U.S. patent application number 11/602081 was filed with the patent office on 2008-05-22 for trash can assembly with bag trim.
Invention is credited to Myk Wayne Lum, Frank Yang.
Application Number | 20080116207 11/602081 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39031058 |
Filed Date | 2008-05-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080116207 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Yang; Frank ; et
al. |
May 22, 2008 |
Trash can assembly with bag trim
Abstract
A trash can assembly includes a shell having an enclosing wall
that has an upper edge, a trim pivotably connected to the upper
edge, and a lid pivotably connected to the upper edge. The trim is
seated on the upper edge, and the lid is seated on the trim, when
the lid is closed. In addition, the trim and the lid pivot about
the same pivot axis.
Inventors: |
Yang; Frank; (Rancho Palos
Verdes, CA) ; Lum; Myk Wayne; (Irvine, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Raymond Sun
12420 Woodhall Way
Tustin
CA
92782
US
|
Family ID: |
39031058 |
Appl. No.: |
11/602081 |
Filed: |
November 20, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/495.11 ;
220/810 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65F 1/06 20130101; B65F
2001/1669 20130101; B65F 1/163 20130101; B65F 1/04 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/495.11 ;
220/810 |
International
Class: |
B65D 43/16 20060101
B65D043/16; B65D 25/14 20060101 B65D025/14 |
Claims
1. A trash can assembly, comprising: a shell having an enclosing
wall that has an upper edge; a trim pivotably connected to the
upper edge; a lid pivotably connected to the upper edge; wherein
the trim is seated on the upper edge, and the lid is seated seat on
the trim, when the lid is closed; and wherein the trim and the lid
pivot about the same pivot axis.
2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the trim has a base that is
seated on the upper edge of the shell, and a wall extending
vertically from the base, and which is recessed from the base to
define a shoulder between the wall and the base, with the lid
seated on the shoulder.
3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the trim has a locking element
that removably engages a portion of the upper edge.
4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the upper edge has an annular
lip which extends outwardly beyond the wall of the shell.
5. The assembly of claim 4, wherein the lip has a rounded
cross-section.
6. The assembly of claim 1, further including a pivot shaft that
extends through a portion of the trim and a portion of the lid.
7. The assembly of claim 1, further including a hinge assembly that
includes: a hinge housing provided on the shell; a pivot ear
provided on a portion of the trim; a pivot ear provided on a
portion of the lid; and a pivot shaft that extends through the
hinge housing and the pivot ears of the trim and the lid.
8. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the shell includes a bag tuck
opening provided adjacent the upper edge.
9. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the shell has a base, and a
bowl-shaped liner attached inside the shell adjacent the base of
the shell.
10. A trash can assembly, comprising: a shell having an enclosing
wall that defines an interior, with the wall having an upper edge;
a lid pivotably connected to the upper edge; a base; and a
bowl-shaped liner insert attached inside the shell adjacent the
base of the shell.
11. The assembly of claim 10, wherein the liner insert defines a
smooth lower wall for the interior of the shell, and is made of
plastic.
12. A trash can assembly, comprising: a shell having an enclosing
wall that has an upper edge; a hinge housing provided on the
enclosing wall adjacent the upper edge; a lid pivotably connected
to the upper edge at the hinge housing; a bag tuck opening provided
in the hinge housing.
13. A trash can assembly, comprising: a shell having an enclosing
wall that has an upper edge, with the upper edge having an annular
lip which extends outwardly beyond the wall of the shell; and a lid
pivotably connected to the upper edge and seated on the annular lip
when the lid is closed.
14. The assembly of claim 13, wherein the lip has a rounded
cross-section.
15. A trash can assembly, comprising: a shell having an enclosing
wall that has an upper edge, with the upper edge having an annular
lip which extends outwardly beyond the wall of the shell; a trim
pivotably connected to the upper edge, and having a locking element
that removably engages a portion of the upper edge; a lid pivotably
connected to the upper edge; a pivot shaft that extends through a
portion of the trim and a portion of the lid; and wherein the trim
is seated on the upper edge, and the lid is seated seat on the
trim, when the lid is closed.
16. The assembly of claim 15, wherein the trim has a base that is
seated on the upper edge of the shell, and a wall extending
vertically from the base, and which is recessed from the base to
define a shoulder between the wall and the base, with the lid
seated on the shoulder.
17. The assembly of claim 15, wherein the lip has a rounded
cross-section.
