Abstract:
A container frame includes a container-receiving portion and at least one viewing region formed in the container-receiving portion. The viewing regions may receive side panels that are readily removable and/or replaceable. The container-receiving portion is designed to receive a transparent container such as a bag or a bucket that, when held in the trash container, is visible through the viewing regions and/or the side panels. As a result of the transparency of viewing regions, transparent container, and/or side panels, one can readily see into the container to evaluate its contents. A lid may be provided to cover the container- receiving portion so as to immobilize the side panels with respect to the container-receiving portion.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     In response to the threat of hidden bombs in mass transit facilities, the Department of Homeland Security has recently directed all such facilities to remove waste containers that are not bomb resistant or transparent.  
         [0002]     A bomb-resistant container is designed to contain an explosion and thereby protect innocent bystanders in the vicinity of such a container. Bomb-resistant containers typically are prohibitively expensive (some costing upwards of $3000) and heavy (some weighing up to 900 pounds). As a result, conventional bomb-resistant containers do not present a completely effective solution.  
         [0003]     A transparent container enables security personnel to see into the container, without having to remove a lid and/or pull the contents out of the container. As a result, a security officer can more easily determine whether a receptacle contains a suspicious package that may present a dangerous situation. Unlike bomb-resistant containers, transparent containers can be manufactured at a reasonable cost. However, over time, transparent containers may be dirtied, significantly cracked, and/or covered with graffiti. In any of those situations, viewing the contents of the container may be more difficult, at best, or impossible, at worst. As a result, a transparent container may need continual replacement and, therefore, also does not present a completely effective solution.  
         [0004]     What is needed, therefore, is an apparatus that not only satisfies the Department of Homeland Security&#39;s directive, but does so in a cost effective manner while providing a long-term solution.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     An aspect of the present invention relates to a container frame comprising a container-receiving portion having a side with a viewing region. The container-receiving portion is configured to receive an at least partially transparent container, such that contents of the container are visible outside the container-receiving portion via the viewing region.  
         [0006]     Another aspect of the present invention relates to a container frame comprising a container-receiving portion, four at least partially transparent side panels, and a bracket. The container-receiving portion has four sides, each side having a viewing region. The container-receiving portion is configured to receive an at least partially transparent container. The four at least partially transparent side panels are each removably supported by the container-receiving portion in a respective viewing region. Contents of the container are visible outside the container-receiving portion via the side panels in the viewing regions. The bracket is releasably connected to an upper end of the container-receiving portion and configured to releaseably immobilize the side panels with respect to the container-receiving portion.  
         [0007]     Yet another aspect of the present invention relates to a trash receptacle comprising a container frame and an at least partially transparent container. The container frame comprises a container-receiving portion having a side with a viewing region. The at least partially transparent container is disposed in the container-receiving portion. Contents of the container are visible outside the container-receiving portion via the viewing region.  
         [0008]     Yet another aspect of the present invention relates to a method of providing a transparent trash receptacle. The method includes providing a container-receiving portion having a side with a viewing region, wherein the container-receiving portion is configured to receive an at least partially transparent container. The method also includes providing an at least partially transparent side panel in the viewing region of the container-receiving portion such that contents of the container are visible outside the container-receiving portion via the side panel in the viewing region. The method also includes replacing the side panel with another at least partially transparent side panel.  
         [0009]     These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description, appended claims, and accompanying exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a container frame according to the present invention;  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the container frame shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a transparent side panel that may be received and displayed in a viewing region of the container frame shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0013]      FIG. 4  is a top elevation view of the side panel shown in  FIG. 3 ;  
         [0014]      FIG. 5  is a side elevation view of the side panel shown in  FIG. 3 ;  
         [0015]      FIG. 6  is a top view of a frame of the container frame of  FIG. 1  shown containing four transparent side panels;  
         [0016]      FIG. 7  is a top view of the container frame of  FIG. 6  having a bracket secured thereon;  
         [0017]      FIG. 8  is a vertical, cross-sectional side view of the container-receiving portion of the container frame of  FIGS. 6 and 7  shown supporting a trash container in the form of a transparent bag;  
         [0018]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a container frame of the type shown in  FIG. 1  supporting a trash container in the form of a bag according to  FIG. 8 ;  
         [0019]      FIG. 10  is a vertical, cross-sectional side view of the container-receiving portion of the container frame of  FIGS. 6 and 7  shown supporting a trash container in the form of a transparent bucket;  
         [0020]      FIG. 11  is a perspective view of a container frame of the type shown in  FIG. 1  supporting a trash container in the form of a bucket according to  FIG. 10 ;  
         [0021]      FIG. 12  is a perspective view of a container frame of the type shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  containing a container in the form of a bag, without side panels; and  
         [0022]      FIG. 13  is a perspective view of a container frame of the type shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  containing a container in the form of a bucket, without side panels. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0023]     Presently preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawings. An effort has been made to use the same or like reference numbers throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.  
