Paint brush wrapper

Abstract

A wrapper for a paint brush is provided which is intended for use after the brush has been used. In most instances the brush has been cleaned with water or other solvents and then placed in the paint brush wrapper so that the bristles portion of the paint brush are covered. A fastener such as a cord is used to hold the wrapper in place. The wrapper is made of an air permeable material to allow for the brush to dry and then be reused. The wrapper extends the useful life of the paint brush.

Claims

1. A paint device comprising: a wrapper and a paint brush, said wrapper comprising a flexible piece of material wherein said wrapper is adapted to conform to an outer configuration of a set of bristles of said paint brush wherein said wrapper is porous to air, wherein the flexible piece of material is approximately oval in an outer perimeter, with a centered opening configured so that a handle at an opposite end of said paint brush from said set of bristles passes through said opening, a bottom portion of said oval is folded up, side portions of said oval are folded toward said brush and a top portion are held in place by a fastener.

2. The wrapper of claim 1 wherein said set of bristles within said wrapper further comprises a solvent on said bristles.

3. The wrapper of claim 2 wherein said solvent is water or an oil-based solvent.

4. The wrapper of claim 1 wherein said wrapper comprises a thick paper material having a thickness of about 500 to 800 microns.

5. The wrapper of claim 4 wherein said thick paper material comprises about 50-90 wt % polyester and about 10-50 wt % cellulose.

6. The wrapper of claim 4 wherein said thick paper material comprises about 60-80 wt % polyester and about 20-40 wt % cellulose.

7. The wrapper of claim 4 wherein said thick paper material comprises about 70 wt % polyester and about 30 wt % cellulose.

8. The wrapper of claim 1, wherein said oval is configured so that said handle enters about two inches from a bottom of said oval.

9. The wrapper of claim 1, wherein said fastener is an elastic band, a flexible strap or a hook and loop containing strap.

10. The wrapper of claim 1, wherein said fastening means fastener comprises an elastic band held in place by a cord stop.

11. The wrapper of claim 1, wherein said oval has a size configured to fit a width of said brush.

12. The wrapper of claim 1 having a thickness of about 500 to 800 microns.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows an oval of material used in the invention.

(2) FIG. 2 shows a paint brush in place in the oval of material with one fold to secure it in place.

(3) FIG. 3 shows a paint brush with the oval folded in two directions.

(4) FIG. 4 shows a paint brush with the oval folded in 3 directions.

(5) FIG. 5 shows a paint brush with the wrapper held in place with a flexible cord.

DESCRIPTION

(6) A device and a method of using the device has been developed to protect a clean paint brush to preserve the shape of the paint brush's bristles until dry. The device is a flexible, yet somewhat stiff material that allows breathability, permitting the brush to dry relatively quickly, especially compared to the cardboard packaging in which a paint brush is sold. An example of a material that may be used is the nonwoven liner typically used with wallpaper. The material may be a blend of a polyester and a cellulose, such as from 50-90 wt % polyester and 10-50 wt % cellulose, preferably about 60-80 wt % polyester and 20-40 wt % cellulose and more preferably about 70 wt % polyester and 30 wt % cellulose. The material has a thickness of about 400-900 microns, preferably from about 400-800 microns and most preferably about 500-750 microns. Usually the device which is described herein as a paint brush wrapper, is used after a paint brush has been cleaned and is drying off from water or solvent that was used in its cleaning. One material that was found to be particular advantageous is manufactured by Ahlstrom Nonwovens LLC of Windsor Locks, Conn. This material is a 3.7 oz/yd.sup.2 wet laid nonwoven, that is composed of a mixture of synthetic and cellulose fibers that are treated with a chemical binder. The properties, which are mainly important in determining the type of material to use is that it has sufficient stiffness yet is flexible enough to fold into position include a basis weight of 126 g/m.sup.2, dry grab tensile strength MD of 40 grams, dry grab tensile strength CD of 24 grams and thickness of 645 microns. This material should be selected so that it is sufficiently porous to allow enough air flow through the material to allow gradual drying when the brush has put into the wrapper before it has been dried.

(7) The material is thick enough to retain stiffness when it is in use yet easily folded into place. In one example the section of material is an approximate oval or elliptical shape in order to be folded in the configuration found to best serve the desired purpose of protecting the paint brush. In one example, the elliptical or oval shape is 8×12.5 inches, but smaller ovals may be used for smaller paint brushes as well as larger ovals to fit a large paint brush. In this particular example, there is a centered hole to insert the handle of the paint brush with the hole or opening about 2 inches from the bottom. The hole or opening may be of a different size depending upon the diameter of the paint brush handle. The user of the paint brush holder may enlarge the hole or opening in order to allow a particular paint brush to fit in. Also, the material may have scoring imprinted that allow the user to create or enlarge the opening for a particular brush. After the bottom is folded up, the sides are folded in and may be glued in place. However, in instances where the user may reuse the wrapper for different sizes of brushes where the oval shaped material is folded in place and then a single fastener holds it in place. In this instance, the top of the oval then folds down and is fastened in place by a fastening means. One possible fastener may be a strap of a hook and loop material such as a strap having a Velcro surface is used to hold the top of the oval in place. Another type of fastener may be a string or elastic band that can be secured to some post or structure to keep the paint brush wrapper sufficiently in place to hold the paint brush in position. Yet another type of fastener that has been found effective is an elastic cord held in place by a cord stop. The elastic cord may be about 2 mm to 3 mm in thickness and long enough so that the cord stop is snug enough against the wrapper to hold the wrapper in place. Other fasteners may be used as long as they are adjustable and maintain the folded material around the bristles of the brush.

(8) The flexible, yet somewhat still material that is used allows for breathability, permitting the brush to dry relatively quickly, especially compared to the cardboard material that paint brushes are typically packaged in. The paint brush wrapper is preferably fitted loosely enough to the paint brush to allow air flow to assist in drying, yet secure enough to remain in place.

(9) The invention is better explained with reference to the Figures. FIG. 1 shows an oval that is about 8.5×12″ in configuration with an opening 20 for insertion of a paint brush that in this example is about 2 inches from the bottom edge this space is signified as distance 25. The oval has a length 30 and a width 40. There are slits 35 through which an elastic band may pass to hold the paint brush wrapper in place as shown in FIG. 5. There may be markings on the oval for guidance in where to fold the material to enclose the brush bristles in place.

(10) FIG. 2 shows material oval 10 with a brush having a set of bristles 55 and a ferrule 60 holding the bristles in place. Handle 50 extends below opening 20. A bottom portion 25 of the oral is folded up and a top portion 70. In FIG. 3 is shown a right-hand portion 65 folded over and a top right portion 80. Then in FIG. 4 the left side is shown as having a bottom portion 75 and a top portion 85 with a crease 90 along which the final fold is accomplished to produce the completely wrapped brush 100 with top portion 85 showing along with elastic band 95. There may be markings on the material that show where these folds are to go with multiple markings to allow for use with different sized brushes. FIG. 5 shows the wrapped brush 100 totally enclosing the upper portion of the brush with a top portion 85 and an elastic band 95 having a cord stop 98 which allows the same length of elastic band to be used for brushes of different widths.