Plastic paint container having a cube-shaped body

Abstract

A square paint container having recesses formed therein for facilitating the pouring of paint from the container.

1 . A container for holding paint, said container comprising: 
 (a) a body defining an interior volume, said body comprising: 
 a plurality of side walls joined at rounded corners to provide said body with a substantially square cross-section, a first pair of said side walls being joined at a first one of the corners;  
 a bottom wall having a recess formed therein for receiving the finger of a user, said recess extending diagonally between the first pair of side walls and being positioned toward the first one of the corners;  
   (b) a top collar joined to the body and having a passage extending therethrough for providing access to said interior volume of the body, said collar having an exterior thread;    (c) a cap for closing the passage through the collar, said cap having an interior thread for mating with the exterior thread of the collar to secure the cap to the collar; and    (d) a bail handle structure connected to the container.    
   
   
       2 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the bail handle structure is connected to the collar.  
   
   
       3 . The container of  claim 2 , wherein the bail handle structure comprises a bail handle having legs joined to an annular band disposed around the collar.  
   
   
       4 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein a recess is formed in the first one of the corners to receive a thumb of a user.  
   
   
       5 . The container of  claim 4 , wherein the container further comprises a pour spout disposed within the collar.  
   
   
       6 . The container of  claim 5 , wherein the pour spout extends above the collar.  
   
   
       7 . The container of  claim 6 , wherein the apex of the pour spout is aligned with a second one of the corners, said second one of the corners being diagonally disposed opposite the first one of the corners.  
   
   
       8 . The container of  claim 6 , wherein the body is composed of plastic.  
   
   
       9 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the cross-section of the passage extending through the collar has a diameter of at least about four inches.  
   
   
       10 . The container of  claim 9  wherein the cross-section of the passage has a diameter of at least about 5 inches.  
   
   
       11 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the container further comprises a pouring spout insert disposed within the collar, said insert comprising a pouring spout and a paint return groove.  
   
   
       12 . The container of  claim 11 , wherein the pouring insert is removably affixed to the container.  
   
   
       13 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the container further comprises an integral pouring structure.  
   
   
       14 . The container of  claim 6 , wherein the cap has an interior height sufficient to accommodate the pour spout when the cap is secured to the collar.  
   
   
       15 . A container for holding paint, said container comprising: 
 (a) a body defining an interior volume, said body comprising: 
 a plurality of side walls joined at rounded first, second, third and fourth corners to provide the body with a substantially square cross-section, said first and third corners being diagonally opposed to each other and said second and fourth corners being diagonally opposed to each other, said second and fourth corners having handle recesses formed therein, respectively;  
   (b) a top collar joined to the body and having a passage extending therethrough for providing access to the interior volume of the body, said collar having an exterior thread;    (c) a pouring insert including a pour spout disposed within the collar, said pour spout being aligned with the first and third corners such that paint may be poured through the pour spout in the direction of the first and third corners; and    (d) a cap for closing the passage through the collar, said cap having an interior thread for mating with the exterior thread of the collar to secure the cap to the collar.    
   
   
       16 . The container of  claim 15 , wherein the handle recesses extend into each of the side walls forming the second and fourth corners.  
   
   
       17 . The container of  claim 15 , wherein the side walls forming the first corner has a pair of thumb recesses formed therein, respectively.  
   
   
       18 . The container of  claim 15 , wherein the thumb recesses are disposed toward the first corner.  
   
   
       19 . The container of  claim 18 , wherein the pour spout is disposed toward the third corner.  
   
   
       20 . The container of  claim 15 , wherein the body, the top collar and the pour spout are composed of plastic and are formed together through blow molding.  
   
   
       21 . The container of  claim 15 , wherein the pouring insert is removably affixed to the container.  
   
   
       22 . The container of  claim 15 , wherein the pour spout is disposed inwardly from the collar so as to define a paint return groove between said spout and said collar.  
   
   
       23 . The container of  claim 15 , wherein the pour spout extends above the collar.  
   
   
       24 . The container of  claim 23 , wherein the cap has an interior height sufficient to accommodate the pour spout when the cap is secured to the collar.