Patent Publication Number: US-8978916-B2

Title: Multi-functional waste can

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a §371 application from PCT/KR2012/008633 filed Oct. 19, 2012, which claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2011-0107517 filed Oct. 20, 2011, each of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a multi-functional waste can, and more particularly, to a multi-functional waste can in which a lid of a garbage can is openable at both sides thereof like a seesaw or is openable while being lifted upwardly by a foot lever, and which has a rotating hinge to connect a main body, the lid and the foot lever into a single unit so that the lid can be used as a tool for compressing wastes, thus achieving a simple configuration in that the rotating hinge serves as a central shaft and as a lever for the lid. More particularly, the present invention relates to a multi-functional waste can in which an auxiliary can is detachably arranged in the waste can so that wastes with offensive odor can be sealed in a disposable bag. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     In general, waste cans are mainly used at home. Recently, because people in Korea have to buy and use volume-rate garbage bags when they throw away wastes, they throw away the wastes in the volume-rate garbage bag after compressing the wastes using their hands and feet in order to put the wastes into the garbage bag as many as possible and tying up the garbage bag. In consideration of the circumstance, Korean Utility Model Registration No. 308,577 discloses a waste can capable of compressing and putting in wastes. 
     In Korean Utility Model Registration No. 308,577, the waste can includes a pressure bar disposed at an upper portion of a lid and a compression plate disposed on the inner face of the lid in order to compress wastes when a user presses the pressure bar. When the user steps a foot lever, because the lid is lifted up, the user can throw away wastes conveniently. 
     However, such a conventional waste can has disadvantages in that it is complicated in structure because it includes the compression plate, the pressure bar and a spring as well as the lid, and in that it is inconvenient to wash the waste can because the lid is not separated from the waste can. 
     Korean Utility Model Registration No. 427,742 discloses a structure that a lid is rotated to compress wastes, but such a conventional invention also has a disadvantage in that it is inconvenient in use because the user directly opens the lid in order to throw away wastes. 
     Korean Utility Model Registration No. 252,552 discloses a waste can having a lid which is rotatable like a seesaw. The conventional invention is convenient in throwing away wastes because the lid is opened while rotating like a seesaw and the lid can be used as a compression plate because the lid is separable from the waste can. However, the conventional invention has several disadvantages in that it is complicated in structure because the lid is combined to the waste can by retaining protrusions and springs which serve as seesaw shafts, and in that there is a technical limit that the lid must be separated from the waste can to use the waste can because an opening degree of the lid is restricted due to the wastes contained in the waste can when the lid is rotated like a seesaw. 
     Korean Patent No. 1,040,199 discloses a waste can having a dual function in which a lid is openable at both sides thereof like a seesaw or lifted upwardly by a foot lever. Moreover, the waste can includes an auxiliary can in which a disposable bag can be used. 
     However, the lid and the waste can are connected to each other by a lid frame, and the lid frame is connected with a foot lever, and the lid is detachably mounted on the lid frame by a rotatable hand-grip. Therefore, the waste can disclosed in Korean Patent No. 1,040,199 has a disadvantage in that it is complicated in structure and deteriorated in productivity. 
     OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     Accordingly, the present invention has been made in an effort to solve the above-mentioned problems occurring in the prior arts, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a multi-functional waste can having a dual function in which a lid of a garbage can is openable at both sides thereof like a seesaw or is openable while being lifted upwardly by a foot lever, and which has a rotating hinge to connect a main body, the lid and the foot lever into a single unit so that the lid can be used as a tool for compressing wastes, thus achieving a simple configuration in that the rotating hinge serves as a central shaft and as a lever for the lid. It is another object of the present invention to provide a multi-functional waste can in which an auxiliary can is detachably arranged in the waste can so that wastes with offensive odor can be sealed in a disposable bag. 
     To achieve the above objects, the present invention provides a multi-functional waste can having a dual function in which a lid of a garbage can is openable at both sides thereof like a seesaw or is openable while being lifted upwardly by a foot lever, wherein a rotating hinge is rotatably connected to an upper portion of the waste can and the foot lever is connected with the rotating hinge through a push rod, wherein the lid includes a pair of seesaw shafts arranged on an upper portion of the waste can so as to be openable from side to side, and wherein one of the seesaw shafts of the lid is collinearly connected with a central shaft of the rotating hinge, such that the lid is lifted upwardly while the rotating hinge is lifted upwardly when a user presses the foot lever. 
