Patent Grant
7490545
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of waste management and specifically toward a device that compacts crushable waste into a smaller space.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Trash compactors are known in the art as a way to make waste take up smaller space and to manage waste. However, these devices are often expensive, complicated and require the use of electricity, which in itself leaves an impact on the environment. Furthermore, many trash compactors do not separate recyclable waste from general waste.
It is the object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for managing crushable, recyclable waste that is adaptable for home or office use, that can stand alone or be part of a regular trash receptacle, that does not use electricity and is easy to use.
The preferred embodiment of the present invention teaches an apparatus for compacting crushable items comprising a main body portion for receiving the crushable items. The main body portion further comprises a base; one or more sidewalls that in combination create a front portion, a rear portion and side portions extending upward from the base portion and creating an empty interior portion; a first channel running down the face of the front portion; and a second channel running down the face of the rear portion; a first planar surface having a top portion and a bottom portion situated above the base in the interior portion of the main body portion; a first multiplicity of ridges extending upward from the top portion of the first planar surface; a lid connected to the rear portion of the main body portion through one or more hinges, the lid having a top portion and a bottom portion; one or more latches extending downward from the bottom portion of the lid; a handle that is releasably attached to the bottom portion of the lid through the latches; a second planar surface having a top portion and a bottom portion situated substantially parallel to the lid and attached to the handle; a second multiplicity of ridges extending downward from the second planar surface, the second multiplicity of ridges fitting like a zipper when pressed against the first multiplicity of ridges; and a locking mechanism connected to the handle positioned on the rear portion of main body portion.
The embodiment above can be further modified by defining that the portion has one or more sets of wheels attached thereto.
The embodiment above can be further modified by defining that the locking mechanism connected to the handle positioned on the rear portion of the main body portion further comprises a main locking body portion having a bottom side, a top side, a back side, a front side and two sidewalls; a groove in the main locking body portion for receiving the handle; a securing rod having a first end and second end that crosses through each of the sidewalls and that secures the handle in the groove; and one or more latches attached to the rear portion of the main body portion for attachment to one or both of the first end and second of the rod.
The embodiment above can be further modified by defining that the first and second channels are kept closed through sidewalls composed of a stiff rubber that is displaceable when the handle is manually forced therethrough.
The above embodiment can be further modified by defining that there further comprises a removable basket for placement inside of the main body portion for the easy disposable of crushed cans, the basket further comprising an open top; a base portion comprised of a plurality of rods; one or more sidewalls that in combination create a corresponding front portion, a rear portion and side portions extending upward from the base portion and creating an empty interior portion; a first channel running down the face of the front portion; and a second channel running down the face of the rear portion; and one or more means for gripping the basket to remove it from the main body portion.
The above embodiment can be further modified by defining that the gripping means comprises one or more handles attached to the front portion of the basket and to the rear portion of the basket that alternates between a first folded down position and a second upright position.
The above embodiment can be further modified by defining that the gripping means comprises one or more cavities of sufficient size in which to fit a gripping hand found on one or more of the side portions.
The instant invention is an apparatus that crushes aluminum cans, plastic containers and other crushable recyclable waste. The device cannot crush glass, but is ideal for aluminum and plastic and any other crushable, recyclable materials that are ready to be discarded.
The system involves the use of a receptacle that is portable because it has wheels that allow for portability and the ability of the apparatus to either stand alone or attach to a separate trash receptacle for the collection of regular, non-recyclable waste. The apparatus has an interior portion for the collection of the crushable, recyclable waste. The receptacle has a lid with an underside that has attachable thereto a handle that is securable to the lid through a pair of latches. Attached to the handle is a planar portion that has a series of rough ridges on its bottom plane.
At the bottom interior portion of the receptacle is a similar series of rough ridges that cooperate with the top set of rough ridges in a way that creates a crushing middle as the top series of rough ridges mate and fit into the bottom set of rough ridges.
The handle is grasped by the user after a crushable item has been placed in the interior portion. The handle, held in the latches and to a lock on the rear of the apparatus when not in use, is disengaged from the latches and lock. A first channel located down front of the apparatus has a corresponding second channel located down the back of the apparatus. These channels allow the handle to travel down the length of the apparatus during crushing.
