GB2287455A

GB2287455A - Waste bins

Info

Publication number: GB2287455A
Application number: GB9404939A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Andrew David Bartle
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1994-03-15
Filing date: 1994-03-15
Publication date: 1995-09-20
Anticipated expiration: 2014-03-15
Also published as: GB9404939D0; GB2287455B

Abstract

A waste bin 1 comprises a tubular base part 2 having a top 28 for supporting a lining bag 25 by means of an edge portion of the lining bag 25 turned over the top 28, and a bottom 4 on which the base part 2 is to be stood. In addition the bin 1 has a removable lid part 3 having side walls 11 overlapping the top 28 of the base part 2 to trap the edge portion of the lining bag 25 and a top wall 10A formed with an aperture 10 through which waste may be introduced into the lining bag 25 within the base part 2. Removal of the lid part 3 from the base part 2 and lifting of the base part 2 causes the lining bag 25 containing waste to be removed from the base part 2 through the bottom 4 of the base part. <IMAGE>

Description

"Waste Bins1' This invention relates to waste bins and is concerned with the disposal of waste in a safe and hygienic manner and without health risk to cleansing operatives.

GB 2262278A relates to a waste bin for medical waste having a base part for receiving a lining bag and a top part which is fitted on to the base part so as to overlap the side walls of the base part and which has a lockable lid which may be opened to permit waste to be introduced into the bin. When such a bin is to be emptied the top part is simply removed from the base part so as to enable the lining bag containing waste to be lifted out of the base part and a fresh lining bag to be introduced. Alternatively the bin may be disposed of as a whole, although it is clearly more economical for the bin to be capable of being reused after it has been emptied.

However such a bin suffers from the disadvantage that the lining bag must be lifted out of the base part through its top opening, and this operation may be difficult or strenuous for a cleansing operative to perform, particularly if the waste within the lining bag is relatively heavy and a number of such bins are to be emptied.

It is an object of the invention to provide a waste bin which is capable of being emptied in a particularly straightforward manner.

According to the present invention there is provided a waste bin comprising a tubular base part having a top for supporting a lining bag by means of an edge portion of the lining bag turned over the top, and a bottom on which the base part is to be stood, and a removable lid part having a side wall for overlapping the top of the base part to trap the edge portion of the lining bag and a top wall formed with an aperture through which waste may be introduced into the lining bag within the base part, wherein removal of the lid part from the base part and lifting of the base part causes the lining bag containing waste to be removed from the base part through the bottom of the base part.

It will be appreciated that such a bin construction does not require the lining bag to be lifted out of the top of the base part. Instead the base part is lifted leaving the lining bag, which has passed through the bottom of the base part, in position. Thus emptying of the bin is made particularly straightforward for a cleansing operative.

In one embodiment of the invention the waste bin additionally includes a removable bottom part on which the bottom of the lining bag containing waste rests in use and from which the base part is separated when it is lifted to permit the lining bag to be removed through the bottom of the base part. With such an arrangement, when the base part is lifted during emptying of the bin, the lining bag remains on the bottom part, and the bottom part can subsequently be removed from beneath the lining bag and refitted to the bin without difficulty.

The bottom part may have a side wall for surrounding the bottom of the base part when the base part is stood within the bottom part, and a bottom wall for supporting the bottom of the lining bag.

Alternatively the bottom part may be adapted to fit within the bottom of the base part and may have sides for engaging the inside of the bottom of the base part, and a bottom wall for supporting the bottom of the lining bag.

In another embodiment of the invention the waste bin has an open bottom to permit the lining bag to be removed through the bottom of the base part. In this case no separate bottom part is provided, and this further simplifies emptying of the bin.

The bin may be formed from sheets of flexible material, such as cardboard, by folding, or alternatively may be formed by moulding from a plastics material. Where the bin is formed has a separate bottom part, the bottom part may be formed from a sheet of flexible material by cutting slits extending inwardly from the edge of the sheet and folding portions of the sheet inwardly to form side walls. The folded-in portions of the sheet may be held in position by parts of those portions which are tucked into slots cut in the remainder of the sheet.

Advantageously the base part is provided with hand holds which may be formed in the base part by cutting substantially U-shaped slits in opposite side walls and by turning in the parts of the sheet within the slits.

In order that the invention may be more fully understood, several embodiments of waste bin in accordance with the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment; Figures 2 and 3 are respectively top and bottom views of the first embodiment; Figure 4 is a perspective view of a second embodiment; Figure 5 is a bottom view of the second embodiment; Figure 6 is a bottom view of a third embodiment; and Figure 7 shows a cardboard sheet from which the bottom part of the second and third embodiments may be formed.

Referring to Figure 1, 2 and 3, the bin 1 comprises a tubular base part 2, a removable lid part 3 and an open bottom (see Figure 3). The base part 2 has eight side walls 5 formed from a single rectangular cardboard sheet by folding along parallel lines 6 and bonding the opposite edges of the sheet together by applying adhesive along an overlap 7. Two hand holds 8 are formed in opposite side walls 5 by cutting substantially U-shaped slits 9 and folding under the cardboard within the slits 9. The lid part 3 is formed with a circular cut-out 10 in its top wall lOA and has side walls 11 which overlap the side walls 5 of the base part 2 when the lid part 3 is fitted.

