GB2465360A

GB2465360A - A rubber seal for sealing the mouth of a lidded bin

Info

Publication number: GB2465360A
Application number: GB0820768A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Simon Barnes
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2008-11-13
Filing date: 2008-11-13
Publication date: 2010-05-19
Also published as: GB0820768D0

Abstract

A rubber seal that is fitted to the rim of a wheelie bins body and seals the mouth of the wheelie bin between the body of the bin and the lid of the bin. The seal is in the form of a collar that is stretched to engage with the rim of the wheelie bins body. A groove on the underside of the seal engages with the rim of the wheelie bins body and a second groove on the top of the seal accepts the lip of the bin lid. The seal will help to prevent odours, ensure flies are kept to a minimum, and help to keep the lid down in blustery conditions via gravity, and suction.

Description

Wheelie Bin Seal

Background

For the last 20 years or so, councils have been supplying all homes with wheelie bins. These are now commonplace across the UK.

Each house/abode now generally has two wheelie bins; one for general house waste and one for recycled products.

During the last two years councils have begun a two-weekly collection on bins. So one week for the recycle wheelie bin and one for the general waste wheelie bin. The general public are now used to this collection rate. However issues have arisen especially during the summer months where rodents and, worst of all, flies and maggots have been infesting the bins. This has caused problems on a national level.

One of the most familiar and widely distributed of all insects is the house fly. Besides being a nuisance, it is a prime carrier of disease. Its entire body swarms with millions of bacteria. Typhus, dysentery, tuberculosis, and poliomyelitis are only a few of the illnesses for which it is a carrier.

Flies multiply at an enormous rate; it takes from between 10 to 14 days from the time a female hatches until she is able to lay eggs of her own. One of the favourite breeding sites of the common fly is rotting rubbish. Aim

This invention is intended to seal a wheelie bin lid to the bin.

This will; * help prevent the build up of bacteria in and around the bin * prevent the build-up of flies * stop other vermin entering the bin * reduce odours * keep bin lid down in blustery conditions Resolution A simple rubber seal could be fitted to the top of all wheelie bins. Most wheelie bin tops are of similar if not the same sizes and they all have, again, similar sized fittings.

Drawing 1 overleaf shows the top of a wheelie bin and gives the dimensions. Drawing 2 shows the underside of the lid. Drawing 3 shows the seal itself and also shows an actual size cross-section.

The rubber seal is fitted to the top of the open bin using the rim. The rubber seal will be sized accordingly and so will lightly stretch over this opening. The seal will have an additional groove in the top to accept the lid with a gentle push.

This will then seal the lid and will not attract vermin. It will also ensure that flies and maggots are kept to a minimum. If they are produced inside the bin, then they will remain there until the bin is opened.

Flies will only reproduce where eggs have been laid by the female. Generally if waste has been kept in a kitchen bin -there will not be any eggs present and so when this is placed in the wheelie bin and kept closed tight with the seal, this problem should be eliminated.

In addition to this; smells will be kept to a minimum except of course where the bin is re opened.

The Wheelie Seal needs to be used by all and so the absence of catches and clips should mean that most people will be able to lift and seal the bin with ease.