Patent Publication Number: US-2011056941-A1

Title: Waste Disposal Apparatus

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to waste disposal apparatuses for disposing of waste materials such as soiled diapers. 
     2. Description of the Background Art Japanese Patent Publication Nos. H01-226601, 2009-96642, and H07-330103 of unexamined applications disclose techniques of waste disposal apparatuses having a high odor-sealing capability and being capable of successively disposing of waste materials, which relate to waste disposal apparatuses for disposing of waste materials having unpleasant odors, such as soiled diapers. 
       FIG. 23  shows a waste disposal apparatus described in Japanese Patent Publication Nos. H01-226601 and 2009-96642 of unexamined applications. This waste disposal apparatus includes a cylindrical film  101  having its one end closed, a tubular guide  102  for inserting the film  101  therethrough and accommodating the film  101  therein, and a twisting unit  103  for manually turning the tubular guide  102  to twist the film  101 . 
     In this waste disposal apparatus, the closed end of the film  101  inserted through the tubular guide  102  is pulled out, and is pushed coaxially downward through the tubular guide  102  to form a waste accommodating space. After placing a waste material into the waste accommodating space, the tubular guide  102  is turned by the twisting unit  103  to form a twisted closed portion  104  in the film  101  between the waste material and the tubular guide  102 . 
     This twisted closed portion  104  of the film  101  forms the bottom of a waste accommodating space for the subsequent disposal of a waste material, and also block passing of odors, namely leakage of odors from the waste material to the outside. This structure enables waste materials to be sequentially placed in the film  101 , and also is effective in sealing odors of waste materials. 
       FIG. 24  shows a waste disposal apparatus of the type described in Japanese Patent Publication No. H07-330103 of unexamined applications. This waste disposal apparatus has a waste accommodating main body  105  having an opening facing upward, a lid  106  that closes the opening, a flexible film  107  for accommodating waste materials  110  that are placed in the waste accommodating main body  105 , and a closing mechanism  108  for nipping the film  107  at a position between the waste accommodating main body  105  and the opening thereof. 
     The closing mechanism  108  has a pair of bar-shaped nipping members  109 . When disposing of a waste material  110 , the closing mechanism  108  is opened to place the waste material  110  into the waste accommodating main body  105 . After the waste material is placed in the waste accommodating main body  105 , the bar-shaped nipping members  109  nip the film  107  to seal the waste material  110  from the outside. This closing mechanism  108  serves to block passing of odors, namely leakage of odors from the waste material  110  to the outside. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     However, the waste disposal apparatuses described in Japanese Patent Publication Nos. H01-226601 and 2009-96642 of unexamined applications do not have a sufficient odor-sealing capability. That is, in these waste disposal apparatuses, a major element that seals odors of waste materials is the twisted closed portion  104  of the film  101 , and thus a fine linear airflow path necessarily remains along the central axis of the twist, which causes leakage of odors. 
     The twist of the film  101  gradually loosens with time due to a restoring force of the film  101  or the like. This expands the remaining airflow path, which further reduces the odor-sealing capability. Moreover, such a twisted closed portion  104  of the film  101  is formed upon each disposal of a waste material, which reduces the maximum amount of waste that can be accommodated in the waste disposal apparatus. 
     The waste disposal apparatus described in Japanese Patent Publication No. H07-330103 of unexamined applications also does not have a sufficient odor-sealing capability. That is, in this waste disposal apparatus, odors of waste materials are sealed by nipping the film  107  by the pair of bar-shaped nipping members  109  of the closing mechanism  108 . Thus, the contact shape, which is formed between the film  107  and the bar-shaped nipping members  109  by nipping the film  107  by the pair of bar-shaped nipping members  109 , is not a plane but a line. This results in an insufficient odor-sealing capability between the waste materials  110  accommodated below the closing mechanism  108 , and the opening above the closing mechanism  108 . 
     It is an object of the present invention to solve the above problems and to provide a waste disposal apparatus having a high odor-sealing capability, for disposing of waste materials such as soiled diapers. 
     A waste disposal apparatus according to the present invention includes: a film accommodating portion, which has a tubular core that forms a waste inlet at its upper end, and which accommodates a film, which is compressed into a cylindrical shape, so as to surround the tubular core; a waste accommodating main body, which has the film accommodating portion positioned in an upper part thereof, and which receives a waste material placed in the film pulled out into the waste inlet, together with the film; and an open/close sealing mechanism that nips the film at a position between the film accommodating portion and the waste accommodating main body to seal a space below the nipped part of the film from a space above the nipped part of the film. The sealing mechanism has a sealing door capable of being opened and closed, and a sealing door receiving portion that, together with the sealing door, nips the film when the sealing door is at a closed position, and film nipping portions of the sealing door and the sealing door receiving portion include concavo-convex shapes that bend a vertical intermediate portion of a film portion to be nipped, laterally with respect to an imaginary straight line that connects upper and lower ends of the film portion to be nipped. 
     According to the present invention, sealing the waste material placed in the film from the waste inlet is implemented by nipping of the film by the sealing door and the sealing door receiving portion. Moreover, since the film is nipped by the concavo-convex shapes of the sealing door and the sealing door receiving portion, the film is not bent linearly but laterally with respect to the imaginary straight line. Thus, the film is subjected to a high tension at the bent portions. Such a tension narrows a remaining airflow path, whereby a capability of blocking passing of odors, namely an odor-sealing capability, can be increased. Moreover, the film need not be twisted upon every disposal of a waste material, which can avoid the disadvantage that the maximum amount of waste that can be accommodated in the waste disposal apparatus is reduced by the twists of the film. 
     As a preferred embodiment, each of the concavo-convex shapes of the sealing door and the sealing door receiving portion, which engage with each other when the sealing door is closed, is formed by a plurality of surfaces. 
     According to this embodiment, the number of bent portions of the film nipping portion is increased, and thus the number of points at which the tension is applied to the film is increased. This further increases the odor-sealing capability. Note that the concavo-convex shapes may be formed by a flat surface or a curved surface. 
     As a preferred embodiment, at least two of the plurality of surfaces of each of the concavo-convex shapes are connected together substantially at a right angle to form an angled portion. 
     According to this embodiment, the film is bent substantially at right angles at least at one position when nipped by the sealing door and the sealing door receiving portion. The film is subjected to a high tension at this substantially right angled bent portion, which narrows the remaining airflow path, whereby the odor-sealing capability can further be increased. Moreover, a substantially L-shape of the portion that is bent substantially at right angles is not complex, and thus is easy to form when mass producing the sealing door and the sealing door receiving portion by a die molding method. Thus, the waste disposal apparatus of the present invention is advantageous in terms of mass production of products. 
     As a preferred embodiment, the concavo-convex shape of the sealing door is formed in a front end of the sealing door, and the sealing door is pivotally supported at its rear end by the waste accommodating main body or the sealing door receiving portion. 
     According to this embodiment, the opening/closing operation of the sealing door is implemented by pivoting of the sealing door. This makes it easier for the user to open the sealing door when pushing the waste material into the waste accommodating main body. 
     As a preferred embodiment, the sealing mechanism may further include an elastic member that biases the sealing door in a closing direction. 
     According to this embodiment, a film nipping force can be increased, which can further increase the odor-sealing capability. 
     As a preferred embodiment, the elastic member is a single elastic material capable of extending and contracting in its extending direction, and both ends of the elastic material are coupled with right and left side edges of the sealing door receiving portion, and a central region of the elastic member extends along a lower surface of the sealing door. 
     According to this embodiment, the elastic member for biasing the sealing door in the closing direction can be implemented only by a single elastic material. Moreover, since only one elastic material is used to apply an elastic force to the lower surface of the sealing door to bias the sealing door in the closing direction, the sealing door can be laterally substantially equally biased. 
     As a preferred embodiment, the sealing door includes, in its lower surface, an elastic member guide for holding the central region of the elastic member. 
     According to this embodiment, the elastic member, which is provided along the lower surface of the sealing door, is stably fixed to a predetermined position in the lower surface of the sealing door by the elastic member guide. Thus, the sealing door can be stably biased in the closing direction by the elastic member. 
     As a preferred embodiment, the sealing mechanism further includes: a left elastic member cover, which has its upper end latched by a left side edge of the sealing door receiving portion, and its lower end latched by a left side edge of the sealing door, and accommodates a left end of the elastic member; and a right elastic member cover, which has its upper end latched by a right side edge of the sealing door receiving portion, and its lower end latched by a right side edge of the sealing door, and accommodates a right end of the elastic member. These elastic member covers follow opening/closing movement of the sealing door while being kept latched by the left and right side edges of the sealing door. 
     According to this embodiment, the elastic member, which is located on both side edges of the sealing door and the sealing door receiving portion, is always covered by the elastic member covers regardless of the opening/closing operation of the sealing door. This can prevent the film containing the waste material from being torn by being caught by the elastic member. Moreover, both ends of the elastic member can be held by the elastic member covers. This can prevent the elastic member from coming off from the sealing door even if the sealing door is not provided with the elastic member guide. 
     As a preferred embodiment, the film accommodating portion is supported by the waste accommodating main body so that an axis of the tubular core is tilted at a predetermined angle. 
     According to this embodiment, mothers can easily insert the waste material through the waste inlet without standing up after changing diapers in a sitting posture. 