     The multi-functional waste can according to the preferred embodiments of the present invention includes a lid disposed at an upper portion of the waste can, and the lid is connected with the waste can through a rotating hinge. The lid includes a pair of seesaw shafts at both ends thereof, and the left side seesaw shaft is arranged on a bearing disposed at an upper portion of the waste can and the right side seesaw shaft is fit to a central shaft disposed at the rotating hinge. The central shaft of the rotating hinge and the bearing of the waste can are arranged collinearly, and hence, the lid is openable and closable at both sides based on the seesaw shafts like a seesaw. 
     Furthermore, because the rotating hinge is connected with a foot lever disposed at a lower portion of the waste can via a push rod in a state where the rotating hinge is connected to a hinge connection portion via a hinge pin, when a user presses the foot lever, the rotating hinge is lifted upwardly around the hinge pin, and in this instance, the lid connected with the central shaft of the rotating hinge is opened while levering the rotating hinge to be lifted upwardly. Finally, the lid serves a dual function in which the lid is openable at both sides thereof like a seesaw or is lifted up. 
     In the present invention, because the rotating hinge serves as the central shaft and the lever of the lid, the multi-functional waste can has several advantages in that it is simplified in structure and can be utilized as a tool to compress wastes of the waste can because the lid is separated from the rotating hinge in a state where the lid is lifted up. Additionally, the multi-functional waste can according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention can conveniently seal wastes with offensive odor because the waste can includes the auxiliary can disposed at one side thereof for putting a disposable bag into the auxiliary can. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of a multi-functional waste can according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing assembly of the multi-functional waste can; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing a used state of the multi-functional waste can; 
         FIG. 4  is a sectional view showing assembly of the multi-functional waste can; 
         FIG. 5  is a partially enlarged sectional view of the multi-functional waste can; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view showing a state where an auxiliary can is combined to the waste can; 
         FIG. 7  is a sectional view showing a state where the auxiliary can is combined to the waste can; 
         FIG. 8  is a sectional view showing a state where another auxiliary can is combined to the waste can; 
         FIG. 9  is an exploded perspective view of a multi-functional waste can according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view showing assembly of the multi-functional waste can according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view showing a state where an auxiliary can is combined to the waste can according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 12  is a sectional view showing a state where the auxiliary can is combined to the waste can according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 13  is a sectional view showing a state where another auxiliary can is combined to the waste can according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 14  is a sectional view showing a state where another auxiliary can is combined to the waste can according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 to 5 , a multi-functional waste can according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention includes an inner case  20  and an outer case  10  which are in a cylindrical form. A volume-rate waste bag  60  is fit between the inner case  20  and the outer case  10 , and in this instance, the inner case  20  is opened at the bottom so that a user can put wastes into the waste bag  60  and the outer case  10  is stopped at the bottom so as to support the waste bag  60 . When fixing protrusions  23  disposed at both sides of the top of the inner case  20  are overlapped with and retained to fixing jaws  15  disposed at both sides of the top of the outer case  10 , the inner and outer cases  20  and  10  are fixed together. 
     The inner case  20  has a lid  30  disposed at an upper portion thereof, and the lid  30  includes seesaw shafts  31 . The inner case  20  includes: a pair of bearings  21  formed at both sides of the top thereof for supporting the seesaw shafts  31 ; and shaft elevation grooves  22  formed at both sides of the inner circumferential surface of the inner case  20  in a longitudinal direction, so that the seesaw shafts  31  are elevated along the shaft elevation grooves  22  when a user compresses wastes with the lid  30 . 
     The outer case  10  has a foot lever  40  disposed at a lower portion thereof, and the lid  30  and the foot lever  40  are connected via a rotating hinge  50  hinge-connected to the outer case  10 . The outer case  10  includes a bottom plate  13  disposed at the lower portion thereof and foot lever rings  14  disposed at the center of the bottom surface of the bottom plate  13 , a retaining groove  41  formed at the center of the foot lever  40  is fit to the foot lever rings  14  so that the foot lever  40  is elevated. 
     The outer case  10  includes: a hinge connection portion  11  disposed at the upper portion thereof so that the rotating hinge  50  is rotatably connected via a hinge pin  53 ; and a passage  12  formed through the central portion of the hinge connection portion  11 . Therefore, an upper end ring of a push rod  42  passes through the passage  12  and is caught to a connection portion  54  of the bottom surface of the rotating hinge  50 , and a lower end ring of the push rod  42  is caught to a connection portion  43  of a front end of the foot lever  40 , such that the foot lever  40  and the rotating hinge  50  are connected together via the push rod  42 . 
