Waste receptacle system for securing a plurality of plastic liners

A waste receptacle system (10) for securing a plurality of plastic liners, which comprises a waste receptacle (5), two or more plastic liners (9) in a compressed state which are extended along all of soiling susceptible surfaces of the waste receptacle (5), and a base element (15) underlying, and coupled to, at least a portion of the waste receptacle (5), for supporting the waste receptacle (5) and for applying an adjustable pressing force to the two or more liners (9). An outwardly facing liner of the two or more liners (9) is removable from the system (10) when the pressing force is reduced and is secured and irremovable from the system (10) when the pressing force is increased.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of waste receptacles. More particularly, the invention relates to a waste receptacle system for securing a plurality of plastic liners, into one of which waste products are depositable at any given time.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The conventional method of lining a waste receptacle whereby the upper edge of a plastic liner is draped over the rim of the waste receptacle and the bottom attached edge is directed into the interior of the receptacle to define the liner is associated with several drawbacks. If the liner is undersized, or if relatively heavy waste products are deposited into the receptacle, the upper edge tends to be released from the rim, causing the inner surface of the receptacle to be soiled when the liner falls inwardly or when other waste products are subsequently deposited within the receptacle. If the liner is oversized, the waste receptacle suffers from a disorderly appearance.

Several prior art configurations including US 2007/235455, U.S. Pat. No. 6,808,073 and JP 03-147601 have attempted to overcome these deficiencies by providing a plurality of compressed plastic liners arranged such that when a top liner is filled, it is removed and the next liner remains neatly in place for subsequent filling.

However, the liners of these prior art configurations fail to cover the outer surface of the waste receptacle, which also tends to become soiled as a result of the dripping of liquid waste products being deposited within the receptacle. Also, the top edge of the plurality of liners is liable to become soiled by the dripped liquid waste. Thus all of the liners will remain with a malodorous odor for a long period of time until used.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a waste receptacle system for securing a plurality of plastic liners, into one of which waste products are depositable at any given time

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a waste receptacle system for securing a plurality of plastic liners arranged such that the outer surface of the waste receptacle always remains covered.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a waste receptacle system for securing a plurality of plastic liners, comprising a waste receptacle, two or more plastic liners in a compressed state which are extended along all of soiling susceptible surfaces of said waste receptacle, and a base element underlying, and coupled to, at least a portion of said waste receptacle, for supporting said waste receptacle and for applying an adjustable pressing force to said two or more liners, wherein an outwardly facing liner of said two or more liners is removable from said system when said pressing force is reduced and is secured and irremovable from said system when said pressing force is increased.

In one aspect, the waste receptacle has an H-shaped cross section to define an upper waste product insertable cavity and a lower base element receivable cavity.

In one aspect, the waste receptacle has a substantially horizontally extending support surface which separates the waste product insertable cavity from the base element receivable cavity.

In one aspect, a bolt extending downwardly from the support surface is insertable within an aperture formed within an upper wall of the base element and is coupleable with a nut which is contactable with a lower face of said base element upper wall to generate the pressing force.

In one aspect, a seam of each of the two or more liners is disposed above the support surface, all inner and outer wall surfaces of the waste product insertable cavity are covered by the two or more liners, and a terminal edge of the two or more liners bordering an opening thereof is disposed between the support surface and the base element upper wall, the pressing force being applied to said terminal edge.

In one aspect, the bolt is interposed between opposed terminal edge regions of each of the two or more liners.

In one aspect, the base element has a hollow interior for accessing the bolt and nut.

In one aspect, the system further comprises means for preventing rotation of the bolt while the nut is being coupled therewith.

In one aspect, the length of each of the two or more liners from the seam to the terminal edge ranges from 2.5 to 4 times the height a substantially vertically disposed waste receptacle wall.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is a novel waste receptacle system for securing a plurality of plastic liners, into one of which waste products are depositable at any given time. A plurality of plastic liners in a compressed state are placed in engagement with the entire periphery of waste receptacle surfaces that are susceptible of becoming soiled and are secured to the waste receptacle by means of an underlying base element.

FIG. 1illustrates a waste receptacle system according to one embodiment of the present invention, and is generally designated by numeral10. Waste receptacle system10comprises waste receptacle5having an H-shaped cross section, base element15, a bolt and nut arrangement for coupling together waste receptacle5and base element15, and a stack of plastic liners9in a compressed state which are fixated by the pressing action effecting by the waste receptacle and base element.

FIG. 2illustrates waste receptacle5. Waste receptacle5has upper spaced substantially vertically oriented walls3and4, and a substantially horizontal support surface6extending between the bottom of walls3and4, which define a cavity11for the insertion therewithin of waste products. Lower spaced substantially vertically oriented walls7and8, which are significantly shorter than the upper walls, e.g. approximately one-third the length, extend downwardly from support surface6to define a lower cavity19adapted to receive the base element. An aperture2is formed within support surface6for the introduction therein of the bolt.

Walls3,4,7and8may all be planar walls, e.g. integrally formed walls, to define rectangular cavities11and19. Waste receptacle5may accordingly be configured such that walls and7are collinear and walls4and8are collinear.

Alternatively, waste receptacle5may comprise a single outer rounded wall which is divided by support surface6into cavities11and19. The outer wall may gradually taper downwardly such that the width of lower cavity19is less than the width of upper cavity11.

