Further aspects, features, embodiments, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description with reference to the drawings, wherein:
1 are cross-sectional views similar to that of
As a preliminary matter, it will readily be understood by one having ordinary skill in the relevant art (“Ordinary Artisan”) that the present invention has broad utility and application. Furthermore, any embodiment discussed and identified as being “preferred” is considered to be part of a best mode contemplated for carrying out the present invention. Other embodiments also may be discussed for additional illustrative purposes in providing a full and enabling disclosure of the present invention. Moreover, many embodiments, such as adaptations, variations, modifications, and equivalent arrangements, will be implicitly disclosed by the embodiments described herein and fall within the scope of the present invention.
Accordingly, while the present invention is described herein in detail in relation to one or more embodiments, it is to be understood that this disclosure is illustrative and exemplary of the present invention, and is made merely for the purposes of providing a full and enabling disclosure of the present invention. The detailed disclosure herein of one or more embodiments is not intended, nor is to be construed, to limit the scope of patent protection afforded the present invention, which scope is to be defined by the claims and the equivalents thereof. It is not intended that the scope of patent protection afforded the present invention be defined by reading into any claim a limitation found herein that does not explicitly appear in the claim itself.
Thus, for example, any sequence(s) and/or temporal order of steps of various processes or methods that are described herein are illustrative and not restrictive. Accordingly, it should be understood that, although steps of various processes or methods may be shown and described as being in a sequence or temporal order, the steps of any such processes or methods are not limited to being carried out in any particular sequence or order, absent an indication otherwise. Indeed, the steps in such processes or methods generally may be carried out in various different sequences and orders while still falling within the scope of the present invention. Accordingly, it is intended that the scope of patent protection afforded the present invention is to be defined by the appended claims rather than the description set forth herein.
Additionally, it is important to note that each term used herein refers to that which the Ordinary Artisan would understand such term to mean based on the contextual use of such term herein. To the extent that the meaning of a term used herein—as understood by the Ordinary Artisan based on the contextual use of such term—differs in any way from any particular dictionary definition of such term, it is intended that the meaning of the term as understood by the Ordinary Artisan should prevail.
Furthermore, it is important to note that, as used herein, “a” and “an” each generally denotes “at least one,” but does not exclude a plurality unless the contextual use dictates otherwise. Thus, reference to “a picnic basket having an apple” describes “a picnic basket having at least one apple” as well as “a picnic basket having apples.” In contrast, reference to “a picnic basket having a single apple” describes “a picnic basket having only one apple.”
When used herein to join a list of items, “or” denotes “at least one of the items,” but does not exclude a plurality of items of the list. Thus, reference to “a picnic basket having cheese or crackers” describes “a picnic basket having cheese without crackers”, “a picnic basket having crackers without cheese”, and “a picnic basket having both cheese and crackers.” Finally, when used herein to join a list of items, “and” denotes “all of the items of the list.” Thus, reference to “a picnic basket having cheese and crackers” describes “a picnic basket having cheese, wherein the picnic basket further has crackers,” as well as describes “a picnic basket having crackers, wherein the picnic basket further has cheese.”
Referring now to the drawings, one or more preferred embodiments of the present invention are next described. The following description of preferred embodiment(s) is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses.
In connection with the trashcan assembly 10 of
Generally, the trashcan assembly 10 includes a container 12 having a base 14 and a peripheral wall 16 extending upwardly from said base 14 to define an enclosed, interior space 18 for receipt of a trash bag 20 therein, as illustrated in
The peripheral wall 16 further preferably defines recessed areas 64 that are formed in the first and second sidewalls 26,28 of the container 12 adjacent the base 14 thereof. The recessed areas 64 start at the base 14 of the container 12 and extend slightly over half the height of the peripheral wall 16. These recessed areas 64 are configured to receive therein the same recessed areas of another container 12 when nested therein to provide a stable nesting arrangement. Nesting capability of trashcans is advantageous for storage and for display, especially by retailers.
Preferably, the base 14 and the peripheral wall 16 are integrally formed from a plastic material that provides a rigidness to the overall structure of the container 12 such that the container 12 has sufficient structural integrity to be freestanding, even when the interior space 18 has been filled with trash. Examples of such material include, but are not limited to, various polypropylene and polyethylene materials. It is preferred that the container 12 be formed from a polypropylene material. It is also preferred that the container 12 be formed from one or more molding processes, such as injection molding processes.