     As a preferred embodiment, a lower end of the film accommodating portion, which surrounds a lower end of the tubular core, is tilted and supported at the predetermined angle so that a front end side of the lower end of the film accommodating portion is located at a vertically lower position, and a rear end side of the lower end thereof is located at a vertically higher position, and the concavo-convex shape of the sealing door receiving portion is located near a lowest position of the lower end of the film accommodating portion. 
     According to this embodiment, the film, which is accommodated in the film accommodating portion so as to be able to be pulled out from the waste inlet, passes vertically downward through the tubular core supported in the tilted state, and is accommodated together with the waste material in the waste accommodating main body. The film is pulled vertically downward by the weight of the waste material placed in the film. Provided that L 0  represents a diameter of the waste inlet, and θ 0  represents a tilt angle of the waste inlet with respect to the horizontal direction, the film is naturally drawn toward the lowest position of the lower end of the tilted tubular core at least by a distance L 0  (1−cos θ 0 ) due to the gravity and the tilt of the tubular core. Moreover, the sealing mechanism is positioned so that the film is nipped at a position near the lowest position of the lower end of the tubular core to which the film is naturally drawn. This facilitates nipping of the film by the sealing mechanism, whereby odor-sealing efficiency can be expected to be increased. 
     As a preferred embodiment, the sealing door is tilted and supported at a predetermined angle when located at the closed position, so that a front end side thereof is located at a vertically lower position, and a rear end side thereof is located at a vertically higher position. 
     According to this embodiment, mothers can easily push the sealing door open without standing up after changing diapers in a sitting posture. This facilitates the operation of inserting the waste material through the waste inlet. 
     As a preferred embodiment, the film nipping portions of the sealing door and the sealing door receiving portion are formed on a front side of the waste accommodating main body. The waste accommodating main body has a tilted surface in a front region of its inner bottom surface, and the tilted surface is tilted so that its vertical height decreases from a front side toward a rear side. 
     According to this embodiment, the waste material placed into the waste accommodating main body slides down toward the back face of the waste accommodating main body along the tilted surface provided on the bottom of the waste accumulating main body. Thus, waste materials are efficiently accumulated in the waste accumulating main body. 
     As a preferred embodiment, the film accommodating portion is a film accommodating cassette including the tubular core, a tubular core flange that extends from a lower end of the tubular core in an outer diameter direction, and a film holding flange that extends from an upper end of the tubular core in the outer diameter direction, accommodates the film in a compressed state between the tubular core flange and the film holding flange, and allows the film to be pulled out beyond an outer edge of the film holding flange into the tubular core. The film accommodating cassette is detachably attached to the upper part of the waste accommodating main body. 
     According to this embodiment, when the film as a consumable item runs out, the user can replace the used film accommodating cassette with a refill (new) film accommodating cassette by a simple operation. 
     According to the waste disposal apparatus of the present invention, sealing of the waste material placed in the film from the waste inlet is implemented by nipping of the film by the sealing door and the sealing door receiving portion. Moreover, since the film is nipped by the concavo-convex shapes provided in the sealing door and the sealing door receiving portion, the film is not bent linearly but laterally with respect to an imaginary straight line. Thus, the film is subjected to a high tension at the bent portion. This tension narrows a remaining airflow path, whereby the capability of blocking passing of odors, namely the odor-sealing capability, can be increased. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an overall perspective view of a waste disposal apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a side cross section of the waste disposal apparatus of the embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  is a side cross section of the waste disposal apparatus of the embodiment. 
         FIG. 4  is an enlarged side cross section of a sealing mechanism of the embodiment in the state where a sealing door is closed. 
         FIG. 5  is an enlarged side cross section of the sealing mechanism of the embodiment in the state where the sealing door is open. 
         FIG. 6A  is an enlarged side cross section schematically showing film nipping portions of the sealing door and a sealing door receiving portion of the embodiment when the sealing door is open, and  FIG. 6B  is an enlarged side cross section schematically showing the film nipping portions of the sealing door and the sealing door receiving portion of the embodiment when the sealing door is closed. 
         FIG. 7A  is an enlarged side cross section showing film nipping portions of a convex sealing door and a concave sealing door receiving portion of another embodiment of the present invention when the convex sealing door is open, and  FIG. 7B  is an enlarged side cross section showing the film nipping portions of the convex sealing door and the concave sealing door receiving portion of the another embodiment when the convex sealing door is closed. 
         FIG. 8  is an exploded perspective view of a film accommodating portion. 
         FIG. 9  is an overall perspective view of a waste disposal apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the waste disposal apparatus of the embodiment as viewed obliquely from behind. 
         FIG. 11  is an enlarged side cross section of a main body lock mechanism and a lid lock mechanism according to the embodiment. 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view illustrating an operation of unlocking the main body lock mechanism according to the embodiment. 
         FIG. 13  is a side cross section showing a state where an upper part of a waste accommodating main body of the embodiment is pivoted. 
         FIG. 14  is a perspective view illustrating an operation of unlocking the lid lock mechanism according to the embodiment. 
         FIG. 15  is a side cross section of a waste disposal apparatus according to a further embodiment of the present invention when a sealing door is closed. 
         FIG. 16  is a side cross section of the waste disposal apparatus of  FIG. 15  when the sealing door is open. 
         FIG. 17  is a perspective view of a sealing mechanism of  FIG. 16  as viewed obliquely from beneath. 
         FIG. 18  is a perspective view of a film accommodating cassette according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 19  is a perspective view of the film accommodating cassette of  FIG. 18  with a film removed therefrom. 
         FIG. 20  is a side view of the film accommodating cassette in the state of  FIG. 19 . 
         FIG. 21  is a top view of the film accommodating cassette in the state of  FIG. 19  as viewed from above in the direction of an axis O of a tubular core. 
         FIG. 22  is a diagram showing the appearance of the waste disposal apparatus of  FIG. 15  having the film accommodating cassette removed therefrom, as viewed from above in the direction of the axis O. 
         FIG. 23  is a cross sectional view of a film twisting mechanism of a conventional waste disposal apparatus. 
         FIG. 24  is a cross sectional view of a film nipping mechanism of a conventional waste disposal apparatus. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.  FIG. 1  is an overall perspective view of a waste disposal apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.  FIGS. 2 and 3  are side cross sections of the waste disposal apparatus of the embodiment.  FIG. 2  shows a state where a sealing door is closed, and  FIG. 3  shows a state where the sealing door is open. 
     A waste disposal apparatus  11  includes: an annular waste inlet  16  for inserting a waste material D such as a soiled diaper therethrough; a cylindrical film  15  extending downward from the waste inlet  16  and having its lower end closed by a knot  26 ; a waste accommodating main body  13  for receiving the waste material D inserted through the waste inlet  16 , together with the film  15 ; and a lid  23  that covers the waste inlet  16  from above. 
     The long film  15  is attached to the waste inlet  16 . The film  15  extends downward so as to cover the opening of the waste inlet  16 . 
     The waste accommodating main body  13  is a hollow container for storing waste materials D that are placed in the film  15 , and is divided into a lower part  17  and an upper part  19 . The lower part  17  of the waste accommodating main body  13  has a bottom  17   b  at its lower end, and has an opening at its upper end. The upper part  19  of the waste accommodating main body  13  covers, at its lower end, the opening at the upper end of the lower part  17 , and has the waste inlet  16  at its upper end. 
     An open/close sealing mechanism  28  is provided inside the upper part  19  of the waste accommodating main body  13 . The sealing mechanism  28  nips the film  15  at a position between the waste inlet  16  and the stored waste material D to seal the stored waste material D. The sealing mechanism  28  has a sealing door  33  and a sealing door receiving portion  35 . The sealing mechanism  28  will be described later. 
     When disposing of a waste material D, the user first opens the lid  23  to place the waste material D into the film  15  from the waste inlet  16 . Then, the user inserts his/her hand into the waste inlet  16 , and pushes the film  15  down together with the waste material D to open the sealing door  33 . The waste material D thus pushed down, together with the film  15 , passes between the opened sealing door  33  and the sealing door receiving portion  35 . The waste material D then drops downward along the film  15 , and is stored in the waste accommodating main body  13 . As soon as the user drops the waste material D to a position below the sealing door  33  and the sealing door receiving portion  35 , and removes his/her hand from the waste inlet  16 , the sealing door  33  closes to nip the film  15 . Since a new length of the film  15  is pulled out from the waste inlet  16 , the waste inlet  16  is always supplied with a new length of the film  15 . 
       FIG. 4  is an enlarged cross section of the sealing mechanism  28  of  FIG. 2  when the sealing door  33  is closed.  FIG. 5  is an enlarged cross section of the sealing mechanism  28  of  FIG. 3  when the sealing door  33  is open. Note that line O in  FIG. 4  represents the central axis of the waste inlet  16  and a tubular core described later. 
     As described above, the waste disposal apparatus  11  includes the open/close sealing mechanism  28  that nips the film  15  at a position between the waste inlet  16  and the waste material D placed in the waste accommodating main body  13 , and seals the waste material D. The sealing mechanism  28  has the sealing door  33  and the sealing door receiving portion  35 . Each of the sealing door  33  and the sealing door receiving portion  35  is provided with a concavo-convex shape so that, upon closing of the sealing door  33 , the concavo-convex shape of the sealing door  33  engages with the concavo-convex shape of the sealing door receiving portion  35  to nip the film  15  therebetween. This configuration will be described later. 
