REFUSE CONTAINER
The present invention relates to a refuse container having a base element of four side walls and a bottom substantially surrounding a cavity and forming an opening at a top thereof. At least a first of said side walls provides a substantially uniform height that is greater than a substantially uniform height of a second and opposing side wall. A lid element slidably disposed on the base element so as to slide from a closed position substantially covering the opening of the base element to an open position substantially within the cavity of the base element and substantially parallel to one of said side walls.
This application is related to and claims the priority benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 61/427,699 filed Dec. 28, 2010, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to a storage container, in particular a refuse container, having a lid element that is slidably disposed therein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONRefuse container designs are well known in the art and are routinely used for the storage of trash or waste and for providing such waste to a curb-side for collection. In the latter context, such containers are ordinarily provided as large bins constructed from rigid plastic materials that are molded to form a container body with an opening at the top. The container is usually equipped with one or more handles and wheels allowing the user to easily position it at the curb or otherwise assist with emptying the contents container. While a detachable lid may be provided, in more recent designs the lid is typically attached to the container.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,899,468; 5,031,796; and 7,086,557, for example, provide an organic waste cart with the foregoing design. The lid is illustrated as being attached to the container by way of a hinge that is juxtaposed to the handle. To this end, a user may access the internal cavity of the container, and the waste therein, by raising the opposing side of the lid.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,730,451 provides an alternative configuration where the lid is horizontally slidable to open and close the container. As illustrated, the lid is affixed to an exterior side of the container by way of a track along the top. It is slidable disposed along the track toward and over one side of the container where it is adapted to swing downward.
One limitation with each of the foregoing designs, and indeed with all previously known designs of such containers, is that an exterior lid could be easily broken. During ordinary use and curb-side trash removal, the container is subject to rough handling. In crowded urban areas, in particular, the container is often thrown after waste collection or is otherwise treated in a manner inconsistent with the constraints design. As a result, the externally placed lid is sheared from the container or otherwise damaged or broken so as to be unusable. This subjects the waste contained therein to a multitude weather conditions, animal invasion, or the like and the noxious odors associated with the waste can no longer be contained therein.
Accordingly, a container is desirable in the art with design features that include a lid element that is able to withstand rough-handling and the shear forces associated with the foregoing. The instant invention, among other things, provides a solution to the instant problem.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn the present invention, a refuse container is provided comprising a base element having four side walls and a bottom substantially surrounding a cavity and forming an opening at a top thereof, at least a first of said side walls provides a substantially uniform height that is greater than a substantially uniform height of a second and opposing side wall. In one embodiment of the present invention, the four side walls form an opening that slopes upwardly from the second side wall to the first side wall.
The refuse container further comprises a lid element slidably disposed on the base element so as to slide from a closed position substantially covering the opening of the base element to an open position substantially within the cavity of the base element and substantially parallel to one of said side walls. In one embodiment of the present invention, when in the open position the lid element is substantially parallel and adjacent to said second side wall.
The lid element is formed from a flexible material and may be constructed as plurality of flexible slats coupled together in a close, parallel orientation. Additionally, the lid element contains a handle extending therefrom to allow a person to grasp the lid element when sliding it from an open to closed position and vice versa. In different embodiments of the present invention, the lid element is slidably disposed on a track assembly or a track and wheel assembly. In one embodiment of the present invention, the lid element is received within a housing when slidably disposed in said open position. The housing may comprise an interior wall in a parallel orientation to one side wall of the base element and is spaced slightly away from said one side wall of a sufficient distance to receive said lid element, wherein dimensions of said interior wall are slightly less than said one side wall. In one embodiment of the present invention, the one side wall adjacent to the housing is said second side wall of the base member.
In another embodiment of the present invention an overhang element extends above said opening and said lid element from at least one of said side walls. The overhang element may also extend above said opening and said lid element from at least three of said side walls. The refuse container may further comprise a plate coupled to one of said side walls, wherein the plate may contain personalized information. Additionally, a handle may extend from an external side of at least one of said side walls.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the refuse container has a set of two wheels, wherein each wheel may extend from a side wall at a point proximate to a junction between two adjacent sidewalls and the bottom such that the two wheels are positioned on opposing sides of the base element. Further, in another embodiment, at least one of the two adjacent sidewalls that make up the location of this junction is the second side wall.
