CONTAINER FOR COATING MATERIAL

Abstract

A container (10) is provided with a container body (20), a handle (22) attached to the container body, and a flexible band (24) attached to a rear portion (32) of the container body. The flexible band has a first end (110) attached to the rear of the container near an upper portion of the rear portion and a second end (112) attached to the rear of the container body near the lower portion of the rear portion.The flexible band can move between a first position separated by a first distance from the back, a second position separated by a second distance from the back less than the first distance to allow the container body and handle to be gripped at the back without interference from the flexible band, and a third position separated by a third distance from the back greater than the first distance to provide space for a user's hand between the back of the container body and the flexible band.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The modalities of the provided material relate to a container and methods for holding the container. The container includes a container body, a handle attached to the container body, and a flexible band attached to the container body. The flexible band can be moved between a first position separated by a first distance from the rear of the container body, a second position separated by a second distance from the rear less than the first distance to allow the rear of the container body and the handle to be gripped without interference from the flexible band, and a third position separated by a third distance from the rear greater than the first distance to provide space for a user's hand between the rear of the container body and the flexible band. With reference to the figures, similar reference numbers designate identical or corresponding parts across the various views. However, the inclusion of similar elements in different views does not mean that a particular embodiment necessarily includes such elements or that all embodiments of the invention include such elements. Now, with reference to Figures 1 and 2, an illustrative container is shown with reference number 10. Container 10 is provided for holding a coating material, such as paint, and can receive / secure suitable painting implements, such as a brush, roller 14, etc. Container 10 includes a container body 20, a handle 22 attached to the container body 20, and a flexible band 24 attached to the container body 20. The container body 20 includes a front portion 30, a back portion 32, a right side portion 34, a left side portion 36, and a bottom portion 38 that define a cavity 40 for receiving the coating material. The front portion 30, back portion 32, right side portion 34, and left side portion 36 each include a rim portion extending around their upper portions, which is collectively referred to in this description as the upper rim 42.The upper rim 42 includes a horizontal portion 44 and a downward-sloping, projecting portion 46 separate from the vessel body. The front, back, right side, and left side form an irregular hexagonal shape at their upper portions, with the left and right sides each having a substantially parallel portion and an angled portion that slopes towards the back, although it will be appreciated that the vessel body 20 can be of any suitable shape. Referring further to Figures 5-9, the right side 34 and left side 36 each include an inwardly extending portion 50, 52 near their lower parts that extend into the cavity 40 and define a flange 54, 56 in the cavity 40 to support the roller 34 above a level of the lining material in the cavity 40. The inwardly extending portions 50 and 52 also provide a reduced-width area along the outside of the vessel 10 such that a user can grasp the right side 34 and the left side 36 in one hand at the inwardly extending portions 50 and 52 to hold the vessel as shown, for example, in Figure 15. The reduced-width area has a width W1 between the right and left sides near the rear 32 that is less than a width W2 between the right and left sides near the front.Similarly, cavity 40 has a width W3 in the inward-extending portions 50 and 52 on the left and right sides that is less than a width W4 of the cavity between the left and right sides near the front of the container body. A user can hold the container 10 by the inward-extending portions 50 and 52, for example, by grasping one of the inward-extending portions 50 or 52 with the user's fingers and grasping the other of the inward-extending portions 50 or 52 with the user's thumb. The right side 34 and left side 36 of the container 10 further include angled fronts where the sides meet the front portion 30 such that the upper portions of the sides are longer than the lower portions of the sides, bars 58 and 60 projecting upward from the top of the sides 34 and 36 that define regions for cleaning the lining material