A plastics lining bag 25 is supported within the tubular base part 2 by having the edge portion 26 of the bag turned over the top 27 of the base part 2 and trapped by the side walls 11 of the lid part 3. In order to empty the bin 1, the lid part 3 is removed so as to free the edge portion 26 of the bag 25, and the base part 2 is then lifted so as to permit the bag 25 containing the waste to pass through the open bottom 4. Once the base part 3 has been lifted clear of the bag 25 which remains resting on the floor, the bag 25 is removed by pulling it along the floor or by lifting it onto a wheeled carrier.

A second embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to Figures 4 and 5, like reference numerals to those used in Figures 1 to 3 being used in these figures to denote similar parts. In this case the bin 1' has a removable bottom part 28 having side walls 29, which overlap the bottoms of the side walls 5 of the base part 2 when the base part 2 is stood within the bottom part 28, and a bottom wall 29A (see Figure 5). The bottom part 28 is a relatively loose fit on the bottom of the base part 2 so that, when the base part 2 is lifted after removal of the lid part 3 during emptying of the bin, the lining bag remains in position on the bottom part 28 resting on the floor as the base part 2 is removed. After the lining bag containing the waste has been removed, the bottom part 28 can be refitted to the bottom of the base part 2 to permit the bin to be reused.

Figure 6 shows a bottom view of a third embodiment in accordance with the invention which is similar to the embodiment of -Figures 4 and 5 except that, instead of the bottom part 28, a bottom part 30 is provided which fits within the bottom of the base part 2. The bottom part 30 has side walls 29 for engaging the insides of the side walls 5 of the base part 2 and a bottom wall 29A for engaging the floor, and is of generally similar form to the bottom part 28 of Figures 4 and 5 except that it is slightly smaller to enable it to fit within the base part 2. If necessary, a hand hold 32 may be formed in the bottom wall 29A.In this third embodiment the bottom part 30 is frictionally engaged within the bottom o; the base part 2 so that, when the base part 2 is lifted after removal of the lid part 3 to empty the bin, the lining bag and the bottom part 30 pass through the bottom of the base part 2 and remain standing on the floor.

The manner in which the bottom part 28 or 30 (and also the lid part 3) is formed by folding from a cardboard sheet 33 will now be described with reference to Figure 7.

The sheet 33 is formed with eight slits 12 and eight triangular cut-outs 13 as shown, and four intermediate sheet portions 14 are folded inwardly along fold lines 15 until the portions 14 are substantially upright at right angles to the remainder of the sheet. Two extensions 16 and 17 at opposite sides of the portion 14 are then folded slightly inwards along fold lines 18 and 19. Next four intermediate sheet portions 20 are folded inwardly along fold lines 21 so that they lie adjacent the extensions 16 and 17, and tabs 22 of the sheet portions 20 are folded inwardly along fold lines 23 and over the extensions 16 and 17 before being tucked into slots 24 formed in the sheet for this purpose. The slots 24 can be seen in Figure 5 for example with the ends of the tabs 22 engaged therein.

It will be appreciated that other constructions can also be provided within the scope of the invention. In particular constructions having other forms of bottom part are possible. For example, a bottom part could be provided which is intended to fit within the bottom of the base part but which has a bottom wall intended to be supported above the floor by downwardly extending side walls. Furthermore, instead of the bottom part being removable from the base part, it may be integrally formed with the base part but designed to hinge downwards when the base part is lifted to empty the bin. In this case the bottom part could consist of a number of flaps hinged to the side walls of the base part and folded inwardly to form a bottom wall in use.

Claims

1. A waste bin comprising a tubular base part having a top for supporting a lining bag by means of an edge portion of the lining bag turned over the top, and a bottom on which the base part is to be stood, and a removable lid part having a side wall for overlapping the top of the base part to trap the edge portion of the lining bag and a top wall formed with an aperture through which waste may be introduced into the lining bag within the base part, wherein removal of the lid part from the base part and lifting of the base part causes the lining bag containing waste to be removed from the base part through the bottom of the base part.

2. A bin according to claim 1, which additionally includes a removable bottom part on which the bottom of the lining bag containing waste rests in use and from which the base part is separated when it is lifted to permit the lining bag to be removed through the bottom of the base part.

3. A bin according to claim 2, wherein the bottom part has a side wall for surrounding the bottom of the base part when the base part is stood within the bottom part, and a bottom wall for supporting the bottom of the lining bag.

4. A bin according to claim 2, wherein the bottom part is adapted to fit within the bottom of the base part and has sides for engaging the inside of the bottom of the base part, and a bottom wall for supporting the bottom of the lining bag.

5. A bin according to claim 1, wherein it has an open bottom to permit the lining bag to be removed through the bottom of the base part.

6. A bin according to any preceding claim, which is formed from sheets of flexible material by folding.

7. A bin according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which is formed by moulding from a plastics material.

8. A bin according to claim 6 when appended directly or indirectly to claim 2, wherein the bottom part is formed from a sheet of flexible material by cutting slits extending inwardly from the edge of the sheet and folding portions of the sheet inwardly to form side walls.

9. A bin according to claim 8, wherein the folded-in portions of the sheet are held in position by parts of those portions which are tucked into slots cut in the remainder of the sheet.

10. A bin according to any preceding claim, wherein the base part is provided with hand holds formed in the base part by cutting substantially U-shaped slits in opposite side walls and by turning in the parts of the sheet within the slits.

11. A waste bin substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 3 or Figures 4, 5 and 7 or Figures 6 and 7 of the accompanying