HEAT-SEALED WASTE DISPOSAL
The present invention relates to disposing of waste in a safe manner by supplying an apparatus with a sealing system configured to only apply a seal to an elongated tube of material when several conditions are met, wherein the conditions indicate that the apparatus is in a safe configuration for applying the seal. The apparatus includes a push switch for sensing when the lid has been closed, and another push switch for sensing when a bin has been locked in the apparatus. Thus, when the lid and bin are closed and locked, a child cannot reach into the apparatus and the seal can be applied safely without fear of burning a child.
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This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/536,268, filed Sep. 19, 2011, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Technical Field
This invention relates to heat sealed waste disposal. More particularly, this invention relates to heat sealing an elongated tube of material to seal packets of odorous waste therein. Specifically, this invention relates to forming sealed pockets along the length of the tube of material for containing waste and odor therein while including safety features to prevent children from operating the sealing mechanism or disposing of non-waste items.
2. Background Information
Many disposable or waste items include an unpleasant smell. For example, babies generate a significant number of feces/urine-laden diapers, which due to the smell, require frequent trips to the garbage can or trash receptacles for disposal. Most of those trash receptacles are fitted with a lid designed to contain odors when the lid is closed. However, most lids are not designed to be perfectly air-tight with respect to their receptacles, or after repeated use becomes less than air-tight, permitting odor to emanate from the receptacles even when they are closed. Even with the most air-tight containers, upon opening the container, the nauseous odors escape into the area giving an extremely unpleasant sensation to the person attempting to add more trash to the receptacle. Location of the receptacles in a remote location is inconvenient and generally unsatisfactory. Furthermore, inasmuch as trash receptacles may be disposed in the presence of children, the children may, through their natural curiosity, either open the trash receptacle and allow nauseous odors to escape or may even deposit non-waste items in the trash receptacle. Many parents have been surprised to find that their child has thrown away a valuable item through their natural curiosity. Often the parent does not discover such an action has occurred until after the trash bag has been removed and taken to the city dump.
Diapers are a particularly difficult waste item to retain for ultimate disposal, as diapers are typically stored and accumulated in the container. The cumulative odor of diapers being stored within the container frequently reaches such an offensive level that the diapers must be disposed of before the container is full. The later leads to a large use of container liners or bags, coupled with excessive emptying operations. Excessive emptying operation can be of particular concern as one hesitates to leave the infant unattended or to carry the infant and soiled diapers to a remote location. A further problem associated with such containers is that the containers themselves over a time tend to retain the odor even when no diapers are present in the containers. Therefore, a thorough complete cleaning of such containers is often necessary to reduce the lingering odor. Further, as many diaper disposal receptacles are not child proof, toddlers playing around the container may inadvertently open the container or allow odors to escape or the child may reach in to touch soiled diapers.
Numerous attempts to alleviate such problems have been employed. One such attempt relates generally to an air-lock approach. The air-lock approach includes a lid that covers a first chamber, a transfer mechanism, and a second chamber for finally receiving the waste. After depositing the waste into the first chamber, the user closes the lid and then actuates a transfer mechanism to transfer the waste material from the first chamber to the second chamber. Operation of the transfer mechanism involves opening the lid, depositing the waste into a holding chamber, and closing the lid. A constrictor or transfer mechanism is then opened to allow the waste to fall from the first chamber into the second chamber. Finally the transfer mechanism is closed to prepare the pail or receiving area for the next deposit of waste.
Another approach is a sealed packaging approach which requires a mechanism for sealing waste in a liner bag attached to a disposal receptacle. Most mechanisms of such kind require an inner lid and twisting mechanism for closing the neck of the plastic liner bag used to hold the soiled diapers. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,370,847 and 6,516,588 to Jensen et al. discloses a diaper system employing heat-sealing members moved between an open position and a closed/sealed position by either twisting an inner lid, closing the lid, or moving an activation arm. The sealing member thermally-fuses the tubing to form a sealed package containing the diaper. While this approach has seen modest success in the marketplace, adding a heat-sealing mechanism to an apparatus which is intended to reside around children is inherently dangerous. Thus, many parents are hesitant to bring such a device into their home. A child may inadvertently reach or touch the heating portion of such an apparatus and receive a burn or electrical shock. In some systems, a child simply has to open the lid and reach into the container after the sealing phase to receive a burn.