on the brush so that the lining material can re-enter the cavity 40, and lugs 62 and 64 projecting outward from the sides to which the handle 22 is attached. As shown, bars 58 and 60 project upward from the edge portions of the right and left sides 34 and 36 near the angled portions of the sides 34 and 36, and lugs 62 and 64 project outward from the edge portions in a direction perpendicular to bars 58 and 60. The front portion 30 of the container 10 has an angle that corresponds to the angle of the front portions of the left and right sides 34 and 36. The front portion 30 includes a groove 70 for receiving a flange of a painting apparatus, such as a roller handle 14, as shown in Figure 1, to hold the roller 14 in position when a roller cover is disposed in the cavity 40 on the flanges 54 and 56. As shown, the groove 70 is provided on the rim portion of the front portion 30. An inner surface of the front portion 30 includes a plurality of scraper regions 72 projecting therefrom for scraping paint from a painting apparatus, such as the roller 14. Referring further to Figure 12, the rear portion 32 of the container 10 includes a pair of opposing grooves 74 and 76 close to the bottom portion 38, a channel 78 extending substantially the length of the rear portion 32 to receive the flexible band 24, and a projection 80 extending rearward from the rear portion 32 that provides a surface for the user to rest their thumb, for example, when the container 10 is held by hand between the container body 20 and the flexible band 24. The projection 80 defines a cavity 82 to receive one end of the flexible band 24, and includes openings 84 and 86 at opposite ends thereof for joining the flexible band 24 to the projection 80 as will be described in detail below.As shown, slots 74 and 76 are located on the respective projections 88 and 90 extending from the rear portion 32 near the bottom portion 38, and projection 80 extends from the edge portion of the rear portion 32. The housing 10 may additionally include a projection 92 extending forward from the rear portion 32 into the cavity 40. The projection 92 defines a cavity to house a magnet 96 for supporting the brush. The cavity may be sealed at the top to prevent removal of the magnet 96 or sealing by the magnet. The bottom 38 of the container 10 has a substantially T-shaped form due to the inwardly extending portions 50 and 52. There may be a plurality of feet 98 projecting downward from the bottom 38, such as at the corners of the bottom 38, and one or more projecting ribs 100 projecting from a curved portion 102 of the bottom that provide a fingertip relief gripping area. Referring again to Figures 5 and 8, cavity 40 has a substantially T-shape in and below flanges 54 and 56, which correspond to the shape of the lower portion 38, and an irregular hexagonal shape above flanges 54 and 56. When the lining material is poured into cavity 40, it initially fills the T-shaped area. The user can stop pouring the lining material before reaching flanges 54 and 56 so that roller 14 can rest on the flanges above the level of the lining material, although it will be appreciated that the lining material could be poured over the flanges if more lining material is desired. With reference to Figure 13 and the flexible band 24, now in detail, the flexible band 24 includes a first end 110 configured to rotatably engage the back portion 32 near an upper part of the back portion 32, for example, at the projection 80, and a second end 112 configured to rotatably engage the back portion 32 near a lower part of the back portion 32, for example, in the opposite grooves 74 and 76. The flexible band 24 also includes a substantially flat portion 114 disposed between the first and second tubular portions 116 and 118 at the first and second ends 110 and 112, respectively. Each of the tubular portions 116 and 118 includes a through-passage 120, 122 for receiving a suitable fastener. For example, as shown in Figure 1, the through passage 120 in the first tubular portion 116 is located in cavity 82 on projection 80 and is aligned with openings 84 and 86.Next, a pin 124 or other suitable fastener is inserted through the through-passage 120 to couple the first end 110 of the flexible band 24 to the projection 80. Similarly, the through-passage 122 in the second tubular portion 118 is located between the grooves 74 and 76 in the projections 88 and 90 near the bottom 38, and a pin 126 or other suitable fastener is inserted through the through-passage 122 to couple the second end 112 of the flexible band 24 to the projections 88 and 90. Therefore, the first end 110 of the flexible band 24 will be rotatably coupled to the projection 80, while the second end 112 of the flexible band will be rotatably coupled to the projections 88 and 90 and can move within the grooves 74 and 76. The flexible band 24 can move between a first position separated by a