Patent Grant
11945646
The overall field of this invention generally pertains to trash receptacles, and more specifically to a trash receptacle with a bag dispensing compartment.
Trash cans or trash receptacles provide a solution to collecting waste. Trash cans are found in a lot of places such as in a home, office, commercial establishment, street, and others. Trash receptacles can be almost any size, shape, or color ranging from a small plastic wastepaper basket to a much larger outdoor metal container. Some trash receptacles will typically be lined with a trash bag to collect waste deposited in the trash receptacle. Utilizing the trash bags to line trash receptacles keeps trash contained, eases the removal of trash, and also prevents the insides of trash receptacles from being coated in waste material.
Generally, in a typical home, the trash bags to line a trash receptacle are stored away from the trash receptacle in a cabinet or drawer. Once the used trash bag has been removed from the trash receptacle, a new bag will be retrieved to line the trash receptacle. This may require moving to the separate location to retrieve the bag and in some cases searching for the trash bags. Often times, a user may have used the last bag and not have a new bag to line the trash can. Another frustrating task can be that when placing a new trash bag through the top opening of the receptacle, the bag often tends to cling to the sides of the receptacle and makes the task of lining the receptacle a little more difficult and time consuming.
There are other frustrating issues that are presented with liners placed within trash receptacles. The liners often start to slide down from the top end when trash is added as the weight tends to pull on the liner. The top end of the trash liner may be placed over the top edge of the trash receptacle, but that can be unsightly. Another issue that may be encountered is that the trash liner may tear and spill into the trash receptacle which makes the task of cleaning the trash receptacle tedious and time consuming.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a trash receptacle that address the above issues and others.
One or more embodiments are provided below of an improved trash receptacle adapted to dispense trash bags for replacement and for sealing a top of the trash bag to prevent slipping of the trash bag. The trash receptacle may include a frame configured to house an inner bin. The frame has a rim and side walls, wherein the side walls comprise of a front right wall, a front left wall, and a back wall. The rim is covered by a lid that is pivotally connected to a top of the rim. A base is configured and connected to an end opposite the lid wherein the base is configured to house a foot pedal. A storage tray and a bin tray covering a top of the storage tray are slidingly provided in the frame above the base. The foot pedal is connected to a lid opening mechanism at a rear of the base. The lid opening mechanism extends upward to connect to the lid, whereby a downward pressure on the foot pedal moves the lid opening mechanism upward to push up the lid which pivots at the connection with the rim to open.
In the one or more embodiments, the foot pedal is also connected to a lid closing mechanism which ensures that the lid closes slowly without slamming down onto the rim. The lid closing mechanism is housed in the base, wherein the lid closing mechanism utilizes a chamber with air that becomes pressurized as a downward pressure is applied on the foot pedal and wherein air is replaced back into the chamber once the pressure is removed from the foot pedal. The air is replaced slowly whereby the lid closing mechanism slows the movement of the foot pedal which in turn slows the movement of the lid downward to close.
The inner bin housed within the frame has downward extending walls which has an open top and an open bottom, wherein the open bottom abuts against the bin tray covering the storage tray when housed within the frame. The bin tray provides a floor for the inner bin, wherein the bin tray closes the open bottom. The bin tray and the storage tray are removable from within the frame for ease of cleaning in case of a spillage and also to replace a cartridge or roll of bags in the storage tray. The bin tray has an opening in a center to access a replacement bag to line the inner bin. The opening is covered by a pliable material with one or more slits to add friction to the movement of removing bags. Another bag connected to the replacement bag is held in the opening ready to be pulled through when needed.
Additionally, the improved trash receptacle also includes a halo lid which is similar to a band that is configured to rest on a top edge of the inner bin. The halo lid is pivotally connected to the rim and can be manually moved up and down. The halo lid seals a top of a trash bag lining the inner bin ensuring that the trash bag does not slip.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present disclosure to provide an improved and effective means of retrieving a trash bag to line a trash receptacle. Additionally, it is also the object of the present disclosure to provide an effective means of lining the trash receptacle with a top of the bag held. Other aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent upon consideration of the following description.
Embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the following drawings. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings. The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
In the Summary above and in this Detailed Description, and the claims below, and in the accompanying drawings, reference may be made to particular features of the invention. It may be understood that the disclosure of the invention in this specification includes all possible combinations of such particular features. For example, where a particular feature may be disclosed in the context of a particular aspect or embodiment of the invention, or a particular claim, that feature can also be used, to the extent possible, in combination with and/or in the context of other particular aspects and embodiments of the invention, and in the invention generally.
