Garbage container

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6196407
  • Patent Number
    6,196,407
  • Date Filed
    Wednesday, February 23, 2000
    24 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, March 6, 2001
    23 years ago
Abstract
A garbage container includes a base, a bottom cover rotatably supported on the base to hold an outer shell and an inner barrel, a plurality of partition boards fastened to the bottom cover and defining a plurality of storage chambers within the outer shell around the inner barrel for receiving classified waste materials, a top cover covered on the outer shell over the storage chambers, an inner container formed of multiple container parts and mounted within the inner barrel, a plurality of cover panels respectively pivoted to the inner barrel and moved to close/open the storage chamber, and a foot lever pivoted to the base and operated to lift one container part or the inner container in opening one cover panel from one storage chamber.
Description




BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




The present invention relates to a garbage container, and more particularly to such a garbage container, which comprises multiple storage chambers for receiving classified waste materials.




Regular garbage containers are commonly made having only one holding space for colleting waste materials. For collecting differently classified waste materials, several garbage containers shall be used.




According to one aspect of the present invention, the garbage container comprises an inner container for holding pot flowers, umbrellas, etc., and multiple storage chambers spaced around the inner container for receiving classified waste material. According to another aspect of the present invention, the storage chambers are defined within an outer shell above a bottom cover, and the bottom cover is rotatably supported on a base. According to still another aspect of the present invention, the storage chambers are covered with a respective cover panels, and a foot lever is provided for operation with the foot to open one cover panel from the corresponding storage chamber.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

is a perspective view of a garbage container according to the present invention.





FIG. 2

is an oblique bottom view of a cover panel according for the garbage container shown in FIG.


1


.





FIG. 3

is an oblique bottom view of the top cover for the garbage container shown in FIG.


1


.





FIG. 4

is illustrates the structure of the outer shell for the garbage container shown in FIG.


1


.





FIG. 5

is an elevational view of the inner barrel for the garbage container shown in FIG.


1


.





FIG. 6

is an elevational view of one containr part of the inner container for the garbage container shown in FIG.


1


.





FIG. 7

is an elevational view of the inner container for the garbage container shown in FIG.


1


.





FIG. 8

is an oblique top view of a part of the present invention, showing one partition board fastened to one radial locating groove on the bottom cover.





FIG. 9

is similar to

FIG. 1

but shown one cover panel opened.





FIG. 10

is an oblique bottom view of a part of the present invention, showing the positioning of the foot lever in the base.





FIG. 11

is an elevational view of a part of the present invention, showing the foot lever extended out of the base.





FIG. 12

is a sectional view of the present invention.





FIG. 13

is another sectional view of the present invention, showing the foot lever depressed, one cover panel opened.





FIG. 14

is a schematic drawing showing a pot flower installed in the inner container of the garbage container according to the present invention.





FIG. 15

is a schematic drawing showing an umbrella received in the inner container of the garbage container according to the present invention.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT




Referring to FIGS. from


1


through


13


, a garbage container in accordance with the present invention is generally comprised of a base


1


, a bottom cover


2


, a foot lever


3


, a spring member


30


, an inner container


4


, an inner barrel


5


, an outer shell


6


, a top cover


7


, a plurality of cover panels


61


, and a plurality of partition boards


8


.




Referring to FIGS. from


10


througn


12


, the base


1


is a dome-like hollow shell comprising a top center opening


11


, an annular track


12


disposed around the top opening


11


for receiving an annular bottom coupling flange


21


of the bottom cover


2


for enabling the bottom cover


2


to be rotatably supported on the base


1


, a side hole


103


for receiving the foot lever


3


, and a spring holder


13


on the inside adjacent to the side hole


103


.




