Abstract:
A toxic waste receptacle with a cover includes an exhaust hood that exhausts toxic gases from the waste receptacle and an interior bag closure mechanism that is operable externally and closes the bag disposed within an interior receptacle of the toxic waste receptacle. The exhaust system exhausts toxic gases from the interior of the waste receptacle and the internal bag closure mechanism confines harmful toxic gases within the bag prior to opening the cover of the waste receptacle to prevent toxic gases from escaping into the work environment.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     This invention is directed to a receptacle for toxic waste. More particularly, the invention is directed to a toxic waste receptacle that includes an internal bag closure mechanism that is operable from outside the waste receptacle.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     Various types of trash cans and other waste receptacles that use disposable liners, are widely used in various industries. Conventional trash cans include a cover disposed to seal the open end of the receptacle and a flexible bag or liner disposed in the receptacle. The flexible bags are commonly made of impervious materials such as plastic. The conventional method for handling industrial trash is to open the cover of the trash can and dispose trash within the open bag that is positioned within the trash can. When the bag is full, the cover is again opened and the open bag is removed by custodial or other personnel who must then manually close the bag to package the waste it contains.  
         [0003]     Many industries generate toxic waste. Toxic waste materials may include various parts, containers, wipes or towels that contain toxic materials. When such toxic waste materials are stored in conventional trash cans, toxic gases are produced in the trash can interior and released when the cover of the trash can is opened. The toxic gas emitted from the trash can escapes into the working environment and can be harmful to custodial and other personnel within the area. Such introduction of toxic materials into the working environment can result in serious illnesses and other maladies.  
         [0004]     Additionally, these toxic contaminants that escape into the working environment can also contaminate and destroy the products being manufactured in the area. In the semiconductor manufacturing industry, for example, toxic waste that includes IPA (isopropyl alcohol), Cl 2 , HCN and HCl is commonly generated. Using conventional trash receptacles, these toxic contaminants can diffuse into the work environment and cause corrosion and other failure mechanisms to occur on the semiconductor devices and substrates present in the working environment. Conventional trash receptacles therefore include shortcomings that render them unacceptable for handling toxic materials in a working environment.  
         [0005]     It would therefore be desirable to provide a receptacle for toxic waste that prevents toxic waste from escaping into the working environment.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     To achieve these and other objects, and in view of its purposes, this invention addresses the shortcomings of conventional toxic waste receptacles and provides a waste receptacle that prevents or eliminates toxic gases from escaping into the working environment.  
         [0007]     In an exemplary embodiment, the invention provides a waste receptacle comprising an exterior wall that separates an interior from an exterior, an interior receptacle for receiving a bag therein, spaced from the exterior wall. The waste receptacle also comprises an interior bag closure mechanism that is operable from the exterior of the waste receptacle.  
         [0008]     In another exemplary embodiment, the invention provides a waste receptacle comprising an exterior wall, an interior receptacle for receiving a bag therein, a cover that sealably engages an upper rim of the exterior wall, an exhaust hood including an exhaust port, an exhaust system that exhausts the waste receptacle through the exhaust port, and an interior bag closure mechanism that is operable from the exterior of the waste receptacle.  
         [0009]     In yet another embodiment, the invention provides a waste receptacle comprising an exterior wall, an interior receptacle for receiving a flexible bag therein, and a rotator assembly that grasps an upper open end of a flexible bag disposed within the interior receptacle and rotates the upper open end relative to a bottom closed end of the flexible bag, to close the flexible bag.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
       [0010]     The invention is best understood from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing. It is emphasized that, according to common practice, the various features of the drawing are not necessarily to scale. On the contrary, the dimensions of the various features are arbitrarily expanded or reduced for clarity. Like numerals denote like features throughout the specification and drawing. Included are the following figures.  
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is a cross-sectional side view of an exemplary toxic waste receptacle;  
         [0012]      FIG. 1A  is an expanded cross-sectional view of an exemplary rotator assembly;  
         [0013]      FIG. 2  is a top, plan view of the exemplary rotator assembly;  
         [0014]      FIG. 3  is a top, cross-sectional view of an exemplary exhaust hood;  
         [0015]      FIG. 4  shows an interior perforated wall of the exhaust hood shown in planar configuration for clarity;  
         [0016]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view illustrating the exhaust system of the invention; and  
         [0017]      FIG. 6  is a cross-section side view illustrating an exemplary situation in which the flexible bag closed for packaging waste materials. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0018]      FIG. 1  is a cross-sectional view showing an exemplary waste receptacle according to the invention. Waste receptacle  3  includes tank portion  5  and exhaust hood portion  7  disposed above tank portion  5 . Tank portion  5  includes double walls  9 . Double walls  9  include outer tank wall  11  and inner tank wall  13 . Gap  15  is formed between outer tank wall  11  and inner tank wall  13 . In an exemplary embodiment, the waste receptacle is cylindrical such that outer tank wall  11  is cylindrical and inner tank wall  13  is cylindrical and gap  15  forms an annular space therebetween. Waste receptacle  3  further includes bottom  17  and cover  19 .  
