Abstract:
A storage and transportation receptacle for empty recyclable beverage cans. A pair of open sided frames for receiving upright beverage cans can be hingedly linked as desired and then folded to provide a carrying case. An optional flexible cover may be placed over the open side of a frame to retain cans in the frame when a single frame is used alone.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     With the increase in consumer and environmental awareness, several states have legislated deposit laws to encourage the recycling of soft drink cans. In addition, public environmental concern has led to increasing interest in the area of container recycling. Furthermore, the impact of refuse on our landfill facilities has brought about increased efforts to sort trash and refuse to allow efficient collection of aluminum cans and glass containers for recycling. 
     The development of aluminum can deposit laws has led the public to save and store empty beverage containers and to be confronted with the problems of inconvenient storage and transport of numbers of cans. Typically, consumers have been carrying the empty can back to retainers or recyclers in various paper and plastic bags, in the paperboard containers in which they were purchased, or on paperboard traps provided by bottlers when the canned soft drinks are shipped from the factory. The usual cardboard tray is sized to receive 24 cans standing upright and is provided with a one- or two-inch upstanding flange surrounding the floor of the tray. Due to the negligible mass of each individual empty aluminum can, empty cans placed on such a tray are subject to easily toppling off the tray or being blown therefrom by a gust of wind. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to carrying cases for recyclable aluminum cans. A pair of substantially identical frames which may be conveniently interconnected is provided, each frame having an open side, a floor and sidewalls. Each frame is dimensioned to facilitate the placement of a plurality of aluminum beverage cans therein with each can resting in an upright position upon the floor of the frame. A flexible maze is provided to be movable to an overlying position relative to the aluminum cans, generally providing a permeable closure means for the open side of the frame. 
     Hinge elements are provided upon one sidewall of each frame, the hinge elements depending from one sidewall at the free edge thereof. The hinge elements are so arranged to enable the mating thereof with hinge elements of another of the frames. The hinge elements may be brought into mating relationship by the proper adjacent positioning of the pair of frames. When two units have been brought into adjacency at their hinge-carrying-sidewalls, the hinge elements can be mated and the units may be pivoted about the axes of the hinge elements. When the open side of one frame is brought into abutting interrelationship with the open side of another frame, latching elements provided on the sidewalls of one unit may engage the sidewalls of the opposing unit and interconnect thereto, thereby creating a single invention assembly. Handles are provided upon the invention to permit easy carrying of the units. 
     One object of the invention is to provide a convenient carrying case for recyclable beverage cans. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a storage receptacle for receiving recyclable beverage cans. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a storage receptacle system whereby pairs of the receptacle may be selectively secured together in a common unit. 
     These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from examination of the detailed description which follows. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the invention in position to receive aluminum cans. 
     FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the invention in its closed position. 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the hinge elements of the invention. 
     FIG. 4 is an enlargement in perspective of a latch member of the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to the drawings and in particular to FIG. 1, the invention 2 is shown in its first position for receiving the placement of objects therein. Invention 2 comprises frames 3 and 4, which are substantially identical in structure. Frames 3 and 4 are shown in abutment in FIG. 1 through they may be used independently of each other. Each of frames 3 and 4 is provided with cover 23 which is shown in an open position on frame 4 and in a closed position on frame 3. Except where required for clarity, like elements on frames 3 and 4 will be identified identically. 
     In FIG. 2, invention 2 is shown in its closed position ready to be moved by a user lifting invention 2 by handles 71. It can be seen that in this position, invention 2 will rest on feet 54 and 56 and hinges 40. Sidewall 9 of frame 3 and sidewall 10 of frame 4 abut at their respective free edges and handles 71 are rotated into engagement to form a single handle assembly. 
     In the interest of clarity, references to frame 4 only will follow except where differentiation from frame 3 is necessary. 
     Frame 4 comprises an open-sided polyhedron having a floor 8 and a plurality of sidewalls 10, 12, 14 and 16. In the preferred embodiment, frame 4 is of a generally rectangular configuration with sidewalls 10, 12, 14 and 16 each being orthogonally mounted to floor 8. Other shapes of frames 3 and 4 are contemplated. In the preferred embodiment, sidewalls 10, 12, 14 and 16 extend from floor 8 such that their height slightly exceeds the height of a common twelve ounce aluminum beverage can. If the invention were to be used to carry other objects, the height of sidewalls 10, 12, 14 and 16 would be selected to exceed the largest dimension of the goods to be placed in the invention. In the preferred embodiment, sidewalls 10, 12, 14 and 16 and floor 8 are constructed of an open gridwork for ease of cleaning. However, solid sheet material may also be used for such components. 
     Beverage cans, including those made from aluminum, may be placed within frame 4 such that they will rest on floor 8, preferably in an upstanding position. When frames 3 and 4 are sufficiently filled with beverage cans, invention 2 may be moved to its closed position, as depicted in FIG. 2. 
