Garbage Bag Holder With Appurtenant Garbage Bag

Abstract

A garbage bag holder comprising a polygonal rod system consisting of mutually articulated rods, one element of the rod system being connected to one part of a cupboard, e.g. a cupboard door, and another element being connected to another cupboard part, e.g. a frame to which the door is hinged, so that the rod system is transferred from an open position to a closed position and vice versa when the two cupboard parts are moved in relation to one another.

Description

The present invention relates to a garbage bag holder for mounting on one of two cupboard parts movable relative to each other and having a polygonal rod system consisting of mutually articulated rods and adapted to carry a garbage bag at its open end and to assume, on the one hand, an open position in which the garbage bag is kept open and, on the other hand, a closed position in which the bag is kept pressed flat at its open end.

Garbage bag holders of this kind which, for instance, are known from British Pat. specification No. 1,073,895, may, in theory, be mounted on any kind of wall which does not have to be one of two cupboard parts movable relative to each other, for example a cupboard door. One of the rods in the rod system is fixed on the wall and the rod system is opened or closed by another rod being moved manually away from or towards the fixed rod. Means may be provided for keeping the rod system in the closed position.

In contradistinction to this, the garbage bag holder according to the invention is characterized in that two components of the rod system are each coupled to one of the movable cupboard parts. Hereby is achieved that the rod system, and with it the garbage bag, are opened and closed automatically by moving the two cupboard parts relative to each other, for instance, by opening and closing a cupboard door, which amounts to a considerable facilitation in the use of the garbage bag holder.

It is remarked that a garbage bag holding frame having a rigid, preferably rectangular frame, e.g. of plastic-coated steel wire, is known, to which a garbage bag may be fixed. The opening and closing of the bag takes place by means of a lid that is hinged in the frame and which can be moved between a position in which it rests on top of the frame and an approximately vertical position. The lid can be opened and closed by opening and closing the cupboard door, e.g. by means of a cord. The amount of garbage that can be put into the bag in such a garbage bag holder is smaller than the amount that can be put into the bag in a holder according to the invention or in the known holder first mentioned, since above the frame there must be a vacant space which renders the movement of the lid possible. This means a reduction of the possible height of the garbage bag, which height, in frames having a rod system is, to all intents and purposes, determined solely by the height of the cupboard door.

The rod system in the garbage bag holding frame may be of many different shapes. It may, for instance, be quadrangular, pentagonal or hexagonal and it can be equilateral or comprises rods of various lengths. Those components of the rod system which are coupled to the movable cupboard parts, may be the rods of the rod system or pivot joints. The coupling may be effected at one of the vertices of the rod system or one of the rods may be rigidly connected with the door or the frame. On of the connections is, by way of preference, easily releasable.

In the case in which one of the rods of the rod system is fixed to one of the movable cupboards parts, a particularly simple construction is obtained, in that in conformity with an embodiment of the holder according to the invention, spring means are incorporated into the rod system for influencing the rod system towards the open or the closed position, and in that there is a stop for the rod system intended for being fixed to the other cupboard part. If the rod system is influenced towards the open position by the spring means, a disconnection of the coupling between the other cupboard part and the rod system takes place automatically when the two cupboard parts are moved a certain distance from each other.

As a consequence of the movement of the bag at its open end, which occurs with each opening and closing of the bag, special measures are needed for ensuring that the bag, despite its simple mounting, is held securely in the rod system without being torn apart. According to the invention, the rod system may have a plurality of projections of rounded-off cross section for engagement with a corresponding number of holes punched in advance in the garbage bag.

The invention also relates to a garbage bag for use in the garbage bag holder according to the invention, which bag is characterized in that near the open end it has a plurality of holes of such a shape and spaced apart in such a way that it is easy to hook the bag on to the projections of the rod system, in addition to which the circumference of the bag at the open end corresponds approximately to the total length of the rod system. A secure fixing of the bag on the frame, as well as an effective closing of the bag is achieved hereby, the bag fitting tightly against the rod system essentially without any creases.

In the following, the invention is explained in greater detail with reference to the diagrammatical drawing, in which

FIGS. 1 and 2 show a garbage bag holder according to the invention fixed to a cupboard door and seen from above and from the side, respectively,

FIG. 3 a detail of the rod system in the holder shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 in perspective another detail of the rod system in the closed position corresponding to FIG. 2, and

FIG. 5 a part of a garbage bag for use in the holder shown.