     The rotating hinge  50  includes a central shaft  51  which is fit into the center of one of the seesaw shafts  31  of the lid  30 . The central shaft  51 , the seesaw shafts  31  and the bearings  21  are arranged collinearly, such that the central shaft  51  and the bearings  21  serve to guide rotation of the seesaw shafts  31  while the lid  30  rotates from side to side based on the seesaw shafts  31 . Moreover, the central shaft  51  has a semicircular retaining slot  52  formed on the outer circumferential surface thereof, and the lid  30  has a retaining jaw  32  which are resiliently caught to the retaining slot  52 . The unexplained reference numeral  33  designates a hand-grip which is used when the user utilizes the lid  30  to compress wastes. 
     As described above, in the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, the waste bag  60  is disposed between the inner case  20  and the outer case  10 , and the lid  30  includes the seesaw shafts  31  which serves as the center of a seesaw and which is disposed at both sides thereof. The left side of the seesaw shafts  31  is arranged on the bearing  21  of the inner case  20 , and the right side of the seesaw shaft  31  is fit to the central shaft  51  of the rotating hinge  50 . In this instance, because the bearings  21  and the central shaft  51  are arranged collinearly, as shown in  FIG. 3(A) , the lid  30  is opened to both sides based on the seesaw shafts  31 . 
     Additionally, the lid  30  can be easily separated because the seesaw shafts  31  are sectionally fit to the central shaft  51  of the rotating hinge  50 . When the user grasps the hand-grip  33  and lifts the lid  30  slightly upwardly, because the rotating hinge  50  rotates on the hinge pin  53 , the lid  30  can be easily lifted. In this state, when the user pulls the lid  30  in a direction that the lid  30  becomes estranged from the rotating hinge  50 , the seesaw shafts  31  are released from the central shaft  51 , and in this instance, the retaining jaw  32  is released from the retaining slot  52 , such that the lid  30  is separated from the waste can. When the user put the lid  30  into the inner case  20  and presses the lid  30 , the lid  30  can be utilized as a waste compressing tool as shown in  FIG. 3(C) . In this instance, the user adjusts the direction of the lid  30  so that the seesaw shafts  31  enter the shaft elevation grooves  22  formed in the inner case  20  without being caught to the inner circumferential surface of the inner case  20 . 
     Moreover, if the compressed wastes are accumulated in the waste can, because the lid  30  is limited in the opening degree because the lid  30  is caught to the accumulated wastes while the lid  30  is opened like a seesaw, the lid  30  is not opened sufficiently. In this instance, when the user presses the foot lever  40 , the push rod  42  is ascended along the passage  12  of the hinge connection portion  11 . Because the top of the push rod  42  is connected with the connection portion  54  of the rotating hinge  50 , the rotating hinge  50  is rotated around the hinge pin  53 . In this instance, because the rotating hinge  50  and the lid  30  are combined together via the central shaft  51  and the seesaw shafts  31 , the lid  30  is lifted upwardly as shown in  FIG. 3(B) , so that the user can continuously throw away more wastes into the waste can. 
       FIGS. 6 and 7  illustrate an auxiliary can disposed on the waste can of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention. The auxiliary can  100  is detachably screw-coupled at one side of the outer case  10  via a screw nail  103 . The auxiliary can  100  includes: an arc-shaped bag space  101  formed on the inner floor thereof such that a disposable bag  200  is put in; and a circular border  102  formed on the top thereof on which an opened entrance of the disposable bag  200  covers. An auxiliary lid  300  is covered on the border  102 . 
     A plurality of the disposable bags  200  are continuously connected via perforated lines  202  and are safely kept in the auxiliary can  100  in a state where the disposable bags  200  are rolled, and a sealing line  201  is formed in front of each of the perforated line  202 , such that a lower end of the disposable bag  200  is cut out in a sealed state. 
     As described above, in the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, the auxiliary can  100  contains the disposable bags  200  therein. Because the entrance of the disposable bag  200  is opened and covers the border  102  of the auxiliary can  100 , the user can easily throw away general smelly wastes or polluted things such as diapers into the disposable bag  200 . After that, when the wastes are accumulated, the entrance of the disposable bag  200  is removed from the border  102  and is tied up, and then, the used disposable bag  200  is torn off using the perforated line  202 . 
     When the user pulls the disposable bag  200  in which the polluted wastes are contained and a new disposable bag  200  with two hands, the used disposable bag  200  is separated from the rolled new disposable bags  200 . In this instance, because the used disposable bag  200  in which the polluted wastes are contained is completely sealed by the sealing line  201  formed at the lower end thereof, even though the used disposable bag  200  is put together with general wastes in the inner case  20 , the used disposable bag  200  does not stink. 
