Abstract:
A lid for a storage device having a storage film is provided. The lid has a lid body and a cutting member having a cutting surface. The cutting member is movable between a first position in which the cutting surface is remote from the storage film and a second position in which the cutting surface is in contact with the storage film.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is related to and claims priority in, now abandoned U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/305,653, filed Jul. 16, 2001 and now abandoned U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/307,191, filed Jul. 23, 2001, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a storage device or container. More particularly, the present invention relates to a waste storage device having a lid with a cutter movably fastened therein. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Storage devices such as for disposal of waste, baby diapers or other personal waste material, are known. Such waste storage devices have a main body and a lid. The main body has a waste aperture inlet arranged to receive a storage bag. The lid has a movable storage bag severing means or cutter and a formation that holds the storage bag against movement during operation of the severing means. 
     A cutter that is movably fastened to the lid of a waste storage device, such that the lid does not require opening to perform the cutting of the storage film, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,128,890. The cutter disclosed has a locking mechanism. The locking mechanism has a tab that flexibly extends from the lid. The tab has a tongue projecting from its upper end that is radially biased inward towards engagement with the periphery of a cutting ring. The cutting ring has indents around its periphery arranged to engage the tongue to prevent rotation of the cutting ring. When manual pressure is applied to the tab, the tongue disengages the indents and the cutting ring is free to rotate until engaging the next indent. 
     This locking mechanism requires engagement of a tongue and indents to lock the cutting ring. This arrangement is prone to slippage. The disclosed cutting ring rotates about a vertical axis along the center of the waste storage device, but does not move in a vertical direction. Thus, the cutting ring is positioned in close proximity to the film so that it can cut the film when the lid is in a closed position. This structure may create a problem with inadvertent cutting of the film due to contact of the blade with the film, and may create a problem with snagging of the film by the cutter ring each time the lid is placed in a closed position. Also, the disclosed cutting ring has one blade. Therefore, it requires a 360° rotation of said cutting ring to achieve a single pass of the blade along the film. This may result in failure to fully cut the film. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a waste storage device with an improved cutter. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide such a waste storage device that child-proofs the use of the cutter. 
     It is still another object of the present invention to provide a waste storage device with an improved cutting assembly that prevents unintentional cutting of the film. 
     It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a waste storage device with an improved cutting assembly that prevents snagging of the film by the cutter each time the lid is placed in a closed position. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a waste storage device with an improved cutting assembly that ensures complete cutting of the film. 
     The above objects and advantages of the present invention are provided by, and the present invention includes, a lid for a storage device having a storage film, whereby the lid comprises a lid body and a cutting member having a cutting surface. The lid body is secured to the storage device and the storage film is housed in the storage device. The cutting member is movably secured to the lid body and is movable between a first position wherein the cutting surface is remote from the storage film and a second position wherein the cutting surface is in contact with the storage film. 
     The cutting surface can rotatably move to cut the storage film. The lid body can be pivotally secured to the storage device to allow selective access to the storage film. The lid body can further comprise a locking mechanism that releasably engages the lid body with the storage device. The cutting member can be biased towards the first position. The cutting member can comprise a first portion having a handle member and a second portion having an outer surface, with the cutting surface secured to the second portion. The handle member can be integrally formed with the first portion. The second portion can have a disc-like shape. The cutting surface can be disposed along the outer circumference of the outer surface. The cutting surface can be a plurality of cutting surfaces disposed on opposite sides along the outer circumference of the outer surface. 
     The lid can further comprise a retaining member, wherein the cutting surface is retained in the second position by the retaining member until the cutting surface makes at least one complete cutting pass across the storage film. The storage film can be tubular. 
     The lid can also comprise a cutting surface that moves in at least two different directions to cut the storage film. The at least two different directions can be orthogonal to each other. 
     The lid can also comprise a cutting member that moves in at least one axial direction and at least one rotational direction for the cutting surface to cut the storage film. The at least one axial direction and the at least one rotational direction can be orthogonal to each other. 
