US20060243731A1

US20060243731A1 - Waste container assembly

Info

Publication number: US20060243731A1
Application number: US11/403,217
Authority: US
Inventors: Maureen O'Brien; Deborah Memin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-04-13
Filing date: 2006-04-12
Publication date: 2006-11-02
Also published as: CA2504055A1

Abstract

A waste container having an exterior box-shaped frame having an open top, two front compartments defined therein, and a rearward compartment defined therein. Each of the two front compartments are designed to house interior containment units which are inserted into each of the two front compartments, whereby food waste may be disposed of in one compartment, and plastics, paper and tissue products disposed of in another compartment. Cardboard products may be disposed of in the rearward compartment. Lids are affixed to an upper surface of the exterior frame for covering the two front compartments, and can each be separately opened by a foot pedal assembly. Rear portions of the lids are angled, so that when any of the lids is in an opened position, it will not interfere or block the placement or storage of any cardboard type material in the rearward compartment. The foot pedal assembly, which includes a lift arm mechanism, is angled to extend upwardly from a front of the exterior frame to a rear of the exterior frame so as to permit additional leverage in opening the lids farther to assist in use of the waste container.

Description

The present invention relates to a waste container receptacle and assembly, and, more specifically, a waste container receptacle and assembly having multiple hygienic compartments for the disposal of differing types of waste products.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