Where reference may be made herein to a method comprising two or more defined steps, the defined steps can be carried out in any order or simultaneously (except where the context excludes that possibility), and the method can include one or more other steps which are carried out before any of the defined steps, between two of the defined steps, or after all the defined steps (except where the context excludes that possibility).
“Exemplary” may be used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any aspect described in this document as “exemplary” may not be necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects.
Throughout the drawings, like reference characters are used to designate like elements. As used herein, the terms “coupled” or “coupling” may indicate a connection. The connection may be a direct or an indirect connection between one or more items. Further, the term “set” as used herein may denote one or more of any items, so a “set of items” may indicate the presence of only one item or may indicate more items. Thus, the term “set” may be equivalent to “one or more” as used herein.
The present disclosure recognizes the unsolved need for an improved, economical, simple, and effective means of replacing and lining a trash receptacle with a trash bag. The present disclosure also recognizes the need to provide an improved means to prevent slipping of the trash bag when the trash receptacle is lined with the trash bag.
Non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure generally pertain to a trash receptacle that has a sealed off compartment to be utilized for storing replacement trash bags. The sealed off compartment preferably accepts a removable drawer within which the replacement trash bags are stored and provide convenience for a user to readily access the replacement trash bags once a used trash bag is removed from the trash receptacle. Additionally, the present disclosure also provides a trash receptacle that utilizes a halo lid in the shape of the trash receptacle that fits relatively snugly within a top opening of the trash receptacle to securely hold a top portion of a trash bag lining the trash receptacle to prevent the trash bag from slipping. The trash receptacle of the present disclosure may be of any suitable size, shape, and material.
Referring to the figures, a non-limiting embodiment of a trash receptacle is described and shown in
The frame 102 provides a housing and a support structure for the inner bin 110. An example of the frame 102 is shown in
As best seen in
The inner bin 110 is configured to fit within the frame 102. The inner bin 110 has a shape corresponding to the overall shape defined by the frame 102. The inner bin 110 has walls that extend downward toward the base 120 and do not extend past the opening 103 in the frame 102. The inner bin 110 has an open top and an open bottom. The storage tray 130 and the bin tray 140 form a closed bottom for the inner bin 110 when the trays 130, 140 are inserted into the opening 103. A hollow space 118 exists between an entire length of the frame's back wall 102b and the inner bin 110. Additionally, a top edge 112 of the inner bin 110 is spaced apart from the frame's top 102 to create a gap 119. This gap 119 allows for a top of a trash bag to fit around inner bin 110 and not be visible from an outside of the trash receptacle 100. The inner bin 110 is attached to the frame 102 and is not removable. In alternate embodiments, the inner bin 110 is not attached to the frame 102 and is removable for ease of cleaning.
Referring to
As seen in
The bin tray 140 includes the opening 142 relatively in a center of the bin tray 140 through which a replacement bag may be pulled through to line the inner bin 110 for trash collection. The opening 142 has a raised lip around the entire opening to prevent any leakage into the storage bin 130 in case of a spillage from a liner. Further, the opening 142 is covered with a pliable material with one or more slits 142a to provide some friction for when pulling out the bags and to prevent debris from falling into the storage bin 130. An example of the pliable material may include and not be limited to silicone. The bin tray 140 also includes a raised lip along each edge 144 of the bin tray 140 to prevent any leakage to spill over the edge 144. As the storage tray 130 and the bin tray 140 can be pulled out of the base 120 of the trash receptacle entirely, it presents an ease of cleaning the bin tray 140 in case of any spillage.
The base 120 houses the foot pedal 150 and a close mechanism 180.
As described above, pressing down on the foot pedal 150 moves the lid mechanism (i.e., one or more rods 162) upwards that pushes on the lid 160 to open. Referring to the example with the one or more rods 162,
As best seen in
The lid 160 can automatically close once the downward pressure is removed from the foot pedal 150.
