US20040201338A1 - Self-opening waste bin manager - Google Patents
Self-opening waste bin manager Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20040201338A1 US20040201338A1 US10/820,905 US82090504A US2004201338A1 US 20040201338 A1 US20040201338 A1 US 20040201338A1 US 82090504 A US82090504 A US 82090504A US 2004201338 A1 US2004201338 A1 US 2004201338A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- manager
- cabinet
- waste bin
- attached
- clip
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
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Classifications
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65F—GATHERING OR REMOVAL OF DOMESTIC OR LIKE REFUSE
- B65F1/00—Refuse receptacles; Accessories therefor
- B65F1/14—Other constructional features; Accessories
- B65F1/1426—Housings, cabinets or enclosures for refuse receptacles
- B65F1/1436—Housings, cabinets or enclosures for refuse receptacles having a waste receptacle withdrawn upon opening of the enclosure
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47B—TABLES; DESKS; OFFICE FURNITURE; CABINETS; DRAWERS; GENERAL DETAILS OF FURNITURE
- A47B77/00—Kitchen cabinets
- A47B77/04—Provision for particular uses of compartments or other parts ; Compartments moving up and down, revolving parts
- A47B77/18—Provision for particular uses of compartments or other parts ; Compartments moving up and down, revolving parts by special arrangements for accommodating removable containers
Definitions
- the present invention relates generally to self-opening cabinets, and more particularly to self-opening cabinets in which a waste bin is stored.
- Waste bins are often stored in the kitchen behind cabinet doors. In order to access these waste bins, the user must grasp the handle on the door and open the door. Thereafter, the user can deposit trash or recyclable materials into the waste bin.
- the waste bin is stored in a cabinet that has a bin manager mounted therein.
- the bin manager is a device that holds the waste bin while allowing the waste bin to be extended outwardly from the cabinet after the cabinet door has been opened. By using such a bin manager, a person does not need to reach into the cabinet to deposit articles. Instead, the bin is moved at least partially out of the cabinet, thereby increasing the ease of access to the bin.
- bin managers have been designed that allow the cabinet door to be easily opened by way of a foot activated mechanism. Often times a spring or other biasing device is included with the bin manager such that, after actuation of the foot mechanism, the bins in the manager are automatically propelled out of the cabinet a certain distance. The user therefore does not have to pull the bin out of the cabinet because the bin manager is designed to automatically take care of this movement.
- the design of past bin managers has not been without its disadvantages. In some instances, the bin managers have not been able to be designed that automatically move the bins out of the cabinet when a foot mechanism is operated because of difficulties in positioning a biasing member in a workable location. Further disadvantages of prior bin managers have included the relatively complex nature of their designs, as well as the increased costs that result from such complex designs. A need has therefore existed for bin manager designs that alleviate these disadvantages, as well as other disadvantages.
- a waste bin manager for housing at least one waste bin in a cabinet having a door.
- the waste bin manager includes a first and second elongated slide, a wire harness, a clip, and a spring.
- the elongated slides are adapted to be mounted within the cabinet in a spaced apart, generally parallel orientation with respect to each other.
- the wire harness is positioned between the slides and attached thereto.
- the wire harness is adapted to hold a waste bin.
- the clip is attached to the wire harness and one end of the spring.
- An opposite end of the spring is attached to the cabinet.
- the spring is adapted to pull against the wire harness such that the elongated slides are pulled at least partially out of the cabinet when the door to the cabinet is opened.
- a waste bin manager includes a slide mechanism, a waste bin holder, a clip, and a spring.
- the slide mechanism is adapted to move between a retracted position within the cabinet and an extended position at least partially outside of the cabinet.
- the waste bin holder is supported by the slide mechanism and is adapted to hold a waste bin.
- a clip is releasably attached to the waste bin holder.
- the spring has one end attached to the clip and another end attached to the cabinet. The spring is adapted to exert a force against the waste bin holder such that the slide mechanism is moved at least partially out of the cabinet when the door to the cabinet is opened.
- the wire harness may be adapted to exert a biasing force against the waste bin when held therein.
- the clip may be adapted to flex in order to be attached or detached from the wire harness.
- the clip may further be adapted to attach to the wire harness at an intersection of first and second wires in the wire harness.
- a foot-operated mechanism may be included that allows the door to the cabinet to be opened by kicking or depressing the mechanism with one's foot.
- the foot-operated mechanism may include a lever, a plate and a magnet, wherein either the plate or the magnet is attached to the cabinet door and the other of the plate and magnet is attached to the cabinet.
- the spring may be oriented substantially completely in a horizontal plane and may be positioned underneath a waste bin held by the wire harness.
- the elongated slides may both be attached to the cabinet door and may be the only structures that are attached to the cabinet door.
