Abstract:
A dispenser from which flexible liner bags within a refuse receptacle can be dispensed seriatim and is comprised of an anchor adapted for secured mounting onto the floor of the receptacle with which the dispenser is to be utilized and an elongated housing for removable attachment to the anchor and defining an open cavity into which a supply of conventional pre-wound liner bags in a roll format can be received and dispensed.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The field of art to which the invention relates comprises the art of refuse disposal and liner bags internally dispensed from within the receptacle therefor. 
     1. Background of the Invention 
     The use of various receptacles for lightweight refuse disposal from the wastebasket to the portable trash bin are common-place and are widely provided on site. In domestic situations, most every room in the house includes at least-one refuse receptacle that may vary in size and shape depending as a matter of choice, on anticipated needs. 
     In recent years, many municipalities have begun requiring that refuse when ultimately discarded for pickup or dumping to be placed within a plastic liner bag for disposal. While commercially available and conveniently packaged in wound-up roll form when purchased, the liner bags are frequently regarded as an annoyance to install individually within the receptacle prior to placement of refuse therein. When filled, the bags are removed and discarded to a convenient site. 
     2. Background of the Prior Art 
     To minimize handling during individual installation of liner bags, various devices in the prior art have been developed that will accommodate the pre-wound roll package internally within the refuse receptacle so as to enable dispensing the liner bags seriatim one at a time. By means thereof, liner bags can be drawn directly from within the receptacle and installed in and about the receptacle as required. As the filled bag is withdrawn for disposal, the next bag, still attached is simultaneously withdrawn therewith. Exemplifying such prior art is the disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 4,364,490. 
     While such dispenser devices of the prior art have undoubtedly functioned well, they are generally characterized as requiring specially designed receptacles in order to internally accommodate and dispense the package of pre-wound liner bags. As a consequence, such standard rolls cannot be accommodated in conventional unmodified receptacles without major modification and are therefore unsuitable for use as a retrofit installation for the receptacle after-market. 
     Despite recognition of the foregoing limitations, a ready solution therefore has not heretofore been known. 
     OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a novel structure for mounting a package of pre-wound liner bags for dispensing internally of a refuse receptacle. 
     It is a further object of the invention to effect the previous object with a structure conveniently adapted for installation as a retrofit in a pre-existing receptacle. 
     It is a still further object of the invention to effect the previous objects in a highly convenient, economical and expeditious manner. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to apparatus for dispensing of pre-wound rolls of individual liner bags from within a refuse receptacle. More specifically, the invention relates to a bag dispenser apparatus installable within refuse receptacles that is greatly simplified as compared to previous installations therefor. At the same time, the apparatus is conveniently suitable, not only for fabrication by original receptacle manufacturers, but also on a retrofit basis. 
     To achieve the foregoing, there is provided a dispenser for receptacle installation comprising, an elongated removable holder or housing in which to receive and accommodate a packaged pre-wound roll of liner bags. The housing of plastic composition includes an elongated slot at its top surface for permitting one at a time withdrawal of liner bags from the roll. Installation within and about the receptacle includes a variety of anchor constructions at the standard floor of the receptacle enabling the housing to be removably secured thereat. 
     One anchor support embodiment includes an elongated channel-like support plate secured internally to the floor of the receptacle and having elongated oppositely parallel, inwardly turned side channels. The underside of the housing includes elongated turned out flanges oppositely parallel and suitable for a snap-in interfit within the side channels of the support. For replacing a pre-wound roll of liner bags, the housing flanges can be hand squeezed toward each other enabling the housing to be removed from the side channels. With a fresh roll in place, the flanges are similarly squeezed and then released for expansion outward to within the side channels. 
     A second anchor support embodiment includes a plurality of spaced apart hooks on both sides of the housing and a plurality of hooks secured in the floor of the receptacle. Hooks at corresponding locations are joined together by a removable elastic cord that when connected between paired hooks secure the housing in place. Freeing one or both ends of each cord enables the housing to be removed for receipt of a bag roll and then replaced. 
     For retrofit installation, either of the above embodiments can be conveniently added by merely securing the support channel and/or hooks to the receptacle floor as above. 
     The above noted features and advantages of the invention as well as other superior aspects thereof will be further appreciated by those skilled in the art upon reading the detailed description that follows in conjunction with the drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a side elevation partially sectioned of a refuse receptacle containing a pre-wound roll of liner bags in the manner hereof; 
     FIG. 2 is a sectional elevation illustrating simultaneous removal and dispensing of a liner bag in accordance herewith; 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional view as seen substantially along the lines  3 — 3  of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the bag housing of FIG. 1 as seen substantially along the lines  4 — 4  of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 illustrating the separation relation of the bag housing to the housing support; and 
     FIG. 6 is a second embodiment of the housing support in the manner hereof. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     In the description which follows, like parts are marked throughout the specification and drawings with the same reference numerals respectively. The drawing figures are not necessarily to scale and in certain views, parts may have been exaggerated for purposes of clarity. 