Thus, there is a need for an improved apparatus for storing waste such as diapers contaminated with fecal material and urine. Preferably, such a device would provide an impenetrable odor seal to a liner bag as desired by the user, and will be configured to provide a safe and secure mechanism for heating and applying such a seal. The apparatus should include multiple features which prevent the heat sealing mechanism from operating when the apparatus is not in a closed off and safe configuration with the lid shut. The apparatus should include lockable components and a release button which is disposed at the farthest liner point from the ground, to prevent children from reaching the release button to open the lid. Furthermore, the lid should open in an angle away from any possible reach by the child, so even if the child manages to open the lid, the internal components of the apparatus remain inaccessible.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThis invention relates to heat sealed waste disposal using an elongated tube of material having a rolled portion and an unrolled portion. An embodiment of the present invention can be implemented in the form of an apparatus having a housing defining a bin chamber, a bin opening, and a lid opening; a bin assembly, wherein the bin assembly is removably received in the bin chamber through the bin opening; a lid assembly disposed in the lid opening and movable between an open position and a closed position; a waste channel defined by the lid assembly, wherein the waste channel is exposed when the lid assembly is in the open position, and concealed by the housing when the lid assembly is in the closed position; an annular recess proximate the waste opening, wherein the annular recess is adapted to receive the rolled portion therein and further adapted orient the unrolled portion to extend through the waste channel; a release button disposed on the lid assembly; a locking engagement between the lid assembly and the housing for locking the lid assembly in the closed position, wherein the locking engagement releases the lid assembly when the release button is depressed; an actuator button disposed on the housing; a first sealing member disposed on the lid assembly; a second sealing member disposed on the housing; and wherein the second sealing member is operably connected to the actuator button and abuts the first sealing member to form a seal on the unrolled portion when the actuator button is depressed and the lid assembly is in the closed position.
A preferred embodiment of the invention, illustrated of the best mode in which Applicant contemplates applying the principles, is set forth in the following description and is shown in the drawings and is particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in the appended claims.
Similar numbers refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to disposing of waste in a safe and efficient manner. An embodiment of the present invention can be implemented in the form of an apparatus shown in
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To maintain lid assembly 7 in the closed position, apparatus 1 includes a locking engagement between lid assembly 7 and housing 3 for locking lid assembly 7 in the closed position. As shown in
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Housing 3 include sealing system 57 configured to apply a seal onto unrolled portion 117 of the elongated tube of material 115. A seal is applied longitudinally to material 115 to trap waste and odor inside unrolled portion 117. Sealing the waste inside material 115 prevents the waste and odor from escaping, as is typically experienced with standard garbage bags. As discussed previously, sealing system 57 includes push switch 55, push switch 125, and first sealing member 121. Sealing system 57 further includes second sealing member 131, which is formed from a nichrome wire 133 set behind a length of Teflon® tape 135. While wire 133 is preferably formed from nichrome, any form of resistance heating wire or similar heating element is encompassed by the present invention. Likewise, any similar style of tape 135 is encompassed by the present invention. Sealing system further includes an electrical input jack 137 connected to a control unit 139. Control unit 139 provides the electronic logic for connecting and switching the various circuits (not shown) required by the elements of sealing system 57. Nichrome wire 133 is heated as directed by control unit 139 to provide a heat source to seal material 115.
