Paint brush with a rotatable scraper and comfortable grip

Abstract

A paintbrush having an elongated handle with brush bristles connected to the proximal end of said handle and a rotatable paint scraper attached to the distal end of said elongated paintbrush handle so that the scraper can be deployed from the brush handle by a user. The paintbrush handle also includes a magnet on one side for attaching the paintbrush and hanging the paintbrush from a metal surface such as a paint can when not in use or temporarily during work breaks. The rotatable paint scraper blade can be moved by depressing and operating button to move the blade away from the paintbrush handle sufficiently to allow 180 rotation from an operable position extending away from the distal end of the paintbrush handle to a storage position snugly against the paint brush handle.

Claims

1. A paintbrush having brush bristles attached to a paintbrush handle, said paintbrush handle having a proximal end attached to said brush bristles and a distal end and an elongated body between the distal end and the proximal end; a rotatable paint scraper attached to the distal end of said paintbrush handle; said rotatable paint scraper including a paint scraper blade with locking slots, a shaft connected at one end to said blade; an actuating button connected to said opposite end of said shaft; said shaft connected through a portion of said paintbrush distal end one side to the other side is mounted on the opposite side of said paintbrush handle; a blade locking member connect to said distal end of said paintbrush handle on one side in engagement with said blade locking slots for locking the blade in position relative to the paintbrush handle; spring attached between said distal end of said paintbrush handle and said activating button and for holding said blade against said paint brush handle; whereby said actuating button can be depressed against said spring causing the blade to be moved away from said paintbrush handle and said blade locking member allowing the blade to be rotated 180 from an operating position extending away from the distal end of said brush to a storage position 180 flush with said paintbrush handle.

2. A paintbrush as in claim 1, including: a magnet attached to one end of said shaft for supporting said handle against the metal surface such as a paint can.

3. A Paintbrush as in claim 1, including: said paintbrush handle elongated body portion including a shallow, elliptically-shaped recess, sized to receive a user's thumb to enhance the comfort of grasping said paintbrush handle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the paint brush with the scraper blade extended to the operating position.

(2) FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the paintbrush shown in FIG. 1.

(3) FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B show respective partially cutaway views of the paintbrush handle distal ends with the blade closed (locked in place) and open (rotatable) respectively and a magnet attached thereto.

(4) FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the paint scraper actuation mechanism used with the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

(5) Referring now to the drawings and especially FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a paintbrush 10 is shown having a handle 12 attached to bristles 14 at its proximal end 12b and a paint scraper 16 rotatably attached near the distal end 12a. The handle 12 is often made of wood or rigid plastic. The handle 12 also includes elliptically-shaped recess 12c that is shallow and shaped and sized to receive the thumb or finger of a user grasping the paintbrush handle. This is for comfort to prevent muscle strain during painting.

(6) The paint scraper 16 also includes a control button 16a that is attached to a shaft through the distal end 12a of the paintbrush handle to the scraper blade 16b and to a central shaft described below. As shown in FIG. 2, a magnet 18 is attached to the scraper blade 16b.

(7) The paintbrush handle 12 includes a recessed portion from handle ledge 12e (FIG. 2) upward toward the distal end 12a which allows rotation 180 of the scraper blade 16b from an operating position as shown in FIG. 2, extended vertically from the paintbrush handle distal end 12a to a stored position flush with the paintbrush handle.

(8) Referring now to FIG. 3, the distal end of the paintbrush handle 12a is shown having a paint scraper 16 rotatably attached thereto. Paint scraper blade 16b is shown extended vertically upwardly away from the distal brush handle distal end 12a in the operating position. In the storage position, the blade 12b would be rotated 180 so that the blade edge is adjacent paintbrush handle 12e ledge and the blade 16b is flush with the paintbrush handle body.

(9) Scraper blade 16b has a double locked position, the first being the operating position as shown in FIG. 3A, and a second locked position being the storage position (not shown). FIG. 3B shows blade 16 elevated above washer and blade locking member 16cc outside of slot 16bb so that the blade can rotate when elevated as open. A circular blade locking member 16cc is attached within a socket of the paintbrush handle and does not rotate.

(10) The blade lock 16c includes a pair of opposing blade locking members 16cc that fit into a slot 16bb on each side of the blade (180 degrees apart). Manually depressing operating button 16a causes blade 16 to move away from the paintbrush handle 12 and rise above the blade locking member 16cc allowing the blade 16b to be rotated 180 degrees to the storage position against a spring, not shown in FIG. 3 A or FIG. 3B.

(11) Referring now to FIG. 4, the scraper blade 16b and operating mechanism is shown in an exploded view. In addition, magnet 18 is shown which is attached adjacent blade 16b which fits in a recess in paintbrush handle 12 body. A rigid cylindrical shaft 16d is attached and fixed to operating button 16a and its washer 16aa adjacent blade 16b. Spring 16e is actually positioned between operating button 16a and washer 16aa and the paintbrush handle recess holding the scraper blade 16b against the opposite side of the paintbrush handle. Since the blade 16b is firmly attached to cylindrical shaft 16d and operating button 16a, when button 16 is depressed toward the paintbrush handle, the blade will move away from the opposite side of the paintbrush handle, against the spring 16e tension, raising the blade above the locking washer 16c so that that blade 16b can rotate 180. When the scraper blade mechanism is attached to the paintbrush handle 12 shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and FIGS. 3A and 3B, the operating button 16a and the washer 16aa are attached to one end of cylindrical shaft 16d and spring 16e, all of which are on one side of a paintbrush handle 12 and disposed in a recessed area in the paintbrush handle 12.

(12) As can be appreciated when reviewing FIGS. 1-4, the user is provided with a paintbrush 10 having a specially designed handle 12 that is comfortable for painting because of recessed thumb area 12c, a paint scraper blade 16b that can be instantly deployed with brush in hand and a magnet 18 for hanging the brush 10 against the metal surface such as a paint can when the painting is finished.