Automatic trash bagger

Abstract

The Automatic Trash Bagger introduces the concept of electronically sensed fullness and automatically tying a trash bag within a trash canister, which offers a more sanitary way to remove garbage from the home, office, etc. The Automatic Trash Bagger relieves the owner of the duty of pushing trash down into the receptacle to fit when full, pulling the trash bag up and tying it while contaminating their clothes and hands. Unlike the traditional trash can, the Automatic Trash Bagger is electronic and ties the bag for the owner or user. The only responsibility to the owner is to lift out the tied bag and dispose of it.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Provisional patent application filed for present invention on Dec. 7, 2006, application No. 60/873,302

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Applicable

REFERENCE TO SUBSEQUENT LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISC APPENDIX

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The Automatic Trash Bagger relates to electronics household items; particularly to a trash can containing a sensor, which signals mechanisms within to close and tie a bag within when it senses fullness.

Typical trash receptacles allow the owner to touch germs and potentially harm their household with contamination. Many diseases and viruses can be contracted from ordinary household trash. In fact, scientific data suggests that trash is a breeding ground for disease, and bacteria can multiply rapidly given the right conditions. In a 24-hour period, a single germ can multiply 281 trillion times. After one contaminates themselves with these germs and touches others and their household items, illness is inevitable.

With typical trash receptacles, usually the owner ties the trash loosely, and when taken to the dumpster near their home, pests invade the trash, and eventually may invade the home. While flies, mice, rats, or cockroaches are added to the mix as a distribution system for potentially harmful pathogens, the situation can evolve into an unhealthy state of affairs.

It is an object of the present invention to eliminate the need for a trash bag within the trash can to be touched in order to be closed and tied.

It is an object of the present invention to eliminate the decision factor pertaining to when the trash receptacle is full enough for the bag inside to be closed and tied.

It is yet another object of the present invention to lessen the amount of time the user spends in a bent forward position, in effort to fit trash, close and tie the bag.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a device that electronically bundles and seals garbage to offer a more sanitary way to remove garbage from the house. The invention comprise of a sensor which calculates the weight and mass of contents. The computer chip within the sensor is programmed to know when fullness is reached. When fullness level or weight level is reached, small sticky twist arms positioned circling the sides inside the circumference of the lid, gather the top of the bag inward. When gathered to a closed position, longer bag twist ties, then grab the ends of the bag and tie it in a knot.

An advantage of the present invention is that it enables homeowners and apartment dwellers, etc. to avoid an unclean appearance in the home, office, etc. due to overflowing garbage cans.

An advantage of the present invention is that it will resolve the need to push trash down with hands into the canister to make it fit.

An advantage of the present invention is that it does not force the user to remain in a bent forward position for extended time periods in an effort to push down trash, close and tie bag.

An advantage of the present invention is that it eliminates the decision making process in regards to the trash container being at a sufficiently full level to discard.

The advantage of the present invention is that it decreases germ contamination to the person or the user, their household possessions, and to other individuals, thereby promoting an overall sanitary environment.

The present invention offers the advantage of saving users money on antibacterial products, as well as added doctor visitations due to germ contamination related illnesses.

The present invention offers the advantage of quick and easy full garbage bag removal, by simply lifting the tied bag out of the trash receptacle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is an above, diagonal full perspective of the present invention while lid is opened, showcasing the overlapping plastic bag, the various electronic grabbing mechanisms, and the sensor inside the lid, as well as foot pedal and trash can outer shell.

FIG. 2 is a partially broken side view of the present invention in an opened position from the inside, showing the sensor, and the electronic grabbing mechanisms in a grabbing position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is of the best presently contemplated modes of carrying out the invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating general principles of embodiments of the invention. The scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims. In certain instances, detailed descriptions of well-known devices and mechanisms are omitted so as to not obscure the description of the present invention with unnecessary detail.

FIG. 1 Illustrates one embodiment of a trash can shell 1 according to the present invention. Referring first to FIG. 1 the assembly has a trash can shell 1, which must contain a trash bag insert 4 in order to function properly, which can fit inside the trash can according to size of the present invention, such as a standard 13 lb. trash bag to be retained inside the trash can shell 1.

The trash can shell 1 can be made from either plastic or metal. The liner is essentially a container, and can also be made from either plastic or metal. The trash can shell 1 is an enclosing wall which can have any desired shape, including oval, triangular, rectangular, square or circular (among others), with electronic mechanisms inside being adapted in length and size to compliment the shape.

A hinged lid 4 is hinged to the upper part of the trash can shell 1 using hinged connections that are well-known in the art, and will not be described in greater detail herein. The shell 1 and its hinged lid 5 with various electronics can be made of a solid and stable material, such as a metal, stainless steel, and plastic; the electronics being made of electronic material. The shell 1 has a base 2, and a foot pedal 3 which is secured to the base 2.

FIG. 1 is in an opened position, but the present invention must be closed in order for automatic trash bagging to initiate. The foot pedal 3, when pressed down, gives the allowance of the hinged lid 5 to be opened.

FIG. 1 also illustrates the trash can ridge 11 which the hinged lid 5 closes over. The overlapping or closing over of the trash can ridge 11 is necessary in order for gripping of the trash bag insert 4 to be accomplished.