- FIG. 1 is a partial, perspective view of a bin manager assembly depicted in a retracted position according to one embodiment of the invention
- FIG. 2 is a partial, perspective view of the bin manager of FIG. 1 illustrated in an extended position
- FIG. 3 is a close up, partial, perspective view of a spring clip and spring of the bin manager
- FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a foot-operated door-opening mechanism
- FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the spring clip of FIG. 3;
- FIG. 6 is a plan view of the spring clip of FIG. 5;
- FIG. 7 is a side, elevational view of the spring clip of FIG. 5;
- FIG. 8 is a front, elevational view of the spring clip of FIG. 5.
- FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the spring clip taken along the line IX-IX in FIG. 7.
- FIGS. 1-2 A waste bin manager 20 according to one aspect of the present invention is depicted in FIGS. 1-2.
- Waste bin manager 20 is attached to a cabinet 22 .
- Cabinet 22 is only partially shown, but may be part of a standard cabinet found in kitchens, or other environments.
- Cabinet 22 includes a door 24 which conceals most of the components of waste bin manager 20 .
- Door 24 is movable between a closed position (FIG. 1) and an extended position (FIG. 2). In the closed or retracted position, the waste bin or bins that are positioned behind door 24 are concealed from view and cannot be accessed.
- a foot-activated mechanism 26 may be utilized. When foot mechanism 26 is so utilized, door 24 is separated from the frame of cabinet 22 and waste bin manager 20 forces door 24 outwardly. Any waste bins or other types of storage receptacles that are being held by waste bin manager 20 are thereafter easily accessible to the user.
- Cabinet 22 generally includes two sidewalls 28 a and 28 b , a bottom wall 30 , and a top wall (not shown). These walls define an enclosure 32 which surrounds the main body of waste bin manager 20 when door 24 is closed.
- waste bin manager 20 includes a pair of elongated slides 34 a and 34 b that are mounted to sidewalls 28 a and 28 b , respectively. Slides 34 a and 34 b are movable between a retracted and an extended position.
- a pair of wire harnesses 36 are secured to slides 34 a and 34 b .
- Wire harnesses 36 are each adapted to hold bins, such as bins for storing trash, recyclable materials, or any other type of waste material. While waste bin manager 20 is illustrated having two wire harnesses 36 , it will be understood that the invention finds equal application to waste bin managers that accommodate only a single waste bin.
- a spring 38 is attached between one of the sidewalls 28 and one of the wire harnesses 36 .
- Spring 38 stretches as waste bin manager 20 is moved to the retracted position. This stretching or extension of spring 38 causes spring 38 to exert a force on the inner most wire harness 36 that urges it towards the extended position.
- this force causes wire harnesses 36 , slides 34 a and 34 b , and door 24 to automatically move to the extended position. In this extended position, the user has easy access to the bin or bins that are housed within wire harnesses 36 .
- the user can simply push on door 24 to cause the door 24 , slides 34 a and 34 b , and wire harnesses 36 to be pushed back inside of enclosure 32 in cabinet 22 .
- Foot mechanism 26 will thereafter retain the bins within cabinet 22 until the foot mechanism is again activated, as will be described more below.
- Each slide 34 in the illustrated embodiment is a telescoping slide.
- Telescoping slides 34 include a stationary member 40 and an extendable member 42 (FIG. 2).
- Stationary member 40 is attached to the inside of cabinet 22 in any suitable fashion. It may, for example, be secured to one of the sidewalls 28 .
- Extendable member 42 is nested within stationary member 40 and slidable along the length of stationary member 40 .
- the construction of each slide 34 a and 34 b may be the same as that found in conventional drawer slides used to support drawers in cabinets, desks, and the like.
- Sets of ball bearings, or other types of bearings may be sandwiched between stationary member 40 and extendable member 42 to facilitate the sliding of extendable member 42 .
- the front end of each slide 34 is attached to door 24 .
- slides 34 a and 34 b are the only supporting structures that are attached to door 24 .
- Each wire harness 36 includes a bottom wire 44 and a body wire 46 .
- Bottom wire 44 is positioned near the bottom of wire harness 36 and provides a structure that supports a waste bin and that prevents the waste bin from falling through wire harness 36 .
- Body wire 46 is attached to bottom wire 44 and extends vertically upward around a space in which a waste bin may be positioned.
- Bottom wire 44 and body wire 46 may be secured together by way of welding, or any other suitable fastening technique.
- One or both of bottom wires 44 and body wires 46 are secured to each extendable member 42 of each slide 34 a and 34 b .
- wire harnesses 36 likewise extend out of or retract back into cabinet 22 .
- Each body wire 46 includes a pair of side wires 48 on each of its sides. Side wires 48 preferably abut against the sides of a waste bin positioned in wire harness 36 .
