AU783219B2

AU783219B2 - Butt bin for smokers

Info

Publication number: AU783219B2
Application number: AU87248/01A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Ian Davis Morrison
Original assignee: COMMERCIAL WASHROOM SERVICES P
Current assignee: SOABO Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2000-10-31
Filing date: 2001-10-30
Publication date: 2005-10-06
Anticipated expiration: 2021-10-30
Also published as: AU8724801A

Description

Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

(ORIGINAL)

C

Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: Invention Title: RRN SERVICES PTY. LTD.

eyAhfiffNSERVICES PTY. LTD.

IAN DAVIS MORRISON SANDERCOCK COWIE 69 ROBINSON STREET DANDENONG VIC 3175 BUTT BIN FOR SMOKERS Details of Associated Provisional Application(s): No(s): Australian Provisional Application No. PR1136 Filed: 31 st October, 2000.

The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: -1- 2001-10-30.AA:U59grin file.wpd I '.4 la- TITLE: BUTT BIN FOR SMOKERS FIELD OF THE INVENTION 5 This invention relates to a butt bin for smokers.

©Sandercock Cowie 2001-1l0- 30.AA353gaffnccmpletc-wpd. I -2- BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Butt bins for smokers are often distributed around public places where smoking in public is permitted.

They vary in construction from a simple open receptacle or ash tray to enclosed versions designed to keep cigarette ash and butts out of the public view.

Whilst such butt bins are effective in collecting ash and butts, they generally suffer from the disadvantage that cigarette butts are often not stubbed out by smokers. Thus, in cases where there are several glowing cigarette butts in an open or enclosed butt bin, there is a danger of fire. Furthermore, even if fire does not erupt, the smoke issuing from several smoldering cigarettes generates offensive odours.

e 15 In Patent No. 734628 we describe a butt bin comprising separable parts enclosing a receptacle which is removed and emptied. The stubbing surface is accessible to users through the front walls of the separable part, but remains inaccessible for cleaning. In time tar deposits accumulate.

20 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The apparatus aspect of the invention provides a butt bin for smokers comprising a mount for attachment to a support surface, a butt and ash receptacle for separable attachment to the mount, the receptacle having a wall facing the user with multiple disposal apertures Copyright. All rights reserved.

Sandercock Cowie 2001-10-29AU53gmincomplcu.wpd.2 -3and a stubbing surface on the mount which is accessible through the disposal apertures.

PREFERRED FEATURES OF THE INVENTION The stubbing surface may be spaced from the wall sufficiently to allow an extinguished butt to drop between the wall and the stubbing surface into the receptacle. The spacing may be 3-10mm but is preferably 5-8mm. The stubbing surface may be a metal plate which is substantially hidden by the wall in use but is accessible for cleaning when the receptacle is removed. Preferably the upper part only of the apertures register with the stubbing surface, the lower part opening into the space above the receptacle. The mount may have retaining means for attaching the receptacle to the mount which prevents unauthorised detachment. The retaining means may be one or more hook members extending from the mount and corresponding complementary hook members extending from the receptacle which allow sliding engagement and separation. Other ways of 15 preferably attaching the parts will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Locking means may be provided to lock the receptacle and mounting bracket together.

The locking means may comprise one or more spring loaded hooks whose ends are adapted to abut against an abutment. The spring loaded hooks may be provided on the 20 receptacle and the abutment on the mounting bracket.

The receptacle may have a triangular cross section. In such a case, the stubbing member may be V shaped. It may comprise a strip of metal such as stainless steel.

Sandercock Cowie 20oolo-29.uAi g3rin.compi««p -4- Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 shows an isometric view of a butt bin according to the invention.

Figure 2 shows an exploded view of the butt bin of Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows the receptacle of a butt bin shown in Figure 2 rotated 180°.

Figure 4 shows an enlarged fragment of the front wall with apertures.

Figure 5 shows a partial section taken through the bottom and middle of the mounting bracket shown in Figure 2.

Figure 6 shows a partial section of the bottom of the receptacle shown in Figure 3.

Figure 7 shows a partial section of the components of Figures 5 and 6 mounted together.

Figure 8 shows a section 8-8 taken through Figure 7.

Figure 9 shows an exploded view of an alternative butt bin construction according to the invention.

