Paint Brush with Removable Head, Sliding Ferrule and Removable Accessory Tool

Abstract

A paintbrush features a handle having a longitudinal direction with a gripping area and a first attachment element at opposite ends. A removable brush head has longitudinally oriented bristles and a second attachment element selectively matable with the first attachment element to carry the removable brush head on the handle. The first and second attachment elements are slidingly matable in a lateral direction transverse to the longitudinal direction. A ferrule is slidable longitudinally of the handle into and out of a deployed position closing around the attachment elements to prevent disconnection thereof, and a retracted position enabling removal and replacement of the brush head. The handle comprises a hollow compartment extending longitudinally into the handle from the distal end opposite the brush head. An accessory tool is removably received in the hollow compartment of the handle for storage therein.

1 . A paintbrush comprising:
 a handle having a proximal end and a distal end lying opposite thereto in a longitudinal direction of said handle, the handle comprising a gripping area defined adjacent the proximal end for manual holding of the paintbrush at said gripping area, and a first attachment element at the proximal end;   a removable brush head selectively attachable to and detachable from the handle at the proximal end thereof, the removable brush head comprising a second attachment element selectively matable with the first attachment element to carry the removable brush head on the handle, and a plurality of bristles carried on the second attachment and extending in a longitudinal direction of said removable brush head;   wherein the first and second attachment elements comprise slidingly matable elements engagable together by sliding one of the attachment elements over the other of the attachment elements in a lateral direction lying transverse to the longitudinal directions of said handle and said removable brush head.   
     
     
         2 . The paintbrush of  claim 1  wherein said one of the attachment elements comprises a channel and said other of the attachment elements comprises a rail over which said channel is slidable in the lateral direction in a position embracing about said rail to prevent withdrawal therefrom in the longitudinal direction. 
     
     
         3 . The paintbrush of  claim 1  further comprising a ferrule arranged to enclose around the first and second attachment elements after engagement of said first and second attachment elements together. 
     
     
         4 . The paintbrush of  claim 3  wherein the ferrule is slidably coupled to the handle for sliding movement relative thereto in the longitudinal direction of the handle between a deployed position enclosing around the first attachment element and a retracted position withdrawn out of the deployed position toward the distal end of the handle to reveal access to the first attachment element for engagement or disengagement thereof with the second attachment element. 
     
     
         5 . The paintbrush of  claim 1  wherein the bristles of the removable brush head are divided into multiple bundles, at least one of said multiple bundles being carried by a respective pivotal bristle support that enables separation of the multiple bundles of bristles from one another during cleaning by pivoting said pivotal bristle support about a pivot axis thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The paintbrush of  claim 5  wherein said pivot axis lies transversely to the longitudinal direction of the brush head. 
     
     
         7 . The paintbrush of  claim 1  wherein the handle comprises a hollow compartment extending longitudinally into the handle from the distal end thereof, and the paintbrush further comprises a removable tool received or receivable in the hollow compartment for removable storage therein. 
     
     
         8 . A paintbrush comprising:
 a handle having a proximal end and a distal end lying opposite thereto in a longitudinal direction of said handle, the handle comprising a gripping area defined adjacent the proximal end for manual holding of the paintbrush at said gripping area, and a first attachment element at the proximal end;   a removable brush head selectively attachable to and detachable from the handle at the proximal end thereof, the removable brush head comprising a second attachment element selectively matable with the first attachment element to carry the removable brush head on the handle, and a plurality of bristles carried on the second attachment and extending in a longitudinal direction of said removable brush head;   a ferrule arranged to enclose around the first and second attachment elements when engaged together;   wherein the ferrule is slidably coupled to the handle for sliding movement relative thereto in the longitudinal direction of the handle between a deployed position enclosing around the first attachment element and a retracted position withdrawn out of the deployed position toward the distal end of the handle to reveal access to the first attachment element for engagement or disengagement thereof with the second attachment element.   
     
     
         9 . The paintbrush of  claim 8  wherein one of the brush handle and the ferrule comprises at least one longitudinal slot therein and the other of the brush handle and the ferrule comprises at least one guide matable with the at least one longitudinal slot to guide longitudinal sliding of the ferrule on the brush handle. 
     
     
         10 . The paintbrush of any one of  claim 8  wherein the ferrule is removably coupled to the brush handle. 
     
     
         11 . The paintbrush of  claim 10  wherein the first and second attachment elements are arranged to block removal of the ferrule from the brush handle when said first and second attachment elements are mated together. 
     
     
         12 . The paintbrush of  claim 9  wherein the at least one longitudinal slot is defined on the brush handle and the at least one guide is defined on the removable brush head, and the at least one longitudinal slot extends through the first attachment in the longitudinal direction of the brush handle to allow removal of the ferrule by sliding of the ferrule past the first attachment element via said at least one longitudinal slot. 
     
     
         13 . The paintbrush of  claim 12  wherein the at least one slot spans a fully through the brush handle in a thickness direction thereof, and the at least one guide comprises at least one internal wall of the ferrule that spans from one side of the handle to another in the thickness direction. 
     
     
         14 . A paintbrush comprising:
 a handle having a proximal end and a distal end lying opposite thereto in a longitudinal direction of said handle; and   a brush head attached or attachable to the proximal end of the handle;   wherein the handle comprises a hollow compartment extending longitudinally into the handle from the distal end thereof, and the paintbrush further comprises a removable tool received or receivable in the hollow compartment for removable storage therein.   
     
     
         15 . The paintbrush of  claim 14  wherein the removable tool comprises a screwdriver tool having a longitudinal body with a bit-receiving socket at one end for receiving any one of a plurality of different screwdriver bits. 
     
     
         16 . The paintbrush of  claim 15  wherein the screwdriver tool comprises a storage compartment for storing at least one of said screwdriver bits therein when not received in the bit-receiving socket. 
     
     
         17 . The paintbrush of  claim 14  wherein the removable tool comprises a hanging member at an outer end of the removable tool that resides outside the hollow compartment at the distal end of the handle for hanging support of the paintbrush by said hanging feature when said removable tool is received in the hollow compartment of the handle. 
     
     
         18 . The paintbrush of  claim 17  wherein the hanging member comprises an openable and closable clip. 
     
     
         19 . The paintbrush of  claim 1  comprising a paint can pry lever projecting laterally from the handle for use in prying a lid from a paint can.