GB2279403A - Security receptacle - Google Patents

Abstract

A waste receptacle comprising a security closure (5) which allows confidential items to be placed in the receptacle whilst preventing removal of said items from the receptacle, the security closure comprising a lid for the receptacle with an aperture therein and a slide plate (8) for reducing the size of the aperture in order to prevent removal of said items from the receptacle. The lid is locked by a rod 12 extending through aligned holes. <IMAGE>

Description

Receptacle for Waste This invention relates to a receptacle for waste, and more specifically to a receptacle for waste having a security closure.

Prior art waste bins generally comprise open topped receptacles which are inadequate for collecting confidential papers. Care must therefore be taken to ensure that unauthorised personnel do not have access to such papers whilst still ensuring that further papers may be placed in the waste bin.

If offices etc. require security bins then they usually have to buy them in addition to their ordinary waste bins. This takes up extra floor space because the security bins cannot be used for any other purpose i.e.

they cannot be used as ordinary waste bins.

Shredders can be provided to destroy confidential papers, however, care must be taken to ensure the correct papers are shredded.

The aim of this invention is to provide a receptacle for waste which obviates or mitigates these disadvantages.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a waste receptacle comprising a security closure which allows confidential items to be placed in the receptacle whilst preventing removal of said items from the receptacle, the security closure comprising a lid for the receptacle with an aperture therein and means for reducing the size of the aperture in order to prevent removal of said items from the receptacle.

Preferably the lid is hingedly connected to the receptacle at one side and can be moved between an opened and closed position. Locking means may be provided to secure the lid in the closed position.

Advantageously the security closure comprises a plate like member slidably received in channels on the under surface of the lid and may be slid between an open position allowing items to be placed within the receptacle and a security position in which items may not be removed from the receptacle.

Alternatively the security closure may comprise a plate like member mounted over a portion of the open end of the receptacle in such a manner as to allow items to be placed within the receptacle but not removed therefrom.

Locking means may be provided to lock the member in position.

A bag may be suspended in the receptacle to collect the contents and allow simple removal of the contents from the receptacle.

Releasable fixing means may be provided to suspend the bag within the receptacle.

This invention is described below, by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate one specific embodiment in which: figure 1 is a perspective view of a waste receptacle according to one embodiment of the invention; figure 2 is a perspective view of the receptacle of figure 1 with the lid in an open condition; figure 3 is a perspective view of the underside of the lid in a normal working condition, and figure 4 is a perspective view of the underside of the lid in a security condition.

A waste receptacle as shown in the figures comprises a substantially rectangular open topped container 1 for receiving a further receptacle for example a bag 2 to collect waste. The container 1 may be made of any suitable material e.g. metal alloy and may be of any required dimensions.

Releasable fixing means 3 are located around the upper side edges of the container. An aperture 4 is also provided adjacent to the top front corner of the sides of the container.

The container is provided with a security closure in the form of a lid 5 which is hingedly connected to the upper edge of the container, remote from the apertures. The lid 5 is of substantially the same cross-sectional dimensions as the open end of the container and may be placed over same to close the container as shown in Figure 1. A rectangular aperture 6 is provided in the lid. The aperture is of suitable dimensions to allow waste material to be placed into the container.

Channels 7 are located on the underside of the lid 5 and are situated adjacent to the short sides of the rectangular aperture 6. A rectangular plate like member 8 of similar dimensions to the rectangular aperture is slidably received in the channels 7. The said member is slidable between two extreme positions in which the aperture is fully open or partially closed and can be fixed in either position by releasable fixing means 9.

Furthermore, there is provided on the underside of the lid a guide channel 10 of shorter dimensions than the lid 5, the opposed sides of the lid 5 having apertures 11 therein to correspond with the ends of the guide channel 10 and the apertures 4 in the opposed sides of the container 1 when the lid 5 is in the closed position.

Means for locking the lid 5 are provided in the form of a rod 12 of slightly smaller diameter than the guide channel 10 and apertures 4, 11 described above. The rod is radially enlarged at one end to provide a stop member 13. The other end of the rod, remote from the stop member is provided with a through bore (not shown). A locking device such as a padlock may be passed through the bore to lock the rod 12 in the guide channel 10.

In use of the above waste receptacle an empty bag 2 is suspended inside the container and secured in position by the releasable fixing means 3. The lid 5 is then closed and the rod 12 is threaded through the corresponding apertures 4, 11 in the opposed sides of the container 1 and lid 5 and through the guide channel 10. A padlock is then fitted through the bore in the end of the rod 12 to lock the lid 5 in the closed position.

In use as an ordinary bin the plate like member 8 is slid into the open position shown in Figure 3 whereby the aperture 6 is left in the open position and the lid closed as described above. This allows waste to be placed into the container and subsequently removed if necessary. For use as a security bin, the plate like member 8 is slid along the channels 7 in the lid 5 to reduce the size of the aperture and fixed in that position thus partially closing the aperture 6 in the lid 5 as shown in Figure 4. In this security position unauthorised personnel are prevented from removing confidential items from the bin.

To remove the bag when full the padlock is released, which allows the rod 12 to be withdrawn from the guide channel 10 and the lid 5 can then be opened. The full bag may then be released from the fixing means 3 and removed from the bin.

It is to be appreciated that the waste receptacle may be used either as an ordinary waste bin or alternatively as a security bin by selective placement of the security closure thus saving costs in large offices etc. A further advantage of this invention is that the container is able to accomodate any kind of bag such as an eyeleted bag, bin liner etc.

Whilst the security closure has been described as a plate-like member slidably received in channels in the underside of the lid, it is envisaged that the plate-like member may be slidably received in channels on the upper surface of the lid or alternatively may be placed over part of the aperture and locked in that position by any suitable locking means. When the bin is to be used as an ordinary bin, the security device may be removed thus allowing access to the bin.

In an alternative embodiment the rod may be replaced by any suitable locking means to secure the lid to the container.

Claims (9)

1. A waste receptacle comprising a security closure which allows confidential items to be placed in the receptacle whilst preventing removal of said items from the receptacle, the security closure comprising a lid for the receptacle with an aperture therein and means for reducing the size of the aperture in order to prevent removal of said items from the receptacle.

2. A waste receptacle according to Claim 1 wherein the lid is hingedly connected to the receptacle at one side and can be moved between an opened and closed position.

3. A waste receptacle according to Claim 1 and Claim 2 wherein locking means are provided to secure the lid in the closed position.

4. A waste receptacle according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the security closure comprises a plate like member slidably received in channels on the under surface of the lid and is selectively slid between an open position allowing items to be placed within the receptacle and a security position in which items may be placed within but not be removed from the receptacle.

5. A waste receptacle according to any one of Claims 1-3 wherein the security closure comprises a plate like member mounted over a portion of the open end of the receptacle in such a manner as to allow items to be placed within the receptacle but not removed therefrom.

6. A waste receptacle according to Claim 4 and Claim 5 wherein locking means are provided to lock the plate like member in position.

7. A waste receptacle according to any one of the preceding claims wherein a bag may be suspended to collect the contents and allow simple removal of the contents from the receptacle.

8. A waste receptacle according to Claim 6 wherein releasable fixing means may be provided to suspend the bag within the receptacle.

9. A waste receptacle substantially as herein before described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying figures.