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The operation of sealing system 57 is now herein described. Sealing system 57 generally moves from a wait state, to an armed state, to a sealing state, and back to a wait state after the sealing state has completed. The wait state is the default state of the system, as a user opens and closes lid assembly 7 to deposit waste items therein. Sealing system 57 moves to the armed state when a user moves lid assembly 7 into the open position and subsequently depresses actuator button 141. The armed state is a logical state, no mechanical or thermal changes occur when sealing system 57 moves from the wait state to the armed state. Control unit 139 requires the internal circuits associated with push switch 125 and push switch 55 to close or be completed before control unit 139 moves sealing system 57 from the armed state to the sealing state. Apparatus 1 is configured such that the internal circuits of push switch 125 and 55 may only be completed or closed when apparatus 1 is in the safest configuration, with respect to the heat of nichrome wire 133. As a user manually moves lid assembly 7 from the open position to the closed position, tab 123 depresses button 124 on push switch 125, which completes the internal circuit associated with push switch 125. Thus, for the circuit of push switch 125 to be closed, lid assembly 7 must be in the closed position. When lid assembly 7 is in the closed position, access to waste channel 107 is prevented by lid portion 109. Similarly, as a user manually moves handle 39 from the unlocked position to the locked position, tab 51 depresses button 53 on push switch 55, which completes the internal circuit associated with push switch 55. Thus, for the circuit of push switch 55 to be closed, bin assembly 5 must be secured in bin cavity 27. When bin assembly 5 is secured in bin cavity 27, access to the internal portion of housing 3 through bin opening 21 is prevented by bin assembly 5. Inasmuch as sealing system 57 cannot move to the sealing state without lid assembly 7 being in the closed position and bin assembly 5 being in the locked position, apparatus 1 is safe for use around children as the internal heating elements and nichrome wire 133 must be inaccessible for apparatus 1 to move to the sealing state.
As described above, when apparatus 1 is in the armed state, and the circuits associated with push switch 55 and push switch 125 are completed, apparatus 1 moves into the sealing state. As shown in
LED light 143 emits different hues of light to provide visual feedback to the user to indicate what state sealing system 57 is currently in. When sealing system 57 is in the wait state, LED light 143 emits first hue 104, which in the preferred embodiment of the present invention is a green color of light. Thus, a user knows by observing first hue 104 that sealing system 57 is in the wait state. When the sealing system 57 moves into the armed state, LED light 143 emits second hue 106, which in the preferred embodiment of the present invention is a yellow color of light. Thus, the user knows by observing second hue 106 that sealing system 57 is in the armed state, and the user must move lid assembly 7 to the closed position and bin assembly 5 to the locked position to move sealing system 57 into the sealing state. When sealing system 57 moves into the sealing state, LED light 143 emits a third hue 108, which in the preferred embodiment of the present invention is a red color of light. Thus, the user knows by observing third hue 108 that sealing system 57 is in the sealing state. Finally, when sealing system 57 moves from the sealing state to the wait state, LED light 143 changes from third hue 108 to first hue 104 to indicate to the user that the sealing state is completed.
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It is one of the primary features of the present invention that apparatus 1 is configured to prevent accidental actuation of sealing system 57. It is another primary feature of the present invention that apparatus 1 is configured to prevent accidental disposal of non-waste by children. Any parent will readily understand the benefits of a disposal system which prevents odors from escaping in a safe and secure electronic manner, while simultaneously preventing children from throwing non-waste into the waste container. As such, actuator button 141 is concealed by housing 3 and lid assembly 7 while lid assembly 7 is in the closed position. Thus, a child cannot accidentally actuate sealing system 57 as actuator button 141 is not available for unsupervised depressing. Further, release button 91 is purposely disposed at the farthest linear distance from the surface or flooring whereupon base 19 rests. One will readily understand that this configuration for release button 91 is the most optimal placement, as release button 91 is the maximum distance from a child's reach. Thus, a majority of children will be incapable of depressing release button 91. Inasmuch as lid assembly 7 is locked in the closed position by way of release button 91 and the locking engagement of lock arms 97, the child has no way of exposing actuator button 141.
As described above, in the unlikely event that a child manages to depress release button 91 to expose actuator button 141, sealing system 57 is configured to prevent accidental burns. If release button 91 is depressed, and if the child subsequently depresses actuator button 141, sealing system 57 will not begin heating nichrome wire 133 until lid assembly 7 is manually moved back to the closed position, as indicated by tab 123 depressing button 124 to complete the circuit of push switch 125. As shown in
Preventing accidental burns is a primary goal of the present invention, but many parents have been surprised to find that their child has thrown a valuable possession into the garbage can, often finding out after the garbage has been hauled away to the city dump. Thus, preventing unintentional disposal of valuable possessions is another primary goal of the present invention. As shown in
Furthermore, as described previously here, handle 39 locks bin assembly 5 to housing 3 when in the locked position, by way of latch 41. Alignment notch 47 and fin 49 act in concert to provide tension on handle 39 and prevent children from releasing bin assembly 5 from housing 3, which would expose bin opening 21. Thus, the internal area of housing 3 is inaccessible to a child due to latch 41.
