GB2475867A - Used cups or cans stack or nest in a bin - Google Patents

Abstract

A bin 1 is designed to receive used cups or cans 6 in a column so that they nest or stack. The bin either includes a drip tray 4 or a liner (16, fig 4). The liner can tie at the top, or be provided with adhesive (17, fig 4) to attach to the bin and subsequently seal. The bin may include adverts and/or public messages. Each bin may receive a single column, or there may be multiple columns. The drip tray may be easily removable from the portion of the bin containing the stack.

Description

I

CUP AND CAN COLLECTORS

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION:

001. IDISPOSABLE CUP COLLECTORS: This invention is for solving the problem of collecting and recycling the used disposable cups that are normally used with water coolers, beverage and coffee dispensing machines, cosmetic and industrial applications. Now the cups are disposed in bins and rubbish baskets without stacking, which takes a lot of space and fill many rubbish bags quickly each day, this takes valuable time from employees who were hired to do different jobs than replacing leaky rubbish bags.

In this invention the cups will stack in a tube similar to the dispensing unit, and drop down in a bin as a long column. One recycle bag will take many columns of used cups, which makes it easy to store and ship to the recycling centre, one bag may be enough to collect all the cups for all day. Exes liquid will collect in a reservoir attached to the bottom of the collector.

002. The assembly can be attached to the wall or water cooler with double sided adhesive tape, or available simple brackets, it can be installed in any orientation convenient for the area in which it is used.

003. Another version of collectors, is one that does not use a liquid reservoir in the bottom of the unit. The recycling Tub-Bag 16 is made in the shape on a cylinder, this bag drops inside the tube, and attaches to the top of the tube with adhesive tape. Cups are dropped inside this bag and stack in the bottom. The bag is sealed and pulled up with the cups inside it.

004. DISPOSABLE CAN COLLECTORS: This collector is built like a nice looking box of any shape that can be fitted in any corner or in the middle of the floor. The sides and top of the box can be used for advertisements to generate revenue for the owner, or for public information. The top of the box is open with many tubes exposed from the top, in each one of these tubes, a recycling tube-bag is inserted, similar to No. 003, cans and cups can be dropped inside these strong recycling bags, when full, the bag is sealed and pulled out with its contents, and replaced with fresh tube-bag. Heavy-duty recycling bags are used with fasteners on top to close the bag and prevent leakage. In the middle and top of the container, a pole can be inserted that carry signs for advertisement, directions, and information. If one multi collector is used for cans and cups, small signs will be added next to the collectors.

For a larger applications, towns can install these boxes in high streets, train and bus stations to collect the used cups and cans and reduce the rubbish that is left on the floors or even reduce the number of rubbish bags currently used. Trains and airlines can benefit from this invention by using a single collector with recycling tube-bag inserted in them, fast food restaurants also can benefit from the large multi collectors.

CUP AND CAN COLLECTORS

005. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION: A tube made of plastic or other material, similar to the cup dispensing unit, is used to collect the used cups and cans, a recycling tube-bag that fits the tube is inserted in the tube and used to collect the cups or cans, the cups or cans are put inside this bag from the top, and they stack in the bottom of the tube-bag, when it is time to empty the collector, the bag is sealed and pulled out with its contents and replaced with new one. For crowded public places, like a train station or high street, a container with multiple collectors are used, the top and outside of these units can be used for advertisements, that can generate income for the owner, or public information and directives, they can be made very attractive and look nice to match and enhance of the surrounding areas.

If the exes liquid in the cups need to be collected for any reason, a unit with a small reservoir attached to the bottom of the collector is used. This unit has a small door on the bottom of the reservoir that opens and allow all cups to drop as one column inside a bin that has a recycling bag inside it, many stacked and dry columns of cups can be collected neatly inside one plastic bag. In this version, no tube-bags needed.

006. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS: Enclosed are 4 drawings.

Fig 1, Part A is a front view of a cup collector version with the reservoir.

Part B is a top view of a round multi collector.

Fig 2, part A is a top view of the bottom door 3.

Part B is a top view of the reservoir unit 4.

Fig 3, part A is a bottom view of the door 3 that shows the drip hole 20 and the slides 8 that are used to carry the water reservoir 4.

Part B shows the slides 8 & 23 for engaging the reservoir 4 to the door 3.

Part C shows a bin with many columns of stacked cups or cans.

Fig 4, Shows a multi collector unit. Parts A is a top view with the tubes.

Part B is a side view of a rectangular unit, showing the areas of dvertisement.

Part C is a recycling tube-bag with the adhesive tape on top.

The following part numbers are used for the all the drawings: 1-cup or can collector tube. 3-Bottom door for the collector.

4-liquid reservoir. 5-door latch to hold the door closed.

