Abstract:
A waste disposal apparatus for containing a trash can therein includes a cabinet having a front wall, a rear wall, opposite side walls, and a base that are connected to each other to define an enclosed interior space, with the front wall defining an opening space. The apparatus also includes a swinging door having a bottom edge that is pivotably connected to the front wall, with the swinging door movable between a closed position where the swinging door blocks the opening space, and an opened position where the swinging door is pivoted away from the interior space of the cabinet. A foot pedal is pivotably connected to the base, and a link system is operationally connected to the foot pedal and the swinging door to pivot the swinging door between the closed and opened positions, while preventing the swinging door from pivoting into the interior space of the cabinet.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to garbage disposal apparatus, and in particular, to trash bins of the type having a foot actuated swinging door on an upper portion of one of the walls of the bin for allowing food or trash to be dumped into a trash can contained therein.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Prior Art  
         [0004]     Fast-food restaurants and other residential and commercial establishments often provide trash bins that resemble a four-sided cabinet. An open-top trash can is positioned inside the cabinet. The cabinet has a swinging door on an upper portion of one of the walls of the cabinet. To deposit food or trash into the trash can, the user must push open the swinging door, and then insert the food or trash through the opening into the trash can.  
         [0005]     Unfortunately, the outer surface of the swinging door is often soiled by dirt and trash. Therefore, it is extremely undesirable for the user to have to use his or her hands to push the outer surface of the swinging door in order to deposit food or trash into the trash can.  
         [0006]     U.S. Pat. No. 5,372,271 (Miller et al.) discloses a trash bin that is provided with a foot actuated swinging door, so that the user does not need to push the swinging door to deposit food or trash into the trash can. However, the swinging door in U.S. Pat. No. 5,372,271 (Miller et al.) is pivoted into the interior of the cabinet, so it is still possible for the outer surface of the swinging door to be soiled by dirt and trash because the food or trash may sometimes contact the outer surface as the food or trash is inserted through the opening in the cabinet. In other words, the outer surface of the inswinging door faces the interior of the cabinet, so that food or trash can still contact the outer surface.  
         [0007]     Thus, there still remains a need for a garbage disposal apparatus that overcomes the drawbacks described above.  
       SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE  
       [0008]     It is an object of the present invention to provide a garbage disposal apparatus that improves the hygiene and cleanliness of the swinging door.  
         [0009]     In order to accomplish the objects of the present invention, the present invention provides a waste disposal apparatus for containing a trash can therein. The apparatus includes a cabinet having a front wall, a rear wall, opposite side walls, and a base that are connected to each other to define an enclosed interior space, with the front wall defining an opening space. The apparatus also includes a swinging door having a bottom edge that is pivotably connected to the front wall, with the swinging door movable between a closed position where the swinging door blocks the opening space, and an opened position where the swinging door is pivoted away from the interior space of the cabinet. A foot pedal is pivotably connected to the base, and a link system is operationally connected to the foot pedal and the swinging door to pivot the swinging door between the closed and opened positions, while preventing the swinging door from pivoting into the interior space of the cabinet. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]      FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of a garbage disposal apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  is a front perspective view of the apparatus of  FIG. 1  shown with the front door and the swinging door opened.  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  is a bottom perspective view of the apparatus of  FIG. 1  shown with the swinging door opened.  
         [0013]      FIG. 4  is a cut-away front perspective view of the apparatus of  FIG. 1  shown with the front door and the swinging door opened.  
         [0014]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional side plan view of the apparatus of  FIG. 1  shown with the swinging door closed.  
         [0015]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional side plan view of the apparatus of  FIG. 1  shown with the swinging door opened.  
         [0016]      FIG. 7  is a cut-away rear perspective view of the apparatus of  FIG. 1  shown with the swinging door closed.  
         [0017]      FIG. 8  is a cut-away rear perspective view of the apparatus of  FIG. 1  shown with the swinging door opened.  
