GB2447687A

GB2447687A - A waste receptacle for disposable cups

Info

Publication number: GB2447687A
Application number: GB0705485A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Luke Moseley
Original assignee: Glasdon Ltd; Glasdon Group Ltd
Current assignee: Glasdon Ltd; Glasdon Group Ltd
Priority date: 2007-03-22
Filing date: 2007-03-22
Publication date: 2008-09-24
Anticipated expiration: 2027-03-22
Also published as: GB2447687B; EP1972576A1; GB0705485D0; EP1972576B1

Abstract

The waste receptacle is designed for receiving used disposable drinking cups such as those dispensed from vending machines. A pair of opposed walls 20, 21 are defined on first and second separable sections 10, 11 of the receptacle and are lined with a refuse sack. The sections are movable relative to one another between a first position in which they are inter-engaged, an intermediate position as shown in which a front section is tilted relative to the rear section so as to release the inter-engaging elements 56, 57 but in which it is supported in the tilted position by abutment of a base wall 24 with a stop member 43 and a second position in which the two sections are separated. The first section has at least one wheel 32 whereby it can be wheeled to a suitable location for emptying the refuse sack. The walls 20, 21 have surfaces that are shaped so as to define between them a plurality of stacking tubes for receiving the used cups in a stacked or nested configuration.

Description

I

A WASTE RECEPTACLE

The present invention relates to a waste receptacle and more particularly, but not exclusively, to such a receptacle for the disposal of beverage containers, such as for example plastics cups, or the like.

There is growing use of automated vending machines for dispensing beverages in disposable cups and this has lead to an increased demand for a convenient and efficient way of disposing of the cups. Used cups of this kind are often collected for recycling but in order for the recycling process to be efficient and economic they have to be collected in sufficiently large numbers at a time. When stored in a vending machine prior to dispensing the cups are nested or stacked relatively densely so that a large number can occupy a small space. However, after use cups of this kind are generally thrown away one at a time into a conventional waste receptacle. The discarded cups thus occupy a relatively large volume and as most waste receptacles do not have adequate capacity they require emptying more often that is practical or efficient. Moreover, any dregs of the beverage remaining in the bottom of the cup are discarded with it into the receptacle. This can create problems when the receptacle is emptied, as the combined volume of dregs can be heavy enough to split a conventional plastics sack used to line the receptacle. The resulting spillage can be hazardous, damaging to floor coverings and nearby furniture and expensive to clean up.

UK Patent No. 1535922 describes a bin with upright collection tubes for receiving disposable cups in a nested or stacked configuration. This design is able to accommodate up to four times as many disposed cups in comparison to a conventional litter bin. The dregs can be poured into a separate tube so as to collect in a base for disposal. This design still has several drawbacks. First the size of the collection tubes limits the size of cup that can be disposed. Secondly, the liquid dregs are collected in the base of the bin and so the whole unit has to be transported from its strategic position adjacent to the vending machine to a convenient place where the liquid can be emptied and the bin cleaned. Thirdly, if the dregs have not been poured into the reservoir first, the action of stacking forces them out of the cups whereupon they travel down the collection tubes and into the base. When the bin is emptied the tubes are removed and any liquid that remains in them to drip on to the floor. Moreover, cleaning of the individual tubes is both difficult and time consuming.

An improved waste receptacle for beverage containers is described in our European Patent Application No. 04253976.7 (published as EP 1495993). The receptacle has a pair of opposed walls with fluted surfaces such that when presented to each other they define a plurality of stacking tubes for receiving used beverage cups in a stacked or nested configuration. In one particular embodiment the receptacle has a front section that can be pivoted forwards relative to a rear section so as to separate the opposed walls and expose the refuse sack that is sandwiched between the walls such that it can be removed easily. The front section may also define a reservoir for discarded beverage dregs and can be removed from the rear section to allow draining of the fluid. In a further alternative embodiment the front section is pivotabte about a vertical axis on one side and again may be removed for drainage.