The plunger 184 disposed within the chamber 182 is connected to the foot pedal 150 and can pivot at two points, a first pivot point 184a and a second pivot point 184b. The first pivot point 184a connects the plunger 184 to the foot pedal 150 by a rod 185 allowing the pivoting motion at the first pivot point 184a. The second pivot point 184b is above the first pivot point 184a and connects the rod 185 to the plunger 184 allowing a pivoting motion at the second pivot point 184b. The spring 186 is disposed between the plunger 184 and a top of the base 120. When a downward pressure is placed on the foot pedal 150, the foot pedal 150 pivots at its own pivot point 152 and moves the plunger 184 upward within the chamber 182. The upward movement of the plunger 184 is possible because of the first pivot point 184a and the second pivot 184b. The plunger pushes the spring 186 against the top of base 120 wherein the spring 186 causes downward pressure on the plunger 184 and the foot pedal 150. As long as the downward pressure is applied on the foot pedal 150 the lid remains open and the plunger 184 remains up in the chamber 182. Also, as the plunger 184 moves upward, air is pushed out from the chamber 182 through the air hole 182a. When the downward pressure is removed from the foot pedal 150, a pressure on the spring 186 is released and the spring 186 recoils and provides the initial push to the plunger 184 to move downward causing the lid to start to close. As the lid 160 closes, air is pulled in through the air hole 182a at a slow and constant rate which translates to a slow and constant movement of the foot pedal 150 which in turn moves the lid 160 downward at a slow and constant movement to close. In other words, the slow oscillatory movement of the foot pedal 150 moves the one or more rods 162 slowly back to their starting position while pulling down on the lid 160. The plunger 184 prevents air escaping from the sides of the chamber by having one or more rubber O-rings 183 around a circumference of the plunger 186 which push up against the sides of the chamber. In other words, the slow closing of the lid 160 works by having the chamber 182 become pressurized as a downward pressure is applied on the foot pedal 150, and the air is returned slowly as the pressure is removed from the foot pedal 150.
The trash receptacle 100 also comprises the halo lid 170 which is pivotally arranged at a top of the rim 102a by a hinge 172.
Generally, in use, the trash receptacle 100 collects trash in a trash bag lining the inner bin 110. A user steps on the foot pedal 150 to open the lid 160. While stepping on the foot pedal 150 to keep the lid 160 open, the user throws trash into the inner bin 110 lined with a trash bag. To close the lid 160, the user removes the pressure off the foot pedal 150. The lid 160 will close slowly because of the closing mechanism 180 as it reaches the rim 102a of the trash receptacle 100. Once the lid 160 is fully closed, the trash receptacle is sealed and prevents odors from escaping.
To replace a trash bag in the trash receptacle 100, a user steps on the foot pedal 150 to open the lid 160. The user then manually lifts the halo lid 170 sealing a top of the trash bag around the top edge 112 of the inner bin 110 until it is fully open. While maintaining the pressure on the foot pedal 150 to keep the lid 160 open, the user grabs the trash bag from around the top edge 112 of the inner bin 110 and pulls up a full bag out of the trash receptacle 100. A top of a replacement trash bag is pulled out from the storage tray 130 through the opening 142 in the bin tray 140. The top of the replacement bag is attached to a bottom of the full bag being replaced. As the user pulls out the full trash bag, the top of the replacement bag is brought up and the user can manually separate the full bag from the replacement bag. The top of the replacement bag is placed over the top edge 112 of the inner bin 110. The halo lid 170 can be lowered down to rest on top edge 112 of the inner bin 110 to secure the trash bag in place and prevent slippage. The overhanging lip 174 on the halo lid 170 further secures the trash bag to the inner side of the inner bin 110. The pressure may then be removed off the foot pedal 150 to close the lid 160 and seal the top of the trash receptacle. Alternatively, each time a trash bag is used to line the inner bin 110, a replacement bag is pulled up through the opening 142 in the bin tray 140 similar to a tissue in a tissue box. In this situation, the user reaches down to the opening 142 to pull up a replacement bag after the full bag has been removed.
To stock the trash receptacle 100 with replacement trash bags, the storage bin 130 is pulled out from the opening 103 in the front of the trash receptacle 100. A trash bag cartridge is placed within the storage bin 130 ensuring that an opening in the trash cartridge is facing up and can align with the opening 142 in the bin tray 140. A trash bag is then pulled through the opening 142 to line the inner bin 110 of the trash receptacle 100.
Advantageously, the present disclosure addresses the unmet need of providing a trash receptacle that comprises of a trash bag storage bin which easily dispenses a replacement trash bag. Advantageously, the trash receptacle also provides an easy means of cleaning the trash receptacle by having an inner bin which has an open end closed by the storage bin and a bin tray which are both removable for easy cleanup in case of spillage. Another advantage being that the trash bags are securely lined within the trash receptacle without overhanging the trash bag over the top end of the trash receptacle.
The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of any means or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.
The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. The present invention, according to one or more embodiments described in the present description, may be practiced with modification and alteration within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Thus, the description is to be regarded as illustrative instead of restrictive of the present invention.
This application is a non-provisional application which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/225,696 filed on Jul. 26, 2021, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
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