         [0024]     A first embodiment of a container frame  100  is shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . The container frame  100  includes a container-receiving portion  120  and a lid  110  having a plurality of windows  111  therein.  
         [0025]     The lid  110  may be completely removable from the container-receiving portion  120  or may be connected to the container-receiving portion  120  in any conventional manner such as, for example, by fasteners, as later described in detail. If the lid  110  is completely removable from the container-receiving portion  120 , the lid  110  may, when placed atop the container-receiving portion  120 , be immobilized with respect to the container-receiving portion  120  in any conventional manner (e.g., pins depending from the lid may be positioned in correspondingly sized holes formed in the top of the container-receiving portion  120  or vice versa, latches, etc.).  
         [0026]     In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 , the lid  110  (which may be formed of, e.g., plastic, metal, fiberglass, or other suitable material) may be attached to a bracket  112  by means of a hinge  118 . The bracket  112 , in turn, may be fastened to upper ends  114  of uprights  124  of the container-receiving portion  120  by way of one or more fasteners (e.g., screws)  116 . As later described, the bracket  112  may serve to cover one or more removable side panels  130 .  
         [0027]     The container-receiving portion  120  includes the plurality of uprights  124  (which have the upper ends  114 ) and a lower, base member. The uprights  124  and lower, base member can be connected by conventional means. In a preferred embodiment, channels  140  can be provided in the container-receiving portion  120 , as shown in  FIG. 6 , to receive side panels  130 , described below. A plurality of viewing regions  122  are formed between the uprights  124 . The container-receiving portion  120  may be formed of, for example, plastic, metal, fiberglass, or other suitable material.  
         [0028]     At least partially transparent side panels  130  can be provided in the viewing regions  122 . Side panels  130  are shown in  FIGS. 3-5 . The panels  130  may be made of transparent materials such as, for example, glass or plastic. Moreover, if the panels  130  are formed of plastic, the plastic may be, e.g., acrylic, Plexiglas, plexane, polycarbonate, polyurethane, polyethylene terephthalate (“PETE”), polyester terephthalate modified with glycol (“PETG”), clarified ABS, etc. The side panels  130  may be formed, for example, by vacuum molding, blow molding, injection molding, or another suitable forming process. Preferably the side panels  130  are completely transparent (as used herein, the term transparent is intended to mean sufficiently clear to permit identification of items within the container), though it may be preferably under certain circumstances to provide a panel that is transparent in only one or more regions of the entire panel.  
         [0029]     Although the panels  130  may be flat panes, the panels  130  may be somewhat pan shaped such that they have depressions  150  formed in a central portion thereof. For example, as shown in  FIG. 4 , the panels  130  may have an outer side  132  and a depressed inner side  134  that serves as the base of the depression  150 . Moreover, the width W 1  of the outer side  132  may be wider than the width W 2  of the inner side  134 . As a result of the width differential, the outer side  132  may define projecting edges  136  that may be sized to slide into the channels  140  of the container-receiving portion  120 , as shown in  FIG. 6 .  
         [0030]     The depth D of the depression  150  is chosen so that when the side panel  130  is installed in a container-receiving portion  120  of a container frame  100 : (a) the inner side  134  of one panel  130  will not interfere with the inner sides  134  of other similar panels  130  likewise installed in the container-receiving portion  120  (as shown in  FIG. 6 ); and (b) the inner sides  134  of the panels  130  will substantially align with an inner rim  113  (which is formed of multiple widths that in total define a perimeter) of the bracket  112  (as shown in  FIG. 7 ).  