     Other and further objects, advantages and features of the present invention will be understood by reference to the following. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded view of the lid assembly of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a top view of the assembled lid assembly of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a bottom view of the lid member assembled with the handling member of the lid assembly of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a top view of the lid member of the lid assembly of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross sectional view of the lid member of  FIG. 4  taken along line  5 - 5 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a front view of the latch assembly of the lid assembly of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a side view of the latch button of the lid assembly of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a top view of the blade shoe member of the lid assembly of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a bottom view of the assembled lid assembly of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 10  is a side view of the blade shoe member of the lid assembly of  FIG. 1 , the opposite side being identical thereof; 
         FIG. 11  is a cross sectional view of the blade shoe member of  FIG. 8  taken along line  11 - 11 ; 
         FIG. 12  is a front view of the handle member of the lid assembly of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 13  is a side view of the handle member of the lid assembly of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 14  is a cross-sectional view of the lid assembly of  FIG. 2  taken along line  14 - 14 , with the handle member and blade shoe member partially engaged and the handle member in its upper most position; and 
         FIG. 15  is a cross-sectional view of the lid assembly of  FIG. 2  taken along line  15 - 15  with the handle member and blade shoe member partially engaged and the handle member in its lower most position. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to the drawings and, in particular,  FIG. 1 , there is shown a preferred embodiment of the lid assembly for a waste storage device of the present invention generally represented by reference numeral  10 . While this embodiment is for a waste storage device, the device  10  can be other types of storage devices that have a storage film. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , lid assembly  10  has a handle member  20 , a lid member  50  having a latch assembly  90 , a spring  40  to be positioned in the lid member between the handle member and the lid member, and a blade shoe member  100  adapted to receive one or more blades  75 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , handle member  20  is essentially disc-like in shape. The handle member  20  has two handling grooves  22  formed therein that extend downward from a center area of an undersurface  23  (shown in  FIGS. 12 and 13 ) of the handle member, to facilitate movement of the handle member. Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 3 , handle member  20  has undersurface  23  that has a lid assembly casing  24 . Lid assembly casing  24  perpendicularly extends therefrom along a center axis x. Lid assembly casing  24  is cylindrical in shape and has an open end and a closed end. Lid assembly casing  24  preferably is integrally formed with handle member  20  and has an inner diameter d 6  and an outer diameter d 7  at its open end. Lid assembly casing  24  preferably includes three lid assembly slots  26  and a rotation locking tab notch  28 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , lid member  50  is substantially cylindrical in shape and has a handle member cavity  52  formed therein. The diameter d 1  of handle member cavity  52  is slightly larger than the diameter d 2  of handle member  20  so that the handle member can be positioned within the handle member cavity and is rotatable therein. 
     The handle member cavity  52  has a spring channel  54  and a handle groove channel  56  preferably formed therein. The spring channel  54  and handle groove channel  56  are each substantially circular in shape. The spring channel  54  preferably has a diameter and depth such that when wave-shaped spring  40  is compressed along axis x, it fully fits in spring channel  54 . 
     Spring  40  is any biasing structure that exerts a force preferably onto handle member  20 . However, it can also be any biasing structure that biases the cutting structure away from the film. Preferably, spring  40  is a wave-shaped spring. More preferably, wave-shaped spring  40  has a wave with preferably at least four peaks and four valleys. A preferred wave-shaped or wave spring  40  is made of a synthetic polymer. Suitable synthetic polymers include, for example, acetal copolymer, nylon or any combination thereof. Preferably, the synthetic copolymer is an acetal copolymer from the family of polyoxymethylene copolymers or a nylon of Type 6/6. Most preferably, the synthetic polymer is a polyoxymethylene copolymer sold under the trade name CELCON-M90® which is commercially available from Hoechst Celanese Corporation. 
     The spring channel  54  and handle groove channel  56 , form therebetween a handle member contact surface  67 . The contact surface  67  is substantially circular in shape. The contact surface  67  is positioned at a depth h 2  beneath a top surface  70  of lid member  50 . When handle member  20  is moved downward along axis x, it travels depth h 2  until abutting against contact surface  67 . 
     The handle groove channel  56  has a diameter, a depth and a shape such that the undersurface of handle groove  22  fully fits within handle groove channel  56  when handle member  20  is in both its upper most position and its lower most position along axis x. 
     The lid member  50  has formed about axis x, a lid assembly orifice  58  with a diameter d 8 . Extending from handle member cavity  52  along axis x, above and aligned with lid assembly orifice  58 , is a lid member upper neck  60 . The upper neck  60  has upper neck support abutments  62 . Extending from the undersurface of lid member  50 , below and aligned with lid assembly orifice  58 , is a lid member lower neck  64  having a rotation locking slot  68  and lower neck support abutments  66 . 
     The lid member  50  has an outer side surface from which extends a latch cavity  78 . The latch cavity  78  is preferably integrally formed with lid member  50 . The latch cavity  78  is substantially rectangular in shape and has two latch cavity arms  79  forming two of the side walls of latch cavity  78 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 ,  3 , and  5 , the front surface of latch cavity  78  has a lifting notch  84  formed at the lower edge of the front surface. The bottom of latch cavity  78  has a latch hole  80 , which, in the embodiment shown, is essentially rectangular in shape. The latch hole  80  has a latch hole cross member  81  that divides the latch hole into two about equal holes. The latch cavity arms  79  have an inner surface with two latch trunnions  82  extending therefrom, respectively. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , there is shown features of latch assembly  90 . The latch assembly  90  has a latch button  92  that is preferably substantially rectangular in shape with a downward curvature. The latch button  92  has an undersurface from which extends two latch button arms  96  that are parallel to each other. Preferably, latch button arms  96  are integrally formed from the underside of latch button  92 . The latch button  92  has two side surfaces, each with a latch trunnion cavity  94  formed therein. The latch trunnion cavities  94  are of a depth such that latch trunnions  82  may be positioned therein so as to create a hinge. Latch trunnion cavities  94  are positioned along the side surfaces of latch button  92  such that when engaged with latch trunnions  82 , latch button arms  96  extend through each hole of latch hole  80 . Latch assembly  90  also has a latch  98  that is preferably a v-shaped spring with hooks formed at the ends of each arm. The hooks are preferably v-shaped and extend outwardly. Latch  98  is positioned with its open end downward and each arm of the v-shape extending through each hole of latch hole  80 . Latch button arms  96  extend over the closed end of latch  98  such that when latch button  92  is moved downward, each arm of the v-shape moves inward. The outward bias of v-shaped spring latch  98  causes latch button  92  to return to its upper most position after being depressed. 
