Patent Publication Number: US-2003230576-A1

Title: Pedal assembly

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION  
       [0001] 1. Field of Invention  
       [0002] The present invention is related to a pedal assembly.  
       [0003] 2. Related Prior Art  
       [0004] Taiwanese Patent Publication No. 478516 discloses a garbage-storing device  1  including a bin  11 , a cover  12  pivotally mounted on the bin  11 , a pedal assembly mounted on the bin  11  and a linkage  13  connected between the cover  12  and the pedal assembly. The pedal assembly includes a frame  2  and a pedal  3 . The frame  2  includes two side plates and upper and lower plates. A shaft  23  is formed on an internal face of each of the side plates. Several wedges  24  are formed on an external face of each of the upper and lower plates. A flange  25  is formed on and around an internal face of the frame  2 . Two wedges  26  are formed on the lower plate. Each of the wedges  26  is formed between a pair of slits cut into the lower plate. Thus, the wedges  26  are pivotal relative to the lower plate. The wedges  26  are similar to but longer than the wedges  24 . The pedal  3  includes two lugs  31  each defining an aperture  32  in which one of the shafts  23  is inserted. The frame  2  is inserted through an opening  14  defined in the bin  11 . A rim around the opening  14  is restrained between the wedges  24  and the flange  25 . The wedges  26  are pivoted upward by the rim to a position beside the lugs  31  (FIG. 3), thus avoiding disengagement of the pedal  3  from the frame  2 . Ideally, the wedges  26  are longer than the wedges  24  by a distance equal to the thickness of the bin  11  that is about 2 mm. However, it is hard to precisely achieve such a distance. If made too long, the wedges  26  interfere with the flange  25 . If made too short, the wedges  26  cannot be pivoted upward in order to restrain the lugs  31 .  
       [0005] The present invention is therefore intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in prior art.  
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION  
       [0006] It is an objective of the present invention to provide a storage device including a pedal assembly that can be easily fabricated.  
       [0007] According to the present invention, a storage device includes a bin, a cover mounted on the bin, a pedal assembly mounted on the bin and a linkage connected between the cover and the pedal assembly. The pedal assembly can be trod so as to pivot the cover via the linkage. The pedal assembly includes a frame mounted on the bin and a pedal pivotally mounted on the frame.  
       [0008] The frame includes two side plates each defining a cutout. The pedal includes two shafts formed thereon and inserted in the cutouts. Each of the shafts includes a head formed thereon for avoiding axial escape thereof from one of the side plates.  
       [0009] The frame includes a flange formed thereon.  
       [0010] In an aspect, a portion of the bin is restrained between the flange and the heads.  
       [0011] In another aspect, a latch may be used to lock the frame to the bin and the pedal to the frame. The latch includes two fins formed thereon. Each of the side plates defines a slot for receiving one of the fins or alternatively the frame includes an upper plate defining a slot for receiving the latch. Thus, the latch is retained on the frame in order to avoid disengagement of the frame from the bin. The portion of the bin is restrained between the flange and the latch.  
       [0012] The frame includes a lower plate defining a slot through which the latch is inserted. The latch includes a hook formed on a lower edge thereof for hooking the lower plate.  
       [0013] Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the attached drawings. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
     [0014] The present invention will be described through detailed illustration of embodiments referring to the attached drawings wherein:  
     [0015]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a garbage bin with which a pedal assembly is used according to a first embodiment of the present invention;  
     [0016]FIG. 2 is an enlarged exploded view of the pedal assembly according to the first embodiment of the present invention;  
     [0017]FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the pedal assembly according to the first embodiment of the present invention;  
     [0018]FIG. 4 is a side view of the pedal assembly according to the first embodiment of the present invention;  
     [0019]FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line  5 - 5  in FIG. 4;  
     [0020]FIG. 6 is an enlarged exploded view of the pedal assembly according to a second embodiment of the present invention; and  
     [0021]FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the pedal assembly according to the second embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS  
     [0022]FIG. 1 shows a garbage-storing device  10  including a bin  11  and a cover  12  pivotally mounted on the bin  11 . Referring to FIGS.  2 ˜ 5 , the cover  12  is linked to a pedal assembly according to the present invention via a linkage  13 .  
     [0023] The pedal assembly includes a frame  20 , a pedal  30  and a latch  40 .  
     [0024] Referring to FIG. 2, the bin  11  defines an opening  14  through which a portion of the linkage  13  is inserted for contact with the pedal assembly.  
     [0025] Referring to FIG. 2, the frame  20  includes upper and lower plates and two side plates. Each of the side plates defines a cutout  21  extending horizontally. A slot  23  is cut into the upper plate and the side plates. A slot  24  is defined in the lower plate.  
     [0026] A flange  22  is formed on and around the frame  20 .  
     [0027] The pedal  30  is formed with two ears  31 . A shaft  33  is formed on each of the ears  31 , and includes an enlarged head  32 .  
     [0028] The latch  40  includes two edges from each of which a fin  41  extends and a lower edge from which a hook  42  extends. A slot  43  is defined vertically in the latch  40 .  
     [0029] Referring to FIGS.  3 ˜ 5 , the frame  20  is inserted through the opening  14  defined in the bin  11 . The flange  22  is located in the exterior to the bin  11 . The pedal  30  is inserted through the frame  20 . The shafts  33  are forced into the cutouts  21 . Thus, the pedal  30  is pivotally mounted on the frame  20 . The latch  40  is inserted through the slot  23  cut into the upper plate and the side plates of the frame  20  until the fins  41  are supported by means of the side plates of the frame  20 . The lower edge of the latch  40 , on which the hook  42  is formed, is inserted through the slot  24  defined in the lower plate of the frame  20 . The hook  42  retains the engagement of the frame  20  with the latch  40 . Thus, an edge around the opening  14  defined in the bin  11  is restrained between the flange  22  and the latch  40 , thus retaining the pedal assembly on the bin  11 . Furthermore, the pedal  30  is retained on the frame  20 .  
     [0030] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, a portion of the linkage  13  is inserted through the slot  43  defined in the latch  40  for contact with the pedal  30 . Thus, the pedal  30  can be trod in order to operate the cover  20  via the linkage  13 . However, the linkage  30  and its connection with the cover  12  are conventional and will not be described in detail.  
     [0031]FIGS. 6 and 7 shows a pedal according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The second embodiment is identical to the first embodiment except for excluding the latch  40  and using a frame  20 ′ instead of the frame  20 . The frame  20 ′ is identical to the frame  20  except for three features. Firstly, the upper plate of the frame  20 ′ does not define a slot for receiving a latch. Secondly, the frame  20 ′ does not include a lower plate. Thirdly, each of the side plates of the frame  20 ′ defines a cutout  21 ′ extending vertically.  
     [0032] Referring to FIG. 7, the rim around the opening  14  is kept between the flange  22  and the heads  32  of the shafts  33 . Thus, the frame  20  and the pedal  30  are retained on the bin  11  unless the shafts  33  are removed from the cutouts  21 . Therefore, there is no need for a latch.  
     [0033] The present invention has been described through detailed illustration of the preferred embodiment. Those skilled in the art can derive many variations from the preferred embodiment without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the preferred embodiment shall not limit the scope of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is defined in the attached claims.