Paint Can Having Plural Plug and Handle Securing Arrangement

This invention relates to a reclosable metal paint can of the type which incorporate a plastic handle for carrying as well as for hanging the can as from a rung of a ladder.

Cost of the production of a standard metal paint can is a serious problem and particularly the complex manufacture of the plug locking ring which is double seamed to the can body and of the construction of the locking bead of the plug. Attempts have been made, with varying degrees of success, to provide a multiple interlocking arrangement between the bead of the plug and the walls of the groove of the locking ring on the can body.

Further problems are in the bail ears on the sides of the can body. The ears were clinched into pockets formed in the can body. When oil base paints were solely marketed, rust on the interior of the can was no problem. Water based latex paints required lacquering or otherwise coating the can interior. During clinching, the coating breaks and exposes the ferrous metal of the can, which rusts. Welding of the ears to the can also burns off such coatings. The costs of the assembly of the bails and the ears also are excessive.

The various problems have been solved by eliminating the welded or clinched ears on the can body and simplifying the body structure at the upper open end by forming the body wall with an outturned open curl and providing a plug with a dependent outer sphincteral locking band or segmented flange which with a peripheral opposing wall of the plug defines a downwardly open groove for receiving the upper edge of the can body wall including the curl, the locking band being offset inwardly at its lower portion and the steel material from which the cap is made providing a radially inward bias of the band sections toward the can body. The lower edge of the band is formed with an inturned curl which snaps into an external annular groove in the can body. The plug wall and securing band are interconnected by a radial ring like top web or bight which with adjacent portions of the band and plug wall confines an elastomeric gasket within the upper end of the groove, the gasket being pressed down in sealing engagement with the top edge of the curl at the top of the can body. In addition, the peripheral wall of the plug fits snuggly within the upper end of the can body and has an annular groove adjacent to its lower edge which snaps onto a can body rib forming the beforementioned external groove for the inturned curl of the locking band of the plug.

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary upper perspective view of the novel container;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken essentially on line 2--2 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is the same cross-section as FIG. 2, with the plug removed and the handle raised.

The invention relates to a paint can 1 which has a cylindrical body wall 2 with a closed bottom (not shown).

The upper end portion 3 of the body is provided with an external annular groove 4 which is formed by deforming the can body to form an internal annular rib 5. The upper edge of the can body has an outturned curl 7 with an arcuate upper section 8, a downturned outer section 9 and an inturned lower section 10 which at its inner edge 11 is spaced from the body wall 2 to provide a downwardly open annular gap or slot 13.

A plug or lid 15 is provided as a closure for the can and comprises a center panel wall section 16, a peripheral vertical wall 17 extending upwardly substantially normal to wall section 16, an outturned bight portion or annular flange 18, and a downwardly extending locking band 19 at the outer edge of flange 18. The wall 17, flange 18 and band 19 define a downwardly open groove 20 for receiving the upper portion 3 therein in the closed position of the plug.

A sealing ring 22 of elastomer material is confirmed in the upper end of the groove 20 between adjacent portions of the wall 17 and band 19 and is compressed between the bottom side of the flange 18 and the upper section 8 of the curl.

The band 19 is offset intermediate its ends to provide an annular shoulder 24 which extends beneath and lower section 10 of the body curl in engagement therewith which thus provides a secondary or auxiliary locking means for the cap.

The lower end of the locking band 19 has an inturned curl 25 which snaps into the groove 4, it being understood that the material from which the cap is made, which is preferably steel, has an inherent resiliency characteristic for biasing the band radially inwardly. The band is segmented, being divided by a series of vertical slits 27 which terminate in stress reducing apertures 28 at their upper ends.

Alternating with the slits, there are provided tool-receiving apertures 30 in each band segment 31 for admitting the end of a screw driver 32 or like tool which is adapted to be inserted with its pointed end 33 and wedged between the top or upper section 8 of the body curl 7 and the marginal edge thereabove the hole 30 and then levered upwardly to pry the plug or lid 15 off the can body.

The plug is provided at the lower edge of its wall 17 with an annular groove 35 complemental to the arcuate contour of the can body rib 5, the rib snapping into the groove 35 when the lid is pressed down to its fully closed position which is accomplished by pressing down on the cap flange 18 whereupon the curls on the band sections wedge over the curl on the can body and then pass under the can body curl and move downwardly and into the can body groove at which time the rib 5 snaps into groove 35.

Another novel feature of the invention is the provision of a handle assembly 40 which is made of resilient plastic material and includes a band 42 which is sleeved over the can body, and in the closed position of the plug has its upper edge 44 butted against the underside 45 of the bottom curl 25 on the locking band of the plug. Thus the flat plastic strip handle 46 is in its lowered stowed position as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2. In the extended or raised position, the band 42 slides upwardly and enters its upper portion into the gap 13 so that it is held captive between the curl 7 and the upper portion of the can body and cannot accidentally escape. The ends of the handle 46 are attached to diametrically opposite points of the band 42 adjacent to its lower edge 48.