Trash receptacle

A trash receptacle comprising a cylindrical container having a height and including a closed lower end, an open upper end, and an upper portion, and a cylindrical cover member having a height substantially less than the height of the container, the cover member including a generally closed upper end having therein a trash receiving opening, and an open lower end such that the cover member fits over the upper portion of the container.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The invention relates to receptacles or containers for trash. 
It is well known to place a conventional plastic garbage bag in a waste 
basket with the upper end of the garbage bag folded over the upper end of 
the waste basket. It is also well known that the garbage bag often slips 
off the upper end of the waste backet, thereby allowing trash or garbage 
to fall between the garbage bag and the interior of the waste basket and 
defeating the purpose of the garbage bag. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The invention provides a garbage or trash receptacle which can be used with 
a conventional garbage bag, with a conventional trash barrel, or by 
itself, and which, when used with a garbage bag, avoids the above 
described problem. 
The trash receptacle of the invention comprises a cylindrical container 
including a closed lower end and an open upper end, and a cylindrical 
cover member which fits over the upper end of the cylindrical container. 
The cover member has a top wall having a trash receiving opening therein. 
Preferably, the cover member includes a lid pivotally mounted in the 
opening to allow placement of trash through the opening. 
In the preferred embodiment, the container has an upper portion having an 
outside diameter, and a lower portion having an outside diameter greater 
than the outside diameter of the upper portion. The cover member has a 
height slightly less than the height of the upper portion of the 
container, and an outside diameter substantially equal to the outside 
diameter of the lower portion of the container. A shoulder extends 
circumferentially around the container at the junction between the upper 
and lower portions, and the cover member rests on the upper end of the 
container such that the lower end of the cover member is slightly spaced 
apart from the shoulder. 
Preferably, the container is adapted to removably contain a conventional 
plastic garbage bag having its upper end folded over the upper end of the 
container. To avoid the problem of the garbage bag slipping off the upper 
end of the container, the outer surface of the container includes a 
plurality of ribs extending circumferentially around the outer surface of 
the upper portion of the container. When a garbage bag is placed in the 
container with its upper end folded over the upper end of the container, 
the cover member fits over the upper portion of the container such that 
the garbage bag is secured between the upper end of the container and the 
top wall of the cover member, and between the ribs on the container and 
the side wall of the cover member, and such that the cover member covers 
the portion of the garbage bag folded over the upper end of the container. 
Furthermore, because of a relatively tight fit between the cover member 
and the upper portion of the container, the portion of the garbage bag 
folded over the upper end of the container is actually urged further down 
over the upper end of the container when the cover member is placed on the 
container. 
The trash receptacle can alternatively contain a conventional trash barrel 
instead of a plastic garbage bag, or it can be used without either a 
garbage bag or a trash barrel contained therein. In a further alternative 
use, the cover member alone can be placed over the top of a trash barrel. 
Other features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the 
following detailed description, claims, and drawings.

Before explaining one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be 
understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the 
details of construction and the arrangements of components set forth in 
the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is 
capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or being carried out 
in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and 
terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not 
be regarded as limiting. 
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
A trash receptacle 10 embodying the invention is illustrated in the 
drawings. The trash receptacle 10 comprises a cylindrical container 12 
having a closed lower end and an open upper end, and a cylindrical cover 
member 14 which fits over the upper end of the cylindrical container 12. 
The container 12 includes an upper portion 16 having an outside diameter, 
and a lower portion 18 having an outside diameter greater than the outside 
diameter of the upper portion 16. A shoulder 20 extends circumferentially 
around the container 12 at the junction between the upper and lower 
portions 16 and 18. A plurality of ribs 22 extend circumferentially around 
the upper end of the upper portion 16 of the container 12. The reason for 
the ribs 22 will be explained hereinafter. 
The container 12 can hold a conventional plastic garbage bag 24, as shown 
in the drawings, or it can hold a conventional trash barrel (not shown). 
Also, the container 12 can receive trash directly. 
The cover member 14 has a cylindrical side wall 25 and a flat top wall 27. 
The top wall 27 includes a trash receiving opening 26, and, in the 
preferred embodiment, the cover member 14 also includes a lid 28 pivotally 
mounted in the opening 26. In the illustrated construction, the opening 26 
and the lid 28 are hexagonal, and the cover member 14 further includes a 
hexagonal frame member 30 mounted around the perimeter of the opening 26. 
The frame member 30 includes two opposing apertures 32 which receive the 
opposite ends of a pivot pin 34 on which the lid 28 is mounted. While the 
cover member 14 is primarily intended to be placed over the upper end of 
the container 12, it can also be placed directly over the upper end of a 
trash barrel, without the container 12. 
The inside diameter of the side wall 25 of the cover member 14 is only 
slightly greater than the outside diameter of the upper portion 16 of the 
container 12 so that the cover member 14 fits snugly over the upper 
portion 16 of the container 12. The outside diameter of the cover member 
14 is substantially equal to the outside diameter of the lower portion 18 
of the container 12. The cover member 14 has a height slightly less than 
the height of the upper portion 16 of the container 12 so that when the 
cover member 14 is placed on the container 12 the top wall 27 of the cover 
member 14 rests on the upper edge of the upper portion 16 of the container 
12, and the lower end of the cover member 14 is slightly spaced apart from 
the shoulder 20. 
When the garbage bag 24 is placed in the container 12 with its upper end 
folded over the upper edge of the container 12, as shown in FIG. 2, the 
cover member 14 fits over the upper portion 16 of the container 12 such 
that the garbage bag 24 is secured between the upper edge of the container 
12 and the top wall 27 of the cover member 14, and between the ribs 22 on 
the container 12 and the side wall 25 of the cover member 14. The ribs 22 
help to secure the garbage bag 24 between the upper portion 16 of the 
container 12 and the side wall 25 of the cover member 14 and prevent the 
garbage bag 24 from slipping off the upper edge of the container 12. 
Furthermore, when the cover member 14 is placed over the container 12 with 
the garbage bag 24 folded over the upper edge of the container 12, the 
cover member 14 further secures the garbage bag 24 by exerting a downward 
force on the portion of the garbage bag 24 folded over the upper edge of 
the container 12. When in place, the cover member 14 covers the portion of 
the garbage bag 24 folded over the upper edge of the container 12. 
Various other features of the invention are set forth in the following 
claims.