first distance from the back 32 as shown in Figure 1, a second position separated by a second distance from the back 32 less than the first distance to allow the back 32 of the container body 20 and the handle 22 to be gripped without interference from the flexible band 24 as shown in Figure 3, and a third position separated by a third distance from the back 32 greater than the first distance to provide space for a user's hand between the back 32 of the container body 20 and the flexible band 24 as shown in Figure 4. As shown in Figure 1, when the flexible band 24 is in the first position, the second end 112 of the flexible band 24 and the pin 126 are at the bottom of the slots 74 and 76.As shown in Figures 3 and 4, when the flexible band 24 is in the second and third positions respectively, the second end 112 of the flexible band 24 and the pin 126 are at the top of the slots 74 and 76. It will be appreciated that although illustrated at the top of the slots 74 and 76, the second end 112 of the flexible band 24 may be in another position, such as in the middle of the slots 74 and 76, for example, to adjust to the size of the user's hand. When the flexible band 24 is in the second position shown in Figure 2 and the handle 22 is above or in front of the container body, for example, as shown in Figure 1 or Figure 4, the user can grasp the container by the inwardly extending portions 50 and 52. For example, the user can grasp the inwardly extending portion 52 with their fingers and grasp the inwardly extending portion 50 with their thumb, as shown in Figure 15. When the flexible band 24 is in the third position shown in Figure 4, the user can place their fingers between the flexible band 24 and the back 32 of the container body 20, with their palm adjacent to the back, and rest their thumb on top of the projection 80, as shown in Figure 16. With reference now to Figure 14 and handle 22 in detail, handle 22 includes a first end 130 configured to be rotatably coupled to lug 62, a second end 132 configured to be rotatably coupled to lug 64, and a body 134 disposed between the first and second ends 130 and 132. The handle also includes coupling portions 136 and 138 on the first and second ends 130 and 132, respectively. The coupling portions 136 and 138 are substantially circular and have respective openings 140 and 142 through which the lugs 62 and 64 extend. Each coupling portion 136, 138 includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced tabs 144 and 146 surrounding the openings 140 and 142 respectively, configured to flex and allow handle 22 to pass over the flanges 148 and 150 of the lugs 62 and 64 for coupling / removal of handle 22 to / from the lugs 62 and 64.The handle 22 may additionally include an opening 152 in the body 134, as shown near a center of the handle 22, which is configured to receive a ladder hook to allow it to be hung from a ladder. The handle 22 can be moved between a first position extending above the cavity 40, as shown in Figure 1 to allow the container 10 to be held by the handle 22, a second position behind the back 32 of the container 10 as shown in Figure 3 so that the container is held by the bottom 38 and the back 32 and supported by the handle 22, and a third position in front of the front 30 of the container 10 as shown in Figure 4 to allow the flexible band 24 to be used without interference from the handle 22 or to allow the container to be held by the bottom 38 and the front 30 by the support of the handle 22. When handle 22 is in the second position shown in Figure 3, the flexible band 24 can move to its second position where pin 126 is on top of slots 74 and 76 and the flexible band 24 flexes in channel 78 to avoid interference. The user can grip the container, for example, with their fingers under the bottom 38 of the container and their palm against the back 32, and hook their thumb around handle 22 to hold the container 10 against their hand as shown in Figure 17. When handle 22 is in the third position shown in Figure 4, the container can be held by the flexible band 24 as described above, or the user can grip the container.For example, the user can place their fingers under the bottom 38 of the container and the user's palm against the front 30, and hook their thumb around the handle 22 to hold the container 10 against the user's hand as shown in Figure 18. Turning now to Figures 19-22, an illustrative embodiment of the vessel is shown in 210. Vessel 210 is substantially the same as vessel 10 mentioned above, and consequently, the same reference numbers, but indexed by 200, are used to denote structures corresponding to similar structures in the vessels. Furthermore, the above description of vessel 10 is equally applicable to vessel 210, except as noted below. The container 210 includes a container body 220, a handle 222 attached to the container body 220, and a flexible band 224 attached to the