STORABLE BUCKET FOR A STEPLADDER

1 . A ladder bucket system comprising:

a ladder with an open configuration and a closed configuration comprising:

a pair of front rails defining a front rail depth;

a pair of rear rails defining a rear rail depth;

a plurality of cross-members; and

a top cap fixed to one of the front rails or rear rails comprising a prong slot;

a bucket with a use configuration and a stored configuration, the bucket comprising:

a prong; and

a bucket depth equal to or greater than the front rail depth or rear rail depth;

wherein the tray is removably attachable to the top cap by insertion of the prong into the prong slot when the ladder is in the open configuration or in the closed configuration;

wherein the bucket is removably attachable to one of the front rails, one of the rear rails, or one of the plurality of cross members in the stored configuration when the ladder is in the open configuration or is in the closed configuration.

2 . The ladder bucket system of claim 1 wherein ladder further comprises a bucket storage member, and the bucket storage member is connected to a rear rail.

3 . The ladder bucket system of claim 2 wherein the bucket storage member protrudes toward the front rail.

4 . The ladder bucket system of claim 1 wherein the bucket comprises four storage member slots.

5 . The ladder bucket system of claim 1 wherein the ladder further comprises a cross brace and the bucket storage member is connected to cross brace.

6 . The ladder bucket system of claim 2 wherein the top cap comprises a back wall and the bucket comprises a back wall and wherein the top cap back wall and bucket back wall abut when the bucket is attached to the top cap.

7 . The ladder bucket system of claim 6 wherein the top cap back wall and bucket back wall are parallel when the bucket is attached to the top cap.

8 . The ladder bucket system of claim 2 :

wherein the ladder comprises:

a rail interior width dimension;

a combined rail depth dimension when the ladder is in the closed configuration;

wherein the bucket comprises:

a width dimension;

a depth dimension; and

wherein the bucket width dimension is less than the ladder rail interior width dimension.

9 . The ladder bucket system of claim 8 wherein the bucket rests entirely within a combined rail boundary when the ladder bucket storage member is attached to the bucket storage member slot.

10 . The ladder bucket system of claim 9 wherein bucket depth dimension is less than the combined rail depth dimension.

11 . The ladder bucket system of claim 9 wherein bucket depth dimension is less than 1.5 times the combined rail depth dimension.

12 . A bucket for use in combination with a ladder, the tray comprising:

a width dimension; and

a depth dimension;

wherein the bucket has a use position and a stored position and the bucket is removably attachable to a ladder, the ladder having an open configuration and a closed configuration and comprising:

front rails;

rear rails;

a plurality of cross-members;

a top cap;

a rail interior width dimension; and

a combined rail depth dimension when the ladder is in the closed configuration;

wherein the bucket is removably attachable to the top cap in the use position or in the stored position and removably attachable to the ladder when the ladder is in the open configuration or in the closed configuration; and

wherein the bucket width dimension is less than the rail interior width dimension, and the bucket depth dimension is between 0.5 times to 1.5 times the combined rail depth dimension when the ladder is in the closed configuration.

13 . The bucket for use in combination with a ladder of claim 12 wherein the top cap comprises prong slots and the bucket comprises prongs and each top cap prong slot is sized to fit a respective bucket prong.

14 . The bucket for use in combination with a ladder of claim 12 wherein the ladder comprises a bucket storage member and the bucket comprises a storage member slot and the bucket storage member slot is removably attachable to the ladder bucket storage member.

15 . The bucket for use in combination with a ladder of claim 14 wherein the bucket rests entirely within a combined rail boundary when the ladder bucket storage member slot is attached to the bucket storage member.

16 . The bucket for use in combination with a ladder of claim 15 wherein the top cap comprises a back wall and the bucket comprises a back wall and wherein the top cap back wall and bucket back wall abut when the bucket is in the use position.

17 . The bucket for use in combination with a ladder of claim 16 wherein the bucket rests entirely within a combined rail boundary when the ladder bucket storage member is attached to the bucket storage member slot.

18 . A bucket removably attachable to a ladder wherein the bucket defines a depth dimension and has a use position and a stored position and the ladder defines a combined rail depth dimension and has a top cap, an open configuration, and a closed configuration, the bucket comprising:

means for attaching the bucket to the top cap in the use position when the ladder in the open configuration or in the closed configuration; and

means for attaching the bucket to the ladder in the stored position when the ladder is in the open configuration or in the closed configuration;

wherein bucket depth dimension is greater than or equal to 75 percent of the combined rail depth dimension.

19 . The bucket of claim 18 wherein the ladder comprises a combined rail boundary when the ladder in the closed configuration and wherein the bucket rests completely within the combined rail boundary when the bucket is in the stored position.

20 . The bucket of claim 19 further comprising a back wall and the ladder further comprising a top cap back wall wherein the bucket back wall and top cap back wall are abutting when the bucket is in the use position.