Although our above-described waste receptacle offers a much improved product over prior designs it is desirable to simplify further the process by which the refuse sack is removed and the beverage dregs are emptied. When fill, the refuse sack may be heavy and may contain fluid if the dregs have not been first drained before a cup is discarded. It is therefore not a pleasant job to remove, carry and dispose of a fill sack.

One object of the present invention, amongst others, is to provide for an improved waste receptacle that is suitable for receiving used beverage containers but does not necessarily have exclusive application to such waste products.

According to the present invention there is provided a waste receptacle for receiving used disposable beverage containers or the like, comprising first and second separable sections defimng an internal chamber for receipt of a refuse sack, the first section comprising a first outer wall, a first base member projecting therefrom and at least one ground contacting wheel element disposed adjacent to said base member, the second section defining a second outer wall and a stop member vertically spaced from the first base member, wherein the first and second sections are moveable relative to each other between a first position in which the sections combine to define the internal chamber, an intermediate position in which the first section is tilted relative to the second section so that the base wall abuts the stop member whereupon further tilting is prevented and a second position in which the first section is separated from the second section and is transportable on the, or each, ground-contacting wheel element.

The invention thus provides for a receptacle that simplifies the emptying procedure. The person removing a used refuse sack has the option of removing the sack with the sections in the intermediate position wherein the weight of the first section is supported, or alternatively, completely separating the sections and moving the first section on said ground-contacting wheel elements to a convenient location where the sack may be disposed.

The chamber may be substantially enclosed by the first and second sections.

The first section may be tiltable to said intermediate position about the, or each, ground contacting wheel element or otherwise.

The first section may be separable from said second section by simply moving it away on said ground-contacting wheel element(s) The receptacle may also have side walls that extend between said first and second outer walls when the sections are in the first position. Such side walls may be defined on said second section and may be upstanding from a base member of the second section.

The receptacle could be open-topped but in one embodiment has a lid that covers said internal chamber and defines at least one opening through which waste is discarded into refuse sack in the inner chamber. The lid may be pivotally mounted on said second section and movable between raised and lowered positions. In the lowered position the lid may extend from said second outer wall to said first outer wall when the sections are in the first position. It may also be convexly arcuate.

The base member may extend into a void in the second Section when the sections are in the first position, the void being defined between the stop member and a ground-contacting portion of the second section.

The ground-contacting portion may be a second base member, which may have a ramped edge to guide the first base member of the first section when the sections are moved from the second position to the first position.

The first and second base members in one embodiment of the present invention have inter-engaging elements that inter-engage when the sections are in the first position so as to retain them in position relative to one another. The elements are obviously disengaged in the second position and may be disengaged by moving the sections to the intermediate position. The inter-engaging elements may comprise a projecting member defined on one of the sections for receipt in a corresponding recess defined in the other section.

The projecting member may be defined on the first base member and the recess on the second base member. The projecting member may be defined on an underside of the first base member and the recess may be defined in the second base member. The projecting member may be a transversely elongated foot and the recess may be a transversely elongated slot.

The first base member may be in the form of a wall as may be the second base member. The first base member may extend substantially perpendicularly from the first outer wall. The stop member may be a wall that extends from the second outer wall optionally in a substantially perpendicular direction relative to the second outer wall.

The internal chamber of the receptacle may have a plurality of spaced internal walls for supporting a refuse sack. In one embodiment of the invention the internal walls comprise a pair of opposed walls: a first internal wall defined in the first section and a second internal wall defined in the second section with the walls being opposite each other in the first position. The internal walls may define between them a plurality of channels for receiving said containers in a stacked or nested configuration and they may be defined on first and second inserts connected respectively to first and second sections and occupying a portion of the internal chamber.

A bottom wall of the second insert may define the stop member.

The receptacle may have at least one reservoir for receipt of discarded beverage liquid.

