Abstract:
A waste container, such as for a van or SUV, is made from decorative or color-coordinating fabric to form a cylindrical container or shell. The shell includes a mechanism for holding a standard-sized plastic bag in place within the shell so that the plastic bag is supported and partially hidden from view. The shell also includes attachment devices for securing the waste container to the interior of a vehicle. The plastic bag is easily removed from the shell for disposal, and a fresh bag is easily installed.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates generally to waste containers and more particularly to waste containers adapted for use in a variety of locations, including home, office and motor vehicles. A flexible shell includes a unique mechanism that maintains the shell in an open state, as well as accepting and retaining a standard-sized plastic refuse bag. When full, the refuse bag is easily removed and discarded, and a new bag is then installed. The shell may include straps or hooks to permit an installation with convenient access for use in SUVs, cars, vans, recreational vehicles (RVs), or boats.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Small waste containers, such as automobile “litter bags,” often prove unsatisfactory for a number of reasons. In many cases, a retail store plastic bag serves as the container that is used to collect trash. In addition to the overall unattractiveness of the bag, which must be placed in an easily seen location to be available when needed, it is often difficult to find a location that is convenient for use, does not interfere with or block the vehicle&#39;s controls, and allows the bag to remain open for easy deposit of trash. Plastic bags have a tendency to slump at their openings, therefore making it difficult to insert trash or garbage, to prevent trash from falling out of the bag, and to determine when the bag is full and ready to be discarded. The lack of a freestanding ability in such a bag is even more unsatisfactory in a home or office.  
         [0003]     More permanent litter bags or trash containers are available, but residue is often left in the bag or container after it is emptied, necessitating periodically washing or otherwise cleaning of the bag or container. In addition to often not hanging properly or being inconveniently located in a vehicle environment, such bags are typically limited in size, and therefore require frequent emptying and/or cleaning.  
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION  
       [0004]     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a waste container that has an attractive appearance, is easily mounted or positioned in a variety of different locations, and is both convenient to use and to clean.  
         [0005]     It is further object of the present invention to provide a waste container that uses disposable liner bags that are held securely in place during use, but are easily removable for replacement.  
         [0006]     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a waste container that is adaptable for use with a variety of vehicles through the use of an interchangeable mounting structure.  
         [0007]     Further objects, embodiments, forms, benefits, aspects, features and advantages of the present invention may be obtained from the description, drawings, and claims provided herein.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
       [0008]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a waste container constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  is a side elevational, partial cross-sectional, view of a waste container constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0010]      FIG. 2A  is an enlarged portion of the cross-sectional view of the waste container shown in  FIG. 2 , illustrating its construction in greater detail.  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  is a perspective partially cut-away view of a waste container in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, showing the insertion of a liner bag.  
         [0012]      FIG. 4  is an exploded view of certain parts of a waste container in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, illustrating a manner of its construction.  
         [0013]      FIG. 5  is an exploded view of additional parts of a waste container in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, illustrating a manner of its construction.  
         [0014]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view showing a portion of an assembled waste container in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0015]      FIG. 7  is a side elevational view of an attachment device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0016]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a waste container constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0017]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of an attachment device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0018]      FIG. 10  is a side elevational, partial cross-sectional, view of a waste container constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0019]      FIG. 10A  is an enlarged portion of the cross-sectional view of the waste container shown in  FIG. 10 , illustrating its construction in greater detail.  
         [0020]      FIG. 11  is a side elevational, partial cross-sectional, view of the waste container shown in  FIG. 10 , illustrating aspects of its construction.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS  
       [0021]     For the purposes of promoting understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is hereby intended and alterations and modifications in the illustrated device, and further applications of the principles of the present invention as illustrated herein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.  
         [0022]      FIG. 1  illustrates, in accordance with an aspect of one embodiment of the present invention, a waste container  10 , illustratively shown as being adapted for placement in a vehicle. Waste container  10  is shown as having an outer shell  12  that is illustratively constructed of fabric, upholstery or cloth, but may be made of any durable material that is pliable, flexible, and permits easy attachment or incorporation of parts, e.g., by sewing, or by the use of rivet or screws, such as, for example, leather or vinyl. The material of shell  12  may be selected to match the particular environment in which container  10  will be used, such as by providing a variety of colors and patterns in order to coordinate with a wide range of possible locations, including, but not limited to, automobile, recreational vehicle, boat, or room interiors.  
