Painting tool system

Abstract

A painting tool system having a reusable handle, the handle having first and second ends and a body interposed between the two ends. The first end includes an opening adapted to receive a shaft, with the handle body to be gripped in a user's hand. The system includes a painting tool attachment couplable to the handle. The attachment having a first end for performing a function of the painting tool and a second end including a protruding shaft receivable within the opening in the handle. The system also includes a handle lock mounted within the handle, the lock positioned and configured to secure the attachment to the handle at the shaft. The lock may be removable and formed from a cam lock inserted into a borehole in the handle body. The attachment first end may provide the function of a paintbrush, roller, scraper, putty knife or blade.

1 . An environmentally friendly painting tool system comprising:
 a reusable handle, the handle having first and second ends and a body interposed between the two ends, the first end including an opening adapted to receive a shaft, with the handle body configured to be gripped in a user's hand;   a painting tool attachment adapted to detachably couple to the handle, the tool attachment having a first end configured to perform a function of the painting tool and a second end including a protruding shaft adapted to be received within the opening in the handle; and   a handle lock mounted within the handle, the lock positioned and configured to secure the painting tool attachment to the handle at the shaft when the shaft is received within the opening of the handle.   
     
     
         2 . The environmentally friendly painting tool system of  claim 1 , wherein the handle is formed from recycled materials. 
     
     
         3 . The environmentally friendly painting tool system of  claim 1 , wherein the handle lock is removable. 
     
     
         4 . The environmentally friendly painting tool system of  claim 1 , wherein the handle further comprises a protrusion extending from the first end, and the painting tool attachment further comprises an indentation configured to matingly receive the handle protrusion when the painting tool attachment is coupled to the handle. 
     
     
         5 . The environmentally friendly painting tool system of  claim 1 , wherein the handle lock comprises a cam lock configured to engage with the shaft of the painting tool attachment to secure the painting tool attachment to the handle. 
     
     
         6 . The environmentally friendly painting tool system of  claim 5 , wherein the handle further comprises a borehole formed in the handle body perpendicular to the shaft opening and positioned to intersect the shaft opening, the borehole sized to receive the cam lock in a rotatably secure fit, and wherein the cam lock is rotatable into and out of locking engagement with the shaft of the painting tool attachment. 
     
     
         7 . The environmentally friendly painting tool system of  claim 6 , wherein the handle further comprises an access hole centered axially with the borehole, the access hole extending between the borehole and an outside surface of the handle body and having a smaller diameter than the borehole, the access hole providing access to the cam lock from outside the handle body in order to remove the cam lock from the handle body to allow easy cleaning of the handle and handle lock and replacement of the handle lock if needed. 
     
     
         8 . The environmentally friendly painting tool system of  claim 7 , wherein the user inserts an item of suitable length and diameter through the access hole to push the cam lock out of the borehole in the handle body. 
     
     
         9 . The environmentally friendly painting tool system of  claim 6 , wherein the borehole further comprises a groove inset from the borehole opening and wherein the cam lock includes at least one protrusion configured to snap into the borehole groove when the cam lock is positioned within the borehole, thereby securing the cam lock within the handle while still allowing for rotation of the cam lock. 
     
     
         10 . The environmentally friendly painting tool system of  claim 5 , wherein the handle lock further comprises a user interface member connected to the cam lock, the user interface member providing a user-friendly means for rotating the cam lock into and out of locking engagement with the painting tool attachment shaft. 
     
     
         11 . The environmentally friendly painting tool system of  claim 10 , wherein the user interface member comprises a knob attached to the cam lock. 
     
     
         12 . The environmentally friendly painting tool system of  claim 5 , wherein the protruding shaft of the painting tool attachment further comprises proximal and distal ends and a diameter, with the proximal end adjacent to the second end of the painting tool attachment and the distal end extending away from the painting tool attachment, the distal end comprising a neck area having a smaller diameter than the diameter of the shaft. 
     
     
         13 . The environmentally friendly painting tool system of  claim 12 , wherein the cam lock engages with the neck area of the shaft when the handle lock is operated to secure the painting tool attachment to the handle. 
     
     
         14 . The environmentally friendly painting tool system of  claim 1 , wherein the handle further comprises a threaded opening at the second end of the handle, the threaded opening configured to receive the threaded end of a standard painting extension pole. 
     
     
         15 . The environmentally friendly painting tool system of  claim 1 , wherein the first end of the painting tool attachment constitutes one of a bristle pack for providing a paintbrush function, a roller mechanism for providing a paint roller function, a foam pad for providing a foam brush function, a perpendicular blade mechanism for providing a scraping function, a parallel blade for providing a cutting function, a contoured blade having multiple portions providing multiple functions and a flat knife unit for providing a putty knife function. 
     
     
         16 . The environmentally friendly painting tool system of  claim 1 , wherein the handle lock comprises a pushpin configured to engage with the shaft of the painting tool attachment to secure the painting tool attachment to the handle. 
     
     
         17 . The environmentally friendly painting tool system of  claim 16 , wherein the handle further comprises a through hole formed in the handle body perpendicular to the shaft opening and positioned to intersect the shaft opening, the through hole sized to receive the pushpin in a slidably secure fit, and wherein the pushpin is pushed into and pulled out of locking engagement with the shaft of the painting tool attachment. 
     
