GB2274577A

GB2274577A - Refuse container

Info

Publication number: GB2274577A
Application number: GB9301676A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Patrick John Green
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1993-01-28
Filing date: 1993-01-28
Publication date: 1994-08-03
Anticipated expiration: 2013-01-28
Also published as: GB2274577B; GB9301676D0

Abstract

A refuse container comprising a resilient loop (4, fig. 1) and mounting means (7, fig. 1) for attaching the loop (4, fig. 1) to a surface (5, fig. 3). The loop has tabs 13, 14, 15, 16 each of which hear a pin 20. The shaft 22 of the pin 20 pierces a bag (6, fig. 1) and engages in a respective aperture 24, 25, 26, 27 in the loop (4, fig. 1) in order to retain the bag 6 on the loop. <IMAGE>

Description

DESCRIPTION REFUSE CONTAINER The present invention relates to a refuse container, and in particular, but not exclusively, to refuse containers having a disposable plastics bag for the home, office or car.

The provision of a refuse container in areas where space to place such a refuse container is limited is often desirable. A refuse container for a car is known comprising a box with two weighted flaps.

The box is designed to stand on the central console or transmission tunnel of the car with a flap hanging on either side of the tunnel or console to hold the box in place. However, this known refuse container has the disadvantage that it can be easily knocked over and thereby spill its contents on to the floor of the car. Also, this known refuse container is difficult to clean, and therefore with time the box becomes sticky and smelly and must be replaced.

In the home and office bin liners are often used to line pedal bins and waste-paper baskets, and thereby keep the bin or basket clean. However, the known bins and baskets have the disadvantage that they are usually placed a distance from the work surface, necessitating that the user must walk to the basket or attempt to throw rubbish into the basket, with the consequence that the rubbish usually ends up on the floor. Also, if they are placed near the work area they can be accidentally knocked over.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a refuse container which overcomes or alleviates the problems associated with the known refuse containers.

In accordance with the present invention, a refuse container is provided comprising a loop for releasably retaining a bag in an open position, such that refuse can be placed through the loop into the bag.

This has the advantage that any bag, such as a plastics bag, can be used, and the bag containing the refuse can be removed from the loop and disposed of, together with the refuse. A fresh bag can then be placed on the loop, providing a cleaner and cheaper refuse container, since plastics bags themselves are often a part of household refuse.

Preferably, means are provided for attaching the loop to a surface. Thereby, the loop can be, for instance, attached to the back of a car seat, the dashboard, the edge of a desk or the inside of a kitchen cabinet. This has the advantage that, unlike previously known refuse containers, it can be placed at a more convenient location to the user and it cannot be easily kicked over.

Preferably, the means for attaching the loop to a surface comprises a self-adhesive strip or hook and loop fastener. If the backing strip is removed from one side of the hook and loop fastening, the hook and loop fastening may be adhered to the loop and the loop can then be adhered to a surface from which it is desired that the refuse container hangs by removing the remaining backing strip and pressing the uncovered sticky back strip to the surface. Also, the loop can be removed from the surface for the purpose of emptying the refuse from the bag by merely tearing open the hook and loop fastener. The loop can be remounted on the surface by engaging the hook and loop fastener.

In a preferred embodiment a bag is releasably retained by the loop by pins which pierce the bag.

Preferably, the loop has one or more tabs and at least one pin is provided on the or each tab, wherein the pins can be press-fitted into apertures provided on the loop by bending the tabs in towards the loop, trapping the bag between the loop and the tab or each tab. The bag is hence retained on the loop by the pins. By the provision of tabs the pins are permanently attached to the loop which makes it easier to secure the bag to the loop. The bag can be easily removed from the loop by releasing the pins from the bag.

In a preferred embodiment the refuse container comprises a bag. Preferably, the bag is shaped or patterned as a novelty character and/or the loop and/or the mouth of the bag is shaped or patterned as the mouth of the character. In a further embodiment, a lid is provided. Preferably, the lid is shaped or patterned as a novelty character with an aperture therethrough to facilitate placement of rubbish through the loop into the bag. The lid is hinged to the loop. In this way the refuse container could, for instance, resemble an animal or cartoon character, with the opening for the refuse container resembling the open mouth of the animal or cartoon character, hence encouraging children to place their litter in the bin.

By way of example only, specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig.1 is a perspective view of the refuse container showing the attachment of a bag to the loop which is constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; Fig.2 is a perspective view of the loop of Fig.1, illustrated in the open position; and Fig.3 is a partial sectional view illustrating the attachment of a bag to the loop of Fig.l and the loop to a surface.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 3 the refuse container 2 comprises a loop 4 for releasably retaining a bag 6 therein and a mounting means 7 for attaching the loop 4 to a surface.

As best illustrated in Fig.2, the loop 4 comprises a strip 8 which forms an open loop 1, the strip 8 having an upper 9 and lower 10 longitudinal edge, an inner 11 and outer 12 face. The loop 4 also has tabs 13,14,15 and 16 spaced at intervals along the lower longitudinal edge 10 of the strip 8. Each tab 13,14,15 and 16 has a pin 20 extending therethrough.

The inner surface of the head 21 of each pin 20 is supported on one face of the tab whilst the shaft 22 of each pin 20 extends through the opposite face of the said tab. The shaft 22 of each pin 20 is made from a resilient plastics material and the point of each pin 20 is bifurcated to allow a limited radial flexing of its shaft 22.