         [0023]     Container  10  is configured to receive and hold a liner  14 , which may be an easily obtainable conventional plastic garbage bag having a standard size, e.g., 4 gallons, for receiving trash and refuse. Liner  14  is firmly held in position, yet is easily removed and replaced when full, as will be explained in more detail below. Also shown in  FIG. 1  are hooks  16 , which comprise one example of a means for mounting and/or attaching container  10  within the environment, e.g., an motor vehicle interior, in which container  10  will be used. Other suitable structures, such as those that will be described in greater detail below, that would perform the function of hooks  16  include elastic open-loop straps, elastic closed-loop straps, a single handle, and wire hooks or loops. Hooks  16  are illustratively shown as being manufactured of plastic and attached to container  10  via snap rivets  18 , only one of which is shown, that pass through shell  12 . Other means for attaching hooks  16  to container  10  are equally suitable and will be determined by the material selected for hooks  16 . Appropriate attachment arrangements may include wire, elastic, fabric, bolts, buttons, snaps, or directly stitching of hooks  16  to shell  12 . Clearly, the selection of a particular type of mounting structure, e.g., elastic straps, will require that a suitable material and manner in which to attach that structure or structures to shell  12  be chosen.  
         [0024]      FIG. 2  shows further details of the construction of container  10 . Annular rings or bands, shown in  FIG. 2  as top inside band  20  and top outside band  22 , are disposed at the top or upper portion of container  10 , while annular bottom inside band  24  and bottom outside band  26  are disposed at the bottom or lower portion of container  10 . Bands  20 ,  22 ,  24  and  26  are preferably made of a strong material, such as strips of metal or plastic, for example, that is able to withstand the amount of expected use of container  10  without breaking or otherwise failing, yet be pliable enough to be formed into a circular or ring shape. Once the desired dimension of a given ring is achieved, rivets  28 , or some other suitable attachment device, such as sewing, are driven or stitched through the overlap of the banding material to fix the dimensions of that band. Rivets  28  can be seen in the cross-sectional view portion of  FIG. 2 . It is possible to form bands  20 ,  22 ,  24 , and  26  of predetermined sizes that would result in as tight a fit as desired between top inside band  20  and top outside band  22 , and between bottom inside band  24  and bottom outside band  26 , thereby potentially eliminating the need to use rivets  28  or other means of attachment. However, as described below, the variation in thickness and weight of the material of shell  12  would require a large number of “standard” band sizes to be provided, which diminishes the described potential advantage. Also shown in  FIG. 2  is a stabilizing member or brace  37 . Brace  37  is designed to maintain shell  12  fully extended or open, so that in applications where container  10  does not hang free and would tend to slump closed, brace  37  counteracts this slumping tendency to allow container  10  to stand by itself, thereby providing a more efficient use of container  10 . The use of brace  37  would thus allow container  10  to be used in a variety of locations, such as at home, in an office (or home office). In a home or office environment, container  10  could be made of a size that would accommodate larger plastic bags, e.g., 8 gallon or 11 gallon sizes, thereby increasing its efficiency. Brace  37  may be permanently mounted in container  10  during manufacture, or it may be installed in a manner that it can be removed if desired, or it could be supplied uninstalled to permit efficient packing and shipment of containers  10 , with instructions as to how to install brace  37  if the customer needed the functionality that brace  37  provides. Although  FIG. 2  shows one brace  37 , two or more braces could be used as well in order to provide additional support to container  10 , such as when the size of container  10  is increased, or the environment in which container  10  is used requires additional support.  