Each of the plastic liners used in the present invention is significantly longer than a liner used to be draped over the rim of a prior art waste receptacle. The length of a plastic liner used in conjunction with a prior art waste receptacle, as measured from the seam usually placed on or near the bottom support surface of the waste product insertable cavity to the terminal edge of the liner bordering its opening, is only slightly longer, and usually no more than L5 times the height of the waste receptacle walls. The length of the liner used in the present invention, in contrast, has a length of approximately 3 times, or ranging from 2.5-4 times, the height of the waste receptacle walls.

A liner of such a relatively long length can therefore extend along all of the soiling susceptible surfaces of waste receptacle5, i.e. the inner and outer faces of each of walls3,4,7and8and the upper face of support surface6while passing over the bolt, to prevent these surfaces from becoming soiled.

Referring toFIG. 4, a stack of liners9can therefore be applied to waste receptacle5, ensuring that an outwardly facing liner that becomes filled or soiled can be easily removed and disposed of, and that a subsequently exposed adjacent liner will be clean and not malodorous. Since the outwardly facing liner as well as all adjacent liners are extended along all of the soiling susceptible surfaces of waste receptacle5, terminal edge17aof the outwardly facing liner is laterally spaced from terminal edges17band17cof adjacent liners due to the thickness of the stack of layers9and the corresponding increased peripheral length of the adjacent layers. Base element15may also include a horizontal flat bench40, for allowing the user to attach the waste receptacle10to the floor, while pulling a plastic liner from the stack. Flat bench40may comprise through-holes (not shown) to receive bolts that may be used to permanently attach the receptacle to the floor, if so desired.

Base element15shown inFIG. 3has a suitable configuration that allows placement of an upper portion thereof within cavity19, in relatively close proximity to the inner face of walls7and8and to the bottom face of support surface6, to facilitate securing the plurality of liners9. Base element15may have a planar upper surface21placeable in close proximity to support surface6of waste receptacle5, sloped side walls23and24adjacent to walls7and8, respectively, and a bottom surface26extending between side walls23and24. An aperture27is formed in upper surface21thereof, and is alignable with aperture2formed within support surface6of waste receptacle5(FIG. 2). Base element15may have a hollow interior29to enable manipulation of the bolt and nut arrangement by which the waste receptacle and base element are coupled together.

It will be appreciated that base element15may also be predominantly solid and formed with a cavity through which the bolt and nut arrangement may be accessed.

A base element16is shown inFIG. 4. Base element16is configured similarly to base element15ofFIG. 3, but without the bottom surface, while side walls23and24stably support the waste receptacle system. A bolt31is introduced through the aligned apertures2(FIG. 2) of the waste receptacle and27(FIG. 3) of the base element, and is coupled to nut34. After a stack of liners9in a compressed state are extended along all of the soiling susceptible surfaces of waste receptacle5, nut34is tightened until it bears on the lower face35of base element upper surface21. Thus the stack of liners9are pressed simultaneously and thereby secured by head32of bolt31, which bears downwardly on upper face13of support surface6, and nut34which bears upwardly on the lower face35of base element upper surface21. In order to maintain the stack of liners9pressed even when many liners are removed from the stack, it is possible to add a spring36, which is threaded over bolt31and is sandwiched between nut34and the planar upper surface21. When nut34is sufficiently tightened, spring36is pressed and continuously applies pressure on upper surface21to be pressed against support surface6. This pressure is applied on the remaining portion of the stack of liners9.

When it is desired to remove the outwardly facing liner, nut34is simply loosened temporarily and is then retightened after the outwardly facing liner is removed, so that a subsequently exposed adjacent liner will be outwardly facing.

As shown inFIG. 5, an underside of head32of bolt31may be formed with a plurality of protruding elements37for frictionally engaging upper face13of support surface6(FIG. 4) to provide a reactive force while nut34is being tightened or loosed with respect to bolt31.

Alternatively, as shown inFIG. 6, engaging upper face13of support surface6may be formed with a recessed cavity41, in which head39of bolt31is seated and prevented from being rotated, for example both the recess and bolt head are polygonal with an identical number of sides.

If so desired, the bolt may be integrally formed with the waste receptacle.

According to another embodiment, the wall thickness of waste receptacle5may be limited to 1 mm and made from a reinforced plastic or other acrylic material, so as to save raw material and reduce costs. This feature is made feasible since the base element15carries most of the weight. Therefore, the side walls of waste receptacle5should be sufficiently enforced only to resist widthwise forces.

It is also possible to add a fragrant material to each liner in the form of uniform plating, in order to add flavored fragrance. Alternatively, the plating may have a form such as a logo, a symbol etc. For example, a lemon may represent lemon-like fragrant.

According to another embodiment, the bolt and nut arrangement may be replaced by an engagement mechanism, for coupling together waste receptacle5and base element15, and a stack of plastic liners9in a compressed state. Such engagement mechanism may be, for example, a semi-elastic bulb (not shown) that extends from waste receptacle5and inserted into a mating cavity in base element15via a narrow inlet. When the user presses the bulb into the inlet, the bulb is mashed from its side and returns to its original shape when passing from the inlet into the cavity.