Insert for a paint bucket

Abstract

An insert is deployed in an applicable paint bucket to provide for rolling a paint roller along the insert to uniformly distribute a desired quantity of paint from the paint bucket onto the paint roller. Applicable paint bucket have structures which provide for a secure placement of the insert where the insert remains in a proper operational orientation during a painting session. The insert has a paint contact area with an upper portion thereof retained at an angular orientation somewhat offset from vertical when installed in the applicable paint bucket. This arrangement provides for the user to stand upright during use of a paint roller with an extension handle. In this manner the painter is constantly in a comfortable stance during painting. In the preferred embodiment the insert has securement structures which extend outward on opposing sides of the paint contact area at the upper extent.

I claim;: 
     
         1 . An insert for deployment in a workpiece paint bucket, the insert to provide for rolling of a workpiece paint roller along the insert to generally uniformly distribute a workpiece paint previously gathered from the workpiece paint bucket onto the workpiece paint roller, the workpiece paint bucket having a workpiece paint containment area having an upper extent, a lower extent and a high operational paint capacity level, the high operational paint capacity level being a level to which workpiece paint is routinely placed in the workpiece paint bucket, the workpiece paint bucket having opposing anchoring portions, the insert comprising:
 a) a paint roller contact area having a width and a height, the width of the paint roller contact area having opposing side edges, the height of the paint roller contact area extending substantially along the opposing side edges of the width of the paint roller contact area, the paint roller contact area having a primary portion and an auxiliary portion, the primary portion of the paint roller contact area having a dimensional size, the auxiliary portion of the paint roller contact area having a dimensional size, and wherein the dimensional size of the primary portion of the paint roller contact area is significantly greater than the dimensional size of the auxiliary portion of the paint roller contact area, the primary portion of the paint roller contact area positioned above the auxiliary portion of the paint roller contact area when the insert is deployed in the workpiece paint bucket, the insert oriented in the workpiece paint bucket during the deployment with the auxiliary portion of the paint roller contact area at least substantially below the high operational paint capacity level of the workpiece paint containment area of the workpiece paint bucket and with the primary portion of the paint roller contact area at least substantially above the high operational paint capacity level of the workpiece paint containment area of the workpiece paint bucket, the paint roller contact area for rolling the workpiece paint roller along to distribute the desired quantity of workpiece paint from the workpiece paint bucket onto the workpiece paint roller;   b) an extending portion extending beyond the width of the paint roller contact area on the opposing side edges of the width of the paint roller contact area, the extending portion to provide for engagement of the opposing anchoring portions of the workpiece paint bucket to secure the insert relative to the workpiece paint bucket.   
     
     
         2 . The insert defined in  claim 1  wherein the primary portion of the paint roller contact area resides generally on a single plane and wherein the auxiliary portion of the paint roller contact area resides generally on a single plane and wherein the plane of the primary portion of the paint roller contact area is substantially offset from the plane of the auxiliary portion of the paint roller contact area. 
     
     
         3 . The insert defined in  claim 1  wherein the primary portion of the paint roller contact area further comprises a plurality of passageways therethrough. 
     
     
         4 . The insert defined in  claim 1  wherein the primary portion of the paint roller contact area has an angular orientation in the workpiece paint bucket which is significantly offset from vertical during deployment. 
     
     
         5 . The insert defined in  claim 1  wherein the auxiliary portion of the paint roller contact area has an angular orientation in the workpiece paint bucket which is substantially vertical during deployment. 
     
     
         6 . The insert defined in  claim 1  wherein the paint roller contact area further comprises a surrounding perimeter and wherein the insert further comprises a frame portion extending at least substantially around the surrounding perimeter of the paint roller contact area, the frame portion formed of a frame material folded over to engage and secure the paint roller contact area to provide for a strengthening of the structural integrity of the insert. 
     
     
         7 . The insert defined in  claim 1  wherein the workpiece paint bucket further has a lower anchoring portion positioned generally at the lower extent of the workpiece paint containment area, and wherein the insert further comprises lower securement means to provide for engagement of the lower anchoring portion of the workpiece paint bucket to further secure the insert relative to the workpiece paint bucket. 
     
     
         8 . The insert defined in  claim 1  wherein the workpiece paint bucket further has an insert contact surface positioned generally within the workpiece paint containment area, the insert contact surface of the workpiece paint bucket to engage at least a substantial portion of the paint roller contact area of the insert during deployment of the insert to provide for pressure bearing support during the rolling of the workpiece paint roller along the insert to distribute the desired quantity of workpiece paint from the workpiece paint bucket onto the workpiece paint roller to prevent inadvertent damage to the insert from occurring. 
     