         [0025]      FIG. 2A  shows an enlarged portion of  FIG. 2 , namely, the area at the upper portion of container  10 . By referring to  FIG. 2A , the manner in which bands  20  and  22  are used may be seen. In the embodiment of  FIG. 2A , the material of shell  12  passes over band  22  and is securely fastened to band  22  by way of snap rivet  28  or by other means, such as stitching. The material of shell  12  can be seen to then pass over band  20 , where it is secured by stitching  32  and/ or by other means such as snap rivets  33 . As can be seen, band  20  is slightly smaller in diameter than band  22 . As described previously, fastening devices, such as stitching  32 , or fasteners other than rivets  33 , may be used with equally satisfactory results. The attachment of shell  12  to bands  20  and  22  therefore forms a pouch, channel, or slot  34  between bands  20  and  22 , the width of which is determined by the difference in size between bands  20  and  22 , as well as being critical to proper operation of container  10 . As will be described in greater detail below, the thickness of the material of shell  12  may require that bands  20  and  22  be closer together or farther apart in order to achieve the necessary width of slot  34  so that container  10  functions properly. Because of possible large variation of material thickness that may be chosen for shell  12 , it may be more economical to determine proper dimension for the fabrication of bands  20 ,  22 ,  24 , and  26  in response to the particular material selected, rather than making the bands with a fixed difference in dimensions and risking improper or unsatisfactory operation due to ill-fitting parts.  
         [0026]     Slot  34  therefore extends around the complete circumference of the top edge of container  10 . The circumference of the top of container  10  is chosen to accommodate a standard-sized plastic waste bag, e.g., 4 gallon size, that is easily found and purchased in virtually any grocery or discount department store. As can be seen in  FIG. 3 , the top portion  36  of an appropriately sized plastic bag  38  that forms the opening of bag  38  is inserted into slot  34  by way of an insertion tool  39 . Tool  39  operates as a wedge-like device and forces top portion  36  of bag  38  into slot  34 . As can be appreciated, the dimension of slot  34  is critical to the proper insertion and capture of portion  36  of bag  38 . If slot  34  is too small or narrow, it will be difficult or impossible to properly insert portion  36  of bag  38  into slot  34 . If slot  34  is too large or wide, portion  36  of bag  38  will not be securely held and place and may easily slip out, thereby compromising the operation of container  10 .  
         [0027]     Referring to  FIG. 4 , the manner of construction of container  10  will now be described. Shell  12 , as previously described, is manufactured of a decorative material, preferably fabric, but other materials, including leather, vinyl, or plastic, may also be used. For purposes of describing the construction of container  10 , reference will be made to a fabric or cloth material, but it is understood that the manufacturing and assembly steps are equally applicable to different materials.  
         [0028]      FIG. 4  shows the layout of parts for container  10 . These parts include a length of fabric or cloth formed into a cylinder or tube  40  by way of stitching  42 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , tube  40  is turned inside out after which one end of tube  40  is inserted into bottom outside ring  26  and pulled over ring  26  to form a full perimeter fold  44  over ring  26 . Tube  40  is temporarily attached to ring  26 , for example, by way of stitches  45  placed by a quilt basting gun (not shown) in order to form a container side assembly  50 . Bottom fabric  46 , right side up, is placed over the bottom inside ring  24  to form a bottom assembly  52 . Bottom fabric  46  is cut larger that the diameter of ring  24 . Side assembly  50  is then forced over bottom assembly  52 , using a number of possible techniques, including by hand, by the use of a form, or by a specific assembly machine, until the edges of rings  24  and  26  are aligned with each other. Bottom fabric  46  is pulled tight to remove any puckers, excess fabric of bottom  46  is removed, and side assembly  50  and bottom assembly  52  are then attached together, for example, by rivets  28  or other suitable attachment mechanism or means. Temporary stitches  45 , or other forms of temporary attachment, may then be removed.  
         [0029]     The partially assembled container  10  is then again turned inside-out to reveal the correct side of tube  40  and bottom  46  with bottom assembly  52  neatly attached to side assembly  50 , as shown in  FIG. 5 .  
         [0030]     Further referring to  FIG. 5 , the open end  57  of tube  40  is then placed over top outside ring  22  so that the top edge of tube  40  extends above ring  22 , for example, in the embodiment shown, by approximately 6½ inches. Ring  22  is then attached to tube  40  by way of rivets  28 , for example, or by other suitable means. The top inside ring  20  is then inserted into tube  40  until it is a certain distance from ring  22 . In the embodiment shown, this distance is approximately 2inches, but the actual dimensions and distances will be determined by the overall size of container  10 , the dimensions of rings  20  and  22 , and the thickness and weight of the fabric of tube  40 . Once ring  20  is in place, the top edge of tube  40  is folded over ring  20  to form a fold  56 . Thereafter, means, such as rivets  28 , are then used to attach tube  40  to ring  20 . One alternative to the use of rivets  28  throughout the manufacturing process would be to use an industrial sewing machine to sew through the various layers of fabric and ring material.  
