GB2446682A

GB2446682A - Recycling waste containers

Info

Publication number: GB2446682A
Application number: GB0721022A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Andrew Bartle
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-02-15
Filing date: 2007-10-26
Publication date: 2008-08-20
Also published as: GB0702962D0; GB0721022D0

Abstract

A recycling waste container 1 comprises a plurality of bins 3 with a common lid 2 that holds the bins 3 together as a unit. In addition, each bin 3 has an inlet 9 in its side wall 6a for depositing waste within the bin 3 whilst the common lid is closed. The inlet may be closable by a pivotal flap. Each bin may include a hand hold aperture 7 and a cutaway portion 24 for securing a waste bag within the bin. All the bins may fit in a common support base 31 which may also include a sliding drawer. Each bin and the common base may be formed from a respective sheet of flexible material by folding. The common lid may be pivotally mounted on the base and may have at least one aperture.

Description

1 2446682 "RecycIin Waste Containers" This invention relates to

recycling containers and is more particularly, hut not exclusively, concerned with containers for recycling more than one type of recyclable material.

Recycling of waste is widely practiced to create new products or materials. Different types of waste product generally need to he recycled differently. For example, paper and glass are typically treated using different recycling processes. However, it can be time consuming and inconvenient for members of the public to separately store their recyclable waste at home. It would be advantageous to have some form of container for use at home or elsewhere that allows for easy disposal and storage of recyclable waste.

It is an object of the invention to provide a simple recycling waste container for the convenient storage of different types of' recyclable waste.

According to the present invention, there is provided a recycling waste container comprising a plurality of bins provided with a common lid that holds the bins together as a unit, wherein each bin has an inlet in its side wall for depositing waste within the bin.

Such a recycling waste container allows for the separate storage of different types of recyclable waste in a single container. This is particularly convenient for home use and avoids the time and effort involved in storing recyclable waste in more than one container.

The bins arc preferably held in side-by-side relationship by the lid so as to minimise the space taken by the recycling waste container.

Preferably each bin has an open top that is covered by the common lid contacting side walls of the bins. This prevents odours from escaping from the bins, inhibits access to the waste in the bin and eliminates the need to remove the bin from the recycling waste container for emptying the bin.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the bins are supported on a common support base. Preferably the common support base and the common lid are of substantially the same fbrni. More preferably the common support base has side walls and a bottom wall defining a space for the bins to fit into. This makes the waste container more rigid and secure against the waste container coming apart.

The common support base preferably has a compartment for storing waste materials such as a sliding drawer for storing waste material. This enables convenient storage of materials such as newspapers.

The common support base side walls also preferably have inlets extending therethrough for the introduction of' waste. More preferably the common lid has an extension for securing the common lid to the support base and the common base support is formed from a sheet of' flexible material by folding.

In a preferred embodiment the inlet of each bin is elongate in the direction of' the height 2() of the bin and more preferably the inlet of each bin is ellipsoidal in shape. This makes it relatively simple to introduce waste such as single sheets ol' paper without having to fold the sheets to fit into the bin. More prefl.rabIy the recycling waste container is proportioned to fit under a desk.

Preferably the common lid has at least one opening.

More preferably the side walls of'the bins have portions for securing waste bags within the bins.

In a preferred embodiment the bins are open-bottomed.

Preferably the inlet of each bin is closed ofi'by a pivotal flap that can be opened to f'orm an inclined surface. More preferably the pivotal flap has a securing portion f'or securing a waste bag against an intenor surface of the bin. The pivotal flap preferably has labs that lit into portions in side walls of the bin.

In a preferred embodiment the common lid is pivotally mounted.

Preferably each bin has at least one handhold.

In order that the invention may he more fully understood, a preferred recycling waste container 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 view from the front of the waste container; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a single bin with certain portions opened out; Figure 3 is a perspective view of' the iop of the single bin showing the aperture flap in more detail; Figure 4 is a perspective view of the common lid for the waste container; Figure 5 shows the blank for fomiing the bins; Figure 6 is a perspective view of the support base; Figure 7 shows the blank for forming the support base; Figure 8 is a perspective view of a confidential waste container; Figure 9 shows the blank for forming the bins of the confidential waste container; and Figure 10 shows the blank for forming the common lid and common support base of' the confidential waste container.

Referring to Figure 1, the waste container I comprises three identical bins 3 that are placed side to side with a detachable common lid 2 that fits over the bins 3 to couple them together. Each bin 3 is intended for storing a different type of' recyclable waste.

For example, the bins 3 could be for storing glass, paper and metal respectively.