container body 220. The container body 220 includes a front portion 230, a rear portion 232, a right side 234, a left side 236, and a bottom portion 238 that define a cavity 240 for receiving the lining material. The front portion 230, rear portion 232, right side 234, and left side 236 each include a rim portion extending around their upper portions, collectively referred to in this description as the top rim 242. The top rim 242 includes a horizontal portion 244 and a downward-projecting portion 246 separate from the container body. The right side 234 and left side 236 of the container 210 include angled fronts where the sides meet the front 230 such that the upper portions of the sides are longer than the lower portions of the sides, bars 258 and 260 projecting upward from the tops of the sides 234 and 236 that define regions for cleaning brush coating material, and lugs 262 and 264 projecting outward from the sides to which the handle 222 is attached. The front 230 of the container 210 is angled to match the angle of the fronts of the left and right sides 234 and 236. The front 230 includes a groove 270 for receiving a flange of a painting apparatus, and an inner surface of the front 230 includes a plurality of scraper regions 272 projecting therefrom for scraping paint from a painting apparatus. paint.The rear portion 232 of the container 210 includes a projection 280 extending backward from the rear portion 232 that defines a cavity 282 and includes openings 284 at opposite ends thereof for coupling the flexible band 224 to the projection 280 as will be described in detail later. Now, with reference to the flexible band 224 in detail, the flexible band 224 includes a first end 310 configured to be rotatably coupled to the rear portion 232 near an upper part of the rear portion 232, for example, at the projection 280, and a second end 312 configured to be rotatably coupled to the rear portion 232 near a lower part of the rear portion 232. The flexible band 224 also includes a substantially flat portion 314 disposed between the first and second ends 310 and 312. The first and second ends 310 and 312 can be coupled to the first and second band extenders 360 and 362, respectively, in any suitable manner, which can be coupled to the container. The first band extender 360 includes a tubular portion 366 with a through passage, a body 368 extending from the tubular portion, and lugs 370 with openings extending from the body. To attach the band extender 360 to the container 210, the through-passage in the tubular portion 366 can be located in the cavity 282 and aligned with the openings 284, and a pin 324 or other suitable fastener can be inserted through the through-passage to attach the band extender 360 to the projection 280. The band extender 360 can then be attached to the flexible band 224, for example, by aligning the lugs 370 with a through-passage 364 at the first end 310 of the flexible band 224 and inserting a pin 378 or other suitable fastener through the openings in the lugs 370 and the through-passage of the flexible band. The second band extender 362 includes a tubular portion 392 with a through-passage, a body 394 extending from the tubular portion, and lugs 396 with openings extending from the body. To attach the band extender 362 to the container 210, the through-passage in the tubular portion 392 can be aligned with the openings 400 on the back or bottom of the container, and a pin 402 or other suitable fastener can be inserted through the through-passage to attach the band extender 362 to the container. The band extender 362 can then be attached to the flexible band 224, for example, by aligning the lugs 396 with a through-passage 372 at the second end 312 of the flexible band 224 and inserting a pin 404 or other suitable fastener through the openings in the lugs 396 and the through-passage of the flexible band.In this way, the first end 310 of the flexible band 224 will be rotatably coupled to the projection 280, while the second end 312 of the flexible band will be rotatably coupled to the container 210. The flexible band 224 can move between a first position separated by a first distance from the back 232, a second position separated by a second distance from the back 232 less than the first distance to allow the back 232 of the container body 220 and the handle 222 to be gripped without interference from the flexible band 224 as shown in Figure 22, and a third position separated by a third distance from the back 232 greater than the first distance to provide space for a user's hand between the back 232 of the container body 220 and the flexible band 224 as shown in Figure 21. Now, with reference to handle 222 in detail, handle 222 includes a first end 330 configured to rotatably connect to lug 262, a second end 332 configured to rotatably connect to lug 264, and a body 334 disposed between the first and second ends 330 and 