In addition to the base 14 and peripheral wall 16, the trashcan assembly 10 further includes two opposing bag retention members 38, with one of the bag retention members 38 being disposed in sidewall 26 and the other bag retention member being disposed in sidewall 28. As discussed in greater detail below, the bag retention members 38 retain a trash bag tautly to the rim 16 of the container 12 and, further, serve to keep the trash bag from slumping into the container, even when trash is thrown through the mouth 24 of the container 12 into the trash bag.
Each trash bag retention member 38 preferably is disposed in the first and second sidewalls 26,28 of the container 12 such that the bag retention member 38 actually forms part of the rim 22 of the container 12. The bag retention member 38 may not be disposed so as to define part of the rim 22 but, rather, may be disposed at a small distance from the rim 22; however, such design, while within the scope of one or more aspects of the contemplated invention, is not preferred.
The bag retention members 38 of the trashcan assembly 10 are in the form of panel inserts 80. Preferably, the panel inserts 80 forming the bag retention members 38 are identical in construction, and various views of an exemplary panel insert 80 are shown in
The panel 82 defines four resilient, flexible fingers 44 and four vents 50 that are symmetrically oriented within a square area (not shown). The vents 50 allow air to escape that is trapped between a trash bag and the interior surface of the trashcan container. Each vent 50 is located between and at the base of the fingers 44 and includes a pear-shaped opening 88 that transitions to inwardly sloping sides terminating at a center opening 90, which opening is located between and defined by terminal ends ? of all four of the fingers 44. Each of the fingers 44 also has two side edges 92 in addition to the terminal ends 94 In general, each of the fingers 44 is somewhat triangular in shape and extends from a base 96 (deemed to lie along a side of the square) to the terminal end 94 thereof. In so extending inwardly toward the central opening 90, the side edges 92 of the fingers 44 form the sloping sides of the vents 50.
As will be apparent from
Additionally, it will be appreciated by the Ordinary Artisan that the bag retention members 38 may be utilized with a different trashcan container so long as an aperture in such container is configured to receive a bag retention member 38 in the same manner as aperture 118. This interchangeability of containers makes the manufacture of differently sized trashcans including bag retention members relatively inexpensive when compared to the alternative of integrally forming panels with the different containers in injection molding processes (which is an alternative manufacturing method of the present invention described in further detail below).
In use, the trashcan assembly 10 receives a trash bag 20 as shown in
The specific manner in which the bag retention members 38 retain the portion of the trash bag is described in further detail with regard to
In this respect,
The panel 182 is formed so as to define four fingers 110 disposed about a central, circular opening 104. Each of the fingers 110 curves to define a raised lip 106 that, collectively, encircle the opening 104 and define a first end of a funnel-shaped conduit. Each of the lips 106 (and thus the first end of the funnel shaped conduit) extends to one side of a plane P that is located in an area of the peripheral wall 16 in which the panel 182 is disposed. Each of the fingers 120 furthermore defines an annular portion 112 of the other end of the funnel-shaped conduit, with the annular portions 112 (and thus the other end of the funnel shaped conduit) extending on the other side of the plane within the interior, closed space of the trashcan container. The opening 104 of the funnel-shaped conduit preferably is sized to roughly correspond to the average diameter of the tip of a finger so as not to pinch a finger when a portion of a trash bag is pushed through the funnel-shaped conduit.
The panel 182 also preferably defines four vents 114, each of which comprises a pear shaped opening symmetrically disposed about the central opening 104. Each vent 114 opens into the interior, closed space of the trashcan container and is provided for the release of air that otherwise may become trapped between the trash bag and inner surface of the container. Moreover, it is believed that after a portion of the trash bag has been inserted through the central opening 104, insufficient space remains for adequate venting of the interior of the trashcan container and that the provision of the vents 114, which are not plugged by any portion of the trash bag, serve to provide adequate venting of the interior of the trashcan container.
Additionally, in order to provide increased localized flexibility of the fingers 110 in the region immediately adjacent the opening 104, a small slit is formed in each finger 110.