- wire harnesses 36 are shaped to hold rectangularly shaped waste bins. It will be understood that the wire harnesses 36 could alternatively be shaped to hold cylindrical shaped waste bins, or other waste bin shapes.
- Each body wire 46 further includes a pair of top wires 50 .
- Wire harnesses 36 are preferably constructed so that top wires 50 exert a biasing force in the direction of arrows A (FIG. 2). This biasing force tends to urge top wires 50 of each wire harness 36 towards each other such that a waste bin positioned therebetween is squeezed by the two top wires 50 . The waste bin is thereby held snugly within wire harness 36 .
- the wire harnesses 36 in FIG. 2 are depicted in the position they would be in if a waste bin were positioned in each of the harnesses 36 . Once the waste bin were removed, each top wire 50 would tend to move toward its opposite top wire 50 in the directions indicated by arrows A. This movement would continue until the flexible wires of the wire harness reached an unflexed condition.
- Foot activated mechanism 26 generally includes a plate 52 , a lever 54 , and one or more magnets 56 .
- Plate 52 includes a plurality of fastener holes 58 which may receive fasteners used to secure plate 52 to the backside of door 24 .
- Plate 52 is preferably made out of a magnetic material which is attracted by magnets. Thus, when plate 52 is positioned against magnets 56 in lever 54 , the magnetic force of magnets 56 will hold plate 52 against magnets 56 .
- Lever 54 is pivotably supported by a pair of brackets 60 . Brackets 60 support lever 54 such that it may pivot about a pivot axis 62 .
- Each bracket 60 includes an upper fastener aperture 64 .
- Fastener aperture 64 may receive screws, bolts, nails, or any other suitable fasteners that can be used to secure brackets 60 to an underside 66 at base 22 a of cabinet 22 (FIGS. 1-2).
- Lever 54 includes a front kick surface 68 and a generally flat, bottom surface 70 .
- Lever 54 is shaped and constructed so that gravity will normally cause it to be in the position illustrated in FIG. 4. Specifically, lever 54 will normally be in a position in which the magnets 56 positioned on its front surface will be in a vertical plane. Thus, when plate 52 is positioned in contact with lever 54 , plate 52 will be in contact with all of the magnets 56 due to plate 52 also being oriented in a vertical plane.
- a user can either kick front kick surface 68 or position their foot underneath bottom surface 70 and lift up. Either of these actions will cause lever 54 to rotate about pivot axis 62 .
- FIG. 3 illustrates the attachment of clip 72 to wire harness 36 .
- FIGS. 5-9 illustrate clip 72 in more detail.
- spring 38 is preferably attached to the rearmost wire harness along a side opposite the cabinet sidewall to which the other end of the spring is attached. Spring 38 therefore generally extends from one side of waste bin manager to the other.
- spring 38 is generally positioned in a horizontal plane underneath bottom wire 44 of wire harness 36 . Spring 38 will therefore be positioned underneath a waste bin that is held by harness 36 .
- Spring clip 72 includes a body 74 , a pair of channel arms 76 , a pair of hook arms 78 , two sets of upper projections 80 , and two lower projections 82 .
- Channel arms 76 define a channel 84 that extends longitudinally along a portion of body 74 .
- Channel 84 is generally shaped as a cylindrical channel.
- Channel 84 is adapted to receive one of the wires from wire harness 36 .
- channel 84 is adapted to receive body wire 46 of wire harness 36 .
- channel arms 76 include lower shoulders 86 .
- Shoulders 86 are generally flexible and adapted to flex away from each other as body wire 46 is inserted therein. After body wire 46 is completely nested within channel 84 , shoulders 86 will snap or flex back to their original, unflexed position. Clip 72 thus snaps onto body wire 46 .
- Hook arms 78 curve generally upward and include an upper surface 88 . Upper surfaces 88 are horizontally aligned with each other and adapted to contact the underside of bottom wire 44 in wire harness 36 . This can be more easily seen in FIG. 3 where hook arms 78 are illustrated extending around the bottom of bottom wire 44 . With hook arm 78 wrapped partially around bottom wire 44 , such as illustrated in FIG. 3, clip 72 is firmly secured to wire harness 36 . The snap-fitting attachment of body wire 46 in channel 84 prevents clip 72 from moving in a lateral or side-to-side direction. The hooking by hook arms 78 of bottom wire 44 prevents clip 72 from moving longitudinally in the direction in which the slides 34 a and 34 b extend and retract.
- the snap-fitting grip of channel arm 76 and shoulders 86 around body wire 46 substantially prevents clip 72 from moving vertically in the up or down direction.
- Clip 72 is thus firmly secured in a fixed position on wire harness 36 .