     Extending from the outer side surface of lid member  50  at the bottom edge and on the opposite side from latch cavity  78 , are two lid member hinges  99 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 8 , blade shoe member  100  is substantially cylindrical in shape with a bottom that has a substantially downward curvature that essentially aligns with the bottom surface of lid member  50 . Blade shoe member  100  has two blade holders  104  preferably integrally formed along opposite sides of the inner walls of said blade shoe member. Each blade holder  104  has a top along which is formed a blade channel  108 . Blade channel  108  is of a width, depth and height such that blade  75  can be positioned in blade holder  104 . Blade  75  is fastened in blade channel  108 . Preferably, blade  75  is heat staked in blade channel  108 . More preferably, blade  75  is heat staked in blade channel  108  by a heating iron that melts blade channel  108  about blade  75 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 9 ,  10  and  11 , blade shoe member  100  has a bottom surface  102  from which extends two blade fingers  112 . Each blade finger  112  is preferably integrally formed with blade shoe member  100 . Each blade finger  112  is on an opposite side of each other. Blade finger  112  has an outer side surface with a radius of curvature greater than the radius of curvature of the outer side surface of blade shoe member  100 . Accordingly, blade finger  112  extends outward beyond blade shoe member  100 . 
     Perpendicularly extending upwards from the bottom  101  of blade shoe member  100  about axis x is a lid assembly shaft  116 . Lid assembly shaft  116  is cylindrical in shape having an open end and a closed end. Lid assembly shaft  116  is molded, preferably integrally, with blade shoe member  100  and has an outer diameter d 9  at its open end. As shown in  FIG. 8 , lid assembly shaft  116  has three equi-distantly positioned lid assembly tabs  118  extending horizontally outward from the lid assembly shaft, and a rotation locking tab  120  extending horizontally outward from the lid assembly shaft near its closed end. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , diameter d 8  is slightly larger than diameter d 7  such that lid assembly casing  24  is inserted into lid assembly orifice  58 , with spring  40  in spring channel  54 , and positioned between handle member  20  and lid member  50 . Diameter d 6  is slightly larger than diameter d 9  such that lid assembly shaft  116  is inserted into lid assembly casing  24  so that lid assembly tabs  118  align with and lock into lid assembly slots  26 . Thus, handle member  20 , spring  40 , lid member  50 , and blade shoe member  100  are secured into assembly. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 12  through  15 , when blade handle member  20  is in its upper most position, rotation locking tab  120  of blade shoe member  100  passes through rotation locking tab notch  28  of handle member  20  and locks into rotation locking slot  68  of lid member  50 . Lid member  50  is non-rotatably secured to the waste storage device main body. Handle member  20 , and thus blade shoe member  100 , are prevented from rotating about axis x due to this locking mechanism. Wave-shaped spring  40  biases handle member  20  towards its upper most position, which is its locked position. 
     When a downward force is placed upon handle member  20  against the bias of wave-shaped spring  40 , handle member  20 , and thus blade shoe member  100 , move in a downward direction, distance h 2  until the handle member abuts against handle member contact surface  67 . This downward movement positions rotation locking tab  120  under rotation locking slot  68  and thus, allows handle member  20  and blade shoe member  100  to freely rotate about axis x. As blade shoe member  100  begins to rotate, rotation locking tab  120  extends under the bottom edge of lid member lower neck  64 , preventing blade shoe member  100  and handle member  20  from returning to their upper most position. At this lower most position, blade fingers  112  and blades  75  are now in contact with the storage bag film to be cut. Once rotation locking tab  120  rotates 360° about axis x, it will be re-aligned with rotation locking slot  68  and, thus, moves in an upward direction pursuant to the upward bias of wave-shaped spring  40 . This upward movement of handle member  20 , and, thus, blade shoe member  100 , is a snap like motion as a result of the bias of spring  40  and the distance h 2  that the handle member and the blade shoe member are now forced to travel. 
     Blade shoe member  100  has two blades  75  secured thereto. Preferably, blades  75  are positioned 180° from each other. When blade shoe member  100  is rotated 360° about axis x, as is required due to the positioning of rotation locking tab  120  and rotation locking slot  68 , the storage bag film is cut by both blades. Thus, this ensures that a complete cut of the film is made since each blade  75  makes one full cutting pass so that the film receives two cutting passes. It should be understood that the present invention could be practiced with a single blade  75  since such a single blade is rotated 360°. Moreover, the present invention could use three or more blades  75 , however such a number is neither practical nor cost effective. 
     The present invention having been thus described with particular reference to the preferred forms thereof, it will be obvious that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.