18. The assembly of claim 15, wherein the shell includes a bag tuck
opening provided adjacent the upper edge.
19. The assembly of claim 15 wherein the shell has a base, and a
bowl-shaped liner attached inside the shell adjacent the base of
the shell.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a trash can assembly, and
in particular, to a trash can assembly that has a trim that retains
the open top edge of a plastic trash bag.
[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0004] A major concern for both the home and the workplace is
containing and holding wastes, refuse, and trash until permanent
disposal. Trash cans act as containers for holding trash and other
wastes that are produced in any typical home or office. Trash and
garbage cans often employ lids and covers to contain the trash and
its associated odor, to hide the trash from view, and to prevent
the trash from contaminating areas beyond the lid.
[0005] Conventional trash cans have been improved over the years to
make them more user-friendly, sanitary, and hygienic. For example,
many trash cans are now provided with a foot pedal positioned
adjacent the base of the trash can so that a user can step on the
foot pedal to open the lid of the trash can, thereby freeing up the
user's hands to toss trash, or to change the plastic liner or bag
that is used to line the trash can. Other trash cans have even
provided an internal metal or plastic liner that fits inside the
trash can, and which can be removed to be washed. However, these
conventional trash cans still suffer from a number of
drawbacks.
[0006] A number of these drawbacks are associated with the
deployment, use and removal of the trash bag. A common problem is
associated with maintaining the trash bag suspended at the top of
the trash open with the mouth of the trash bag opened. For example,
a user typically needs to fold the top edge of the trash bag over
the top edge of the trash can or its internal liner to maintain the
mouth of the trash bag opened at the top of the trash can or an
internal liner. Unfortunately, the weight of the waste materials
deposited into the trash bag often causes the trash bag to slip
from the mouth of the trash can and fall crumpled into the interior
of the trash can. This can result in the undesirable spillage of
the waste material inside the trash bag.
[0007] Thus, there remains a need for a trash can that facilitates
the convenient and effective deployment, use and removal of a trash
bag.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0008] It is an object of the present invention to provide a trash
can assembly that allows for a trash bag to be conveniently and
effectively deployed, used and removed.
[0009] It is another object of the present invention to provide a
trash can assembly that securely retains a trash bag at the mouth
of the trash can.
[0010] In order to accomplish the objects of the present invention,
the present invention provides a trash can assembly that includes a
shell having an enclosing wall that has an upper edge, a trim
pivotably connected to the upper edge, and a lid pivotably
connected to the upper edge. The trim is seated on the upper edge,
and the lid is seated on the trim, when the lid is closed. In
addition, the trim and the lid pivot about the same pivot axis.
[0011] According to another aspect of the present invention, the
assembly can also include a locking element on the trim that
removably engages a portion of the upper edge.
[0012] According to another aspect of the present invention, the
upper edge has an annular lip which extends outwardly beyond the
wall of the shell.
[0013] According to another aspect of the present invention, the
shell includes a bag tuck opening provided adjacent the upper
edge.
[0014] According to another aspect of the present invention, a
bowl-shaped liner is attached inside the shell adjacent the base of
the shell.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a trash can assembly
according to one embodiment of the present invention shown with the
lid closed, and with a trash bag shown in phantom.
[0016] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the trash can assembly of
FIG. 1 shown with the lid opened, and with a trash bag shown in
phantom.
[0017] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of the trash can
assembly of FIG. 1.
[0018] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the trash can
assembly of FIG. 1 shown with the lid opened.
[0019] FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view illustrating the hinge
mechanism of the trash can assembly of FIG. 1.
[0020] FIG. 6 is an exploded view of FIG. 5.
[0021] FIG. 7 is a perspective sectional view of the lower portion
of the trash can assembly of FIG. 1.
[0022] FIG. 8 is a bottom perspective view of the portion 8 of the
trim shown in FIG. 4.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0023] The following detailed description is of the best presently
contemplated modes of carrying out the invention. This description
is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the
purpose of illustrating general principles of embodiments of the
invention. The scope of the invention is best defined by the
appended claims.
[0024] FIGS. 1-8 illustrate one embodiment of a trash can assembly
20 according to the present invention. The assembly 20 has a shell
22 that can be made from either plastic or metal. The shell 22 is
an enclosing wall which can have any desired shape, including oval,
triangular, rectangular, square or circular (among others),
although the shell 22 is illustrated in FIGS. 1-7 as being
generally circular. The top edge of the shell 22 has an annular lip
24 which defines an opened mouth 26. The annular lip 24 extends
outwardly beyond the wall of the shell 22, and has a generally
rounded cross-section.
