Patent Application
20100219192
The invention broadly relates to garbage cans, in particular to garbage cans having the means to secure at least two garbage bags therein.
Garbage cans are well known. Generally, a garbage can comprises an open top container often including a lid attached thereto, wherein the container is adapted to receive an open garbage bag therein for receiving disposed items. The upper margin of a garbage bag held within the container is often draped over the upper edge of the container, and the bag maintains its position within the container primarily by means of frictional forces between the bag and the upper edge of the container.
Accordingly, a problem with prior garbage cans is that the upper margin of a garbage bag held therein tends to get pulled off the upper edge and fall to the bottom of the container, leaving a user with the unpleasant and unhygienic task of retrieving an often soiled garbage bag from the bottom of a dirty garbage can. Attempts to solve this problem often involve elaborate garbage bag designs, which may include such structures as elastic upper margins, draw strings, etc. The design of garbage cans, however, have remained largely unchanged.
Another problem with prior garbage cans is that they can hold only one garbage bag effectively. Considering the frictional engagement of the bag and the top edge of the container is often insufficient to maintain the position of a single garbage bag, as described above, the ability of prior garbage cans to hold two garbage bags side by side within the container is negligible at best, as the portion of each bag adjacent to the other bag would not be in contact with the top edge, thus, reducing an already ineffectual frictional engagement.
Even assuming, arguendo, that the positions of two adjacent garbage bags could be temporarily maintained, for example, by not disturbing them with the disposal of garbage, there would likely be a gap between the bags, due to the amorphous nature of the material of the bags, thus allowing garbage to fall to the bottom of the container between the bags. Certainly, this would also leave the user with the unpleasant and unhygienic task of retrieving garbage from the bottom of a dirty garbage can. Moreover, each bag would invariably be dragged to the bottom of the container when the user attempts to dispose of items into the garbage can which, as stated above, is unhygienic. Accordingly, prior garbage cans are not effective for users wishing to separate different types of garbage into two bags within one can, as may be the case, for example, when required to separate different types of recyclable garbage.
Thus, there is a longfelt need for garbage can having the means to effectively and hygienically hold at least two garbage bags therein.
Broadly, the present invention is a garbage can comprising: a can portion having a bottom wall, a tubular wall extending upwardly from the bottom wall and including an upper rim, an inner chamber defined by the bottom wall and the tubular wall, and an open top; a bar adapted to be removably secured to a first and a second location on the upper rim, wherein the bar is arranged to extend over the inner chamber between the first and the second location on the rim when removably secured thereto; a ring having a recessed under surface adapted to receive the upper rim therein, the ring being pivotally coupled to the container and arranged to pivot onto and off of the upper rim; and, a lid pivotally coupled to the container and arranged to pivot onto and off of the ring when the ring is arranged on the upper rim, wherein the ring is adapted to secure a flexible material between the recessed under surface and the upper rim.
In one embodiment, the garbage further comprises a: step pedal pivotably connected to the bottom wall; and, a lift arm having a bottom end and a top end, wherein the lift arm is pivotably connected to the step pedal at the bottom end and pivotably connected to the lid at the top end, and the step pedal is arranged to lever the lift arm upwardly when pivoted in a first direction, and the lift arm is arranged to pivot the lid off of the ring when levered upwardly by the step pedal.
A general object of the present invention is to provide a garbage can which is arranged to effectively and hygienically hold at least two garbage bags therein.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciable from the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention and from the accompanying drawings and claims.
The nature and mode of operation of the present invention will now be more fully described in the following detailed description of the invention taken with the accompanying drawing figures of an exemplary embodiment thereof, in which:
At the outset, it should be appreciated that like drawing numbers on different drawing views identify identical, or functionally similar, structural elements of the invention. While the present invention is described with respect to what is presently considered to be the preferred aspects, it is to be understood that the invention as claimed is not limited to the disclosed aspects.
Furthermore, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the particular methodology, materials and modifications described and as such may, of course, vary. It is also understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular aspects only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, which is limited only by the appended claims.
Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood to one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It should be appreciated that the terms “front”, “back”, “left”, “right”, “top”, and “bottom” when used herein, are relative terms meant to refer to the viewing perspective shown in the figures.
Although many methods, devices or materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the invention, the preferred methods, devices, and materials are now described.
The following description is best understood in view of
Can portion 110 includes horizontally arranged bottom wall 111, tubular wall 112 extending upwardly from bottom wall 111, inner chamber 105 defined bottom wall 111 and tubular wall 112, and open top 106. Tubular wall 112 may have a cross-sectional shape resembling any closed figure, for example, a circle or rectangle. In the embodiment shown in the figures, the cross-sectional shape of tubular wall 112 is substantially rectangular, thereby defining front wall 113, back wall 115, left side wall 114, and right side wall 117. Tubular wall 112 includes upper rim 116. The term “upper rim” when used herein refers to the upper margin of the tubular wall, not simply the top edge of the tubular wall, which is shown in the figures and referred to herein as “top edge 116a”. Inner chamber is arranged to receive at least one open garbage bag therein. However, inner chamber 105 is preferably arranged to receive at least two open garbage bags, such as first garbage bag 50 and second garbage bag 60.
The present invention garbage can also comprises a bar adapted to be removably secured to a first and a second location on the upper rim of the tubular wall, wherein the bar is arranged to extend over the inner chamber between the first and the second location on the upper rim when removably secured thereto. The bar is adapted to divide the open top of the can portion into two apertures and is preferably adapted to simultaneously secure at least a portion of two open garbage bags arranged within the open chamber to the upper rim, in order to help prevent the two garbage bags from falling to the bottom of the can portion.