Once crushing is complete, the handle travels back up the interior portion of the apparatus with the extending portions traveling through the channels at which point the handle can be re-latched into the latches and re-locked in the rear lock for storage until the next use.
For a better understanding of the present invention, reference is to be made to the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the precise arrangement shown in the drawings.
Turning to the drawings, the preferred embodiment is illustrated and described by reference characters that denote similar elements throughout the several views of the instant invention.
The front wall 25 has a closeable channel 23 that runs the height of the apparatus 10. The rear wall 26 has a similar channel 24. Both channels 23, 24 are composed of a stiff rubber 52,50 that allows for it to stay closed when not in use, but that will be forced open upon pressure being applied through the moving of the handle 16 down the channels 23, 24.
Attached substantially at the top of the rear wall 26 is a lid 14. The lid 14 is connected to the apparatus 10 through a pair of hinges 32, 33. The hinges 32, 33 allow the lid to be easily moved from the closed position to the open position. On the underside of the lid 14 are two latches 17, 18 that hold the handle 16 in place when not in use. Attached to the handle 16 is a planar top portion 19 of the crushing portion of the device. This planar top portion 19 contains a series of rough ridges 20 that fit like teeth into a mating series of ridges 22 found on the bottom of the interior portion 13 of the apparatus 10. The bottom of the device has one or more pairs of wheels 11, 12 that allow for easy portability.
Likewise,
An alternate embodiment of the invention allows for the apparatus 10 to be attached to a regular trash can.
Optionally, as seen in
Attached to the front wall 41 and the rear wall 43 of the basket 40 is one or more handles 48 that alternate between a first position wherein the handle is folded in flush with the top portion of the walls and a second position that is folded up for easy gripping and removal from the interior portion 13 of the apparatus 10.
Also included are one or more gripping holes 49 on one or both of the sidewalls that can also accomplish the removal of the basket 40 from the interior portion 13 of the apparatus 10.
The discussion included in this patent is intended to serve as a basic description. The reader should be aware that the specific discussion may not explicitly describe all embodiments possible and alternatives are implicit. Also, this discussion may not fully explain the generic nature of the invention and may not explicitly show how each feature or element can actually be representative or equivalent elements. Again, these are implicitly included in this disclosure. Where the invention is described in device-oriented terminology, each element of the device implicitly performs a function. It should also be understood that a variety of changes may be made without departing from the essence of the invention. Such changes are also implicitly included in the description. These changes still fall within the scope of this invention.
Further, each of the various elements of the invention and claims may also be achieved in a variety of manners. This disclosure should be understood to encompass each such variation, be it a variation of any apparatus embodiment, a method embodiment, or even merely a variation of any element of these. Particularly, it should be understood that as the disclosure relates to elements of the invention, the words for each element may be expressed by equivalent apparatus terms even if only the function or result is the same. Such equivalent, broader, or even more generic terms should be considered to be encompassed in the description of each element or action. Such terms can be substituted where desired to make explicit the implicitly broad coverage to which this invention is entitled. It should be understood that all actions may be expressed as a means for taking that action or as an element which causes that action. Similarly, each physical element disclosed should be understood to encompass a disclosure of the action which that physical element facilitates. Such changes and alternative terms are to be understood to be explicitly included in the description.
This application is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 11/978,078, filed Oct. 26, 2007 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,395,757 entitled WASTE COMPACTOR by Sossy Baghdoian and that claims the priority of provisional application 60/959,604, filed Jul. 16, 2007 entitled CAN CRUSHER by Sossy Baghdoian
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|---|---|---|---|
| 2423209 | Storey | Jul 1947 | A |
| 3077827 | Bunke et al. | Feb 1963 | A |
| 4002387 | Wolbrink | Jan 1977 | A |
| 4108065 | Unger | Aug 1978 | A |
| 4240341 | Whipple et al. | Dec 1980 | A |
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20090020023 A1 | Jan 2009 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60959604 | Jul 2007 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 11978078 | Oct 2007 | US |
| Child | 12080707 | US |
