Patent Application
20080128414
None
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Portions of the disclosure of this patent document contain material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
The present invention relates in general to recyclable and refuse storage, more particularly to multi-container trash storage apparatuses, and more particularly to a trash storage apparatus that can be assembled to form a multi-compartment structure for holding a plurality of conventional plastic or paper bags that are used for storing recyclable waste.
Trash disposal is an everyday activity. Often, it must be sorted into categories of recyclable materials such as plastic, paper and aluminum prior to delivery to a recycling facility. Typically, each separate category of recyclable trash must be stored in a separate freestanding trashcan. This requires the use of several trashcans for storing different categories of recyclable material, which occupies a lot of space. Vertically stacked multi-container trash storage apparatuses conserve space and conveniently organize recyclables.
Several trash storage apparatuses have been developed in the art. For example, Intl. App. EP0979784 to Cavaliere discloses a refuse receptacle for selective sorting of household trash. The receptacle is a vertical structure comprising a plurality of compartments located one above the other. The compartments are open at the front. Each compartment is adapted to receive a tilting inner container lined with a plastic bag to receive the waste. The compartmental structure, along with the method of accessing the containers by tilting differs from the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,238,301 to Brady discloses a vertical unitized compartmentalized separation/holding container for sorting and discarding various materials for recycling purposes. The container comprises a plurality of sloped rhomboid compartments located one above the other. Each compartment receives a plastic bag, where sundry recyclable materials are stored. The compartments can be accessed through a plurality of pull down doors located at the front of the vertical container. The floor of the last compartment is substantially flat for storing newspapers and the like. The vertical compartmental structure and the pull down doors for accessing the compartments make this apparatus distinguishable from the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,090,587 to Brown discloses an apparatus for storing recyclable waste. The apparatus comprises a plurality of waste containers and a rack including a plurality of horizontally disposed support bars. The containers include hooks on their rear panels, which are used to suspend them onto the support bars. The containers are removable from the rack and are inclined at an angle when suspended on the support bars to provide easy access.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,984,704 to O'Malley discloses a trash container supporting apparatus that includes a frame and a plurality of trash container supports pivotally interconnected to the frame and adapted to receive and support a plurality of trash containers. The frame also includes wheels and a combination handle and stand for moving the apparatus. The frame may be tilted between a generally vertical position for conservation of space and a horizontal position while the trash containers remain in a generally vertical position to retain the trash. Although Brown and O'Malley include a plurality of inclined trash receiving containers one below the other, they cannot be easily and completely disassembled as in the case of the present invention.
Generally, trash storage apparatuses comprising multiple compartments or bins cannot be completely disassembled. For this reason, transporting them and storing them when not in use requires a lot of space. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a multi unit trash storage apparatus that can be completely assembled or disassembled from individual components.
A further object is to provide a trash storage apparatus that can be easily assembled to form a stand alone and multi-compartment structure.
A further object is to provide a trash storage apparatus that helps in categorizing recyclable trash.
Finally, it is an object to provide a trash storage apparatus that includes a plurality compartments adapted to receive conventional plastic or paper grocery bags to store recyclable trash. These and other objects of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the appended Summary, Description, and Claims.
The present invention is a trash storage apparatus that can be assembled from individual components comprising two identical vertical side pieces and a plurality identical connecting panels. Each side piece is flat, comprising a vertical bar, a plurality of panels projecting at an angle from the vertical bar and a base member at the bottom. The side panels are substantially rectangular and are defined by a front side edge, a back side edge, a top edge, and a bottom edge. The panels include a plurality of slots along their front side, back side and bottom edges.
The connecting panels are rectangular and are defined by a top edge, a bottom edge and a pair of side edges. The side edges are adapted to be snapped in the slots of the side pieces. The two side pieces are connected by snapping the side edges of the connecting panels in the corresponding slots of the side pieces to form multiple compartments. Each compartment is accessible from the top and is defined by two corresponding panels of the side pieces and a plurality of connecting panels.
When fully assembled, the apparatus is self-standing and the compartments are vertically stacked and are inclined at an angle for easy access. The compartments are adapted to receive conventional paper or plastic grocery bags. The multi-compartment structure of the present invention helps in categorizing recyclable trash.
Referring to the drawings, a preferred embodiment of a trash storage apparatus that can be assembled from individual components is illustrated and generally indicated as 10 in
Referring to
Still referring to
Referring to
In order to assemble, the first and second side pieces 11 are connected by the connecting panels 12. The pair of tabs 28 on the left side edges 26 of the connecting panels is inserted into a pair of slots 23 of the first side piece 11A and the pair of tabs 28 on the right side edges 27 is inserted into corresponding pair of slots 23 of the second side piece 11B. In detail, as an example, the pair of tabs 28 on the left side edges 26 of a connecting panel is inserted into the pair of slots 23 along the bottom edge 20 of the bottom panel of the first side piece 11A and the pair of tabs 28 on the right side edges 27 of the same connecting panel is inserted into the pair of slots 23 along the bottom edge 20 of the bottom panel of the second side piece 11B. One of the connecting panels is also connected between the pair of slots on top of the vertical bar 13. In this way, all the fourteen panels are inserted in the slots to form a fully assembled apparatus, as shown in
Referring to
The compartments 29 are adapted to receive conventional paper 30 or plastic 31 grocery bags to store recyclable trash, as shown in
Several patterns and designs of the triangular and elongated holes 21 and 22 in the apparatus are possible, without compromising the required inclination of the compartments for easy access. The apparatus 10 may also be adapted to multiple compartments other than three.
All features disclosed in this specification, including any accompanying claims, abstract, and drawings, may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.
Any element in a claim that does not explicitly state “means for” performing a specified function, or “step for” performing a specific function, is not to be interpreted as a “means” or “step” clause as specified in 35 U.S.C. § 112, paragraph 6. In particular, the use of “step of” in the claims herein is not intended to invoke the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112, paragraph 6.
Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, various modifications and substitutions may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the present invention has been described by way of illustration and not limitation.