     Each of frames 3 and 4 may be used independently of the other. Optional cover 23 is selectively movable to enclose the contents of frame 4 and to retain such contents therewithin when frame 4 is to be moved independently. In the preferred embodiment, cover 23 comprises a flexible sheet attached pivotally to rail 20 of sidewall 16 by bands 22 and 24. Clasps 26 and 28 are provided on free end 30 of cover 23 to selectively engage rail 32 of sidewall 12 to retain cover 23 in place generally overlying floor 8. In the preferred embodiment, cover 23 is constructed of a mesh of netting material although other flexible materials may be used. Because an individual aluminum beverage can is of small mass, cover 23 need only be of sufficient strength to provide the necessary retentive function when frame 4 is moved to a position to rest on one of sidewalls 10, 12, 14 or 16. 
     Further referring to FIG. 1 and in particular to frame 3 as shown in FIG. 1, handle 71 can be seen attached to sidewall 9 of frame 3. Handle 71 is pivotal about rail 35 at indented portion 37 thereof. Cover 23 is depicted in the closed position on frame 3 with clasps 26 and 28 engaged upon rail 32 of frame 3. A latch member 60 is fixed upon rail 35 of sidewall 9 of frame 3. Similarly, a latch member 60 is fixed to rail 36 of sidewall 10 of frame 4. When abutted as shown in FIG. 1, frames 3 and 4 are joined at hinges 40. 
     Referring now to FIG. 3, the details of the features of hinges 40 can be seen. FIG. 3 discloses an enlargement of cut-away parts of rail 33 of sidewall 13 of frame 3 and of rail 34 of sidewall 14 of frame 4. Each of rails 33 and 34 has mounted thereto both pin elements 44 and pin receiving elements 42 in spaced apart relationship therealong. Each pin element 44 comprises bracket members 50 and 52 having a pin 48 mounted transversely therebetween. Because of the substantial identicality of frames 3 and 4, a pin element 44 of one of frames 3 and 4 will align with and be matable to a pin receiving element 42 of the other of frames 3 and 4 when frames 3 and 4 are properly aligned and positioned adjacently at their sidewalls 13 and 14 respectively. In the preferred embodiment, pin elements 44 alternate along rails 33 and 34 with pin receiving elements 42. A pin element 44 engaged with a pin receiving element 42 comprises a hinge 40 as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2. 
     Each pin receiving element comprises a curved section 43 formed to create a generally cylindrical recess 46 into which pin 48 of an opposing pin element 44 may be introduced. As pin receiving element 42 is rotated about the axis of pin 48 of the complementary pin element 44, curved section 43 becomes captured between pin 48 and the rail 33 or 34 on which pin element 44 is mounted, thereby retaining pin receiving element 42 to pin element 44 to create hinge 40. 
     Pin receiving element 44 is sized appropriately such that brackets 50 and 52 of pin element 44 depend from sidewall 14 a distance generally equal to the height of each of feet 54 and 56, seen in FIG. 2, such that brackets 50 and 52 provide protrusions on which frame 4 may rest cooperatingly with foot 54 when frame 4 is placed with sidewall 10 at the top. 
     Referring now to FIG. 4, an enlargement of latch member 60 is disclosed. In this figure, latch member 60 is pivotally fixed to rail 35 of sidewall 9 of frame 3. Free end 62 of latch member 60 is provided with lip 64 which selectively catches rail 36 of sidewall 10 of frame 4. Knob 66 is formed on latch member 60 to provide means for the user to grasp latch member 60 to remove it from its engagement with rail 36. 
     OPERATION OF THE INVENTION 
     The user of invention 2 will place empty recyclable items such as beverage cans within frame 4 or frame 3 or both. When movement of a partially or fully filled frame 4 is desired, cover 23 may be disposed to overlie the contents of frame 4. With cover 23 so disposed, frame 4 may be moved to an upright position with cover 23 retaining the contents within frame 4. 
     If two frames are used, as shown in FIG. 1, frame 3 will be placed adjacent to frame 4 with frames 3 and 4 aligned such that pin receiving elements 42 engage pin elements 44. When frames 3 and 4 are then rotated about the axis of pins 48 of pin elements 44, pin receiving elements 42 cooperate with pin elements 44 to provide hinges 40. When frames 3 and 4 are fully pivoted such that sidewalls 9 and 10 of frames 3 and 4 respectively are in edgewise abutment, latch member 60 are available to selectively lock frames 3 and 4 in abutment. Handles 71 may then be swiveled upon rail 35 of frame 3 and rail 36 of frame 4 to engage each other and be utilized to lift and carry invention 2. 
     In practice it is found that a desirable form of the invention is dimensioned to receive 24 twelve-ounce recyclable cans with each can standing upright on floor 8 of frame 4. For such cans, inside dimensions of frame 4 are preferably approximately 15.5 inches by 10.5 niches. The preferable height of sidewalls 10, 12, 14 and 16 would be approximately 5.0 inches. 
     The user of the invention 2 would typically disconnect frame 3 from frame 4 and fill each of the frames with cans whereupon the frames would be placed side by side, the hinge elements joined and the frames pivoted together to provide the upright container as shown in FIG. 2. In locations where deposit markings carried on tops of cans are to be checked, frames 3 and 4 can be pivoted apart and easy inspection of the cans for deposit markings can be made.