There Is Always Something To Improve Or Innovate For Comfort

In this fast moving world of the 21st century, we are always forced to do everything in a rush, even eating and sleeping. The normal words of today are "hurry", "rush", "fast", "quick" and "immediately." In comparison with 20 years ago, today we have to move or work as fast as possible to survive in a competitive environment with creative and innovative ways. Even though modern technology innovations were introduced decades ago, the new technology has not yet given us the opportunity to create new products to reduce the stress of people in everyday life. We are living under constant mental and physical stress, with more and more demands from our current society.

There are many consumer products claiming that they will cure stress and make life easy, but it is still hard to find good and innovative products on the market for consumers. From time to time, I wonder why multimillion dollar companies, which have hundreds of research engineers and scientists in their R&D departments, are not creating and producing the new, innovative products for consumers.

New product innovation is not complicated to create. By watching how people are using the products, anyone can have an idea of how to improve existing products or create new ones. No products are perfect when they are invented or developed in the first place; therefore any product has room to be improved into a better one.

For example, examining paint related-products, I could not find really innovative or new products for improving paint jobs to make them easy and enjoyable. We are still using the same products and the same methods of doing paint jobs as we did a hundred years ago. In the past, whenever I did a paint job, I always found something bothering me or some inconvenience about painting and I have asked myself why better products do not exist for easy and quick paint jobs. About a year ago, I finally decided to research and develop new paint-related products that are simple to use, inexpensive and environmentally friendly.

1. Ergonomic Paint-Can Handle/Opener

Everybody knows that carrying a paint can by its wire handle is uncomfortable and causes hand and arm pain. Based on research among professional painters, I discovered there is a need for a comfort handle. The Ergonomic Paint-Can Handle/Opener is a new invention that is ergonomically designed for comfort in holding the paint can while brushing directly from the can, and eliminates hand and arm pain. It also keeps hands clean when dipping and brushing directly from the can. The Paint Can Opener conveniently provides for easy opening of any paint can lid and bottle cap instead of using a screwdriver.

2. Rapid-Pour Paint Spout

Nobody like messiness or hassle while pouring or brushing directly from the can. The rim and gutter always seem to get paint build-up that causes dripping on the floor and difficulty in resealing the lid after use. The Rapid-Pour Paint Spout is a new invention that removes the mess and inconvenience of painting. It provides drip-proof pouring, prevents paint build-up, in the can rim and gives a tighter reseal. Tighter reseal will result in less spoiled paint, keeping longer, saving money, and it's environmentally friendly. When the paint is dried, just tap it and it will peel itself off. There is no need to use water or solvents for cleaning. This is an environmentally friendly product.

3. Rapid Paint Mixer

Mixing or stirring paint in the can causes not only discomfort when stirring with a paint stick, but can also cause hand and arm pain, which makes it takes longer and results in the paint not mixing well. The Rapid Paint Mixer is a new invention that is ergonomically designed to remove these inconveniences. The up and down plunger handle provides effortless, easy, quick and thorough mixing of any paint products. It is simple to use and reuse. When paint is dried, just tap and the paint will peel itself off. There is no need to use water or solvents for cleaning. This is an environmentally friendly product.

4. E-Zy Zip Bag for Paint Brush/Roller

It is always a difficult task to keep the paint brush/roller clean and fresh after use. The bristles/roller of even a thoroughly cleaned brush/roller will harden when it dries. Sometimes it is hard to reuse, and we end up discarding. This is simply wasting our hard-earned money. The E-Zy Bag for Paint Brush/Roller is a new invention that is designed to cover the hand while brushing/rolling. It keeps the brush/roller moist to prevent hardening after use, so it can be reused as new. Just insert the brush/roller handle through the E-Zy Bag mouth to the bottom opening until the handle is out. Remove liners from both sides of tape, and press to adhere them together to the brush/roller handle to seal the bottom opening. Fold the E-Zy Bag over to expose the brush/roller and to cover the hand while painting. This protects the hand from paint. Clean the paint brush/roller with hot water or solvent after use by holding the protected handle. Turn it inside out to cover the brush/roller, and seal the bag opening with the self-sealing plastic strip to trap air and moisture in the bag.

5. Magic Sleeve

Nobody likes cleaning the paint tray after use. It is the worst part of the paint job, and is not only inconvenient but also environmentally unfriendly. There are plastic paint tray liners on the market, but they are not only expensive to throw away after use, but do not fit into all paint trays. The Magic Sleeve is a new invention that eliminates cleaning the paint tray, keeps hands clean, avoids messiness, and makes it possible to reuse the paint tray as new. It is a plastic bag with adhesive inside. Just place the Magic Sleeve onto any paint tray, peel of the liner of the adhesive inside, and press it down onto the paint tray. It will cover and take the form of the paint tray. After the paint job, simply remove by turning it inside out and disposing in the proper recycling bin. There is no messiness, no hassle involved in cleaning the paint tray. This is environmentally friendly product.