- a person can push upward on clip 72 adjacent the very ends of channel arm 76 . If sufficient force is applied, shoulders 86 will flex apart from each other and allow body wire 46 to exit out of channel 84 .
- the outward movement that causes channel arm 76 to release body wire 46 also causes hook arm 78 to unhook from bottom wire 44 .
- Clip 72 can therefore be easily disengaged from wire harness 36 , if desired.
- Clip 72 further includes two spring attachment regions 90 .
- One attachment region 90 is positioned on one side of clip 72 and the other attachment region 90 is positioned on the other side of clip 72 .
- Spring attachment regions 90 provide structures to which spring 38 can be attached. Specifically, spring 38 is attached to clip 72 by seating the end of the spring loop in one of the spring channels 92 defined between upper projections 80 and lower projection 82 (FIG. 8). When the end of the spring 38 is positioned therein, the spring is generally prevented from detaching from clip 72 by way of the bottom surfaces of upper projections 80 , the upper surface of lower projection 82 , and a side surface 94 on lower projection 82 .
- the end loop of the spring In order to insert the end loop of the spring into spring channel 92 , it can first be positioned on an angled surface 96 defined on the top of lower projection 82 . Once the spring is so positioned, it can be pushed toward the body 74 of clip 72 . Because of the angled nature of surface 96 , this movement will cause the spring to move upwardly as it is pushed towards body 74 . This upward movement will eventually cause the spring to contact the lower side of upper projections 80 . After this contact is made, further movement of the spring toward body 74 is accomplished by a slight flexing of the spring as well as a slight flexing of upper projections 80 . After the spring has been pushed completely past angled surface 96 , it has completely entered spring channel 92 .
- angled surface 96 is not angled in a manner that is conducive to exiting the spring out of channel 92 .
- side surface 94 presents a straight, vertical surface that must be overcome in order to exit the spring out of channel 92 .
- the end loop of spring 38 is inserted into spring channel 92 by orienting the end loop of spring 38 in one direction—that is so that the end loop is generally orthogonal to lower projection 82 . In this orientation, the cross-section of the end loop allows the end loop to pass between surface 96 and upper projections 80 .
- FIGS. 6-9 are in inches. For those dimensions that are depicted with an asterisk, the dimensions are centered to the clip 72 . It will be understood, however, that the dimensions of clip 72 depicted in the drawings can be varied substantially without departing from the scope of the invention. While other materials may be used to construct clip 72 , it is preferably made of plastic, such as nylon, or another suitable plastic.
Abstract
Description
- This application claims priority from U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60/461,935, filed Apr. 10, 2003, and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
- The present invention relates generally to self-opening cabinets, and more particularly to self-opening cabinets in which a waste bin is stored.
- Waste bins are often stored in the kitchen behind cabinet doors. In order to access these waste bins, the user must grasp the handle on the door and open the door. Thereafter, the user can deposit trash or recyclable materials into the waste bin. In some situations, the waste bin is stored in a cabinet that has a bin manager mounted therein. The bin manager is a device that holds the waste bin while allowing the waste bin to be extended outwardly from the cabinet after the cabinet door has been opened. By using such a bin manager, a person does not need to reach into the cabinet to deposit articles. Instead, the bin is moved at least partially out of the cabinet, thereby increasing the ease of access to the bin.
- In the past, bin managers have been designed that allow the cabinet door to be easily opened by way of a foot activated mechanism. Often times a spring or other biasing device is included with the bin manager such that, after actuation of the foot mechanism, the bins in the manager are automatically propelled out of the cabinet a certain distance. The user therefore does not have to pull the bin out of the cabinet because the bin manager is designed to automatically take care of this movement. The design of past bin managers, however, has not been without its disadvantages. In some instances, the bin managers have not been able to be designed that automatically move the bins out of the cabinet when a foot mechanism is operated because of difficulties in positioning a biasing member in a workable location. Further disadvantages of prior bin managers have included the relatively complex nature of their designs, as well as the increased costs that result from such complex designs. A need has therefore existed for bin manager designs that alleviate these disadvantages, as well as other disadvantages.
- Accordingly, the present invention provides a bin manager design that is economical to manufacture, easy to install, and easy to operate. According to one aspect of the present invention, a waste bin manager for housing at least one waste bin in a cabinet having a door is provided. The waste bin manager includes a first and second elongated slide, a wire harness, a clip, and a spring. The elongated slides are adapted to be mounted within the cabinet in a spaced apart, generally parallel orientation with respect to each other. The wire harness is positioned between the slides and attached thereto. The wire harness is adapted to hold a waste bin. The clip is attached to the wire harness and one end of the spring. An opposite end of the spring is attached to the cabinet. The spring is adapted to pull against the wire harness such that the elongated slides are pulled at least partially out of the cabinet when the door to the cabinet is opened.