Referring to

FIGS. 8 through 12

, the bottom cover


2


comprises an annular bottom coupling groove


21


coupled to the annular track


12


of the base


1


, a hooked portion


2111


formed integral with an inner side wall


211


of the bottom coupling groove


21


and hooked on the bottom side of the annular track


12


, a center tube


25


inserted into the top center opening


11


in the base


1


, an inner annular coupling groove


23


disposed around the center tube


25


for receiving the inner barrel


5


, an outer annular coupling groove


22


disposed along the circular border thereof for receiving the outer shell


6


, an plurality of openings


20


defined between the center tube


25


and the inner annular coupling groove


23


, and a plurality of radial locating grooves


24


respectively connected between the inner annular coupling groove


23


and the outer annular coupling groove


22


for receiving the partition boards


8


.




Referring to FIGS. from


10


through


12


, the spring member


30


is fastened to the spring holder


13


inside the base


1


to support the foot lever


3


. The foot lever


3


is inserted through the side hole


103


on the base


1


, having a middle part


31


pivoted to the hollow body


10


of the base


1


by a pivot


101


, a push rod


33


formed integral with an inner end thereof for insertion into one opening


20


on the bottom cover


2


, a press head


321


formed integral with the outer end


32


thereof and disposed outside the base


1


. The outer end


32


of the foot lever


3


is supported on the spring member


30


.




Referring to

FIGS. 6

,


7


and


12


, the inner container


4


is formed of a plurality of container parts


41


and mounted within the inner barrel


5


. Each container part


41


comprises a bottom face


40


, a bottom coupling rod


411


downwardly extended from the bottom face


40


and inserted into the center tube


25


of the bottom cover


2


, a bottom flange


401


formed integral with the bottom face


40


and inserted into the openings


20


in the bottom cover


2


for contact with the top end


331


of the press rod


33


of the foot lever


3


, and a top supporting rod


412


extended out of the inner barrel


5


and stopped at a part


611


of one cover panel


61


.




Referring to

FIGS. 5 and 12

, the inner barrel


5


comprises a bottom coupling flange


51


coupled to the inner annular coupling groove


23


on the bottom cover


2


, a plurality of peripheral openings


52


through which the top supporting rod


412


of each container part


31


of the inner container


4


passes, and a plurality of lugs


53


disposed near the top side thereof for holding the cover panels


61


.




Referring to

FIGS. 1

,


4


,


8


,


9


and


12


, the outer shell


6


is a cylindrical shell having a bottom edge


63


inserted into the outer annular coupling groove


22


on the bottom cover


2


, a top edge


62


for supporting the top cover


7


. The partition boards


8


each have a bottom side


81


respectively fastened to the radial locating grooves


24


on the bottom cover


2


. After installtion of the partition boards


8


and the outer shell


6


in the bottom cover


2


, the partition boards


8


define with the outer shell


6


multiple chambers


9


.




Referring to

FIGS. 1

,


2


,


3


and


9


, the top cover


7


is covered on the top edge


62


of the outer shell


6


, having a plurality of openings


71


slightly smaller than the cover panels


61


. The cover panels


61


are respectivdly pivoted to the lugs


53


of the inner barrel


5


and moved to close/open the openings


71


, each having a smoothly arched contact portion


611


disposed in contact with the top supporting rod


412


of one container part


41


of the inner container


4


.




Referring to FIGS from


9


through


15


, the inner container


4


and the chambers


9


are provided for receiving different things, for example, classified waste matter. Because the bottom cover


2


is rotatably coupled to the annular track


12


of the base


1


, the user can rotate the outer shell


6


to shift the chambers


9


. Further, when pressing the press head


321


of the foot lever


3


with the foot, the foot lever


3


is turned about the pivot


101


to lift the push rod


33


, and simultaneously to compress the spring member


30


. Because the top end


331


of the push rod


33


is disposed in contact with the bottom flanges


401


of one container part


41


of the inner container


4


, lifting the push rod


33


causing the corresponding container part


41


to be moved upwards, and therefore the supporting rod


412


of the corresponding container part


41


is moved to open the corresponding cover panel


61


from the corresponding chamber


9


. On the contrary, when the user releases the foot lever


3


, the spring member


30


pushes the foot lever


3


back to its former position, enabling the corresponding container part


41


to be lowered with the push rod


33


of the foot lever


3


, and therefore the corresponding cover panel


61


is returned to its former close position.




