Patent Application
20250115422
The following includes information that may be useful in understanding the present disclosure. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art nor material to the presently described or claimed inventions, nor that any publication or document that is specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
The present invention relates generally to the field of trash receptacles of existing art and more specifically relates to fastening means for trash receptacle lids.
Wheeled trash receptacles are portable containers designed to hold and transport waste materials for efficient collection and disposal. These receptacles are typically equipped with a hinged lid, wheels, and a handle, which allow for easy maneuverability and transportation from households or businesses to designated collection points. Despite their convenience, these receptacles can encounter challenges when exposed to windy conditions. Particularly, strong gusts of wind can force open the lids of these receptacles, leading to the spillage of waste materials onto streets, sidewalks, or surrounding areas. In particularly forceful winds, the receptacles themselves can be tipped over, exacerbating the spillage issue and potentially causing litter to scatter.
Whilst some solutions have been employed to address the challenges posed by wind to wheeled trash receptacles, they are not without their limitations. For example, bungee cords or straps can provide a temporary fix by securing the lids of these receptacles and preventing them from being blown open by wind. However, they can be cumbersome to attach and remove, requiring extra effort and time when opening and closing the trash receptacle. Additionally, they might not fit all trash receptacles uniformly, leading to inconsistent results in securing the lids effectively. Accordingly, a suitable solution is desired.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known trash receptacle art, the present disclosure provides a novel trash receptacle lid securing device. The general purpose of the present disclosure, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a device that can be used to weight down a lid of a trash receptacle and substantially prevent opening of the trash receptacle lid during high winds and/or in the event that the trash receptacle is knocked over.
A device for substantially preventing opening of a trash receptacle lid is disclosed herein. The device may be particularly used for trash receptacles with lids hinged to a handle shaft thereof. The device may include at least one clamp, at least one bracket and a weighted element. The at least one clamp may be configured to mount to and surround the handle shaft of the trash receptacle such that the device is able to pivot about the handle shaft between an in-use position and a not-in-use position. The at least one bracket extends from the at least one clamp and may particularly include a first arm attached to the at least one clamp and a second arm extending generally perpendicular from the first arm. The weighted element may be attached about the second arm of the at least one bracket and configured to press against a top surface of the trash receptacle lid when the device is in the in-use position and substantially prevent opening of the trash receptacle lid.
According to another embodiment, a refillable weight device for substantially preventing opening of a trash receptacle lid may be disclosed herein. The refillable weight device may include a pair of clamps, a pair of brackets and a weighted element. The pair of clamps may each be configured to mount to and surround the handle shaft of the trash receptacle such that the refillable weight device is able to pivot about the handle shaft between an in-use position and a not-in-use position. The pair of brackets may each include a first arm attached to and extending from one of the pair of clamps and a second arm extending generally perpendicular from the first arm.
The weighted element may include an elongated body having a rear end attached about each second arm of the pair of brackets, a front end opposite the rear end, a length therebetween, a hollow interior configured to receive a weight providing material to provide weight to the weighted element, an opening disposed in the front end thereof to provide access to the interior and enable filling thereof with the weight providing material, and a cap for sealing the opening. As above, the weighted element may be configured to press against a top surface of the trash receptacle lid when the refillable weight device is in the in-use position and substantially prevent opening of the trash receptacle lid.
According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a method of substantially preventing opening of a trash receptacle lid is disclosed herein. The method may comprise the steps of: providing the device as above; mounting the at least one clamp to a handle shaft of the trash receptacle such that the at least one clamp surrounds the handle shaft and enables the device to pivot about the handle shaft between an in-use position and a not-in-use position; and placing the device into the in-use position, causing the weighted element to press against a top surface of the trash receptacle lid, substantially preventing opening thereof.
For purposes of summarizing the invention, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features of the invention have been described herein. It is to be understood that not necessarily all such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any one particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein. The features of the invention which are believed to be novel are particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings and detailed description.
The figures which accompany the written portion of this specification illustrate embodiments and methods of use for the present disclosure, a trash receptacle lid securing device, constructed and operative according to the teachings of the present disclosure.
