Keyed paint container holder for a paint mixer
AssigneeRed Devil Equipment Company
InventorsThomas J. Midas, Aaron Curtis, Daniel Schulz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A keyed paint container holder for paint mixers having a pivoting interlock key movable with respect to a paint container receptacle of the holder for orienting a rectangular footprint paint container to have a handle of the paint container in a corner of the holder adjacent the interlock key. The interlock key has first and second portions and is pivotable with respect to the holder to at least first and second positions and, optionally, to a third position. The holder accepts a cylindrical paint container as an alternative to the rectangular footprint paint container.
Claims33
A keyed paint container holder apparatus for a paint mixer adapted to receive a rectangular footprint paint container having a recess in a corner of the container forming a handle, the keyed paint container holder apparatus comprising:
- a. a generally rectangular cross-section receptacle for receiving a corresponding rectangular footprint paint container;
- b. an interlock key movably connected to the receptacle to:
- i. enable partial reception of the paint container into the receptacle when the interlock key moves to a first position in response to contact between the interlock key and the paint container;
- ii. enable further reception of the paint container into the receptacle when the handle is in a corner of the holder adjacent the interlock key and the interlock key moves to a second position in response to contact between the paint container and the key during such further reception of the paint container into the receptacle, and
- iii. block such further reception of the paint container into the receptacle when the handle is not in the corner of the holder adjacent the interlock key such that the interlock key is held in the first position by the paint container.
A keyed paint container holder apparatus for a paint mixer adapted to receive a square footprint paint container having a recess in a corner of the container forming a handle, the keyed paint container holder apparatus comprising:
- a. a generally rectangular cross-section receptacle for receiving a corresponding rectangular footprint paint container;
- b. a pair of interlock key assemblies, each located proximate a corner of the receptacle such that the corner is intermediate the interlock key assemblies and each assembly has an interlock key movably connected to the receptacle to:
- i. enable initial reception of the paint container into the receptacle when the interlock keys move to a first position in response to contact between the interlock keys and the paint container;
- ii. enable further reception of the paint container into the receptacle when the handle is in the corner of the holder intermediate the interlock key assemblies and when the interlock keys each move to a second position in response to contact between the paint container and the keys during such further reception of the paint container into the receptacle, and
- iii. block such further reception of the paint container into the receptacle when the handle is not in the corner of the holder intermediate the interlock key assemblies such that the interlock keys are held in the first position by the paint container.
A method of orienting a paint container in a rectangular receptacle of an orbital type paint mixer comprising the steps of:
- a. initially receiving a generally rectangular paint container into the receptacle and moving an interlock key to a first position in response to contact between the interlock key and the rectangular paint container;
- b1. further receiving the paint container into the receptacle when a handle of the paint container is in a corner of the receptacle adjacent the interlock key and the interlock key moves to a second position in response to contact between the paint container and the key during such further reception of the paint container into the receptacle, and alternatively
- b2. blocking such further receiving of the paint container into the receptacle when the handle is not in the corner of the holder adjacent the interlock key and the interlock key is held in the first position by the paint container.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.