RETAIL PACKAGING FOR ANGULAR BRUSH

Abstract

Packaging for protecting a brush comprises a box and a brush. The brush has bristles forming a particular shape, and the box defines a nose with a corresponding shape for accommodating the bristles without bending or impacting the bristles, whereby the brush holds its form while packaged. The brush preferably is an angular brush. The box includes a lid by which the brush is secured, with a handle of the brush extending through an opening in the lid.

Claims

1. Retail packaging in which a brush is protected, comprising: (a) a box, and (b) a brush; (c) wherein a bristles of the brush are contained within the box and a handle of the brush extends outside of the box; (d) wherein the bristles of the brush form a slanted end; and (e) wherein the box defines a nose with a corresponding slanted end for accommodating the bristles without bending or impacting the bristles, whereby the brush holds its form while the bristles are contained and protected in the retail packaging.

2. The packaging of claim 1, wherein the brush is an angular brush.

3. The packaging of claim 1, wherein a handle of the paintbrush extends through an opening defined by overlapping recesses in the box.

4. The packaging of claim 1, wherein the box comprises a lid that is movable for transitioning the box between a closed position and an opened position.

5. The packaging of claim 4, further comprising hook-and-loop fasteners for securing the lid and keeping the box in the closed position.

6. Retail packaging for protecting an angular paintbrush, comprising: (a) a first component defining a bottom and side walls; and (b) a second component defining a top wall; (c) wherein the first component and the second component are connected at a nose of the box such that the first and second components are movable relative to one another to transition the box between a closed position and an opened position; and (d) wherein the nose of the box comprises a slanted end whereby the box is configured to receive and contain therein an end of the angular paintbrush.

7. (canceled)

8. Packaging for protecting a brush, comprising: (a) a box, and (b) a brush; (c) wherein the brush has bristles forming a particular shape and wherein the box defines a nose with a corresponding shape for accommodating the bristles without bending or impacting the bristles, whereby the brush holds its form while packaged.

9-10. (canceled)

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] One or more preferred embodiments of the present invention now will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same elements are referred to with the same reference numerals.

[0016] FIG. 1 is a top plan view of retail packaging including an angular brush and a box.

[0017] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a nose of the box of the retail packaging of FIG. 1.

[0018] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a rear of the box of the retail packaging of FIG. 1.

[0019] FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the box of the retail packaging of FIG. 1.

[0020] FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of the box of the retail packaging of FIG. 1.

[0021] FIG. 6 is an elevational view of a right side of the box of the retail packaging of FIG. 1.

[0022] FIG. 7 is an elevational view of a left side of the box of the retail packaging of FIG. 1.

[0023] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a right corner of the nose of the box of the retail packaging of FIG. 1.

[0024] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a left corner of the nose of the box of the retail packaging of FIG. 1.

[0025] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a right corner of the rear of the box of the retail packaging of FIG. 1.

[0026] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a left side of the box of the retail packaging of FIG. 1, wherein the box is opened to reveal the head of the angular brush, which head is contained within and protected by the box.

[0027] FIG. 12 is a top plan view of the angular brush of the retail packaging of FIG. 1.

[0028] FIG. 13 is a top plan view of another retail packaging including an angular brush and a box, wherein the box is in an open condition.

[0029] FIG. 14 is a top plan view of a blank comprising a single sheet of cardboard, wherein fold lines are defined therein that form panels, and wherein folding of the blank preferably forms the box of the retail packaging of FIG. 13.

[0030] FIG. 15 is a bottom plan view of the blank of FIG. 14.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] As a preliminary matter, it will readily be understood by one having ordinary skill in the relevant art (Ordinary Artisan) that the invention has broad utility and application. Furthermore, any embodiment discussed and identified as being preferred is considered to be part of a best mode contemplated for carrying out the invention. Other embodiments also may be discussed for additional illustrative purposes in providing a full and enabling disclosure of the invention. Furthermore, an embodiment of the invention may incorporate only one or a plurality of the aspects of the invention disclosed herein; only one or a plurality of the features disclosed herein; or combination thereof. As such, many embodiments are implicitly disclosed herein and fall within the scope of what is regarded as the invention.

[0032] Accordingly, while the invention is described herein in detail in relation to one or more embodiments, it is to be understood that this disclosure is illustrative and exemplary of the invention and is made merely for the purposes of providing a full and enabling disclosure of the invention. The detailed disclosure herein of one or more embodiments is not intended, nor is to be construed, to limit the scope of patent protection afforded the invention in any claim of a patent issuing here from, which scope is to be defined by the claims and the equivalents thereof. It is not intended that the scope of patent protection afforded the invention be defined by reading into any claim a limitation found herein that does not explicitly appear in the claim itself.