For example, as shown in the figures, garbage can 100 comprises bar 130. Bar 130 includes a first end, which comprises first hook 132 arranged above first tab 133, and a second end, which comprises second hook 134 arranged above second tab 135. Bar 130 may be removably secured to a first and a second location on tubular wall 112, such that it extends across open top 106 over inner chamber 105, by simply clasping first hook 132 to a first location on upper rim 116, and clasping second hook 134 to a second location on upper rim 116.
However, in the embodiment shown in the figures, tubular wall 112 includes first slot 113b in upper rim 116 of front wall 113, and second slot 115b in upper rim 116 of back wall 115. First slot 113b is arranged to slidingly receive first tab 133, and second slot 115b is arranged to slidingly receive second tab 135. Bar 130 may be removably secured to upper rim 116 at first location by clasping first hook 132 to upper rim 116 above first slot 113b, such that first tab 132 is inserted within first slot 113b, and clasping second hook 134 to upper rim 116 above second slot 115b, such that second tab 134 is inserted within second slot 115b. The arrangement of first and second tabs, 133 and 135, within first and second slots, 113b and 115b, respectively, helps keep bar 130 stationary on upper rim 116 by preventing it from sliding on top edge 116a.
Bar 130 also includes left side wall 130a and right side wall 130b. Left and right side walls, 130a and 130b, extend along the length of bar 130, are substantially parallel to each other, and substantially vertically disposed. Left and right side walls, 130a and 130b, are arranged to trap a portion of each of two garbage bags arranged within inner chamber 105.
As shown in
The present invention garbage can also comprises a retainer ring pivotably coupled to the can portion and arranged to pivot onto and off of the upper rim of the tubular wall. The retainer ring includes a recessed under surface adapted to receive the upper rim therein. Thus, when garbage bags are arranged within the inner chamber such that their upper margins hang over the top edge of the tubular wall, the retainer ring is arranged to secure such upper margins of the bags to the upper rim by trapping them between the recessed under surface and the top edge.
For example, garbage can 100 comprises ring 150 which comprises recessed under surface 151. Ring 150 is pivotably coupled to tubular wall 116 and arranged to pivot onto and off of upper rim 116, as illustrated with the arrows shown in
The present invention retainer ring may be pivotably coupled to the can portion by any means known in the art. For example, as shown in the figures, can portion 110 include mounting bracket 120 arranged on upper rim 116 of back wall 115. As shown in
Thus, the positions of two adjacent garbage bags, such as first bag 50 and second bag 60, can be effectively held in garbage can 100, as left and right side walls, 130a and 130b, enclose the upper margins of each bag which are not in contact with upper rim 116, thereby covering any gap that may form therebetween, first and second hooks, 132 and 134, cover and secure a portion of the upper margins of the bags to upper rim 116, and ring 150 covers and secures all the upper margins of the bags draped over upper rim 116, including those portions which are underneath first and second hooks, 132 and 134.
The present invention garbage can also comprises a lid pivotably coupled to the can portion, and arranged to pivot onto and off of the retainer ring, when the retainer ring is arranged on the upper rim of the can portion. For example, garbage can 100 comprises lid 170, which is pivotably coupled to can portion 110 and arranged to pivot onto and off of ring 150, when ring 150 is arranged on upper rim 116. Lid 170 includes a concave bottom surface 171, first and second apertures, 172a and 172b, respectively, and first and second pivot pins, 173a and 173b, respectively. First and second apertures, 172a and 172b, are arranged to receive first and second pivots pins, 122 and 124, therein, and when received therein, lid 170 is arranged to pivot on first and second pivot pins, 122 and 124, i.e., lid 170 is pivotably coupled to can portion 110.
As stated above, the present invention garbage can preferably includes a hands-free means for lifting the lid, such as a step mechanism, as such mechanisms are both convenient when a user's hands are full and hygienic in that a user need not touch the lid. For example, garbage can 100 comprises a step mechanism which includes step pedal 190 and lift arm 210. In order to unobtrusively connect step pedal 190 and lift arm 210 to can portion 110, bottom wall 111 is arranged substantially horizontally and preferably includes recessed undersurface 111a, which is arranged to receive step pedal 190. Additionally, back wall 115 preferably includes vertically arranged recessed outer surface 115a, which is arranged to slidingly receive lift arm 210. Moreover, front wall 113 includes recess 113a, which provides the space above step pedal 190 necessary to apply a mechanical force downwardly thereon.
Step pedal 190 includes pedal portion 191 and a U-shaped member extending therefrom. The U-shaped member includes left arm 192, right arm 194, and cylindrical bar 196. Left arm 192 includes left aperture 192a, and right arm 194 includes right aperture 194a. In this embodiment, bottom wall 111 includes left pivot pin 111c and right pivot pin 111b. Left aperture 192a and right aperture 194a are arranged to receive left pivot pin 111c and right pivot pin 111b, respectively, therein, and when received therein, step pedal 190 is arranged to pivot relative to can portion 110, such that when pedal portion 191 is forced downwardly, cylindrical bar 196 is forced upwardly.
Lift arm 210 includes a bottom end comprising cylindrical recess 211 and top end 212 comprising left and right apertures, 212a and 212b, respectively. Cylindrical recess 211 is arranged to pivotably receive cylindrical bar 196 of step pedal 190 therein. Left and right apertures, 212a and 212b are arranged to pivotably receive first and second pivot pins, 173a and 173b, respectively, of lid 170.
As shown in
Thus, it is seen that the objects of the present invention are efficiently obtained, although modifications and changes to the invention should be readily apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art, which modifications are intended to be within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed. It also is understood that the foregoing description is illustrative of the present invention and should not be considered as limiting. Therefore, other embodiments of the present invention are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
