Abstract:
A collection device comprises a shell and an outlet structure. The shell has top and bottom ends, front and rear sides, and left and right sides. The front side defines a front opening, the bottom end defines a lower opening, and an interior cavity connects the front and lower openings. The outlet structure extends downwardly from the shell and has a top end defining an upper opening and a bottom end defining an exit. The outlet structure top end attaches to the shell bottom end and encircles the shell lower opening. An interior cavity connects the outlet structure upper opening and the outlet structure exit. The outlet structure interior cavity is in communication with the shell interior cavity to allow items to pass between the shell front opening and the outlet structure exit. A method of discarding waste using a collection device is provided.

Description:
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     This invention relates generally to a collection device and a method of discarding waste from a countertop in a first room to a remote room.  
         [0002]     Garbage cans and waste baskets often occupy precious storage space and can create foul-smelling odors when filled with discarded waste. Further, prior art methods of securing trash bags have proven inadequate, the prior art is lacking means to alert a user that a trash bag is full, and the prior art is not truly integrated into a room. The collection device and method disclosed herein provide a convenient solution to these problems and others.  
         [0003]     A collection device according to the present invention comprises a shell and an outlet structure. The shell has top and bottom ends, opposed front and rear sides, and opposed left and right sides. The front side defines a front opening, the shell bottom end defines a lower opening, and an interior cavity connects the front opening and the lower opening to allow items to pass from the front opening to the lower opening. The outlet structure has top and bottom ends and extends downwardly from the shell. The outlet structure top end is attached to the shell bottom end and encircles the shell lower opening. The outlet structure top end defines an upper opening, the outlet structure bottom end defines an exit, and an interior cavity connects the outlet structure upper opening and the outlet structure exit to allow items to pass between the outlet structure upper opening and the outlet structure exit. The outlet structure interior cavity is in communication with the shell interior cavity to allow items to pass between the shell front opening and the outlet structure exit.  
         [0004]     A method of discarding waste from a countertop in a first room to a remote room comprises a plurality of steps. In a first step, a collection device is provided that includes a shell, an outlet structure, and a door. The shell has opposed top and bottom ends, opposed front and rear sides, and opposed left and right sides. The front side defines a front opening, the shell bottom end defines a lower opening, and an interior cavity connects the front opening and the lower opening to allow items to pass from the front opening to the lower opening. The left and right sides each define a plurality of pilot holes for allowing the left and right shell sides to be easily attached to a wall. The outlet structure has top and bottom ends and extends downwardly from the shell. The outlet structure top end is attached to the shell bottom end and encircles the shell lower opening. The outlet structure top end defines an upper opening, the outlet structure bottom end defines an exit, and an interior cavity connects the outlet structure upper opening and the outlet structure exit to allow items to pass between the outlet structure upper opening and the outlet structure exit. The outlet structure interior cavity is in communication with the shell interior cavity to allow items to pass between the shell front opening and the outlet structure exit. The door is attached to the shell for selectively closing the shell front opening. In another step, the left and right shell sides are aligned with a wall. In another step, a bottom surface of the shell front opening is aligned with a top of the countertop. In another step, the left and right shell sides are coupled to the wall using fasteners. Each fastener has a configuration complementary to a configuration of a respective pilot hole. In another step, the door is opened. In another step, waste is slid from the countertop into the shell interior cavity. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0005]      FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a collection device with a trim piece and rear side attached.  
         [0006]      FIG. 2  shows an exploded view of the collection device as in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0007]      FIG. 3  shows a perspective view of the collection device as in  FIG. 1  with the rear side removed.  
         [0008]      FIG. 4  shows a perspective view of the collection device as in  FIG. 1  with a hoop in a first position and a splashguard attached.  
         [0009]      FIG. 5  shows a perspective view of the collection device as in  FIG. 4  with the hoop in a second position.  
         [0010]      FIG. 6  shows a sectional view of the collection device as in  FIG. 5  and shows a door having a recess.  
         [0011]      FIG. 7  shows a sectional view of the collection device as in  FIG. 5  and shows the door with a tile finishing material.  