         [0019]     Exhaust hood portion  7  includes outer wall  21  and vented, or gas-permeable inner wall  23  that includes openings  25  in the exemplary embodiment. Outer wall  21  and outer tank wall  11  combine to form a substantially continuous exterior wall of waste receptacle  3 . Exhaust hood portion  7  and tank portion  5  combine to form can  27  that includes upper lip  29 .  
         [0020]     Cover  19  includes handle  89  and rubber sealing portion  31  that sealably engages upper lip  29  to seal interior  33  of waste receptacle  3 . Pedal  57 , disposed outside of waste receptacle  3  works in conjunction with a linkage mechanism to automatically open cover  19 . The linkage mechanism includes shafts  59 A and  59 B. Lower shaft  59 A forms a lever by pivoting about pivot member  61 . In this manner, cover  19  can be opened without being contacted by the user&#39;s hand, as the user simply steps on pedal  57 .  
         [0021]     Exhaust hood portion  7  includes exhaust port  35  which is an opening that extends through outer wall  21 . Gases within interior  33  of waste receptacle  3  are drawn through exhaust port  35  and directed through exhaust conduit  37  and away from waste receptacle  3 . Conventional pumping or bellows systems may be used to exhaust waste receptacle  3  through exhaust port  35 . Manual shutoff valve  39  is provided as a safety shutoff to cut off exhaust flow  41 .  
         [0022]     Bag  43  is received within interior receptacle  81  formed by inner tank wall  13  of tank portion  5 . Inner tank wall  13  is internally spaced from outer tank wall  11 . Bag  43  may be formed of various flexible or deformable materials such as plastics or other polymers and is chosen to be impervious and impermeable to the waste materials that will be disposed in bag  43 . Bag  43  includes closed end  45  which rests on bottom  17  and open end  47  which is in the upper position in the illustrated embodiment. Bag  43  includes walls  49  and is shown in the open position for receiving waste, by solid lines  51 , and in the closed position by dashed lines  53 . Bag  43  may also be referred to as a liner.  
         [0023]     An aspect of the invention is an interior bag closure mechanism that is operable from the exterior of waste receptacle  3 . In the exemplary embodiment, the interior bag closure mechanism includes rotator assembly  63 , including handle  65 . Further components of rotator assembly  63  are shown more clearly in  FIG. 1A .  
         [0024]      FIG. 1A  is a cross-sectional view showing portions of rotator assembly  63  in further detail. Rotator assembly  63  includes clamp  67  that secures lip  69  of open end  47  of bag  43 , to rotating member  71 . Rotating member  71  includes flange section  73  that is received within cavity  75  formed within the previously defined exterior wall of waste receptacle  3 . Ball bearings  77  enable flange portion  73  to rotate freely within track  79  formed by cavity  75 . Rotating member  71  may be formed of various sturdy materials. Handle  65  ( FIG. 1 ) is coupled to rotating member  71  and may be turned to cause rotating member  71  to rotate and bag  43  to open or close with cover  19  in the closed or open position. Various conventional techniques may be used to couple handle  65  to rotating member  71  such that handle  65  causes rotating member  71  of rotator assembly  63  to rotate. Handle  65  is exemplary only and other conventional devices may be disposed outside of waste receptacle  3  to cause the rotation of rotating member  71 .  
         [0025]     Referring again to  FIG. 1 , since lip  69  of open end  47  of bag  43  is securely affixed to rotating member  71  by means of clamp  67 , when rotating member  71  rotates, open end portion  47  of bag  43  rotates relative to closed end  45  of bag  43 . In an exemplary embodiment, the weight of the contents of bag  43  enable the bulk of bag  43  within interior receptacle  81  to remain stationary, or fixed, as open end  47  of bag  43  rotates relative to closed end  45 . In an other embodiment (not shown) clamping or other securing means may be used to secure the bulk of bag  43  into position so that it does not rotate when top portion  47  of bag rotates due to the rotational movement of rotating member  71 . For example, closed end  45  may be releasably clamped to bottom  17 .  