- According to another aspect of the present invention, a waste bin manager is provided that includes a slide mechanism, a waste bin holder, a clip, and a spring. The slide mechanism is adapted to move between a retracted position within the cabinet and an extended position at least partially outside of the cabinet. The waste bin holder is supported by the slide mechanism and is adapted to hold a waste bin. A clip is releasably attached to the waste bin holder. The spring has one end attached to the clip and another end attached to the cabinet. The spring is adapted to exert a force against the waste bin holder such that the slide mechanism is moved at least partially out of the cabinet when the door to the cabinet is opened.
- According to other aspects of the present invention, the wire harness may be adapted to exert a biasing force against the waste bin when held therein. The clip may be adapted to flex in order to be attached or detached from the wire harness. The clip may further be adapted to attach to the wire harness at an intersection of first and second wires in the wire harness. A foot-operated mechanism may be included that allows the door to the cabinet to be opened by kicking or depressing the mechanism with one's foot. The foot-operated mechanism may include a lever, a plate and a magnet, wherein either the plate or the magnet is attached to the cabinet door and the other of the plate and magnet is attached to the cabinet. The spring may be oriented substantially completely in a horizontal plane and may be positioned underneath a waste bin held by the wire harness. The elongated slides may both be attached to the cabinet door and may be the only structures that are attached to the cabinet door.
- The benefits of the present invention will be apparent to one skilled in the art upon a review of the following specification and the accompanying drawings.
- FIG. 1 is a partial, perspective view of a bin manager assembly depicted in a retracted position according to one embodiment of the invention;
- FIG. 2 is a partial, perspective view of the bin manager of FIG. 1 illustrated in an extended position;
- FIG. 3 is a close up, partial, perspective view of a spring clip and spring of the bin manager;
- FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a foot-operated door-opening mechanism;
- FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the spring clip of FIG. 3;
- FIG. 6 is a plan view of the spring clip of FIG. 5;
- FIG. 7 is a side, elevational view of the spring clip of FIG. 5;
- FIG. 8 is a front, elevational view of the spring clip of FIG. 5; and
- FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the spring clip taken along the line IX-IX in FIG. 7.
- The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein the reference numerals appearing in the following written description correspond to like numbered elements in the several drawings. A
waste bin manager 20 according to one aspect of the present invention is depicted in FIGS. 1-2.Waste bin manager 20 is attached to acabinet 22.Cabinet 22 is only partially shown, but may be part of a standard cabinet found in kitchens, or other environments.Cabinet 22 includes adoor 24 which conceals most of the components ofwaste bin manager 20.Door 24 is movable between a closed position (FIG. 1) and an extended position (FIG. 2). In the closed or retracted position, the waste bin or bins that are positioned behinddoor 24 are concealed from view and cannot be accessed. In order to extend forwardwaste bin manager 20, a foot-activatedmechanism 26 may be utilized. Whenfoot mechanism 26 is so utilized,door 24 is separated from the frame ofcabinet 22 andwaste bin manager 20forces door 24 outwardly. Any waste bins or other types of storage receptacles that are being held bywaste bin manager 20 are thereafter easily accessible to the user. -
Cabinet 22 generally includes twosidewalls 28 a and 28 b, abottom wall 30, and a top wall (not shown). These walls define anenclosure 32 which surrounds the main body ofwaste bin manager 20 whendoor 24 is closed. As can be seen more clearly in FIG. 2,waste bin manager 20 includes a pair ofelongated slides 34 a and 34 b that are mounted to sidewalls 28 a and 28 b, respectively.Slides 34 a and 34 b are movable between a retracted and an extended position. A pair of wire harnesses 36 are secured toslides 34 a and 34 b. Wire harnesses 36 are each adapted to hold bins, such as bins for storing trash, recyclable materials, or any other type of waste material. Whilewaste bin manager 20 is illustrated having two wire harnesses 36, it will be understood that the invention finds equal application to waste bin managers that accommodate only a single waste bin. - A
spring 38 is attached between one of thesidewalls 28 and one of the wire harnesses 36.Spring 38 stretches aswaste bin manager 20 is moved to the retracted position. This stretching or extension ofspring 38 causesspring 38 to exert a force on the innermost wire harness 36 that urges it towards the extended position. Upon actuation offoot mechanism 26, this force causes wire harnesses 36, slides 34 a and 34 b, anddoor 24 to automatically move to the extended position. In this extended position, the user has easy access to the bin or bins that are housed within wire harnesses 36. After access to these bins is no longer desired, the user can simply push ondoor 24 to cause thedoor 24, slides 34 a and 34 b, and wire harnesses 36 to be pushed back inside ofenclosure 32 incabinet 22.Foot mechanism 26 will thereafter retain the bins withincabinet 22 until the foot mechanism is again activated, as will be described more below. - Each slide34 in the illustrated embodiment is a telescoping slide. Telescoping slides 34 include a stationary member 40 and an extendable member 42 (FIG. 2). Stationary member 40 is attached to the inside of
