Abstract:
The present invention is a waste container and comprises a hollow base, a drawer assembly, drawer receiver, laterally-slidable drawer, tray, pivot mechanism, and air freshener actuator. The drawer assembly and drawer receiver provide a mechanical means to push in and pull out the laterally-slidable drawer. The laterally-slidable drawer contains the tray responsible unto which waste is deposited. The pivot mechanism positions the tray horizontally and vertically for receiving waste and disposing of it in the base. Because the drawer assembly is separated from the hollow base the user is provided with two separate compartments, one for inserting waste and one for storing it. Also, the nuisance of coming into contact with harmful odors and bacteria in the base is eliminated. Furthermore, the air freshener actuator releases an air freshener into the base to prevent unwanted odors from permeating through the container.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable. 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to waste storage and disposal, and more particularly to a pet waste collection apparatus capable of safely and conveniently disposing of pet waste while eliminating unwanted odors. 
     DISCUSSION OF RELATED ART 
     Pet waste can generally be described as excrement left behind by domesticated animals. Pet waste poses a threat to the environment and health when not disposed of properly. Pet waste contains numerous harmful bacteria harmful that also pose a health risk to humans. When disposed of improperly, pet waste may enter the environment through rivers, lakes, streams, water runoff, polluting water and harming fish and other aquatic life. 
     Most municipalities require proper clean up and disposal of pet waste throughout their communities. Oftentimes, they will provide cleaning stations and disposal stations to properly care for the pet waste. These waste stations provide a great way for responsible pet owners to take care of their environment and an easy way for cities to properly dispose of pet waste. However, pet owners must find other ways to properly dispose of their pet&#39;s waste while at home. 
     Current pet waste disposal systems are adapted to receive and dispose of pet waste in bins. While these pet waste containers are useful in providing a place used solely for disposing of pet waste, they do not contain separate compartments for inserting pet waste and for storing pet waste. Because of this, the bacteria and unwanted odors that fester in the waste bin are exposed to users every time they dispose of pet waste. Furthermore, traditional pet waste containers have no method for preventing unwanted odors from permeating through the container, causing another nuisance for users. 
     Therefore, there is a need for a device adapted to receive and dispose of pet waste in separate compartments. Furthermore, there is continued need for such a device which is adapted to prevent unwanted odors from permeating through the container. The present invention accomplishes these objectives. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a device that receives and disposes of pet waste in separate compartments and prevents unwanted odors from permeating through the container. This is accomplished by utilizing a hollow base, drawer assembly, drawer receiver, tray, and air freshener actuator. The hollow base provides a receptacle to store articles of pet waste. The drawer assembly and drawer receiver provide a mechanical apparatus to pull out and push in the laterally-slidable drawer. The laterally-slidable drawer houses the tray responsible for depositing pet waste on. The pivot mechanism positions the tray horizontally or vertically depending on whether the drawer is pushed into the receiver or pulled away from the receiver. The tray is positioned inside the drawer receiver and provides a place to deposit articles of pet waste. The air freshener actuator provides a means for eliminating unwanted odors accompanying articles of pet waste. 
     When the drawer is pulled out from the receiver, the pivot mechanism places the tray in a horizontal orientation to provide a flat surface onto which an article of pet waste may be deposited. When the drawer is pushed into the receiver, the pivot mechanism places the tray in a vertical orientation such that the article of pet waste on the tray is deposited into the hollow base. The method of receiving and transporting articles of pet waste from the drawer to the base provides the user with two separate compartments, one for receiving the waste, and one for storing the waste. This prevents the user from coming into direct contact with festering bacteria and odors that accompany the storage and disposal of pet waste. 
     The present invention is adapted to receive and dispose of pet waste in separate compartments. Furthermore, provides a means for preventing unwanted odors from permeating through the container. Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the present invention, illustrated with a drawer thereof in a closed position; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view thereof with the drawer in an open position; 
         FIG. 3  is a right-side elevational view of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the present invention with a drawer assembly in a raised position; 
         FIG. 5  is a front perspective view of  FIG. 4  and further including a disposable bag attached; 
         FIG. 6  is a front perspective view of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a partial front perspective view of the present invention with an air freshener actuator partially removed; 
         FIG. 8  is a top perspective view of a top portion of the drawer assembly with an air freshener container; 
         FIG. 9  is a top perspective view of a portion of a drawer receiver, showing a triangular catch of a latch arrangement of the drawer; and 
         FIG. 10  is a bottom perspective view of a latch pin of the latch arrangement. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Illustrative embodiments of the invention are described below. The following explanation provides specific details for a thorough understanding of and enabling description for these embodiments. One skilled in the art will understand that the invention may be practiced without such details. In other instances, well-known structures and functions have not been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the description of the embodiments. 
     Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words “comprise,” “comprising,” and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in the sense of “including, but not limited to.” Words using the singular or plural number also include the plural or singular number respectively. Additionally, the words “herein,” “above,” “below” and words of similar import, when used in this application, shall refer to this application as a whole and not to any particular portions of this application. When the claims use the word “or” in reference to a list of two or more items, that word covers all of the following interpretations of the word: any of the items in the list, all of the items in the list and any combination of the items in the list. When the word “each” is used to refer to an element that was previously introduced as being at least one in number, the word “each” does not necessarily imply a plurality of the elements, but can also mean a singular element. 
     The present invention  10  comprises a hollow base  20 , drawer assembly  30 , drawer receiver  40 , laterally-slidable drawer  50 , tray  70 , pivot mechanism  80 , and air freshener actuator  220  ( FIG. 1 ). The hollow base  20  provides a receptacle to store articles of disposed waste  15 , such as pet waste. The drawer assembly  30  and drawer receiver  40  provide a mechanical apparatus to pull out and push in the laterally-slidable drawer  50 . The laterally-slidable drawer  50  houses the tray  70  upon which the waste  15  is deposited. The pivot mechanism  80  is adapted to position the tray  70  in a horizontal orientation  90  when the drawer  50  is pulled away from the receiver  40 , and in a vertical orientation  100  when pushed into the receiver  40 . This allows an article of waste  15  deposited on the tray  70  to be released into the hollow base  20  and disposable bag  16 . The air freshener actuator  220  provides a means for eliminating unwanted odors accompanying articles of waste  15 . 
     The hollow base  20  functions as a receptacle for storing and disposing of articles of waste  15  and comprises an open top end  28  and resilient bag frame  130  ( FIG. 6 ). The resilient bag frame  130  is fixedly attached within the inner top perimeter of the hollow base  20 . A disposable bag  16  may temporarily be attached around the resilient bag frame  130 . The disposable bag  16  hangs from the top of the resilient bag frame  130  down to the bottom of the hollow base  20  to collect articles of waste  15 . In the preferred embodiment, the hollow base  20  is circular in shape and elongated, measuring between 20 and 40 inches in circumference and between 8 to 24 inches in height. The hollow base  20  and resilient bag frame  130  may be constructed from plastic, metal, fiberglass, or any other resilient material. 
     The drawer assembly  30  is fixedly attached to the open top end  28  of the base  20  by a hinge  270  and comprises a drawer receiver  40  and a laterally-slidable drawer  50  ( FIG. 2 ). The drawer receiver  40  further comprises an open side  42  for receiving the laterally-slidable drawer  50  ( FIG. 2 ). The laterally-slidable drawer  50  comprises a frame  60  and a tray  70 . The frame  60  provides support for the tray  70  and drawer assembly  30 . The tray  70  is pivotally attached to the frame  60  with a pivot mechanism  80  which maintains the tray  70  in a horizontal orientation  90  when the drawer  50  is pulled away from the drawer receiver  40  in an open position  110 . The pivot mechanism  80  maintains the tray  70  in a vertical orientation  100  when the drawer  50  is pushed into the receiver  40  in a closed position  120 . The drawer assembly  30 , drawer receiver  40 , laterally-slidable drawer  50 , tray  70 , and pivot mechanism  80  may be constructed from plastic, metal, fiberglass, or any other rigid material. 
     The drawer assembly  30  further comprises a pair of drawer sliding mechanisms  180  and a plurality of first biasing mechanisms  190  ( FIG. 6 ). The pair of drawer sliding mechanisms  180  is fixedly attached to either side of the drawer  50  between the drawer  50  and the receiver  40 , whereby the drawer  50  may be removed from the receiver  40  to facilitate cleaning thereof. The plurality of first biasing mechanisms  190  is fixed between each half of the tray  74  and the drawer frame  60  and urges each tray  74  into the horizontal orientation  90 . The pair of drawer sliding mechanisms  180  and plurality of first biasing mechanisms  190  may be constructed from plastic, metal, fiberglass, or any other suitable rigid material. 
     The tray  70  is split down a centerline  75  thereof such that the pivot mechanism  80  acts to counter-rotate each half  74  of the tray  70  90-degrees upon moving the drawer  50  from the open position  110  to the closed position  120  ( FIG. 2 ). The pivot mechanism  80  further comprises at least one pivot bar  81  which is fixedly attached to the drawer frame  60  with an axis  140  of each half  74  of each tray  70 . The at least one pivot bar  81  is movable between a lowered position  150  that corresponds to the tray  70  being in the horizontal orientation  90  and a raised position  160  that corresponds to each tray half  74  being in the vertical orientation  100 . The at least one pivot bar  81  is moved to the raised position  160  as the drawer  50  is moved to the closed position  120  by a pivot bar post  170  fixed within the receiver  40 . 
     When in use, the pivot mechanism  80  will keep the tray  70  in the horizontal position  90  when the drawer  50  is pulled away from the drawer receiver  40  in the open position  110 . In this open position  110 , the tray  70  is kept in the horizontal position  90  in order to receive an article of waste  15 . When the drawer  50  is pushed back into the drawer receiver  40 , the pivot mechanism  80  causes the tray to pivot into the vertical position  100  such that the article of waste  15  falls off the tray  70  and is deposited into the disposable bag  16  positioned around the bag frame  130  within the hollow base  20 . 