Waste containers are commonly used in residential refuse collection systems. Waste containers of this type generally have a well known construction comprising an open top container for receiving the refuse and a lid for closing the top of the container. The lid is typically hingedly mounted to a portion of the container, often to a handle mounted on the container. Canadian Patent No. 2,072,292 is an example of such a device. Further, waste containers of the type which have a cover hinged to a base container portion the operation of a foot pedal to rotate the cover on the hinge are also well known in the art. Typical of such containers are those shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,972,966; 4,865,214 and 4,785,964. These particular containers are all of the type which require two separate foot operations, that is, one depression of the pedal is required to open the container followed by a second depression of the pedal to close the container.
However, waste containers of the above-noted types do not provide for a waste container having separate compartments for the hygienic storing and disposal of each type of waste product, whereby food waste may be disposed of in one compartment, plastics, paper and tissue products in another compartment, and cardboard products may be disposed in a still further compartment. Accordingly, with today's growing need for essential separation of food by-products and non-perishable products that are not bio-degradable, there is a need to provide an environmentally friendly waste container whereby waste products can be easily separated from each other for storage and disposal.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention seeks to overcome the above-noted problem by providing an improved waste container which is hygienic, easy to use, and whereby food waste may be disposed of in one compartment, plastics, paper and tissue products in another compartment, and cardboard products may be disposed in a still further compartment.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved, environmentally friendly waste container which allows for essential separation and disposal of food by-products and non-perishable products that are not bio-degradable.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a waste container, said waste container comprising an exterior frame portion, the exterior frame having an open top and defining therein at least two front compartments and a rearward compartment; at least two interior containment units, the at least two interior containment units being placed within the least two front compartments of the exterior frame; at least two lids for covering the open top of the at least two front compartments, the at least two lids being affixed to an upper surface of the exterior frame; and a foot pedal assembly for opening and closing the lids, the foot pedal assembly being placed within the exterior frame and being connected at an upper end to an underside of the lids, wherein a bottom portion of the foot pedal assembly extends outwardly from the exterior frame whereby a user can activate the foot pedal assembly to open and close the lids.
The advantage of the present invention is that it provides a simple and effective waste container which is hygienic, easy to use, and whereby food waste may be disposed of in one compartment, plastics, paper and tissue products in another compartment, and cardboard products may be disposed in a still further compartment.
A further advantage of the present invention is that it provides an an improved, environmentally friendly waste container which allows for essential separation and disposal of food by-products and non-perishable products that are not bio-degradable.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A preferred embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 illustrates a front perspective view of an embodiment of the waste container of the present invention;
FIG. 2 illustrates another front perspective view of the embodiment of the waste container shown in FIG. 1, and which illustrates the two separate front compartment lids which are connected to the exterior frame in an open position;
FIG. 2A is a view of an embodiment of a hinge used to attach the front compartment lids to the exterior frame of the waste container of the present invention;
FIG. 3 illustrates a front perspective view of an embodiment of an interior bucket designed for placement and enclosure within a front compartment of the waste container of the present invention;
FIG. 4 illustrates a side perspective view of a front compartment of the waste container having the compartment lid in an open position, and which illustrates the foot pedal for opening the lid in a slightly depressed position to open the lid wider;
FIG. 5 illustrates a front view of the foot pedal for the waste container of the present invention;
FIG. 5A illustrates a top view of the foot pedal for the waste container of the present invention;
FIG. 5B illustrates a front perspective view of the foot pedal for the waste container of the present invention; and
FIG. 6 illustrates an exploded view of the lift arm mechanism for opening the compartment lid of the waste container of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In the preferred embodiment, and as shown in FIG. 1, the waste container 1 of the present invention comprises an exterior frame 3 which defines first opening 5 and a second opening 7 therein on an upper surface of the frame. Preferably, the exterior frame 3 will be made of metal, though it is conceivable that other materials, such as a plastic moulded material, could also be used, as would be apparent to one skilled in the art. In a preferred embodiment, the exterior frame will essentially be an open top box type, enclosed container with side walls, and the bottom of the exterior frame 3 will feature an open bottom. The bottom of the exterior frame 3 will, preferably, feature a fused support bar 17, as seen in FIG. 3, which is attached by conventional means to the opposed front and back bottom portions of the first opening 5 and a second opening 7. A fused support bar 17 will be placed at a bottom of each of the first opening 5 and a second opening 7, in the manner indicated, whereby interior containment units may be placed within each of the first opening 5 and the second opening 7 to rest upon and be supported by the fused support bars 17, as hereinafter described. Of course, in an alternative embodiment, it is also conceivable that the exterior frame 3 could also feature a closed bottom, as would be readily apparent.
Preferably, the first opening 5 and the second opening 7 in the exterior frame 3 are placed side by side, and are separated from one another by a separation piece 11 (as seen in FIGS. 2A and 4), the separation piece 11 being positioned so as to divide the first opening 5 and second opening 7 into two distinct and separate container receptacles. The width of the front portion of the separation piece 11 will be approximately double the width of the rear portion of the separation piece. In a preferred embodiment, a front portion of the separation piece 11 will be 5 inches long and 2 inches wide, while a rear portion of the separation piece 11 will be 5 inches long and 1 inch wide, for reasons which will be hereinafter described.
