US20060138148A1

US20060138148A1 - Trash receptacle with retractable foot pedals

Info

Publication number: US20060138148A1
Application number: US10/905,342
Authority: US
Inventors: Francisco Mena
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-12-29
Filing date: 2004-12-29
Publication date: 2006-06-29

Abstract

A trash receptacle that provides easy removal of a trash liner including a housing comprising a plurality of side walls and a base with at least one recessed area, adjacent to where the side wall meets the base that houses a pivotally mounted, retractable foot pedal. The foot pedal is used to hold the receptacle in place while removing the liner. Optional vent holes may be located at both ends of a sealed channel that runs from the mid-point of said base just beyond mid-point of a side wall. These vent holes allow release of atmospheric pressure when removing the trash liner. The pedals may also contain a finger hole or a bar slidably connected to the pedal to aid in extending the pedals to their open position. In addition, a vertical extension rod may be detachably retained on the housing to aid in extending and retracting the foot pedals.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to trash receptacles, and more particularly to a trash receptacle having retractable foot pedals and vents.

DISCUSSION OF PRIOR ART

Trash receptacles used in homes and businesses are usually lined with a removable wastebasket liner, such as a polyurethane bag. The liner reduces the need to clean the receptacle while providing a disposable container for the trash. Removal of these bags may be difficult because of a suction force caused when trash is collected and compacted against the walls of the receptacle.
Attempts are known in the art to overcome this suction force using various devices such as rigid foot pieces affixed to the bottom of the receptacle (for example, see U.S. Pat. No. 1,286,368 to Lucas). Unfortunately, in this design the foot pieces are not stowable thus making the receptacle's “footprint” unnecessarily large. Others may even use two foot pedals to maintain the receptacle in place while removing a liner (for example, see U.S. Pat. No. 5,390,812 to Spiro). Spiro is a separate add-on unit that is not integral with the receptacle and is useful only for certain sizes of containers.
Another attempt at easing the removal of a liner against a suction force is to include vent holes (for example, see U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,247 to Boover). Unfortunately, this device is impractical because it does not prevent leakage from the receptacle. Others use a complicated and expensive mechanism that includes an interior support plate with vent holes that moves up and down according to the weight of the trash (for example, see U.S. Pat. No. 6,102,343 to Grimsey et al). This device may cause the liner to get pinched between the walls and the support plate in addition to the possible accumulation of leakage on the base of the receptacle.
Thus, there is a desire and a need in the art to provide improvements to trash receptacles to make it easier to extract a liner.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a receptacle having retractable foot pedals and vent holes. Specifically the receptacle of the present invention has a housing with at least one recessed area provided in a side wall to receive a pivotally mounted pedal.
The present invention may also provide an optional vent hole in the base of the receptacle. The vent hole is vented to a channel that follows an interior perimeter of the housing to vent to the outside of the receptacle through an opening on the outside of the receptacle housing at about its vertical mid-point.
Another optional feature of the present invention is a pedal that has a slot configured to slidably receive a bar, whereby access to retrieve the pedal from its closed position is achieved. The present invention may also include a foot pedal having a finger hole to facilitate the extension of the pedal.
Another optional feature of the present invention provides a vertical extension rod being detachably retained on the receptacle housing to allow ease of extending and retracting the foot pedals. This rod is detachably retained by a bracket attached to the top portion of the housing.
Other features of the present invention will become more apparent to persons having ordinary skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains from the following description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The foregoing features, as well as other features, will become apparent with reference to the description and figures below, in which like numerals represent like elements, and in which:
FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a receptacle of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a side view of one embodiment of a receptacle of the present invention with pedal in a closed position;
FIG. 3 is a back view of one embodiment of a receptacle of the present invention with channel and second vent hole; and
FIG. 4 is a top view of one embodiment of a receptacle of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention provides a waste receptacle to allow easy removal of a disposable liner against a suction force. In one embodiment this is achieved using retractable pedals and a vent hole. The receptacle may optionally either provide an extension rod, a removable bar on the pedal, or a finger hole to extend the pedals to an open position.
Referring to the figures, FIGS. 1-4 show components of a possible embodiment of the present invention receptacle generally shown at 20. Generally, receptacle 20 includes a housing 22 having a plurality of walls 30 (four are shown) and a base 40, a pedal 24, a vent hole 26, a channel 46, a bracket 28, an extension rod 32, and a hinge 34. The present invention may be practiced in a variety of shapes and sizes and made from a variety of materials, such as a high impact plastic.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, receptacle 20 has at least one pedal 24 having a finger hole 38 pivotally connected in at least one recessed area of side wall 30 of housing 22 by hinge 34. Hinge 34 may be practiced using many means known in the art. In a simple application hinge 34 could include pins on pedal 24 disposed with holes on a side wall of recessed pedal housing 18. To hold pedal 24 in its retracted position, protrusion 16 may be included on a periphery of pedal 24 to provide a compressive fit. Biasing means known in the art such as springs (not shown) could also be added to urge pedal 24 into pedal housing 18 when not in use. Recessed housing 18 of housing 22 is adjacent to where side wall 30 meets base 40. An optional bracket 28 and support 42 are affixed to the outer surface of housing 22 to support and secure extension rod 32. The extension rod 32 may be used by the user to extend pedal 24 from a closed position to an open position by removing the rod 32 from bracket 28 and pushing pedal 24 down into an open position and returning the rod 32 to the bracket 28 for storage.
FIG. 2 illustrates having an optional pedal 24 bar 36. In this embodiment pedal 24 is configured to slidably receive bar 36. Bar 36 assists a user to extend pedal 24 from its closed position using his foot or hand.
To reduce suction associated with removing a trash liner, the present invention may employ a vent hole. Such vent hole may simply include a hole in base 40 with a rubber flap attached adjacent to and covering the hole (not shown). Leakage is reduced when pressure is applied to the flap, but is lifted off the vent hole 26 in conditions of reduced atmospheric pressure. This would allow a slight reduction in leakage should the receptacle liner leak. In the preferred embodiment, the receptacle 20 has a vent hole 26 that vents into a sealed channel 46. Channel 46 extends along base 40 towards a side wall 30 and follows it up along side wall to an outside vent hole 50. Outside vent hole 50, as illustrated, vents sealed channel 46 to the outside of receptacle 20. In use, as a liner is removed (not shown), suction is reduced from air being drawn into the receptacle to equalize air pressure. As illustrated, outside vent hole 50 is about midway vertically on said side wall. An optional embodiment could include vertical fins 54 on the interior of said side walls to not allow a sealed fit by a liner.
Extension rod 32 allows a user to more easily retrieve pedal 24 from its closed position by using its hook 52 to pry pedal 24, finger hole 38, or bar 36 from its retracted position. Bracket 28 and holder 42 allow secure and convenient storage for extension bar 32.
While the invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description. Accordingly, the present invention attempts to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A receptacle, comprising:

a housing having a base, and a plurality of walls attached to the base along their common edges to form a receptacle;

at least one wall comprising at least one recessed area adjacent to where said wall attaches to said base;

a pedal pivotally mounted and disposed within said recessed area of said wall adjacent to where it meets said base in a retracted position, and extensible in an open position whereby a user may place their foot to secure the receptacle when attempting to remove an item such as a liner; and

at least one vent hole in said base of said receptacle.

2. The receptacle of claim 1, wherein said vent hole vents into a sealed channel that extends along the base towards one of said side walls and continues up along said side wall to a vent hole to the outside of said receptacle.

3. The receptacle of claim 1, wherein said base has a flap attached adjacent to and covering said vent hole, said flap being made of a flexible water resistant material, whereby leakage is reduced when pressure is applied to the flap, but is lifted off the vent hole in conditions of reduced atmospheric pressure.

4. The receptacle of claim 1, wherein said pedal includes pivoting means to position said pedal back to a closed position whereby said pedal will be returned to said closed position, and urging means to return said pedal to said closed position when not in use.

5. The receptacle of claim 1, wherein said pedal further comprises a slot configured to slidably receive a bar.

6. The receptacle of claim 1, wherein said pedal further comprises a finger hole.

7. The receptacle of claim 1, wherein said receptacle further comprises a vertical extension rod detachably retained on an outside surface of said housing.

8. The receptacle of claim 7, wherein said rod is detachably retained by a bracket attached to said outside surface of said housing.

9. The receptacle of claim 1, wherein said pedal further comprises at least one protrusion along a periphery of said pedal, whereby a compression fit retains said pedal in a retracted position.

10. A receptacle, comprising:

at least one vertically extending fin along in an interior of at least one wall, whereby a seal by a liner is reduced.

11. The receptacle of claim 10, wherein said pedal includes pivoting means to position said pedal back to a closed position whereby said pedal will be returned to said closed position, and urging means to return said pedal to said closed position when not in use.

12. The receptacle of claim 10, wherein said pedal further comprises a slot configured to slidably receive a bar.

13. The receptacle of claim 10, wherein said pedal further comprises a finger hole.

14. The receptacle of claim 10, wherein said receptacle further comprises a vertical extension rod detachably retained on an outside surface of said housing.

15. The receptacle of claim 14, wherein said rod is detachably retained by a bracket attached to said outside surface of said housing.

16. The receptacle of claim 10, wherein said pedal further comprises at least one protrusion along a periphery of said pedal, whereby a compression fit retains said pedal in a retracted position.