     
         9 . An insert for deployment in a workpiece paint bucket, the insert to provide for rolling of a workpiece paint roller along the insert to generally uniformly distribute a workpiece paint previously gathered from the workpiece paint bucket onto the workpiece paint roller, the workpiece paint bucket having a workpiece paint containment area having an upper extent and a lower extent, the workpiece paint bucket having opposing anchoring portions, the insert comprising:
 a) a sheet material;   b) a frame assembly having an upper extent and a lower extent and opposing side extents, the frame assembly substantially defining a confined area, the frame assembly having securement means to provide for securing the sheet material within the confined area;   c) a paint roller contact area substantially formed from the sheet material within the confined area of the frame assembly and secured therein by the securement means of the frame assembly, the paint roller contact area having a width and a height, the width of the paint roller contact area having opposing side edges, the height of the paint roller contact area extending substantially along the opposing side edges of the width of the paint roller contact area, the paint roller contact area having a primary portion and an auxiliary portion, the paint roller contact area oriented in the workpiece paint bucket during the deployment with the auxiliary portion of the paint roller contact area generally inside the workpiece paint containment area of the workpiece paint bucket and the primary portion of the paint roller contact area positioned generally at the upper extent of the workpiece paint containment area of the workpiece paint bucket, the paint roller contact area for rolling the workpiece paint roller along the height of the paint roller contact area to distribute the desired quantity of workpiece paint from the workpiece paint bucket onto the workpiece paint roller; and wherein the upper extent of the frame assembly further comprises opposing protruding extensions each extending beyond the respective opposing side extent of the frame assembly, the opposing protruding extensions of the upper extent of the frame assembly to provide for engagement of the opposing anchoring portions of the workpiece paint bucket to secure the insert relative to the workpiece paint bucket.   
     
     
         10 . The insert defined in  claim 9  wherein the paint roller contact area further comprises a plurality of passageways therethrough. 
     
     
         11 . The insert defined in  claim 9  wherein the paint roller contact area is formed of a wire mesh material with a plurality of passageways therethrough. 
     
     
         12 . The insert defined in  claim 9  wherein the paint roller contact area is formed of a wire mesh material with a plurality of passageways therethrough and wherein each of the passageways is bordered by a perimeter having defined edges with each of the edges of the perimeter of each passageway angularly offset from vertical and from horizontal following deployment in the workpiece paint bucket. 
     
     
         13 . The insert defined in  claim 9  wherein the securement means of the frame assembly further comprises construction of the frame assembly from a planar material having a longitudinal length and a bending and folding of the planar material along the longitudinal length wherein the frame assembly retains the sheet material forming the paint roller contact area utilizing a pressure bearing pinching contact. 
     
     
         14 . The insert defined in  claim 9  wherein the workpiece paint bucket further has a lower anchoring portion positioned generally at the lower extent of the workpiece paint containment area, and wherein the insert further comprises lower securement means to provide for engagement of the lower anchoring portion of the workpiece paint bucket by portions of the frame assembly to further secure the insert relative to the workpiece paint bucket. 
     
     
         15 . An insert for deployment in a workpiece paint bucket, the insert to provide for rolling of a workpiece paint roller along the insert to generally uniformly distribute a workpiece paint previously gathered from the workpiece paint bucket onto the workpiece paint roller, the workpiece paint bucket having a workpiece paint containment area having an upper extent and a lower extent, the workpiece paint bucket having opposing anchoring portions, the insert comprising:
 a) an upper portion having a length and a width and a thickness, the length significantly greater than the width and the width significantly greater than the thickness, the upper portion further having an orientation plane extending at least substantially along the length and the width, the upper portion having securement means to provide for securing the insert in the workpiece paint bucket using the opposing anchoring portions of the workpiece paint bucket;   b) a paint roller contact area positioned below the upper portion when deployed in the workpiece paint bucket, the paint roller contact area having a width and a height, the paint roller contact area having an orientation plane extending at least substantially along the width and the height, the paint roller contact area for rolling the workpiece paint roller along the height of the paint roller contact area to distribute the desired quantity of workpiece paint from the workpiece paint bucket onto the workpiece paint roller;   c) an auxiliary portion positioned below the paint roller contact area when deployed in the workpiece paint bucket, the auxiliary portion having a width and a height, the auxiliary portion having an orientation plane extending at least substantially along the width and the height; and wherein the orientation plane of the upper portion is generally parallel to and offset from the orientation plane of the auxiliary portion while the orientation plane of the paint roller contact area is substantially offset relative to the orientation plane of the upper portion and to the orientation plane of the auxiliary portion.   
     
     
         16 . The insert defined in  claim 15  wherein the upper portion further comprises an area and wherein the workpiece paint roller contract portion further comprises an area and wherein the auxiliary portion further comprises an area and wherein the area of the auxiliary portion is substantially greater than the area of the upper portion and wherein the area of the paint roller contact area is substantially greater than the area of the auxiliary portion. 
     
     
         17 . The insert defined in  claim 15  wherein the workpiece paint bucket further has a lower anchoring portion positioned generally at the lower extent of the workpiece paint containment area, and wherein the auxiliary portion of the insert further comprises lower securement means to provide for engagement of the lower anchoring portion of the workpiece paint bucket by portions of the auxiliary portion of the insert to further secure the insert relative to the workpiece paint bucket. 
     
     
         18 . The insert defined in  claim 15  wherein the paint roller contact area further comprises a plurality of passageways therethrough. 
     
     
         19 . The insert defined in  claim 15  wherein the paint roller contact area is at least partially formed of a wire mesh material with a plurality of passageways therethrough. 
     
     
         20 . The insert defined in  claim 15  wherein the workpiece paint bucket further comprises a user accessible end where the user would routinely stand during use of the workpiece paint bucket and wherein the paint roller contact area of the insert further comprises an upper extent and a lower extent when the insert is deployed in the workpiece paint bucket and wherein the orientation plane of the paint roller contact area is significantly offset relative to vertical when the insert is deployed in the workpiece paint bucket and wherein the orientation plane of the paint roller contact area is sloped toward the user accessible end from a lower extent to the upper extent when the insert is deployed in the workpiece paint bucket.