FIG. 2 A-A Illustrates the present invention in an opened position, showcasing the inner hinged lid with various electronics 5. A sensor 9, which measures weight and mass, is located on the inside of the top of the hinged lid 5. A portion of the sensor 9 is connectively inside to various electronic wires (not shown), used to send signals from the sensor 9 to the electronic mechanisms on the lid.

When the sensor 9 senses fullness, such as a 27 inch high, 17 inch wide, 25 lb capacity segment of the present invention, multiplied by a pre calculated level of full capacity, which is programmed into the sensor 9, a signal is sent to the sticky bag twist arms 10, which are in a defaulted laying position to begin the close and tie process.

The sensor 9 on the inside of the hinged lid with various electronics 5, triggers the sticky bag twist arms 10 to come from a laying position into a diagonal, downward extended position, thus grabbing the inside of the trash bag insert 4 inside simultaneously. The bag twist arms 10 are on a twist arm rotator 15, which then moves the bag twist arms 10 about half way around the inner ridge of lid 14, as it pulls the trash bag insert 4 around to a tight position. As the bag twist arms 10, also move inward and downward while grasping the inside of the trash bag insert 4 with semi adhesive 17 on their ends.

After the top edges of the trash bag insert 4 are in the center, the two bag ties 7 and 8, come down from the top of the inside of the hinged lid 5 from a laying position against the hinged lid 5. The twist arms 10 hold the bag in place, while the two bag ties 7 and 8, grab the tips of the bag with the bag tie fingers 16 and begin tying it into a tight knot.

Additional length of the bag ties 7 and 8 is hidden inside the hinged lid 5, which comes out as needed in order to give added length to tie trash bag insert 4. The bag ties 7 and 8 come through the inside of the lid 5 out of two small bag tie holes 13. The bag ties 7 and 8 are made out of strong stretchable material, which allows them to tie a knot as would a human, but tighter and more efficiently, without error.

A small green light (not shown) on the top of the lid will indicate that a trash bag insert 4 has been closed, tied, and ready for disposal. A small red light (not shown) next to the said green light will indicate if automatic trash bagging is in process. A yellow light (not shown) next to the said red light will indicate the need to recharge the present invention or it may stay plugged in. The present invention has an inbuilt battery and an electrical cord 12 runs from the electronics in the hinged lid 5 through the inner trash can shell 1 and out the base 2 to allow for recharge.

The hinged lid 5 is self locking to the outside of the trash can shell 1 when present invention is in motion. No lights on, indicates that trash may be placed inside.

The above detailed description is for the best presently contemplated modes of carrying out the invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating general principles of embodiments of the invention. The scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims. In certain instances, detailed descriptions of well-known devices, components, mechanisms and methods are omitted so as to not obscure the description of the present invention with unnecessary detail. Those skilled in the art will recognize that numerous modifications and alterations may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention.

Claims

1. A trash can assembly, comprising: a shell having a bottom end the shell defining an outer periphery that encloses an interior space; a lid pivot coupled to the outer shell for movement between an open position and a closed position; comprising: a sensor which measures weight and mass of the contents; twist arms which gather the edges of a typical trash bag insert, while rotating around the circumference of the inner lid which comes from a laying down position to an outward diagonal position; twist arm rotator on ridge of inner lid, which spins the twist arms around the lid; bag ties which are the tying mechanisms, in which after bag is pulled by twist arms, come from a laying position on the inner lid to tie bag into a single knot.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the sensor is in the center of the lid, protruding out of the inside of the lid.

3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the sensor measures weight and mass of the trash can contents.

4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein twist arms comprise of semi adhesive on their ends, and the twist arms are in a semi hook shape.

5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the twist arms spin about half way around the inner lid circumference as they pull edges of grabbed bag on a twist arm rotator.

6. The assembly of claim 4, wherein the twist arm rotator is connected to each twist arm, as their mode of being spun around on the ridge of the inner lid.

7. The assembly of claim 1, wherein added length of the bag ties is inside of the lid, traveling through two small holes in the lid.

8. The assembly of claim 6, wherein bag ties come from a laying position against the inner lid, to an outward downward diagonal position when sensor is activated.

9. The assembly of claim 6, wherein bag ties extend out of two holes in the inner lid about an inch from the beginning points of the diameter of the said lid.

10. The assembly of claim 8, wherein there are two bag ties.

11. The assembly of claim 9, wherein the bag ties each have two outward extended grabbing mechanisms on their ends.

12. A hinged trash can lid assembly, comprising: a sensor which measures weight and mass of the contents; twist arms, which come from a laying down position to an outward diagonal position, connected to a twist arm rotating device which is secured to the circumference of the inner lid; twist arm rotator on ridge of inner lid, which spins the twist arms around the inner ridge of the lid; bag ties which are the tying mechanisms.

13. The assembly of claim 11, wherein the twist arms, twist arm rotator and bag ties are signaled from the sensor to automatically close and tie bag.

14. A method of automatic trash bag closing and tying into a knot inside of a trash can assembly, comprising: a trash can assembly that has an outer shell defining an outer periphery that encloses an interior space; a foot pedal used to open and close a hinged lid; and a lid comprising: two bag ties which have two bag tie fingers on the ends of each, which open and close for grasping; many bag twist arms; a sensor, which senses weight and mass of the contents.

15. The assembly of claim 14, wherein the bag twist arms grab the plastic mil (top) of the trash bag insert, to allow for closing and tying.

16. The assembly of claim 15, wherein, there must be a trash bag insert in order for there to be proper functionality.