cabinet 22 in any suitable fashion. It may, for example, be secured to one of thesidewalls 28.Extendable member 42 is nested within stationary member 40 and slidable along the length of stationary member 40. The construction of each slide 34 a and 34 b may be the same as that found in conventional drawer slides used to support drawers in cabinets, desks, and the like. Sets of ball bearings, or other types of bearings, may be sandwiched between stationary member 40 andextendable member 42 to facilitate the sliding ofextendable member 42. The front end of each slide 34 is attached todoor 24. In the illustrated embodiment, slides 34 a and 34 b are the only supporting structures that are attached todoor 24. - Each
wire harness 36 includes abottom wire 44 and abody wire 46.Bottom wire 44 is positioned near the bottom ofwire harness 36 and provides a structure that supports a waste bin and that prevents the waste bin from falling throughwire harness 36.Body wire 46 is attached tobottom wire 44 and extends vertically upward around a space in which a waste bin may be positioned.Bottom wire 44 andbody wire 46 may be secured together by way of welding, or any other suitable fastening technique. One or both ofbottom wires 44 andbody wires 46 are secured to eachextendable member 42 of each slide 34 a and 34 b. Thus, whenextendable members 42 extend out ofcabinet 22 or retract back intocabinet 22, wire harnesses 36 likewise extend out of or retract back intocabinet 22. Eachbody wire 46 includes a pair ofside wires 48 on each of its sides.Side wires 48 preferably abut against the sides of a waste bin positioned inwire harness 36. In the illustrated embodiment, wire harnesses 36 are shaped to hold rectangularly shaped waste bins. It will be understood that the wire harnesses 36 could alternatively be shaped to hold cylindrical shaped waste bins, or other waste bin shapes. - Each
body wire 46 further includes a pair oftop wires 50. Wire harnesses 36 are preferably constructed so thattop wires 50 exert a biasing force in the direction of arrows A (FIG. 2). This biasing force tends to urgetop wires 50 of eachwire harness 36 towards each other such that a waste bin positioned therebetween is squeezed by the twotop wires 50. The waste bin is thereby held snugly withinwire harness 36. It will be noted that the wire harnesses 36 in FIG. 2 are depicted in the position they would be in if a waste bin were positioned in each of theharnesses 36. Once the waste bin were removed, eachtop wire 50 would tend to move toward its oppositetop wire 50 in the directions indicated by arrows A. This movement would continue until the flexible wires of the wire harness reached an unflexed condition. - The detailed construction of the foot-activated
mechanism 26 can be seen more clearly in FIG. 4. Foot activatedmechanism 26 generally includes aplate 52, alever 54, and one ormore magnets 56.Plate 52 includes a plurality of fastener holes 58 which may receive fasteners used to secureplate 52 to the backside ofdoor 24.Plate 52 is preferably made out of a magnetic material which is attracted by magnets. Thus, whenplate 52 is positioned againstmagnets 56 inlever 54, the magnetic force ofmagnets 56 will holdplate 52 againstmagnets 56.Lever 54 is pivotably supported by a pair ofbrackets 60.Brackets 60support lever 54 such that it may pivot about apivot axis 62. Eachbracket 60 includes anupper fastener aperture 64.Fastener aperture 64 may receive screws, bolts, nails, or any other suitable fasteners that can be used to securebrackets 60 to anunderside 66 atbase 22 a of cabinet 22 (FIGS. 1-2). -
Lever 54 includes afront kick surface 68 and a generally flat,bottom surface 70.Lever 54 is shaped and constructed so that gravity will normally cause it to be in the position illustrated in FIG. 4. Specifically,lever 54 will normally be in a position in which themagnets 56 positioned on its front surface will be in a vertical plane. Thus, whenplate 52 is positioned in contact withlever 54,plate 52 will be in contact with all of themagnets 56 due toplate 52 also being oriented in a vertical plane. When it comes time to opendoor 24 and gain access to the waste bins held bywaste bin manager 20, a user can either kickfront kick surface 68 or position their foot underneathbottom surface 70 and lift up. Either of these actions will causelever 54 to rotate aboutpivot axis 62. This rotation will cause themagnets 56 to no longer be oriented in a vertical plane. Furthermore,lever 56 will push slightly againstplate 52 as it is pivoted aboutpivot axis 62. The combination of this pushing force, along with the decreased magnetic force due to the movement of the magnets out of a vertical plane, will allowplate 52 to magnetically detach frommagnets 56.Door 24 can thereafter be opened. Further, once a person has removed their foot fromlever 54, it will naturally rotate back to the position in FIG. 4 in which themagnets 56 are aligned in a vertical plane. Oncedoor 24 is closed, the attachedplate 52 will come into contact withmagnets 56 and once again magnetically lock withmagnets 56. - Once
plate 52 has become magnetically detached frommagnets 56, slides 34 a and 34 b are free to extend to their extended position.Spring 38 exerts a force that causes theslides 34 a and 34 b to automatically extend to this extended position.Spring 38 has one end attached tocabinet 22 and the other end attached to aclip 72 secured to therearmost wire harness 36. FIG. 3 illustrates the attachment ofclip 72 to wireharness 36. FIGS. 5-9 illustrateclip 72 in more detail. As can be seen in FIG. 2,spring 38 is preferably attached to the rearmost wire harness along a side opposite the cabinet sidewall to which the other end of the spring is attached.Spring 38 therefore generally extends from one side of waste bin manager to the other. As can also be seen in FIG. 2,spring 38 is generally positioned in a horizontal plane underneathbottom wire 44 ofwire harness 36.Spring 38 will therefore be positioned underneath a waste bin that is held byharness 36. - The details of