[0033] Thus, for example, any sequence(s) and/or temporal order of steps of various processes or methods that are described herein are illustrative and not restrictive. Accordingly, it should be understood that, although steps of various processes or methods may be shown and described as being in a sequence or temporal order, the steps of any such processes or methods are not limited to being carried out in any particular sequence or order, absent an indication otherwise. Indeed, the steps in such processes or methods generally may be carried out in various different sequences and orders while still falling within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is intended that the scope of patent protection afforded the invention be defined by the issued claim(s) rather than the description set forth herein.

[0034] Additionally, it is important to note that each term used herein refers to that which the Ordinary Artisan would understand such term to mean based on the contextual use of such term herein. To the extent that the meaning of a term used hereinas understood by the Ordinary Artisan based on the contextual use of such termdiffers in any way from any particular dictionary definition of such term, it is intended that the meaning of the term as understood by the Ordinary Artisan should prevail.

[0035] With regard solely to construction of any claim with respect to the United States, no claim element is to be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) unless the explicit phrase means for or step for is actually used in such claim element, whereupon this statutory provision is intended to and should apply in the interpretation of such claim element. With regard to any method claim including a condition precedent step, such method requires the condition precedent to be met and the step to be performed at least once but not necessarily every time during performance of the claimed method.

[0036] Furthermore, it is important to note that, as used herein, comprising is open-ended insofar as that which follows such term is not exclusive. Additionally, a and an each generally denotes at least one but does not exclude a plurality unless the contextual use dictates otherwise. Thus, reference to a picnic basket having an apple is the same as a picnic basket comprising an apple and a picnic basket including an apple, each of which identically describes a picnic basket having at least one apple as well as a picnic basket having apples; the picnic basket further may contain one or more other items beside an apple. In contrast, reference to a picnic basket having a single apple describes a picnic basket having only one apple; the picnic basket further may contain one or more other items beside an apple. In contrast, a picnic basket consisting of an apple has only a single item contained therein, i.e., one apple; the picnic basket contains no other item.

[0037] When used herein to join a list of items, or denotes at least one of the items but does not exclude a plurality of items of the list. Thus, reference to a picnic basket having cheese or crackers describes a picnic basket having cheese without crackers, a picnic basket having crackers without cheese, and a picnic basket having both cheese and crackers; the picnic basket further may contain one or more other items beside cheese and crackers.

[0038] When used herein to join a list of items, and denotes all of the items of the list. Thus, reference to a picnic basket having cheese and crackers describes a picnic basket having cheese, wherein the picnic basket further has crackers, as well as describes a picnic basket having crackers, wherein the picnic basket further has cheese; the picnic basket further may contain one or more other items beside cheese and crackers.

[0039] The phrase at least one followed by a list of items joined by and denotes an item of the list but does not require every item of the list. Thus, at least one of an apple and an orange encompasses the following mutually exclusive scenarios: there is an apple but no orange; there is an orange but no apple; and there is both an apple and an orange. In these scenarios if there is an apple, there may be more than one apple, and if there is an orange, there may be more than one orange. Moreover, the phrase one or more followed by a list of items joined by and is the equivalent of at least one followed by the list of items joined by and.

[0040] Referring now to the drawings, one or more preferred embodiments of the invention are next described. The following description of one or more preferred embodiments is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its implementations, or uses.

[0041] A preferred retail packaging 100 in accordance with one or more aspects and features of the invention is shown in FIGS. 1-11. The preferred retail packaging 100 comprises a box 102 and an angular paintbrush 104.

[0042] The angular paintbrush 104 is shown by itself in FIG. 12. The paintbrush 104 preferably is an angular paintbrush used for painting trim. The paintbrush 104 comprises bristles 106 that are clamped or otherwise attached with a ferrule 108 to a handle 110. The bristles and ferrule may be referred to as a head of the brush, which head is contained within the box 102 of the retail packaging 100. The paintbrush is referred to as an angular paintbrush because the ends of the bristles 106 are cut at an angle such that the bristles form a slanted end of the paintbrush, as seen at 112 in FIG. 12. The angular paintbrush is designed for use in painting both molding and trim as well as in corners. Indeed, in the appendix a printed illustration on a face of a lid 103 of the box 102 even highlights the molding of a door for painting using the packaged paintbrush 104.