332. The handle also includes coupling portions 336 and 338 at the first and second ends 330 and 332, respectively. The coupling portions 336 and 338 are substantially circular and have respective openings through which lugs 262 and 264 extend. Each coupling portion 336, 338 includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced tabs 344 and 346 that surround the openings, respectively configured to flex and allow the handle 222 to couple to the lugs. The handle 222 may further include an opening 352 in the body 334, as shown near a center of the handle 222, which is configured to receive a ladder hook to allow it to be hung from a ladder. The handle 222 can be moved between a first position extending above the cavity 240 to allow the handle 222 to hold the container 210, a second position behind the back 232 of the container 210 as shown in Figure 19 to allow the container to be held by the bottom 238 and the back 232 and supported by the handle 222, and a third position in front of the front 230 of the container 210 as shown in Figure 21 to allow the flexible band 224 to be used without interference from the handle 222 or to allow the container to be held by the bottom 238 and the front 230 and supported by the handle 222. Turning now to Figures 23-26, an illustrative embodiment of the vessel is shown in 410. Vessel 410 is substantially the same as vessel 10 mentioned above, and consequently, the same reference numbers, but indexed by 400, are used to denote structures corresponding to similar structures in the vessels. Furthermore, the above description of vessel 10 is equally applicable to vessel 410, except as noted below. The vessel 410 includes a vessel body 420, a handle 422 attached to the vessel body 420, and a flexible band 424 attached to the vessel body 420. The vessel body 420 includes a front portion 430, a rear portion 432, a right side portion 434, a left side portion 436, and a bottom portion 438 that define a cavity 440 for receiving the lining material. The front portion 430, rear portion 432, right side portion 434, and left side portion 436 each include a rim portion extending around their upper portions, collectively referred to in this description as the top rim 442. The top rim 442 includes a horizontal portion 444 and a downward-projecting portion 446 separate from the vessel body. The right side 434 and left side 436 each include an inwardly extending portion 450, 452 adjacent to the lower parts thereof which extend into the cavity 440 and define a flange 454, 456 in the cavity 440 to support the roller above a level of the lining material in the cavity 440. The inwardly extending portions 450 and 452 also provide a reduced width area along the outside of the vessel 410 such that a user can grasp the right side 434 and the left side 436 in one hand at the inwardly extending portions 450 and 452 to hold the vessel. The right side 434 and the left side 436 of the vessel 410 further include angled fronts where the sides meet the front 430 such that the upper portions of the sides are longer than the lower portions of the sides, bars 458 and 460 projecting upward from the top of the sides 434 and 436 that define regions for cleaning the lining material, and lugs 462 and 464 projecting outward from the sides to which the handle 422 is attached. The front portion 430 of the container 410 has an angle that corresponds to the angle of the front portions of the left and right sides 434 and 436. The front portion 430 includes a groove 470 for receiving a flange of a painting apparatus. The rear portion 432 of the container 410 includes a pair of grooves 560 and 562 in the upper part of the rear and a groove in a lower part of the rear for attaching the flexible band 424, as will be described in detail later. The bottom portion 438 of the container 410 is substantially T-shaped due to the inwardly extending portions 450 and 452. The cavity 440 is substantially T-shaped in and below the flanges 454 and 456 that correspond to the shape of the bottom portion 438, and is irregularly hexagonal above the flanges 454 and 456. With reference now to the flexible strip 424 in detail, the flexible strip 424 includes a first end 510 configured to engage with the back 432 near an upper portion of the back 432, a second end 512 configured to engage with the back 432 at a lower portion of the back 432, and a substantially flat portion 514 disposed between the first and second ends 510 and 512. The second end can be permanently engaged with the back 432 at the lower portion in a suitable manner, such as by twisting the second end through the groove and engaging the second end with the flat portion 514 near the second end, by shaping the second end to be larger than the groove, etc. The first end 510 can be adjustablely engaged with the back 432 at the upper portion in any suitable manner, such as by looping the first end through the grooves. 