AU2005203775B2 - Reinforcing device for garbage receptacle - Google Patents

Abstract

PAWPDOCS\CABSpec\Rosario QUATTROCCH\1258155 _Rinforcing deice fo, a grbage rec d,.oc-5/O8/5 A reinforcing device for a garbage receptacle, the reinforcing device including a reinforcing element connected to or integral with a mounting means for mounting the 5 reinforcing elements, wherein the reinforcing element when in use is disposed so as to reinforce an upper front lip of the garbage receptacle, and the mounting means including a portion which in use is adapted to inhibit separation of the front lip or a front wall from adjacent side lips or side walls of the garbage receptacle. -~ ( 0 ~ -~ ( K

Description

AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION NAME OF APPLICANT(S):: Rosario Quattrocchi ADDRESS FOR SERVICE: DAVIES COLLISON CAVE Patent Attorneys Level 10, 10 Barrack Street, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 2000 INVENTION TITLE: Reinforcing device for garbage receptacle The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: 5102 P:\WPDOCS\CAB\Spe\RosrioQUATTROCCHI\1258155 [_Reinforcing device for a garbagereceptace.doc-15//05 REINFORCING DEVICE FOR GARBAGE RECEPTACLE Field of the Invention 5 The present invention relates generally to reinforcing devices for garbage receptacles; in particular those devices suitable for resisting tearing of walls from one another. 10 Background of the Invention It is known that garbage receptacles are lifted in position for emptying by a garbage truck and violently forced against a garbage truck body so as to dislodge the contents of a garbage receptacle into the garbage truck body. This violent operation results in damage to 15 the garbage receptacle and hence shortening the garbage receptacle's life. The present invention seeks to ameliorate one or more of the abovementioned disadvantages. 20 Summary of the Invention According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a reinforcing device for a garbage receptacle, the reinforcing device including a reinforcing element connected to or integral with a mounting means for mounting the reinforcing elements, 25 wherein the reinforcing element when in use is disposed so as to reinforce an upper front lip of the garbage receptacle, and the mounting means including a portion which in use is adapted to inhibit separation of the front lip or a front wall from adjacent side lips or side walls of the garbage receptacle. 30 The reinforcing element may take any suitable form, however, in preferred embodiments the reinforcing element is in the form of a reinforcing rib. The reinforcing P:\WPDOCS\CAB\Spe\Rsario QUATTROCCHI\!258155 _Reinforcing device for garbage rcccptacI.doc-15/DS/05 -2 rib may be in the form of a retaining bar, angle or channel. In preferred embodiments the rib in use surrounds the front lip on more than one side, so as to facilitate easy positioning, retention on the front lip, and to facilitate protection of the lip from being damaged by impact with the garbage truck when the receptacle is being emptied. 5 The mounting means may include attachment points or faces, so as to be attached in use to the front lip by double-sided adhesive tape or by aligned through holes in the front lip and reinforcing rib by pop rivets, screws or other fasteners. 10 The mounting means preferably includes one or more side mounting regions, which extend from one or more respective ends of the reinforcing element, the mounting regions in use mounting to respective side walls of the garbage receptacle. Preferably the side mounting regions include a strap or bar which in use extends 15 downwards and rearwards so as to improve support of the front lip and to improve inhibiting of separation of front lip of garbage receptacle from the side wall of the garbage receptacle. Preferably the side mounting means includes a side channel or angle so as to aid 20 faster and more accurate of the reinforcing device, as well as greater resistance of tearing off between front and side walls. Preferably the mounting means is fixed to respective side lips and walls by fasteners such as pop rivets, screws and the like, however, it may just as easily and 25 securely be fastened by double-sided adhesive tape. Preferably the reinforcing device is constructed from steel sheet, and fabricated by folding on presses. Further reinforcing flanges may be provided on the reinforcing rib and/or side mounting regions in the form of extensions or corrugations along the face 30 thereof.

