Receptacles – Closures – With closure opening arrangements for means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-26
2001-04-03
Newhouse, Nathan J. (Department: 3727)
Receptacles
Closures
With closure opening arrangements for means
C220S264000, C220S908000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06209744
ABSTRACT:
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED DEVELOPMENT
Not Applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention described herein generally relates to devices and systems governing the opening and closing of receptacles. More particularly, the present invention is an improvement to pedal activated trash receptacles.
In many business and fast food restaurants, customers are provided with trash receptacles having a swinging door hinged across the top. It is often difficult to dispose of trash through the swinging door, since the door often tends to swing down against the trash and thereby prevent it from being easily dumped into the receptacle. It is generally a two-hand operation, one for holding the door open and the other for dumping the trash into the receptacle. A customer carrying a child, briefcase or the like therefore has a very difficult time assisting the establishment in disposing of trash. Equally important, the return swing of an open receptacle door may have sufficient force to, if the customer is caught off guard, either injure the fingers or hand of the customer or cause some of the trash to be spilled upon the customer or the premises. It should also be noted that a customer's use of his or her hands to push trash through receptacle door may be extremely unsanitary. Often the customer feels compelled to wash his or her hand at the conclusion of the meal, due to the touching of the trash receptacle.
Various types of door openers are known, but all have certain limitations. The following patented receptacles are known in the art.
Patent Number
Inventor
5,147,056
Ma
5,372,271
Miller, et al.
4,765,548
Sing
5,048,712
Wolters
5,163,574
Sosan
3,799,430
Huguenin
4,907,715
Bloomer
5,398,374
Betancourt
5,172,823
Moetteli
5,011,026
Hausman
4,609,122
Ziegenbein
4,729,490
Ziegenbein
3,891,115
Ono
5,538,338
Biggers
4,150,764
Anderson
The receptacle disclosed in Miller is complicated to manufacture and assemble, and it is not readily adaptable for the retrofitting of existing receptacles. The receptacle disclosed in Ma is somewhat less complicated to manufacture and assemble, but it fails to disclose any means facilitating the gradual return of the open door to its closed position. Biggers discloses a receptacle having a stoop mechanism to prevent the lid from pivoting outwardly from the receptacle cabinet, but without any means facilitating the gradual return of the open door to its closed position. Ziegenbein discloses a receptacle having a time delay switch allowing the door to return to its closed position after a pre-selected time interval. However, the mechanism for such delayed return is extremely complicated, and it usually requires an electrical power source for activation which is not always available by receptacles and would be costly to install and operate. Although the Ziegenbein receptacle provides for delayed closure of the receptacle door, it fails to allow for the gradual return of the receptacle door to its closed resting position. It is also too complex and costly for retrofitting existing receptacles.
There is known a foot-actuated top-opening receptacle sold under the trademark Mipro, (probably made by the White Mipro company in Tampa, Fla.) that includes a gas spring to control the closing of the lid. However, there are substantial differences between that receptacle and the invention disclosed herein. For instance, both the manner of actuating the opening and the manner of controlling the closing are distinctly different in both receptacles. The Mipro receptacle has an externally mounted lever system, with the lid essentially being pushed upward into the open position by the lever, and with the gas spring being attached at opposite ends to both the lid and the push-lever to control the closing; this configuration has the disadvantages of having exposed external parts that form possible “pinch points” that could injure children or unwary adults, and the exposed parts are not as aesthetically pleasing as the relatively clean appearance of internally actuated receptacles. Moreover, there is no information known as to the date of invention of the Mipro receptacle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In general, this invention relates to an improvement to a hinge-doored receptacle having a housing and a door hinged thereto, said improvement comprising a gradual closure means attached in a functional relationship between said housing and said door to facilitate the gradual return of said door from an open position to a closed position. Said gradual closure means may be anchored to said housing and attached to either said hinged door or to something connected to said door such as (for example) a force application means urging said door from a resting closed position to an open position; said improvement may include a gradual closure means functionally attached to said force application means to facilitate the gradual return of said open door to said resting closed position upon sufficient reduction of said urging from said force application means. Alternatively, said gradual closure means maybe functionally attached directly to said hinged door to facilitate the gradual return of said door from an open position to a resting closed position.
The invention disclosed herein more easily retrofits existing systems than anything presently existing. The invention easily retrofits almost any trash receptacle, without adversely affecting the original integrity of the receptacle. The invention requires minimal space within the trash receptacle. One can still open an auxiliary door of the trash receptacle to empty the trash container. The invention can be easily installed on either the left side or the right side of almost any trash receptacle. The invention can also be easily installed on almost any trash receptacle regardless of whether it is atop a pedestal. The invention can also be easily installed on trash receptacles having mounted wheels. And if manual opening of the hinged door is desired, the invention does not prevent such manual operation.
A primary object of this invention is to provide a simpler means of actuating a hinge-doored receptacle. Another object of the invention is to provide a simple means of facilitating the gradual return of said open door to its closed resting position. Another object is to provide a simple means to improve the safety and sanitation of existing hinge-doored trash receptacles. Another object is to provide such improvements that are easily manufactured. Another object is to provide such improvements that are easily assembled. Another object is to provide such improvements that are easy to retrofit into an existing receptacle. Another object is to provide such improvements that are economical to manufacture, install, maintain and replace.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3825215 (1974-07-01), Borglum
patent: 4883189 (1989-11-01), Lobbert
patent: 4907715 (1990-03-01), Bloomer
patent: 5163574 (1992-11-01), Sosan
patent: 5348222 (1994-09-01), Patey
patent: 5372271 (1994-12-01), Miller et al.
patent: 5538338 (1996-07-01), Biggers
patent: 5671859 (1997-09-01), Sheu et al.
patent: 6000569 (1999-12-01), Liu
patent: 6024238 (2000-02-01), Jaros
patent: 4132958 (1992-05-01), None
Calhoun Joe D.
Newhouse Nathan J.
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