     Referring now to the drawings, there is illustrated in FIG. 1 a typical upright basket type refuse receptacle designated  10  from which a liner bag  12  has been dispensed from a roll of bags  14  to extend up and over a peripheral flange  16 . In the installation shown, the upper end of bag  12  is folded over flange  16  and secured in place by an encircling elastic cord  18  that in turn is secured in place by a bracket  20 . 
     Roll  14  represents a commercially available pre-wound roll of serially attached liner bags retained in place for manually induced rotation within a holder housing  22 . The holder housing, of plastic composition, is generally circular in section and of an internal diameter larger than the contained liner roll. An elongated slot  24  along the top permits a bag  12  to be withdrawn outward for dispensing as needed. For installation in order to removably secure the housing in place, there is provided a variety of different anchor structures for receiving and securing the housing on floor  28  of the receptacle as will be described. 
     As illustrated in FIGS. 1-5, there is shown a first anchor embodiment including an elongated channel-like anchor support  26  secured to floor  28  of receptacle  10  by means of spaced apart rivets  30 . Opposite parallel edges  32  and  34  of support  26  define reverse bent arms defining internal spacings  36  in which to receive opposite turned-out housing flanges  38  and  40  in an interfit relation. 
     To install housing  22  to anchor  26  as shown in the assembly of FIG. 4, opposite side surfaces of the holder are squeezed manually at about the location of arrows  42  and  44  then moved downward t o be released to within arm spacings  36 . Removal requires only that the housing be similarly squeezed and then raised above channel arms  32  and  34  before being released. With the housing removed, a fresh roll of bags can be installed from either end. 
     For the second embodiment of FIG. 6, the flanges  38  and  40  of housing  22  seat directly against the surface of receptacle floor  28  rather than using a support channel as above. This embodiment utilizes for anchoring a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart hooks  46  and  48  oppositely embedded and secured in receptacle floor  28 . Companion hooks  50  and  52  at longitudinal locations in the periphery of housing  22  corresponding to locations of hooks  46  and  48 , cooperate with hooks  46  and  48  to secure tensioned elastic cords  54  and  56 . This serves to retain and seat foot flanges  38  and  40  against floor  28 . In this embodiment, housing  22  can be readily removed by manually releasing cords  54  and  56  from their hooks at one or both ends. With the housing unsecured, it can be raised within the receptacle and removed for installation of a fresh wound roll  14  of liner bags  12 . 
     Installation for either of the above embodiments requires only that an anchor be secured to a receptacle floor that enables the housing to be installed or removed with a minimum of inconvenience. With the housing removed, a pre-packaged roll liner of bags  14  can be readily inserted longitudinally within the housing from either end with a lead bag  12  extending through aperture slot  24 . The housing can be readily inserted or connected to the anchor where it is retained securely until removed for installing a fresh supply of liner roll  14  after the previous supply roll has been exhausted. 
     In use, lead bag  12  from roll  14  is dispensed by being drawn up through slot  24  and folded over receptacle flange  16  and secured by elastic cord  18  (FIG.  1 ). Once the lead bag has filled with debris, refuse or trash, it is drawn upwardly as seen in FIG. 2 until outward of the receptacle. Simultaneously, subsequent bag  12 ′ is drawn upward and can conveniently be separated from filled bag  12  by tearing along seam line  58 . Bag  12 ′ is then installed in the manner that previous bag  12  had been installed. Repeated replacements, such as that just described, can continue until the entire supply roll  14  has been exhausted. At that point, housing  22  is withdrawn from its anchor and a fresh roll of bags replaced longitudinally within and the housing which is then re-secured to its anchor as above. 
     By the above description there is disclosed a novel bag dispenser for a trash receptacle that overcomes many of the deficiencies of the prior art devices previously proposed for these purposes. Unlike the prior art devices that require special receptacle construction for special support, etc. and which potentially limit the market for such devices, the apparatus hereof is adapted for virtually universal installation either as original equipment or after-market situation. Because of its versatility, it can be readily purchased off the shelf apart from the receptacle for those wanting to adapt its use as a retrofit on existing receptacles. At the same time, its construction is relatively simple such that costs therefor are modest at best enabling it to be readily affordable in mass markets. 
     Since many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the drawings and specification shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.