spring clip 72 are illustrated in more detail in FIGS. 5-9.Spring clip 72 includes abody 74, a pair ofchannel arms 76, a pair ofhook arms 78, two sets ofupper projections 80, and twolower projections 82.Channel arms 76 define achannel 84 that extends longitudinally along a portion ofbody 74.Channel 84 is generally shaped as a cylindrical channel.Channel 84 is adapted to receive one of the wires fromwire harness 36. Specifically,channel 84 is adapted to receivebody wire 46 ofwire harness 36. As illustrated more clearly in FIG. 8, channelarms 76 includelower shoulders 86.Shoulders 86 are generally flexible and adapted to flex away from each other asbody wire 46 is inserted therein. Afterbody wire 46 is completely nested withinchannel 84, shoulders 86 will snap or flex back to their original, unflexed position.Clip 72 thus snaps ontobody wire 46. -
Hook arms 78 curve generally upward and include anupper surface 88.Upper surfaces 88 are horizontally aligned with each other and adapted to contact the underside ofbottom wire 44 inwire harness 36. This can be more easily seen in FIG. 3 wherehook arms 78 are illustrated extending around the bottom ofbottom wire 44. Withhook arm 78 wrapped partially aroundbottom wire 44, such as illustrated in FIG. 3,clip 72 is firmly secured to wireharness 36. The snap-fitting attachment ofbody wire 46 inchannel 84 preventsclip 72 from moving in a lateral or side-to-side direction. The hooking byhook arms 78 ofbottom wire 44 preventsclip 72 from moving longitudinally in the direction in which theslides 34 a and 34 b extend and retract. Still further, the snap-fitting grip ofchannel arm 76 andshoulders 86 aroundbody wire 46 substantially preventsclip 72 from moving vertically in the up or down direction.Clip 72 is thus firmly secured in a fixed position onwire harness 36. In order to removeclip 72, a person can push upward onclip 72 adjacent the very ends ofchannel arm 76. If sufficient force is applied, shoulders 86 will flex apart from each other and allowbody wire 46 to exit out ofchannel 84. The outward movement that causeschannel arm 76 to releasebody wire 46 also causeshook arm 78 to unhook frombottom wire 44.Clip 72 can therefore be easily disengaged fromwire harness 36, if desired. -
Clip 72 further includes twospring attachment regions 90. Oneattachment region 90 is positioned on one side ofclip 72 and theother attachment region 90 is positioned on the other side ofclip 72.Spring attachment regions 90 provide structures to whichspring 38 can be attached. Specifically,spring 38 is attached to clip 72 by seating the end of the spring loop in one of thespring channels 92 defined betweenupper projections 80 and lower projection 82 (FIG. 8). When the end of thespring 38 is positioned therein, the spring is generally prevented from detaching fromclip 72 by way of the bottom surfaces ofupper projections 80, the upper surface oflower projection 82, and aside surface 94 onlower projection 82. In order to insert the end loop of the spring intospring channel 92, it can first be positioned on anangled surface 96 defined on the top oflower projection 82. Once the spring is so positioned, it can be pushed toward thebody 74 ofclip 72. Because of the angled nature ofsurface 96, this movement will cause the spring to move upwardly as it is pushed towardsbody 74. This upward movement will eventually cause the spring to contact the lower side ofupper projections 80. After this contact is made, further movement of the spring towardbody 74 is accomplished by a slight flexing of the spring as well as a slight flexing ofupper projections 80. After the spring has been pushed completely past angledsurface 96, it has completely enteredspring channel 92. Reversing the movement of the spring out ofspring channel 92 is difficult becauseangled surface 96 is not angled in a manner that is conducive to exiting the spring out ofchannel 92. Specifically,side surface 94 presents a straight, vertical surface that must be overcome in order to exit the spring out ofchannel 92. In other words, the end loop ofspring 38 is inserted intospring channel 92 by orienting the end loop ofspring 38 in one direction—that is so that the end loop is generally orthogonal tolower projection 82. In this orientation, the cross-section of the end loop allows the end loop to pass betweensurface 96 andupper projections 80. Thereafter, the end loop of the spring is rotated to another orientation—for example, rotated approximately 90°—so that the end loop is seated inchannel 92 but then captured therein bylower projection 82 andupper projections 80.Spring channel 92 therefore provides a secure structure for holding one end of thespring 38. - It will be understood that the dimensional references depicted in FIGS. 6-9 are in inches. For those dimensions that are depicted with an asterisk, the dimensions are centered to the
clip 72. It will be understood, however, that the dimensions ofclip 72 depicted in the drawings can be varied substantially without departing from the scope of the invention. While other materials may be used to constructclip 72, it is preferably made of plastic, such as nylon, or another suitable plastic. - While the present invention has been described in terms of the embodiments discussed above and depicted in the drawings, it will be understood by one skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to these particular embodiments, but includes any and all such modifications that are within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.