A specific embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the waste receptacle shown with a hood/lid raised and a front section partially separated to expose the interior of the receptacle; Figure 2 is a cut-away view of the waste receptacle of figure 1 shown in the same perspective; Figure 3 is a side view of the waste receptacle of figure 1 shown with the lid lowered, the front section moved to a closed position and the reservoirs removed for clarity; Figure 4 is a side view of the waste receptacle of figure 3 with the hood raised and the front section pivoted forwards to an intermediate position; Figure 5 is a side view of the waste receptacle of figure 4 with the lid raised and the front section disengaged and removed; Figure 6 is a front perspective view of a main body of the receptacle with interior components removed and a locating tab shown enlarged in inset; Figure 7 is a rear perspective view of a front section of the receptacle with interior components removed and a locating channel shown enlarged in inset; and Figure 8 is a perspective view of three alternative receptacle configurations in accordance with the present invention.

Referring now to figures 1 to 7 of the drawings, there is shown a waste receptacle for used cups of the kind that are dispensed from beverage vending machines. Such cups are generally frusto-conical so as to allow them to be conveniently stacked or nested for storage in the machines. The receptacle is of generally rectangular and vertically elongated configuration with front 10, rear 11 and side walls 12 and a pivotal hood 13 that combine to define an internal chamber 14. A front section 15 is designed to be separable from a main body 16 along a vertical split to expose the discarded cups. The front section 15 and main body 16, which are both moulded from, for example, a plastics material, come together to define a plurality of stacking tubes 17 in the internal chamber 14, each tube 17 designed for receipt of the disposed cups in stacked form. Flanking the main body 16 is a pair of upstanding reservoirs 18 for receiving waste liquid drained from the cups before they are discarded.

The stacking tubes 17 are defined between a pair of opposed internal walls 19, 20, one defined on each section of the receptacle and each having a fluted surface profile 21. The front section 15 defines the vertical front wall 10 of the receptacle, which has a recessed middle area 22 that extends in a vertical direction and rearwardly directed side edges 23. At its bottom end the front wall 10 is integrally moulded with a perpendicular base wall 24 that extends rearwardly and terminates in a rear edge 25.

Integral side webs 26 are provided towards the base between the front and base walls to give the section structural strength. Towards the top end of the front waIl 10 there is provided a horizontal bar spanning the width of the front wall 10 and extending over the recessed area 22 so as to define a handle 27.

A first 19 of the internal walls is defined on a first internal moulded insert module 28 that is supported in the internal chamber 14 by the base and front walls 24, 10. The module 28 comprises a front panel 29 that is immediately adjacent the front wall 10 of the section, side panels 30 and a rear panel 31 that defines the internal wall with its fluted surface 21 extending between the side panels 30 and occupying a plane that is generally parallel to the front wall 10.

A pair of laterally spaced wheels 32 (only one of which is apparent in figures 3 to 5 as the other is hidden) is mounted to the underside of the front end of the base waIl 24 and allows the front section to be wheeled towards and away from the main body 16 in the tilted orientation.

The main body 16 comprises the rear wall 11 and the parallel side walls 12 all of which are upstanding from a floor-mounted plinth 40. The internal chamber 14 of the receptacle is defined, in part, in the main body 16 and this part contains a second internal moulded module 41 that is similar in structure to the first module 28 but is vertically offset and therefore does not extend to the bottom of the receptacle. The second module 41 is retained in place by fixings e.g. clips on the internal surfaces of the side and rear walls 12, 11 and thus defines a void 42 between its bottom wall 43 and the upper surface of the plinth 40. In addition to the bottom wall 43, the module 41 has a rear panel 44 adjacent to the rear wall 11 of the main body 16, side panels 45 and a front panel 46 that defines the internal wall 20 with a fluted surface profile identical to that on the front section 15. When the main body 16 and the front sections 14 are pushed together the fluted surfaces 21 of the internal walls 19, 20 face each other and define between them a continuous volume that is configured into four parallel stacking tubes 17 each of substantially cylindrical cross-section. The side walls 12 of the receptacle are parallel to the side panels 30 of the first module 28 on the first section but spaced apart by a slightly greater distance such that when the two sections 15, 16 of the receptacle are brought together the walls 12 slide over the panels 30.