         [0012]      FIG. 8  shows a sectional view of the collection device as in  FIG. 5  and shows the door with a wood finishing material.  
         [0013]      FIG. 9  shows a top view of the collection device as in  FIG. 1  with the trim piece attached and the hoop in a second position.  
         [0014]      FIG. 10  shows a sectional view of the collection device as in  FIG. 9  with a pneumatic cylinder attached to the door.  
         [0015]      FIG. 11  shows a sectional view of the hinge as in  FIG. 10 .  
         [0016]      FIG. 12  shows a sectional view of the collection device as in  FIG. 10  with the hoop in a second position.  
         [0017]      FIG. 13  shows a perspective view of the collection device as in  FIG. 1  with a pivoting lever attached.  
         [0018]      FIG. 13   a  shows a sectional view of the collection device as in  FIG. 13  with the pivoting lever in a first position.  
         [0019]      FIG. 13   b  shows a sectional view of the collection device as in  FIG. 13  with the pivoting lever in a second position.  
         [0020]      FIG. 14  shows a perspective view of the collection device as in  FIG. 1  with a lever attached.  
         [0021]      FIG. 14   a  shows a sectional view of the collection device as in  FIG. 14  with the lever in a first position.  
         [0022]      FIG. 14   b  shows a sectional view of the collection device as in  FIG. 14  with the lever in a second position.  
         [0023]      FIG. 15  shows a perspective view of the collection device as in  FIG. 1  with a plurality of outlet structure interior cavities and a switch.  
         [0024]      FIG. 16  shows a top view of the collection device as in  FIG. 15 .  
         [0025]      FIG. 17  shows a sectional view of the collection device as in  FIG. 16  with a diverter in a first configuration.  
         [0026]      FIG. 18  shows a sectional view of the collection device as in  FIG. 16  with the diverter in a second configuration.  
         [0027]      FIG. 19  shows a perspective view of the collection device as in  FIG. 1  installed in a wall between wall studs and set against a countertop with the splashguard attached.  
         [0028]      FIG. 20  is a block diagram that shows a sensor connected to an alarm. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0029]     A collection device  100  according to the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to  FIGS. 1-20  of the accompanying drawings. More particularly, a collection device  100  for installation in a wall  10  between adjacent rooms includes a shell  110  and an outlet structure  120 .  
         [0030]     The shell  110  has opposed top  112   a  and bottom ends  112   b , opposed front  114   a  and rear sides  114   b , and opposed left  116   a  and right sides  116   b . The front side  114   a  defines a front opening  117 , and the bottom end  112   b  defines a lower opening  118 . The front opening  117  and the lower opening  118  are connected by an interior cavity  119  for allowing the passage of items therebetween. The shell front side  114   a  preferably has a vertical portion  115   a  and an angled portion  115   b ; the front side vertical portion  115   a  preferably defines the front opening  117 .  
         [0031]     The shell rear side  114   b  preferably includes a detachable portion  111  so the interior cavity  119  may be easily accessed and the shell  110  may be thoroughly cleaned. An interior surface  111   a  of the detachable portion  114   c  may define a plurality of hooks  111   b  ( FIG. 2 ), and the shell rear side  114   b  may define a plurality of apertures  114   c  ( FIG. 3 ). Each hook  111   b  preferably has a configuration complementary to a configuration of a respective aperture  114   c  for selective engagement therewith to allow the detachable portion to be selectively engaged to the shell rear side  114   b . Other methods of connecting the shell rear side  114   b  and the detachable portion  111  may also be used, however.  
         [0032]     The left and right sides  116   a ,  116   b  of the shell  110  each define a plurality of pilot holes  170 , and a plurality of fasteners  172  having configurations complementary to configurations of the pilot holes  170  are included for connecting the shell  110  to the wall  10 . Indicia  174  is preferably located on the left and right shell sides  116   a ,  116   b  for aligning the left and right shell sides  116   a ,  116   b  with the wall  10 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the indicia  174  are preferably lines that are parallel to the shell front side vertical portion  115   a  and are preferably spaced between ⅜ inch and 1 inch from the shell front side vertical portion  115   a.    
