In response to the threat of hidden bombs in mass transit facilities, the Department of Homeland Security has recently directed all such facilities to remove waste containers that are not bomb resistant or transparent.
A bomb-resistant container is designed to contain an explosion and thereby protect innocent bystanders in the vicinity of such a container. Bomb-resistant containers typically are prohibitively expensive (some costing upwards of $3000) and heavy (some weighing up to 900 pounds). As a result, conventional bomb-resistant containers do not present a completely effective solution.
A transparent container enables security personnel to see into the container, without having to remove a lid and/or pull the contents out of the container. As a result, a security officer can more easily determine whether a receptacle contains a suspicious package that may present a dangerous situation. Unlike bomb-resistant containers, transparent containers can be manufactured at a reasonable cost. However, over time, transparent containers may be dirtied, significantly cracked, and/or covered with graffiti. In any of those situations, viewing the contents of the container may be more difficult, at best, or impossible, at worst. As a result, a transparent container may need continual replacement and, therefore, also does not present a completely effective solution.
What is needed, therefore, is an apparatus that not only satisfies the Department of Homeland Security's directive, but does so in a cost effective manner while providing a long-term solution.
An aspect of the present invention relates to a container frame comprising a container-receiving portion having a side with a viewing region. The container-receiving portion is configured to receive an at least partially transparent container, such that contents of the container are visible outside the container-receiving portion via the viewing region.
Another aspect of the present invention relates to a container frame comprising a container-receiving portion, four at least partially transparent side panels, and a bracket. The container-receiving portion has four sides, each side having a viewing region. The container-receiving portion is configured to receive an at least partially transparent container. The four at least partially transparent side panels are each removably supported by the container-receiving portion in a respective viewing region. Contents of the container are visible outside the container-receiving portion via the side panels in the viewing regions. The bracket is releasably connected to an upper end of the container-receiving portion and configured to releaseably immobilize the side panels with respect to the container-receiving portion.
Yet another aspect of the present invention relates to a trash receptacle comprising a container frame and an at least partially transparent container. The container frame comprises a container-receiving portion having a side with a viewing region. The at least partially transparent container is disposed in the container-receiving portion. Contents of the container are visible outside the container-receiving portion via the viewing region.
Yet another aspect of the present invention relates to a method of providing a transparent trash receptacle. The method includes providing a container-receiving portion having a side with a viewing region, wherein the container-receiving portion is configured to receive an at least partially transparent container. The method also includes providing an at least partially transparent side panel in the viewing region of the container-receiving portion such that contents of the container are visible outside the container-receiving portion via the side panel in the viewing region. The method also includes replacing the side panel with another at least partially transparent side panel.
These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description, appended claims, and accompanying exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings.
Presently preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawings. An effort has been made to use the same or like reference numbers throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.
A first embodiment of a container frame 100 is shown in
The lid 110 may be completely removable from the container-receiving portion 120 or may be connected to the container-receiving portion 120 in any conventional manner such as, for example, by fasteners, as later described in detail. If the lid 110 is completely removable from the container-receiving portion 120, the lid 110 may, when placed atop the container-receiving portion 120, be immobilized with respect to the container-receiving portion 120 in any conventional manner (e.g., pins depending from the lid may be positioned in correspondingly sized holes formed in the top of the container-receiving portion 120 or vice versa, latches, etc.).
In the embodiment shown in
The container-receiving portion 120 includes the plurality of uprights 124 (which have the upper ends 114) and a lower, base member. The uprights 124 and lower, base member can be connected by conventional means. In a preferred embodiment, channels 140 can be provided in the container-receiving portion 120, as shown in
At least partially transparent side panels 130 can be provided in the viewing regions 122. Side panels 130 are shown in
Although the panels 130 may be flat panes, the panels 130 may be somewhat pan shaped such that they have depressions 150 formed in a central portion thereof. For example, as shown in
The depth D of the depression 150 is chosen so that when the side panel 130 is installed in a container-receiving portion 120 of a container frame 100: (a) the inner side 134 of one panel 130 will not interfere with the inner sides 134 of other similar panels 130 likewise installed in the container-receiving portion 120 (as shown in
As a result of the alignment between the inner sides 134 of the panels 130 and the inner rim 113 of the bracket 112, an at least partially transparent container (preferably a completely transparent bag 210) that is positioned in the container frame 100 may be easily lifted out of the container frame 100, as shown in
The transparent bag 210 may be supported by the frame in any conventional manner, e.g., by being draped over the sides of the bracket 112 and maintained thereon by closing (or positioning) the lid 110 on the bracket 112. However, as shown in
Another benefit of the separation in the sides 132, 134 of the panels 130 is the creation of a ledge 138 on a top side of the panels 130, as shown best in
Although the container-receiving portion 120, lid 110, and bracket 112 are shown as being opaque (for ease of visual understanding purposes), it should be readily recognized that any one or more of these elements may also be transparent like the panels 130.
In another embodiment shown in
Other beneficial structures may be provided on any of the previously described embodiments. For example, as shown in
By way of further example and as shown in
Additionally or alternatively, fastener holes 500 may be provided in the base of the container-receiving portion 120, as shown in
Although the aforementioned described various embodiments of the invention, the invention is not so restricted. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the disclosed embodiments of the present invention, without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. For example, although the container frame 100 is shown as being generally square-shaped in cross-section, this is not critical. Rather, the container frame may have a plurality of shapes including a generally circular shaped cross-section (i.e., the container frame may be generally cylindrically shaped), triangularly shaped, etc. Accordingly, these other transparent container frames and containers are fully within the scope of the claimed invention. Therefore, it should be understood that the apparatuses and methods described herein are illustrative only and are not limiting upon the scope of the invention, which is indicated by the following claims.