6-Used cups. 7-hinge that attaches the door to the tube.

8-T-shaped slide on the door to carry the reservoir.

9-raised area on the inside edges of the reservoir that guides the water to the centre when the reservoir turned over for emptying.

10-Handle on the reservoir. 13-signs.

14-sign pole holder. 15-Can collector box.

16-Tube-bag recycling bag. 17-adhesive tape on top of the tube-bag.

CUP AND CAN COLLECTORS

20-Hole in the door that allow the exes liquid to pass to the reservoir.

21-Hole on top of the reservoir to let exes liquid in and out.

22-raised lines on the inside of the door, to keep the used cups high and allow liquid to pass under them to the hole in the door.

23-T-shaped slot in the top of the reservoir 4 to engage the door 3.

007. DETAILED DESCRIPT!ON OF THE DRAWINGS: Figi part A, is showing the collector as No.1, it is open from the top and marked with the word USED, it can be made of plastic or any other material, and any size that fit the cups in use, also a larger size tube can hold all the smaller sizes.

No 3 is the bottom door that carry the cups 6 on the top side, and carry the small water reservoir 4 on the bottom side, the inside of the cover 3 has few raised areas 22, to keep the cups high and allow the exes water to drip inside the reservoir 4 through holes 20 in the centre of the cover and 21 on top of the reservoir, the cover also has a slide on the outer side of it to hold the water reservoir 4, and has a hinge 7 on one side to attach to the collector, and a movable latch 5 on the other side to open the door and empty the cups.

Reservoir 4 has a handle 10 and a hole 21 on top and centre to collect the exes liquid that is in some of the used cups 6. lop of the reservoir is built in an angle toward the centre from inside and outside, to guide the liquid to the centre of the reservoir from outside, and does the same when the reservoir is turned over to empty the liquid. It has a slide to fit in the door 3 for easy removal and insertion, if some cups have liquid left in them, the liquid will flow to the bottom of the collector and drip inside the reservoir 4.

Fig I part B, is showing a round box with multiple collectors inside it. 14 is a place to insert a pole that carry signs.

Fig 2, Part A shows the door from inside the collector, it has the hole 20 in the centre, and the raised areas 22 that keep the cups slightly high and allow the exes liquid to pass to the reservoir.

Part B shows the top of the reservoir 4 that has a hole 21 in the centre and slides 23 to engage the door 3 and stay attached to the assembly.

Fig 3 part A is a bottom view of door 3 sowing the hole 21 in the centre and the slides 8 that engage the reservoir 4.

Part B is showing the slides 23 & 8 that are used to attach the reservoir 4 to the bottom of door 3.

Part C is showing many columns of used cups or cans in one recycling bag.

Fig 4 parts A shows a top view of a rectangular box with multiple collectors and four signs on top of it. Part B is a side view of the same box.

Part C shows a tube-bag with adhesive tape on top, this bag is made of strong recycling materials, one of these bags is dropped inside and taped to the top of a collector, when full. It is sealed and pulled out with its contents.

Claims (1)

1. Cup and Can Collectors Claims 1-A cup and can collectors comprise of tubes made of plastic or other material, to stack and collect the used cups or cans in a column inside a recycling tube-bag that is inset-ted in the collector, the recycling tube-bag is tied at the top and pulled out when it is full and put in the recycling bins, many recycling tube-bags can be collected neatly in one recycling bin, for water cooler and small applications, one collector similar to the cup dispensing unit is fitted close to the cooler, in larger applications like train stations or high streets, a nice looking container made in any shape, fitted with many collectors are used to collect cups and cans, another version of the cup collector, does not use recycling tube-bags, it has a small reservoir fitted on the bottom of the collector, where exes liquids are collected.

   2-A cup and can collectors according to claim 1, the tube-bag that is used inside the collector is made of strong recycling material to prevent damage and liquid leak, it also has an adhesive tape on top to secure the bag in upright position inside the collector, the adhesive tape is covered with a strong tape, the adhesive tape and the covering tape are used to close the bag tightly from the top before removing it.

   3-A cup and can collectors according to claim 1, The multi-collector version that is used in public places, can carry advertisements and public directives like "Recycle Here" on the exposed sides and top of the box that makes it attractive and produces revenue for the owner.

   4-A cup and can collectors according to claim 1, in applications where the exes liquids need to be collected, the unit with the reservoir is used, the reservoir is easily inserted in or removed from the bottom of the collector, then the cups are emptied in one column in a recycling bin, no tube-bags needed.

   5-A cup and can collector according to all the above claims, all units are marked clearly with the words "USED CUPS OR USED CANS" to prevent mistakes, if a multiple collector is used for cups and cans, small sign is put on each collector to indicate its use, a pole can be inserted in the middle of the large units, and multiple signs are attached to the top of the pole.