         [0018]      FIG. 9  is a front perspective view of the apparatus of  FIG. 1  shown with the front door and the swinging door opened, and with a trash can positioned inside the cabinet. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0019]     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.  
         [0020]      FIGS. 1-9  illustrate a waste disposal apparatus  10  according to one embodiment of the present invention. Referring first to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the apparatus  10  includes a cabinet  12  that has a front wall, a rear wall  14  and two side walls  16  and  18  that extend from the rear wall  14 . The front wall is defined by a front door  20 , a support panel  30 , and a swinging door  34 . The front door  20  is pivotably connected to the front edge  22  of a side wall  18  so that the front door  20  pivots about the front edge  22  of the side wall  18  as it opens and closes. A base panel  24  is connected to the walls  14 ,  16 ,  18  adjacent the bottom thereof (but slightly raised therefrom), and a top panel  26  is connected to the walls  14 ,  16 ,  18  adjacent the top thereof. The top panel  26  is positioned slightly offset from the top edges  28  so that its top surface can function as a shelf for receiving trays and the like. The walls  14 ,  16 ,  18 , the front door  20 , and the panels  24 ,  26  form an enclosure that defines the cabinet  12 . Referring to  FIG. 9 , an open-top trash can  48  is adapted to be retained inside the enclosure, and the front door  20  is sized and configured to allow ingress to and egress from the interior of the cabinet  12  for the open-top trash can  48 .  
         [0021]     Referring also to  FIG. 3 , a support panel  30  connects the front edges  22  of the side walls  16 ,  18  at a location above the front door  20 . A handle bar  32  is bolted to the opposing ends of the support panel  30 . The swinging door  34  has a bottom edge  35  that is pivotably connected to the top edge of the support panel  30  so that the swinging door  30  can be pivoted about an axis defined by the top edge of the support panel  30 . The swinging door  34  covers an opening space  36  in the front wall that is defined by the front edge of the top panel  26 , the top edge of the support panel  30 , and the front edges  22  of the side walls  16 ,  18 . A link system (described below) couples a foot pedal  38  and the swinging door  34  to allow the swinging door  34  to pivot away from the interior of the cabinet  12 , while preventing the swinging door  34  from pivoting into the interior of the cabinet  12 .  
         [0022]     A plurality of casters or wheels  40  can be provided on the bottom of the base panel  24  to allow the cabinet  12  to be conveniently moved from one location to another.  
         [0023]     Referring now to  FIGS. 3-8 , the link system includes a vertical link bar  50 , a horizontal link bar  52 , a connecting bar  54 , and a control bar  56 . The foot pedal  38  is generally U-shaped and has two support bars  60  and  62  that are connected by a pedal portion  64 . A U-shaped bracket  66  is connected to the bottom of the base panel  24 , and has legs  68  and  70  extending from the bottom of the base panel  24 . The support bars  60  and  62  are pivotably connected to the legs  68  and  70 , respectively, so that the support bars  60 ,  62  (and the pedal portion  64 ) can be pivoted up and down about the bracket  66  along a pivot axis that is defined by the aligned connections for the bars  60 ,  62  and their respective legs  68 ,  70 . The horizontal link bar  52  extends transverse to the direction of the support bars  60 ,  62 , and has one end that is connected to (e.g., formed together as one piece with) the inner end of the support bar  62 . The other end of the horizontal link bar  52  is connected to (e.g., formed together as one piece with) the front end of the connecting bar  54 . The connecting bar  54  and the support bars  60 ,  62  extend generally parallel to each other, and in one embodiment, the bars  60 ,  62 ,  52 ,  54  and the pedal portion  64  can be formed in one piece (e.g., in a metal material). In fact, the bars  60 ,  62 ,  52 ,  54  and the pedal portion  64  are positioned below the base panel  24 .  