Interior containment units 13,15 in FIG. 1 are then placed into each of the first opening 5 and the second opening 7 to rest upon and be supported by the fused support bars 17, as previously noted. Interior containment units 13,15 are to be of equal size, preferably. The interior containment units will each have a support tab (with reference to FIG. 3) moulded thereto on an interior side of the containment unit, which, in a preferred embodiment, will rest upon the separation piece 11 when the interior containment units in FIG. 1 are placed into each of the first opening 5 and the second opening 7. With reference to FIG. 3, the support tab 19 of one interior containment unit will rest upon the separation piece, and the support tab for another interior containment unit will also rest upon the widest portion of the separation piece (not shown), one support tab in front, and the other support tab immediately behind. In a preferred embodiment, for example, food waste may be disposed of in one compartment, and plastics, paper and tissue products may be disposed of in another compartment.
Interior containment units 13,15 also feature a finger pull tab 23 on each unit, which is preferably molded directly into the containment unit on an exterior side of the interior containment unit, so as to permit easy removal and insertion of the containment unit. In a preferred embodiment, the finger pull tab 23 is positioned so as to be centered in the middle side portion of the containment unit, as seen in FIG. 3. Preferably, the interior containment units 13,15 will be made of plastic, though it is conceivable that other materials, such as light metal such as aluminum, could also be used, as would be apparent to one skilled in the art.
The exterior frame 3 also defines a containment unit 9 therein, at a rear portion of the exterior frame 3, as can be seen with reference to FIG. 4. In use, this containment unit 9 will preferably be used to store, for example, crushed or flattened cardboard type material, for disposal or recycling. In a preferred embodiment, the bottom of the containment unit 9 will have a solid formed bottom portion, and will extend for the entire width of the exterior frame.
The first opening 5 and second opening 7 on the exterior frame 3 are to be covered with two separate lids 25,27, which work independently of one another, so as to prevent experiencing the odour of any food disposed of in one of the compartments, as previously described herein. Each rear section of each of the lids 25,27 will be angular in shape, as seen with reference to FIG. 4, whereby, when any or either of the lids 25,27 is in an opened position, the opening of any such lid will not interfere or block the placement or storage of any cardboard type material in the containment unit 9. This provides a further advantage of the present invention, in that, by virtue of the angular shape of the rear portion of the lid, the lid can be opened fully without interference from material stored for disposal in the containment unit 9 therein, at the rear portion of the exterior frame 3, thus allowing the lid to open further than conventional waste containers can.
With reference to FIG. 2A, each lid is also secured to a rear of the exterior frame 3 by a hinge, and is preferably secured to both the lid and the exterior frame, as is known in the art. Each lid 25,27 will also feature, preferably, a rubber lip portion 31 which is attached to an underside of the lid, with reference to FIG. 1, so as to permit a quiet closing of the lid, and further possesses an odour sealing value. Preferably, the rubber lip portion 31 is to be permanently attached to the underside of the lid, but it is also conceivable that the rubber lip portion 31 can be removable and replaceable. In addition, both lids, when in a closed position, will rest upon both the separation piece 11 and the exterior frame 3, respectively.
Each of the lids will be able to be separately and independently opened by a foot pedal 33,35, which is positioned at a front section of a bottom portion of the exterior frame 3, as can be seen in FIG. 1. In a preferred embodiment, the bottom front section of the exterior frame 3 will feature an opening in the frame whereby the foot pedal can be inserted. The foot pedals 33, 35 are to be attached to a foot pedal support mechanism 37, the foot pedal being hinged or riveted 39 to the foot pedal support mechanism 37, as seen in FIGS. 5,5A and 5B, this being done so as to allow enough leverage so that the foot pedals may move freely. The foot pedal support mechanism 37 will also be affixed to an underside of the opening in the bottom front section of the exterior frame, and will preferably be tapered from front to back. Preferably, the foot pedal support mechanism 37 will be made of either metal or plastic, though it is conceivable that other types of materials could also be used.
Preferably, each of the foot pedals 33,35 are made of metal or plastic, and have a foot pad covering (not shown) having ridges affixed to an upper surface of the pedal, to enable better manipulation of the pedal when depressed by a bare or covered foot. Each of the foot pedals will, in a preferred embodiment, extend further than conventional foot pedals and shall have 2 inches in length protruding beyond the exterior frame 3. The foot pedals 33,35 are each affixed, at a rear portion of the pedals, to a foot pedal assembly, which connects the foot pedals to each of the lids, and which will be hereinafter described.
As noted above, at a rear of the foot pedals 33,35, the foot pedals are each hingedly affixed to a lift arm mechanism 41 (see “40” FIG. 5B) which extends upwardly within the exterior frame 3, with further reference to FIG. 4. Each upper end 43 of each of the lift arm mechanisms 41 is affixed by conventional means to an underside of each of the lids, as seen in FIGS. 4 and 6. In doing so, and with reference to FIG. 6 the hinge connection 43 of the lift arm mechanism 41 may be bent slightly, in connection to an underside of the lids, to meet the curvature of the angled rear portion of the lids, so as to permit additional leverage in opening the lids farther. As can also be seen in FIG. 4, each of the lift arm mechanisms 41, are angled to extend upwardly from a front of the exterior frame to a rear of the exterior frame so as to permit additional leverage in opening the lids farther.
In placing the foot pedal assembly within the exterior frame, the foot pedal assembly should preferably each be positioned closest to the middle right and middle left of the front surface of the exterior frame 3, as can be seen in FIG. 1. As noted previously, a front portion of the separation piece 11 will be 5 inches long and 1 inch wide, while a rear portion of the separation piece 11 will be 5 inches long and 1 inch wide. This is because the lift arm mechanism 41 will extend upwardly within the exterior frame so as to fit within the rear portion of the separation piece 11, which is narrower than the front portion, and the narrowing of the separation piece in this manner provides the additional room whereby the lift arm mechanism may be placed therethrough.
The present invention has been described herein with regard to preferred embodiments. However, it will be obvious to persons skilled in the art that a number of variations and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as described herein.

