Information
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Patent Grant
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6334542
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Patent Number
6,334,542
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Date Filed
Monday, September 11, 200024 years ago
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Date Issued
Tuesday, January 1, 200223 years ago
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CPC
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US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 220 263
- 220 264
- 220 908
- 220 909
- 220 826
- 220 827
- 220 262
- 220 260
- 220 503
- 220 505
- 220 523
- 312 3195
- 312 3196
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International Classifications
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Abstract
A garbage can has a main body which is provided with a cover, a garbage holder, and a synchronization mechanism assembly enabling the cover and the garbage holder to work synchronously. The synchronization mechanism assembly comprises a motor having a spindle, a drive gear mounted on the spindle of the motor, a toothed piece of the garbage holder, a transmission gear engaged with the drive gear and a toothed piece of the cover, and a control chip for controlling the operation of the motor. As the motor is started, the drive gear is actuated to turn so as to drive the garbage holder via the toothed piece of the garbage holder. The transmission gear is also driven by the drive gear in motion such that the cover is driven by the transmission gear via the toothed piece of the cover.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a garbage collector, and more particularly to a garbage can.
2. Description of Related Art
There are a variety of garbage cans available in the market place today for the consumer to choose from. These conventional garbage cans are generally rather simple in construction and are provided with very little feature to make them easy and convenient to use. In order to enhance the marketability and the competitiveness of a garbage can, the garbage can should be provided with a semiautomatic device enabling a synchronous motion of the cover and the garbage holder of the garbage can.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore the primary objective of the present invention to provide a garbage can with a synchronization mechanism to enable the cover and the garbage holder of the garbage can to work at the same time, so as to give an added convenience to the use of the garbage can.
The objective and the features of the present invention will be readily understood upon a thoughtful deliberation of the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
shows a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2
shows an exploded view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3
shows a sectional schematic view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4
shows another sectional schematic view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5
shows a schematic view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention in use.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
As shown in
FIGS. 1-5
, a garbage can of the preferred embodiment of the present invention has a main body
10
which is provided in the hollow interior thereof with a container
101
and a space located under the container
101
for disposing a garbage holder
12
which is provided in two opposite outer walls thereof with a retaining recess
13
. The main body
10
is provided in two opposite inner walls thereof with a retaining projection
102
corresponding in location to the retaining recess
13
of the garbage holder
12
. The garbage holder
12
is pivotally disposed in the main body
10
such that the retaining projections
102
of the inner walls of the main body
10
are retained in the retaining recesses
13
of the outer walls of the garbage holder
12
.
The main body
10
is further provided in the hollow interior thereof with a synchronization mechanism assembly to enable a garbage can cover
11
and the garbage holder
12
to work synchronously. The synchronization mechanism assembly comprises the cover
11
, the garbage holder
12
, a motor
17
, a drive gear
16
, and a transmission gear
15
. The main body
10
is provided with a battery set (not shown in the drawings) as the power source of the motor.
The cover
11
is joined with the open top of the container
101
and is provided a toothed piece
14
.
The garbage holder
12
is provided with a toothed piece
14
.
The motor
17
is mounted on a motor mount
103
and is provided with a spindle
171
. The motor
17
is connected with a control chip set (not shown in the drawings) by a circuit (not shown in the drawings).
The drive gear
16
is mounted on the spindle
171
of the motor
17
such that the drive gear
16
is meshed with the toothed piece
14
of the garbage holder
12
.
The transmission gear
15
is mounted in the interior of the main body
10
such that the transmission gear
15
is engaged with the drive gear
16
and the toothed piece
14
of the cover
11
.
The cover
11
is provided with a retaining piece
111
which is retained by a touch switch knob
20
of the main body
10
at the time when the cover
11
is joined with the open top of the container
101
in which the paper towels and the like are kept. The cover
11
is further provided with a torsion spring
19
. The touch switch knob
20
is connected with a switch device
18
which is connected with the control chip set.
In use, the touch switch knob
20
is first pressed to trigger the torsion spring
19
to lift open the cover
11
, thereby causing the toothed piece
14
of the cover
11
to drive the transmission gear
15
which in turn drives the drive gear
16
. In light of the drive gear
16
being meshed with the toothed piece
14
of the garbage holder
12
, the garbage holder
12
is driven to move out of the main body
10
partially. In the meantime, the switch device
18
transmits a timing signal to the control chip set, which in turn transmits a signal to start the motor
17
to actuate the spindle
171
to turn. As a result, the drive gear
16
is driven to actuate the toothed piece
14
of the garbage holder
12
and the transmission gear
15
. The garbage holder
12
is therefore driven back into the interior of the main body
10
. The cover
11
is synchronously driven to cover the open top of the container
101
. While the cover
11
and the garbage holder
12
are opened up, the user of the present invention has access to the paper towel and the like, which are kept in the container
101
. The used paper towel is thrown into the garbage holder
12
.
Claims
- 1. A garbage can comprising:a main body having a hollow interior which is provided in the top portion with a container for holding paper towels, said main body further having a touch switch knob and a torsion spring connected with said touch switch knob; a cover pivoted to said main body such that said cover is movably joined with an open top of said container, and that said cover is actuated by said torsion spring to lift open, and over having a toothed piece; a garbage holder mounted pivotally in the interior of said main body such that said garbage holder is located under said container, said garbage holder having a toothed piece; a motor mounted in the interior of said main body and provided with a spindle, said motor being connected with a battery set serving as a power source of said motor; a drive gear mounted on said spindle of said motor such that said drive gear is engaged with said toothed piece of said garbage holder; a transmission gear pivotally mounted in the interior of said main body such that said transmission gear is engaged with said drive gear and said toothed piece of said cover; and a switch device connected with said touch switch knob and a control chip set whereby said control chip set is disposed in said main body to control the operation of said motor; said drive gear being actuated by said motor to drive said garbage holder via said toothed piece of said garbage holder at such time when said motor is started, said transmission gear being driven by said drive gear in motion such that said transmission gear drives said cover via said toothed piece of said cover.
US Referenced Citations (8)