Patent Application
20140312035
1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to trash containers for disposing of recyclable waste products. Still more particularly, the present disclosure relates to a tubular cylinder attachment incorporated through the lid of a recycle container for stacking and, thereby, condensing discarded recyclable paper cups and plastic glasses inside each other. This apparatus and method for stacking and condensing discarded paper cups and plastic glasses will more than double the available space within recycle containers. Other embodiments of this invention, also, utilize this cup stacking concept to save space inside recycle bins, as well as, to later help in the sorting and processing of recyclables.
2. Background
The U.S. population produces 100 million tons of paper and plastic waste each year. Much of this recyclable waste is in the form of plastic, paper and Styrofoam cups and glasses produced by fast food restaurants, coffee shops, convenience stores, gas stations, amusement parks, schools, street and music festivals, shopping malls, business cafeterias and so on.
Typically, when people are done with their beverage, they usually throw it into an ordinary trash can. Sometimes people do the environmentally conscientious thing and dispose of their paper or plastic cup or glass in a recycle bin, but only if the establishment provides one.
The problem with both these scenarios is that they do not adequately address or solve the growing recyclable waste problem in this country and for different reasons.
To throw recyclable waste into an ordinary garbage can is not an environmentally responsible solution as the landfills are already overflowing with our garbage. The conscientious and responsible solution to the growing waste problem is to utilize recyclable waste containers so that these valuable resources may be processed and reused and not just dumped into the landfills.
Most communities are in fact turning to “Green” technology to help eliminate the wastefulness of our resources and are providing special containers for recyclable waste so it may be kept separate from the actual garbage. However, a big problem with the standard recycle containers is that they fill up extremely quickly as much of the container comprises paper and plastic glasses and cups which contain “empty wasted space” within them.
For example, in Evanston, Ill. outside the highly popular local coffee shop, a recycle container is provided by the city and is at times overflowing onto the street with coffee cups and plastic glasses. This particular recycle bin fills up very quickly due to the large volume of cups and glasses being disposed of and the “empty wasted space” inside them.
Accordingly, the standard recycle bin needs to be redesigned to better utilize the available space inside the recycle container.
This will allow more recyclable waste to be thrown into the can and accordingly, the recycle bins won't need to be emptied as often.
The prior art in recyclable trash cans has attempted to address this “empty wasted space” issue by utilizing containers which try to compress the bulky plastic glasses and paper cups. These compressing trash cans are run by solar powered batteries, and do not function very well as much more pressure is needed for compression than is supplied by a solar powered battery. Also, on a cloudy day, they fail to function properly.
Consequently, the problem with the above recycle bins and bin “solutions” is they don't work very well, if at all, at freeing up the available space within these recycle bins.
The present invention provides an extremely simple and cost effective method and solution for eliminating the “empty wasted space” issue. In general, this invention stacks and condenses discarded paper cups and plastic glasses, in their manufactured state, all inside each other, thereby, eliminating the wasted void within the empty cups and glasses. The process of stacking cups and glasses in a series greatly increases the available space within the recycle bins.
The disclosed invention provides new and unique recycle bins, methods and attachments for stacking and condensing recyclable cups and glasses all within each other.
In one embodiment, the cups and glasses are stacked by inserting them bottom side down into a piece of plastic p.v.c. pipe and pushing down. The p.v.c. pipe is approx. 4½ inches in diameter and 8 inches in length. Approximately, 6 inches of the pipe extends at a slight angle outward from the top surface of the recycle bin's lid and the remaining 2 inches continues at a slight angle downward towards the inside center of the recycle bin. This design enables the p.v.c. pipe to be fastened to the underside of the recycle bin's lid with a simple “L” bracket.
The very bottom end of the p.v.c. pipe within the recycle bin contains a V-shaped rubber flange piece over the bottom opening. The V-shaped rubber flange piece holds the cups taught and positions them to be stacked and condensed one inside the other. Once a varying number of cups are stacked in series inside the p.v.c. pipe, the pushing pressure from the condensed cups causes the entire stack to begin to push through the rubber flange piece.