The various embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein like designations denote like elements.
As discussed above, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to trash receptacles and more particularly to a trash receptacle lid securing device. The trash receptacle lid securing device attaches to a wheeled trash receptacle having a hinged lid and includes a weight configured to press against the hinged lid of the trash receptacle to substantially prevent opening of the hinged lid. This particularly prevents windy conditions from opening the trash receptacle and/or causing the lid to open if the trash receptacle is knocked over in the wind.
Referring now more specifically to the drawings by numerals of reference, there is shown in
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In some embodiments, each of the brackets 120a, 120b further may include a pivot element 124 spanning between the second arm 122a, 122b of each of the brackets 120a, 120b. Particularly, the pivot element 124 may include a first pivot bar 125 attached to one of the second arms 122a and a second pivot bar 126 attached to another of the second arms 122b. In this embodiment, the weighted element 130 may be attached between the first and second pivot bars 125, 126 at the rear end 134 of the weighted element 130 and configured to pivot about the first and second pivot bars 125, 126. This may be particularly useful for collection of trash from the trash receptacle 5. For example, when the trash receptacle 5 is upside down and completely vertical (i.e., when being emptied by a trash collection truck), the weighted element 130 may pivot about the pivot element 124, allowing the trash receptacle lid 6 to open and the contents to be emptied. Once the trash receptacle 5 is turned upright (i.e., once let go from the trash collection truck), the weighted element 130 may then be able to return to the in-use position 102.
Further, as shown, the pair of brackets 120a, 120b may include two support shafts 123a, 123b extending between the pair of brackets 120a, 120b and providing support, and durability thereto. Particularly, one of the support shafts 123a may be attached between each first arm 121a, 121b and another of the support shafts 123b may be attached between each second arm 122a, 122b, at either side of an apex defined by the arms 121, 122.
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In use, a user may attach the device 100 to the trash receptacle 5 by sliding the pair of clamps 110 over the handle shaft 7 of the trash receptacle 5, threading a bolt 114 through each of the aligned apertures in the pair of clamps 110 and screwing a nut 115 over each bolt 114. In some embodiments, the user may then remove the cap 139 from the weighted element 130, fill the hollow interior of the weighted element 130 with a weight providing material such as (but not limited to) water or sand, and re-seal the opening 138 in the weighted element 130 with the cap 139. The user may then pivot the device 100 to place the weighted element 130 over the trash receptacle lid 6, causing the weight from the weighted element 130 to press into (exert a downward force on) the top surface 8 of the trash receptacle lid 6 and substantially prevent opening of the trash receptacle lid 6.
Referring now specifically to
step one 301, providing the device as above; step two 302, mounting the at least one clamp to a handle shaft of the trash receptacle such that the at least one clamp surrounds the handle shaft and enables the device to pivot about the handle shaft between an in-use position and a not-in-use position; and step three 303, placing the device into the in-use position, causing the weighted element to press against (exert a downward force on) a top surface of the trash receptacle lid, substantially preventing opening thereof.
In embodiments wherein the weighted element is refillable and includes the hollow interior discussed above, the method may further comprise the steps of: step four 304, filling, via the opening, the hollow interior of the weighted element with weight providing material to provide weight to the weighted element; and step five 305, sealing the opening with the cap.
It should be noted that the steps described in the method 300 can be carried out in many different orders according to user preference. It should also be noted that, under appropriate circumstances, considering such issues as design preference, user preferences, marketing preferences, cost, structural requirements, available materials, technological advances, etc., other methods are taught herein.
In this specification and the drawings, some elements that have substantially the same function and structure are denoted with the same reference signs, some including the notations “a” and “b” to distinguish, and repeated explanation omitted. It should also be appreciated that common but well understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment may not be depicted or discussed throughout in order to facilitate a clearer view of the various embodiments of the present invention.
The embodiments of the invention described herein are exemplary and numerous modifications, variations and rearrangements can be readily envisioned to achieve substantially equivalent results, all of which are intended to be embraced within the spirit and scope of the invention. Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the relevant patent office(s) and the public generally, and especially the scientist, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application.