Sandercock Cowie 2001-1 0-29&-\33gurin.cmplc.wpd4 Figure 10 shows a view of Figure 9 rotated through Figure 11 shows a plan view of a key for unlocking the receptacle from the mounting bracket.

The various integers identified by reference numerals in the accompanying drawings are listed in the following integer list.

INTEGER LIST 1. Butt Bin 3. Receptacle Mounting bracket 7. Cover 15 9. Base 11. Side wall 13. Back plate 15. Opening 17. Disposal openings 18. Clear opening 19. Turned edges 21. Hook member 23. Hook member Locking member Copyright. All rights reserved.

Sandercock Cowie 2001.10-29,A\3garincompltc.wpd.5

I

-6- 27. Spring hooks 29. Tongue 31. Complementary hook member 33. Complementary hook member 34. Bracket plate Border 37. Recess 39. Stubbing member 41. Channel edge 42. Slot 43. Support member Pole 47. Hook member 49. Hook member 15 51. Slot 52. Spring hook 53. Abutment 57. Key 59. Handle portion 61. Prongs DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to Figures 1 to 8 of the accompanying drawings there is shown a butt bin Copyright. All rights reserved.

0 Sandercock Cowie 2001-10-29.A:%353gain.comple .wpd,6 -7generally designated 1 comprising a receptacle 3 and a mounting bracket The receptacle includes a cover 7 and a base 9. It includes two side walls 11 and a back plate 13 which forms a third side wall. All of the integers of the receptacle and the mounting bracket are made of a fire resistant material such as stainless steel.

The back plate 13 only extends for part of the height of the side walls 11 leaving an opening 15 for emptying the contents of the receptacle when it is removed from the mounting bracket.

Disposal openings 17 are provided near the top of both side walls. The disposal openings are generally tapered or tear drop in shape for purposes to become apparent.

The side walls terminate in turned edges 19 which serve to obstruct any view of the mounting bracket upon which the receptacle is mounted.

o Hook members 21 and 23 are welded on to the back plate.

A locking member 25 provided with spring hooks 27 extending upwardly clear of the back plate is also welded on to the back plate. A downwardly pointing tongue 29 also extending clear of the back plate 13 is provided between the bottoms of the spring hooks 27.

Sandercock Cowie 2001-10-29.A:\3gmin.comictptc.d.7 -8bracket plate 34 forming part of the mounting bracket.

A strip of metal forming the border 35 is welded to the bracket plate immediately beneath the complementary hook member.

The border defines a recess 37 of sufficient width to receive the spring hooks 27 and provide an abutment at the top of the recess for the ends of the spring hooks. The abutment is to prevent upward movement of the receptacle with respect to the mounting bracket when the two are assembled together.

A V shaped stubbing member 39 also formed of stainless steel is welded to the top of the bracket plate. The size of the stubbing member and shape is chosen so that when the receptacle and mounting bracket are assembled, the stubbing plate aligns with the disposal openings but is offset from them by a distance of about 3mm to The degree of offset should be carefully chosen so the stubbing plate can be clearly visible through the openings. However, some clearance between the stubbing plate and the receptacle is allowed to permit loose ash to fall into the receptacle.

The stubbing plate is also designed so that the bottom of the stubbing plate leaves a clear opening 18 at the bottom of the disposal openings. The clear opening should be large enough to allow a cigarette butt to be pushed through underneath the bottom of the stubbing plate.

Sandercock Cowie 200o1-0r29A:R5s3i n.complewpd.8 -9- The bracket plate has a channel edge 41. A slot 42 is provided at the bottom of the mounting bracket to allow insertion of the key 57 shown in Figure 11.

It will be noted that the key has a handle portion 59 and two prongs 61. The prongs are designed to slide along a cavity defined between the back plate and mounting bracket through the recess 37 to push against the spring hooks 27 and move them out of abutment with the top of the border When this occurs, the receptacle may be moved upwardly with respect to the mounting bracket so that the hook members and complementary hook members can be disengaged and the receptacle simply lifted off from the mounting bracket.

After emptying of the receptacle it can be replaced by bringing it into registry with the mounting bracket at a slightly higher level than the mounting bracket and sliding the 15 receptacle downwards so that the hook members and complementary hook members interact to hold the receptacle and mounting bracket together.

o o The sliding together of these two components also causes the spring hooks to slide over the border 35 and spring back into the recess 37 to lock the receptacle and mounting bracket against further sliding movement.

g Finally it is noted that the tongue 29 is provided so that it is necessary to use a two pronged key of the type shown in Figure 11 to unlock the butt bin. The tongue serves to prevent a straight piece of metal being inserted to cause unlocking.