     The sealing door receiving portion  35  is provided inside the upper part  19  of the waste accommodating main body  13  so that the sealing door  33  covers and closes the waste inlet  16  from beneath in the state where the sealing door  33  is closed. A guide rail  37  for guiding the sealing door  33  in opening and closing directions is attached to the inner wall of the upper part  19  of the waste accommodating main body  13 . The guide rail  37  is positioned so as to extend downward below the sealing door receiving portion  35 , and the sealing door  33  slides along the guide rail  37 . 
     The sealing door  33  is biased toward the sealing door receiving portion  35 , and in a normal state, the sealing door  33  is closed in an engaged state with the sealing door receiving portion  35 . In the normal state, as shown in  FIG. 2 , the film  15  is nipped by the sealing door  33  and the sealing door receiving portion  35 . If the user pushes the sealing door  33  down, the sealing door  33  slides in the opening direction, namely away from the sealing door receiving portion  35 , along the guide rail  37 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , when the sealing door  33  is opened, the nipped film  15  is released to allow the waste material D to be inserted into the waste accommodating main body  13 . 
     In the present embodiment, as shown in  FIGS. 2 to 5 , each of the sealing door  33  and the sealing door receiving portion  35  is provided with the concavo-convex shape, and the pair of concavo-convex shapes engage with each other when the sealing door  33  is closed. The film  15  is nipped by the concavo-convex shapes of the sealing door  33  and the sealing door receiving portion  35 . The concavo-convex shape of the sealing door  33  is formed by a nipping surface  33   c  that contacts the film  15  when the sealing door  33  is closed. The concavo-convex shape of the sealing door receiving portion  35  is formed by a nipping surface  35   c  that contacts the film  15  when the sealing door  33  is closed. 
     The nipping surfaces  33   c ,  35   c  will be described in detail below with reference to  FIGS. 6A-6B .  FIG. 6A  is an enlarged side cross section schematically showing film nipping portions of the sealing door  33  and the sealing door receiving portion  35  of the present embodiment when the sealing door  33  is open.  FIG. 6B  is an enlarged side cross section schematically showing the film nipping portions of the sealing door  33  and the sealing door receiving portion  35  of the present embodiment when the sealing door  33  is closed. Note that, to facilitate understanding,  FIGS. 6A-6B  schematically show the film nipping portions of the sealing door  33  and the sealing door receiving portion  35 , and do not accurately show an actual configuration of the embodiment. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 6A-6B , the nipping surface  33   c , which corresponds to the film nipping portion of the sealing door  33 , is formed by surfaces  33   c   1 ,  33   c   2 ,  33   c   3 . The surface  33   c   1  corresponds to a front end region of the upper surface of the sealing door  33 . The surface  33   c   2  connects to the front end of the surface  33   c   1  substantially at a right angle to the surface  33   c   1 , and extends downward to form a substantially right angled portion with the surface  33   c   1 . The surface  33   c   3  connects to the lower end of the surface  33   c   2  substantially at a right angle to the surface  33   c   2 , and extends forward to form a substantially right angled portion with the surface  33   c   2 . 
     The nipping surface  35   c , which corresponds to the film nipping portion of the sealing door receiving portion  35 , is formed by surfaces  35   c   1 ,  35   c   2 ,  35   c   3 . The surface  35   c   1  is provided at the upper end of the film nipping portion so as to extend substantially perpendicularly to the axis O of the waste inlet  16 , and is substantially parallel to the surface  33   c   1  when the sealing door  33  is closed. The surface  35   c   2  connects to the front end of the surface  35   c   1  substantially at a right angle to the surface  35   c   1  and extends downward, and is substantially parallel to the surface  33   c   2  when the sealing door  33  is closed. The surface  35   c   3  connects to the lower end of the surface  35   c   2  substantially at a right angle to the surface  35   c   2  and extends forward, and is substantially parallel to the surface  33   c   3  when the sealing door  33  is closed. 
     When the sealing door  33  slides in the direction shown by arrow in  FIG. 6A  from the open state of  FIG. 6A  to the closed state of  FIG. 6B  to nip the film  15 , the film  15  is bent substantially at right angles at two angled portions α 1 , α 2 . That is, when nipped by the sealing door  33  and the sealing door receiving portion  35 , the film  15  is bent laterally with respect to an imaginary straight line shown by chain line in  FIG. 6B  at vertical intermediate points α 1 , α 2  of the nipped portion of the film  15 , so that the vertical intermediate points α 1 , α 2  are located on both sides of an imaginary straight line. Note that, the imaginary straight line is a line connecting an upper end β and a lower end γ of the nipped portion of the film  15 . The film  15  is also bent at the upper end β of the nipped portion of the film  15  by an angled portion formed at the rear end of the surface  35   c   1 . Similarly, the film  15  is also bent at the lower end γ of the nipped portion of the film  15  by an angled portion formed at the front end of the surface  33   c   3 . 
     The waste material D placed in the film  15  is pulled downward by its own weight due to the gravity. That is, the film  15  is continuously subjected to a vertically downward tension by the waste material D. If the film  15  being subjected to such a tension is nipped as shown in  FIG. 6B , and is bent at the four angled portions α 1 , α 2 , β, γ, the film  15  is subjected to a higher tension at these angled portions. This effectively closes a remaining airflow path that causes passing of odors in the related art described above. Thus, odor sealing capability can be significantly increased. Moreover, the film  15  need not be twisted upon every disposal of a waste material D, which can avoid the disadvantage that the maximum amount of waste that can be accommodated in the waste disposal apparatus  11  is reduced by the twists of the film  15 . The concavo-convex shapes having the substantially right angled portions are stepped shapes, and thus are not complex. This facilitates formation of the concavo-convex shapes when mass producing the sealing door  33  and the sealing door receiving portion  35  by a die molding method. Thus, the waste disposal apparatus  11  of the present embodiment is advantageous in terms of mass production of the products. 
       FIGS. 7A-7B  schematically show another embodiment of the sealing door  33  and the sealing door receiving portion  35 .  FIG. 7A  is an enlarged side cross section showing film nipping portions of a convex sealing door  33  and a concave sealing door receiving portion  35  of the present embodiment when the convex sealing door  33  is open.  FIG. 7B  is an enlarged side cross section showing the film nipping portions of the convex sealing door  33  and the concave sealing door receiving portion  35  of the present embodiment when the convex sealing door  33  is closed. Note that, to facilitate understanding,  FIGS. 7A-7B  schematically show the film nipping portions of the sealing door  33  and the sealing door receiving portion  35 , and do not accurately show an actual configuration of the embodiment. 
     In the present embodiment, nipping of the film  15  by the sealing door  33  and the sealing door receiving portion  35  is implemented by engagement between the sealing door  33  provided with the film nipping portion having a convex side cross section, and the sealing door receiving portion  35  provided with the film nipping portion having a concave side cross section that is configured to receive the convex shape of the sealing door  33 . 
     More specifically, a nipping surface  33   c  has a ridge  133  having a convex cross section, and a nipping surface  35   c  has a ridge groove  135  having a concave cross section. The ridge  133  protrudes in a direction substantially parallel to the sliding direction of the sealing door  33 . Thus, when the sealing door  33  slides in the closing direction to engage with the sealing door receiving portion  35 , the concavo-convex shape of the sealing door  33  engages with the concavo-convex shape of the sealing door receiving portion  35  without hindering the sliding movement. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 7A-7B , the nipping surface  33   c  of the sealing door  33  is formed by surfaces  33   c   1  to  33   c   5 , and the nipping surface  35   c  of the sealing door receiving portion  35  is formed by surfaces  35   c   1  to  35   c   5 . Of these surfaces  33   c   1  to  33   c   5 ,  35   c   1  to  35   c   5 , the surfaces  33   c   2 ,  33   c   4  and the surfaces  35   c   2 ,  35   c   4  are surfaces that extend substantially perpendicularly to an imaginary straight line connecting an upper end β and a lower end γ of the nipped portion of the film  15  shown in  FIG. 7B . Thus, when the sealing door  33  slides in the direction shown by arrow in  FIG. 7A  from the open state of  FIG. 7A  to the closed state of  FIG. 7B  to nip the film  15 , the film  15  is bent substantially at right angles at four angled portions α 1  to α 4 . That is, the film  15  is bent substantially horizontally between the angled portions α 1 , α 2 , and between the angled portions α 3 , α 4 . 
     As described above with reference to  FIG. 6 , the film  15  is pulled vertically downward by the weight of the waste material D due to the gravity. That is, the film  15  is subjected to a high tension at the four substantially right angled portions α 1 , α 2 , α 3 , α 4 . Thus, a remaining air flow path formed inside of the film  15  is bent at right angles, whereby odors can be more effectively sealed. Moreover, the film  15  need not be twisted upon every disposal of a waste material D, which can avoid the disadvantage that the maximum amount of waste that can be accommodated in the waste disposal apparatus  11  is reduced by the twists of the film  15 . Furthermore, the concavo-convex shapes can be easily formed when mass producing the sealing door  33  and the sealing door receiving portion  35  by a die molding method. Thus, the waste disposal apparatus  11  of the present embodiment is advantageous in terms of mass production of the products. 
     The waste disposal apparatus  11  further includes a spring  39  for continuously biasing the sealing door  33  toward the sealing door receiving portion  35 . The larger the biasing force of the spring  39  is, the more the force for nipping the film  15  can be increased, whereby the odor sealing capability can further be increased. 