     
         18 . The environmentally friendly painting tool system of  claim 17 , wherein the pushpin includes first and second ends and a body portion interposed between the two ends, the pushpin comprising:
 a user interface portion formed at the first end, the user interface portion having a diameter larger the a diameter of the body;   a wide groove extending radially around the body portion of the pushpin from the user interface portion along the body toward the second end, the groove configured to receive a retaining ring;   a spring sized to fit around the body portion in the wide groove;   a retaining ring configured to be received in the wide groove, the retaining ring capturing the spring between the user interface portion and the retaining ring; and   a neck area near the second end, the neck area formed as a groove extending radially around the body portion of the pushpin, the neck area sized and configured to provide clearance for the shaft of the painting tool attachment when the neck area is aligned with the shaft,   wherein the second end of the body portion is received within the through hole up to the retaining ring, the retaining ring securing the pushpin to the body of the handle, with the user interface portion and the wide groove of the body portion surrounded by the spring extending outward from the handle body, and   wherein the user depresses the pushpin by pushing the user interface portion against the force of the spring, the pushpin thereby sliding axially in a first direction within the through hole so as to align the neck area with the shaft opening and allow insertion and removal of the shaft of the painting tool attachment, and upon release of the pushpin by the user, the force of the spring pulls the pushpin axially in an opposite direction so as to move the neck area out of alignment with the shaft opening thereby locking a shaft received within the shaft opening within the handle until the pushpin is once again depressed by the user.   
     
     
         19 . The environmentally friendly painting tool system of  claim 18 , wherein the handle further comprises an inset opening centered axially with the through hole and configured to receive the retaining ring in a tight fit. 
     
     
         20 . The environmentally friendly painting tool system of  claim 18 , wherein the user inserts an item of suitable length and diameter into the through hole at a side opposite to the user interface portion to push the pushpin out of the through hole in the handle body in order to facilitate ease of clean up of the handle. 
     
     
         21 . The environmentally friendly painting tool system of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of painting tool attachments, each painting tool attachment having a different first end configuration or function. 
     
     
         22 . The environmentally friendly painting tool system of  claim 1 , wherein the painting tool attachment is configured for disposal after use, and wherein the handle is configured for repeated reuse with inexpensive and replaceable painting tool attachments. 
     
     
         23 . An environmentally friendly painting tool kit comprising:
 a reusable handle, the handle having first and second ends and a body interposed between the two ends, the first end including an opening adapted to receive a shaft, with the handle body configured to be gripped in a user's hand;   a plurality of replaceable painting tool attachments adapted to detachably couple to the handle, each of the plurality of tool attachments having a first end configured to provide a function of the painting tool and a second end including a protruding shaft adapted to be received within the opening in the handle, at least two of the plurality of painting tool attachments having different first end configurations for providing different functions; and   a handle lock mounted within the handle, the lock positioned and configured to secure one of the painting tool attachments to the handle at the shaft when the shaft is received within the opening of the handle.   
     
     
         24 . The environmentally friendly painting tool kit of  claim 23 , wherein the handle is formed from recycled materials. 
     
     
         25 . The environmentally friendly painting tool kit of  claim 23 , wherein the handle lock comprises a cam lock having a user interface portion connected to it allowing the user to easily rotate the cam lock into and out of engagement with the shaft of the painting tool attachment. 
     
     
         26 . The environmentally friendly painting tool kit of  claim 23 , wherein the handle lock is removable. 
     
     
         27 . An environmentally friendly painting tool comprising:
 a reusable handle, the handle having first and second ends and a body interposed between the two ends, the first end including an opening adapted to receive a shaft, with the handle body configured to be gripped in a user's hand; and   a handle lock mounted within the handle, the lock positioned and configured to secure the shaft when the shaft is received within the opening of the handle,   wherein the handle is adapted to detachably couple to a replaceable painting tool attachment, the tool attachment having a first end configured to provide a function of the painting tool and a second end including a protruding shaft adapted to be received within the opening in the handle and secured to the handle by the handle lock.   
     
     
         28 . The environmentally friendly painting tool system of  claim 27 , wherein the handle is formed from recycled materials. 
     
     
         29 . The environmentally friendly painting tool of  claim 27 , wherein the handle lock is removable. 
     
     
         30 . The environmentally friendly painting tool of  claim 27 , wherein the handle lock comprises a cam lock configured to engage with the shaft of the painting tool attachment, and wherein the handle lock also comprises a user interface member connected to the cam lock, the user interface member providing a user-friendly means for rotating the cam lock into and out of locking engagement with the painting tool attachment shaft to secure the painting tool attachment to the handle. 
     
     
         31 . The environmentally friendly painting tool system of  claim 30 , wherein the handle further comprises a borehole formed in the handle body perpendicular to the shaft opening and positioned to intersect the shaft opening, the borehole sized to receive the cam lock in a rotatably secure fit. 
     
     
         32 . The environmentally friendly painting tool system of  claim 27 , wherein the handle lock comprises a magnetized receptor inset within the opening of the handle and configured to secure magnetic metal shaft. 
     
     
         33 . The environmentally friendly painting tool of  claim 33 , wherein the magnetized receptor is hexagonal and is configured to receive and secure a hexagonal shaft. 
     
     
         34 . The environmentally friendly painting tool of  claim 27  in combination with at least one replaceable painting tool attachment.