In operation, as more and more cups are pushed into the pipe, this causes clusters of the stacked cups to break apart, due to their weight, from the main condensed series and drop down into the recycle bin. The number of condensed cups in series varies due to cup size, etc. Typically, approximately 5 cups are condensed together before the stacked series drops down into the recycle bin.
The tubular attachment is only for condensing recyclable cups and glasses. A separate large opening may be provided in the center of the recycle lid for disposing of other recyclables such as newspapers, bags, plates, drink lids, etc.
An alternate embodiment for the recycle bin's lid design contains an approximate 2 inch by 4 inch slot in the top center of the recycle bin's lid. This slot is for disposal of beverage lids only. This way the entire recycle bin is allocated solely for paper cups, plastic glasses and their lids and will be marked, “CUPS ONLY”. This bin will be lined with a recyclable garbage bag marked with the recyclable logo. The benefit of this embodiment is that when the bag is removed from the bin it will contain completely pre-sorted recyclables. This feature will greatly aid municipalities in the sorting and recycling process.
Still another embodiment utilizes an elongated tube, in lieu of a bin, for stacking and disposing of cups, glasses and their lids only. The cup stacker embodiment is advantageous when large numbers of recyclable cups and glasses need to be disposed of in a convenient, efficient manner. The cup stackers may be attached to outdoor poles, for example, at summer festivals, parks, amusement parks, outdoor coffee shops, etc. anywhere that large numbers of recyclable cups and glasses are the primary trash component. The elongated tube may vary in overall length to accommodate space restrictions.
The nature of the preferred embodiments may be understood best from a study of the attached drawings, wherein:
In greater detail,
Referring to
Cup condenser 22 contains a V-shaped rubber flange 28 over the bottom opening 30 of cup condenser 22. The V-shaped rubber flange 28 holds the cups and positions them to be stacked and condensed one inside the other. The V-shaped rubber flange 28 is fabricated from a fairly stiff piece of rubber in order to hold and position the cups for the condensing process.
Cup condenser 22 is only for recyclable cups and glasses. A separate, large opening 36 may be located in the center of the recycle lid 26 for disposing of other recyclables such as newspapers, bags, plates, drink lids, etc.
In greater detail, cups 40 are placed into cup condenser 22 through an opening 23. Cup condenser 22 has an approximate 4½ inch wide inner diameter so that opening 23 will accommodate all cup and glass sizes from small to jumbo. As the basic measurements of all recyclable cups and glasses are narrow at the bottom and flared at the top, this allows all sizes to be stacked within each other. In other words, just as new cups and glasses come packaged in a stacked mode to save space, their disposal can be accomplished in a like manner to help save space inside the recycle containers.
An added benefit of the stacking process is that it later helps municipalities in the sorting and processing of like recyclables.
In operation, once approximately five cups 40 are stacked in series inside cup condenser 22, the insertion pressure from the sixth cup 40 will cause the entire stack 44 to begin to push through the V-shaped rubber flange 28. As more and more cups 40 are pushed into cup condenser 22 and out through V-shaped rubber flange 28, the lack of support and downward weight causes clusters of the stacked cups 48 to break apart from the main condensed series and drop down into the recycle bin 20.
Accordingly, recycle bin 50 will be designated solely for paper and plastic cups and glasses and their lids and will be marked such.
In operation, recycle bin 50 is lined with a garbage bag with the recycle logo. Once recycle bin 50 is full of cups, glasses and lids, recycle bin's lid 54 is removed and the entire garbage bag full of like pre-sorted recyclables is ready for processing.
Alternately, two recycle bins 50's could be used. One recycle bin 50 designated solely for paper cups while the other recycle bin 50 is designated solely for plastic glasses. Even a container for catching beverage lids could be provided beneath slot 52 in order to further separate the lids from the cups and glasses.
