Easy to Assemble Wastebasket

Abstract

A wastebasket is easily constructed by an end user from a pair of side panels which are joined to form a sleeve, and a base and a rim which have circumferential grooves that receive the bottom and top edges of the sleeve. Snap connectors are inserted through the base and rim to maintain the parts in their assembled condition.

Description

This application claims benefit from provisional U.S. patent application No. 60/774248, filed Feb. 17, 2006.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to containers, and more particularly to an easy to assemble wastebasket.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the invention is provide a wastebasket kit which can be shipped by the manufacturer in an essentially flat condition.

Another object is to provide a wastebasket kit which can be easily and quickly assembled into a wastebasket without special skills or tools.

A further object is to provide a durable wastebasket having no metal parts. A related object is to construct a wastebasket from polymeric material which can be printed with lettering, decoration and logos.

These and other objects are attained by a easy to assemble wastebasket as described below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings,

FIG. 1 shows the major components of a wastebasket kit;

FIGS. 2-5 shows the component parts being assembled;

FIG. 6 is an isometric view of the base of the wastebasket;

FIG. 7 is a top plan view thereof;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 8-8 in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is an isometric view of the top rim of the wastebasket;

FIG. 10 is a bottom plan view thereof;

FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken on the line 11-11 in FIG. 10; and

FIG. 12 is an isometric view of a snap fastener component shown in FIG. 1

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A wastebasket kit embodying the invention includes two side panels 10,12, a base 14, a rim 16, and four snap connectors 18. The parts are shown unassembled in FIG. 1, and being assembled in FIGS. 2-5. Note the holes 20 punched from the panels near their edges. Each panel has a series of aligned slots 22 parallel to and near one edge of the panel, and a series of tabs 24 formed in the opposite edge of the panel. The tabs are sized to be inserted into the respective slots. At least one of the tabs (e.g., the center one) has barbs 26 whose span is slightly greater than the slot width so that they have to lightly forced into the slot and thereafter retain the parts in an assembled condition.

FIGS. 6-8 show the base 14 of the wastebasket, which is generally circular and has an upwardly extending outer flange 28 which, with the opposing interior flange 30, defines a circumferential groove 32 adapted to receive the bottom edges 34 of the assembled side panels. FIG. 7 shows the base from above. The perspective view (FIG. 6) of the base shows apertures 36 designed to receive the heads of the snap connectors 18 so that they sit flush once installed.

FIGS. 9-11 illustrate the upper rim 16. The rim has a downwardly extending outer flange 40 and an inner flange 42 which define a circumferential groove 44 adapted to receive the top edges 46 of the assembled side panels. Apertures 48 like those in the base are formed in the rim to receive snap connectors 18 as well.

FIG. 12 shows a single snap connector 18 in detail. It has a round head 50 with two parallel tangs 52, 54 extending from one side thereof. Each tang has a barb 56; these face away from one another, so they catch against the sides of a hole 20 when the barbs are pressed through the hole, thereafter resisting removal of the snap connector.

Returning to FIGS. 2-5, one assembles the wastebasket by first inserting the tabs 24 of each side panel 10, 12 into corresponding slots 22 in the other side panel, so as to form a sleeve (FIG. 2). The assembled sleeve “S” is pressed down onto the base 14, seating the bottom edges 34 of the panels in the circumferential groove 32 (FIG. 3). Next, the rim is pressed down onto the sleeve so that the top edges 44 of the panels seat in the circumferential groove 42 in the rim (FIG. 4). Finally, snap connectors 18 are pressed into the apertures 36, 46 in the base and the rim, respectively, so that they snap into a locked position penetrating the holes 20 in the panels and fully seated in the apertures, maintaining the wastebasket in its assembled condition.

The side panels 10, 12 are preferably made of durable, stiff, high density polyethylene sheet with a matte finish. This material is extremely durable, printable, and easy to convert. It can be screen printed, making it suitable for a wide variety of graphic applications including sports logos and team names. The preferred thickness range is 0.020 to 0.023 inch.

The rim and the base are molded from a strong, stiff inexpensive polymeric material. While the rim and base are shown in FIG. 1 as having identical outside diameters, that need not be the case: a larger rim could be used to produce a frusto-conical wastebasket as suggested by FIG. 5. The shapes of the side panels would have to be suitably altered in that event.

The invention is subject to alteration and modification: for example, the two side panels could be replaced by a single panel which would be bent 360° to form the sleeve. Another alternative would be to have more than two side panels joined to form the sleeve.

Claims

1. A wastebasket kit comprising

a stiff bottom having an upwardly open peripheral groove,

a stiff top rim having a downwardly open peripheral groove, and

one or more flexible panels whose opposite edges can be interconnected to form a sleeve whose ends can be seated in the upwardly and downwardly open lateral grooves to form a wastebasket.

2. The invention of claim 1, wherein

the bottom has a first hole therein intersecting its groove,

the top rim has second hole therein intersecting its groove,

at least one of the panels has a fourth hole therein in a position which can be aligned with the first hole as the sleeve is seated in the bottom groove, and

at least one of the panels has a fourth hole therein in a position which can be aligned with the second hole as the sleeve is seated in the top groove, and

a plurality of fasteners, each adapted to be passed through the aligned holes to keep the sleeve seated in said grooves.

3. The invention of claim 2, wherein said fasteners are snaps which can be pushed into the holes and have protrusions for retaining the snaps in the holes.

4. The invention of claim 1, wherein the panels have tabs and slots on their lateral edges to interconnect the edges to form said sleeve.

5. The invention of claim 1, comprising a plurality of said panels.

6. The invention of claim 5, wherein the panels are identical.

7. The invention of claim 5, wherein said plurality is two.

8. The invention of claim 1, wherein each of said panels is formed from a stiff, flexible sheet material.

9. The invention of claim 8, wherein said sheet material is a high density polyethylene.

10. The invention of claim 9, wherein said sheet material has a surface suitable to receive printing.

11. The invention of claim 1, wherein every part of the wastebasket is non-metallic.

12. A wastebasket comprising

a stiff bottom having an upwardly open peripheral groove,

a stiff top rim having a downwardly open peripheral groove, and

a plurality of flexible panels joined together to form a sleeve a sleeve whose ends are seated in the upwardly and downwardly open lateral grooves to form a wastebasket.

13. The invention of claim 12, further comprising a plurality of snap fasteners, each passed through aligned holes in the sleeve, the rim, and the bottom to keep the sleeve seated in said grooves.

14. The invention of claim 12, wherein each of said panels is formed from a stiff, flexible sheet material.

15. The invention of claim 14, wherein said sheet material is a high density polyethylene.

16. The invention of claim 14, wherein said sheet material has a printable surface.

17. A method of constructing a wastebasket comprising steps of

joining a plurality of identical flexible panels edgewise to form a sleeve,

seating a bottom edge of said sleeve in a groove formed in the periphery of a wastebasket bottom,

seating a top edge of said sleeve in a peripheral groove formed in a wastebasket rim, and

retaining said parts thus assembled by inserting fasteners through the panels and the rim or bottom, respectively.