Deposit and collection receptacles – Separate inlet and outlet openings
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-13
2001-03-20
Melius, Terry Lee (Department: 3628)
Deposit and collection receptacles
Separate inlet and outlet openings
C220S908000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06202922
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to waste receptacles, and more particularly, to a waste receptacle providing a swinging front door, a mechanism for raising the receptacle with a foot pedal, and a slide arm bag opener and holder assembly.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Removing a bag full of refuse from a waste receptacle for later disposal is a routine task for most persons. Such refuse removal can be an arduous, if not impossible task, however, for many individuals such as persons with bad backs, elderly, persons, disabled and/or wheelchair bound persons, and persons with physical limitations.
A number of waste receptacles have been developed for providing ease of removal of the refuse bag from the receptacle. For example, several known receptacles provide a hinged door that swings open in one or another direction, including those described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,744 to Koyama, U.S. Pat. No. 5,007,581 to Follet et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,361,978 to Monroe. None of these receptacles, however, provides a swinging door that can be provided of a lightweight material and still retain a smooth and stable swinging motion downward or a mechanism adapted for ease of opening and closing such a door by a person with limited physical abilities.
More specifically, the Koyama device has a ramp that automatically ejects the bag from the receptacle upon opening of the horizontally swinging two front doors, which can be dangerous for persons with limited agility who may not be able to move out of the way. The Follet et al. device, which is intended for use as a hospital cart, has a ramp that automatically ejects objects from the receptacle upon opening of the front door which swings upward and thereby poses similar concerns as the Koyama device. The Monroe device has a front door that is initially pulled downward until the door swings outward sufficiently so that the weight of the door and the bag causes gravity to force the door and bag to swing down to the floor to an open position. This device also poses safety concerns for persons with limited abilities who could be injured by the heavy metal door falling upon them.
There is also known the waste receptacle of U.S. Pat. No. 2,907,516 to Ma, as well as the receptacle of Follet et al. mentioned heretofore, which each disclose a waste receptacle with a foot pedal and an actuating mechanism for operating a hinged door. However, neither of these foot pedals and actuating mechanisms are employed in a manner other than for opening a hinged door, and as such do not obviate the need to engage in a lifting activity of a weighted refuse bag at some point during the carrying disposal of the bag.
Accordingly, what is needed but not found in the prior art is a mobile waste receptacle having a hinged, lightweight, front door that swings down such that it can be smoothly, stably, and easily operated, that raises upon actuation of a foot pedal to thereby obviate the need to bend over and lift a full refuse bag up and out of the receptacle and to also obviate the need to engage in any lifting activity after removal of the weighted refuse bag from the receptacle, and that provides a mechanism for opening and supporting a new refuse bag upon disposal of the previous bag.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Generally described, the present invention provides a waste receptacle comprising a container with a front opening and a top opening formed by a right wall, a left wall, a rear wall, and a bottom wall. The container preferably has two front feet attached to the container for stability and two rear wheels rotatably mounted to the container to provide mobility. The rear wall preferably has a pivotable handle for pushing or pulling the container.
A front wall capable of substantially covering the front opening is preferably hinged to the bottom wall. The front wall preferably has at least one curved guide rail extending therefrom, and at least one elongated curved guide channel is formed in the left or right wall to slidingly receive the guide rail and permit a range of stable angular movement of the front wall. At least one slot is preferably provided through the left or right wall and connecting to the channel, and at least one knob preferably extends from the guide rail and through the slot. The knob may thus be grasped by a user to manually swing the front wall down and open to laterally remove a full and weighted refuse bag. It should be noted that the receptacle may be provided with any number of guide rails and channels as may be desired, or may be provided without guide rails and channels.
A top wall capable of substantially covering said top opening is preferably hinged to the container. The top wall preferably has an opening for receiving refuse therethrough and a handle for lifting the top wall.
A cross-bar assembly is preferably provided and arranged generally within a bottom recess formed in the bottom wall of the container. The cross-bar assembly preferably comprises two generally parallel top rods each having a roller disposed thereabout for engaging the bottom side of the bottom wall, and each top rod having a first and second end. Preferably two generally parallel bottom rods are provided with each having a roller disposed thereabout for engaging a floor surface, and each having a first and second end. A first set of two diagonal rods are pivotally coupled at an intermediate portion thereof, each first diagonal rod having a top end coupled to one of the top rod first ends and each first diagonal rod having a bottom end coupled to one of the bottom rod first ends. A second set of two diagonal rods are pivotally coupled at an intermediate portion of each second diagonal rod, each second diagonal rod having a top end coupled to one of the top rod second ends and each second diagonal rod having a bottom end coupled to one of the bottom rod second ends. The top rods thereby move generally upward when the diagonal rods are pivoted, which pivoting may be caused by the application of a force to the bottom rods.
An actuator assembly is preferably provided for generating such a force to be translated to the cross-bar assembly. The actuator assembly preferably comprises a lever extending through a slot in the left or right wall, with a foot pedal coupled to the lever. A linkage assembly is preferably provided and arranged generally within said recess, for translating the force from the pedal to the cross-bar assembly. The linkage preferably comprises a plurality of spools with flexible cords disposed thereabout forming a pulley system. The cords are coupled to the lever and the bottom rods such that depressing the pedal actuates the linkage assembly to pull the bottom ends inward towards each other which causes a raising movement of the top rods against the bottom wall to raise the container.
A bag opener and holder assembly is preferably provided and arranged within the container. The bag opener and holder assembly preferably comprises a fixed right arm and knob extending from the right wall and a fixed left arm and knob extending from the left wall. There is further provided an elongated opening in the right wall and a right slide arm and knob extending through the right wall opening, and an elongated opening defined in the left wall and a left slide arm and knob extending through the left wall opening. A rod is preferably provided mounted within the container for holding a roll of plastic refuse bags.
To install a refuse bag in the container, the bag is partially removed from the bag roll mounted in the container, a top end of the bag is folded over the fixed and slide knobs, the slide knobs are moved toward the front of the container to open the bag, and a bottom end of the bag is detached from the bag roll. The knobs support the bag and retain it in an open position for receiving refuse therein.
To remove the bag from the container for disposal, the top wall is swung open and the slide knobs moved toward the back of the container to close and seal the bag. The user then depresses the pedal to raise the container and the weighted b
Phillips Carol O.
Phillips Janine Marie
Phillips Lindsey Jasmine
Bernstein Jason A.
Bernstein & Associates
Greenwald John W.
Melius Terry Lee
Miller William L.
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