560 and 562. It will be appreciated that the first end 510 and the second end 512 can be coupled in any suitable manner, as described above. The flexible band 424 can be moved between a first position separated by a first distance from the back 432, a second position separated by a second distance from the back 432 less than the first distance to allow the back 432 of the container body 420 and the handle 422 to be gripped without interference from the flexible band 424 as shown in Figure 25, and a third position separated by a third distance from the back 432 greater than the first distance to provide space for a user's hand between the back 432 of the container body 420 and the flexible band 424. It will be appreciated that the flexible band can be moved to a number of positions to adjust the space between the flexible band and the back when tightening or loosening the flexible band, for example, to adjust for the size of the user's hand. Now, with reference to handle 422 in detail, handle 422 includes a first end 530 configured to rotatably engage lug 462, a second end 532 configured to rotatably engage lug 464, and a body 534 disposed between the first and second ends 530 and 532. The handle also includes coupling portions 536 and ινΐΛ / a / zuz i / un un υο 538 at the first and second ends 530 and 532, respectively. The coupling portions 536 and 538 are substantially circular and have respective openings through which the lugs 462 and 464 extend. The handle 422 may include a groove extending from each opening, allowing the opening to fit over the lugs, or it may include tabs as described above. The handle 422 may further include an opening 552 in the body 534, as shown near a center of the handle 422, configured to receive a ladder hook to allow it to be hung from a ladder. The handle 422 can be moved between a first position extending above the cavity 440, as shown in Figure 23 to allow the handle 422 to hold the container 410, a second position behind the back 432 of the container 410 as illustrated in Figure 25 so that the container is held by the bottom 438 and the back 432 and supported by the handle 422, and a third position in front of the front 430 of the container 410 as shown in Figure 24 to allow the flexible band 424 to be used without interference from the handle 422 or to allow the container to be held by the bottom 438 and the front 430 and supported by the handle 422. Turning now to Figures 27-29, an illustrative embodiment of the vessel is shown in 610. Vessel 610 is substantially the same as vessel 10 mentioned above, and consequently, the same reference numbers, but indexed by 600, are used to denote structures corresponding to similar structures in the vessels. Furthermore, the above description of vessel 10 is equally applicable to vessel 610, except as noted below. The vessel 610 includes a vessel body 620, a handle (not shown) attached to the vessel body 620, and a flexible band 624 attached to the vessel body 620. The vessel body 620 includes a front portion 630, a rear portion 632, a right side portion 634, a left side portion 636, and a bottom portion 638 that define a cavity 640 for receiving the lining material. The front portion 630, rear portion 632, right side portion 634, and left side portion 636 each include a rim portion extending around their upper portions, collectively referred to in this description as the top rim 642. The top rim 642 includes a horizontal portion 644 and a downward-projecting portion 646 separate from the vessel body. The right side 634 and the left side 636 each include an inwardly extending portion 650, 652 adjacent to the lower parts thereof which extend into the cavity 640 and define a flange 654, 656 in the cavity 640 to support the roller above a level of the lining material in the cavity 640. The inwardly extending portions 650 and 652 also provide a reduced width area along the outside of the vessel 610 such that a user can grasp the right side 634 and the left side 636 in one hand at the inwardly extending portions 650 and 652 to hold the vessel. The right side 634 and the left side 636 of the container 610 further include angled fronts where the sides meet the front 630 such that the upper portions of the sides are longer than the lower portions of the sides, bars 658 and 660 projecting upwards from the top of the sides 634 and 636 that define regions for cleaning the lining material, and lugs 662 and 664 projecting outwards from the sides to which the handle is attached. The front part 630 of the container 610 has an angle that corresponds to the angle of the front part of the left and right sides 634 and 636. The front part 630 includes an opening 670 to receive a flange of a painting apparatus. The rear portion 632 of the container 610 includes a pair of opposing grooves 674 and 676 adjacent to the bottom portion 638, a channel 678 extending substantially along the rear