0 Sandercock Cowie 2001.o1-29A:u353gm.compct.wpd,9 Referring to Figures 9 and 10 of the accompanying drawings there is shown a butt bin construction very similar to that disclosed with reference to Figures 1 to 8. One of the differences between the two constructions relates to the provision of a support member 43 provided on the back of the mounting bracket 13, the support member being shaped so that it may fit on a non flat surface.

In this instance the support member 43 is shaped so that it snugly fits around a pole although it is to be understood that the support member can be shaped to fit on any backing.

With the construction involving the support member, an alternative arrangement for holding the receptacle and mounting bracket together is illustrated.

In Figures 9 and 10, hook members 47 and 49 on the receptacle are designed to fit into the slots 51 provided on the mounting bracket to hold the two together.

Furthermore in this embodiment, there is a single spring hook which abuts against the •abutment 53 when the receptacle and mounting bracket are fitted together to lock the two.

We have found the advantages of the above embodiment to be:- 1. The receptacle is integral with the part separable from the static mount which saves the cost of an individual bag or container.

Sandercock Cowie 200MO--29.A:\353gi.compltewpd. 11 2. Separating the parts when emptying exposes the stubbing plate for cleaning.

Dirty of damaged front parts may be exchanged and taken away for refurbishing.

3. The fully concealed lock mechanism reduces vandalism. No conventional key lock means there is no lock aperture to prize open or vandalise.

4. The curl on the spring release prevents the use of a ruler or other non-bifurcated tool instead of the dedicated tool.

It is to be understood that the words comprise or comprising or any variations thereof are to be interpreted in their inclusive form, ie. they do not exclude the addition of other elements.

The claims, illustrations, photographs and drawings, if any, form part of the disclosure 15 of this specification as does the description, claims, illustrations, photographs and drawings of any associated provisional or parent specification or of any priority document, if any, all of which are imported hereinto as part of the record hereof.

Finally it is to be understood that various alterations, modifications and/or additions may be incorporated into the various constructions and arrangements or parts without departing from the spirit and ambit of the invention.

SSandercock Cowie 2001-l-29A:\3S3mncomplcc.wpdll

Claims

1. A butt bin for smokers comprising a mount for attachment to a support surface, a butt and ash receptacle for separable attachment to the mount, the receptacle having a wall facing the user with multiple disposal apertures and a stubbing surface on the mount which is accessible through the disposal apertures.

2. A butt bin as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the stubbing surface is spaced from the wall sufficiently to allow an extinguished butt to drop between the wall and the stubbing surface into the receptacle.

3. A butt bin as claimed in Claim 2 wherein the spacing is 3-10mm.

4. A butt bin as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3 wherein the stubbing surface 15 is a metal plate which is substantially hidden by the wall in use but is accessible "for cleaning when the receptacle is removed. 9*oooo

5. A butt bin as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 4 wherein the upper part only of the apertures register with the stubbing surface, the lower part opening into the space above the receptacle.

6. A bin as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 5 wherein the mount has retaining means for attaching the receptacle to the mount which prevent unauthorised detachment. Copyright. All rights reserved. SSandercock Cowie 2001-10-29.A:US3ga.m.comlae.wpd.l2 -13-

7. A bin as claimed in Claim 6 wherein the retaining means comprise one or more hook members extending from the mount and corresponding complementary hook members extending from the receptacle which allow sliding engagement and separation.

8. A bin as claimed in Claim 7 wherein the retaining means includes a locking spring member which is cancelled by using a dedicated tool.

9. A bin as claimed in Claim 8 wherein the dedicated tool is bifurcated and the spring member has a central obstruction to the entry of a non-bifurcated tool.

A bin as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the receptacle and wall are substantially prismatic in shape and made of sheet metal. 15

11. A bin as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 8 wherein the wall is semi-circular in section.

12. A bin as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the disposal apertures are tear shaped or triangular.

13. A bin constructed and adapted for use substantially as herein described with reference to and as unillustrated in Figures 1-8 or as modified by Figures 9 and Copyright. All rights reserved. SSandercock Cowie 2001.1--29A:\33gmni.cor plc wpdm 13