Trash container bin made of polymer and having separable handles made of polymer with metal reinforcement

Abstract

A trash container having integrated webbing produced during the rotomoulding process and which add structural integrity to the container. The handles are also made using a rotomoulding process and are designed to accept a metal sleeve journaled through a longitudinal opening.

Description

This application claims priority based on provisional application 60/920,287 filed Mar. 28, 2007

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to containers but more particularly to a trash container bin made of polymer and having separable handles made of polymer with metal reinforcement designed to be lifted by garbage collecting trucks using forks to lift and dump the container.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There are several trash container bins, some are made of metal while others are made of polymers. Metal has the inconvenience of rusting, needing painting, can remain damaged upon impact.

Polymers, on the other hand do not need painting, do not rust and can take moderate impact without sustaining permanent damage on their surface.

The disadvantage of polymer bins is that they may not be as strong as some metal bins, especially when it comes to the handles used by the garbage collecting trucks to lift the bins for dumping their contents into the truck.

These handles have to be very strong to sustain the weight of the bin in addition to its contents. US patent 54, 550, 849 uses metal parts inside those handles as a strenghtening means.

Also, a patent application by this inventor solved the problem by creating a metal skeleton that gave structural integrity to the bin while at the same time serving as anchoring means for brackets holding the handles. This particular type of garbage bin was ideally suited for large capacity bins. However, there exists in the marketplace a need for smaller sized garbage bins that do not require such strong metal parts.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known devices now present in the prior art, the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide objects and advantages which are:

To provide for a trash container bin made of polymer and having specially configured handles that are added on the main bin to simplify manufacturing of the bin itself since it would otherwise be impossible using current manufacturing processes to accomplish that.

To attain these ends, the present invention generally comprises an integrated webbing produced during a rotomoulding process; detachable rotomoulded handles; and a metal sleeve journaled through a longitudinal opening within the handle.

The handle is mechanically fastened to the container by way of metal inserts moulded into the polymer and passing through holes.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.

These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter which contains illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 Perspective view showing the front, one side, and the interior, and without the handles.

FIG. 2 Perspective view favoring the back.

FIG. 3 Front view of the handle.

FIG. 4 Perspective view of the handle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A trash container bin (10) has an integrated webbing (12) produced during the rotomoulding process and which adds structural integrity to the container bin (10). Handles (14) are made separately but also using a rotomoulding process and are designed to accept a metal sleeve (16) journaled through a longitudinal opening (18).

Familiar elements such as integrated hinges (20) for lids (22) are of course part of the features of the trash container bin (10).

Other features include wheels (28), soft inwardly curving walls (24) which allows for trash to be easily expelled including frozen garbage and water accumulating at the bottom since the narrower bottom can easily pass a frozen mass through the rest of the bin which is larger since it is less prone to jamming.

The handles (14) are mechanically fastened to the container (10) by way of metal inserts (not shown) moulded into the polymer and passing through holes (26). Of course, any equivalent mechanical fasteners (not shown) passing through holes (26) could also perform a similar duty all within the scope of this invention.

As to a further discussion of the manner of usage and operation of the present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description. Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and operation will be provided.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A trash container bin comprising:

an integrated webbing produced during a rotomoulding process;

detachable rotomoulded handles;

a metal sleeve journaled through a longitudinal opening within the handle.

2. A trash container bin as in claim 1 wherein:

the handle is mechanically fastened to the container by way of metal inserts moulded into the polymer and passing through holes.