In operation, apparatus 1 is configured to allow a user to operate apparatus 1 as a typical garbage can while selectively applying a seal to portions of material 115 to contain the waste and odors therein. As unrolled portion 117 of material 115 fills with waste, gravity moves unrolled portion 117 into bin assembly 5 for later removal.
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The user may continue using apparatus 1 in this way and applying a seal as desired until garbage 59 is sufficiently full. At this time, the user rotates handle 39 from the locked position to the unlocked position thereby releasing bin assembly 5 from bin cavity 27 in the direction of Arrow L. The user then manually moves material 115 into razor channel 173 and across razor 75 in the direction of Arrow K.
This movement across razor 75 cuts material 115 to release the used and filled portion of material 115 into garbage bag 59, shown as sealed bag 138 (
In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness, and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed.
Moreover, the description and illustration of the invention is an example and the invention is not limited to the exact details shown or described.
Claims
1. An apparatus adapted to receive an elongated tube of material having a rolled portion and an unrolled portion, the apparatus comprising:
- a housing defining a lid opening;
- a lid assembly disposed in the lid opening and movable between an open position and a closed position;
- a waste channel defined by the lid assembly, wherein the waste channel is exposed when the lid assembly is in the open position and concealed when the lid assembly is in the closed position;
- a recess proximate the waste opening, wherein the recess is adapted to receive the rolled portion therein and further adapted to orient the unrolled portion to extend through the waste channel;
- a first sealing member;
- a second sealing member, wherein the first sealing member abuts the second sealing member when the lid assembly is in the closed position to press the unrolled portion therebetween; and
- a heat element adapted to selectively form a seal on the unrolled portion when the first sealing member abuts the second sealing member.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an actuator button exposed when the lid assembly is in the open position and concealed when the lid assembly is in the closed position, wherein the actuator button is operably connected to the heat element, and wherein the heat element forms the seal in response to actuation of the actuator button.
3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a lid push switch movable between an open position and a closed position;
- wherein the lid push switch is biased to the open position;
- wherein the lid assembly abuttably moves the lid push switch from the open position to the closed position as the lid assembly moves from the open position to the closed position; and
- wherein the heat element is prevented from forming the seal when the lid push switch is in the open position.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
- a locking engagement between the lid assembly and the housing for locking the lid assembly in the closed position;
- a release button operably connected to the locking engagement; and
- wherein the locking engagement releases the lid assembly in response to actuation of the release button.
5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the apparatus is adapted to rest on a surface, and wherein the release button is located on the apparatus at generally the farthest linear distance from the surface.
6. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising at least one torsion spring, wherein the torsion spring acts to bias the lid assembly towards the open position.
7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one guide fin extending from the lid assembly and generally aligned with a guide channel defined by the housing, wherein the guide fin rides within the guild channel as the lid assembly moves between the open position and closed position to stabilize and direct the movement of the lid assembly.
8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a cap configured to removably cover a portion of the recess, wherein the unrolled portion extends from the rolled portion past the cap to pass through the waste channel.
9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
- a bin chamber defined by the housing;
- a bin assembly, wherein the bin assembly is removably received in the bin chamber;
- a handle rotatable between a locked position and an unlocked position;
- a latch rotatable between a latched position and an unlatched position,
- a channel defined by the housing;
- wherein the latch is disposed in the channel in the latched position to thereby prevent removal of the bin assembly from the bin cavity;
- wherein the latch is not disposed in the channel in the unlatched position to thereby allow removal of the bin assembly from the bin cavity; and
- wherein the latch is operably connected to the handle such that the latch is in the latched position when the handle is in the locked position and the latch is in the unlatched position when the handle is in the unlocked position.