[0025] A trim 28 is pivotably coupled to the top edge 24, and can
be made from plastic or metal. The trim 28 and the shell 22 can be
made from the same or different materials. The trim 28 has an
annular base 44 that is adapted to be seated on the lip 24 of the
shell 22, and an annular wall 46 extending vertically from the base
44, and which is recessed from the base 24 to define a shoulder 45
between the wall 46 and the base 44. A lid 30 is pivotably
connected to the upper portion of the shell 22 using a hinged
connection that is described below. The lid 30 can be made of a
solid and stable material, such as a metal. The lid 30 has an
annular wall 48 that is adapted to be seated on the annular base 44
of the trim 28 when the lid 30 is closed, with the walls 46 and 48
positioned side-by-side such that the outer surfaces of the wall 48
and the base 44 are flush (see FIG. 1).
[0026] The shell 22 has a base 34, and a foot pedal 36 is pivotably
secured to the base 34. The base 34 of the shell 22 can define a
generally annular and curved skirt. In a non-limiting embodiment of
the present invention, the skirt can be formed in one plastic
piece. The shell 22 can be attached to the top of the skirt of the
base 34 by a groove snap-on, glue, welding, screws, and similar
attachment mechanisms. Referring to FIGS. 3 and 7, a bowl-shaped
liner insert 100 is attached to the base 34 at the bottom of the
shell 22, and forms a seal or lower wall for the interior of the
shell 22. The liner insert 100 can be made of plastic, and defines
a smooth base for the interior of the shell 22. The liner insert
100 is particularly advantageous where the trash can assembly 20
does not utilize a rigid inner liner.
[0027] Referring to FIG. 3, a link assembly extends from the foot
pedal 36 along the base 34 and then upwardly along the shell 22 to
the lid 30. The link assembly operates to translate an up-down
pivot motion of the pedal 36 to an up-down pivot motion for the lid
30. The link assembly includes a pedal bar 38 having a rear end
that is pivotably coupled to the bottom end of a vertical link rod
40. The pedal bar 38 is pivotably coupled to the base 34 for
pivoting movement about a pivot axis 42, and is connected at its
front end to the foot pedal 36. The bottom of the link rod 40 is
housed inside the base 34, and the link rod 40 extends through the
base 34 to the exterior of the shell 22, and then extends
vertically along the rear of the shell 22 to the location of the
lid 30 at the upper edge 24.
[0028] The trash can assembly 20 has a hinge assembly that
pivotably couples the lid 30 and the trim 28 along the same pivot
axis that is defined by a pivot shaft 50. The hinge assembly is
illustrated in greater detail in FIGS. 5 and 6 and includes a hinge
housing 52 that is provided on the shell 22, a pair of pivot ears
54 and 56 provided at the rear of the trim 28, and a pair of pivot
ears 58 and 60 provided at the rear of the lid 30.
[0029] The hinge housing 52 is secured to the outer surface of a
rear part of the shell 22 adjacent the lip 24, and includes an
L-shaped shield 66 extending vertically from a horizontal top
surface 68 of the hinge housing 52, a bag tuck opening 70 provided
in a region 72 that is recessed from the top surface 68, and a
pivot tube 74 positioned at the rear of the hinge housing 52 on the
top surface 68. The pivot tube 74 has a bore 76 which is adapted to
receive the pivot shaft 50. The bag tuck opening 70 functions to
grip and hold portions of a trash bag, and is defined by a border
78 that has cut-out sections 80. Portions of the trash bag can be
tucked into one or more of the cut-out sections 80 so that these
cut-out sections 80 can grip the tucked portions of the trash bag.
The shield 66 encircles an opening (not shown) in the top surface
68, and functions to shield or separate the hooked end 82 at the
top of the link rod 40.
[0030] The trim 28 has a pair of pivot ears 54 and 56 that are
spaced apart at the rear of the trim 28. The pivot ears 54 and 56
are spaced so that the pivot tube 74 is snugly fitted between the
ears 54, 56, as best shown in FIG. 5. Each ear 54, 56 has a
through-hole 84 that is adapted for receiving the pivot shaft
50.
