GB2463128A

GB2463128A - A bin with a forward facing dustpan stored underneath the bin

Info

Publication number: GB2463128A
Application number: GB0911269A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Paul Brown; Antonio De Luca
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2008-09-09
Filing date: 2009-06-30
Publication date: 2010-03-10
Anticipated expiration: 2029-06-30
Also published as: GB2463294A; GB0816438D0; GB0911269D0; GB2463128B

Abstract

A waste bin 2 has a base 6 with an open-fronted storage area 4 for a dustpan 5. The dustpan faces forwards so that rubbish can be swept directly into it using the brush 7, and the dustpan can be removed for emptying. The base part may be joined to or separate from the main bin part, and it may be supplied separately and retro-fitted to a bin. The base preferably has a front lip that touches the floor for ease of sweeping.

Description

Waste bin and rubbish collection system The present invention relates to a waste bin and the method of putting the rubbish put into the bin.

Many different, conventional types of waste bin exist and known examples include simple bins with open tops, bins with pull-up or flip-top lids and bins with foot pedal operated lids, all of which are normally free, floor standing. Other bins include those built into kitchen cabinets which can have the lid opened by a mechanism linked to the cabinet door, and bins with separate compartments to help separate waste types for downstream recycling. Rubbish from these smaller types of bins is typically emptied into large, outdoor bins for removal by the local council.

Many different, conventional types of rubbish collecting methods exist and include a simple hand-held dustpan with an accompanying hand-held brush to brush dust into the dustpan, a larger dustpan fixed onto a long handle which is typically filled with rubbish using an accompanying long handled brush (normally used in hairdressers, retail and office environments and normally with a flap on the front of the dustpan), very wide, straight or V' shaped brushes or fibrous heads on long handles (normally used in shopping mall, retail and office environments for collecting dust from large floor areas), mains powered vacuum cleaners and smaller, rechargeable handheld vacuum cleaners.

A problem with hand-held dustpans with hand-held brushes is that they are normally needed to be located first, which may not be obvious as the device can be moved and stored anywhere, and then taken out of storage, e.g. from a cupboard, and are then typically used for just one cleaning session. The rubbish is then emptied into a bin then the dustpan and brush is needed to be put back in the storage place. This is a lot of actions and inconvenience for collecting just a small amount of rubbish. Furthermore, the operation of using a hand-held dustpan and brush means the user needs to bend down to brush up the rubbish which is a physical inconvenience, particularly for less abled people.

A problem with larger dustpans, sometimes with a front flap, on a long handle typically filled using a long handled brush is that they are cumbersome and difficult to fill and manoeuvre as both hands/arms are needed to operate both the long brush and long pan handles. Furthermore, the pan is difficult to lift up and manoeuvre when emptying into a bin due to the long attached handle and the possible need to open the bin lid at the same time.

A problem with normal, straight, very wide or V' shaped brushes on long handles is that after all the rubbish has been collected a further device and action is required to move the rubbish from the floor up into a larger bin or rubbish bag. This means the user would probably need to use a hand-held dustpan and hand-held brush which has the problems as stated earlier of requiring the user to locate the dustpan and brush then bend down to collect the rubbish.

A problem with mains powered vacuum cleaners is that they are typically large, heavy, noisy and cumbersome to use, need to be removed from their storage place, the power cable pulled out and then plugged in, used and then the unit put away again after use which is a lot of actions if only wishing to do a quick clean up session. Furthermore the storage capacity is normally relatively small and not suitable for larger volumes of rubbish, for example, lots of bulky hair needed to be cleaned up from a hairdressing salon floor. A problem with smaller, rechargeable handheld vacuum cleaners is that they too may be too noisy to use in a retail environment where customers are present and have even smaller storage capacities, so have limited use and require frequent emptying.

