This invention is directed to a receptacle for toxic waste. More particularly, the invention is directed to a toxic waste receptacle that includes an internal bag closure mechanism that is operable from outside the waste receptacle.
Various types of trash cans and other waste receptacles that use disposable liners, are widely used in various industries. Conventional trash cans include a cover disposed to seal the open end of the receptacle and a flexible bag or liner disposed in the receptacle. The flexible bags are commonly made of impervious materials such as plastic. The conventional method for handling industrial trash is to open the cover of the trash can and dispose trash within the open bag that is positioned within the trash can. When the bag is full, the cover is again opened and the open bag is removed by custodial or other personnel who must then manually close the bag to package the waste it contains.
Many industries generate toxic waste. Toxic waste materials may include various parts, containers, wipes or towels that contain toxic materials. When such toxic waste materials are stored in conventional trash cans, toxic gases are produced in the trash can interior and released when the cover of the trash can is opened. The toxic gas emitted from the trash can escapes into the working environment and can be harmful to custodial and other personnel within the area. Such introduction of toxic materials into the working environment can result in serious illnesses and other maladies.
Additionally, these toxic contaminants that escape into the working environment can also contaminate and destroy the products being manufactured in the area. In the semiconductor manufacturing industry, for example, toxic waste that includes IPA (isopropyl alcohol), Cl2, HCN and HCl is commonly generated. Using conventional trash receptacles, these toxic contaminants can diffuse into the work environment and cause corrosion and other failure mechanisms to occur on the semiconductor devices and substrates present in the working environment. Conventional trash receptacles therefore include shortcomings that render them unacceptable for handling toxic materials in a working environment.
It would therefore be desirable to provide a receptacle for toxic waste that prevents toxic waste from escaping into the working environment.
To achieve these and other objects, and in view of its purposes, this invention addresses the shortcomings of conventional toxic waste receptacles and provides a waste receptacle that prevents or eliminates toxic gases from escaping into the working environment.
In an exemplary embodiment, the invention provides a waste receptacle comprising an exterior wall that separates an interior from an exterior, an interior receptacle for receiving a bag therein, spaced from the exterior wall. The waste receptacle also comprises an interior bag closure mechanism that is operable from the exterior of the waste receptacle.
In another exemplary embodiment, the invention provides a waste receptacle comprising an exterior wall, an interior receptacle for receiving a bag therein, a cover that sealably engages an upper rim of the exterior wall, an exhaust hood including an exhaust port, an exhaust system that exhausts the waste receptacle through the exhaust port, and an interior bag closure mechanism that is operable from the exterior of the waste receptacle.
In yet another embodiment, the invention provides a waste receptacle comprising an exterior wall, an interior receptacle for receiving a flexible bag therein, and a rotator assembly that grasps an upper open end of a flexible bag disposed within the interior receptacle and rotates the upper open end relative to a bottom closed end of the flexible bag, to close the flexible bag.
The invention is best understood from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing. It is emphasized that, according to common practice, the various features of the drawing are not necessarily to scale. On the contrary, the dimensions of the various features are arbitrarily expanded or reduced for clarity. Like numerals denote like features throughout the specification and drawing. Included are the following figures.
Exhaust hood portion 7 includes outer wall 21 and vented, or gas-permeable inner wall 23 that includes openings 25 in the exemplary embodiment. Outer wall 21 and outer tank wall 11 combine to form a substantially continuous exterior wall of waste receptacle 3. Exhaust hood portion 7 and tank portion 5 combine to form can 27 that includes upper lip 29.
Cover 19 includes handle 89 and rubber sealing portion 31 that sealably engages upper lip 29 to seal interior 33 of waste receptacle 3. Pedal 57, disposed outside of waste receptacle 3 works in conjunction with a linkage mechanism to automatically open cover 19. The linkage mechanism includes shafts 59A and 59B. Lower shaft 59A forms a lever by pivoting about pivot member 61. In this manner, cover 19 can be opened without being contacted by the user's hand, as the user simply steps on pedal 57.
Exhaust hood portion 7 includes exhaust port 35 which is an opening that extends through outer wall 21. Gases within interior 33 of waste receptacle 3 are drawn through exhaust port 35 and directed through exhaust conduit 37 and away from waste receptacle 3. Conventional pumping or bellows systems may be used to exhaust waste receptacle 3 through exhaust port 35. Manual shutoff valve 39 is provided as a safety shutoff to cut off exhaust flow 41.
Bag 43 is received within interior receptacle 81 formed by inner tank wall 13 of tank portion 5. Inner tank wall 13 is internally spaced from outer tank wall 11. Bag 43 may be formed of various flexible or deformable materials such as plastics or other polymers and is chosen to be impervious and impermeable to the waste materials that will be disposed in bag 43. Bag 43 includes closed end 45 which rests on bottom 17 and open end 47 which is in the upper position in the illustrated embodiment. Bag 43 includes walls 49 and is shown in the open position for receiving waste, by solid lines 51, and in the closed position by dashed lines 53. Bag 43 may also be referred to as a liner.
An aspect of the invention is an interior bag closure mechanism that is operable from the exterior of waste receptacle 3. In the exemplary embodiment, the interior bag closure mechanism includes rotator assembly 63, including handle 65. Further components of rotator assembly 63 are shown more clearly in
Referring again to
In another exemplary embodiment, bag 43 may be in the opened configuration when cover 19 is opened, to facilitate the introduction of trash into waste receptacle 3.
The preceding merely illustrates the principles of the invention. It will thus be appreciated that those skilled in the art will be able to devise various arrangements which, although not explicitly described or shown herein, embody the principles of the invention and are included within its spirit and scope. Furthermore, all examples and conditional language recited herein are principally intended expressly to be only for pedagogical purposes and to aid the reader in understanding the principles of the invention and the concepts contributed by the inventors to furthering the art, and are to be construed as being without limitation to such specifically recited examples and conditions. Moreover, all statements herein reciting principles, aspects, and embodiments of the invention, as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass both structural and functional equivalents thereof. Additionally, it is intended that such equivalents include both currently known equivalents and equivalents developed in the future, i.e., any elements developed that perform the same function, regardless of structure.
This description of the exemplary embodiments is intended to be read in connection with the figures of the accompanying drawing, which are to be considered part of the entire written description. In the description, relative terms such as “lower,” “upper,” “horizontal,” “vertical,”, “above,” “below,” “up,” “down,” “top” and “bottom” as well as derivatives thereof (e.g., “horizontally,” “downwardly,” “upwardly,” etc.) should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawing under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description and do not require that the apparatus be constructed or operated in a particular orientation. Terms concerning attachments, coupling and the like, such as “connected” and “interconnected,” refer to a relationship wherein structures are secured or attached to one another either directly or indirectly through intervening structures, as well as both movable or rigid attachments or relationships, unless expressly described otherwise.
Although the invention has been described in terms of exemplary embodiments, it is not limited thereto. Rather, the appended claims should be construed broadly, to include other variants and embodiments of the invention, which may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and range of equivalents of the invention.