     Additionally, when the user opens an entrance of the new disposable bag  200  and covers the opened entrance of the new disposable bag  200  on the border  102  of the auxiliary can  100 , the auxiliary can  100  can be used continuously. The user can cover the auxiliary lid  300  on the auxiliary can  100  or use the auxiliary can  100  in an opened state. 
       FIG. 8  is a sectional view showing a state where another auxiliary can is combined to the waste can of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention. In  FIG. 8 , an auxiliary can  100   a  is detachably combined at one side of the outer case  10  via a screw nail  107   a . The auxiliary can  100   a  includes: a ring-shaped bag space  101   a  disposed at an upper portion thereof; an inlet  102   a  communicating with the inside of the auxiliary can  100   a ; an auxiliary door  103  which is disposed at the front face thereof and connected to the inside of the auxiliary can  100   a  via a hinge  105   a  in such a way as to be openable and closable; and a bag supporting plate  104   a  disposed inside the auxiliary door  103   a  for supporting the bottom of the disposable bag  200   a.    
     The disposable bag  200   a  is put on the bag space  101   a , and in this instance, a plurality of the disposable bags  200   a  are folded in a zigzag form and arranged in a ring shape. When the disposable bags  200   a  are put on the bag space  101   a , the user fit an end of the inside of the disposable bag  200   a  to the inlet  102   a  and pulls the disposable bag  200   a  to the inside of the auxiliary can  100   a . In this instance, the disposable bag  200   a  is put on the bag space  101   a  and droops down to the inside of the auxiliary can  100   a  through the inlet  102   a . The user ties up the opened end of the disposable bag  200   a , then, can throw away polluted wastes into the disposable bag  200   a  through the inlet  102   a.    
     The auxiliary can according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention is used in a state where it is covered with the auxiliary lid  300   a . Because the disposable bag  200   a  is fit to the inlet  102   a  and put into the auxiliary can  100   a  in the state where the disposable bags  200   a  are folded in the ring shape, the user can easily throw away smelly general wastes or polluted things, such as diapers, into the disposable bag  200   a.    
     After that, the user pulls the used disposable bag  200   a  out of the auxiliary can  100   a  after opening the auxiliary door  104   a , and then, cuts out the used disposable bag  200  in a necessary length using a cutter  106   a  mounted on the inner face of the auxiliary can  100   a  or any scissors. After that, the user ties up the entrance of the used disposable bag  200   a , and then, put the used disposable bag  200   a  into the main can  10 . 
     Next, the user can continuously use the auxiliary can  100   a  in a state where the disposable bag  200   a  is contained in the auxiliary can  100   a  when the user ties up an end of a new disposable bag  200   a  which is cut from the used disposable bag. 
       FIGS. 9 to 11  illustrate a multi-functional waste can according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention, and the multi-functional waste can according to the second preferred embodiment has the same structure as the multi-functional waste can according to the second preferred embodiment, but does not have the inner case of the first preferred embodiment. Therefore, the multi-functional waste can according to the second preferred embodiment is different from the multi-functional waste can according to the first preferred embodiment in that the bearing  16  for supporting the seesaw shaft  31  of the lid  30  is disposed at one side of the top of the outer case  10  and the fixing jaw formed at the top of the outer case  10  for fixing the inner case is omitted. 
     In the second preferred embodiment, one of the seesaw shafts  31  of the lid  30  is arranged on the bearing  16  of the top of the outer case  10  and the other one is fit to the central shaft  51  of the rotating hinge  50  but is not arranged on the top of the outer case  10 . Because the bearing  16  and the central shaft  51  are arranged collinearly, they do not hinder that the lid  30  is rotated around the seesaw shafts  31  disposed at both sides so as to be opened and closed. When the user presses the foot lever  40 , because the lid  30  connected with the central shaft  51  via the seesaw shafts  31  is lifted upwardly while the rotating hinge  50  is lifted upwardly by the push rod  42 , like the first preferred embodiment, the lid  30  is opened from side to side like a seesaw or is lifted upwardly. 
       FIGS. 12 and 13  illustrate a state where an auxiliary can is disposed on the waste can according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention, and the auxiliary can has the same structure as the auxiliary can according to the first preferred embodiment. 
       FIG. 14  illustrates a state where another auxiliary can is disposed on the waste can according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention, and the second auxiliary can has the same structure as the second auxiliary can according to the first preferred embodiment.