P\WPDOCS\CAB\Spcc\Rosario QUATTROCCHPI2581551 Reinforcing device for a garbagrcceptacle.doc-15/08/05 -3 Preferably side mounting channels are elongate in shape so as to maintain access to a manoeuvring handle on the receptacle. In order to enable a clearer .understanding of the present invention, preferred 5 embodiments will hereinafter be described with reference to the attached drawings, and in those drawings: Figure 1 is an isometric view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 10 Figure 2 is an isometric view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention fitted to a garbage receptacle; Figure 3 is a front elevation view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 15 Figure 4 is a rear elevation view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 is a plan view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 20 Figure 6 is a plan view of below of a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 7 is a side elevation view of a preferred embodiment of the present 25 invention, typical of both sides. Description of a Preferred Embodiment Referring to the drawings there is shown a reinforcing device generally indicated at 30 10 which includes a reinforcing element 12 in the form of a reinforcing rib 14 in the form of a channel 16 for facilitating fast assembly and rapid, accurate positioning on a front lip PAWPDCS\CABSpc\Rosario QUATTROCCHI\125B1551_Reinforcing device for a garbage rceptalncdc-15/08/05 -4 18 of a garbage receptacle 20. The channel 16 also facilitates the strengthening of front lip 18 while surrounding the lip on three sides with front channel wall 22, top channel wall 24, and rear channel wall 26. 5 The receptacle 20 upon which the reinforcing device 10 is mounted includes front receptacle walls 28, side receptacle walls 30, 32. On side walls 30, 32 a handle 34 is provided to manipulate the bin 20 from place to place on its wheels (not shown). Mounting means 36 includes channel mounting faces 38 which include through 10 apertures 40 for receiving pop rivets (not shown) for fastening walls 38, 22 to bin 20 along front lip 18. Other aspects of the mounting means 36 include side mounting regions 42 in the form of side mounting channels 44, 45 and side straps or bars 46. The side bars 46 extend 15 from side channels 44 downwards and rearwards on the bin 20 so that peeling of front lip 18 from side receptacle wall 30, 32 is inhibited with greater efficiency. Side channels 44, 45 are mounted to side lips 50, 52 by rivets through holes 54, and similarly with side straps 46. 20 In operation the device is installed on a garbage receptacle 20. The receptacle when full of rubbish is raised up by a garbage truck's lift handles 60 and tipped into a truck reservoir (not shown). This process is generally violent and the truck's machinery repeatedly bangs the front lip against the truck reservoir body, and the front lip may also be caught on the garbage truck's machinery. 25 With preferred embodiments of the present invention installed on the receptacle 20, these repeated impacts are spread along the front lip by the reinforcing element 12, and transferred to a point intermediate the side walls 30, 32 and side lips 50, 52. This reduces tearing forces between the front and side lips and extends receptacle 20 life. 30 Finally, it is to be understood that the inventive concept in any of its aspects can be P:\WPDOCS\CAB\Spe\Rosario QUATTROCCHI\12581551_Reinforming device for a garbage rereplarle.doc-15/08/05 incorporated in many different constructions so that the generality of the preceding description is not to be superseded by the particularity of the attached drawings. Various alterations, modifications and/or additions may be incorporated into the various constructions and arrangements of parts without departing from the spirit or ambit of the 5 invention.

Claims (13)

1. A reinforcing device for a garbage receptacle, the reinforcing device including a reinforcing element connected to or integral with a mounting means for mounting 5 the reinforcing elements, wherein the reinforcing element when in use is disposed so as to reinforce an upper front lip of the garbage receptacle, and the mounting means including a portion which in use is adapted to inhibit separation of the front lip or a front wall from adjacent side lips or side walls of the garbage receptacle. 10

2. A reinforcing device as defined in claim 1 wherein the reinforcing element is in the form of a retaining rib.

3. A reinforcing device as defined in claim 2 wherein the rib in use surrounds the front lip on more than one side, so as to facilitate easy positioning and retention on 15 the front lip, and to facilitate protection of the lip from being damaged by impact with the garbage truck when the receptacle is being emptied.

4. A reinforcing device as defined in claim 2 or 3 wherein the rib is in the form of a bar, angle or channel. 20

5. A reinforcing device as defined in any one of claims 1-4 wherein the reinforcing device includes attachment points or faces, so as to be attached in use to the front lip by double-sided adhesive tape or by aligned through holes in the front lip and reinforcing element by pop rivets, screws or other piercing fasteners. 25

6. A reinforcing device as defined in any previous claim wherein the mounting means includes one or more side mounting regions, which extend from one or more respective ends of the reinforcing element, the mounting regions in use mounting to respective side walls of the garbage receptacle. 30

7. A reinforcing device as defined in claim 6 wherein the side mounting means PAWPDOCS\CAB\Spec\Rosario QUATTROCCHI\1258155 I_Rcinforcing device for a garbage receptacle.doc-22/08/05 -7 includes a strap or bar which in use extends downwards and rearwards so as to improve support of the front lip and to improve inhibiting of separation of front lip of garbage receptacle from the side wall of the garbage receptacle. 5

8. A reinforcing device as defined in claim 6 or 7 wherein the side mounting means includes a side channel or angle so as to aid faster and more accurate positioning of the reinforcing device, as well as greater resistance of tearing off between front and side walls. 10

9. A reinforcing device as defined in any previous claim wherein the mounting means is fixed to respective side lips and walls by piercing fasteners such as pop rivets, screws and the like or by double-sided adhesive tape.

10. A reinforcing device as claimed in any previous claim wherein the reinforcing 15 device is constructed from steel sheet, and fabricated by folding.

11. A reinforcing device as claimed in any previous claim wherein further reinforcing may be provided on the reinforcing rib and/or side mounting regions in the form of extensions or corrugations along the faces thereof. 20

12. A reinforcing device as claimed in any one of claims 8-11 wherein the side mounting channels are elongate in shape so as to maintain access to a manoeuvring handle on the receptacle. 25

13. A reinforcing device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this 2 2 nd day of August 2005. Rosario OUATTROCCHI 30 By His Patent Attorneys DAVIES COLLISON CAVE