Refuse receptacle designed to hold recycled plastic bags as inner liners

A refuse receptacle designed to hold in place a recycled plastic bag as an inner liner via a molded plastic container which is specially dimensioned to securely fit a recycled plastic bag and specially designed side handles with recessed ends which, when the handles of a recycled plastic bag are hooked underneath, act to securely hold the recycled plastic bag in place as an inner liner for the receptacle.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
This invention relates to a refuse receptacle designed to hold recycled 
plastic bags as inner liners. 
BACKGROUND DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART 
Consumers regularly receive recycled plastic bags from grocery stores, 
supermarkets and other stores which sell goods These recycled plastic 
bags, while ranging in size, all contain handles on them which make them 
ideal for reuse as a garbage bag. These recycled plastic bags are 
typically brought home by the consumer and reused as garbage bags. Such 
reuse enables the consumer to eliminate the necessity of purchasing 
separate, costly trash bags. 
Previous patents relating to refuse receptacles have not specifically 
addressed the use of a recycled plastic bag as an inner liner for a 
receptacle. Further, no previous patent has specifically addressed a 
proper means for securely holding a recycled plastic bag in place as an 
inner liner. 
The typical home refuse receptacle is not designed to hold into place 
recycled plastic bags. As a result, in reusing recycled plastic bags as 
inner liners for home garbage cans or receptacles, consumers regularly 
meet with difficulty in securing the bags in the containers. Typically, 
the consumer will simply leave the recycled plastic bag sitting loosely in 
the interior of the receptacle. This method of reusing the bag, however, 
is not sound. It results in spills and messes inside the refuse 
receptacle. 
In attempting to use a recycled plastic bag as an inner liner in the 
standard refuse receptacle the consumer may also try to stretch the open 
end of the recycled plastic bag around the open end lip of the receptacle. 
This, however, is not functional since the open end of recycled plastic 
bags are typically too small to fit around the open end of the common 
refuse receptacle. 
Further, the consumer may attempt to hook the handles of the recycled 
plastic bag around the handles of the standard refuse receptacle, thereby 
attempting to secure the bag as an inner liner. This, however, is not 
functional either since the size and design of standard refuse receptacle 
handles are not adapted to hold the handles of a recycled plastic bag, 
which are generally smaller in size than the handles of the standard 
refuse receptacle. It is therefore clear that a problem exists which 
previous patents have not addressed: the use of recycled plastic bags as 
inner liners in refuse receptacles. 
No patent has been issued which directly addresses a refuse receptacle 
which is designed specifically to hold a recycled plastic bag in place as 
an inner liner. 
Various patents have been issued which address the separate issue of a 
refuse receptacle designed to hold into place a large trash can bag. These 
large trash can bags are the type purchased separately by the consumer in 
packs of ten, twenty and so on. In particular, U.S. Pat. No. 4,753,367 
(1987), to David C. Miller and Thomas J. pendleton, addresses a 
wastebasket which is adapted to receive a large trash can bag as an inner 
liner. The wastebasket is designed to retain purchased trash can bags and 
not recycled plastic bags. By reference to the specification and drawings 
included with the Miller and pendleton patent, it is clear that the means 
of retaining the trash can bag as an inner liner would not be suitable to 
a recycled plastic bag, which is commonly smaller than a store purchased 
trash can bag. 
Similar to the above patent is U.S. Pat. No. 3,825,150 (1972), issued to 
William D. Taylor. Taylor's receptacle is designed to hold into place 
store purchased trash can bags via resilient tabs formed into the side 
walls of the container. These tabs pinch the open ends of the trash can 
bag between the tabs and the adjacent receptacle wall, thus securing the 
bag as an inner liner. Like the above mentioned patent, Taylor's patent 
does not address the problem of holding recycled plastic bags as inner 
liners. The patent is designed for larger store purchased trash can bags. 
By reference to the patent and the drawing therein, it is clear that the 
system devised for holding the inner liners in place would not properly 
hold in place a recycled plastic bag, which is smaller in size than the 
average store purchased trash can bag. 
U.S. Pat. No. 5,160,063 (1991), issued to Daryl K. Bailey, refers to a 
refuse receptacle adapted to hold a trash can bag in an open state. The 
trash can bag is held in place by annular structures located on the upper 
portions of the sidewalls of the receptacle. The annular structures grip 
the trash can bag and hold it in place. Again, as with the other above 
mentioned patents, this patent is designed to hold store purchased trash 
can bags, and not the recycled plastic bags which grocery stores and other 
stores give to consumers. 
None of the above patents are designed to hold into place recycled plastic 
bags, which consumers receive at grocery stores, supermarkets and other 
stores free of charge. The above patents solely address store purchased 
trash can bags. Accordingly, these patents have several disadvantages: 
(a) They offer no proper method to use or securely hold recycled plastic 
bags as inner liners. The prior patents allow only for store purchased 
trash can bags to be held in place as inner liners. These patents do not 
address the contemporary preference the consumer has for reusing recycled 
plastic bags as inner liners. 
(b) They do not offer the economical advantages that a refuse receptacle 
designed to hold recycled plastic bags as inner liners offers. The 
standard refuse receptacle necessitates that the consumer purchase trash 
can bags which line the interior of the receptacle properly. A refuse 
receptacle designed to hold recycled plastic bags, however, eliminates the 
need to purchase trash can bags since it utilizes recycled plastic bags 
which the consumer receives free at grocery stores and other stores. The 
common refuse receptacle does not offer this economic advantage. 