portion 632 to receive the flexible band 624, and a projection 680 extending rearward from the rear portion 632 that provides a surface for the user to rest their thumb on. The projection 680 defines a cavity 682 to receive one end of the flexible band 624, and includes openings at opposite ends of the band for joining the flexible band 624 to the projection 680. As shown, the grooves 674 and 676 are in the respective projections 688 and 690 that extend from the rear portion 632 near the bottom portion 638, and the projection 680 extends from the edge portion of the rear portion 632. The container 610 may additionally include a projection 692 that extends forward from the rear portion 632 into the cavity 640.The protrusion 692 defines a cavity to house a magnet that supports the brush. The cavity may be sealed at the top by a cover or similar device to prevent the magnet from being removed or sealed by the magnet. The flexible band 624 includes a first end 710 configured to rotatably engage with the back portion 632 near an upper portion of the back portion 632, for example, at the projection 680, and a second end 712 configured to rotatably engage with the back portion 632 near a lower portion of the back portion 632, for example, in the opposite grooves 674 and 676. The flexible band 624 also includes a substantially flat portion 714 disposed between the first and second tubular portions at the first and second ends 710 and 712, respectively. A pin 724 or other suitable fastener is then inserted through the tubular portion at the first end 710 to engage the first end 710 of the flexible band 624 with the projection 680.Similarly, the tubular portion at the second end 712 is located between the grooves 674 and 676 on the projections 688 and 690 near the bottom 638 and a pin 726 or other suitable fastener is inserted through the through passage to couple the second end 712 of the flexible band 624 to the projections 688 and 690. The elements mentioned above (e.g., container, handle, band, etc.) and similar elements have been described with respect to the interaction between various components and / or elements. It should be noted that such elements may include those elements or sub-elements specified herein, some of the specified elements or sub-elements, and / or additional elements. Furthermore, one or more elements and / or sub-elements may be combined into a single component to provide added functionality. Elements may also interact with one or more other elements not specifically described herein. In the specification and claims, reference is made to a number of terms that have the following meanings. The singular forms a, an, and the include plural referents unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Approximation language, as used herein in the specification and claims, may be applied to modify a quantitative representation that could permissibly vary without resulting in a change to the basic function to which it relates. Accordingly, a value modified by a term such as approximately need not be limited to the precise value specified. In some cases, approximate language may correspond to the accuracy of an instrument for measuring the value. Furthermore, unless specifically indicated otherwise, the use of terms first, second, etc., does not denote order or importance, but rather...They are used to distinguish one element from another. As used in this description, the terms "may" and "may be" indicate a possibility of occurrence within a set of circumstances; the possession of a specified property, characteristic, or function; and / or qualify another verb by expressing one or more of an ability, capacity, or possibility associated with the qualified verb. Accordingly, the use of "may" and "may be" indicates that a modified term is apparently appropriate, capable, or suitable for an indicated capacity, function, or use, while acknowledging that in some circumstances the modified term may not be appropriate, capable, or suitable. For example, in some circumstances an event or capacity may be expected, while in other circumstances the event or capacity may not occur; this distinction is captured by the terms "may" and "may be." This written description uses examples to describe the subject matter, including the best manner, and to enable a person skilled in the art to put the invention into practice, including manufacturing and using devices or systems and performing incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims and may include other examples that occur to a person skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be included within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal language of the claims. It is hereby stated that, as of this date, the best method known to the applicant for putting the aforementioned invention into practice is the one that is clear from the present description of the invention.