       FIG. 8  is an exploded perspective view of a film accommodating portion  14 . The waste disposal apparatus  11  includes the film accommodating portion  14 , which forms the waste inlet  16  and also accommodates the film  15 . The film accommodating portion  14  is detachably attached to a film attachment portion  12  provided at an upper region of the upper part  19  of the waste accommodating main body  13 , and forms the outline of the waste inlet  16 . The film accommodating portion  14  has a cylindrical tubular core  27  extending downward from the waste inlet  16 , a tubular core flange  27   f  provided at the lower end of the tubular core  27 , and a film holding flange  29  that is fitted and fixed to the upper end of the tubular core  27 . 
     The film  15  is accordion folded in the axial direction of the tubular core  27 , and is coaxially inserted on the outer diameter side of the tubular core  27 . The film holding flange  29  is fitted and connected to the tubular core  27  so as to prevent the film  15  from coming off from the tubular core  27 . That is, by the film holding flange  29  located at the upper end of the tubular core  27 , and the tubular core flange  27   f  located at the lower end of the tubular core  27 , the film  15  is compressed in the accordion folded state and accommodated in the space between the upper and lower ends in the direction of the axis O of the tubular core  27 . 
     The film  15  is a consumable part of the film accommodating portion  14 . If the film  15  accommodated in the film accommodating portion  14  runs out, the user replaces the used film accommodating portion  14  in the film attachment portion  12  with a refill film accommodating portion  14 . Alternatively, the film accommodating portion  14  may be configured so that only the film  15  is replaced with a refill film when the film  15  accommodated in the film accommodating portion  14  runs out. That is, the tubular core flange  27   f  may be fixed to the film attachment portion  12 , and the film holding flange  29  may be detachably attached to the tubular core  27 . This configuration enables the user to replace only the film  15  with a refill film by removing the film holding flange  29 . 
     After placing the refill film accommodating portion  14  in the waste disposal apparatus  11 , the user pulls out an end of the film  15 , which is accommodated in the compressed state on the tubular core  27 , upward beyond the outer edge of the film holding flange  29  without closing the lid  23 . Then, the user ties a knot  26  at this end of the film  15  to close the film  15 . The user pushes the knot  26  down through the tubular core  27  to the bottom  17   b  while pulling the film  15  out of the film accommodating portion  14 . By disposal of waste materials such as soiled diapers into the film  15 , the waste materials are accumulated in the film  15 , and the film  15  accordion folded on the outer diameter side of the tubular core  27  is pulled out in the downward direction upon each disposal. Thus, the user can successively dispose of waste materials into the waste accumulating main body  13 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , in the waste disposal apparatus  11  of the present embodiment, the film accommodating portion  14  is supported by the upper part  19  of the waste accommodating main body  13  so that the direction of the axis O of the tubular core  27 , namely the opening direction of the waste inlet  16 , is tilted at a predetermined angle. The waste inlet  16  is tilted forward at a predetermined angle θ 16  with respect to the vertical direction. This makes it easier for mothers to dispose of soiled diapers into the waste disposal apparatus  11 . This will be described briefly below. Mothers typically lay their children down on the floor to change diapers. Namely, mothers typically sit on the floor while changing diapers. According to the present embodiment, since the waste inlet  16  is tilted at the predetermined angle θ 16 , mothers can easily insert soiled diapers (waste materials) through the waste inlet  16  without standing up after changing diapers in a sitting posture. 
     Note that although not shown in the figures, the film accommodating portion  14  may be supported by the upper part  19  of the waste accommodating main body  13  so that the opening direction of the waste inlet  16  is horizontal. In this case, the axis O of the tubular core  27  extends horizontally. In this configuration as well, a tension can be applied to the nipped portion of the film. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 4-5 , the sealing door  33  has a substantially flat upper surface  34 . The shape of the upper surface  34  will be described in detail later. In the waste disposal apparatus  11  of the present embodiment, the sealing door  33  is supported by the upper part  19  of the waste accommodating main body  13  so that the upper surface  34  of the sealing door  33  is tilted at a predetermined angle corresponding to the direction of the tilted axis of the tubular core  27 . That is, the sealing door  33  is supported by the upper part  19  of the waste accommodating main body  13  so that, in the closed state, the sealing door  33  is tilted at a predetermined angle with its front end side being located lower in the vertical direction, and its rear end side being located higher in the vertical direction. The sealing door  33  advances and withdraws at the predetermined angle to and from the sealing door receiving portion  35 . An advancing/withdrawing direction S of the sealing door  33  is tilted at an angle different from that of the axis O of the tubular core  27 . 
     More specifically, as shown in  FIG. 4 , the following expression (1) is satisfied, where θ 16  represents a tilt angle of the waste inlet  16  (the tubular core  27 ) with respect to the vertical direction, and θ 33  represents a tilt angle of the advancing/withdrawing direction S of the sealing door  33  with respect to the vertical direction. 
       0°&lt;θ 16 &lt;θ 33   (1)
 
     According to the present embodiment, the tilt angle θ 33  of the advancing/withdrawing direction S of the sealing door  33  is larger than the tilt angle θ 16  of the waste inlet  16 . Thus, as the sealing door  33  is withdrawn in the opening direction, the sealing door  33  is translated downward and backward, and thus away from the axis O of the tubular core  27 . That is, when being opened, the sealing door  33  can be sufficiently separated from the film  15 . Thus, the film  15  is opened wide when the sealing door  33  is opened, which enables the user to easily insert a waste material D into the waste accommodating main body  13  while sitting on the floor. 
     Note that although not shown in the figures, the sealing door  33  may be supported by the upper part  19  of the waste accommodating main body  13  so that the upper surface  34  of the sealing door  33  extends perpendicularly to the horizontal direction (θ 33 =90°). In this case, the sealing door  33  advances and withdraws horizontally. In this configuration as well, the sealing door  33  can be effectively separated from the film  15  when being opened. 
     According to the present embodiment, the tubular core flange  27   f , which is positioned so as to surround the lower end of the tubular core  27  and corresponds to the lower end of the film accommodating portion  14 , is supported by the waste accommodating main body  13  so as to be tilted at a predetermined angle. That is, as shown in  FIGS. 2-5 , the front end side of the tubular core flange  27   f  is located lower in the vertical direction, and the rear end side thereof is located higher in the vertical direction. The nipping surface  35   c  of the sealing door receiving portion  35  is located near the lowest part of the tubular core flange  27   f . This facilitates nipping of the film  15  by the sealing door  33 . This will be described below. 
     The film  15 , which is accommodated in the film accommodating portion  14  so as to be able to be pulled out from the waste inlet  16 , passes vertically downward through the tubular core  27 , and is accommodated together with the waste material D in the lower part  17  of the waste accommodating main body  13 . Thus, when the sealing door  33  is open, the film  15  is pulled vertically downward by the weight of the waste material D placed in the film  15 , and thus extends substantially straight downward from the waste inlet  16 . As described above, the tubular core  27  is tilted at the predetermined angle θ 16 . Thus, provided that L 0  represents a diameter of the waste inlet  16 , and θ 0  (=θ 16 ) represents a tilt angle of the waste inlet  16  with respect to the horizontal direction, the film  15  is naturally drawn toward the lower side of the tilt, namely toward the front side, at least by a horizontal distance L 0  (1−cos θ 0 ) if the film  15  extends straight downward from the waste inlet  16 . The film  15  is nipped by the sealing door  33  and the sealing door receiving portion  35  at a position on the lower side of the tilt to which the film  15  is naturally drawn. This can facilitate nipping of the film  15  by the sealing door  33 , whereby sealing for blocking passing of odors can be more efficiently performed. 
     In the present embodiment, the upper surface  34  of the sealing door  33  is substantially flat, as described above. To be exact, however, the upper surface  34  of the sealing door  33  is formed by a substantially flat front part  34   f , and a rear part  34   r  that is gently curved so as to be tilted with respect to the front part  34   f . This will be described below with reference to  FIG. 4 . The film accommodating portion  14  is supported in a tilted state by the upper part  19  of the waste accommodating main body  13  so that the front side of the film accommodating portion  14  is located lower than the rear side thereof. The sealing door  33  nips the film  15  by engaging with the sealing door receiving portion  35  on the front side thereof, namely on the lower side of the tilt. When the sealing door  33  is in a closed state, the nipping surface  35   c  of the sealing door receiving portion  35  is present between the film accommodating portion  14  and the front part  34   f  of the upper surface  34  of the sealing door  33 . On the other hand, the nipping surface  35   c  of the sealing door receiving portion  35  is not present between the film accommodating portion  14  and the rear part  34   r  of the upper surface  34  of the sealing door  33 . Thus, the upper surface  34  of the sealing door  33  is formed by two different surfaces (the flat front part  34   f  and the tilted rear part  34   r ) in order to contact the sealing door receiving portion  35  to close the waste inlet  16  from beneath. 
     In the present embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 4 , the upper surface  34  of the sealing door  33  is formed so as to satisfy the following expression (2), where θ 34f  represents an angle of the front part  34   f  with respect to the horizontal plane, and θ 34r  represents an angle of the rear part  34   r  with respect to the horizontal plane. 
       0°≦θ 34f &lt;θ 34r   (2)
 
     Thus, by putting his/her hand on the rear part  34   r  of the upper surface  34  when pushing the sealing door  33  open to dispose of a waste material D, the user can efficiently transmit the pushing force to the sealing door  33 . Thus, the user can open the sealing door  33  with a smaller force. 
     As a modification of the present embodiment, the rear part  34   r  of the upper surface  34  may be substantially perpendicular to the advancing/withdrawing direction S. According to this modification, the pushing force that is applied from the user&#39;s hand to the sealing door  33  can be applied to the spring  39  without being reduced. Thus, the user can push the sealing door  33  open with a smaller force. 