         [0031]     Once tube  40  and ring  20  are firmly attached to each other, ring  20  is pushed down inside ring  22  until the top edges of rings  20  and  22  are even or flush, forming a pocket or slot  34  between rings  20  and  22 , as can be seen in  FIG. 6 . As described in connection with  FIG. 3 , slot  34  is dimensioned to receive a standard plastic garbage bag  38 , which is inserted by way of tool  39 . Once full, bag  38  may be removed and discarded, and a new bag installed. Container  10 , and in particular shell  12 , does not get soiled and does not require cleaning as does a litter bag that holds trash and garbage directly.  
         [0032]     As previously described, a variety of hanger or attachment mechanisms may be used with container  10  in order to fit a variety of vehicles.  FIG. 7  shows an attachment device  60  that illustratively is made of a piece or strip  62  of heavy fabric, such as seat belt webbing, for example, and a length of wire  64 . Wire  64  is attached to strip  62  by way of an end of strip  62  being folded over to capture a length of wire  64 , with the folded part of strip  62  then being secured by rivets  66 , for example. A snap  68  is also shown at the opposite end of strip  62  from where wire  64  is secured, for snap-on attachment of device  60  to snaps  61  which may be located around the periphery of container  10 .  FIG. 8  illustratively shows container  10  with two attachment devices  60  shown in place, although a single attachment device, or more than two attachment devices, may be provided. The loops of wire  64  may then the placed over any suitably shaped structure in order to hold container  10  in an open position.  
         [0033]      FIG. 9  shows another device for holding container in place, such as in a vehicle, that is illustratively shown as an elastic harness  70 . Harness  70  is made from a number of elastic straps  72  that form a loop  74 . Loop  74  may be stretched to fit loop  74  of harness  70  over an item such as an automobile or van center console. Elastic straps  72  may also incorporate snap fasteners  76  that can attach to snaps  61  on the shell  12  of container  10 , as can be seen in  FIG. 8 . Other types of fasteners, or other types of attachment devices, such as those made from multiple elastic straps or hooked hangers work well in vans and vehicles where those straps or hangers can hook onto or over seat armrests. A single elastic strap may be better suited to a small car that does not have armrests, but does have a center console over which a strap can be placed. A single elastic strap may also allow for hanging container  10  from a vehicle ashtray or front console. An adjustable strap may also be used to facilitate attachment of container  10  to a larger number of vehicle designs. In larger vehicles, container  10  will often hang free and remain open. In small vehicles, container  10  may sit on the vehicle floor, thereby necessitating the use of brace or braces  37  to maintain container fully open. Container  10  may be sold with a variety of attachment devices and one or more supporting braces included in a single package, or individual attachment devices and/or braces may be sold separately and chosen by purchasers specifically for their particular vehicle or intended location where they expect to use container  10 .  
         [0034]      FIG. 10  illustrates a waste container  80  having an outer shell  82  that may be made of the same variety of materials as shell  12  of waste container  10 . Attached to shell  82  illustratively by rivets  84  is an upper outer band  86 , similar to upper outer band  22  of container  10 . Also attached to shell  82  is an upper inner band  88 , similar to band  20  of container  10 . As can be seen in  FIG. 10 , and with more detail in  FIG. 10A , waste container  80  also incorporates an additional upper band  90  which sandwiches and secures the end  92  of shell  82 . Bands  88  and  90  are concentrically positioned and attached together, illustratively in  FIGS. 10 and 10 A by rivets  94  and stitching  96 . As can be seen in  FIG. 11 , the combined structure of band  88 , shell end  92  and band  90  is then pushed into a concentric position with band  86  so as to form a channel or slot  34  that receives the top of a liner or bag in the same manner as is shown in  FIG. 3 . The presence of band  90  acts to strengthen the overall structure of container  80  as well as covering the end  92  of shell  82  so as to provide a more pleasing or aesthetic appearance.  
         [0035]     While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the preferred embodiment has been shown and described and that all changes, modifications and equivalents that come within the spirit of the inventions disclosed are desired to be protected. The articles “a”, “an”, “said” and “the” are not limited to a singular element, and include one or more such elements.