     The top portion  200  of the drawer assembly  30  is fixedly attached to the hollow base  20  with a hinge  270  and comprises an open air freshener aperture  210  into which an air freshener actuator  220  may be fixed ( FIG. 7 ). The air freshener actuator  220  contains a pressurized air freshener container  240  positioned inside. A spring  230  keeps the air freshener actuator  220  biased upwardly, whereby upon downward pressing of the air freshener actuator  220  the air freshener container  240  is urged to release an air freshener into the container, past the drawer  50  and into the base  20 . 
     A third spring  260  ( FIG. 6 ) is fixed between an end  58  of the drawer  50  and the receiver, the third spring  260  biasing the drawer into the open position  110 . A latch arrangement  300  and the third spring  260  are fixed between an end  58  of the drawer  50  and the receiver  40  ( FIGS. 9 and 10 ). This configuration allows the drawer  50  to be pushed in slightly and released. The third spring  260  pushes the drawer  50  into the open position  110 , and once the drawer  50  is open  110 , the latch arrangement  300  resets so that upon pushing the drawer  50  back fully into the receiver  40  the latch assembly  300  retains the drawer  50  in the closed position  120 . The latch arrangement includes a generally triangular catch  301  ( FIG. 9 ) and a latch spring  302  ( FIG. 10 ) fixed with the underside of the drawer  50 . 
     When in use, the user first opens the drawer  50  by pushing in on the receiver  40 , releasing the drawer  50  into the open position  110  and revealing the tray  70 . The user then places an article of waste  15  onto the tray  70 . Once the article of waste  15  has been placed on the tray  70 , the user then closes the drawer  50  by pushing in on the drawer  50 , sliding the drawer  50  back into the receiver  40 . Upon sliding the drawer  50  back into the receiver  40 , the pivot bar post  170  contacts the pivot bar to force it into the raised position  160 , pivoting each half of each tray  74  into the vertical orientation  100  such that the article of waste  15  falls into the disposable bag  16  housed within the base  20 . Further, the latch arrangement  300  retains the drawer  50  in the closed position  120  against the third spring  260  until the drawer  50  is then pushed in again to release the latch arrangement  300 , allowing the third spring  260  to urge the drawer  50  back into the open position  110 . 
     The air freshener container  240  is positioned within the of the air freshener actuator  220 . When in use, the air freshener actuator  220  is placed in the open air freshener aperture  210 . The pressure from the spring  230  keeps the air fresher actuator  220  raised. When the air freshener actuator  220  is pressed downwardly, air freshener spray is released down into the hollow base  20 , reducing unpleasant odors within. 
     When the disposable bag  16  is full of articles of waste  15 , the present invention  10  enables the easy removal of the waste  15  and replacement of the bag  16 . First, the drawer assembly  30  is placed in the raised position  280 , providing access to the base  20 . Then, the disposable bag  16  may be removed from the frame  130  and a new bag  16  may be installed. The drawer assembly  30  must then be placed in the closed position  120  before further use. 
     While a particular form of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be apparent that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, materials, shapes, and sizes have been designated, although any suitable material, shape, and size may be used. Accordingly, it is not intended that the invention be limited, except as by the appended claims. 
     Particular terminology used when describing certain features or aspects of the invention should not be taken to imply that the terminology is being redefined herein to be restricted to any specific characteristics, features, or aspects of the invention with which that terminology is associated. In general, the terms used in the following claims should not be construed to limit the invention to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification, unless the above Detailed Description section explicitly defines such terms. Accordingly, the actual scope of the invention encompasses not only the disclosed embodiments, but also all equivalent ways of practicing or implementing the invention. 
     The above detailed description of the embodiments of the invention is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed above or to the particular field of usage mentioned in this disclosure. While specific embodiments of, and examples for, the invention are described above for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the invention, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize. Also, the teachings of the invention provided herein can be applied to other systems, not necessarily the system described above. The elements and acts of the various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments. 
     All of the above patents and applications and other references, including any that may be listed in accompanying filing papers, are incorporated herein by reference. Aspects of the invention can be modified, if necessary, to employ the systems, functions, and concepts of the various references described above to provide yet further embodiments of the invention. 
     Changes can be made to the invention in light of the above “Detailed Description.” While the above description details certain embodiments of the invention and describes the best mode contemplated, no matter how detailed the above appears in text, the invention can be practiced in many ways. Therefore, implementation details may vary considerably while still being encompassed by the invention disclosed herein. As noted above, particular terminology used when describing certain features or aspects of the invention should not be taken to imply that the terminology is being redefined herein to be restricted to any specific characteristics, features, or aspects of the invention with which that terminology is associated. 
     While certain aspects of the invention are presented below in certain claim forms, the inventor contemplates the various aspects of the invention in any number of claim forms. Accordingly, the inventor reserves the right to add additional claims after filing the application to pursue such additional claim forms for other aspects of the invention.