This invention relates to a breathable and collapsible compost container. More particularly, the invention relates to a compost container comprised of synthetic porous sheet that can be collapsed for easy storage.
Households are increasingly composting organic house and garden wastes such as leaves, grass clippings, and kitchen wastes. Household and garden compost is commonly stored in rigid upright containers. For example, the compost container disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,454,111 B1 has walls of wood boards mounted on vertical columns. Such rigid compost containers are difficult to move and store when not in use. Rigid compost containers also require significant floor space in the retail and wholesale establishments that sell them. Finally, rigid compost containers are relatively expensive to manufacture and install.
A compost container made of a fabric is disclosed in EP 1123909 B1. This compost container includes a tubular barrel portion fabricated of an air permeable material, and top and bottom lids that may be opened. The walls of the container are supported by the compost within the container that makes expansion zippers necessary so that the compost does not get stuck in the compost container. Because the walls of the compost container in EP 1123909 B1 are not self-supporting, it would be difficult to wash out and dry the container prior to storage.
There is a need for a strong, yet lightweight, compost container that can be readily folded or compacted during the marketing, sale and transport of the container. There is a further need for a compost container that readily expands to its full size and that supports itself when it is to be put into service.
A more thorough explanation of the invention will be provided in the detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention in which reference will be made to the following drawings:
Reference will now be made in detail to the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated below. The invention is directed to a compost container. According to the invention, the compost container comprises a hollow tubular body made of a flexible and breathable synthetic textile. The hollow tubular body has opposite first and second open ends. A rigid first open-end rim is integral with the first open end of the hollow tubular body, and a rigid second open-end rim is integral with the second open end of the hollow tubular body, and the first and second open-end rims are connected to each other by the hollow tubular body. A helical spring is connected to the first and second open-end rims. The helical spring is biased to separate the first and second open-end rims so as to extend the tubular body.
According to the preferred embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the compost container 10 comprises a hollow tubular body 12 made of a flexible and breathable synthetic textile. The hollow tubular body has opposite first and second open ends. As shown in
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the hollow tubular body is made of a synthetic nonwoven fabric with passages or pores that are sufficiently large to permit the passage of air. The synthetic nonwoven fabric is typically a spunbonded fabric or a needle-punched fabric. Preferably, the synthetic nonwoven fabric of the hollow tubular body 12 is a spunbonded nonwoven. A preferred spunbonded nonwoven is comprised of polyolefin polymer such as polyethylene or polypropylene homopolymers or copolymers. A light or medium weight spunbonded nonwoven with a basis weight of less than 130 grams per square meter, but that is also strong with a tensile strength of at least 3 KN/m is an ideal nonwoven fabric for the hollow tubular body 12 of the compost container of the invention. A preferred spunbonded polypropylene is Plantex® 3267-B spunbonded polypropylene made by DuPont and having a basis weight of 90 g/m2, a tensile strength of 5.1 KN/m, and a very open structure.
According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the helical spring is integral with the hollow tubular body. As can be seen in
According to one preferred embodiment of the invention, the helical spring and the first and second open rigid rims are comprised of metal, such as steel. The first and second open rigid rims are preferably comprised of a metal or a durable plastic.
According to the embodiment of the invention shown in
The compost container of the invention preferably has a fastener that may engage the first and second rigid rims when the helical spring is compressed so as to collapse the hollow tubular body. The fastener may comprise one or more ties, clips, latches or hooks. In the embodiment of the invention shown in
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the compost container has a cover or lid that fits on the top of the compost container. In the embodiment of the invention shown in
When it is desired to use the compost container of the invention, the container is opened to the extended position shown in
Although particular embodiments of the present invention have been described in the foregoing description and drawings, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the invention is capable of modifications, substitutions and rearrangements without departing from the spirit or essential attributes of the invention. Reference should be made to the appended claims, rather than to the foregoing specification, as indicating the scope of the invention.