The present disclosure relates to vertical structure brackets and mounting systems, and more specifically to a wall bracket system for use with a hygiene product disposal unit or garbage receptacle.
Hygiene product disposal units receive and temporarily house personal hygiene products and other discarded products, such as tampons, syringes, diapers, etc. Most commonly, such disposal units reside in public bathrooms to provide a sanitary receptacle that houses used feminine hygiene products, syringes or diapers. Such units usually include a storage chamber and a cover. When servicing the units, the cover must be propped up for individuals to reach in the bin and retrieve the waste product, such as diapers, feminine tissue, syringes, etc. all with feces, blood, sweat, etc., from the vertically mounted unit. Not only is reaching into a vertically-mounted bin cumbersome, but the bin and cover are often contaminated with the waste product stored in the bin.
It is desirable to provide a system for mounting hygiene product disposal units which allows safe and easy access to the unit contents for removal of debris (whether in liners/bags or not) and removal of all parts from the vertical structure to repair, clean or disinfect.
In at least one embodiment, a bracket mount for a disposal bin is provided that includes a vertical support plate for engaging a vertical structure, such as a wall or washroom partition; a bin plate for engaging the disposal bin, wherein the bin plate and the vertical support plate are pivotally engaged; and a cover stilt for supporting the cover the disposal bin in an opened position.
In at least another embodiment, a container assembly is provided that includes the bracket mount in combination with a bin and a cover, wherein when the bin plate with the bin attached thereto is positioned proximal to the vertical support plate, the cover is pivotal to cover and uncover the open end of the bin, and when the bin plate with the bin attached thereto is pivoted outwardly from the vertical support plate, the cover stilt is pivotable outwardly from the vertical support plate to support the cover in an open position relative to the bin.
In at least another embodiment, a method of emptying a disposal bin (with or without debris in liners/bags) is provided that includes pivoting a cover upward from the bin to an open position; pivoting a bin having an open end outwardly, relative to a vertical structure, from a vertical support plate; pivoting a cover stilt outward, relative to the vertical structure, from the vertical support plate; supporting the cover in the open position using the cover stilt; exposing the open end of the bin; and removing the contents of the bin.
In at least another embodiment, a method of removing a disposal bin is provided that includes pivoting the bin to an open or pivoted position and sliding the bin off of a bin plate. In at least another embodiment, a method of removing a disposal bin cover is provided that includes pivoting the cover to an open position and removing it from a wall plate. By quickly accessing and removing the individual components of a disposal bin (for example, the bin and cover), disposal bins may be easily removed for repairing or cleaning and disinfecting and replaced.
Other embodiments, aspects, features, objectives and advantages of the hygiene product disposal apparatus and method of use will be understood and appreciated upon a full reading of the detailed description and the claims that follow.
Embodiments of the disposal bin bracket mount and method of use are disclosed with reference to the accompanying drawings and are for illustrative purposes only. The bracket mount and method of use is not limited in its application to the details of construction or the arrangement of the components illustrated in the drawings. The bracket mount and method of use is capable of other embodiments or of being practiced or carried out in other various ways.
In the drawings:
Referring to
As illustrated in
Vertical support plate 20 is designed to attach to a wall or other vertical structure through any means known in the art (e.g., screws) and includes bin connection structures 28 which engage and secure bin 200 when in its secured position (
In the exemplary embodiment shown, pivotal connection structures 35a, 35b are pegs on bin plate 30 with corresponding recesses on vertical support plate 20. However, in further exemplary embodiments, bin plate 30 and vertical support plate 20 may be pivotally connected through any means known in the art, including, for example, hinges.
Also shown in
Referring to
While in the exemplary embodiments shown, apparatus 90 is described as mounted to a wall, it is to be understood that apparatus 90 may be mounted to any permanent or temporary vertical structure, including, but not limited to, walls, stalls, temporary or permanent partitions, doors, and other vertical substrates. As used herein, the term “vertical” may be used to refer to structures which are vertical, substantially vertical, or otherwise not perpendicular to the force of gravity.
In some embodiments (as illustrated in
While in the exemplary embodiments shown, bin 200 is shown as a smaller disposal bin, such as those found in public restroom stalls, apparatus 90 may also be used with larger disposal bins 200, such as illustrated in
Referring to
In the exemplary embodiments described, the cover 210 is described as propped away from vertical support plate 20 by pivoting cover stilt 10 into position to support cover 210. It is to be understood that the pivoting of cover stilt 10 may be manual (i.e., the cover stilt 10 may be physically manipulated by a person) or the cover stilt 10 may be weighted, counterbalanced or otherwise configured to fall forward or lift from vertical support plate 20. Cover stilt 10 may also be actuated by a spring or other similar structure to push cover stilt 10 into position upon the pivoting of cover 210. Preferably, cover stilt 10 is weighted such that gravity forces cover stilt 10 into a proper position to support cover 210 when cover 210 is pivoted.
As can be seen in the described embodiments, when the bin plate 30 with the bin 200 attached thereto is positioned proximal to the vertical support plate, the cover 210 is pivotal to cover and uncover the open end of the bin 200, and when the bin plate 30 with the bin 200 is pivoted outwardly from the vertical support plate 20, the cover stilt 10 is pivotable outwardly from the vertical support plate 20 to support the cover 210 in an open position relative to the bin 200. With both the bin 200 and the cover 210 pivoted away from a wall 220 or other vertical structure, it becomes easier to access the contents of the bin 200. When the bin 200 is emptied, the bin 200 is pivoted back to the vertical support plate 20 and engages the bin connection structures 28 to secure to vertical support plate 20. The cover stilt 10 is then pivoted back toward vertical support plate 20 along with cover 210.
Disposal bins and covers may also be easily replaced using bracket mount apparatus 90 by sliding a used or broken bin off engaging structures 38 of bin plate 30 and sliding a new bin on engaging structures 38.
It is specifically intended that the hygiene product disposal apparatus and method of use not be limited to the embodiments and illustrations contained herein, but include modified forms of those embodiments including portions of the embodiments and combinations of elements of different embodiments as come within the scope of the following claims.