In the shown embodiment of the garbage bag holder, an annular member is constituted of a rod system which, in the embodiment shown, comprise six rods 1-6. The rods are articulated with each other, so that the rod system can be in an open position, as shown in FIG. 1, or in a closed position, as indicated in FIG. 2. The rod 1 is fixed, for instance by being screwed, on a cupboard door 7, which is hinged to a frame 8 underneath a kitchen table 9.

In two of the pivot joints of the frame, e.g. pivot joints 10 and 11, a spring 12 is fitted, vide FIG. 3, which influences the rod system in the direction of the open position shown in FIG. 1. Pivot joints 10 and 11 have movement -limiting members, e.g. projections 13 and 14 on the rods 3 and 5 which, in the open position, abut against parts of rods 2 and 6, so that it is impossible for the springs to open the rod system beyond the position shown in FIG. 1.

On the topmost horizontal part of the frame 8, an elongated plate 15 having a longitudinal slit 16 is mounted, in which a pin 17 is fitted which can be adjusted to any desired position in the slit. When the cupboard door 7 is closed, that is to say, moved from the position shown in FIG. 1 to the position shown in FIG. 2, the rod 4 will come to abut against the pin 17 and by continuous movement of the door, the rod system will be deformed and will finally assume a position in which all rods lie parallel, in that the rod 4 abuts against rod 1, rod 3 against rod 2 and rod 5 against rod 6. The pin 17 is adjusted in such a way that this position of the rod system is obtained at the very moment when the door is closed completely. When the door is reopened, the rod system will again be brought into the position shown in FIG. 1 by means of the springs 12.

The rods 2 and 6 each have a projection 18 and 19, which comes to abut against the inside of the cupboard door 7 when the rod system occupies the position shown in FIG. 2.

In the rod system, the open end of a garbage bag 20, e.g. a plastic bag, is suspended. In order to ensure the attachment of the bag on the rod system, the latter has a plurality of projections 21 which engage corresponding holes 22 in the bag, vide in particular FIGS. 4 and 5.

The bottom of the bag is supported by a tray 23, which is fixed to the door 7. When the holes 22 are to be punched in the bag, same is expediently folded in such a way, vide e.g. FIG. 5, that it is possible to punch several holes in the bag with a single punch. With the kind of bag that is shown in FIG. 5, the rod system may be so arranged that the two pivot joints 10 and 11 are moved inwards, that is to say, towards each other, when the rod system moves from the open position the closed position.

In the embodiment shown in the drawing, the cross section of the individual rods is roughly U-shaped. It is possible to employ rods having other cross sections. The rod system does not necessarily have to consist of six rods as in the embodiment shown. The employment of other numbers of rods is also possible. The spring force in the pivot joints may be such that it forces the rod system towards the closed position. The connection between the rod system and the frame 8 has in such a case to be of such a kind that the frame is forced towards the open position against the spring force when the door is opened. The rod system need not be fixed to the door 7 by means of one of its rods, as one of the pivot joints may be connected to the door. In this case, one of the other pivot joints can, for instance, be connected with the frame 8.

It is not necessary for the projections to have the shape shown in the drawing, they may be of any other shape that is suitable for holding the garbage bag. Nor do the holes have to be of the shape shown. All that is required is that they be suitable for being fitted on to the projections of the rod system.

The annular member does not have to be constituted of a rod system with pivot joints. Its deformability may be obtained be a material which in itself is elastically deformable, e.g. plastic material. It is also possible to replace the pivot joint of the rod system with such a material.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A garbage bag holder for use with two housing sections adapted for relative movement with respect to each other, said holder comprising a frame adapted for connection to one of said housing sections and deformable between an open position and a closed position, resilient means for urging said frame towards one of said positions, and means associated with the other housing section for engaging and permitting said frame to move towards the other of said positions in response to said relative movement, said frame being adapted for releasable attachment to an openended bag in a manner to open and close the mouth of said bag in response to said relative movement.

2. The garbage bag holder set forth in claim 1, wherein said one housing section is movable relative to said other housing section and wherein said means associated with the other housing section is an abutment member mounted on said other housing section and projecting into the path of said frame.

3. The garbage bag holder set forth in claim 2, wherein said resilient means urges said frame towards said open position and wherein said abutment member causes movement of said frame towards said closed position.

4. The garbage bag holder set forth in claim 1, wherein said frame includes a plurality of rods pivotally connected end-to-end to each other, and one of the rods is attached to said one of the housing sections.

5. The garbage bag holder set forth in claim 1, wherein said frame is deformable in an essentially horizontal plane.

6. The garbage bag holder set forth in claim 1, and further including a plurality of projections spaced apart around said frame, said projections being adapted to engage corresponding holes in a garbage bag to permit said releasable attachment of said frame to said bag.