         [0024]     The rear end of the connecting bar  54  is pivotably connected to the bottom end of the vertical link bar  50 . The vertical link bar  50  extends through an elongated opening  72  in the base panel  24  adjacent the side wall  18 , and vertically through the interior of the cabinet  12  (but along the side wall  18 ), where the top end of the vertical link bar  50  is pivotably connected to the rear end of the control bar  56 . The front end of the control bar  56  is pivotably connected to a side edge of the swinging door  34 . Thus, the entire control bar  56  is positioned above support panel  30  at all times, and the control bar  56  functions to push and pull the swinging door  34  to cause the swinging door  34  to open and close, respectively.  
         [0025]     A biasing element  55  (e.g., a spring) has opposing ends coupled to a portion of the vertical link bar  50  and the base panel  24 , and functions to normally bias the vertical link bar  50  downwardly.  
         [0026]     The operation of the link system is illustrated in connection with  FIGS. 3-8 . In the normal rest position shown in  FIGS. 5 and 7 , the swinging door  34  is closed to completely cover the opening space  36 . When in this closed position, the swinging door  34  assumes a completely vertical orientation. To open the swinging door  34 , the user steps on the pedal portion  38  (see  FIGS. 6 and 8 ), causing the support bars  60 ,  62  to pivot about the stationary legs  68 ,  70  of the bracket  66  so that the pedal portion  38  pivots downwardly while the rear of the support bars  60 ,  62  pivot upwardly. The upward pivot of the support bar  62  translates into an upward motion for the horizontal link bar  52  and the connecting bar  54 , which in turn pivots the vertical link bar  50  upwardly. The upward motion of the vertical link bar  50  pivots the control bar  56  downwardly, with the downward motion of the control bar  56  pushing the swinging door  34  down and towards the exterior of the cabinet  12 , as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 6 . Note that the entire control bar  56  is at a vertical level that is higher than the top end of the vertical link bar  50  when the swinging door  34  is closed (see  FIG. 5 ), and the entire control bar  56  is at a vertical level that is lower than the top end of the vertical link bar  50  when the swinging door  34  is opened (see  FIG. 6 ). In addition, the entire control bar  56  is at a vertical level that is higher than the bottom edge  35  of the swinging door  34  when the swinging door  34  is in the opened position (see  FIG. 6 ), and the entire control bar  56  is at a vertical level that is lower than the bottom edge  35  of the swinging door  34  when the swinging door  34  is in the closed position (see  FIG. 5 ). When in the opened position shown in  FIGS. 6 and 8 , the user can insert food or trash into the interior of the cabinet  12  without contacting the outer surface of the swinging door  34 . Any contact would be with the inner surface of the swinging door  34 , which can be soiled without serious concern because the inner surface of the swinging door  34  faces the interior of the cabinet  12 .  
         [0027]     When the user releases the pedal portion  64 , the biasing element  55  will normally bias the vertical link bar  50  downwardly, thereby causing the connecting bar  54 , the horizontal link bar  52 , and the rear of the support bars  60 ,  62  to pivot downwardly, with the pedal portion  64  pivoting upwardly (from  FIGS. 6 and 8  to  FIGS. 5 and 7 ). As the vertical link bar  50  is pulled downwardly, the vertical link bar  50  pulls the control bar  56 , which in turn pulls the swinging door  34  upwardly towards the opening space  36  until the swinging door  34  is fitted in the space  36  and oriented vertically therein. The sizes of the vertical link bar  50  and the control bar  56 , and the location of the connection point of these bars  50 ,  56 , define the limit to which the swinging door  34  can pivot upwardly, thereby preventing the swinging door  34  from pivoting into the interior of the cabinet  12 .  
         [0028]     Thus, the present invention provides a waste disposal apparatus  10  that has a swinging door  34  which opens outwardly so that the outer surface of the swinging door  34  will not come into contact with the food or trash that is being deposited into the cabinet  12  of the apparatus  10 . The present invention also provides a simple link system that controls the opening and closing motion of the swinging door  34 , and which prevents the swinging door  34  from pivoting into the interior of the cabinet  12 .  
         [0029]     While the description above refers to particular embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood that many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit thereof. The accompanying claims are intended to cover such modifications as would fall within the true scope and spirit of the present invention.