The hood 13 of the receptacle comprises a convexly arcuate upper wall 50 that extends forwards and downwards from the rear to the front waIl 10 and has a depending skirt 51 at its front and side edges. The upper wall 50 is penetrated by four apertures 52 corresponding to the four stacking tubes 17, the apertures being arranged in a transverse row and serving as a guide for a user inserting a cup into a respective tube 17. Each aperture 52 has a cylindrical skirt 53 depending from the underside of the hood and, when the hood is closed, extends into the respective tube 17 to assist in correct location of the hood 11. The hood 11 is pivotally connected to the rear of main body 16 by pivot pins 54 that pass through the side skirts 51 in the hood and the side walls 12 such that it can be pivoted rearwardly and upwardly to expose the internal chamber 14 of the receptacle. A lock 55 is provided at its front edge to allow the hood to be locked to the front wall 10 in the closed position thereby ensuring that the front section is retained in abutment with the main body 16.

The front section and the main body 15, 16 have inter-engaging features that hold the receptacle together when it is in the normal operational position shown in figure 3. These prevent easy and inadvertent release of the two parts but allow deliberate separation for emptying purposes. In particular, an elongate foot 56 extends in a transverse direction along the underside of the base wall 24 at a location towards its front edge, spaced from the wheels 32. A complementary elongate slot 57 is defined in the upper surface of the plinth 40 and receives the foot 56 when the front section 15 is combined with the main body 16 as shown in figure 3. It will be also seen from this figure that front edge of the plinth 40 has a ramp 58 and a pair of short slots 59 in which the wheels 32 of the front Section arc received. Further locating elements include a pair of projecting tabs 80 that extend from the front edges of the side walls 12 and complementary channels 81 that are disposed on the inside of the side panels 30 of the front section, as can be seen in figures 6 and 7. When the front section 15 and the main body 16 are engaged the tabs 80 are each received in a respective channel 81 to prevent the front section 15 being lifted relative to the main body 16 The two reservoirs 18 are identical and have lids 60 each with a central aperture 61 therein through which the unwanted remains of a beverage can be discarded. The aperture 61 is surrounded by a bowl-shaped depression 62 that serves to direct any discarded beverage liquid down through the aperture 61 and into the reservoir interior.

In normal use the receptacle is assembled as shown in figure 3 with the wheels 32 on the front section occupying the slots 59 in the front edge of the plinth 40 on the main body 16 and the hood 13 is in a lowered position in engagement with the front wall 10. The front section 15 and main body 16 are inter-engaged by virtue of the foot 56 occupying the slot 57 thereby preventing inadvertent separation of the front section from the main body in the event that the hood is lifted. In this position, the stacking tubes 17 are lined by a flexible refuse sack (not shown) whose mouth can be supported in an open configuration by hooked retaining elements 65 (see in particular figure 1) defined on upper surfaces of the internal modules 28, 41. The adjacent stacking tubes 17 are open to one another at their flanks so that the refuse sack can be inserted to line all of the tubes at once as described in our above referenced European patent application. The sack is typically manufactured from polyethylene and when first inserted between the internal 19, 20 walls and into the stacking tubes it does not intimately follow the fluted surfaces 21. The walls of the sack will tend to cling together and provide sufficient friction when the cups (which are generally lightweight) are inserted to hold them at the top of the sack. When a subsequent cup is inserted into a particular tube 17, which already holds a stack of discarded cups, the stack is pushed further down against the friction of the sack.