Several types of bin are known which aim to combine the bin and dustpan parts or dust collection methods but of which each have disadvantages as described forthwith. US Patent No.6671924, Rood, and US Patent No. 2008/0189898, Hughes, describe vacuum operated dustbin systems where the rubbish is swept into a receiving suction area, sucked in and raised upwards through a tube and deposited into a storage canister area. These have the disadvantage of requiring power which limits placement within the room, will be expensive to produce and therefore be prohibitively expensive to the mass market, will be quite heavy, will emit some noise, the tubes may get blocked and are liable to breakdown due to the complexity and amount of parts. Patent No. CN200954942Y, Zheng, Patent No. DE9I I 1373U, Yi-Tuan Tsai, Patent No. DE9319459U, Diefenbach Berndt, Patent No. US 2007/0125788, Petner and Patent No. US2007/0124889, Petner all describe bin designs with dustpans positioned underneath the main bin for convenience of knowing where to find the dustpan but all propose the back wall or handle part of the dustpan be aligned with the front wall of the main bin part, (so the dustpan's front edge is facing away from the user and the handle is pointing towards the user). This has the disadvantage that the user needs to move the dustpan out of the bin base section first of all in order to go and collect the rubbish elsewhere in the room. This means the user needs to bend down to get the dustpan out, if the dustpan has a short handle, which is inconvenient and physically demanding on the back and legs. Even with a longer handled brush on the dustpan this dustpan orientation means the action of removing the dustpan every time rubbish needs collecting is adding an action and so is slowing the cleaning process down, which is not ideal in a busy shop or hair salon environment where speed is of the essence. Furthermore, with the dustpan oriented this way, if the dustpan was placed back under the bin full of rubbish, e.g. because the user did not have time to empty the rubbish into the main bin or the main bin was full, the action of removing the dustpan the next time may jolt the rubbish off the dustpan, due to inertia, and inadvertently spill the rubbish onto the floor underneath the main bin, thus defeating the cleaning objective.

Another known device, Patent No. 2791374, Lingg, describes a dustpan type chute facing outwards so the rubbish can be swept directly into a rubbish lifting mechanism in the base of the bin but has several disadvantages as described forthwith. The dustpan part is not removable so does not have the flexibility of being able to pick up rubbish from local areas, corners or other rooms outside the general sweeping area. An additional and protruding chute is required to lift the rubbish up into the collecting hopper and so, with the protruding chute, mechanism section and the main collection bin part, the footprint size of the assembly would be prohibitively large for the average sized room of the mass market. A further disadvantage with this invention is that the complex mechanism will make the product expensive, heavy, liable to wear and break and the action and noise of lifting a lever could be considered ungainly to the mass market buyer. A further patent, Patent No. 5924162, Kalscheur, describes a bin with a forward facing collection chute or ramp for sweeping rubbish into the main bin part but has the disadvantage that the bottom dust collection part and top waste-bin part are joined together, so when the bottom part is full of rubbish the user cannot empty the bottom part into the main waste-bin part above, as the two are joined together, so a second, separate, larger bin would be required which would take up more valuable floor space, which is inconvenient and has the further inconvenience of a secondary emptying action just to empty the bottom rubbish collection part when full.

An object of this invention is to provide a rubbish collection method which does not require the user to bend down every time to collect the rubbish, nor bend time every time to pick up and empty the rubbish into a bin after every cleaning session, for optimized health benefits, and which has the further benefits of having a removable dustpan part for the flexibility of picking up rubbish anywhere in the house if required and that enables a quickly accessible, quick to operate, quiet, low cost and convenient method of cleaning the floor with only occasional need to move the collected rubbish into a large, main, bin part.

Accordingly, this invention provides a bin with a dustpan stored underneath the bin, with the dustpan positioned so that the dustpan front is facing outwards (towards the user and facing the main room) and the dustpan's front lip is touching the floor so that rubbish can be swept directly into the open front of the dustpan instantly and at any time for high speed of cleaning the floor and giving the convenience of not having to bend down, e.g. to remove a dustpan first. Preferably the present invention includes a long handled brush which allows the user to quickly sweep up the rubbish from the floor using both arms and whilst standing up, for comfort, directly into the dustpan receptacle firmly positioned underneath the bin. The collected rubbish can be left in storage in the dustpan and the dustpan can be left parked' under the bin, unemptied, allowing the user to instantly walk away to continue with other work, thus saving valuable time. The dustpan can be emptied at a later date, for instance when it eventually becomes full, after which it can be removed and emptied into the main part of the bin.

It is the fact that the removable dustpan is openly facing the user when parked under the main bin that makes this present invention so advantageous compared to known techniques. This configuration enables very fast cleaning time, because the dustpan is always open to the user and always ready to receive rubbish. It offers better health benefits as the dustpan can remain fixed in place under the bin yet still function as a rubbish collection device, so the user does not have the inconvenience of having to bend down every time to pick up or replace the dustpan from under the bin. The present invention also meets the desired objectives by having a removable dustpan so is useful being removable for occasions where remotely situated rubbish needs collecting from elsewhere in the building. When fill, the dustpan can be emptied into the top of the larger capacity, main bin part, but this action may be only required after several cleaning sessions, thus saving valuable time. The present invention has further advantages over known techniques in being low cost with no electrical parts, so is affordable to the mass market buyer, and simple, so is reliable and durable.