Referring to Figure 2, the bin 3 is formed by folding a single cardboard blank and has a reinforcing flap 4, a bottom wall 5 (see Figure 5) and four side walls 6a, 6b, 6c and 6d.

Side walls 6c, 6d (and preferably also side wall ôb) are provided with hand holds 7 for easy lifting of the bins. The side walls 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d of the bin 3 define an interior space 8 within the bin 3 into which the recyclable waste is to be deposited. The rein forcing flap 4 once folded closed rests parallel to the side wall 6b.

In use it is intended that waste be deposited in the bin 3 by dropping it through an aperture 9 that is created between the top of the bin 3 and the common lid 2 when an aperture flap 10 extending from the top of the wall 6a is pivoted downwardly. The aperture flap 10 has two hinge tabs 16 that fit into hinge slots 17. The hinge slots 17 are created by inwardly folding reinforcement portions 18 of walls 6c, 6d. At a maximum extended angle the tabs 16 prevent the aperture flap 10 from rotating any further as at that point the tabs 16 engage with the inside of the reinforcement portions 18.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3 the aperture flap 10 is formed by inwardly folding the extension of the side wall 6a along a fold line II that is situated near the top of the side wall 6a. The aperture flap 10 is also further folded inwardly along the fold lines 12, 13 (as shown in Figure 5) so as' to form a small ramp section 14 and a bag flap 15. In the open position the ramp section 14 enables neat disposal of the waste as it fornis a ramp on which the waste can slide into the interior space 8.

In a closed position the reinforcement portions 1 8 rest parallel to the surfaces of the side walls 6c, 6d and the tabs 16 fit into the hinge slots 17 such that the aperture flap 10 is closed with its outside surface being parallel to the surface of the side wall 6a. The reinforcement portions 18 also have tabs 29 for fitting into slots 30 so as to secure the reinforcement portions 18 to the side walls 6c, 6d of the bin 3.

As seen in Figure 1, once the common lid 2 is placed on the bins 3 and the aperture flap is in the closed position the interior space 8 within the bin 3 is not visible. This niakes the waste container I visually attractive, prevents the escape of odours from the bins 3 and prohibits access to the tops of the bins. The common lid 2 can be removed to enable removal ofthe bins 3 for emptying.

As is best seen in Figure 5, the sides walls 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d are formed by folding a cardboard blank along a series of parallel fold lines 19a. The side wall 6a also has two side walls 6e, 6f that are formed by folding the cardboard blank along parallel fold lines

S

19b. The side wall 6a is coupled to the side walls 6c, 6d by tabs 20 in the side walls 6c, 6d lilting into slots 21 in the side wall 6a so that the side walls 6e, 6f rest against the side walls 6c, 6d to form a pair of double side walls. The side walls 6e, 6f also have portions 28 that match the hand holds 7 and enable the tabs 16 to freely slide against the side walls 6c, 6d. The bottom wall S is formed by inwardly folding the side walls 6a and 6b along fold lines 37 and is reinforced by the bottom flaps 30a and 30b resting on the top surface of the bottom wall 5.

Ii is intended for each bin 3 to be fitted with a waste hag. The waste bag can be fitted to the bin 3 by opening out the aperture flap 10 and fastening the waste bag onto small fixing sections 24. The fixing sections 24 are fonned by cutaways of the side walls 6b, 6c, 6d. Afler the fastening of the hag to the fixing sections 24 the aperture flap 10 is fblded over the inside of the waste hag with the bag flap 15 securing the waste bag in the space 25 between the bottom surface of the bag flap 1 5 and the inside surface of the side wall 6a (as shown in Figure 3). This prevents the inconvenience of waste getting caught on the lop of the waste bag (which can cause the bag to droop and become unsecure) and of waste from missing the waste bag.

The common lid 2 is shown upside down in Figure 4. The front side of the common lid 2 has three arcuate cutaways 26, each cutaway 26 lying directly vertically above the aperture 9 of a corresponding bin 3. The cutaways 26 prevent waste from being caught on the common lid 2 when the waste is dropped into the bins 3. The common lid 2 has a back portion 27 that is an extension from the back edge of the common lid 2.

Figure 6 shows a support base 3 1 that supports the waste retainer I. The support base 3 I is formed by folding a cardboard blank. The support base 31 has a back wall 32 and side walls 33a, 33b that extend vertically from the bottom of the support base 31. The side walls 33a, 33b rest against the sides of the waste container I so as to provide further support to hold the bins 3 together. Furthermore the back portion 27 of the common lid 2 can be slid over the back wall 32 of the support base 31 so as to form a rigid structure.