Claims (36)
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US10/820,905 US20040201338A1 (en) | 2003-04-10 | 2004-04-08 | Self-opening waste bin manager |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US46193503P | 2003-04-10 | 2003-04-10 | |
US10/820,905 US20040201338A1 (en) | 2003-04-10 | 2004-04-08 | Self-opening waste bin manager |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20040201338A1 true US20040201338A1 (en) | 2004-10-14 |
Family
ID=33159839
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US10/820,905 Abandoned US20040201338A1 (en) | 2003-04-10 | 2004-04-08 | Self-opening waste bin manager |
Country Status (2)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20040201338A1 (en) |
CA (1) | CA2464008A1 (en) |
Cited By (11)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20100264793A1 (en) * | 2009-04-21 | 2010-10-21 | Accuride International, Inc. | Assisted-motion systems and methods |
US20100264794A1 (en) * | 2009-04-21 | 2010-10-21 | Accuride International, Inc. | Dampened assisted-motion systems and methods |
ITVR20120203A1 (en) * | 2012-10-16 | 2014-04-17 | Vibo S P A | FIXING AND POSITIONING ELEMENT FOR CONTAINERS AND THE LIKE. |
US20150031123A1 (en) * | 2013-07-29 | 2015-01-29 | Whirlpool Corporation | Composting device |
US9648952B2 (en) | 2012-04-30 | 2017-05-16 | Hardware Resources, Inc. | Pressure release slide latch mechanism |
US9750347B2 (en) | 2012-04-30 | 2017-09-05 | Hardware Resources, Inc. | Pressure release slide latch mechanism |
US20170290426A1 (en) * | 2016-04-08 | 2017-10-12 | A-Dec, Inc. | Cabinet foot and cabinet foot system |
US10100566B1 (en) * | 2016-09-14 | 2018-10-16 | Suwandi Chandra | Concealed door opening system |
CN111099197A (en) * | 2019-12-31 | 2020-05-05 | 浙江威克特广告有限公司 | Portable waste discharge dustbin |
CN112386758A (en) * | 2020-12-28 | 2021-02-23 | 谭智 | Portable hemodialysis machine and switching method |
CN115300725A (en) * | 2022-10-13 | 2022-11-08 | 莱州市文昌路畜牧兽医站 | Livestock-raising animal doctor is with old and useless needle tubing collecting box |
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Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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US20100264794A1 (en) * | 2009-04-21 | 2010-10-21 | Accuride International, Inc. | Dampened assisted-motion systems and methods |
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US9648952B2 (en) | 2012-04-30 | 2017-05-16 | Hardware Resources, Inc. | Pressure release slide latch mechanism |
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US20170290426A1 (en) * | 2016-04-08 | 2017-10-12 | A-Dec, Inc. | Cabinet foot and cabinet foot system |
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US10100566B1 (en) * | 2016-09-14 | 2018-10-16 | Suwandi Chandra | Concealed door opening system |
CN111099197A (en) * | 2019-12-31 | 2020-05-05 | 浙江威克特广告有限公司 | Portable waste discharge dustbin |
CN112386758A (en) * | 2020-12-28 | 2021-02-23 | 谭智 | Portable hemodialysis machine and switching method |
CN115300725A (en) * | 2022-10-13 | 2022-11-08 | 莱州市文昌路畜牧兽医站 | Livestock-raising animal doctor is with old and useless needle tubing collecting box |
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