Garbage can provided with airtight means for preventing odor leakage

A garbage can provided with an airtight means for preventing odor leakage is provided. In the garbage can, garbage odors may be prevented from leaking into a gap between a cover for opening and closing an inlet for garbage of the garbage can in a casement method and an upper cap provided with the inlet for garbage formed thereon, and also the cover is automatically sealed and opened by the airtight means only by using a pressurizing panel used to open and close the cover without any additional operation, thereby providing convenience of use.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a garbage can provided with an airtight means for preventing odor leakage, wherein garbage odors may be prevented from leaking into a gap between a cover for opening and closing an inlet for garbage of the garbage can in a casement method and an upper cap provided with the inlet for garbage formed thereon, and also the cover is automatically sealed and opened by the airtight means only by using a pressurizing panel used to open and close the cover without any additional operation, thereby providing convenience of use.

BACKGROUND ART

Korean Patent No. 10-1772615 relates to a garbage can having a structure in which odors are prevented by means of ultraviolet sterilization and automatic opening and closing of a cover of the garbage can, so as to promote a hygienic environment and convenience of use.

The garbage can of the above registered Korean Patent is configured to include: an outer case having an open upper side thereof; a cover coupled to an upper part of the outer case so as to be opened and closed and be made airtight with the upper part of the case; a sterilization means installed on the cover for sterilization and deodorization by generating ultraviolet rays and ozone toward an inner space of the case; an opening and closing means for automatically opening and closing the cover by detecting a user's approach; a power supply means; and a microcontroller for operating the sterilization means at a predetermined period while the cover is closed and controlling the opening and closing of the opening and closing means.

In this way, the above registered Korean Patent provides an effect in that the inside of the garbage can is sterilized and deodorized to be able to prevent the occurrence of odors, and the cover of the garbage can is automatically opened according to the user's approach and automatically closed after a certain period of time, thereby making it convenient for a user to throw garbage into the garbage can.

However, in the above registered Korean Patent, even though the garbage can prevents the occurrence of odors by repeated operation of the sterilization means, when food waste and the like are disposed, complete internal sterilization and deodorization are difficult, and in particular, when a large amount of garbage is loaded, the garbage can is unable to completely prevent the decay of garbage through the sterilization means, so the effect of preventing the occurrence of odors is insufficient.

Accordingly, when considering that the occurrence of odors cannot be completely prevented, another alternative has been to prevent odors inside the garbage can from leaking to the outside.

Meanwhile, in a configuration of the above registered Korean Patent, since the odors generated inside the garbage can leak into a gap between the garbage can and a cover covering an inlet for garbage, it is insufficient for the configuration to be able to prevent the leakage of such odors, and thus, there is a problem with a limitation in preventing odor leakage by using only general packing.

DISCLOSURE

Technical Problem

Accordingly, the present invention is devised to solve the above problems.

An objective of the present invention is to provide a garbage can provided with an airtight means for preventing odor leakage, wherein the cover is allowed to be in close contact with a rim of an inlet for garbage through magnetic attachment, so as to block odors being generated due to garbage decay in a garbage bag and leaking to the outside through a gap between the inlet for garbage and a cover, and relieve discomfort or inconvenience caused by the odors during use, and without the need for a user to perform additional operations, the cover attached with magnetic force is easily opened only by the operation of a pressurizing panel for opening the cover and automatically attached with magnetic force when the pressurizing panel is deactivated, thereby providing easier and more convenient use.

Technical Solution

In order to achieve the above-described objective, a garbage can according to the present invention includes:a main body provided with a pressurizing panel, an upper cap having an inlet for garbage, and a cover for opening and closing the inlet for garbage in a casement method;an airtight means for preventing odor leakage, the airtight means being provided at each position where the upper cap and the cover corresponds to each other and composed of a first attachment part and a second attachment part, which are magnetically attachable to each other; andan opening member connected to pass through the first attachment part of the upper cap, moving up and down in connection with pressurizing and returning operation of the pressurizing panel, and pushing the second attachment part of the cover to be separated from the first attachment part when raised.