The refuse container may also comprise an indented region on at least one of said side walls, wherein the indented region may be located on one side wall at or about a junction of the side wall with the bottom of the container. In certain aspects such an indent may be used to facilitate lifting the container, as discussed herein.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification along with the accompanying drawings.
The present invention relates to a refuse container 10 that includes a base member 12 having an opening 36 for the insertion and removal of garbage and other materials in to and from a cavity 78. A slidably removable lid 14 covers the opening 36 and is adapted to slide in to the cavity 78. By allowing the lid 14 to slide in to the cavity 78 when the refuse container 10 is in the open position, the possibility of damage to the lid 14 is greatly reduced. Further, there is little risk that the lid 14 will become separated from the base member 12 during handling of the refuse container 10. Another advantage of the present invention is that it may be used in both the upright position like a traditional garbage container, or it may be used in the horizontal position. While in the horizontal position, garbage and other materials, such as leaves, may be swept in to the cavity 78.
Referring to
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As illustrated, in certain embodiments, the front wall 16, rear wall 18, and side walls 30a, 30b extend downwardly from the opening 36 to a bottom edge 74. While the front and rear walls are illustrated as being in a parallel orientation, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. In alternative embodiments of the present invention not shown in the figures, at least one of the front wall 16, the rear wall 18 and the sidewalls 30a, 30b that extend upwardly from the bottom wall 50 are at an angle outwardly from the bottom wall 50. Thus, according to these embodiments, the opening 36 of the refuse container 10 is larger than the bottom wall 50 to permit easier insertion and removal of garbage and other materials in to and from the cavity 78. In further embodiments, the walls may extend from bottom wall 50 in alternative orientations that are generally known in the art.
The side walls 30a, 30b may also contain an indented region 44 along the region adjacent to bottom wall 50. In other embodiments of the present invention, the front wall 16, the side walls 30a, 30b and/or the rear wall 18 may additionally feature one or more ridges running horizontally across the respective wall. The indented region 44 and ridges provide stability and strength to the base member 12. Further, as shown in
The front wall, rear wall, side walls, and bottom may be integrally formed using standard mechanisms known in the art. Each may be formed using standard materials and methods, such as, but not limited to generally rigid polymers or co-polymers including polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, or the like. The container may also be equipped with drainage holes to prevent the accumulation of water and/or allow for venting of the cavity 78. In one non-limiting example, the rear wall 18 may contain a plurality of drainage holes 48 at or proximate to the container bottom. Such a placement of the drainage holes, is not limiting to the present invention and drainage holes may be placed at any alternative apparent to a skilled artisan for accomplished the foregoing effects.
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As depicted in
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In the embodiment of the present invention illustrated by
While the foregoing track system assembly is utilized in the present embodiment of the invention, it is understood that any similar system known in the art that allows the sliding of the lid 14 in to the housing 20, such as a track and wheel assembly, may also be used in the present invention. Further, the housing 20 need not be present in alternative embodiments of the present invention.
Referring to
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A moving facility 32 includes the base member 10 having a pair of wheel wells 42a, 42b formed at the junctions between each side wall 30a, 30b, the rear wall 18 and the bottom wall 50. A pair of wheels 52a, 52b is provided. Each wheel 52a, 52b is rotatively mounted within a respective wheel well 42a, 42b and, as shown in
In another embodiment of the present invention not depicted in the figures, the axle 46 is partially contained in tubular sleeves (not shown) that extend from the inside edges 72 of each wheel well 42 towards the longitudinal center of the axle 46. These tubular sleeves are used to both protect the axle 46 and maintain the axle 46 in place.
As shown in
A pull handle 28 is located on the rear wall 18 above the wheels 52a, 52b, and, as depicted in
As shown in
In another embodiment of the present invention not shown in the figures, the bottom wall 50 contains an area of indentation that provides structural stability and strength to base member 12. In this embodiment, only part of the bottom wall 50 remains flush against a substantially flat surface when the refuse container 10 is in the upright position.
Operation of the refuse container 10 can best be understood by referring to
The upright position is ideal for allowing a user to transport the refuse container 10. To do so, the user first grasps pull handle 28 and pulls rearward and down to tilt the refuse container 10 so that the majority of bottom wall 50 is no longer touching the ground. When the refuse container is in this tilted position, the user may then push or pull on the pull handle 28 to move the refuse container 10 in the desired direction.
It is understood that the methods of using the present invention may be adapted to the alternative embodiments of the invention described above.
