GB2046694A

GB2046694A - Refuse bag holder and operating pedal

Info

Publication number: GB2046694A
Application number: GB7903666A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: TOP NOTCH PRODUCTS Ltd
Current assignee: TOP NOTCH PRODUCTS Ltd
Priority date: 1979-02-02
Filing date: 1979-02-02
Publication date: 1980-11-19

Abstract

A holder for refuse bags (30) comprises a bracket (20) attached to or integral with a bag supporting frame (28) having an edge (29) over which the edge of an open refuse bag may be secured, a clamping ring (31) shaped to fit over the said edge to secure the bag in position and pivoted to the bracket at a position (33) spaced above and rearwardly from the position (37) at which the bag supporting frame joins the bracket, and means (35) for securing the clamping ring to the bag supporting frame at a position on the opposite side of the clamping ring from the bracket. The clamping ring has the effect of transferring much of the load of the refuse bag away from the relatively weak point (37) to the much stronger position (33), to prevent bending of the bag supporting frame under the weight of the bag. The holder preferably includes a lid 38 which can be raised by operation of a pedal or opening of a cupboard door. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Refuse bag holder and operating pedal therefor This invention relates to refuse bag holders of the type having an annular support to receive the edges of an open refuse bag of for example plastics material, and clamping means for holding the edges of the bag in position. Such holders normally have a lid, which may be pedal operated for convenience. The support is mounted on a bracket, which may in turn be fixed to a wall or may be supported by a stand.

In one aspect the present invention provides a holder for refuse bags comprising a bracket having attached thereto or, more preferably, integral therewith, an annular bag support having an edge over which the edges of an open refuse bag may be secured, a clamping ring shaped to fit over the said edge to secure a bag in position and pivotally attached to the bag at a position spaced above and rearwardly from the position at which the bag support is attached to the bracket, and means for securing the clamping ring to the bag support at a position remote from the bracket. The holder is preferably also provided with a lid pivotally attached to the bracket. It may conveniently pivot about the same axis as the clamping ring.The lid may also be provided with automatic opening means comprising an elongate member such as a string attached to the lid at a position on the opposite side of the pivot from the main body of the lid, the string being attached at its other end to a foot pedal or the like.

In another aspect, the invention provides a foot pedal, for example for opening a lid of the type described above, comprising at least three portions hingedly attached to one another, of which a first portion is adapted for attachment to a wall, a second portion being hingedly connected along one edge thereof to the first portion and having a part which, when the first portion is attached to a wall, is arranged to lie on the floor at a position spaced below the point of attachment to the first portion, and a third portion hingedly connected to, and arranged to overlie, the said second portion when the latter is lying on the floor, means being provided for attaching an elongate actuating member, such as a string for opening the lid of a refuse bag holder as described above, whereby the actuating member is drawn downwardly when the said third portion is depressed.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a vertical cross-section through a refuse bag holder in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 is a top plan view of the refuse bag holder of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side elevation of a pedal in accordance with the invention for operating the lid of the refuse bag holder of Figures 1 and 2; Figure 4 is a perspective view of the pedal of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a side elevation showing how the pedal of Figure 3 may be lifted up to allow access to the floor underneath, and Figure 6 is a side elevation of a pedal in accordance with an alternative embodiment.

Turning first to Figure 1, a refuse bag holder comprises a support bracket (20) shown here as being attached to a wall (21) by means of grooves (22 and 23) passing through respective apertures (23 and 25) in a back-plate (26) of the bracket.

Additionally or alternatively the bracket may be secured to the wall by a layer of adhesive between the back-plate (26) and the wall.

The bracket (20) comprises a pair of parallel side portions (27) and supports an annular bag support (28) which is integral therewith. The back support (28) is of inverted channel-shaped crosssection, and has an upwardly extending flange 29 thereon over which is clamped the edge of an open refuse bag (30).

The refuse bag is clamped in position by a clamping ring (31) having a pair of rewardly extending flanges (32) by which it is pivotally attached to the bracket (20) so as to be pivotable about an axis (33). The clamping ring (31) has a downwardly opening channel portion (34) which fits over the bag and the flange (29) to clamp the bag in position.

At the front of the clamping ring (31) is a resilient hook (35) which, when the ring (31) is in its clamping position, snaps over a lower edge (36) of the bag support (28). It can thus be seen that instead of the entire weight of the bag being borne by the support (28), a portion of this weight in transferred to the bracket (20) and the pivot axis (33) through the clamping ring (31). This greatly relieves stress on the bracket in the area (37) at which it meets the bag-support, much of this stress being taken by the bracket at the much stronger position (33) spaced above and rearwardly from the area (37) and much nearer the wall. It can also be seen that it is a tensile stress which is applied to the bracket at this point instead of the bending stress applied to the bag support and the area (37) of the bracket.

The holder is also provided with a lid (38) which is itself pivotally attached to the bracket (20) about the axis (33). The lid is secured to this axis by a pair of downwardly extending flanges (39) so that it can fit over the clamping ring (31).