     The operation of opening the waste accommodating main body  13  will be described below. 
       FIG. 9  is an overall perspective view of a main body lock mechanism  25  and a lid lock mechanism  24  of the present embodiment.  FIG. 10  is an overall perspective view of the waste disposal apparatus  11  of the present embodiment as viewed obliquely from behind.  FIG. 11  is an enlarged side cross section of the main body lock mechanism  25  and the lid lock mechanism  24 . 
     While the waste disposal apparatus  11  is in normal use, the upper part  19  and the lower part  17  of the waste accommodating main body  13  are closed so that the upper part  19  covers at its lower end a main body opening  17   h  located at the upper end of the lower part  17 . The film attachment portion  12  is provided at an upper region of the upper part  19  of the waste accommodating main body  13 , and the film accommodating portion  14  is attached to the film attachment portion  12 . 
     A main body hinge  31  is provided on the back face of the waste accommodating main body  13 . The main body hinge  31  is provided substantially in the middle of the vertical height of the waste disposal apparatus  11 . The upper part  19  of the waste accommodating main body  13  is pivotally attached to the lower part  17  thereof by the main body hinge  31 , and is pivotable about the main body hinge  31  as a fulcrum. As the upper part  19  of the waste accommodating main body  13  is pivoted, the main body opening  17   h  at the upper end of the lower part  17  is open to the outside. 
     The main body lock mechanism  25  and a main body unlock mechanism are provided on the front face of the waste accommodating main body  13 . When being locked, the main body lock mechanism  25  prevents pivoting of the upper part  19  in the state where the upper part  19  covers the lower part  17 , namely in the state where the upper part  19  closes the lower part  17 . The main body unlock mechanism is a mechanism for unlocking the main body lock mechanism  25 . 
     The main body lock mechanism  25  has a columnar main body push button  21 , and a push button receiving hole  32  that is formed as a through hole in the upper part  19  of the waste accommodating main body  13  in order to latch and lock the main body push button  21 . 
     The main body push button  21  is formed at the upper end of a vertical flexible pillar portion  21   p . The lower end of the pillar portion  21   p  is connected to the upper end of the lower part  17  of the waste accommodating main body  13 . 
     The main body push button  21  is a column that protrudes in the outer diameter direction of pivoting of the upper part  19  of the waste accommodating main body  13 . A push button outer peripheral edge  21   g , which is an outer peripheral edge of the column, engages with the push button receiving hole  32  formed in the lower end of the upper part  19 , thereby preventing pivoting of the upper part  19 . 
     The main body unlock mechanism includes the main body push button  21  as an operation portion for unlocking the main body lock mechanism  25 , and an opening operation portion for placing a user&#39;s hand thereon to pivot and open the upper part  19  of the waste accommodating main body  13  after unlocking the main body lock mechanism  25 . 
     The upper part  19  of the waste accommodating main body  13  has a handle  22  as the opening operation portion. The handle  22  is provided at the lower end of the front face of the upper part  19 , which is located on the side away from and opposite to the back face of the upper part  19  to which the main body hinge  31  is attached. The handle  22  is positioned near and below the main body push button  21 . 
     The main body push button  21  is disengaged from the push button receiving hole  32  and the main body lock mechanism  25  is unlocked only while the main body push button  21  is being pressed. If the user releases the main body push button  21 , the pillar portion  21   p  is restored to its original position, and the main body lock mechanism  25  is locked again. 
     When the waste accommodating main body  13  is filled with waste materials D, the user empties the waste accommodating main body  13  by unlocking the main body lock mechanism  25  and opening the upper part  19  of the waste accommodating main body  13 . 
       FIG. 12  is a perspective view illustrating the operation of unlocking the main body lock mechanism  25 . As shown in  FIG. 12 , the user places four fingers, namely fingers other than the thumb, of one hand on the handle  22  from beneath, and at the same time presses with the thumb the main body push button  21  located near and above the handle  22 , thereby unlocking the main body lock mechanism  25 . The user lifts the handle  22  while unlocking the main body lock mechanism  25 . Thus, the upper part  19  of the waste accommodating main body  13  is pivoted toward the back face, and the waste accommodating main body  13  is opened. 
       FIG. 13  is a side cross section showing the state where the upper part  19  of the waste accommodating main body  13  of the present embodiment has been fully pivoted. As shown in  FIG. 13 , when emptying the waste accommodating main body  13  that is filled with waste materials D, the user first fully opens the upper part  19  of the waste accommodating main body  13 , and cuts the film  15  with a film cutter  38 . Then, the user ties a knot to close the cut face of the film  15 , and removes the bag of the film  15  filled with the waste materials D from the waste accommodating main body  13  to throw the bag out. After emptying the waste accommodating main body  13 , the user places the upper part  19  of the waste accommodating main body  13  over the lower part  17  thereof. Thus, the push button  21  engages with the push button receiving hole  32 , and the upper part  19  of the waste accommodating main body  13  is locked again. 
     In the waste disposal apparatus  11  of the present embodiment, the main body push button  21  is positioned near and above the handle  22  so that, when unlocking the main body lock mechanism  25  to pivot and open the upper part  19  of the waste accommodating main body  13 , an adult user can press the main body push button  21  with other finger while supporting the handle  22  with any of the fingers of his/her one hand. 
     More specifically, the main body push button  21  is positioned on a path the thumb is ergonomically most likely to follow naturally when the user places the other four fingers on the handle  22  from beneath and closes his/her hand with the four fingers as a fulcrum. 
     This makes it easier and more comfortable for the user to unlock the main body lock mechanism  25  to pivot and open the upper part  19  of the waste accommodating main body  13 . That is, the user can unlock the main body lock mechanism  25  with one hand according to the user&#39;s movement of naturally closing his/her hand. 
     In order to unlock the main body lock mechanism  25  to open the upper part  19  of the waste accommodating main body  13 , the user needs to press the main body push button  21  in the inner diameter direction that is substantially perpendicular to the pivoting direction of the upper part  19 , and to lift the handle  22  to pivot the upper part  19 . 
     Since the two operations in different directions are required, it is very difficult for infants, who have neither an intent to open the upper part  19  of the waste accommodating main body  13  nor knowledge of how to open it, to open the upper part  19 . This prevents the infants from accidentally opening the upper part  19  of the waste accommodating main body  13  and being injured by touching the film cutter  38  for cutting the film  15 . 
     On the other hand, adults with intent to open the upper part  19  of the waste accommodating main body  13  can easily unlock the main body lock mechanism  25  and open the upper part  19  of the waste accommodating main body  13  with one hand. Thus, the waste disposal apparatus  11  is easy to handle when throwing out the waste materials D stored in the waste accommodating main body  13 . 
     The operation of opening the lid  23  will be described below. 
     The lid  23  is pivotally attached, at its end on the back side, to the upper end of the upper part  19  of the waste accommodating main body  13  by a lid hinge  30 , and the lid  23  is pivotable about the lid hinge  30  as a fulcrum. When the lid  23  is pivoted to open, the waste inlet  16  is open to the outside as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 9 and 11 , the waste disposal apparatus  11  includes a lid lock mechanism  24 , and a lid unlock mechanism. When being locked, the lid lock mechanism  24  prevents pivoting of the lid  23  in the state where the lid  23  covers the waste inlet  16 , namely in the state where the lid  23  is closed. The lid unlock mechanism is a mechanism for unlocking the lid lock mechanism  24 . 
     The lid lock mechanism  24  has a lid push button  20 , and a lid push button receiving portion  36  provided in the upper part  19  of the waste accommodating main body  13 . The lid push button  20  is provided in the lower part of the front face of the lid  23 . A lid push button hook  20   h  is formed at the lower end of the lid push button  20 . The lid push button hook  20   h  moves integrally with the lid push button  20 . 
     The lid push button receiving portion  36  is formed at the upper end of the upper part  19  of the waste accommodating main body  13 . When the lid  23  is in the closed state, the lid push button receiving portion  36  engages with the lid push button hook  20   h.    
     The lid unlock mechanism includes the lid push button  20  as an operation portion for unlocking the lid lock mechanism  24 , and an opening operation portion for placing a user&#39;s hand thereon to pivot and open the lid  23  after unlocking the lid lock mechanism  24 . 
     As the opening operation portion, the lid  23  has a lid handle  18  on the front face side of the lid  23 . The lid handle  18  is positioned near and above the lid push button  20 . 
     When inserting a waste material through the waste inlet  16 , the user unlocks the lid locking mechanism  24  to open the lid  23 .  FIG. 14  is a perspective view illustrating the operation of unlocking the lid lock mechanism  24 . 
     When the user places four fingers, namely the fingers other than the thumb, of his/her one hand on the lid handle  18  from above, and presses the lid push button  20  by the thumb, the lid push button  20  together with the lid push button hook  20   h  moves in the pressing direction, and the lid push button hook  20   h  is disengaged from the lid push button receiving portion  36 , whereby the lid lock mechanism  24  is unlocked. The user lifts the lid handle  18  while pressing the lid push button  20  with the thumb and unlocking the lid lock mechanism  24 . Thus, the lid  23  is pivoted toward the back face, and the waste inlet  16  is opened. 
     After inserting a waste material through the waste inlet  16 , the user closes the lid  23 . Thus, the lid push button hook  20   h  is restored to its original position, and is engaged again with the lid push button receiving portion  36 , whereby the lid lock mechanism  24  is locked. 
