Patent Application
20140209605
This application claims the benefit of Canadian Application No. ______ filed Jan. 29, 2013 and entitled CONTAINER FOR HANDS-FREE LATCH AND LINKAGE ACTIVATION FOR ACCESS. The entire contents of said application is hereby incorporated by reference.
The present invention relates to containers, and particularly refuse or recycling containers, which are resistant to animal access. The containers include a foot-activated latch and linkage which permits hands-free activation of a user access door and related chute opening into the container. Such containers have particular application in recreational areas where large animals, such as bears, endeavour to access any refuse within the container. Consequently, the basic structure is rugged, and able to withstand animal abuse while substantially eliminating access to the contents of the container.
Refuse or recycling containers often attract attention of animals, and consequently containers used in areas where wildlife is present must be able to withstand attempts by animals to gain access to refuse or other materials contained within the container. Various attempts to limit or prevent animal access have been employed, including weights, locks and concealed latches. However, such devices have also posed additional difficulties for users of the containers, inevitably requiring exact handling and manipulation by users.
One successful animal resistant container, manufactured by the Applicant herein under the trade-mark HID-A-BAG includes a latched hinged lid. The latch is recessed under a covering on the lid, and must be raised beneath the covering in order to release the lid. This requires a user to rotate his/her hand, palm upwards, to raise the latch within the enclosure. Many animals, particularly including bears, do not have a rotatable wrist and cannot operate such a latch. Nonetheless, such device requires manual manipulation by a user.
Many other latches, either hand or foot operated, involve a simple release movement such as depressing a lever pedal or push rod. The present invention is an interlocked foot-operated latch and linkage which opens a user access door, thereby leaving a user's hands free for access to the container. While foot-operated pedals and linkages are known to open container lids, such as a common kitchen waste basket, such devices are also operable by any downward pressure as may be exerted by an animal. The present invention provides a latch with an interlocked foot pedal, which inhibits simple downward pressure as may be exerted by an animal, thereby substantially preventing operation by an animal such as a bear.
The present invention provides a hands-free, foot-operable latch and linkage to open a container access door for a user, which is self-latching upon release of the foot pedal.
Further, the hands-free access for deposit of material into the container avoids manual contact with the container or user access door, thereby avoiding potential contamination of a user's hands from surfaces which may harbour bacteria or germs.
As may be seen from
A latch recess 4 contains the activating mechanism for the linkage. As may be seen in
Referring now to
A spring 42 connects above pivot 30 to pivoting lever link 28 at one end, and at the other end 43 is connected to a forward portion of the adjacent side wall of container 1 to bias the upper end of pivoting lever link 28 forwardly to normally maintain the access door 2 in a closed position. Alternatively a biasing spring may be connected below pivot 30, operating in the opposite direction. Still further, both an upper spring 42 and a lower spring could be utilized for greater biasing force.
As may be seen from
Release of the user's foot from pedal 20 allows return spring 42 to draw the upper end of pivoting lever link 28 forwardly, thereby closing access door 2. The linkage moves to draw actuating lever 24 rearwardly, pivoting foot pedal 20 into the starting latched position. At the same time, torsion spring 14 returns support arms 8 and kick plate 6 to the start position, with pedal step lock 16 re-engaging pedal locking pin 18 to prevent opening of user door 2.
The novel combination of interlocked kick plate 6 and foot pedal 20 establishes a lock or latch which prevents operation of the linkage and activation of the user access door until properly sequentially activated. Such interlock inhibits operation by animals, particularly bears. Furthermore, the constraining size or aperture of latch recess 4 prevents access by a wide foot, such as that of a bear, further inhibiting animal activation of the latch and linkage.
While the basic latch and linkage mechanism of embodiments of the invention have been set out above, it will be appreciated that the precise form of latching elements may be varied, while still maintaining the principle of interlocked kick plate and foot pedal before the linkage may be actuated to propel the user access door into an open position for hands-free access. For example, the kick plate may be positioned on a biased slider, rather than pivot. The linkage above the actuating lever may be replaced by a direct connection to the actuating bracket or the linkage may be provided by a Bowden cable.
A container embodying such a linkage may include a shield plate inside the container to prevent interference between bagged refuse and the access door linkage. As well, the front service door may be latched in any preferred form, or may employ a full hasp and lock.
While preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated, variations as would be understood by a person skilled in the art may be employed and are included within the scope of the invention as the appended claims are purposively construed.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2804082 | Jan 2013 | CA | national |
