Abstract:
The present invention relates to an advanced device and method for operating household waste containers having wheels and hinged lids used for: garbage, recycling, and organic waste. According to the present invention one or more of the containers described are operated in a hands free manor when different types of waste are being sorted and deposited. The user activates a foot pedal assembly that opens one or more of the described containers.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    A growing amount of household garbage collection is being sorted into various types of waste, and recycling containers before being picked up by professional services. The type of containers often used in these type of waste diversion programs are wheeled containers with hinged lids that have lifting points in order to be mechanically lifted into waste trucks used by professional services. The practice of sorting and depositing a collection of various types of waste into specific containers of these types is also becoming more common. 
         [0002]    These types of household wheeled hinged lid containers used for waste are often stored outside. The user must hold open a hinged lid by hand while depositing waste and or recyclable items requiring hand contact with the container lid. This action must be repeated in order to deposit a different type of waste into another container if the user transports more than one type of waste items in the same trip to a containers storage area. 
         [0003]    It is also necessary to stoop to the relatively low height in order to open smaller versions of the described wheeled containers; often household organic or compost type wheeled containers are of the smaller version. 
         [0004]    It is also common for users to install additional latching or complete enclosure provisions to help prevent scavenging animals from raiding exposed container lids. These types of additional lid securing devices and or storage housings that are used require even more time when attempting to sort and deposit various items into each of the appropriate containers. Hand contact with exposed surfaces associated with the described wheeled containers with hinged lids can be cause for concern. This concern is based on the potential for scavenging animals to transmit germs in addition to not knowing what type of waste items container surfaces have been exposed to. 
         [0005]    These types of sanitation issues often have an effect on how users utilize the described containers and can possibly have a negative impact on the effort required for using the specified containers for waste diversion and recycling programs. This observation can potentially be derived from the rate of compliancy when comparing single dwelling homes to multi unit dwellings that must share the described waste bins. This rate of compliancy has been documented in one large city that has approximately half of its occupants living in single unit dwellings and the other half living in multi unit dwellings. Both of which participate in a waste diversion program separating particular garbage, compost, and recycling items into three differently marked bins of varying sizes. 
         [0006]    It would there fore be beneficial to have a system and method that would accommodate wheeled containers having hinged lids that would save time and encourage the user to recycle and sort waste items. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0007]    According to the present invention an advanced household solid waste device and method is provided for use with wheeled containers having hinged lids used in many city solid waste programs. 
         [0008]    When the described containers are housed within a structure they are sheltered from the environment, the present invention allows for expedient access into one or more of these described containers that are housed. Hand contact with the sheltering structure and described containers is only required when the person managing the device is placing or removing operatively connected containers from within the device. Connected containers are detached and removed from the device where they are wheeled to a pick up location in order that professional services can empty items deposited into the containers by users. At this time the manager or handler loading or unloading the device can take the justifiable time to dawn protective gloves for the delegated task at hand. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention the inclusive drawings are described below: 
           [0010]      FIG. 1 . pictorial front view with partial sectional views, shown with both front doors and lid open 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  Is a partial sectional front pictorial view showing the implementation of a gas spring 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  view showing open, closed pedal position and counter weight 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  close up diagram of tether configuration 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]    Referring to  FIG. 1 . This pictorial front view with partial sectional views is an embodiment of the present invention device and method, a housing  10  is shown utilizing the household waste diversion device according to the present invention. A wheeled container  20  with a hinged lid  19  is used in various combinations and range in size. The general number  20  will be used to identify the said wheeled containers with hinged lids and will be referred to as “containers”  20  from this point on, the hinged lids  19  for containers  20  will be referred to as “lids”  19 . 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  shows a common multi bin assortment common for many single dwelling households in cities that have a solid waste diversion program however the example is not intended to limit or restrict interpretation of the present invention as described in the following specification description with respect to material, configuration, scale or, capacity for the number of containers  20  or containers  20 . 
         [0016]    Referring to  FIG. 1 . containers  20  are stored within a housing  10  that utilizes the device and method according to the present invention, containers  20  are shown in an open and assessable state while a pedal  27  is depressed, at this moment every one of the stored containers  20  are open and accessible for depositing various waste items. 
         [0017]    The example housing  10  has an outer lid  38  that is pivotally hinged to a rear wall  11  with a left lid hinge  26   a  and a right lid hinge  26   b.  According to the present invention the underside of lid  38  has a first tether mount  42  secured into and or through its thickness. First tether mounts  42  are located above containers  20  being used within the device operatively opened by the user depressing the extending and retracting foot pedal  27  that is pivotally coupled between a left side extendable pedal member segment  28   a,  and a right side extendable pedal member segment  28   b  that protrude through a slotted inner sub housing front wall  48  that has been partially removed in this sectional view in order to expose elements of the pedal assembly according to the present invention. 