     In the lid lock mechanism  24 , the lid push button hook  20   h  is disengaged from the lid push button receiving portion  36  only while the lid push button  20  is being pressed. That is, if the user releases the lid push button  20 , the lid lock mechanism  24  is locked again. 
     Thus, in order to unlock the lid lock mechanism  24  to open the lid  23 , it is necessary to press the lid push button  20  in the inner diameter direction that is substantially perpendicular to the pivoting direction of the lid  23 , and to lift the lid handle  18  to pivot the lid  23 . This makes it very difficult for infants, who have neither an intent to open the lid  23  nor knowledge of how to open it, to open the lid  23 . This prevents the infants from accidentally opening the lid  23  and putting their hands into the waste disposal apparatus  11 . 
     However, adults with intent to open the lid  23  can easily unlock the lid lock mechanism  24  and open the lid  23  with one hand. Thus, the waste disposal apparatus  11  is easy to handle when inserting waste materials through the waste inlet  16 . 
     According to the present embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 14 , the user can place the four fingers other than the thumb of his/her one hand on the lid handle  18  from above, and at the same time press the lid push button  20  located near and below the lid handle  18  with the thumb. That is, the operator can unlock the lid lock mechanism  24  according to the user&#39;s movement of naturally closing his/her hand. 
     More specifically, the lid push button  20  is positioned on a path the thumb is ergonomically most likely to follow naturally when the user places the other four fingers on the lid handle  18  from above and closes his/her hand with the four fingers as a fulcrum. This makes it easier and more comfortable for the user to unlock the lid lock mechanism  24  to pivot and open the lid  23 . 
     A waste disposal apparatus  41  according to a further embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to  FIGS. 15 to 17 .  FIG. 15  is a side cross section of a waste disposal apparatus  41  of the further embodiment of the present invention when a sealing door  53  is closed.  FIG. 16  is a side cross section of the waste disposal apparatus  41  of the further embodiment when the sealing door  53  is open.  FIG. 17  is a perspective view of a sealing mechanism  48  in  FIG. 16  as viewed obliquely from below. Note that in the following description, components similar to those of the embodiment described with reference to  FIGS. 1 to 14  are denoted by the same reference characters as those of  FIGS. 1 to 14 , and detailed description thereof will be omitted. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 15 to 17 , the waste disposal apparatus  41  includes: a waste inlet  16  for inserting a waste material D therethrough; a cylindrical film  15  extending downward from the waste inlet  16  and having its lower end closed by a knot  26 ; a waste accommodating main body  43  for receiving the waste material D inserted through the waste inlet  16 , together with the film  15 ; and a lid  23  that covers the waste inlet  16  from above. 
     The waste accommodating main body  43  is a hollow container for storing waste materials D that are placed in the film  15 , and is divided into a lower part  47  and an upper part  49 . The lower part  47  of the waste accommodating main body  43  has a bottom  47   b  at its lower end. A slope portion  42  is provided on the front side of the bottom  47   b . The slope portion  42  is provided on the bottom  47   b  so as to form a tilted surface whose vertical height decreases from the front side to the rear side. The lower part  47  of the waste accommodating main body  43  has an opening at its upper end. The upper part  49  of the waste accommodating main body  43  covers, at its lower end, the opening at the upper end of the lower part  47 . The waste inlet  16  is formed in the upper end of the upper part  49 . 
     A tubular pillar portion  44  is provided in the rear part of the upper end of the upper part  49  of the waste accommodating main body  43 . The tubular pillar portion  44  is a hollow pillar portion that extends vertically downward from the upper end of the upper part  49 . A film cutter  38  described above is attached to the lower end of the tubular pillar portion  44 . As shown in  FIGS. 15-16 , the vertical length of the tubular pillar portion  44  is determined so that the film cutter  38  attached to the lower end of the tubular pillar portion  44  is located at about the same height or lower than a main body hinge  31  in the vertical direction. This configuration will be described briefly below. 
     As described above with reference to  FIG. 13 , when emptying the waste accommodating main body  43  that is filled with waste materials D, the user first fully opens the upper part  49  of the waste accommodating main body  43  to the state shown in  FIG. 13 . Then, the user cuts the film  15  with the film cutter  38 . If the vertical length of the tubular pillar portion  44  is less than the value determined as described above, the film cutter  38  is contained in the space in the upper part  49  of the waste accommodating main body  43  in the state where the upper part  49  is open. This makes it difficult for the user to cut the film  15 . Thus, the vertical length of the tubular pillar portion  44  is determined as described above so that the film cutter  38  protrudes outside the upper part  49  of the waste accommodating main body  43  in the state where the upper part  49  is open. Note that the configuration of the lower part  47  and the upper part  49  of the accommodating main body  43  is similar to that of the above embodiments except for the slope portion  42  and the tubular pillar portion  44 . 
     As in the above embodiments, an open-close sealing mechanism  48  for nipping the film  15  at a position between the waste inlet  16  and the stored waste material D to seal the waste material D is provided inside the upper part  49  of the waste accommodating main body  43 . The sealing mechanism  48  includes: a sealing door receiving portion  55  that is coupled with the lower end of a film attachment portion  12  provided at an upper region of the upper part  49 ; and a sealing door  53  that is located below the sealing door receiving portion  55 , and engages with the sealing door receiving portion  55  to form a film nipping portion. The sealing door receiving portion  55  is an annular member that is provided below the film attachment portion  12  and along the inner diameter surface of a tubular core  27 . The sealing door  53  is a plate-like member that is larger than a central hole of the sealing door receiving portion  55 , and covers the central hole of the sealing door receiving portion  55  from beneath. 
     In the present embodiment, the sealing door  53  forms, at its front end, the film nipping portion together with the sealing door receiving portion  55 , and is pivotally supported at its rear end by the sealing door receiving portion  55  via a sealing mechanism hinge  45  as a fulcrum. That is, the opening/closing operation of the sealing door  53  is implemented by pivoting. As shown in  FIG. 15 , when in the closed state, the sealing door  53  engages with the sealing door receiving portion  55  to nip the film  15 . As in the above embodiments, this closes a remaining airflow path that causes passing of odors. The film nipping portion, which is formed by the sealing door  53  and the sealing door receiving portion  55 , will be described below. 
     The film nipping portions of the sealing door  53  and the sealing door receiving portion  55  includes stepped concavo-convex shapes, and the sealing door  53  engages with the sealing door receiving portion  55  when in the closed position. More specifically, the film nipping portion of the sealing door  53  has a nipping surface  53   c  that contacts the film  15 , while the film nipping portion of the sealing door receiving portion  55  has a nipping surface  55   c  that contacts the film  15 . 
     The nipping surface  53   c  of the sealing door  53  is formed by surfaces  53   c   1 ,  53   c   2 , and  53   c   3 . The surface  53   c   1  corresponds to a front end region of the upper surface of the sealing door  53 . The surface  53   c   2  connects to the front end of the surface  53   c   1  substantially at a right angle to the surface  53   c   1 , and extends downward to form a circular arc surface along the entire width of the front end of the sealing door  53 . The surface  53   c   3  connects to the lower end of the surface  53   c   2  substantially at a right angle to the surface  53   c   2 , and extends forward to form a substantially right angled portion with the surface  53   c   2 . 
     The nipping surface  55   c  of the sealing door receiving portion  55  is formed by surfaces  55   c   1 ,  55   c   2 , and  55   c   3 . The surface  55   c   1  is provided at the upper end of the film nipping portion so as to extend substantially perpendicularly to the axis O of the waste inlet  16 , and is substantially parallel to the surface  53   c   1  when the sealing door  53  is closed. The surface  55   c   2  connects to the front end of the surface  55   c   1  substantially at a right angle to the surface  55   c   1 , and extends downward to form a circular arc surface that is substantially parallel to the surface  53   c   2  when the sealing door  53  is closed. The surface  55   c   3  connects to the lower end of the surface  55   c   2  substantially at a right angle to the surface  55   c   2  and extends forward, and is substantially parallel to the surface  53   c   3  when the sealing door  53  is closed. 
     The sealing mechanism  48  further includes a spring  69  that biases the sealing door  53  in the closing direction, and spring covers  46  that cover the spring  69 . The spring  69  is a single helical extension spring capable of extending and contracting in its extending direction, and both ends of the spring  69  are coupled with right and left side edges of the sealing door receiving portion  55 . A central region of the spring  69  is accommodated in a spring guide  63  provided in the lower surface of the sealing door  53 . The spring guide  63  is a groove formed in the lower surface of the sealing door  53 . The spring guide  63  is provided in the longitudinal central portion of the lower surface of the sealing door  53  so as to extend along the entire lateral width of the lower surface of the sealing door  53 . 
     Thus, in the present embodiment, the spring  69  is a single helical extension spring, and the central region of the spring  69  extends laterally along the lower surface of the sealing door  53  so as to be accommodated in the spring guide  63  provided in the lower surface of the sealing door  53 . Thus, the sealing door  53  is stably and laterally substantially equally biased by the spring  69 . This will be described below. 
     When in a normal state, the spring  69  biases the sealing door  53  in the closing direction by using the right and left side edges of the sealing door receiving portion  55 , with which both ends of the spring  69  are coupled, as a fixed point, and using the entire lateral width of the longitudinal central portion of the lower surface of the sealing door  53  as a working point. Since the spring  69  is a helical extension spring, the spring  69  bilaterally symmetrically applies a substantially uniform elastic force to the lower surface of the sealing door  53 . Moreover, since the spring  69  is latched by the spring guide  63 , the spring  69  is stably fixed to a predetermined position on the lower surface of the sealing door  53 . With these configurations, the sealing door  53  is stably and laterally substantially equally biased toward the sealing door receiving portion  55 . That is, a pressing force is substantially evenly distributed in the film nipping portions of the sealing door  53  and the sealing door receiving portion  55 . 