In addition, in the garbage can according to the present invention,the opening member may include: an operation bar having a middle part hingedly coupled to a lower side of the main body and having opposite ends thereof operated in seesaw movement by the pressurizing panel; a raising and lowering bar connected to an upper side at an outer end of the operation bar; and a push bar comprising a push protrusion that has one end thereof hingedly coupled to a lower side of the upper cap to be rotated up and down by the raising and lowering bar, is fitted into the first attachment part of the upper cap, and pushes the second attachment part of the cover when rotating upward.

In addition, in the garbage can according to the present invention,the operation bar may include: a pressed part and a raised part respectively having downwardly inclined opposite ends connected to each other on the basis of a shaft part positioned at a center therebetween; a pressed protrusion protruding from an inner end of the pressed part to a lower part of the pressurizing panel so as to be connected; and a pressurizing protrusion bent upward at an outer end of the raised part and connected to the raising and lowering bar.

Furthermore, in the garbage can according to the present invention,the raising and lowering bar may be provided with a support part having a lower end thereof bent inward to be connected, andthe pressurizing protrusion and the support part may be in contact with each other in a separated form and connected to each other so that the operation bar and the raising and lowering bar are interlocked with each other.

Advantageous Effects

A garbage can provided with an airtight means for preventing odor leakage according to the present invention has the following effects.

In spite of operation of a sterilization means, when odors are generated from garbage inside a garbage can, the odors are prevented from leaking to the outside of the garbage can through a gap between an inlet for garbage and a cover, thereby relieving discomfort or inconvenience caused by the odors during use.

In particular, through magnetic attachment, the cover is tightly attached and seated around the inlet for garbage, and at the same time, without the need for a user to perform an additional operation, the cover attached with magnetic force is easily opened only by the operation of a pressurizing panel for opening the cover and is automatically attached with magnetic force when the pressurizing panel is deactivated, thereby providing easier and more convenient use.

An opening member for opening the cover is individually manufactured for each part and is connected in a simplified structure, thereby not only securing convenience of production and reducing a manufacturing unit cost, but also reducing the risk of failure during the opening and closing operation of the cover in connection with the automatic opening of the cover.

DESCRIPTION OF THE MAIN NUMERALS IN THE DRAWINGS

BEST MODE

The present invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and have various forms, and implementation examples (i.e., aspects or exemplary embodiments) will be described in detail in the specification. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to a particular disclosed form. On the contrary, the present invention is to be understood to include all various alternatives, equivalents, and substitutes that may be included within the spirit and technical scope of the present invention.

In describing a garbage can provided with an airtight means for preventing odor leakage according to the present invention, for convenience, when specifying an approximate rough direction standard with reference toFIG.1, a direction in which gravity acts is set as a lower side, and a visible direction, as it is, is set as each of the up, down, left, and right directions. In addition, in the detailed description and claims related to the other drawings as well, unless otherwise specified, directions are specified and described in accordance with this standard.

Hereinafter, a garbage can provided with an airtight means for preventing odor leakage according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

As shown inFIGS.1to6, the garbage can according to the present invention includes: a main body10forming an outer case11; an airtight means30for preventing odor leakage by closely contacting a cover14with an upper side of a rim of an inlet for garbage12ato prevent leakage of odors; and an opening member40for facilitating opening of the cover14attached with magnetic force.

The main body10is provided with a garbage storage part therein, and the main body10where an inner basket20is provided on an inner upper end of the outer case11to place a garbage bag is representatively illustrated in the drawings of the present specification.

Describing schematically a configuration of such a main body10, the inner basket20is provided with a sidewall part21forming upper and lower openings21aand is coupled to an inner upper end of the main body10, a garbage pouch that is usable as a garbage bag is fitted on an outer surface of the side wall part21of the inner basket20, the garbage pouch is covered inward the basket20to be loosened therein, a lower end of the garbage pouch is tied to be used, and then the garbage pouch is cut and discharged when filled with garbage.

When the main body10having the above configuration is used, there is no need to place a new garbage bag for replacement each time inside the main body10, and the garbage pouch may be cut and discharged depending on the amount of garbage, thereby providing great convenience.

However, the main objective of the present invention is to prevent leakage of odors by increasing the adhesion strength between the inlet for garbage12aand the cover14and to make it easier to open the cover14that is in close adhesion, so the detailed configuration of the main body10may be changed such that a new garbage bag, like a recycling garbage bag, may be used by placing the garbage bag on the inner basket20and the like.