In operation, as cups are dispelled through bottom opening 30 in cup condenser 22, these flaps 63 form a more solid grip on the cups. This stronger grip continues to hold and, thereby, condense the new cups as they are inserted. Accordingly, slit rubber flange 60 causes more cups and glasses to condense together in series.
In operation, paper cups alone will be inserted through cup condenser 72 while plastic glasses alone will be inserted through cup condenser 74. The paper and plastic cup condensers will be marked accordingly. The end result will be like materials stacked together in series within recycle bin 70.
Paper cup stacker 82 may be made from a recyclable cardboard tube and when removed, recycled along with the paper cups 84 it contains. The plastic glass stacker 86 may be made from recyclable plastic tube and when removed, recycled along with the plastic glasses 88 it contains.
Both paper cup stacker 82 and plastic glass stacker 86 comprise elongated tubes which run the entire height of recycle container 80 and which may measure approximately 3 feet.
Lid 94 of recycle container 80 contains two openings 90 and 92 which hold cup stacker 82 and glass stacker 86 in position. Perforations 96, 98 may be placed through the bottom of cup stacker 82 and glass stacker 86 for drainage of spilled beverages as well as weather-related elements when used outdoors.
In operation, when cup/glass stackers 82 and 86 are full, they are simply pulled out from openings 90 and 92 and conveniently disposed of in the recycle truck—cup and glass stackers, cups and glasses and all. The maintenance person will then simply insert new recyclable cup and glass stackers 82 and 86.
Alternately, cups condensers 82 and 86 could be made from a long piece of p.v.c. pipe and simply emptied and reinserted back into recycle container 80.
Additionally, a plastic recycle bag 119 may be used to line the interior of cup stacking tube 105 and be recycled along with the cups and glasses it contains.
Additionally, any of the rubber flange mechanisms may be added to the interior of cup stacking tube 105, if desired, and then cup stacking tube 105 would be used without recycle bag 119.
A removable cap 132 may be provided to seal the bottom of cup stacking tube 120 when used in indoor locations and a perforated cap 134 for outdoor use.
Additionally, a sensor 130 may be added to cup stacking tube 120 or any of the disclosed embodiments to activate a voice, “thank you” each time a cup or glass is inserted. This will encourage kids as well as adults to do the environmentally responsible action for our planet as well as future generations.
Additionally, the flared rim 122 disclosed in
All embodiments of the cup stacking tubes may measure approximately 3 feet or more in height and contain a 4½ inch inner diameter which dimension accommodates all cup widths from small, of course, to jumbo. However, let it be specifically understood that all cup condensers and cup stacking tubes can be any length and width depending upon location used, dimensions of any container it is affixed to or through, cup and glass dimensions, use or non use of garbage bag liners, etc.
In operation, all recycle bins and stacking tubes disclosed in this application can be easily emptied of recyclables. All embodiments disclosed have removable lids and caps for easy access to discarded cups and glasses. Furthermore, it will be easy for workers to know when the containers are full because the cups or glasses will begin to extend, in a stacked form, from the top of the tubes. Workers need no longer open the lids of recycle bins to view their fullness.
Those skilled in the art will readily perceive other changes and modifications which may be made in the inventive structures and perceive new and different uses for the inventive structures. For example, all components of the disclosed recycle bins, cup condensers and elongated tubes may be interchanged with each other and substituted for each other without departing from this invention.
Furthermore, all cup condensers and cup stacking tubes can be any length and width depending upon the area or location they are used, dimensions of any containers they are affixed to or through; dimensions especially widths of various sized cups and glasses; use of garbage bag liners, etc.
Additionally, all cup condensers and cup stacking tubes can be used for disposal of non-recyclable cups and glasses when conserving space and less maintenance of emptying trash containers is the primary goal.
Therefore, the appended claims are to be construed broadly enough to cover all equivalent structures falling within the scope and spirit of this invention.