         [0031]     As a result of the alignment between the inner sides  134  of the panels  130  and the inner rim  113  of the bracket  112 , an at least partially transparent container (preferably a completely transparent bag  210 ) that is positioned in the container frame  100  may be easily lifted out of the container frame  100 , as shown in  FIG. 8 . Moreover, as a result of the ability to rotate the lid  110  with respect to the bracket  112 , by means of the hinge  118 , the transparent bag  210  may be lifted out of the frame  100  without detaching the bracket  112  from the container-receiving portion  120 . By way of contrast, if the panels  130  were flat panes and were inserted in the channels  140 , the bracket  112  would create an inward extending overhang. As a result, a transparent bag  210  hanging in the frame  100  would be subject to becoming snagged and/or torn by the overhang. Accordingly, by substantially aligning the inner sides  134  of the panels  130  with the inner rim  113  of the bracket  112 , the likelihood of such snagging and/or tearing is greatly reduced.  
         [0032]     The transparent bag  210  may be supported by the frame in any conventional manner, e.g., by being draped over the sides of the bracket  112  and maintained thereon by closing (or positioning) the lid  110  on the bracket  112 . However, as shown in  FIG. 7  and  8 , outward facing hooks  300 , may be provided on top of the bracket  112 . The hooks  300  may be used to support an elastic cable  310  that may tautly hold the transparent bag  210 . In other words, a transparent bag  210  placed over the hooks  300  may be retained on the hooks  300  by means of the elastic cable  310 .  
         [0033]     Another benefit of the separation in the sides  132 ,  134  of the panels  130  is the creation of a ledge  138  on a top side of the panels  130 , as shown best in  FIG. 4 . The ledge  138  may be used to support an at least partially transparent container in the form of a bucket  200 , as shown in  FIG. 10 . An outer rim  202  of the bucket  200  may be designed to rest on the ledge  138  of each of the panels  130 . Moreover, the bucket  200  may have a width that is slightly smaller than the distance between two opposed panels  130 , thereby maximizing the size of the container  200  that may be supported by the frame  100 . Various modifications may be made to this embodiment. For example, the transparent bucket  200  may receive a transparent liner, e.g., a polyliner bag of the type shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 . Further, although the bucket  200  is shown as having a generally circular shaped cross-section, this is not critical; rather the bucket could have, for example, a square cross-section or other shape.  
         [0034]     Although the container-receiving portion  120 , lid  110 , and bracket  112  are shown as being opaque (for ease of visual understanding purposes), it should be readily recognized that any one or more of these elements may also be transparent like the panels  130 .  
         [0035]     In another embodiment shown in  FIG. 12 , the bag  210  could be provided in a container-receiving portion  120  lacking panels  130 . Similarly, in another embodiment lacking panels  130  shown in  FIG. 13 , a container in the form of a bucket  200  could be supported within the container-receiving portion  120  in the manner previously described with respect to the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 10 and 11 . In both of these embodiments, the frame  100  is intended to provide sufficient protection for the bucket  200  or bag  210  so that it is not inadvertently tipped and/or spilled by an errant walking pedestrian.  
         [0036]     Other beneficial structures may be provided on any of the previously described embodiments. For example, as shown in  FIG. 2 , in those embodiments including a hinge  118 , one or more retainers  600  (e.g., flexible straps) may be provided to prevent the lid  110  from being opened too far with respect to the bracket  112 .  
         [0037]     By way of further example and as shown in  FIG. 2 , a lock  400  may be provided on the side of the lid  110  opposite the hinge  118 . The lock  400  may be configured to engage a catch  410  provided on the corresponding side of the bracket  112 . As a result, when the lock  400  is engaged by the catch  410 , the lid  110  may be releasably fixed with respect to the bracket  112 , thereby inhibiting unauthorized access to a trash container  200 ,  210  provided in the frame  100 .  
         [0038]     Additionally or alternatively, fastener holes  500  may be provided in the base of the container-receiving portion  120 , as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . As a result, the container frame  100  may be fastened (e.g., bolted) onto a particular surface by fasteners (not shown) journalled through the holes  500  and into the surface, thereby inhibiting theft of the container frame  100 .  
         [0039]     Although the aforementioned described various embodiments of the invention, the invention is not so restricted. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the disclosed embodiments of the present invention, without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. For example, although the container frame  100  is shown as being generally square-shaped in cross-section, this is not critical. Rather, the container frame may have a plurality of shapes including a generally circular shaped cross-section (i.e., the container frame may be generally cylindrically shaped), triangularly shaped, etc. Accordingly, these other transparent container frames and containers are fully within the scope of the claimed invention. Therefore, it should be understood that the apparatuses and methods described herein are illustrative only and are not limiting upon the scope of the invention, which is indicated by the following claims.