Figure 7 shows a blank for forming the support base 31. The support base 31 is formed by folding inwardly the side walls 33a, 33h and joining the back wall 32 to the side wall 33b. The hack wall 32 has a flap 26 that is joined to the edge of side 33b by a strong adhesive. The back wall 32 is joined to the side wall 33h so as to create an interior space. The support base 3 I has a bottom that is formed by folding the extensions 43, 44, and 45 inwardly. The extension 44 has a tab 47 that fits into a slot 48 in the back waIl 32 so as to create a reinforced bottom that consists of two layers of board, i.e. extensions 44, 45. The tops of the side walls 33a, 33b are reinforced by inwardly folding reinforcement portions 39, 40. The reinforcement portions 39, 40 have tabs 39a, 40a that lii into slots 39b, 40b in the back wall so as to secure the reinforcement portions 39, 40 againsl the side walls 33a, 33b.

As well as the support base 31 acting as a support for the waste container I it is also adapted to store recyclable waste. The support base 31 has various compartments for storing waste. In particular, there is a compartment 34 for enabling a drawer 35 to fit in the bottom of the support base 31. As best seen in Figure 7, the compartment 34 is fbrmed by the folding of an extension 37 inwardly along the set of parallel lines 37a, 37b, 37d and inserting a tab 37c formed at the top of the extension 37 into a corresponding slot 38 in the back wall 32. The drawer 35 is intended for the easier storage of newspapers as an alternative to storing them in the bins, as the latter can be awkward due to the shape and size of newspapers. The side walls 33a, 33b of the support base 3 I also have small circular apertures 36 that enable plastic shopping bags to be deposited into bag compartments within the support base 3 I. The bag compartments are formed by flaps 36a. As shown in Figure 7, the flaps 36a are cut into the blank along lines 36c and form the bag compartments by inwardly folding along a series of parallel lines 41, 42. The flaps 36a also have tabs 36d that lit into slots 49 in the back wall 32 so as to secure the flaps 36a to the back wall 32. A pair of internal flaps 36b can be opened to provide access to the bag compartments to allow the removal of any bags in the compartments.

An alternative embodiment of the invention comprises a waste container as described but in which the bins have no bottom walls. In this embodiment the waste is completely supported by the waste bags attached to the bins.

in a further embodiment of the invention, instead of having two or more separate bins coupled by a common lid, the waste container has a circular common lid that fits over and holds the bins together. The bins have cross-sections in the form of segments of a circle to enable them to lit side by side under the common lid, in alternative enibodimenis the bins have square or triangular cross-sections and fit side by side under a square common lid.

In a further embodiment of the invention the bins are provided without aperture flaps with the waste being introduced into the bins by removing the common lid instead.

In another embodiment of the invention waste is introduced into the bins by means of inlets extending through the common lid. In a variation ofthis embodiment the common lid has flaps that close and open the inlets in the common lid.

Furthermore, the shape of the bin and material used to make the bins can be widely varied.

In another embodiment of the invention the bins arc stacked horizontally rather than vertically, in another embodiment of'the invention the bins are not provided with waste bags and instead the bin interior solely contains the waste.

A l'urther embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 8 consists of a confidential waste container 100 comprising Iwo bins 101, 102 held together by a common lid 103 and a common support base 104. The front sidewall 105, 106 of each bin has an aperture 107 through which waste may be introduced into the interior of' the bin. The bins 101, 102 areopen at the top.

In use the confidential waste container 100 would typically be situated under a desk.

The confidential waste container 100 is therefore proportioned such that it can lit under a desk and leave enough space under the desk for a person to work at the desk. In this embodiment the confidential waste container 100 has a slim elongate shape. A user deposits waste into the bin 101 or 102 by way of the aperture 107, according to whether the waste is con lidential (and therefore must be shredded) or not. Typically the aperture 107 has an elongate shape to allow paper to fit through the aperture 107 without bending the paper. In the illustrated embodiment the aperture 107 has the shape of an elongate ellipse.

The blank for forming the bins 101, 102 is shown in Figure 10 and is made of a foldable material such as cardboard. The side walls of the bin are formed by Ibiding the blank along a series of parallel fhld lines 109, and a tab Ill is provided to join the side walls together by applying adhesive to the tab 111 and last side wall. Bottom flaps 110 are inwardly folded along the IbId lines 112 and interlock so as to form a bottom wall for the bin.

