Stable container, particulary garbage container

A garbage container has a body, a bottom and a lid. In the top section of the container, the body has a substantially square cross section, and in its bottom area, a round cross section. The bottom is substantially semispherical. In the lower area of the body, in the direction of the bottom, the square part of the body progressively changes into a substantially round cross section.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The invention relates to a stable garbage container having a hinged or 
removable lid comprising more or less upright side walls of substantially 
non-flexible plastic or steel connected by a bottom. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Garbage containers, e.g. in the sizes 60-80, 120, 140, 210 or 240 liter 
capacity or more of this kind are fabricated in large numbers and find 
application to a great extent. For cleaning these garbage containers 
brushes are normally used; spray cleaning systems which are automatically 
operated are also in use. Due to the fact that the bottom of the garbage 
containers is connected to the side walls via a rim, areas result, 
however, which require a relatively long time to clean or even remain 
unclean. This applies particularly to the corners of garbage containers 
having a rectangular cross-section. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The object of the invention is to simplify and facilitate the possibilities 
of cleaning garbage containers. 
This object is achieved according to the invention by the bottom being 
connected to the side walls substantially free of any corners and edges. 
By avoiding "sharp" transitions e.g. edges or corners in the bottom area, 
the possibility of cleaning such garbage containers is substantially 
simplified or facilitated. This applies in particular to the cleaning of 
garbage containers which are filled with partly fluid or moist garbage. 
According to one preferred embodiment of the invention the side walls are 
elongated beyond the bottom and the free rims of the side walls configured 
at least in part as a stable support. 
Garbage containers are usually substantially higher than they are wide and 
thus have correspondingly upright sidewalls. However, stable standing of 
the garbage container must be assured in any case. 
Especially if the garbage container has a round or more or less round 
cross-section, the bottom may be configured semi-spherical or 
approximately semi-spherical. 
If the garbage containers have a rectangular or more or less rectangular 
cross-section the bottom may be configured barrel-shaped. In any case it 
must be avoided that any edges or corners result or are provided in the 
area of the bottom which would hamper the possibility of cleaning 
correspondingly. It must thus always be assured that a smooth transition 
from the side wall or side walls to the bottom is provided and that no 
corners or edges exist in the area of the bottom. 
In accordance with one particularly preferred embodiment of the invention 
the container is provided with at least two wheels; the elongated side 
walls may be reinforced in the area of the wheel axles. 
Beneath the barrel-shaped bottom supporting feet or stand ledges are 
expediently provided which may be ring-shaped. 
If the garbage container is provided with a lid substantially square in 
shape and a body part, the upper edge of which is correspondingly formed, 
the cross-section of the body part may make a transition into a 
substantially round cross-section in the direction of its bottom. 
Especially in the above embodiment just described the bottom may be 
configured more or less semi-spherical in its longitudinal section. 
It is also possible that the bottom has a round recess and a center hump in 
the direction of the lid. In some cases it may be expedient to provide the 
bottom with a lockable drain opening. 
The two wheels may be expediently located outside of the cross-section of 
the body part; however, the two wheels may also be located in indented 
rims of the body part. 
The abutments holding the axle of the two wheels may be formed integral 
with the body part.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
A garbage container 1 of rectangular cross-section and a capacity of e.g. 
120 or 140 liters has a rectangular--mostly square--cross-section and is 
made of synthetic resin. The garbage container may also be provided with 
strainer inserts or other inserts; the height of such a garbage container 
amounts to approx. 1.0 m. 
The two side walls 2 or 3 opposing each other in longitudinal cross-section 
are connected together by a bottom 4: this bottom is configured 
barrel-shaped and has a curvature 4 facing away from the lid. 
The bottom has a smooth transition 6 to the side walls which relates to the 
transitions in the corresponding corners (not shown). In these corners 
too, a smooth transition is provided from the neighboring side walls to 
the bottom 4. In any case all and any edges, corners and the like are to 
be avoided at these transitions to eliminate the disadvantages of 
difficult cleaning on known garbage containers. In this respect it is to 
be taken into account that any edges in the thickness of the material used 
in longitudinal section which may possibly result from application of the 
bottom are not edges which could hamper cleaning of the garbage container. 