The lid (38) has a small ring (40) integral therewith a projecting rearwardly from a position between the pivoting axis (33) and the wall. To this ring is attached a string (47) which passes through an opening (42) in one of the side portions (27) of the bracket. It will be seen that pulling on this string will open the lid (38). If for example the bag holder is fixed on the inside of the door of a kitchen cupboard, the other end of the string (47) can be secured to a fixed point inside the cupboard so that when the cupboard dqor is opened the string will be drawn through the hole 42 and will automatically open the lid 38.

Alternatively, the string may be attached to a pedal on the ground as shown in Figures 3 to 6.

Referring first to Figures 3 and 4, a pedal comprises a first portion (44) attached to the wall (21) by a layer of adhesive (43). This portion is hingedly attached at (70) to a second portion comprising two parts (45 and 50) hingedly attached to one another at (71). The lower part (50) rests on the floor (52), being spaced below the first portion (44) by the part (45). A third portion (60) serving as the actual pedal portion, is hingedly attached at (72) to the part (50). At the end of the portion (60) remote from its edge (72) is a bore (80), through which extends the string (47) from the lid (38) of a refuse bag holder such as that described in Figures 1 and 2, secured to the wall (21) above the pedal.The length of the string (47) is such to hold the third portion (60) at the angle shown in Figure 3 when the lid is shut, so that the lid will open when this portion is depressed by a foot.

Figure 5 shows how the pedal may be lifted up without displacing it from its correct position under the bag holder, to allow access to the floor underneath, for example by a cleaning mop (90).

Because the first portion (44) of the pedal is secured to the wall, when the string (47) is released the pedal will once again assume the configuration shown in Figure 3. Also, the pedal cannot be displaced from below the bag holder for example when kicked or struck with a broom or the like.

Figure 6 shows an alternative form of pedal in which the second portion is a single rigid portion (53) of L-shaped cross-section. It will be seen that this pedal can also be lifted up in the same way as that of Figures 3 to 5.

The pedals of the invention can be made of any suitable material, and are preferably made of injection moulded plastics material. Because of the slightly angled edges adjacent the hinged portions (70, 71 and 72) the pedals can be moulded integrally as single units, the hinges then being constituted by narrow portions connecting adjacent edges of the portions (43, 45, 50 and 60).

The bag holder itself may also be made of injection moulded plastic material. The bracket (20) and the bag support (28) are preferably moulded as a single integral unit. Because of the arrangement of clamping ring (31) and hook (35) which distributes the weight of the bag, there is little or no tendency for the support (28) to bend under the weight of the bag or for the clamping ring (31) to jump out of position. Such disadvantages of known bag holders have hitherto been met by making the holder out of a more rigid but more expensive material such as galvanized steel.

Claims

1. A holder for refuse bags comprising a bracket having attached thereto or integral therewith an annular bag support having an edge over which the edges of an open refuse bag may be secured, a clamping ring shaped to fit over the said edge to secure a bag in position and pivotally attached to the bracket at a position spaced above and rearwardly from the position at which the bag support joins the bracket, and means for securing the clamping ring to the bag support at a position remote from the bracket.

2. A holder according to claim 1 wherein the securing means for the clamping ring is positioned on the opposite side of the clamping ring from the support bracket.

3. A holder according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the annular bag support has an upwardly extending annular flange and the clamping ring has a correspondingly-shaped annular channel into which the flange fits when the clamping ring is in its clamping position, to hold the edge of the bag securely over the flange.

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4. A holder according to any preceding claim which further comprises a lid for the bag and the holder pivotally attached to the bracket.

5. A holder according to claim 4 wherein the lid pivots about the same axis as the clamping ring.

6. A holder according to claim 4 or claim 5 wherein the lid is provided with automatic opening means comprising an elongate member attached to the lid at a position on the opposite side- of its pivoting axis from the main body of the lid whereby when the string is pulled downwardly the lid is raised.

7. A holder according to claim 6 wherein the end of the elongate member remote from the lid is attached to a foot pedal whereby the lid is raised by depressing the foot pedal.

8. A holder according to claim 7 wherein the foot pedal comprises at least three portions hingedly attached to one another, or which a first portion is adapted for attachment to a wall, a second portion being hingedly connected along on edge thereof to the first portion and having a part which, when the first portion is attached to the wall, is arranged to lie on the floor at a position spaced below the point of attachment to the first portion, and a third portion hingedly connected to, and arranged to overlie, the second portion when the latter is lying on the floor, the said elongate member being attached to the third portion at a position remote from its hinged connection to the second portion whereby when the third portion is depressed the elongate member is drawn downwardly to raise the lid.

9. A holder for refuse bags substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

10. A foot pedal comprising at least three portions attached to one another, of which a first portion is adapted for attachment to a wall, a second portion being hingedly connected along one edge thereof to the first portion and having a part which, when the first portion is attached to a wall, is arranged to lie on the floor at a position spaced below the point of attachment to the first portion, and a third portion hingedly connected to, and arranged to overlie, the second portion when the latter is lying on the floor, means being provided for attaching an elongate actuating member to the third portion at a position spaced from its hinged connection to the second portion whereby the actuating member may be drawn downwardly when said third portion is depressed.

11. A pedal substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 3 to 5 or Figure 6 of the accompanying drawings.