The blank for fbrming the common lid 103 and common support base 104, which are identically formed, is shown in Figure 10. The blank is folded along IbId lines 115 to create a series of side walls for the common lid 103 and bottom 104. The longer side walls 113 so formed are further folded at fold lines 116 such that tabs 117 provided along the edge of the walls 113 fit into corresponding slots 118 to create reinforced side walls. A set of flaps 114 at each corner of the blank are folded to fit within the side walls 113 and strengthen the structure of the common lid and bottom. An end face of each lid is curved such that the edge of the end Iice comprises two arcuate portions 108.

The design of the arcuate portions 108 means that, when the bins 101, 102 are placed within the conimon support base 104, each arcuate portion 108 will be aligned with a respective front face 105, 106 of the bins. The common lid 103 fits over the lop of the bins 101, 102 so as to hold the bins together in side-by-side relationship.

The primary function of the common lid 103 and common support base 104 is to keep the two bins 101, 102 together. The common support base 104 also permits the waste container 100 to smoothly slide across the floor when the waste container 100 is dragged away from the desk and avoids the significant friction and snagging that would otherwise occur by dragging of the waste container 100. An advantage of the common lid 103 and common support base 104 being of identical shape is that, if the common lid 103 becomes damaged, particularly the arcuate portions 108, the common lid 103 can be swapped with the common support base 104.

The waste accuniulated in the waste container 1 00 can be emptied in two steps. The first step is to niove the waste container 100 out from under the desk so that the common lid 103 is accessible. The second step is to remove the common lid 103 and empty the contents of the required bin.

A secondary function of the common lid 103 and common support base 104 is to label the waste to be deposited into the bins through having the arcuate portions 108 embellished with graphics. It will he appreciated that this is advantageous from a manulacturing point of' view since each bin can be produced with an identical design rather than having the bins decorated difierently according to whether the bin is for the storage of confidential or non-confidential waste.

It will be appreciated that this embodiment also has the advantage that confidential waste can be both filtered and stored at a desk such that the confidential waste can be emptied at a later date, for example by a cleaning operative. This reduces the amount of' time wasted through an office worker having to dispose of a confidential document on an individual basis by walking to a shredder or depositing it at a central point in the oflice. This function can now be perf'orn-ied at the end of' the day, or by a difThrent person, hence freeing up the office worker's valuable time.

It will also be appreciated by the skilled person that the features of these embodiments can be combined and modified in a number of' difiCrent in accordance with the invention.

Claims

CLAIMS: I. A recycling waste container comprising a plurality of bins

provided with a common lid that holds the bins together as a unit, wherein each bin has an inlet in its side wall for depositing waste within the bin.
2. A recycling wasle container according to claim I, wherein the bins are held by Ihe lid in side-by-side relationship.
3. A recycling waste container according to claim I or 2, wherein each bin has an open top that is covered by the common lid contacting side walls olihe bins.
4. A recycling waste container according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the bins are supported on a common support base.
5. A recycling waste container according to claim 4, wherein the common support base and the common lid are of substantially the same form.
6. A recycling waste container according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the common support base has side walls and a bottom wall defining a space for the bins to fit into.
7. A recycling waste container according to claim 4, 5 or 6, wherein the common support base has a sliding drawer for storing waste material.
8. A recycling waste container according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the common support base side walls have inlets extending therethrough for the introduction of waste.
9. A recycling waste container according to any one of claims 4 to 8, wherein the common lid has an extension for securing the common lid to the common support base.
10. A recycling waste container according to any one of claims 4 to 9, wherein the common base support is formed from a sheet of flexible material by folding.
11. A recycling waste container according to any preceding claim, wherein the inlet of each bin is elongate in the direction of the height of the bin.
12. A recycling waste container according to any preceding claim, wherein the inlet S of each bin is ellipsoidal in shape.
13. A recycling waste container according to any preceding claim, which is proportioned to fit under a desk.
14. A recycling waste container according to any preceding claim, wherein the common lid has at least one opening.
15. A recycling waste container according to any preceding claim, wherein the side walls of the bins have portions for securing waste bags within the bins.
16. A recycling waste container according to any preceding claim, wherein the bins are open-bottomed.
17. A recycling waste container according to any preceding claim, wherein the inlet of each bin is closed off by a pivotal flap that can be opened to form an inclined surface.
18. A recycling waste container according to claim 1 7, wherein the pivotal flap has a securing portion for securing a waste bag against an interior surface of the bin.
19. A recycling waste container according to claim 17 or 18, wherein the pivotal flap has labs that fit into portions in side walls of the bin.
20. A recycling waste container according to any preceding claim, wherein the common lid is pivotally mounted.
2 I. A recycling waste container according to any preceding claim, wherein each bin has at least one handhold.
22. A recycling waste container according to any preceding claim, wherein each bin is formed from a sheet of flexible material by folding.
23. A recycling waste container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 0