         [0018]    Extending and retracting of the foot pedal  27  occurs when the user places his or her foot on pedal  27 . Outwardly sliding extendable pedal members  28   a  and  28   b  transmitting force through a left pedal member  29   a  and a right pedal member  29   b  that are part of a rigid body assembly fixed to a shaft  30  that is pivotally coupled to a left bi-directional bearings  31   a  and a right bidirectional bearing  31   b  that are supported by a left bracket  32   a  and a right bracket  32   b  that are attached to a left inner sub housing side walls  33   a  and a right inner sub housing side wall  33   b.  A generally rectangular reinforcement piece  118  is fixed between sliding pedal members  28   a  and  28   b  adding additional support in forming a rigid body pedal assembly holding each of the sliding members fixed and parallel. 
         [0019]    As the user depresses the extending and retracting foot pedal  27  downward an upward force is transmitted to a vertical thrust member  34  that has its lower end pivotally coupled to pedal member  29   b  with a clevis pin  119 . Which is secured with a cotter pin  120 , Thrust member  34  extends vertically passing through the space beside container  20  thrust member  34  then pivotally couples using an upper clevis pin  131  attached to an abutment bracket  36  upper clevis pin is secured with an upper cotter pin  132 . Abutment bracket  36  is fixed to a rigid load transfer member  37  that is longitudinally affixed to the underside of lid  38  displacing the force exerted into outer lid  38  so as to minimize deflection or distortion of outer lid  38  when being pushed in an upwards direction. 
         [0020]    containers  20  lids  19  are operatively coupled to lid  38  with a realisably connected tethers  41  that detachably secure to a first adjustable tether fastener mounts  42  connected to the underside of lid  38  and a second adjustable tether fastener mounts  43  that are attached to the top side of lids  19  in a central forward position by the user. 
         [0021]    Referring to diagram  FIG. 4  a closer view of the adjustable tether  41  and fastening elements according to the present invention are shown. First tether mount  42  is shown on the underside of lid  38  that is secured with a fastener set  61  that passes through the thickness of lid  38 . A spring loaded clip  58   a  is shown coupling to first tether fastener mount  42  coupling tether  41  that is then placed in a hole on the semi flexible resilient tether  41 . The hole selected is the one that will best suit the containers  20  and lids  19  type being used in the device. The bottom end of tether  41  is then coupled to spring loaded clip  58   b  that detachably secures to tether fastener mount  43  that has a structural two way tape  60  attached to it. This type of aggressive “very high bond” structural tape is manufactured by a company called  3 M that produces a tape suitable for this application. The user or installer is instructed to prep the upper top surface of lids  19  with an alcohol pad  62  prior to adhering tether mount  43 . Once the containers  20  have been configured for use with device according to the present invention tethers  41  can be operatively attached or detached using spring clip  58   b  or spring clip  58   a.    
         [0022]    Referring back to  FIG. 1  The wheeled containers with hinged lids are pushed into or pulled out of the device by the manager or handler of the device by un clipping  58   b  or  58   a  tether  41  and pulling the container  20  out of the device. 
         [0023]    Referring to  FIG. 3  A counter weight  74  is used assisting the effort required to depress pedal  27  a wire cable  77  is connected to an eyelet  97  fixed to right pedal member  29   b  and left pedal member  29  a wire cable  77  connected to eyelet  97  then travels vertically upward to a swivel block  76  the wire cable  77  then continue in an upward direction wrapping around an upwardly disposed deflector wheel  78  that rotates on a deflector wheel shaft  79  that turns in a bi directional bearing  110  on the left side supported by an upper bracket  112  and a bi directional bearing on the right side  111  that is mounted on a upper bracket  113 . After wrapping around the upper deflector wheel  78  the wire cable travels downward to a second swivel block  114 . Wire cable  77  then connects to the suspended counter weight  74 . 
         [0024]    Counterweight  74  also has a set of rearward projecting idler wheels  75  that run in vertical tracks  116  said idler wheels  75  provide stability to counter weight  74  when reciprocating as a static load in order to assist the user&#39;s efforts when depressing pedal  27 . 
         [0025]    Referring to  FIG. 2  An alternative to using a counter weight  74  for opening multiple containers  20  lids  19  is implementing a gas spring shock  39 ; the top reciprocating load end of said gas spring shock  39  is shown in the preferred embodiment as being mounted onto the same abutment bracket  36  inline with vertical thrust member  34 . Side wall  33   b  is upwardly extended to accommodate a mounting plate  61  for the base of gas spring shock  39   
         [0026]    In mass production the embodiments described above according to the present invention would be advantageously made from Thermoplastic resins including polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride, more commonly known as PVC. 
         [0027]    Another possible material is HDPE which is a high density version of polyethylene plastic. It is a hard, strong, and heavy plastic resin that has been purified and UV protected. Another option would be to use a synthetic wood substitute made from 100% recycled plastic bottles and containers. The plastic is permeated with UV stabilized coloring that is consistent throughout. 
         [0028]    The included detailed description is for 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. In certain instances, detailed descriptions of well-known devices, components, mechanisms and methods are omitted so as to not obscure the description of the present invention with unnecessary detail.