These paint related-products are designed and developed to improve the ease of your next paint job, based on my paint job experience and gathering complaints from other painters. As an engineer, I am always curious about anything from consumer products to machinery to methods of manufacturing. It is my honest goal to improve and innovate existing or new products to provide comfort and ease of use for consumers. I have designed and developed over 20 other inventions that are patented or patent pending. Some are in the market currently. My curiosity pushes me to think and solve whatever problems I face with the existing products. It is very satisfying to know that my inventions may contribute in some way to consumers by providing comfort and convenience in this complex, stressed-out and competitive world.

About The Author

Thomas Hong, engineer and founder of ATI, has designed and developed various products, including household and hardware products currently on the market since 1998. Phone requests for additional information are welcomed: 416-693-5538 or visit www.paintingeasy.com

thomas@paintingeasy.com

In The News:

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Palestinians pray over the bodies of  people killed near a United Nations school Tuesday, during their funeral in the Jebaliya refugee camp, in the northern Gaza Strip, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009. Israel's military paused its Gaza offensive for three hours Wednesday to allow food and fuel to reach besieged Palestinians, and the country's leaders debated whether to accept an international cease-fire plan or expand the assault against Hamas. With criticism rising of the operation's spiraling civilian death toll and Gazans increasingly suffering the effects of nonstop airstrikes and shelling, Israel's military said it opened 'humanitarian corridors' to allow aid supplies to reach Palestinians.(AP Photo/Hatem Moussa)AP - Israel resumed its Gaza offensive Wednesday, bombing heavily around suspected smuggling tunnels near the border with Egypt after a three-hour lull to allow in humanitarian aid. Hamas responded with a rocket barrage.



President-elect Barack Obama gestures during a news conference at his transition office in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009, where he introduced Nancy Killefer, not shown, to the newly created position of chief performance officer. (AP Photo/Lawrence Jackson)AP - Pointing with concern to "red ink as far as the eye can see," President-elect Barack Obama pledged Wednesday to tackle out-of-control Social Security and Medicare spending and named a special watchdog to clamp down on other federal programs — even as he campaigned anew to spend the largest pile of taxpayer money in history to revive the sinking economy.



Illinois U.S. Senate Appointee Roland Burris, left, meets with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nev., Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)AP - Senate Democrats beat a hasty retreat Wednesday from their rejection of Roland Burris as President-elect Barack Obama's successor, yielding to pressure from Obama himself and from senators irked that the standoff was draining attention and putting them in a bad light. Burris said with a smile he expected to join them "very shortly."



Rescue workers evacuate residents from a flooded neighborhood along  McCutcheon Rd. near Orting, Wash. Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009. The rapidly rising Puyallup River forced hundreds of people in the area from their homes. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)AP - Rain and high winds lashed Washington state Wednesday, causing widespread avalanches, mudslides, flooding and road closures as the heavy snowfall that has buried parts of the state began to rapidly melt.



President-elect Barack Obama is welcomed by President George W. Bush for a meeting at the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009, with former presidents, from left, George H.W. Bush, Bill  Clinton, and Jimmy Carter.  (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)AP - Confronting a grim economy and a Middle East on fire, Barack Obama turned Wednesday to perhaps the only people on the planet who understand what he's in for: the four living members of the U.S. presidents' club.



Workers put bullet proof glass on President-elect Barack Obama's Inaugural Reviewing Stand on Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House in Washington, Monday, Jan. 5, 2009. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)AP - The upcoming inauguration of Barack Obama is an attractive target for international and domestic terrorists, but U.S. intelligence officials have no information about specific threats to the Jan. 20 event.



AP - You've heard of making cheese from goats' milk, but prescription drugs? In what would be a scientific first, an anti-clotting drug made from the milk of genetically engineered goats moved closer to government approval Wednesday after experts at the Food and Drug Administration reported that the medication works and its safety is acceptable.

Ellen DeGeneres accepts the favorite funny female star award at the 35th Annual People's Choice Awards on Wednesday Jan. 7, 2009 in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles)AP - Ellen DeGeneres and "Dancing with the Stars" were early winners at the People's Choice Awards.