10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a bin push switch movable between an open position and closed position;
- wherein the bin push switch is biased to the open position;
- wherein the latch abuttably moves the bin push switch from the open position to the closed position as the latch moves from the unlatched position to the latched position; and
- wherein the heat element is prevented from forming the seal when the bin push switch is in the open position.
11. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:
- an inner surface on the bin assembly generally defining a bin cavity therebetween;
- an outer surface on the bin assembly; and
- wherein the handle is disposed on the outer surface and the latch is disposed on the inner surface.
12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:
- a pair of opposed side flanges extending from the inner surface of the bin assembly into the bin cavity;
- a back flange extending from the inner surface into the bin cavity and disposed intermediate the pair of side flanges;
- a bag recess defined by the back flange;
- wherein each side flange is adapted to receive a handle of the trash bag;
- wherein the bag recess is adapted to receive another portion of the trash bag; and
- wherein the side flanges and bag recess work in concert to hold the trash bag in an open position to receive a segment of the unrolled portion therein.
13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a cutting device disposed on the back flange for manually cutting the unrolled portion thereupon to release the segment from the unrolled portion.
14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
- an indicator;
- wherein the indicator is configured to emit a first indication when the apparatus is in a default state;
- wherein the indicator is configured to emit a second indication when the apparatus is in an armed state; and
- wherein the indicator is configured to emit a third indication when the apparatus is in a sealing state.
15. The apparatus if claim 14, wherein the first indication is a first hue of colored light, wherein the second indication is a second hue of colored light, and wherein the third indication is a third hue of colored light.
16. A method of operating an apparatus adapted to receive an elongated roll of material, the method comprising the steps of:
- moving a lid assembly in a housing from a closed position to an open position to expose an actuation button and a waste channel lined with a portion of the material;
- depositing waste into the portion through the waste channel;
- actuating the actuation button;
- moving the lid assembly from the open position to the closed position to conceal the waste channel and the actuation button; and
- forming a seal on the portion to seal the waste therein.
17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of waiting until a bin assembly is locked with the housing to form the seal.
18. The method of claim 16, further comprising the steps of:
- emitting a first indication when the apparatus is in a default state;
- emitting a second indication when the apparatus is in an armed state; and
- emitting a third indication when the apparatus is in a sealing state.
19. A sealing system adapted for use with an apparatus having a lid assembly disposed in a housing and movable between an open position and a closed position, the sealing system comprising:
- a first sealing member disposed on the lid assembly;
- a second sealing member disposed on the housing and having a heating wire adapted to selectively apply a seal to a tube of material, wherein the first sealing member moves proximate the second sealing member when the lid assembly is in the closed position, and wherein the first sealing member is spaced distally from the second sealing member when the lid assembly is in the open position;
- a first push switch disposed on the housing and having a first internal circuit, wherein the first internal circuit exists in a closed state when the lid assembly is in the closed position and exists in an open state when the lid assembly is in the open position;
- an actuator button disposed on the housing and operably connected to the heating wire and the first internal circuit; and
- wherein the heating wire is, configured to apply the seal to the tube of material when the actuator button is depressed and the first internal circuit is in the closed state.
20. The sealing system of claim 19, further comprising:
- a bin assembly lockable with the housing;
- a second push switch disposed on the housing and having a second internal circuit;
- wherein the second internal circuit exists in a closed state when the bin assembly is locked with the housing and exists in an open state when the bin assembly is not locked with the housing;
- wherein the actuator button is further operably connected to the second internal circuit; and
- wherein the heating wire is configured to apply the seal to the tube of material when the actuator button is depressed and the first internal circuit is in the closed state and the second internal circuit is in the closed state.
Type: Application
Filed: Sep 17, 2012
Publication Date: Mar 21, 2013
Applicant: SCANDINAVIAN CHILD LLC (Raleigh, NC)
Inventors: Cornelius McDaid (Randolph, MA), Brenda G. Berg (Raleigh, NC), John D. Fiegener (Marblehead, MA)
Application Number: 13/621,589
International Classification: B65B 57/18 (20060101); B65B 43/44 (20060101); B65B 43/26 (20060101); B65B 51/10 (20060101); B65B 57/00 (20060101);