         [0033]     The outlet structure  120  extends downwardly from the shell  110  and has top  122   a  and bottom ends  122   b . The outlet structure top end  122   a  is attached to the shell bottom end  112   b  and encircles the lower opening  118  of the shell  110 . The outlet structure  120  top end  122   a  defines an upper opening  124   a , and the outlet structure  120  bottom end  122   b  defines an exit  124   b . The upper opening  124   a  and exit  124   b  are connected by an interior cavity  125  for allowing the passage of items therebetween. The outlet structure interior cavity  125  is in communication with the shell interior cavity  119  for allowing the passage of items between the shell front opening  117  and the outlet structure exit  124   b.    
         [0034]     A door  130  is preferably attached to the shell  110  for selectively closing the shell front opening  117 , and a stopper  132  preferably encircles the door  130  to selectively seal the door  130  to the shell front side  114   a . As shown in  FIGS. 6-8 , a front surface  137  of the door  130  may define a recessed area  139  so that a finishing material may be installed in the recessed area  139 . By installing a finishing material that matches the surroundings of the collection device  100 , the collection device may be truly integrated into a room. The stopper  132  is preferably rubber, though other materials may be used.  
         [0035]     The door  130  may be attached to the shell  110  in various manners. One method of attaching the door  130  to the shell  110  includes connecting a hinge  134  to an interior surface  113  of the shell top end  112   a  and an interior surface  131  of the door  130 . Attached in this way, the door  130  may selectively pivot about the hinge  134  and selectively close the shell front opening  117 .  
         [0036]     A pneumatic cylinder  136  or another actuating device may be connected to the shell top end interior surface  113  and the door interior surface  131  for causing the door  130  to selectively pivot about the hinge  134 . Further, a sensor  138  may be in communication with the pneumatic cylinder  136  to selectively actuate the pneumatic cylinder  136  and cause the door  130  to pivot about the hinge  134 . The sensor  138  is preferably a proximity sensor or a motion sensor.  
         [0037]     The collection device  100  preferably includes means  140  for selectively attaching a bag  2  to the outlet structure  120 . As shown in  FIGS. 2-4 , the outlet structure bottom end  122   b  may have an upwardly-protruding lip  123   a  that forms a groove  123   b , and the outlet structure bottom end  122   b  preferably has a perimeter that is larger than the perimeter of the outlet structure top end  122   a . A hoop  142  encircles the outlet structure  120  in one embodiment ( FIG. 4 ), and is movable between a first position  142   a  in which the hoop  142  is separate from the groove  123   b  ( FIG. 4 ) and a second position  142   b  in which the hoop  142  is received in the groove  123   b  ( FIG. 5 ) for selectively ensnaring the bag  2  between the hoop  142  and the groove  123   b.    
         [0038]     As shown in  FIG. 13-13   b , the means  140  may alternately include a pivoting lever  144  attached to the outlet structure  120 . The pivoting lever  144  is preferably pivotable between a first position  144   a  in which the pivoting lever  144  is separate from the groove  123   b  ( FIG. 13   a ) and a second position  144   b  in which the pivoting lever  144  is entrapped in the groove  123   b  for selectively ensnaring the bag  2  between the pivoting lever  144  and the groove  123   b  ( FIG. 13   b ).  
         [0039]     As shown in  FIGS. 14-14   b , the means  140  may alternately include a lever  146  pivotably attached to the outlet structure  120 . The lever  146  preferably has an upper portion  147  rotatably attached to a lower portion  148  and is movable between a first position  146   a  in which the bottom surface  148   a  of the lower portion  148  is separate from the groove  123   b  ( FIG. 14   a ) and a second position  146   b  in which the lower portion bottom surface  148   a  is received in the groove  123   b  for selectively ensnaring a bag  2  between the lower portion bottom surface  148   a  and the groove  123   b  ( FIG. 14   b ).  
         [0040]     A sensor  180  may be positioned in the shell interior cavity  119  or the outlet structure interior cavity  125  for sensing when the attached bag  2  is full. An alarm  182  is preferably in communication with the sensor  180  for signaling when the bag is full ( FIG. 20 ). The alarm  182  may provide visual and/or audible indications. While the sensor  180  is preferably an infrared proximity sensor, ranging sensors and other sensors may also be used.  