Referring to

FIG. 12

again, a ball bearing


121


is installed in the annular track


12


in the base


1


and disposed in contact with a track


212


in the annular bottom coupling groove


21


at the bottom side of the bottom cover


2


.




As indicated above, the garbage container has multiple chambers


9


for receiving classified waste matter, such as waste glass materials, waste aluminum materials, waste plastic materials, waste paper materials, etc. The inner contaienr


4


can be used to hold umbrellas (see FIG.


15


), pot flowers (see FIG.


14


). By means of rotating the outer shell


6


with the bottom cover


2


, the user can shift the chambers


9


for easy loading of waste materials. After the assigned chamber


9


has been shifted to the position above the foot lever


3


, is foot lever


3


is pressed with the foot to open the corresponding cover panel


61


from the assigned chamber


9


for the loading of a particular kind of waste matter.



Claims
  • 1. A garbage container comprising:a base, said base comprising a top center opening, an annular track disposed around the top opening, a side hole, and a spring hole on the inside adjacent to said side hole; a bottom cover supported on said base and rotated on said annular track of said base, said bottom cover comprising an annular bottom coupling groove coupled to the annular track of said base, a hooked portion formed integral with an inenr side wall of said bottom coupling groove and hooked on a bottom side of said annular track of said base, a center tube inserted into the top center opening in said base, an inner annular coupling groove disposed around said center tube, an outer annular coupling groove disposed along the border thereof, a plurality of openings defined between said center tube and said inner annular coupling groove, and a plurality of radial locating grooves respectively connected between said inner annular coupling groove and said outer annular coupling groove; a cylindrical outer shell mounted in the outer annular coupling groove on said bottom cover; an inner barrel mounted on said bottom cover inside said outer shell, said inner barrel comprising a bottom coupling flange coupled to the inner annular coupling groove on said bottom cover, a plurality of peripheral openings, and a plurality of lugs disposed near a top side thereof; an inner container formed of a plurality of container parts and mounted within said inner barrel, said container parts each comprising a bottom coupling rod downwardly extended from said bottom face and inserted into the center tube of said bottom cover, a bottom flange formed integral with said bottom face and inserted into one opening in said bottom cover, and a top supporting rod extended out of one peripheral opening on said inner barrel; a plurality of partition board respectively fastened to said bottom cover and defining with said outer shell a plurality of storage chambers around said inner barrel, said partition boards each having a bottom side fastened to one radial locating groove on said bottom cover; a top cover covered on said cylindrical outer shell and said partition boards, said top cover having a plurality of openings corresponding to said storage chambers; a plurality of cover panels respectively pivoted to the lugs of said inner barrel and disposed in contact with the supporting rods of said container parts of said inner container and moved to close/open the openings on said top cover; a spring member fastened to the spring holder inside said base; and a foot lever pivoted to said base and turned to lift one container part of said inner container in opening one cover panel from the corresponding opening on said top cover, said foot lever comprising a middle part pivoted to a part inside said base, a push rod upwardly extended from an inner end thereof and inserted through one opening on said bottom cover and disposed in contact with the bottom flange on the bottom face of one container part of said inner container, an outer end supported on said spring member, and a press head formed integral with said outer end and extended out of said base through the side hole on said base.
  • 2. The garbage container of claim 1 further comprising a ball bearing installed in the annular track in said base to support said bottom cover on said base.
US Referenced Citations (7)
Number Name Date Kind
4785964 Miller et al. Nov 1988
4972966 Craft, Jr. Nov 1990
5249693 Gillispie et al. Oct 1993
5295607 Chang Mar 1994
5531348 Baker et al. Jul 1996
5782359 McAllister et al. Jul 1998
6019242 Wysocki et al. Feb 2000