     Two spring covers  46 , namely right and left spring covers  46 , are attached to the sealing mechanism  48 . The spring covers  46  are members having a C-shaped cross section and extending from the sealing door  53  to the sealing door receiving portion  55 , and accommodate both side portions of the spring  69 . The upper end of each spring cover  46  is pivotally supported by the sealing door receiving portion  55  by using as a fulcrum a hinge  50  that is provided near the coupling point between the spring  69  and the sealing door receiving portion  55 . Each spring cover  46  has a groove recess  51 , which is formed in its side surface facing the sealing door  53  so as to be recessed in the direction to the inside the spring cover  46 . The groove recess  51  is a groove that extends from the upper end to the lower end of the spring cover  46 . The groove recess  51  is open to the side edge of the sealing door  53 . Rail-like pawls  56  are provided on both sidewalls of the groove. The pawls  56  extend from the upper end to the lower end of the spring cover  46 . The pawls  56  engage with a hook portion (not shown) that is provided so as to protrude outward from the central portion of the side edge of the sealing door  53 . 
     The pawls  56  and the hook portions of the sealing door  53  engage with each other so as to be relatively slidable with respect to each other along the extending direction of the spring cover  46 . Thus, when the sealing door  53  is opened/closed, the sealing door  53  slides along the extending direction of the spring cover  46 . As described above, the spring covers  46  are pivotally supported by the sealing door receiving portion  55 . Thus, each spring cover  56  can smoothly pivot so as to follow a circular arc-shaped path that is followed by the engaged portion between the sealing door  53  and the spring cover  46  when the sealing door  53  is opened/closed. The spring covers  46  are positioned on the right and left side edges of the sealing door  53  and the sealing door receiving portion  55  so as to contain the spring  69  in the groove recesses  51  of the spring covers  46 . With these configurations, the spring  69  is always accommodated in the groove recesses  51  regardless of the opening/closing operation of the sealing door  53 . 
     A method for disposing of a waste material D in the waste disposal apparatus  41  according to the further embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to  FIGS. 15-17 . When disposing of a waste material D, the user first opens the lid  23  to place the waste material D in the film  15  through the waste inlet  16 . Then, the user inserts his/her hand into the waste inlet  16 , and pushes the film  15  down together with the waste material D to push the sealing door  53  down. Thus, the sealing door  53  pivots with the sealing mechanism hinge  45  as a fulcrum so as to follow a circular arc-shaped path shown by arrow A in  FIG. 16 , whereby the sealing door  53  is opened. The waste material D thus pushed down, together with the film  15 , passes between the opened sealing door  53  and the sealing door receiving portion  55 . The waste material D then drops downward along the film  15  as shown by arrow B in  FIG. 16 , and is stored in the lower part  47  of the waste accommodating main body  43 . 
     As described above, the slope portion  42  is provided on the front side of the bottom  47   b  of the lower part  47  of the waste accommodating main body  43 . Thus, when the waste material D is placed in the lower part  47  of the waste accommodating main body  43  as shown in  FIG. 16 , the waste material D slides down toward the back face of the lower part  47  as shown by arrow C in  FIG. 16  along the slope portion  42  provided in a region corresponding to the position to which the waste material D is supposed to drop. This prevents the waste materials D from being stored only in the front region of the lower part  47  of the waste accommodating main body  43 , and thus enables the waste materials D to be evenly stored in the lower part  47 . 
     After placing the waste material D in the lower part  47  of the waste accommodating main body  43 , the user removes his/her hand from the waste inlet  16 . The sealing door  53  then immediately closes to nip the film  15 . As described above with reference to  FIG. 6 , the film  15  nipped by the sealing door  53  and the sealing door receiving portion  55  is bent substantially at right angles at two angular portions formed in the film nipping portions. That is, an imaginary straight line, which connects the upper and lower ends of the film nipping portions, is bent substantially horizontally in the film nipping portions. This closes a remaining airflow path, which causes passing of odors, at right angles, whereby the passing of odors can be effectively blocked. 
     In the waste disposal apparatus  41  of the present embodiment, the opening/closing operation of the sealing door  53  is implemented by pivoting of the sealing door  53  about the sealing mechanism hinge  45  as a fulcrum. Thus, the user can easily open the sealing door  53  when pressing the waste material D into the waste accommodating main body  43 , which facilitates the waste disposal operation. 
     As described above, the sealing mechanism  48  of the waste disposal apparatus  41  of the present embodiment further has the spring covers  46  that cover the spring  69 . The spring  69  is always accommodated in the groove recesses  51  of the spring covers  46  regardless of the opening/closing operation of the sealing door  53 . This configuration can prevent the film  15  from being damaged by being caught by the spring  69  positioned on both side surfaces (the right and left surfaces) of the sealing door  53 , when the user opens/closes the sealing door  53  for disposal of the waste material D. Moreover, both ends of the spring  69  are guided by the spring covers  46  so as to be always positioned inside the groove recesses  51 . This can prevent the spring  69  from coming off from the sealing door  53  even if the spring guide  63  is not provided in the lower surface of the sealing door  53 . 
     Note that the present embodiment is described with respect to an example in which each of the nipping surfaces  53   c ,  55   c , which correspond to the film nipping portions of the sealing door  53  and the sealing door receiving portion  55 , is formed by flat surfaces and a circular arc surface that is substantially at right angles with the flat surfaces. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the flat surfaces and a circular arc surface may cross each other at a predetermined angle such as an acute or obtuse angle. In addition, the sealing door  53  and the sealing door receiving portion  55  may be configured so that each of the nipping surfaces  53   c ,  55   c  may consist of a plurality of flat surfaces, a plurality of curved surfaces, or a plurality of flat and curved surfaces. 
     In the present embodiment, an elastic member for biasing the sealing door  53  in the closing direction is the spring  69  that is a single helical extension spring. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and any type of spring may be used, and a plurality of springs may be used. Alternatively, a rubber material, a resin material, or a mixture thereof may be used as the elastic member. The sealing door  53  may be magnetically biased in the closing direction by incorporating a permanent magnet or an electromagnet into the sealing door  53  and the sealing door receiving portion  55 . 
     A film accommodating cassette  54  for use in the waste disposal apparatus  41  according to the further embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to  FIGS. 18-21 .  FIG. 18  is a perspective view of the film accommodating cassette  54  according to the further embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 19  is a perspective view of the film accommodating cassette  54  of  FIG. 18  having the film  15  removed therefrom.  FIG. 20  is a side view of the film accommodating cassette  54  in the state of  FIG. 19 .  FIG. 21  is a top view of the film accommodating cassette  54  in the state of  FIG. 19  as viewed from above in the direction of the axis O of a tubular core  57 . 
     The waste disposal apparatus  41  includes the film accommodating cassette  54 , which forms the waste inlet  16  and also accommodates the film  15 . The film accommodating cassette  54 , which is a film accommodating portion, has the cylindrical tubular core  57  defining the waste inlet  16 , a tubular core flange  57   f  extending from the lower end of the tubular core  57  in the outer diameter direction, and a film holding flange  59  extending from the upper end of the tubular core  57  in the outer diameter direction. 
     As shown in  FIG. 18 , the film  15  is accommodated in an accordion folded state in a space between the axial upper and lower ends of the tubular core  57  by the film holding flange  59  located at the upper end of the tubular core  57  and the tubular core flange  57   f  located at the lower end of the tubular core  57 . In this manner, the long film  15  can be accommodated in a compressed state between the tubular core flange  57   f  and the film holding flange  59 . The radial dimension of the film holding flange  59  is relatively smaller than that of the tubular core flange  57   f . This enables the film  15  to be pulled out beyond the outer edge of the film holding flange  59 , whereby the film  15  can be extended downward through the waste inlet  16  formed in the tubular core  57 . 
     In the present embodiment, cutouts  58  are provided in the outer edge of the tubular core flange  57   f  so as to extend through the tubular core flange  57   f  along the direction of the axis O thereof. As shown in  FIG. 21 , the tubular core flange  57   f  has the cutouts  58  at intervals of about 120° in the circumferential direction based on the axis O. These cutouts  58  are provided at the three positions of the tubular core flange  57   f  in a substantially rotational symmetrical pattern based on the axis O. 
     An upper surface  60  and a lower surface  64  of the tubular core flange  57   f  are flat surfaces that extend substantially parallel to each other. A rib  61  is provided on the upper surface  60 . The rib  61  is formed by a circumferential rib  61   a , a plurality of radial ribs  61   b , and engagement ribs  61   c   1 ,  61   c   2 . The circumferential rib  61   a  is formed at a predetermined radial position on the upper surface  60  so as to extend continuously in the circumferential direction about the axis O. The plurality of radial ribs  61   b  extend radially from the outer peripheral surface of the tubular core  57  to the circumferential rib  61   a , and are arranged at substantially regular intervals in the circumferential direction. The engagement ribs  61   c   1 ,  61   c   2  extend radially from the circumferential rib  61   a  to the outer edge of the tubular core flange  57   f.    