Claims

1. A waste container, said waste container comprising:

an exterior frame portion, the exterior frame having an open top and defining therein at least two front compartments and a rearward compartment;

at least two interior containment units, the at least two interior containment units being placed within the least two front compartments of the exterior frame;

at least two lids for covering the open top of the at least two front compartments, the at least two lids being affixed to an upper surface of the exterior frame; and

a foot pedal assembly for opening and closing the lids, the foot pedal assembly being placed within the exterior frame and being connected at an upper end to an underside of the lids, wherein a bottom portion of the foot pedal assembly extends outwardly from the exterior frame whereby a user can activate the foot pedal assembly to open and close the lids.

2. The waste container of claim 1, wherein the at least two front compartments are separated by a separation piece, the separation piece being placed on an upper end of the exterior frame portion, so as to divide the at least two front compartments into separate first and second container receptacles.

3. The waste container of claim 2, wherein the exterior frame portion has an open bottom.

4. The waste container of claim 3, wherein the exterior frame portion further comprises a first fused support bar and a second fused support bar, the first fused support bar being attached to a bottom end of the exterior frame to cover the open bottom of the first container receptacle and the second fused support bar being attached to the bottom end of the exterior frame to cover the open bottom of the second container receptacle.

5. The waste container of claim 4, wherein the first fused support bar is attached at a substantially middle portion of the open bottom of the first container receptacle.

6. The waste container of claim 4, wherein the second fused support bar is attached at a substantially middle portion of the open bottom of the second container receptacle.

7. The waste container of claim 2, wherein the first and the second container receptacles are arranged in side by side relationship.

8. The waste container of claim 2, wherein a width of a front portion of the separation piece is at least twice that of a width of a rear portion of the separation piece.

9. The waste container of claim 4, wherein the at least two interior containment units each have a support tab moulded on an upper edge of a interior side portion thereof, whereby when the at least two interior containment units are positioned in the first and the second container receptacles the support tabs rest upon the separation piece.

10. The waste container of claim 9, wherein when the at least two interior containment units are positioned in the first and the second container receptacles the at least two interior containment units rest upon the first fused support bar and the second fused support bar.

11. A waste container, said waste container comprising:

an exterior frame portion, the exterior frame having an open top and an open bottom and defining therein separate first and second container receptacles and a rearward compartment;

at least two interior containment units, the at least two interior containment units being placed within the first and second container receptacles of the exterior frame;

at least two lids for covering the open top of the first and second container receptacles, the at least two lids being affixed to an upper surface of the exterior frame, the at least two lids having an angled rear surface thereof, whereby the at least two lids can be opened fully without an opening movement thereof being restricted by materials stored in the rearward compartment;

a first fused support bar and a second fused support bar, the first fused support bar being attached to the bottom end of the exterior frame to cover a bottom of the first container receptacle and the second fused support bar being attached to the bottom end of the exterior frame to cover an open bottom of the second container receptacle; and

12. The waste container of claim 11, wherein when the at least two interior containment units are positioned in the first and the second container receptacles the at least two interior containment units rest upon the first fused support bar and the second fused support bar.

13. The waste container of claim 12, wherein the at least two interior containment units each have a finger pull tab defined thereon, the finger pull tab of each of the at least two interior containment units being defined near a substantially upper edge of an exterior side portion thereof.

14. The waste container of claim 13, wherein the finger pull tab of each of the at least two interior containment units is positioned substantially near a middle of the exterior side portion.

15. The waste container of claim 13, wherein the at least two interior containment units are made of plastic.

16. The waste container of claim 13, wherein the exterior frame portion has a closed bottom.

17. The waste container of claim 11, wherein the at least two lids further comprise having a rubber lip portion attached to an underside thereof, so as to permit quiet closing of the lids and retain odours within the waste container.

18. The waste container of claim 1, wherein the rearward compartment is utilized for a storing for disposal of cardboard type material.

19. The waste container of claim 11, wherein the first and the second container receptacles are arranged in side by side relationship.