Container With Bag-liner Locking Rim

Abstract

A container is provided with a locking rim for securing flexible-bag liner in an open configuration in the container. The upper rim of a container is formed with a plurality of locking ribs angularly spaced around the rim. Each of the ribs is formed with a socket of a configraution that interlocks with the flexible-bag liner. Rolling of the upper periphery of the bag liner over the rim and into the socket locks the liner to the container.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Containers heretofore provided, as for trash receptacles, are often utilized for storing waste materials that may be liquid or semipaste. To avoid cleaning and washing of the container, as may become necessary for maintenance of proper sanitary conditions, disposable liners have been devised for insertion in the container. The liner is thus disposed of along with the waste material leaving the container clean and sanitary.

A problem encountered with the prior art container and liners is that the liners have a marked tendency to collapse and fall within the container. Polyethylene or poly vinyl materials are often utilized in fabricating these liners and the material, for reasons of commercial economics, is of relatively thin sheet form without appreciable structural rigidity as would provide a degree of self-support. Consequently, the liners which have been merely positioned in the container, readily collapse within the container thereby detracting from their usefulness.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with this invention, a container is provided having an upper rim structure that cooperatively interlocks with the upper peripheral edge portion of a liner to properly maintain the liner in an open configuration. For accomplishment of this objective, the container rim is formed with a plurality of ribs having a socket into which the edge portion of a liner may be readily rolled or gathered and cooperate therewith in locking the liner in the desired open configuration. In addition to locking of the liner in an open position relative to the container, the liner will be fully expanded to lie in close conformity with the container wall at its upper end thereby providing the maximum opening for the particular container.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will be readily apparent from the following detailed description of an embodiment thereof and the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a container embodying this invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 2--2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT

A container 10 is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 fabricated in accordance with this invention. The illustrative container, generally cylindrical, configuration having an upstanding peripheral wall 11 that is outwardly divergent toward the open upper end and has a closed bottom wall 12. A thermoplastic material may be utilized for fabrication of the container, as indicated in the illustrated embodiment, in a molding operation. Although the illustrative container is cylindrical, it is to be understood that a container of different configuration, such as one having a square or rectangular cross-section, may be faricated to embody this invention. Also, materials other than thermoplastic may be utilized in fabrication of a container.

A peripheral rim 13 is formed around the upper end of the wall 11. This rim 13 is an inverted channel of U-shaped cross-section having a leg 14 projecting downwardly in outwardly spaced relationship to the wall 11. Preferably, the closed upper end 15 of the channel is arcuately curved, as best seen in the enlarged fragmentary sectional view of FIG. 3, to form a smoothly rounded surface.

Integrally formed with the rim 13 and the upper marginal edge portion of the wall 11 are a plurality of locking ribs 16. Four such ribs 16 are incorporated in the container with these ribs being angularly spaced around the rim 13 as shown in FIG. 1. Each of the ribs 16 is of plate-form disposed in a generally vertical plane. Also, the ribs have a lower marginal end portion disposed below the bottom edge 17 of the rim leg 14 and extend upwardly into the channel of the rim 13 thereby enhancing the structural rigidity of the container 10.

Formed in the lower end portion of each rib 16 is a socket 18 adapted to receive a marginal edge portion of a flexible-bag liner L to maintain the liner locked engagement with the container 10. The socket 18 comprises a circular aperture 19 and a slot 20 extending between the aperture and the lower edge 21 of the rib. One side of the slot 20 smoothly merges into the lower edge 21 of the rib defining in cooperation therewith an arcuately curved surface. The opposite side 22 of the slot is relatively divergent resulting in a funnel shaped slot facilitating feeding of the marginal edge portion of the liner L into the aperture 19. An outer vertical edge surface 23 of the lower end portion of the rib 16 is formed contiguous with the arcuately curved surface of the edge 21 and the external surface of the rim leg 14.

Operational function of the rim 13 in locking a liner L to the container is illustrated in FIG. 3. As previously stated, the liner L adapted for utilization with containers of this type comprises a thin-walled, relatively flexible bag which is open topped. The liner L is first preliminarily positioned within the wall 11 of the container 10 in such a manner that a marginal edge portion E at the upper end may be loosely draped or folded over the rim 13. However, in utilization of the novel structure of this invention, this marginal edge portion E is pulled downwardly over the rim 13 and turned under the ribs 16. At each of the ribs 16, the marginal edge portion of the liner is trained into the socket 18 through slot 20. Upon passing into the aperture 19, the immediately adjacent portions of the liner are rolled as illustrated in FIG. 3.

With the liner's marginal edge portion E thus rolled into each of the apertures 19, the liner L is secured in locked engagement with the container 10. In this configuration of the liner, mere application of weight to the liner interiorly of the container will not be sufficient to unroll the marginal edge portion of the liner from the sockets. Release of the liner is thereby prevented and the liner will be locked in the desired open-topped configuration with respect to the container. The arcuately curved edge 21 of each rib 16 prevents tearing of the liner L as weight is applied to the liner.

It will be readily apparent from the foregoing description of an illustrative embodiment of this invention that a container is provided with novel locking means for securing of a disposable liner in proper relationship to the container. Formation of a rim at the upper periphery of the container, and which rim is provided with the locking ribs, enables a liner to be maintained in locked engagement with the container.

Claims

Having thus described this invention what is claimed is:

1. A container comprising

an upstanding peripheral wall defining an opening at the upper end thereof and adapted to receive a flexible-bag liner, and

a plurality of locking ribs formed with said upstanding wall adjacent the upper end thereof and in spaced relationship to each other said ribs projecting laterally outward from the exterior surface of said wall and having a socket formed in the lower marginal edge portion thereof to receive a marginal edge portion of the liner and maintain the liner in locked engagement with the container.

2. A container according to claim 1 wherein said locking ribs are of plate-form vertically disposed and said sockets are an aperture formed a distance upwardly from the lower edge of each respective rib with a slot extending between the aperture and lower edge through which the peripheral edge portion of the liner is projected into the aperture.

3. A container according to claim 2 wherein the lower edge of said rib is arcuately curved from said slot into contiguous relationship to the upwardly extending edge portions of said rib.

4. A container according to claim 2 wherein said slot is divergent from its juncture with said aperture to facilitate entrance of the liner into the said aperture.

5. A container according to claim 1 wherein said upstanding wall is formed at the upper end with an inverted channel of U-shaped cross-section having an outer leg projecting downwardly and terminating a distance above said sockets.

6. A container according to claim 5 wherein the closed upper end of the said channel is arcuately curved.

7. A container according to claim 5 wherein said outer leg is formed with the outer surface thereof contiguous with the outer edge of said ribs.