         [0026]      FIG. 2  is a top view showing inner tank wall  13  that forms interior receptacle  81  that receives bag  43  (not shown), and rotating member  71  which rotates as indicated by arrow  85 , with respect to stationary inner tank wall  13 . In the illustrated cross-sectional top view embodiment of an exemplary cylindrically shaped waste receptacle, it can be seen that each of inner tank walls  13  and rotating member  71  are annular in shape and concentrically configured. Other shapes and relative configurations may be used in other exemplary embodiments.  
         [0027]      FIGS. 3 and 4  show further details of the exhaust hood.  FIG. 3  shows a top, cross-sectional portion and a schematic portion. Exhaust hood portion  7  includes outer wall  21  and gas-permeable inner wall  23  which includes openings  25  in the exemplary embodiment. Pump  83  may be used to exhaust waste receptacle  3  through exhaust port  35 . In an exemplary embodiment, gas-permeable inner wall  23  may be a mesh material or it may include perforations there through.  FIG. 4  shows a swatch of an exemplary gas-permeable inner wall  23  which includes openings  25 . The swatch of gas-permeable inner wall  23  is shown in planar view for illustrative purposes but conforms to the annular shape in the exemplary embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 3 . Other suitable styles and arrangements of gas-permeable inner wall  23  may be used an inner wall within exhaust hood portion  7  such that gases from interior  33  may be exhausted through gas-permeable inner wall  23  and exhaust port  35 . The generally round shape of waste receptacle  3  is intended to be exemplary only and more than one exhaust port  35  may be used in other exemplary embodiments and advantageously positioned in various locations.  
         [0028]      FIGS. 5 and 6  illustrate two advantageous applications of the invention. In  FIG. 5  cover  19  is closed and bag  43  is in the open position. With the exhaust system operating, the pollutants within bag  43  are exhausted through exhaust port  35 . This reduces the gaseous contaminants within interior  33  of waste receptacle  3 . The exhaust system generates a negative pressure to remove a large volume of toxic pollutants from interior  33 .  
         [0029]      FIG. 6  shows another advantageous aspect of the invention. Bag  43  is closed and seated within interior receptacle  81 . Bag  43  may be automatically closed as described above, with cover  19  being in the opened or closed position. With cover  19  opened and bag  43  closed as in  FIG. 6 , the pollutants are contained within the bag and do not escape into the working environment when cover  19  is open. The trash is thereby packaged within bag  43 . This configuration may advantageously be used when bag  43  is full and a custodian desires to remove bag  43  from waste receptacle  3 . In an exemplary embodiment, the escape of toxic pollutants may be prevented by maintaining bag  43  in an open position and the exhaust system on, when cover  19  is closed such as shown in  FIG. 5 , and then closing bag  43  using the interior bag closure mechanism of the invention prior to opening cover  19 . In this manner, when cover  19  is opened to remove bag  43 , toxic pollutants have either been withdrawn from waste receptacle  3  through the exhaust system or safely contained within bag  43 .  
         [0030]     In another exemplary embodiment, bag  43  may be in the opened configuration when cover  19  is opened, to facilitate the introduction of trash into waste receptacle  3 .  
         [0031]     The preceding merely illustrates the principles of the invention. It will thus be appreciated that those skilled in the art will be able to devise various arrangements which, although not explicitly described or shown herein, embody the principles of the invention and are included within its spirit and scope. Furthermore, all examples and conditional language recited herein are principally intended expressly to be only for pedagogical purposes and to aid the reader in understanding the principles of the invention and the concepts contributed by the inventors to furthering the art, and are to be construed as being without limitation to such specifically recited examples and conditions. Moreover, all statements herein reciting principles, aspects, and embodiments of the invention, as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass both structural and functional equivalents thereof. Additionally, it is intended that such equivalents include both currently known equivalents and equivalents developed in the future, i.e., any elements developed that perform the same function, regardless of structure.  
         [0032]     This description of the exemplary embodiments is intended to be read in connection with the figures of the accompanying drawing, which are to be considered part of the entire written description. In the description, relative terms such as “lower,” “upper,” “horizontal,” “vertical,”, “above,” “below,” “up,” “down,” “top” and “bottom” as well as derivatives thereof (e.g., “horizontally,” “downwardly,” “upwardly,” etc.) should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawing under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description and do not require that the apparatus be constructed or operated in a particular orientation. Terms concerning attachments, coupling and the like, such as “connected” and “interconnected,” refer to a relationship wherein structures are secured or attached to one another either directly or indirectly through intervening structures, as well as both movable or rigid attachments or relationships, unless expressly described otherwise.  
         [0033]     Although the invention has been described in terms of exemplary embodiments, it is not limited thereto. Rather, the appended claims should be construed broadly, to include other variants and embodiments of the invention, which may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and range of equivalents of the invention.