Garbage tray for countertop
A tray comprising a body having a front wall, back wall and a pair of side walls, a lip extending from the back wall and having a downwardly extending terminal portion to facilitate hooking on an upstanding flange. The back wall having a recess formed therein to accommodate a protuberance on a flange on which it is supported.
This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/490,524 filed on Jul. 29, 2003 and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/529,741 filed on Dec. 17, 2003.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to garbage receptacles.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ARTIn environments where a working surface such as a counter is used, clean up involves wiping down the surface and any unwanted material is gathered for disposal into a trash receptacle. In a kitchen or a workshop where counter tops require frequent cleaning, it can be awkward to transfer the unwanted material to a trash receptacle that may be positioned on the ground at a lower level than the top of the counter. The distance between the counter top surface and trash receptacle opening may result in unwanted material being misplaced on the floor surrounding the trash receptacle, which creates another mess to clean. The thickness of the countertops and small overhang makes it difficult to collect the garbage so that some material may fall along the front surface of the desk or counter and especially when the material is wet or tacky, this material can stick to the front surfaces.
In areas such as a kitchen, workshop or office, the counter tops that require cleaning are built on cabinets that are provided with closures such as drawers or cupboard doors beneath the counter top. These impede the positioning of a garbage receptacle and the placement of a receptacle in front of the closures likewise impedes access to the cabinets.
There exists receptacle trays that are adapted to hook on the ledge of a table to collect items swept off of the table, for example poker chips. U.S. Pat. No. 2,707,141 to Witter shows a tray that includes a means for hooking onto a ledge that is provided in combination with a table. The particular application of focus is a folding game table top. This type of tray requires the installation of a bracket to accommodate the hook of the tray. In the environment described herein, the design shown by Witter would not be suitable as it requires the installation of a bracket and therefore would not be flexible as to its position along the length of the surface to which it is affixed, nor would the presence of a bracket be aesthetically pleasing. Moreover, the presence of the bracket would affect the operation of doors and drawers associated with the counter top.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate at least one of the above mentioned disadvantages.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a tray that comprises a lip for detachably mounting the tray on an upstanding flange such as the edge of a cupboard door or the front member of a drawer. The tray includes an angled back wall extending outwardly from the lip to accommodate the presence of a handle which may be mounted on the front surface of the drawer or cupboard. The tray may also comprise spacers attached to the outer face of the back wall of the tray to support the tray against the drawer or door, keeping the tray at a substantially level horizontal position while continuing to accommodate the presence of drawer or door handles.
Additional features that may be incorporated into different embodiments include removable spacers that can substitute in various lengths depending on the nature of the environment, measuring lines on the side walls, a spout for assisting in pouring out contents of the tray and removable or permanent divider walls to compartmentalize the interior of the tray. In addition, a raised front wall may be included to reduce spills while wiping the working surface, an interior ledge to support a filter or strainer, one or more auxiliary holders, adjustable lip for mounting the tray on flanges of varying sizes, a hole for draining the contents of the tray and a handle to assist in transport or movement of the tray.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the tray is constructed without a bottom base. This open bottom will allow the use of a disposable waste bag which can be attached to the upper edge of the tray and can hang through the open bottom.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSThese and other features of the preferred embodiments of the invention will become more apparent in the following detailed description in which reference is made to the appended drawings wherein;
Referring now to the drawings and particularly to
The main features of the garbage tray 18 are most apparent in reference to
The tray 18 is detachably mounted on the upstanding flange 21 of the front 32 of the drawer 16 by way of a lip 22 that projects rearwardly from the upper edge of the back wall 26 and hooks around the upstanding flange 21. The lip 22 is thin so as to allow the drawer 16 to close completely, and allow the rear portion of the tray 18 to be positioned beneath the overhang of the counter top 12. The lip 22 has a degree of flexibility to allow it to accommodate different thickness of flange 21 as it is used in different locations. The lip 22 grips the flange 21 while allowing the tray 18 to be readily removed and placed in a different location.
The tray 18 is held substantially in a level horizontal position by way of a pair of spacers 24. The spacers 24 are attached to the exterior face of the back wall 26 and extend from this face to rest against the outer face of the front member 32 of the drawer 16. It will be appreciated that the shape of the back wall 26 may be of any contour while continuing to extend outwardly to accommodate the presence of a handle 20. Furthermore, the spacers 24 may be of any shape, size or orientation while continuing to prop the tray 18, in the manner described herein.
As can been seen most clearly in
When in use, the tray is positioned on the drawer front by sliding the lip 22 over the flange 21. With the drawer closed, the tray is positioned beneath the edge of the counter top. In this position the tray 18 collects any unwanted material that is wiped or swept from the surface of the counter top 12 in the direction of the tray 18 to fall within the basin of the tray 18. To perform this task most effectively, the drawer 16 must be in a closed position with the tray 18 positioned partially beneath the overhang of the counter top 12. This creates a continuous surface to ensure that all of the material being wiped or swept from the surface of the counter top 12 is collected within the tray 18. The tray 18 however, is mounted such that the drawer 16 may be opened if access to the drawer 16 is required.
The tray 18 is mounted by hooking the lip 22 around the upstanding flange 21 of the front member 32 of the drawer 16 and allowing the spacers 24 to rest against the front face of the drawer 16 which maintains the tray 18 in a substantially level and horizontal orientation. The spacers 24 prop the tray 18 away from the drawer handle 20 which allows the tray 18 to be used on any drawer 16 or cupboard door without the need for additional hardware such as a bracket or without any modifications such as the removal of a drawer handle 20.