     As shown in  FIG. 21 , the engagement ribs  61   c   1 ,  61   c   2  are substantially equally arranged on the upper surface  60  of the tubular core flange  57   f  at intervals of about 60° in the circumferential direction based on the axis O. The engagement ribs  61   c   1  are located at positions corresponding to one circumferential ends of the cutouts  58 . That is, in the present embodiment, the three engagement ribs  61   c   1  are provided at the clockwise ends of the cutouts  58  as viewed from above in the direction of the axis O. The three engagement ribs  61   c   1  and the three engagement ribs  61   c   2 , namely a total of six engagement ribs  61   c   1 ,  61   c   2 , are arranged at substantially regular intervals of about 60° in the circumferential direction. 
     A method for attaching the film accommodating cassette  54  to the waste disposal apparatus  41  according to the further embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to  FIGS. 15-22 .  FIG. 22  is a diagram showing the appearance of the waste disposal apparatus  41  of the further embodiment of the present invention with the film accommodating cassette  54  removed therefrom, as viewed from above in the direction of the axis O. Note that the axis O in  FIG. 22  represents the central axis of the tubular core  57  in the state where the film accommodating cassette  54  is attached to the waste disposal apparatus  41 , and the axis O substantially corresponds to the central axis of an inner peripheral surface  12   a  of the film attachment portion  12 . The axis O in  FIG. 22  is a line that extends perpendicularly to the plane of the paper of the figure. 
     As described above, the film attachment portion  12 , which forms a space for attaching the film accommodating cassette  54 , is provided at an upper region of the upper part  49  of the waste accommodating main body  43 . The film attachment portion  12  includes the inner peripheral surface  12   a  and a bottom surface  12   b . The inner peripheral surface  12   a  faces a side of the film accommodating cassette  54  when the film accommodating cassette  54  is attached to the film attachment portion  12 . The bottom surface  12   b  is a flat surface that contacts the lower surface  64  of the tubular core flange  57   f  when the film accommodating cassette  54  is attached to the film attachment portion  12 . As shown in  FIG. 15 , when the film accommodating cassette  54  is attached to the film attachment portion  12 , the axis O of the inner peripheral surface  12   a  of the film attachment portion  12  substantially corresponds to the axis O of the tubular core  57 . A circular opening  12   h  is formed about the axis O in the central portion of the bottom surface  12   b  of the film attachment portion  12  so as to communicate with the space inside the inner peripheral surface of the tubular core  57  that forms the waste inlet  16 . When in the closed state shown in  FIG. 22 , the sealing door  53  covers and closes the opening  12   h  from beneath. 
     Pawls  62  are provided on the inner peripheral surface  12   a  of the film attachment portion  12  at a predetermined height from the bottom surface  12   b  in the upper direction of the axis O. The pawls  62  protrude from the inner peripheral surface  12   a  in the inner diameter direction. In the present embodiment, three pawls  62  are provided on the inner peripheral surface  12   a  of the film attachment portion  12  at regular intervals of about 120° in the circumferential direction based on the axis O. These pawls  62  are thus provided at the three positions in a substantially rotational symmetrical pattern based on the axis O. The pawls  62  are formed so that the circumferential width of the pawls  62  is smaller than that of the cutouts  58 . This configuration will be described below. 
     When attaching the film accommodating cassette  54  to the waste disposal apparatus  41 , the user places the film accommodating cassette  54  into the film attaching portion  12  with the tubular core flange  57   f  facing downward, and matches the positions of the pawls  62  provided on the inner peripheral surface  12   a  of the film attachment portion  12  with the positions of the cutouts  58  provided in the outer edge of the tubular core flange  57   f . Then, the user pushes the film accommodating cassette  54  toward the bottom surface  12  of the film attachment portion  12 . Since the circumferential width of the pawls  62  is smaller than that of the cutouts  58  as described above, the pawls  62  pass through the cutouts  58 , and the lower surface  64  of the tubular core flange  57   f  contacts the bottom surface  12   b  of the film attachment portion  12 . 
     Then, the user turns the film accommodate cassette  54  clockwise in the circumferential direction as viewed from above in the direction of the axis O. Thus, the outer edge of the tubular core flange  57   f  enters the gaps between each pawl  62  and the bottom surface  12   b  of the film attachment portion  12 . The user continues to turn the film accommodating cassette  54  until the pawls  62  contact the engagement ribs  61   c   2  and restrict turning of the film accommodating cassette  54 . The film accommodating cassette  54  is attached to the waste disposal apparatus  41  in this manner. 
     In the state where the film accommodating cassette  54  is attached to the waste disposal apparatus  41 , the pawls  62  of the waste disposal apparatus  41  engage with the outer edge of the tubular core flange  57   f . This prevents the film accommodating cassette  54  from coming off from the film attachment portion  12 . That is, the film accommodating cassette  54  of the present embodiment includes a coupling mechanism for attaching the film accommodating cassette  54  to the waste disposal apparatus  41 , and the coupling mechanism is formed by the outer edge of the tubular core flange  57   f  that engages with the pawls  62  of the waste disposal apparatus  41 , and the cutouts  58  for introducing coupling/decoupling of the film accommodating cassette  54 . This embodiment can prevent the film accommodating cassette  54  from coming off in the state where the upper part  49  of the waste accommodating main body  43  is open as shown in  FIG. 13 . 
     When detaching the film accommodating cassette  54  from the waste disposal apparatus  41 , the user turns the film accommodating cassette  54  counterclockwise in the circumferential direction as viewed from above in the direction of the axis O. Thus, the pawls  62  contact the engagement ribs  61   c   1 , and restrict turning of the film accommodating cassette  54 . As described above, the engagement ribs  61   c   1  are provided at the clockwise ends of the cutouts  58 . Thus, the positions of the pawls  62  substantially match the positions of the cutouts  58  as soon as the pawls  62  contact the engagement ribs  61   c   1 . Accordingly, the film accommodating cassette  54  can be lifted and removed from the film attachment portion  12 . 
     The film accommodating cassette  54  and the waste disposal apparatus  41  configured as described above can facilitate the operation of replacing the film accommodating cassette  54 . That is, when coupling/decoupling the film accommodating cassette  54 , the user need only place the film accommodating cassette  54  in the film attachment portion  12  and turn the film accommodating cassette  54  in the manner described above. Thus, when the film  15  as a consumable item runs out, the user can replace the used film accommodating cassette  54  with a refill (new) film accommodating cassette  54  by a simple operation. Since the coupling mechanism for attaching the film accommodating cassette  54  to the waste disposal apparatus  41  is implemented by such a simple configuration, the user can easily figure out how to attach/detach the film accommodating cassette  54  even without referring to the procedures described in an instruction manuals or the like. 
     Note that in the present embodiment, the coupling mechanism for attaching the film accommodating cassette  54  to the waste disposal apparatus  41  is formed by the outer edge of the tubular core flange  57   f , which engages with the pawls  62  of the waste disposal apparatus  41 , and the cutouts  58  for introducing coupling/decoupling of the film accommodating cassette  54 . However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the coupling mechanism may be formed by any type of coupling member that is attached to the film accommodating cassette  54  and/or the waste disposal apparatus  41 . Alternatively, the film accommodating cassette  54  may merely be placed in the film attachment portion  12  without coupling/engaging the film accommodating cassette  54  to/with the waste disposal apparatus  41 . 
     The present embodiment is described above with respect to an example in which the film accommodating cassette  54  is used for the waste disposal apparatus  41 . However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the film accommodating cassette  54  may be used in other applicable waste disposal apparatuses as an independent complete member. 
     As a still further embodiment, the waste disposal apparatus may further include a rotary plate that is rotatably attached to the central portion of the bottom of the lower part of the waste accommodating main body, and a waste material placed in the waste disposal apparatus, together with the film may be supported from beneath by the rotary plate. According to this configuration, as the user places waste materials into the waste disposal apparatus, these waste materials together with the film are accumulated on the rotary plate located on the bottom of the lower part of the waste accommodating main body. When the waste accommodating main body is filled with waste materials, the user can empty the waste accommodating main body in the following manner. The user rotates the rotary plate to twist the film in a region between the waste inlet and the waste materials, and cuts the twisted and thus compressed part of the film with the film cutter to remove the bag of the film filled with the waste materials, from the waste accommodating main body. This can make it easier for the user to cut the film with the film cutter when emptying the waste accommodating main body that is filled with the waste materials. This can also prevent odors of the waste materials accommodated in the film from leaking to the outside while the user is emptying the waste accommodating main body. 
     As a yet further embodiment, the waste disposal apparatus may further includes an adhesive tape accommodating portion that is attached near the film cutter. According to this configuration, when emptying the waste accommodating main body filled with waste materials, the user can cut the film with the film cutter, and seals the opening of the bag of the film with a tape accommodated in the tape accommodating portion. This can prevent leakage of odors of the waste materials accommodated in the film when the user empties the waste accommodating main body filled with the waste materials. Note that the adhesive tape accommodating portion and the film cutter may be integrally attached to the waste accommodating main body so that the user can simultaneously cut the film and seal the opening of the bag of the film. According to this configuration, since the user can simultaneously cut the film and seal the opening of the bag of the film, the user can easily and quickly empty the waste accommodating main body. 
     Although the embodiments of the present invention are described above with reference to the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiments. Various modifications and variations can be made to the illustrated embodiments within a scope that is the same as, or equivalent to the present invention. 
     The present invention provides waste disposal apparatuses having high sealing capability, and can be expected to be widely applied to industrial products such as, e.g., diaper disposal apparatuses.