Patent Publication Number: US-8534488-B1

Title: Trash container liner bag

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     Our related and copending Provisional Application No. 61/519,700 was filed on May 27, 2011. That filing date is claimed for this application. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND INFORMATION 
     This invention is a removable liner bag for a trash receptacle such as a wheeled rollout cart. Such rollout carts need to be cleaned or rinsed out from time to time, but their size makes it a cumbersome job, easily postponed by the homeowner. 
     The liner bag of this invention is easily set in place in a rollout cart, and it remains in place while the cart is lifted, emptied into a collection truck, and returned upright and empty to the roadside. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In summary, this invention is a trash container including a bottom receptacle with a hinged lid. The hinge connection makes hinge opening(s) along the hinge axis. A trash bag in the receptacle, which extends up and over the sides of the receptacle, includes upward-extending back tab(s) for placement through the hinge opening(s). A removable elastic band fits around the receptacle below the lid to secure the bag and tabs in place in the receptacle. 
    
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
       In the accompanying drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is a front view of the top portion of a rollout cart with its lid raised up. 
         FIG. 2  is a front view of a plastic bag for placement in the cart of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a rear view of the cart of  FIG. 1 , with the plastic bag placed within it. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
     With reference now to the drawing,  FIG. 1  shows a trash container or rollout cart  10  which includes a bottom receptacle  11  and a top lid  12  connected by a hinge  13  disposed along the top rear of the receptacle  11 . Hinge openings  14  along the axis of the hinge  13  become open spaces or slots when the lid  12  is raised up as in  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 2  shows a plastic bag  15  of size sufficient to fill and line the receptacle  11  and to extend up and over its top edges ( FIG. 1 ). The back of the bag  15  includes a number (three in this example) of individual tabs  16  of height H (about 8″ for example). The tabs  16  are part of the back side  17  of the bag  15 . 
     For installation and use, the bag  15  is opened and inserted into the receptacle  11 . The tabs  16  are separately tucked rearward through their respective hinge openings  14  and over the top of the receptacle back wall, as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     The bag  15 , thus placed into the receptacle  11 , is secured in place by an elastic or rubber band  20  around the upper portion of the receptacle  11 , just below the hinge  13  as shown in  FIG. 3 . The bag, secured by the elastic band  20 , remains in place in the cart, even through the cart-emptying process. The user can choose to have the bag discharged with its contents by removing the band  20 . 
     The bag  15  is shown with three tabs  16 , to correspond with the three openings  14  in the hinge as shown. Other hinges with fewer hinge elements provide correspondingly fewer openings  14 . Accordingly, bags for use with such other hinged lids would have two tabs, or one tab. 
     In the following claims, any terms indicative of orientation (e.g. front, back; left, right; upper, lower; top, bottom) are meant only to correspond with the illustrations and to facilitate an understanding of the claimed invention. Such terms are not intended as positive limitations. 
     The foregoing description, including any dimensions, of a preferred embodiment is illustrative. The concept and scope of the invention are not limited by such details but only by the following claims.