(c) They do not offer the environmental advantages which a refuse 
receptacle designed to reuse recycled plastic bags offers. Reusing the 
recycled plastic bags one receives from grocery stores and other stores is 
an environmentally positive act. The prior patents in this area, which 
require that the consumer separately purchase trash can bags, do not offer 
this environmental advantage. 
OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES 
Accordingly, several objects and advantages of my refuse receptacle are: 
(a) to provide the consumer with a refuse receptacle that is designed to 
securely hold recycled plastic bags as inner liners; 
(b) to provide, simultaneously, the consumer with a refuse receptacle which 
may also utilize common store purchased trash can bags the likes of which 
previous inventions utilize. The receptacle thereby provides the consumer 
with a choice of which bags to utilize, a choice previous patents do not 
allow the consumer. 
(c) to provide the consumer with a refuse receptacle which is economically 
sound. Through using a receptacle which holds recycled plastic bags as 
inner liners, the consumer need not purchase separate trash can bags. The 
receptacle, therefore, is economically advantageous to the consumer. 
(d) to provide the consumer with a refuse receptacle that is 
environmentally advantageous. Through the use of recycled plastic bags, 
which would otherwise be thrown away, the receptacle provides the consumer 
with an environmental alternative to using separately purchased trash can 
bags. Previous patents in this area do not offer the user this 
environmental advantage. 
There are no prior patents which directly solve the problem of how to 
securely hold a recycled plastic bag as an inner liner in a refuse 
receptacle. The most similar patents involve receptacles adapted to hold 
larger store purchased trash can bags. The disadvantage of these patents 
is that they do not address the issue of recycled plastic bags, which are 
a widely used replacement for store purchased trash can bags. My refuse 
receptacle provides the consumer with the means to use recycled plastic 
bags easily and securely via specially designed handles which hold the bag 
in place. Further, my refuse receptacle can still be used in conjunction 
with the larger store bought trash can bags. My refuse receptacle, 
therefore, provides the consumer with a choice of which bags to use. The 
prior patents in this area do not provide the consumer with such a choice 
of options. Further, the previous patents are disadvantaged in that they 
do not offer the economic and environmental advantages which my receptacle 
offers. 
Further objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of 
the ensuing description and drawings.

REFERENCE NUMERALS IN DRAWINGS 
9 Interior of Receptacle 
10 Molded Receptacle (Whole) 
11 Upper Rim 
12a, 12b Walls, Front and Rear 
14a, 14b Vertical Sidewalls 
16 Closed Bottom 
18 Open End 
20a, 20b Side Handles 
24a, 24b Recesses (Recessed Ends of Side Handles) 
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
FIGS. 1 to 4 in the drawings show a refuse receptacle designed to hold 
recycled plastic bags as inner liners. The receptacle comprises: 
A molded receptacle generally described as 10 having vertical front and 
rear walls 12a and 12b, 
Also vertical side walls 14a and 14b; and 
An upper rim 11 defining an open end 18, 
Including a closed bottom 16. All form the top open end 18 of the 
receptacle 10. 
Two side handles 20a and 20b located on each of the sidewalls 14a and 14b. 
FIG. 1 shows a frontal view of the receptacle in which the two side 
handles 20a and 20b are shown, as located, on the respective sidewalls 14a 
and 14b. FIG. 3 depicts a sideview of the receptacle in which one of two 
side handles 20a and 20b is visible. The side handles 20a and 20b are 
located at the top of each sidewall 14a and 14b and are designed with 
recesses 24a and 24b to receive the handles of a recycled plastic bag such 
that the bag will tightly line the interior 9 of the receptacle. 
OPERATION FIGS. 1 AND 2 
The manner of using the refuse receptacle to hold recycled plastic bags as 
inner liners is as follows: 
A recycled plastic bag is first placed into the interior of the receptacle. 
FIG. 2 shows the interior of the receptacle. The open end of the bag is 
placed over the open end and open rim of the receptacle. The handles of 
the recycled plastic bag are then pulled over the open end lip of the 
receptacle and placed under the recessed end of the side handles located 
on the exterior of the sidewalls of the receptacle. FIG. 1 shows both side 
handles. Once the handles of the recycled plastic bags are hooked under 
the recessed ends of the side handles of the receptacle, the recycled 
plastic bag will line the interior of the receptacle securely. 
SUMMARY, RAMIFICATIONS AND SCOPE 
Accordingly, the reader will see that my refuse receptacle provides the 
user with a receptacle designed to hold recycled plastic bags as inner 
liners. These recycled plastic bags are the type given out to consumers at 
grocery stores and other stores free of charge. The invention provides the 
user with a receptacle that can fit such recycled plastic bags securely 
and tightly, thus alleviating any mess usually accompanying the use of 
such bags with standard waste receptacles. Further, the invention, while 
adapted specifically for such recycled plastic bags, can nonetheless be 
used with store purchased trash can bags. Furthermore, the receptacle has 
further advantages in that: 
it provides the user with an economical alternative to using store 
purchased trash can bags. Recycled plastic bags are given out free of 
charge to the consumer in grocery stores and other retail stores. Through 
use of the present receptacle, which is designed specifically to utilize 
these recycled plastic bags, the costly need for store purchased trash can 
bags is therefore eliminated. The receptacle therefore presents clear 
economical advantages. 
it provides the user with an environmental alternative to using store 
purchased trash can bags. The receptacle is designed to reuse recycled 
plastic bags, and it therefore encourages the use of recycled materials. 
it permits the production of receptacles in a variety of colors since it is 
a molded receptacle. 
it permits the production of receptacles of different dimensions to fit 
different sized recycled plastic bags and store purchased trash can bags. 
Although the description above contains many specificities, these should 
not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely 
providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of 
this invention. 
Thus, the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended 
claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.