider than the second bay. 
     
     
         20 . A bucket including:
 a. an upper peripheral bucket rim extending between a front bucket end and a rear bucket end;   b. a first bay including a first bay internal depression defined between:
 (1) a first bay front wall having an at least substantially planar first bay front wall upper portion descending from the upper peripheral bucket rim at the front bucket end, the first bay front wall upper portion defining at least a major portion of the first bay front wall, 
 (2) a first bay rear wall opposite the first bay front wall and adjacent the second bay, the first bay rear wall having a first bay rear wall upper portion which:
 (a) is at least substantially planar, 
 (b) defines at least a major portion of the first bay rear wall, and 
 (c) descends downwardly from a ledge situated below the upper peripheral bucket rim at the first bay front wall, 
 
 (3) a first bay right wall extending between the first bay front wall and the first bay rear wall, 
 (4) a first bay left wall opposite the first bay right wall, the first bay left wall extending between the first bay front wall and the first bay rear wall, and 
 (5) a continuously curving first bay floor defining a concave trough curving downwardly from both the first bay front wall and the first bay rear wall, and extending between the first bay right wall and the first bay left wall; 
   wherein one or more of the first bay front wall and the first bay rear wall includes protrusions arrayed along their heights;   c. a second bay including a second bay internal depression defined between:
 (1) a second bay front wall, 
 (2) a second bay rear wall opposite the second bay front wall, 
 (3) a second bay right wall extending between the second bay front wall and the second bay rear wall, 
 (4) a second bay left wall opposite the second bay right wall, the second bay left wall extending between the second bay front wall and the second bay rear wall, and 
 (5) one or more second bay subcompartment walls extending between the second bay front wall and the second bay rear wall, whereby the second bay internal depression is subdivided by the second bay subcompartment walls; 
   d. a retaining channel defined between the first bay rear wall and the second bay front wall, the retaining channel narrowing between the first bay rear wall and the second bay front wall as the retaining channel extends upwardly from an open bottom channel mouth.