The strip 8 has a plurality of apertures 24,25,26 and 27 therethrough, one of each of the apertures being located adjacent a respective one of the tabs 13,14,15 and 16 such that when the respective tab and strip are rotated towards each other, the shaft 22 of its pin 20 is press-fitted into its respective aperture through the strip. At least one further aperture 28 is provided through the strip.

The mounting means 7 comprises a pair of selfadhesive backed strips of hook and loop fasteners, such as Velcro (Registered Trade Mark). The strip covering the stick-back of one side 28 of each fastener strip is removed and the sticky-backed face of one of the hook and loop fastener strips is adhered to the face of tab 13 which supports its respective pin head 21. Likewise, the sticky-backed face of the remaining hook and loop fastener strip is stuck to the pinhead 21 supporting face of tab 14. Then the strips covering the sticky back of the opposite side 29 of each hook and loop fastener are removed and the sticky back of each of the fastener strips is pressed to a surface in order to adhere the loop thereto.

The refuse container now functions as follows: The shaft 22 of the pin 20 in the tab 16 is press-fitted, by the resilience of the shaft, through the further aperture 28, in order to form the loop 4.

The open end of a plastics bag 6 is then pushed through the inside of the loop 4. The end of the bag is then folded over the upper longitudinal edge 9 of the strip 8 so that it fully covers the apertures 24,25,26 and 27 (see Fig.3). In turn, each of the tabs 13,14 and 15 are rotated with respect to the strip 8 such that the shaft 22 of each of their pins 20 pierces the plastics bag and engages in its respective aperture 24,25 and 26, thereby trapping the top edge of the plastics bag between the tabs and the strip. Likewise the shaft 22 of the pin 20 of tab 16 extending through the aperture 28 is rotated towards the strip and pierces the plastic bag before its engagement in aperture 27. The bag is then supported at its open end on the loop 4 and hangs through the interior of the loop so that rubbish can be placed through the open end into the bag 6.

In order to empty the bag, the hook and loop fastener of the mounting means 7 is ripped apart and the loop thereby removed from its mounting on the side 29 of the fastener strip adhered to the surface. The contents of the bag can then be disposed of by their removal through the open end. Alternatively, or as well as, the plastics bag can be removed from its mounting on the loop by releasing the shafts 22 of each of the pins 20 from their respective apertures 24;25;26;27,28 by pulling on the strip and/or their respective tabs 13,14,15,16. The bag 6 can then be removed from the pins and disposed of together with its contents.

The loop is constructed from a resilient plastics material such as a high density polyethylene, and can be cut from a piece of plastics sheet 5 cm (2 inches) wide. Alternatively, by interlocking two strips, two loops can be cut from a piece of plastics sheet 7.5 cm (3 inches) wide.

Varying widths and lengths of strip can be used for the loop in order to deal with the requirements for a particular refuse container, for instance from holding a small plastics bag, as described above, that could be attached to a convenient location in a car, to one which would hold a full-size bin bag for a dustbin.

A plurality of apertures 28 (not illustrated) could be provided along the length of the strip for the purpose of varying the size of the loop by their individual engagement with the pin 20 of the tab 16, or alternatively with the tabs 13,14 and 15.

The present invention is not restricted to the details of the aforegoing embodiment. For example, the loop is provided with four tabs and at least four corresponding apertures. The number of tabs can be increased for a larger loop or greater load requirement, or decreased for a smaller loop or lighter load requirement. Also, the loop 4 has been described as a strip, but could, for instance, be tubular, or shaped so as to form the open mouth of an animal or cartoon character. The mounting means has been described has a hook and loop fastener, but could, for instance, be a screw fastening. The fastening means for retaining the bag have been described as pins, but could, for instance, be a pressstud fitting with the bag being retained therebetween.

Also, the fastening means need not be attached to the loop but could be an additional member, such as a further loop, which grasps the bag together with the loop.

The bags used with the refuse container could be provided individually or on a tear-off strip. They can be bags which are themselves refuse, such as those used for wrapping items bough in a supermarket, or purpose-designed bags, such as those shaped or patterned with a particular design, such as a cartoon character or an animal, etc.

The refuse container can also be provided with a lid. The lid could be shaped, for instance, as the head of an animal etc., with an aperture through the mouth to facilitate the entry of rubbish into the bag.

The lid can be hinged to the loop.

Claims

1. A refuse container comprising a loop for releasably retaining a bag in an open position such that refuse can be placed through the loop into the bag.

2. A refuse container as claimed in claim 1, wherein means are provided for attaching the loop to a surface.

3. A refuse container as claimed in claim 2, wherein the means for attaching the loop to a surface comprises a self-adhesive strip of hook and loop fastener.

4. A refuse container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a bag is releasably retained by the loop by pins which piece the bag.

5. A refuse container as claimed in claim 4, wherein the loop has one or more tabs and at least one pin is provided on the or each tab, and the pins can be press-fitted into apertures provided on the loop by bending the or each tab in towards the loop, trapping the bag between the loop and the tab or each tab.

6. A refuse container as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising a bag.

7. A refuse container as claimed in claim 6, wherein the bag is shaped and/or patterned as a novelty character.

8. A refuse container as claimed in claim 6 or 7, wherein the loop and/or the mouth of the bag is shaped or patterned as the mouth of a novelty character.

9. A refuse container as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising a lid.

10. A refuse container as claimed in claim 9, in which the lid is shaped or patterned as a novelty character with an aperture to facilitate placement of rubbish through the loop into the bag.

11. A refuse container as claimed in claim 9 or 10, in which the lid is hinged to the loop.

12. A refuse container, constructed, arranged and adapted substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.