[0031] The lid 30 has a pair of pivot ears 58, 60 that are spaced
so that the pivot ears 54, 56 are snugly fitted between the ears
58, 60, as best shown in FIG. 5. Specifically, the ear 58 has two
parallel walls 90 and 92, with the inner wall 92 positioned snugly
next to the pivot ear 54, and the ear 60 has two parallel walls 94
and 96, with the inner wall 96 positioned snugly next to the pivot
ear 56. Each ear 58, 60 has a through-hole 85 that is adapted for
receiving the pivot shaft 50. A pivot holder 86 extends from the
inner surface 88 of the lid 30 via a vertical support 102 that is
secured to the inner surface 88. The pivot holder 86 has two
parallel vertical walls 104 and 106, with an L-shaped slot 108
provided in each wall 104, 106.
[0032] Thus, the pivot shaft 50 extends through the through-holes
85, 84 and the bore 76 to pivotably connect the trim 28 and the lid
30 along the same pivot axis.
[0033] The top of the link rod 40 has a hooked end 82 that extends
through the hinge housing 52, and in particular, the opening
shielded by the shield 66. The hooked end 82 is received for
pivoting motion inside the slots 108 of the walls 104, 106, as best
shown in FIG. 5. Each slot 108 has an upper leg 110 and a lower leg
112. The hooked end 82 is normally retained for pivoting motion in
the upper leg 110 of each slot 108. When the lid 30 is fully
opened, the user can manually push the hooked end 82 into the lower
leg 112 of each slot 108, which will then secure the lid 30 in the
opened position until the hooked end 82 is disengaged from the
lower leg 112 of each slot 108.
[0034] Referring now to FIG. 8, the trim 28 a lock mechanism that
functions to secure the trim 28 to the lip 24 of the shell 22. The
lock mechanism includes at least one hook element 120 that is
secured to the inside of the base 44 of the trim 28. The hook
element 120 has an inner curved surface 122 that is adapted to
receive the rounded lip 24, thereby securing the lip 24 (and the
shell 22) to the trim 28. A handle 124 can be provided on the
outside of the base 44 adjacent the location of the lock mechanism,
so that a user can grip the handle 124 to lift the trim 28 from the
shell 22.
[0035] In use, the user can step on the foot pedal 36 to cause the
lid 30 to open. The user can adjust the hooked end 82 into the
lower leg 112 of the slots 108 to lock the lid 30 in the opened
position. The user can then grip the handle 124 to lift (i.e.,
separate) the trim 28 from the lip 24 of the shell 22, with the
trim 28 pivoting about the same pivot axis as the lid 30. Next, the
user can insert a trash bag into the interior of the shell 22, and
then invert the mouth of the trash bag over the annular lip 24. The
outwardly-extending, rounded construction of the lip 22 is
effective in retaining the inverted mouth of the trash bag at the
lip 24. This is illustrated in FIG. 2. In addition, part of the
trash bag can be inserted into the bag tuck opening 70. The trim 28
is then pivoted downwardly until it is rested on top of the lip 24,
with the lip 24 secured inside the hook element(s) 120. The mouth
of the trash bag will essentially be sandwiched by the trim 28 and
the lip 24, thereby ensuring that the mouth of the trash bag is
always opened during use, and that the trash bag will be retained
at the top of the shell 22. The user can then move the hooked end
82 into the upper leg 110 and pivot the lid 30 downwardly to be
closed, as shown in FIG. 1. To replace the trash bag, the user can
open the lid 30 and lift the trim 28 in the manner described above,
and then lift the trash bag from the shell 22 before replacing it
with a new trash bag.
[0036] Thus, the trash can assembly 20 provides several features
that are effective in retaining a trash bag at the mouth of the
shell 22. For example, the outwardly-extending lip 24 of the shell
22 makes it easy for the user to invert the mouth of the trash bag
to retain the trash bag at the lip 24. The trim 28 securely retains
the mouth of the trash bag at the lip 24 of the shell 22. The
locking element 120 ensures that the trim 28 is secured to the lip
24 of the shell 22 so that the trash bag cannot be inadvertently
disengaged from the lip 24. In addition, the user can tuck a
portion of the trash bag into the bag tuck opening 70. All of these
features ensure that the trash bag is retained securely at the lip
24 of the shell 22.
[0037] While the description above refers to particular embodiments
of the present invention, it will be understood that many
modifications may be made without departing from the spirit
thereof. The accompanying claims are intended to cover such
modifications as would fall within the true scope and spirit of the
present invention.
* * * * *