Claims

1. A container characterized in that it comprises: a container body having a front part, a back part, a right side, a left side, and a bottom part defining a cavity for receiving a lining material; a handle attached to the container body;and a flexible band attached to the back of the container body, the flexible band having a first end attached to the back of the container body near an upper portion of the back and a second end attached to the back of the container body near the lower portion of the back, wherein the flexible band can be moved between a first position separated by a first distance from the back, a second position separated by a second distance from the back less than the first distance to allow the container body and handle to be gripped from the back without interference from the flexible band, and a third position separated by a third distance from the back greater than the first distance to provide space for a user's hand between the back of the container body and the flexible band.

2. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that the rear of the container includes slots close to the bottom of the rear, and wherein the second end of the flexible band is attached to a pin that is disposed in and can be moved within the slots.

3. The container according to claim 2, characterized in that in the first position the pin is in a lower part of the slot, and in the second and third positions the pin is in the upper part of the slot.

4. The container according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the container body includes a projection extending backward from the rear of the container body providing a surface for the user's thumb to rest on when the flexible band is in the third position 5. The container according to claim 4, characterized in that the projection includes a passage through it, and wherein the first end of the flexible band is coupled to a pin extending through the passage to allow the flexible band to rotate relative to the projection.

6. The container according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the front part of the container body includes a groove in a top portion thereof to receive a flange of a painting apparatus to hold the painting apparatus in position when the painting apparatus is in the cavity.

7. The container according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the right side and the left side each include an inwardly extending portion that extends into the cavity and defines a flange for supporting a painting apparatus above a level of the coating material in the cavity.

8. The container according to claim 7, characterized in that the container body has a width between the inwardly extending portions of the left and right sides near the rear of the container body that is less than a width of the container body between the left and right sides near the front of the container body such that a user can grasp with one hand the left and right sides of the inwardly extending portions to hold the container.

9. The container according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the cavity has a width in the inwardly extending portions of the left and right sides 36 that is less than a cavity width between the left and right sides near the front of the container body.

10. The container according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it further includes a first lug extending from the left side and a second lug extending from the right side, characterized in that the handle has a first end coupled to the first lug and a second end coupled to the second lug.

11. The container according to any preceding claim, characterized in that it further includes first and second bars projecting upwards from the left and right sides, respectively defining regions for cleaning the coating material on a brush.

12. The container according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it further comprises a magnet housed in the rear to support a brush within the cavity.

13. The container according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the handle includes an opening extending through it close to a handle center configured to receive a ladder hook.

14. A container for holding a coating material, characterized in that it comprises: a container body having a front portion, a rear portion, a right side, a left side, and a bottom portion defining a cavity for receiving a coating material, the right side and the left side each including an inwardly extending portion that extends into the cavity and defines between them a flange for supporting a painting apparatus above a level of the coating material in the cavity; a handle attached to the container body; and a flexible band attached to the rear of the container body, the flexible band having a first end attached to the rear of the container body near an upper portion of the rear portion and a second end attached to the rear of the container body near the lower portion of the rear portion.

15. The container according to claim 14, characterized in that the container body has a width between the inwardly extending portions of the left and right sides near the rear of the container body that is less than a width of the container body between the left and right sides near the front of the container body such that a user can grasp with one hand the left and right sides of the inwardly extending portions to hold the container.

16. The container according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that the cavity has a width in the inwardly extending portions of the left and right sides that is less than a cavity width between the left and right sides near the front of the container body.

17. The container according to any of claims 14-16, characterized in that the rear of the container includes a groove near the bottom of the rear portion, and wherein the second end of the flexible band is attached to a pin disposed in and movable within the groove, thereby movably attaching the second end of the flexible band to the rear of the container body.

18. The container according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the container body includes a projection extending backward from the rear of the container body providing a surface for the user's thumb to rest on.

19. The container according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the flexible band can be moved between a first position separated by a first distance from the rear, a second position separated by a second distance from the rear less than the first distance to allow the container body and handle to be gripped at the rear without interference from the flexible band, and a third position separated by a third distance from the rear greater than the first distance to provide space for a user's hand between the rear of the container body and the flexible band.

20. A method for holding a container for a coating material, characterized in that the container includes a container body having a front, a back, a right side, a left side, and a bottom defining a cavity for receiving the coating material, a handle attached to the container body movable between a first position extending above the cavity, a second position behind the back, and a third position in front of the front, and a flexible band attached to a back of the container body and movable between a first position separated by a first distance from the back, a second position separated by a second distance from the back less than the first distance, and a third position separated by a third distance from the back greater than the first distance.characterized in that it includes: moving the flexible band to the second position adjacent to the back of the container and moving the handle to the second position behind the back and holding the container body and the handle at the back without interference from the flexible band; or moving the flexible band to the third position and holding the container body and the handle at the front; or moving the flexible band to the third position and inserting the user's fingers between the flexible band and the back of the container body.

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