Receptacles – End wall structure – One-piece side and end wall
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-05
2001-08-21
Pollard, Steven (Department: 3727)
Receptacles
End wall structure
One-piece side and end wall
C220S908000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06276557
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a waste container, and, more specifically, to a waste container having a reinforced bottom.
2. Related Art
Current residential waste containers comprise a container body having an open top and a closed bottom. A handle is typically located near the open top and a wheel assembly is typically located near the bottom of the container body. The top is closed by one or more lids, which are hingedly connected to the body or a divider in the body. Most residential waste containers have a relatively large capacity of 30 gallons or more. It is also common for the waste container to be injection-molded out of a suitable plastic.
A common problem for this type of waste container is that the weight of the contents held by the container body can bow the waste container bottom downwardly a sufficient amount so that it contacts the ground, resulting in increased wear and tear on the container body bottom as the waste container is moved about during its lifetime. Ultimately, the excess wear and tear on the container body bottom results in a premature failure of the container. Although this problem can be reduced by increasing the thickness of the bottom wall, this solution increases the cost of the container due to increased material costs and increased cycle time and may also result in undesirable stresses in the container body due to differential cooling during the molding process.
An additional problem arises from the current container bodies having a relatively narrow draft in order to obtain the greatest amount of volume in the smallest plan form. The narrow draft often makes it difficult to remove the container body from the injection mold because of the tendency for a vacuum to form between the container bottom and the mold. To aid in the removal of the container body, air is injected between the mold and the container bottom. The injected air has a tendency to extend the container bottom upwardly into the container body cavity. Since the container body is still relatively warm during removal, the force of the injected air can cause a permanent stretching or arching of the bottom, which exacerbates the tendency of the bottom to contact the ground when the container body is loaded with waste and the bottom inverts from the load.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a waste container for the storage and collection of residential or commercial waste, comprising an open top body closeable by a cover pivotally mounted to the body, a wheel assembly provided near the bottom of the body and a handle extending from the body. The body has a bottom wall with a peripheral edge and a peripheral wall extending upwardly from the bottom wall peripheral edge and terminating in an upper edge to define a waste compartment with an open top. An inner rib projects downwardly from a bottom surface of the bottom wall and a plurality of corrugations are formed in the bottom wall and extend from the bottom wall peripheral edge to the inner rib wherein the corrugations and inner rib cooperate to form a structural support for the bottom wall.
Preferably, the corrugations comprise elongated indentations, which have a thickness substantially the same as the bottom wall thickness. Each of the elongated indentations preferably define a longitudinal axis and have a U-shaped cross section transverse to the longitudinal axis. When arranged in groups, the combined U-shaped cross sections of the elongated indentations form a truncated sinusoidal-like wave form.
Some of the elongated indentations can extend past the rear edge of the bottom wall and at least partially up the peripheral wall.
The inner rib can circumscribe an interior portion of the lower surface of the bottom wall. The bottom wall peripheral edge is substantially rectangular and defines a front edge, a rear edge, and side edges connecting the front and rear edges to form corners at the junctions of the front and rear edges with the side edges, with corner indentations having an elongated arcuate profile positioned in the bottom wall near the corners and extending between adjacent groups of elongated indentations.
The body can include an outer peripheral rib projecting downwardly from the peripheral edge of the bottom wall along at least a portion of the bottom wall peripheral edge and at least some of the groups of elongated indentations extending between the outer rib and the inner rib.
The wheel assembly preferably comprises an axle mounted to the body and a pair of wheels mounted to the axle, with at least the axle being rotatable relative to the body or the wheels being rotatable relative to the axle.
The invention also relates to a waste container for the storage of waste, comprising a body having a bottom wall with a peripheral edge and a peripheral wall extending upwardly from the bottom wall peripheral edge and terminating in an upper edge to define a waste compartment with an open top. An inner rib projects downwardly from a bottom surface of the bottom wall and a plurality of corrugations are formed in the bottom wall and extend from the bottom wall peripheral edge to the inner rib wherein the corrugations and inner rib cooperate to form a structural for the bottom wall.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3563445 (1971-02-01), Clayton
patent: 4197958 (1980-04-01), Zeni et al.
patent: 4600113 (1986-07-01), De Mars
patent: 4749101 (1988-06-01), Durkan, Jr.
patent: 5036999 (1991-08-01), Bitsch
patent: 5152420 (1992-10-01), Bird et al.
patent: 5183180 (1993-02-01), Hawkins et al.
patent: 5332115 (1994-07-01), Schafer
patent: 5423453 (1995-06-01), Fritz
patent: 5582322 (1996-12-01), Prout et al.
patent: 5685452 (1997-11-01), Kristoffersson
patent: 5816591 (1998-10-01), Parker et al.
patent: 5865338 (1999-02-01), Conn
Cascade Engineering, Inc.
Pollard Steven
Rader, Fishman, Grauer & McGarry an Office of Rader, Fishman & G
LandOfFree
Waste container with reinforced bottom does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Waste container with reinforced bottom, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Waste container with reinforced bottom will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2479152