There is thus provided a refuse container with a slidably removable lid that remains within the container when the container is in the open position, which fulfills all of the objects and advantages sought therefor. Many changes, alterations, modifications and other uses and applications of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering the specification together with the accompanying drawings. All such changes, alterations and modifications that do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention are deemed to be covered by the invention, which is limited only by the claims that follow.
Claims
1. A refuse container comprising:
- a base element having four side walls and a bottom substantially surrounding a cavity and forming an opening at a top thereof, at least a first of said side walls provides a substantially uniform height that is greater than a substantially uniform height of a second and opposing side wall; and
- a lid element slidably disposed on the base element so as to slide from a closed position substantially covering the opening of the base element to an open position substantially within the cavity of the base element and substantially parallel to one of said side walls.
2. The refuse container of claim 1 wherein the lid element is formed from a flexible material.
3. The refuse container of claim 1 wherein the lid element is formed from a plurality of flexible slats coupled together in a close, parallel orientation.
4. The refuse container of claim 1 wherein the lid element contains a handle extending therefrom.
5. The refuse container of claim 1 wherein the lid element is slidably disposed on a track assembly or a track and wheel assembly.
6. The refuse container of claim 1 wherein the lid element slides from a closed position substantially covering the opening of the base element to an open position substantially within the cavity of the base element, wherein in the open position the lid element is substantially parallel and adjacent to said second side wall.
7. The refuse container of claim 1 wherein said lid element is received within a housing when slidably disposed in said open position.
8. The refuse container of claim 7 wherein said housing comprises an interior wall in a parallel orientation to one side wall of the base element and is spaced slightly away from said one side wall of a sufficient distance to receive said lid element, wherein dimensions of said interior wall are slightly less than said one side wall.
9. The refuse container of claim 7 wherein said housing comprises an interior wall in a parallel orientation to said second side wall of the base element and is spaced slightly away from said second side wall of a sufficient distance to receive said lid element, wherein dimensions of said interior wall are slightly less than said second side wall.
10. The refuse container of claim 1 wherein the four side walls form an opening that slopes upwardly from the second side wall to the first side wall.
11. The refuse container of claim 1 further comprising an overhang element extending above said opening and said lid element from at least one of said side walls.
12. The refuse container of claim 1 further comprising an overhang element extending above said opening and said lid element from at least three of said side walls.
13. The refuse container of claim 1 further comprising a handle extending from an external side of at least one of said side walls.
14. The refuse container of claim 1 further comprising a set of two wheels.
15. The refuse container of claim 14 wherein each wheel extends from a side wall at a point proximate to a junction between two adjacent sidewalls and the bottom such that the two wheels are positioned on opposing sides of the base element.
16. The refuse container of claim 15 wherein at least one of the two adjacent sidewalls is the second side wall.
17. The refuse container of claim 1 further comprising a plate coupled to one of said side walls.
18. The refuse contain of claim 17 wherein the plate contains personalized information.
19. The refuse container of claim 1 further comprising an indented region on at least one of said side walls.
20. The refuse container of claim 19 wherein the indented region is on one side wall at or about a junction of the side wall with the bottom.
21. A refuse container comprising:
- a base element having four side walls and a bottom substantially surrounding a cavity and forming an opening at a top thereof, at least a first of said side walls provides a substantially uniform length that is greater than a substantially uniform length of a second and opposing side wall such that the four side walls form an opening that slopes upwardly from the second side wall to the first side wall; and
- a lid element formed from a plurality of parallel slats slidably disposed on the base element so as to slide from a closed position substantially covering the opening of the base element to an open position substantially within the cavity of the base element and substantially parallel to one of said side walls.
22. A refuse container comprising:
- a base element having four side walls and a bottom substantially surrounding a cavity and forming an opening at a top thereof, at least a first of said side walls provides a substantially uniform length that is greater than a substantially uniform length of a second and opposing side wall such that the four side walls form an opening that slopes upwardly from the second side wall to the first side wall; and
- a lid element formed from one or more flexible slats slidably disposed on the base element so as to slide from a closed position substantially covering the opening of the base element to an open position substantially within a housing within the cavity of the base element and substantially parallel and adjacent to one of said side walls.
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 14, 2011
Publication Date: Oct 17, 2013
Inventors: Anthony N. Pizzella (Merrick, NY), Matthew Yovino (Franklin Square, PA)
Application Number: 13/976,120
International Classification: B65D 43/20 (20060101);