         [0041]     One or more splashguards  150  may be placed laterally adjacent the shell front side vertical portion  115   a  for shielding the wall  10 , as shown in  FIGS. 4, 5 , and  19 . Each splashguard  150  may be stainless steel or another metal and may include indicia  152  engraved by laser etching. Alternately, the splashguard  150  may include another material, such as tile, to blend in with the wall  10 .  
         [0042]     A trim piece  190  having a configuration complementary to a configuration of the shell front side vertical portion  115   a  may be included for integrating the shell front side vertical portion  115   a  with the wall  10 . The trim piece  190  may be particularly useful if the collection device  100  is retrofitted into the wall  10  since the trim piece  190  can cover a gap between the shell  110  and the wall  10 , and it may also be useful if the wall is being finished around the shell  110  since the wall  10  would not have to be perfectly finished.  
         [0043]     Another embodiment of the collection device  100  is shown in  FIGS. 15-18 . According to this embodiment, the outlet structure  120  defines a plurality of separate interior cavities  125  that each end at a respective outlet structure exit  124   b , with each outlet structure interior cavity  125  being in selective communication with the shell interior cavity  119 . This allows an item to pass between the shell front opening  117  and a chosen outlet structure exit  124   b . A diverter  160  has an upright wall  162  selectively movable between first and second configurations  160   a ,  160   b  and a switch  164  in communication with the upright wall  162  for selectively moving the upright wall  162  between the first and second configurations  160   a ,  160   b . The first diver configuration  160   a  provides access to one of the outlet structure cavities  125  from the shell interior cavity  119 , and the second diverter configuration  160   b  provides access to another of the outlet structure cavities  125  from the shell interior cavity  119 .  
         [0044]     In use, the collection device  100  is first installed in a wall  10  between adjacent rooms, such as a kitchen and a garage, for example. The indicia  174  on the left and right shell sides  116   a ,  116   b  may be respectfully aligned with studs  12  adjacent the shell  110 , or the shell vertical portion  115   a  may be aligned with a finished surface of the wall  10 . A bottom surface  117   a  of the shell front opening  117  may be aligned with a top surface  14   a  of a countertop. The fasteners may then be inserted through the pilot holes  170 , coupling the shell  110  to the wall  10 . One or more splashguards  150  and/or the trim piece  190  may be positioned adjacent the shell front side vertical portion  115   a , covering imperfections in the wall  10  and protecting the wall  10 . A finishing material, such as tile ( FIG. 7 ) or wood ( FIG. 8 ) may be installed in the door recessed area  139 .  
         [0045]     The bag  2  may be connected to the outlet structure  120  using the means  140  as described above.  
         [0046]     The door  130  may be opened manually by pushing against it, causing the door  130  to pivot about the hinge  134 , or by causing the sensor  138  to actuate the pneumatic cylinder  136 . Actuating the pneumatic cylinder  136  also causes the door  130  to rotate about the hinge  134 . While the door  130  is open, items may be tossed through the front opening  117  or may be slid from the countertop  14  through the front opening  117 . After passing through the front opening  117 , the items travel through the shell interior cavity  119  and then the connected outlet structure interior cavity  125  due to gravity. When the items pass through the outlet structure exit  124   b , they may fall to the attached bag  2 . The sensor  180  may detect when the bag  2  is full and appropriately actuate the attached alarm  182 . The shell detachable portion  111  may be separated from the shell rear side  114   b  by separating the hooks  111   b  from the apertures  114   c  so the shell interior cavity  119  and the outlet structure interior cavity  125  may be thoroughly and easily cleaned.  
         [0047]     If the outlet structure defines a plurality of separate interior cavities as shown in  FIGS. 15-18 , the user may manipulate the switch  164  to move the diverter upright wall  162  between the first and second configurations  160   a ,  160   b  to select which interior cavity  125  the user wishes to access. In doing so, the user may easily separate items, such as trash and recyclables.  
         [0048]     It is understood that while certain forms of this invention have been illustrated and described, it is not limited thereto except insofar as such limitations are included in the following claims and allowable functional equivalents thereof.