It is preferable for the dustpan part to have a straight front form to allow a rubber strip to be fixed to the bottom lip, as is traditional with dustpans, to enable good contact with the floor surface to ensure even small bits of rubbish and dust are moved into the dustpan storage area effectively. However an alternative option is for the bin base part to also have a lip touching the floor and to have the dustpan and dustpan lip slightly behind it in storage mode so rubbish would be swept over both lips into the dustpan. It is also preferable for the brush part of the system to be a wide brush with a long handle to enable quicker brushing up. It would be preferable for the handle of the brush to be telescopic so it can be stored next to, in or onto the bin for quick and easy access. It would be also be preferable for the long handle of the brush to have a an L' shape at the base to allow the brush part to partially enter the dustpan to enable the rubbish to be pushed in deeper to hence allow more rubbish to be stored in the dustpan. Alternatively a standard straight or standard short handled brush would suffice for this present invention.

A particular benefit of the present invention is that the dustpan, main bin and brush are all stored together as a system in the same place so all components are easy to find and quick to use. A further benefit of the present invention is that the user does not need to carry both the dustpan and the brush, because the dustpan remains stationary under the bin, which enables the user to stand up, if using a long handled brush, and more quickly brush up rubbish from all around the room with bigger sweeping actions using both arms, sweeping the total, collected rubbish straight into the parked dustpan positioned under the bin. ft is easier and quicker for users to sweep large floor areas using both arms, as the present invention enables. A speedy cleaning operation, as the present invention offers, is of particular benefit to busy users, such as hairdressers, who need to quickly clean up after the last customer to make the salon look clean and smart yet need to swiftly move on to the next customer, so have little time to clean up.

This present invention can be utilized for other areas and uses such as workshops, offices, factories and outdoor/garden/yard use and combined with multi-compartment recycling bins.

Further details may be added to the present invention such as a flap on the front of the collection area to conceal the collected rubbish stored in the dustpan. The flap may be fixed onto the main bin part, the base storage area part or onto the removable dustpan part. Preferably the flap would be sprung to stay in both up and down positions firmly if hinged with a horizontal hinge. A further embodiment for the flap is to have it moving up and over' like a garage door movement so that it moves from vertical to horizontal and out of sight into the top of the dustpan storage area in an arcing motion.

Having the dustpan facing forward, as in the present invention, is considered not obvious as the handle is normally on the back of a dustpan so a dustpan would normally be considered to be inserted into such a bin system front-first, with the handle pointing outwards to the user. The uniqueness of the present invention is the fact that it is designed to have the open front of the dustpan pointing towards the user, ready to receive rubbish.

Preferably, and for simplicity and low cost, the dustpan in the present invention would be removed by the user pulling on the front edge of the top wall of the dustpan, which can be an extended part, which would be accessed by a cutaway part within the front of the bin. The handle would preferably be positioned on the top of the dustpan for good balance and easy grip. A further detail may be added such as a mechanism which enables the user to eject the dustpan part easily from the bin base part. This could be a simple bent piece of metal which is pulled by the user and which pushes on the back of the dustpan to eject it. Another method to eject the dustpan includes a button that, when pushed, actuates a lever mechanism that pushes the dustpan out, or any other mechanism that achieves the same end result.

The dustpan handle can be of a variety of designs including a handle formed in the top wall of the dustpan by having two cut outs each side to allow the fingers to go through, a scooped out handle along the back wall of the dustpan like an upside-down gutter, a flip over handle which has a stored mode and an in-use mode and conventional handles either protruding out the back of the back wall or the front of the back wall. The dustpan can have a wall across the top or not. The dustpan could be a bag on a frame.

Preferably the bin and base part would be one part for low cost, although different parts are beneficial for styling and colour break purposes. A further embodiment includes supplying the base part andlor dustpan as a separate add-on unit which can be retro-fitted to any bin. The base part, supporting the bin above, would not need full walls on the three sides but could be a series of pillars for instance. A further embodiment would be where the dustpan storage area opening is on the side of the bin assembly base part. A further embodiment would be where the dustpan parking door opening is on the corner of the bin assembly base part so two sides are open to insert the dustpan and sweep rubbish into. A further embodiment would be where the base part is also the dustpan and the main bin part would need to be removed to allow the base part to be picked up and emptied. A further embodiment would be a cylindrical shaped bin assembly and round shaped dustpan which is stored in the base part which has a semi-circular opening to insert the dustpan.