When the lined stacking tubes are full with discarded cups, the receptacle is emptied by first unlocking the hood 13 and pivoting it upwards to expose the internal chamber 14. The filled refuse sack is released from the hooked elements 65 on the main body 16 and the front section 15 is then pivoted forwards about the wheels by using the handle 27 to an intermediate position shown in figure 2 and 4 where the rear edge 25 of the base wall 24 of the front section 15 abuts the underside of the bottom wall 43 of the second internal module 41 in the main body 16. This movement serves to release the foot 56 on the underside of the front section from the slot 57 defined in the plirith 40 so that the section can then be wheeled rearwards (with the section still tilted as depicted in figure 5), using the handle 27, to a convenient emptying area in the manner of a trolley. This is clearly advantageous in the event that the sack is particularly heavy or cumbersome. Alternatively the sections 15, 16 can be left in the intermediate position where the bottom wall 43 of the second internal module 41 supports the weight of the front section 15 and prevents it from tilting further thus enabling the filled sack to be removed easily from the chamber 14.

After emptying, if the front section 15 has been fully removed it is wheeled back into engagement with the main body 16 as shown in figure 3. For this purpose the ramp 58 serves to guide the base wall 24 of the front section 15 into vertical alignment relative to the main body 16. The front section 15 may have been already fitted with a fresh refuse sack or can then be tilted forwards to the intermediate position in order to do this. When it is returned to the upright position the sack can be secured to retaining elements 65 on the main body 16 and the hood 13 may then be closed and locked.

It will be appreciated that the cups remain neatly stacked or nested in the sack in separate columns by virtue of the fluted surfaces 21 of the internal walls 19, 20.

However, it is to be understood that the separable configuration of the receptacle could be adopted in an embodiment where there are no such fluted walls and/or no internal modules. In the latter case the sack retaining elements 65 may be connected to the front and rear walls or a separate sack retaining frame or other structure may be provided.

The reservoirs 18, as is known, can be separately removed and the collected liquid poured away.

The separable nature of the receptacle of the present invention enables a filled refuse sack to be removed relatively easily, either by using the front section as a wheeled trolley or simply by moving it to the intermediate position where it can be supported during removal of the sack.

In the embodiment where the internal walls define a plurality of separate stacking tubes that combine in such a way that they can be lined by a single refuse sack the discarded cups are stored in a compact maimer and a large volume can be easily collected. Moreover, by using a refuse sack liner such an arrangement obviates the need to clean the stacking tubes regularly. The receptacle can be designed to accept a wide range of cup sizes.

The provision of a separate reservoir for the collection and storage of waste liquid and dregs, whether external to or part of the cup receiving part of the receptacle, allows emptying of the reservoir without moving the receptacle from its operational position.

It will be appreciated that numerous modifications to the above described designs may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. For example, the exact shape and size of the inter-engaging foot and slot can take any convenient form, indeed the foot may be provided simply by a plurality of spaced parallel webs Moreover, both walls of the stacking tubes need not necessarily have contoured profiles. It is possible to use one contoured wall and a substantially flat wall to provide the same effect or indeed both walls need not be contoured. Furthermore, the arrangement is not limited to two walls; additional wall may be used to define more stacking tubes. For example, if a sinusoidal wall is used as a common wall between two other walls, two rows of stacking tubes can be defined using three walls.

Three alternative configurations of the receptacle are shown in figure 8, each with a different hood design. In the foreground the hood comprises two generally circular apertures and the middle receptacle has a hood with a single rectangular opening. It will be appreciate that the internal structure of the receptacles may vary depending on the application but without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims. The third receptacle in the background of figure 8 is of an alternative configuration and is shown with the hood 13 raised and the front section partially removed. An upper rectangular frame 90 projects rearwardly from the front waIl 10 and is used to support a refuse sack in the internal chamber 14. The base wall 24 has an upstanding rim 91 for supporting the base of sack, particularly when full. As in the above described designs the front section 15 is pivotable to an intennediate position in which the base wall 24 is in contact with some form of stop element (not shown in figure 8) on the main body 16 and then is movable on wheels to separate it fully from the main body 16.