Specifically, the main body10is provided with a pressurizing panel18, an upper cap12having an inlet for garbage12a, and a cover14for opening and closing the inlet for garbage12ain a casement method.

The pressurizing panel18includes a pedal part182hingedly coupled to a lower side of the main body10and rotating upward and downward, wherein opposite side ends of the opening and closing bar181vertically standing on the rear end of the main body10are connected to an inner end of the pressurizing panel18and an inner side of the cover14in a hinged coupling structure, so that during seesaw movement of the pressurizing panel18, the cover14is automatically opened and closed.

In particular, the pressurizing panel18of the present invention has characteristics in that the cover14is automatically opened and closed in connection with the pressing and returning operation and the cover14is simultaneously attached and detached with magnetic force through the raising and lowering of the opening member40. In this way, without the need for a user to perform an additional operation, the cover14attached with magnetic force may be easily opened only by the operation of the pressurizing panel18for opening the cover14, in particular, only by stepping on the pressurizing panel18with the user's feet, and the cover14is automatically attached with magnetic force only by taking the user's foot off the pressurizing panel18, thereby providing easier and more convenient use. A specific description associated with the above characteristics will be described later.

The upper cap12may further include an inner cover (not shown) that is opened and closed to double seal the inlet12aof garbage from the inside, in addition to an outer cover14that covers the upper side of the outer case11to open and close the inlet for garbage12a.

The cover14is rotated in a casement method by the pressurizing panel18to open and close the inlet for garbage12a, and while having an area corresponding to the upper cap12, the cover14is provided with a packing14aon an inner side of the rim thereof, the packing14abeing in close contact with the upper side of the upper cap12.

Each airtight means30for preventing odor leakage is provided at each position where the upper cap12and the cover14corresponds with each other, and is composed of a first attachment part37and a second attachment part38, which are able to be attached by magnetic force to each other.

Here, the fact that the first and second attachment parts37and38are magnetically attached to each other means that any one of the attachment parts37and38is composed of a magnet, and correspondingly, the other attachment may be composed of metal materials such as iron to enable the magnetic attachment, as an example.

Alternately, as another example, each of the attachment parts37and38may be composed of magnets of different polarities.

In this case, there are no restrictions on the shape, size, number, and the like of each of the attachment parts37and38, but the first attachment part37provided on the upper cap12includes a withdrawal hole37aformed to enable the push protrusion433of the opening member40, to be described later, to be drawn in and out by passing through in a vertical direction.

In addition, in the drawing, the exemplary embodiment is representatively illustrated such that the first attachment part37is built into the inner side surface of the upper cap12and the second attachment part38is coupled to be exposed to the inner side surface of the cover14, but various forms such as an inverted configuration may be provided.

In the present invention, when the cover14is closed, the cover14, in particular, the packing14ainside the cover14is pressed against and adhered to the upper side of the upper cap12due to attachment with magnetic force of the attachment parts37and38, so as to prevent the odors generated from garbage inside the garbage pouch from leaking into a gap between the upper cap12and the cover14through the inlet for garbage12a.

The opening member40is connected to pass through the first attachment part37of the upper cap12, and moves up and down in connection with the pressurizing and returning operation of the pressurizing panel18, but when the opening member40is raised, the second attachment part38of the cover14is pushed and separated apart from the first attachment part37.

Specifically, the opening member40is configured to include:an operation bar41having a middle part thereof hingedly coupled to the lower side of the main body10and having opposite ends thereof operating in seesaw movement by the pressurizing panel18;a raising and lowering bar42connected upward at the outer end of the operation bar41; anda push bar43having one end thereof hingedly coupled to the lower side of the upper cap12so as to rotate upward and downward by the raising and lowering bar42, and including a push protrusion433which is fitted into the first attachment part37of the upper cap12and pushes the second attachment part38of the cover14when rotating upward.

The operation bar41changes a direction of the pressure applied to the pressurizing panel18to an upward direction so as to raise the raising and lowering bar42.

Such an operation bar41includes: a pressed part412and a raised part413, respectively having downwardly inclined opposite side ends connected to each other on the basis of a first shaft part411hingedly coupled to the main body10and positioned at the center therebetween; a pressed protrusion412aprotruding from the inner end of the pressed part412to a lower part of the pressurizing panel18to be connected thereto; and a pressurizing protrusion413awhich is bent upward at the outer end of the raised part413and connected to the raising and lowering bar42.