The present invention can be realized in a variety of styles and shapes and the accompanying illustrations are not exhaustive. Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIGURE lisa perspective view of the bin with the lid closed, the dustpan stored underneath and the brush at the front: FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the bin with the lid closed and the dustpan pulled out: FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the bin with the lid open and the dustpan being emptied of rubbish into the bin: FIGURE 4, 5 and 6 are perspective views showing the options for the door flap used to cover the entrance to the dustpan storage area As shown in Figure 1, the bin has a lid 1, a main bin storage area part 2, a cut-away area 3 which enables the user to grab hold of the dustpan 5, a storage area underneath the bin 4 for the dustpan 5, a base part 6 (which could be integrated with main bin part 2) and along handled brush 7. During normal operation the dustpan 5 is stored in the parking bay/area' or dustpan storage area 4 facing to the front so the opening of the dustpan is visible, apparent and ready to sweep debris straight in. Rubbish is swept from the floor into the dustpan 5 with a brush 7 and the rubbish remains there until it is considered an appropriate time to empty the rubbish into the bin 2.

Figure 2 shows the bin 2 with the lid 1 closed with the dustpan 5 out of the dustpan storage area 4 of the base part 6. The user can pick up and manoeuvre the dustpan 5 with the handle 8.

Figure 3 shows the lid 1 open and the rubbish 9 being emptied into the main bin part 2.

The main bin part 2 would have a solid base which would not allow the rubbish 9 to fall out onto the floor or have apertures which would have the requirement for a rubbish bag to be inserted into the main bin part 2 to hold the rubbish. The storage area 4 could have a solid base, e.g. for extra structural strength to the base or to help guide and/or fit the dustpan 5 better.

Figure 4 shows the position of the door flap 10 in the closed position.

Figure 5 shows the door 10 in the open position if actuated with an up and over' mechanism, akin to a garage door opening and closing movement, revealing the dustpan in the dustpan storage area 4.

Figure 6 shows the door 10 in the open position if actuated with a hinge whereby the door flips upwards to reveal the dustpan 5 in the dustpan storage area 4.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A waste bin with a dustpan storage area underneath and a removable dustpan stored in the dustpan storage area located such that the dustpan's front is facing outwards to the front or sides of the waste bin and having the capability of having no wall in the base part of the waste bin where the dustpan front edge is aligned thus allowing rubbish to be freely and quickly swept directly from the floor into the dustpan for storage in the dustpan, and whereby the dustpan can be later removed, when deemed full or any appropriate time, for emptying the collected rubbish from the dustpan into the main waste bin part above
2. A bin and rubbish collection system as claimed in Claim I in which the dustpan storage area base part is joined to the main bin part
3. A bin and rubbish collection system as claimed in Claim 1 in which the dustpan storage area base part is separate to the main bin part
4. A bin and rubbish collection system as claimed in Claim I in which the base part and dustpan are supplied separate to the main bin part and can be retro-fitted to a bin
5. A bin and rubbish collection system as claimed in Claim 1 in which the front lip of the dustpan is touching the floor to allow rubbish to be swept into the dustpan effectively
6. A bin and rubbish collection system as claimed in Claim 1 in which the base part of the bin has a front lip touching the floor to allow rubbish to be swept over it and into the dustpan behind or on top of the bin's front lip effectively
7. A bin and rubbish collection system as claimed in any proceeding claims in which the base andlor main bin part has a door over the dustpan parking area opening
8. A bin and rubbish collection system as claimed in any proceeding claims in which the dustpan part has a cover over the front of the dustpan
9. A bin and rubbish collection system as claimed in any proceeding claims in which the dustpan is moved Out with a mechanism
10. A bin and rubbish collection system as claimed in any proceeding claims in which the base part is also the rubbish collection area or dustpan and is separately removable from the main bin part
11. A bin and rubbish collection system as claimed in any proceeding claims which is combined with a multi-compartment, recycling bin system
12. A bin and rubbish collection system as claimed in any proceeding claims which is built for outdoor use
13. A bin and rubbish collection system as claimed in Claim 1 which has a brush as part of the system
14. A bin and rubbish collection system substantially as herein described above and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.