Harvard's Jeremy Lin (4) drives for the basket in front of Boston College's Rakim Sanders in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)AP - Jeremy Lin scored 27 points to lead Harvard to an 82-70 upset over No. 17 Boston College on Wednesday night, three days after the Eagles upset previously top-ranked North Carolina.



In this Nov. 30, 2008 file photo, New York Jets coach Eric Mangini looks up at the scoreboard during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. The Cleveland Browns have agreed to hire Eric Mangini as their head coach, a person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun, File)AP - Eric Mangini is the new head coach of the Cleveland Browns, a week after being fired by the New York Jets. A person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press that Mangini will be introduced Thursday at a news conference at the team's headquarters in Berea.



An Israeli soldier stands next to blindfolded Palestinian prisoners after they were arrested during an Israeli military operation in the northern Gaza Strip January 7, 2009, in this picture released by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF). U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Wednesday she had pressed Israel to seriously consider an Egyptian ceasefire plan as the U.N. Security Council weighed action to end Israel's attack on Gaza. (IDF/Handout/Reuters)Reuters - Israeli warplanes bombed the Gaza Strip on Thursday and tanks pounded Palestinian guerrillas on the ground as U.S. backing for a proposed truce raised expectations of an end to the offensive.



President Bush greets President-elect Barack Obama at the White House, November 10, 2008. (Joshua Roberts/Reuters)Reuters - The U.S. budget deficit will swell to a record $1.186 trillion in fiscal 2009, congressional forecasters said on Wednesday, the result of an economic recession that has cut tax receipts and caused massive government bailouts of banks and automakers.



Senate-designate Roland Burris talks with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in Reid's office on Capitol Hill, January 7, 2009. (Larry Downing/Reuters)Reuters - In an abrupt switch, Democratic leaders began talks on Wednesday to swear in Roland Burris, appointed by embattled Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich to replace President-elect Barack Obama in the U.S. Senate.



United Auto Workers (UAW) President Ron Gettelfinger (C) addresses the media as UAW Vice-Presidents listen at the UAW Solidarity House in Detroit, Michigan December 12, 2008. (Rebecca Cook/Reuters)Reuters - United Auto Workers bargaining teams are arriving this week in Detroit as the union gears up for negotiations with General Motors Corp and Chrysler LLC, which are mandated to cut labor costs under a $17.4 billion federal bailout.



Reuters - U.S. cities are vulnerable to an attack like the gun-and-grenade assault that terrorized Mumbai for three days and killed 179 people, the White House homeland security adviser said on Wednesday.

Ali al-Marri, who has been held for 5-1/2 years at a U.S. military prison in South Carolina, is seen in this undated photograph released to Reuters on January 6, 2008. An early test for President-elect Barack Obama will be the case of suspected al Qaeda 'sleeper' agent Marri, which will force Obama to take a position on his predecessor's claim that anyone the president deems a national security threat can be imprisoned indefinitely without charges in the United States. (Handout/Reuters)Reuters - The case of Ali al-Marri, accused of being an al Qaeda "sleeper" agent and held for 5-1/2 years at a U.S. military prison in South Carolina, will be an early test for President-elect Barack Obama.



Eggs are stacked up at an egg farm in San Diego County, July 29, 2008. (Mike Blake/Reuters)Reuters - An outbreak of salmonella food poisoning has made 388 people sick across 42 states, sending 18 percent of them to the hospital, U.S. health officials said on Wednesday.



Bernard Madoff is escorted in a vehicle from Federal Court in New York, January 5, 2009. (Lucas Jackson/Reuters)Reuters - Accused swindler Bernard Madoff should be jailed for violating a court order by mailing $1 million worth of diamonds, watches and other jewelry to friends and family, U.S. prosecutors told a court on Wednesday.



Shoppers at a Lenovo outlet in Beijing. The Chinese computer giant has announced it is set to cut about 2,500 jobs, roughly 11 percent of its worldwide workforce, after suffering losses due to the global economic crisis.(AFP/File/Teh Eng Koon)AFP - Chinese computer giant Lenovo announced Thursday it would cut about 2,500 jobs, roughly 11 percent of its worldwide workforce, after suffering losses due to the global economic crisis.



Smoke billows following an Israel air strike in Rafah near the Gaza Strip's border with Egypt. Israel on Wednesday approved an even tougher war on Hamas, warning residents to flee southern Gaza ahead of planned bombing of cross-border tunnels, as the Palestinian death toll passed 700.(AFP/Said Khatib)AFP - Israel on Wednesday approved an even tougher war on Hamas, warning residents to flee southern Gaza ahead of planned bombing of cross-border tunnels, as the Palestinian death toll passed 700.




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