[0043] With reference now to FIGS. 1-11 and the retail packaging 100, FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the retail packaging 100; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a nose 114 of the box 100 of the retail packaging 100; FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a rear 116 of the box 102 of the retail packaging 100; FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the box 102 of the retail packaging 100; FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of the box 102 of the retail packaging 100; FIG. 6 is an elevational view of a right side of the box 102 of the retail packaging 100; FIG. 7 is an elevational view of a left side of the box 102 of the retail packaging 100; FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a right corner of the nose 114 of the box 102 of the retail packaging 100; FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a left corner of the nose 114 of the box 102 of the retail packaging 100; FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a right corner of the rear 116 of the box 102 of the retail packaging 100; and FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a left side of the box 102 of the retail packaging 100, wherein the box 102 is in an opened disposition.

[0044] With further reference to FIGS. 1-10 in contrast to FIG. 11, it will be appreciated that the ferrule 108 and bristles 106 are contained within an interior space 118 defined by the box 102 when in a closed disposition, as seen in FIGS. 1-10. The bristles 106 are thereby protected by the box 102. The handle 110 of the brush 104 extends through an opening 120 (perhaps best seen in FIG. 10) that is defined by generally U-shaped recesses 122,124 (perhaps best seen in FIG. 11), which overlap each other when the box 102 is closed.

[0045] It will be appreciated from inspection of FIGS. 1-11 that the box 102 is structured such that the nose 114 of the box 102 corresponds to the slanted end defined by the angle of the cut bristles 106 whereby the bristles are protected by the box 102 while allowing the brush 104 to hold its shape. The bristles are neither impacted by nor bent in extent when within the interior space 118 of the box 102.

[0046] Preferably the box 102 is held in the closed disposition with fasteners. Preferred fasteners comprise hook-and-loop fasteners such as those known and sold under the Velcro brand, which include pairs of mating elements. One pair 132 of hook-and-loop elements is seen on one side of the handle 110, and another pair 134 of hook-and-loop elements is seen on the other side of the handle in FIG. 5. Each element of each pair is adhered to a respective surface of the box 102, with the fastening of the box 102 in the closed disposition being effected at the rear 116 of the box 102 as seen in FIG. 5. Specifically, a first element of each pair is attached to the interior surface of flaps 136,138 and a second element of each pair is attached to an exterior surface 140 of the rear 116 of the box 102.

[0047] The box 102 preferably is made by folding a single piece of cardboard. Alternatively, the box 102 is made by connecting multiple pieces of cardboard together, such as by gluing, taping, or otherwise adhering the pieces together. The resulting construction preferably results in the lid that is pivotable about a hinge at the nose of the box, as seen in FIG. 11.

[0048] Another preferred embodiment of retail packaging 200 in accordance with one or more aspects and features of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 13, which is a top plan view of the retail packaging 200 when in an open disposition. The retail packaging 200 comprises a box 202 and brush 204. Similar to the foregoing retail packaging 100, preferably the box 102 is held in the closed disposition with two pairs of fasteners, two fasteners of respective pairs being seen at 210 located on and adhered to flange panels. The flange panels additionally serve to retain the brush head within the box (which is seen in the supplemental appendix).

[0049] The box 202 of the retail packaging 200 preferably is formed by folding a single sheet of cardboard along fold lines that are defined in the sheet. The fold lines defined in the sheet preferably form a plurality of panels of the box 202. A top plan view of the sheet with fold lines including the fold lines and panels defined thereby, i.e., blank 250, is seen in FIG. 14, and a bottom plan view of the blank 250 is seen in FIG. 15. Furthermore, FIG. 15 reveals the surface areas that are glued together. Additional views of the retail packaging 200 are set forth in the supplemental appendix attached hereto, which is incorporated by reference herein.

[0050] Based on the foregoing description, it will be readily understood by those persons skilled in the art that the present invention has broad utility and application. Many embodiments and adaptations of the present invention other than those specifically described herein, as well as many variations, modifications, and equivalent arrangements, will be apparent from or reasonably suggested by the present invention and the foregoing descriptions thereof, without departing from the substance or scope of the present invention.

[0051] Accordingly, while the present invention has been described herein in detail in relation to one or more preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that this disclosure is only illustrative and exemplary of the present invention and is made merely for the purpose of providing a full and enabling disclosure of the invention. The foregoing disclosure is not intended to be construed to limit the present invention or otherwise exclude any such other embodiments, adaptations, variations, modifications or equivalent arrangements, the present invention being limited only by the claims appended hereto and equivalents.