The reason why the pressed part412and the raised part413are connected to each other inclined downward is to sufficiently secure heights of raising and lowering of the raising and lowering bar42through the pressurizing protrusion413a, while reducing the space required for seesaw movement of the operating bar41.

In addition, the raising and lowering bar42has a support part421bent inwardly and connected to the lower end thereof.

The pressurizing protrusion413aand the support part421are in contact with each other in a separate form, so that the operation bar41and the raising and lowering bar42are connected to each other so as to be interlocked with each other.

The reason for this configuration is due to the fact that when the pressurizing protrusion413aand the support part421are hingedly coupled to each other, a vertical angle of the raising and lowering bar42changes depending on the change in the rotation angle of the raised part413, and unlike the opening and closing bar181used for opening and closing the cover14, the push protrusion433, which pushes and raises the second attachment part38of the cover14, is separated from the second attachment part38without being hingedly coupled thereto.

In addition, at an upper end thereof, the raising and lowering bar42includes a pressurizing piece422bent in one side direction, wherein an upwardly rotating motion of the push bar43is operated by contacting the pressurizing piece422according to the raising of the pressurizing piece422.

Such a raising and lowering bar42is slidably coupled to a guide bar42A installed upright in the vertical direction on the inner side of the main body10to guide the raising and lowering.

The push bar43includes: a second shaft part431on one end thereof hingedly coupled to a bracket12A enabling the lower side of the upper cap12, more strictly, the first attachment part37, to be mounted on the inner side surface of the upper cap12; a pushed protrusion432on the other side thereof connected to the opposite side of the second shaft part431and arranged in a direction orthogonal to the pressurizing protrusion413a; and a push protrusion433connected to protrude upward from the middle part of the push bar43so as to be fitted into the withdrawal hole37aof the first attachment part37.

Accordingly, when the pressed protrusion412aof the operation bar41is pressed by the pressurizing panel18, as a reaction against the above action, while the pressurizing protrusion413ais raised, the support part421is pushed, whereby the raising and lowering bar42moves upward. At this time, since the operation bar41and the raising and lowering bar42are not hingedly coupled to each other, but are connected by contacting with each other in a separate form, the raising and lowering bar42is raised in a straight vertical direction along the guide bar42A without changing any angle.

When the raising and lowering bar42is raised, the pressurizing piece422presses the pushed protrusion432of the push bar43upward so that the push bar43rotates upward, and accordingly, while being raised, the push protrusion433built in the withdrawal hole37ais drawn out to the outside of the first attachment part37, so that the second attachment part38, which is magnetically attached to the first attachment part37, is forcibly detached therefrom, and in this way, the cover14from which magnetic force of the attachment parts37and38is released is rotated upward by the upward pressure of the opening and closing bar181, thereby opening the inlet for garbage12a.

After that, when the external force applied to the pressurizing panel18is eliminated, the pressurizing panel18returns to its original position, and at the same time, the operation bar41is allowed to return to its original position as the push bar43and the raising bar42are lowered by their own weight.

Meanwhile, the pressurizing panel18is mainly pressed by a user to open the cover14due to the characteristics of a garbage can, and when a height of the cover14at which the opening is completed, that is, a raised height of the opening and closing bar181, and a pressed height of the pressurizing panel18are different from each other, damage to the pressurizing panel18may occur.

That is, when the pressed height of the pressurizing panel18is too low, it is difficult to secure the raised height of the opening and closing bar181to such an extent where the cover14is completely open. Correspondingly, when a margin is given to the pressed height of the pressurizing panel18, the pressurizing panel18is pressed more than necessary even in a state where the raising of the opening and closing bar181is completed, whereby damage may occur in the pressurizing panel18, the raising and lowering bar42, or the cover14.

Accordingly, the present invention solves the above problems by allowing the pressurizing and returning operation of the pressurizing panel18to be performed in two steps of a folding structure.

Specifically, first, the pressurizing panel18includes: a pedal part182exposed to the outside of the lower side of the main body10; a first rotating body183coupled to the inside of the pedal part182and axially installed on the lower side of the main body10; a second rotating body184hingedly coupled to the inner end of the first rotating body183and connected to the opening and closing bar181; and an elastic body185for elastically supporting the first and second rotating bodies183and184to return to their original positions after the individual rotation of the first and second rotating bodies183and184.