Claims

A waste receptacle for receiving used disposable beverage containers or the like, comprising first and second separable sections defining an internal chamber for receipt of a refuse sack, the first section comprising a first outer wall, a first base member projecting therefrom and at least one ground contacting wheel element disposed adjacent to said base member, the second section defining a second outer wall and a stop member vertically spaced from the first base member, wherein the first and second sections are moveable relative to each other between a first position in which the sections combine to define the internal chamber, an intermediate position in which the first section is tilted relative to the second section so that the base wall abuts the stop member whereupon further tilting is prevented and a second position in which the first section is separated from the second section and is transportable on the, or each, groundcontactjng wheel element.
2. A waste receptacle according to claim I, wherein the first and second sections are inter-engaged in said first position.
3. A waste receptacle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first section is tiltable to said intermediate position about the, or each, ground contacting wheel element.
4. A waste receptacle according to claim 1, 2 or 3, further comprising side walls that extend between said first and second outer walls when the sections are in the first position.
5. A waste receptacle according to claim 4, wherein the side walls are defined on said second section.
6. A waste receptacle according to claim 5, wherein the second section comprises a second base member and said side and rear walls are upstanding from said base.
7. A waster receptacle according to any preceding claim, wherein the outer walls on the first and second sections substantially enclose the internal chamber in the first position.
8. A waste receptacle according to any preceding claim, further comprising a lid that covers said internal chamber and defines at least one opening through which waste is discarded.
9. A waste receptacle according to claim 8, wherein the lid is pivotally mounted to said second section and pivotal between raised and lowered positions.
10. A waste receptacle according to claim 9, wherein the lid, in the lowered position, extends from said second outer wall to said first outer wall when the sections are in the first position.
11. A waste receptacle according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the lid is convexly arcuate.
12. A waste receptacle according to any preceding claim, wherein the base member extends into a void in the second section when the Sections are in the first position, the void being defined between the stop member and a ground-contacting portion of the second section.
13. A waste receptacle according to claim 12, wherein the ground-contacting portion is a second base member.
14. A waste receptacle according to claim 13, wherein the second base member has a ramped edge to guide the first section when the sections are moved from the second position to the first position
15. A waste receptacle according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the first and second base members have inter-engaging elements that inter-engage when the sections are in the first position so as to retain them in position relative to one another.
16. A waste receptacle according to claim 15, wherein the interengaging elements are disengaged by moving the sections to the intermediate position.
17. A waste receptacle according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the inter-engaging elements comprise a projecting member defined on one of the sections for receipt in a corresponding recess defined in the other section.
18. A waste receptacle according to claim 17, wherein the projecting member is defined an underside of the first base member and the recess is defined in the second base member.
19. A waste receptacle according to any preceding claim, wherein the first base member is a wall.
20. A waste receptacle according to claim 19, wherein the first base member extends substantially perpendicularly from the first outer wall.
21. A waste receptacle according to any preceding claim, wherein the stop member is a wall that extends from the second outer wall.
22. A waste receptacle according to any preceding claim, wherein the stop member extends substantially perpendicularly from the second outer wall.
23. A waste receptacle according to any preceding claim, wherein the internal chamber has a plurality of spaced internal walls for supporting a refuse sack.
24. A waste receptacle according to claim 23, wherein said internal walls comprise a first internal wall defined in the first section and a second internal wall defined in the second section, said walls being opposite each other when the sections are in the first position.
25. A waste receptacle according to claim 24, wherein the internal walls define between them a plurality of channels for receiving said containers in a stacked or nested configuration.
26. A waste receptacle according to any one of claims 23 to 25, wherein the internal walls are defined on first and second inserts connected respectively to first and second sections and occupying a portion of the internal chamber.
27. A waste receptacle according to claim 25, wherein the stop member is defined by a bottom wall of the second insert.
28. A waste receptacle according to any preceding claim further comprising at least one reservoir for receipt of discarded beverage liquid.
29. A waste receptacle according to any preceding claim wherein the, or each, reservoir is disposed outside of said internal chamber.
30. A waste receptacle substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.