In use, a portion of a top of a trash bag may be inserted through the central opening 104 of the trash retaining component 102 to retain the trash bag to the rim of the trashcan and to prevent the trash bag from falling or slumping into the container. The lip 106 of the central opening 104 grasps the portion of the trash bag and keeps the bag from falling into the assembly. The vent openings 114 allow air trapped between the trash bag and the container to escape, thus allowing the trash bag to lie relatively flat against the peripheral wall.
In use, a user places a trash bag in the interior of the container with a bottom of the trash bag being disposed near the base of the container and a top of the trash bag folding over the rim of the container. A portion of the top of the trash bag then may be pressed through the central opening 104 of the panel 182 to prevent the trash bag from falling into the container when a heavy item is placed in the trash bag. Specifically, a user may press the portion of the bag through the central opening 104 with his finger. When the user removes his finger from the central opening 104, the portion of the bag is frictionally grasped by the funnel-shaped conduit, including portions 112,106 thereof serve to retain the portion of the bag in place and prevent the bag from falling into the container.
In addition to not including a frame, the panel 182 of the bag retention member 136 will be seen to define a different opening configuration compared to that of the panel 82 of the bag retention member 38. The opening configuration of the bag retention member 38 will be described in detail with reference to
In this respect,
The panel 182 additionally defines four resilient, flexible fingers 244 and four vents 250 that are symmetrically oriented within a square area (the boundary of which square area is shown in phantom). The vents 250 allow air to escape that is trapped between a trash bag and the interior surface of the trashcan container. Each vent 250 is located between and at the base of the fingers 244 and includes a pear-shaped opening 70 that transitions to inwardly sloping sides terminating at a center opening 74, which opening is located between and defined by terminal ends 54 of all four of the fingers 244. Each of the fingers 244 also has two side edges 56 in addition to the terminal ends 54. In general, each of the fingers 244 is somewhat triangular in shape and extends from a base 52 (deemed to lie along a side of the square) to the terminal end 54 thereof. In so extending inwardly toward the central opening 74, the side edges 56 of the fingers 244 form the sloping sides of the vents 250.
In profile, as shown in
The side edges 56 of the fingers 244 preferably are disposed in very close disposition relative to one another along their inward extension from the first curves 58 to the terminal ends 54. This arrangement of the fingers 244 serves to form a generally rounded indentation 62 that is intended to conform to and accept the tip of the average finger, with the central opening 74 being disposed in the center of the rounded indentation 62. Thus, unlike the opening configuration of the bag retention member 136 of
Nesting of the trashcan assembly 210 is illustrated in
In a preferred method of manufacturing the trashcan assembly, the container and the bag retention members are comolded in two injection molding steps. In general, in this process, a first part is injection molded using a first material. Thereafter, the molded part is placed into a second mold, and the second part is injection molded in the second mold using a second material. The second material, when injected into the second mold, comes into contact with and bonds to the first part. When the second material covers the first material, this process is sometimes referred to as overmolding. In this manufacturing process for making the trashcan assembly, it is preferred that the first material be polypropylene and that the second material be GLS G7960 Styrenic TPE. Trashcan assemblies including the bag retention members 136,138 are representative of this manufacturing process.
In an alternative manufacturing method, of which the trashcan assembly 10 of
Based on the foregoing description, it will be readily understood by those persons skilled in the art that the present invention is susceptible of broad utility and application. Many embodiments and adaptations of the present invention other than those specifically described herein, as well as many variations, modifications, and equivalent arrangements, will be apparent from or reasonably suggested by the present invention and the foregoing descriptions thereof, without departing from the substance or scope of the present invention.
Accordingly, while the present invention has been described herein in detail in relation to one or more preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that this disclosure is only illustrative and exemplary of the present invention and is made merely for the purpose of providing a full and enabling disclosure of the invention. The foregoing disclosure is not intended to be construed to limit the present invention or otherwise exclude any such other embodiments, adaptations, variations, modifications or equivalent arrangements, the present invention being limited only by the claims appended hereto and the equivalents thereof.
The present application is a nonprovisional of, and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to, each of: Ramsey U.S. Provisional patent Application No. 60/595,868, filed Aug. 11, 2005; and Ramsey U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/595,920, filed Aug. 16, 2005. The entire disclosure of each of these patent applications is hereby incorporated herein by reference.