The pedal part182is coupled to the first rotating body183by means of a connection bar182athereof having a predetermined length, protruding inwardly, and being fitted into the coupling hole183aof the first rotating body183.

The first rotating body183has the coupling hole183ainto which the connection bar182ais inserted at the front end, and in this case, the connection bar182aand the coupling hole183aare coupled to each other in a hook-locking structure and the like so as to be able to adjust a withdrawal length of the connection bar182a.

In addition, the first rotating body183is provided with a first axial installation part183binside the rear end thereof, so that a first rotary shaft183A inserted into the first axial installation part183bis hingedly coupled to the lower side of the main body10.

In addition, the first rotating body183is provided with a second axial installation part183cat the rear end thereof, so that a second rotary shaft184A is inserted into the second axial installation part183cand the third axial installation part184aof a second rotating body184, whereby the first and second rotating bodies183and184are hingedly coupled to each other to enable individual rotation.

The second rotating body184is provided with a third axial installation part184acorresponding to the second axial installation part183cat the front end, and a lower end of the opening and closing bar181is hingedly coupled to the rear end.

The elastic body185includes: a coil part185ainserted from outside to the second rotary shaft184A; first and second elastic branch pieces185band185ceach connected to an opposite end of a coil part185ato exert elastic force in a direction of opening each other, the first elastic branch piece185belastically supporting the lower part of the first rotating body183upwardly and the second elastic branch piece185celastically supporting the lower part of the second rotating body184upwardly.

In such a pressurizing panel18, [the pedal part182and the first rotating body183] and [the second rotating body184] are forcibly rotated upwardly to become an open state, without being folded downward with the second rotary shaft184A as an axis, due to elastic force of the elastic body185in a state where no external force is applied to the pedal part182.

In addition, when a user pressurizes (i.e., steps on) the pedal part182, firstly, as a set of members, the pedal part182, the first rotating body183, and the second rotating body184perform a seesaw movement around the first rotary shaft183A as an axis by elastic force of the elastic body185, so that the opening and closing bar181is raised as the second rotating body184rotates upward, thereby opening the cover14.

At this time, when the pedal part182is continuously pressed downward and the downward rotation continues even after the opening of the cover14is completed, that is, after the raising of the opening and closing bar181is completed, a pressure exceeding elastic force of the elastic body185is applied to the pedal part182in a state where the second rotating body184contacts the lower side of the main body10and the upward rotation stops, and accordingly, [the pedal part182and the first rotating body183] continuously rotates downward around the second rotary shaft184A as an axis, so that the first and second rotating bodies183and184are folded at a predetermined angle, thereby preventing damage to the parts due to the continued pressing of the pedal part182.

After that, when the external force applied to the pedal part182is eliminated (i.e., when the user's foot is released), as elastic force of the elastic body185is transmitted to the first and second rotating bodies183and184through the first and second elastic branch pieces185band185c, the rotating bodies183and184are unfolded, so that the pedal part182and the first and second rotating bodies183and184are rotated back to their original state. At this time, as the second rotating body184is pressed down by the downward closing due to its own weight of the cover14, the pressurizing panel18is operated in a seesaw movement, so that the pressurizing panel18automatically returns to its original position.

In this way, in the present invention, even when the raised height of the opening and closing bar181and the lowered height of the pedal part182are not accurately matched, automatic opening and closing of the cover14is performed safely through the structure for individual rotation after the first and second rotating bodies183and184are operated together according to the pressure of the pedal part182, thereby preventing damage or failure of parts during use.

In particular, in the present invention, after the cover14with magnetic force is automatically opened only by a simple operation of stepping on the pedal part182to open the cover14, the cover14is automatically closed and magnetically attached only by removing the foot from the pedal part182, so as to enhance airtightness, whereby users may use the garbage can easily and conveniently without any additional operation to prevent odor leakage.

In the above description of the present invention, a garbage can provided with an airtight means for preventing odor leakage has been described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention can be variously modified, changed, and substituted by those skilled in the art, and such modifications, changes, and substitutions should be interpreted as falling within the protective scope of the present invention.