When the tray is full or the preparation finished, the tray may be removed and taken to the garbage for disposal.
The lip 22 may be adjustable as shown in
Further modifications can be made to maintain adjustability of the tray 18 to accommodate different configurations of drawer. Making reference now to
In some situations it may be beneficial to be able to empty the contents of the tray 18 while it remains in its operable position. As illustrated in
In other situations, it may be desirable to empty the tray by pouring its contents using a spout 60 as seen most clearly in
Other additional features can be incorporated, especially for use in a kitchen environment. As see in
The basic shape of the tray 18 may be modified to incorporate other additional features depending on the application. As can be seen in
In another embodiment of the present invention, the tray 18 described herein may comprise of an open top and an open bottom 150 as shown in
A further embodiment is shown in
A seal 132 is secured to the lip 22 so as to project upwardly along the major extent of the lip. The seal 132 is flexible and tapers to its upper tip so as to be able to conform to the underside of countertop 12. The seal 132 may be formed from a number of plastics or rubber material and may be integrally moulded with the tray 18 if preferred.
In operation, the lip 22 may engage the top edge of a drawer or door with the cannels 130 abutting the front. As the drawer is closed, the seal engages the countertop and forms an effective seal to prevent ingress of debris into the drawer.
The tray 18 is contoured to be stackable with similar trays by virtue of the tapered front wall, sidewalls and channels to facilitate storage and transportation. As shown in
Alternatively, as shown in
As a further alternative, as shown in
In each embodiment, the tray 18 is positioned to provide a container beneath the edge of the counter top that does not interfere with the use of the drawer or cupboard on which it is mounted. It may readily be removed to facilitate storage when not in use or work at different areas of the counter top.
Although the invention has been described with reference to certain specific embodiments, various modifications thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as outlined in the claims appended hereto.
Claims
1. A tray comprising a body having a front wall, back wall and a pair of side walls, a lip extending from said back wall and having a downwardly extending terminal portion to facilitate hooking on an upstanding flange, said back wall having a recess formed therein to accommodate a protuberance on a flange on which it is supported.
2. A tray according to claim 1 wherein said recess is formed by a downwardly inclined portion of said back wall.
3. A tray according to claim 2 wherein spacers are provided on said rear wall to engage a flange on which said tray is supported.
4. A tray according to claim 3 wherein a pair of spacers are provided, one on each side of said recess.
5. A tray according to claim 4 wherein said spacers are integrally moulded in said back wall and protrude therefrom.
6. A tray according to claim 1 including a base extending between said walls to provide a base within said tray.
7. A tray according to claim 6 wherein said walls and base are integrally moulded.
8. A tray according to claim 7 wherein said recess is formed by a downwardly inclined portion of said back wall.
9. A tray according to claim 8 wherein a pair of spacers are provided, one on each side of said recess to engage a flange in which said tray is supported.
10. A tray according to claim 9 wherein said spacers are integrally moulded in said back wall.
11. A tray according to claim 6 wherein a drain is provided in said base.
12. A tray according to claim 6 wherein indicia are provided on one of said walls to indicate corresponding volume of said basin.
13. A tray according to claim 12 wherein said one wall is transparent.
14. A tray according to claim 6 wherein internal walls are provided in said basin to subdivide said basin.
15. A tray according to claim 14 wherein said internal walls are removable.
16. A tray according to claim 6 wherein a strainer is located in said basin spaced from said base.
17. A tray according to claim 16 wherein said strainer is supported an internal ledges on said walls.
18. A tray according to claim 6 wherein said front wall extends above said lip.
19. A tray according to claim 1 wherein said lip is adjustable.
20. A tray according to claim 19 wherein said downwardly extending terminal portion is biased toward said back wall.
21. A tray according to claim 19 wherein said terminal portion is slidable relative to said back wall.
22. A tray according to claim 21 wherein said terminal portion is biased toward said back wall.
23. A tray according to claim 1 wherein hooks are provided on said front and side walls to secure a bag thereto.
24. A tray according to claim 23 wherein a groove is provided between said lip and said back wall to accommodate an edge of a bag.
25. A tray according to claim 1 including a seal on said lip to seal between said lip and an overhanging surface when supported on said flange.
26. A tray according to claim 1 including a rack to hold utensils.
27. A tray according to claim 26 wherein said rack is incorporated in a side wall.
28. A tray according to claim 26 wherein said rack is incorporated in said back wall.
29. A tray according to claim 1 wherein said body is configured to be stackable with bodies of like trays.
30. A garbage collection installation comprising a cabinet, a closure on said cabinet having an upwardly directed flange, a work surface on said cabinet overhanging said closure, and a tray having a body with front, side and back walls and a lip projecting rearwardly from said body, said lip being configured to pass between said work surface and closure and to engage said flange to support said tray on said closure.
31. An installation according to claim 30 wherein a recess is provided in said back wall to accommodate fixtures on said closure.
32. An installation according to claim 31 wherein a pair of spacers located on said back wall to engage a front face of said closure.
33. An installation according to claim 32 wherein said spacers are integrally moulded with said body.
34. An installation according to claim 33 wherein said spacers are inset from each sidewall.
35. An installation according to claim 30 wherein said lip is adjustable to accommodate difference thickness of flange.
36. An installation according to claim 30 wherein a seal is provided on said lip to engage said work surface.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 29, 2004
Publication Date: Feb 24, 2005
Inventors: David Herman (Burlington), Brady Moore (Etobicoke)
Application Number: 10/901,130