Even when a more or less smooth transition is to be understood under 
edgeless, the aforementioned "edges" come under the above term "edgeless". 
The garbage container 1 has two wheels 7 and 8 so that after tilting, the 
garbage container can be run on the ground on these two wheels. 
The side walls 2 and 3 and at least one side wall to be imagined in the 
plane of the drawing (not shown) are elongated towards the ground and form 
a U-shaped stand for the garbage container 1 to make for stable standing. 
In the region of the wheel centers 9 and 10 the elongated side walls 2 and 
3 are suitably reinforced at 4' to receive the wheel axle. 
According to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 2 a 
garbage container of rectangular cross-section, made of synthetic resin, 
for a capacity of 1.1 cbm is provided with a barrel-shaped bottom 21 have 
practically no transition to the corresponding side walls 22 and 23; this 
applying also to the side walls opposing each other in the imagined plane 
of the drawing. The barrel-shaped bottom 21 is integral with the side 
walls 22, 23 and the two side walls (not shown), the bottom section 
extending more in the corresponding corners between the side walls than in 
the intrinsically linear region of the side walls. 
The side walls 22, 23 and at least one side wall in the imagined plane of 
the drawing (not shown) are elongated in the direction of the ground so 
that their free edge 24 running linearly on all sides serves as a stable 
surface for the stable garbage container 20. In the region of the two 
wheels 25 and 26 respectively or of their axle, provided in this case, the 
rim sections 24' of the side walls 22, 23 are reinforced. 
Since garbage containers e.g. for 1.1 cbm are usually provided with four 
wheels this eliminates the need for elongating the side walls 22, 23 and 
the two side walls (not shown). Then it must be merely ensured that the 
four wheels are connected to the bottom or the side walls to provide for 
stable standing of the garbage container 20. 
The garbage container 30 of synthetic resin illustrated in FIG. 3 has a 
round cross-section and a correspondingly more or less semi-spherical 
bottom 31. 
The round cross-section side wall is elongated in each case down to its 
free rim 32; this free rim 32 forms the surface for stable the garbage 
container substantially provided with upright walls; the garbage container 
may have a lockable opening 31' in the bottom. 
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 the synthetic resin garbage container 40 
for a capacity of e.g. 60 liters and having a round cross-section is 
provided with a semi-spherical bottom 41 or a corresponding bottom section 
and has a corresponding bottom section, the bottom featuring a ring-shaped 
stand ring 42 provided on the bottom. This stand ring must not necessarily 
have the diameter of the garbage container above the bottom or the bottom 
section, but it may also have a smaller diameter. 
Instead of the ridge-shaped stand of the aforementioned garbage container 
it is, of course, possible to also provide feet on the bottom or section 
thereof to ensure stable standing. 
As regards the garbage container illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 only the 
lower section of the body part 50 is illustrated. Whilst the upper section 
of the body part has a square cross-section in keeping with the shape of 
the lid, it has in the area of the transition to the lower section a round 
cross-section. The free stand rim 51 of the garbage container is angled 
and has a cutout in the region of the wheels 52. 
The axle 53 of the two wheels 52 is mounted in the projections 54, 55 which 
are formed integral with the body part 50. The bottom may be expediently 
shaped more or less semi-spherical. 
In the embodiment illustrated, however, the bottom has a ring-shaped recess 
56 which is more or less semi-circular in cross-section. In the middle of 
the bottom a hump 57 is provided, the longitudinal section of which is 
more or less semi-circular and is curved inversely to nest the curve of 
said hump. 
The body part according to the invention may be employed for all kinds of 
garbage containers and thus also for e.g. so-called biorefuse containers 
and the like, it also being possible to apply the invention to garbage 
containers made of steel.