Household refuse sorting device

A device for sorting litter, household refuse or the like in a container, a holder device or the like, and for disposing of the refuse separately. The device comprises at least two separably interconnected sack-like chambers which are formed from foil material and are interconnected in their upper regions such that they merge into a common region (2) in the manner of a pair of tights. A gusset (6, 7) is formed in each case between adjacent chambers (3,4).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The invention relates to a device for sorting refuse, household garbage, 
and the like in a receptacle, a holding device, or the like and for 
separate disposal, having at least two separably interconnected sackshaped 
sheet plastic compartments. 
A device such as this with two or more compartments is known (EP-A-0 614 
829), one in which the upper areas of the compartments effect transition 
to one common area which does not, however, prevent refuse from falling 
into compartments into which it is not intended to fall. 
A device for presorting household garbage is known (DE 36 32 721 A1); in it 
individual replaceable garbage bags are suspended in a holding device, the 
garbage bags consisting of at least two separable component bags separated 
from each other and forming garbage compartments. The bag components are 
separably connected to each other along their lengthwise edges, and 
another separable junction point is present in the center where all the 
component bags come together. A device with three garbage components is 
thereby formed. Of course, it is not possible with this embodiment to fold 
the interconnected component bags over the edge of a receptacle or a 
holding device because the component bags are joined together. Slots or 
slotlike openings into which garbage can be introduced inadvertently are 
present in the upper intermediate areas between adjacent component bags. 
As they are filled, the bags slide into the container and then can no 
longer be filled. 
A refuse container is also known (DE 40 37 009 A1) in which a cylindrical 
container is employed which is slotted on its circumference for the 
purpose of receiving two separate plastic garbage bags at two 
diametrically opposite points. Two bags can be accommodated in the 
container, the top edge of the bags being folded over the container. It 
is, of course, a disadvantage in this instance that a slotlike opening 
into which garbage may be inadvertently introduced and then collect 
outside the two garbage bags may be formed in the central area between the 
top edges of the bags. In addition, the container itself is not suitable 
for separation and presorting of household garbage without the use of 
garbage bags. Nor is it designed to be disposed of along with garbage. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The invention is concerned with the problem of designing a device such as 
that indicated in the foregoing so that a garbage bag is formed which may 
be transported as a unit and on the spot folded over the edge of a 
container or a holding device without the need for procuring a new 
container. After use the garbage bag may be removed as an individual 
element and it may then be used for waste disposal. However, separation of 
the individual compartments of the garbage bags at the separation points 
provided for the purpose and separate disposal are also conceivable. 
The device claimed for the invention is in the form of trousers, that is, 
an article of clothing serving to cover the hips and the legs, when one 
assumes a device with two sacklike compartments. A device such as this 
accordingly has an upper cylindrical area from which the two also 
cylindrical sacklike compartments extend downward, a gusset, that is, an 
element connecting the two sacklike components, being formed in the 
intermediate area. The term "gusset" is used in this sense for this 
invention in order to express the fact that the sacklike components are 
joined together at this point, but of course in such a way that they can 
be separated from each other again at this point. All state-of-the-art 
processes, especially cementing or bonding together, may be considered as 
potential joining methods. 
In a preferred embodiment the area to which the individual sacklike 
compartments make a transition is cylindrical or columnar in shape. Other 
cross-sectional shapes are also possible, of course, such as rectangular 
cross-sections, specifically when three or more sacklike compartments are 
to be positioned side by side. 
All conceivable plastics may be considered as sheet material, especially 
ones which spontaneously decompose, but also sheet metal, paper strips, 
and composite materials. 
In manufacture of the preferred embodiment of the device claimed for the 
invention, the procedure followed is to produce the individual components, 
that is, the sacklike compartments and the upper area, from flat sheets, 
which are cut out so that they may be joined together at their edges and 
in the gusset (intermediate) areas. The connection of the two 
compartment-like components is subsequently separable, while the 
connection of the two sheet components forming the compartments need not 
be separable in the side areas and in the bottom area.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
A bucketshaped refuse container 1 as shown in FIG. 1 contains an unfolded 
two-compartment bag 2 consisting of two compartments 3 and 4 which are 
connected to each other by way of a separating strip or gusset 6. The 
two-compartment bag is kept in position by the retaining edge or common 
area 5 folded over the edge of the refuse container 1; this retaining edge 
can be easily folded over the edge of the refuse container 1. 
The unfolded two-compartment bag 2 shown in FIG. 2 consists of two 
compartments 3 and 4, which are joined together by way of a gusset 6 and a 
funnelshaped retaining edge or common area 5 which is folded upward. FIG. 
2 clearly illustrates the design, which is similar to that of a pantyhose. 
Structural details of the two-compartment bag are to be seen in FIGS. 3 to 
7. The two-compartment bag consists of a total of four sides, as is 
illustrated in FIG. 3, two external sides 8 and 11 and two internal sides 
9 and 10, which are characterized by their U-shaped cutout tapering upward 
which forms the gusset. One external side 8 is folded together and bonded 
or cemented with an internal side 9, as is shown in FIG. 4, along the two 
external sides 12 and 13 and the bottom transverse side 14. As is 
illustrated in FIG. 5, the two internal sides 9 and 10 are cemented or 
bonded together along the U-shaped cutout tapering upward, the so-called 
separating strip 15, in such a way that subsequent separation is possible 
here, or a tear seam 7 extending through both sides 9 and 10 extends 
parallel to this cemented or bonded seam 6. The other external side 11 is 
folded together with and cemented or bonded to the other internal side 10, 
along the two external longitudinal sides 16 and 17 and the bottom 
transverse side 18, as is illustrated in FIG. 6. 
The overall structure of the two-compartment bag is to be seen from FIG. 7. 
The four sides 8, 9, 10, and 11 superimposed one on another are joined as 
described above.