Patent Abstract:
The present invention provides an economically efficient trash collection arrangement for multiple use involving a sweeping ramp leading to a disposable, contained bag. In one configuration a special shaped container is provided as part of the arrangement, while in a further model the sweeping ramp is employed with a wide range of available containers.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to a collection arrangement for a trash container involving a ramp to provide easy sweeping of trash and debris into the container.  
         [0003]     2. Background 
         [0004]     Putting trash into containers is always an interesting challenge, and it is often more difficult by the use of standard sized plastic bags to hold and dispose of the trash. The trash location often further complicates the situation. Using such containers indoors usually involves the use of a dustpan and broom and further multiple dumping of the dustpan. When the trash is outside or in the garage, large containers are employed and the sweeping of leaves, dust and other debris often involves shovels and creating much lifting, even if a leaf rake is utilized.  
         [0005]     The subject invention is design to make the collection of trash and debris, whether inside or outside, more easily accomplished by providing a sweeping ramp into the container that is laid on a relatively flat side. For further convenience containers are employed that utilize standard sized disposable plastic bags. In an alternate configuration only the sweeping ramp is employed and is designed to fit various sizes and shapes of existing containers.  
         [0006]     Related United States patents include:  
                                                       No.   Inventor   Year                           4,802,258   Jensen   1989           5,065,891   Casey   1991           5,803,300   DeMars   1998                      
 
 Referring to the above list, Jensen discloses a dustpan and guide with elaborate handle with matching flange design that serves as an attaching device and allows sweeping of debris into a conventional round trash container positioned horizontal. No mention of trash bags is made. 
 
         [0008]     Casey discloses a complicated inner ring that holds trash receptacle liners in such a manner that trapped air toward the bottom of the receptacle is vented allowing the liner to fill more thoroughly.  
         [0009]     DeMars discloses a moving mounting ring that holds a replaceable bag into a trash container in a manner that allows easy bag replacement.  
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION  
       [0010]     The objectives of the present invention include overcoming the above-mentioned deficiencies in the prior art and providing a potentially economically efficient trash collection arrangement for multiple use involving a sweeping ramp leading to a disposable, contained bag. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]      FIG. 1  shows an expanded view of a double wedge ring arrangement for attachment of the sweeping ramp to bag and container.  
         [0012]      FIG. 2  shows the assembled parts from  FIG. 1 .  
         [0013]      FIG. 3  shows a cross section of the double wedge ring attachment.  
         [0014]      FIG. 4  shows an expandable sweeping ramp utilizing a spring-loaded attachment mechanism to a trash container.  
         [0015]      FIG. 5  shows an expandable sweeping ramp utilizing ramp side mounting spring clips.  
         [0016]      FIG. 6  shows an expandable sweeping ramp utilizing a pawl and ratchet mechanism. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION  
       [0017]     A collecting arrangement for a trash container is shown in four configurations in  FIGS. 1-6 .  FIG. 1  shows an arrangement where a specially designed container is employed. The trash container  10  has a substantially flat side  11 , conveniently obtained by employing a substantially semicircular container  10 , and is stable either upright or lying on the flat side  11 . Additionally the container  10  is sized for a standard replaceable trash bag, and potentially contains recessed handles  14  especially for larger sizes. The trash container  10 , often made of plastic, may contain more than one flat side for many common such containers are routinely made in substantially square or rectangular shapes. Further it is convenient to place a pair of wheels on the outside bottom of said container particular for larger sizes, not shown in  FIG. 1 . The standard bag size varies from small sizes of 4 and 13 gallons that are common for house use to larger sizes of 20 through 39 gallons that are normally used for garages and outdoors; however, other sizes that become commonly available are also usable.  
         [0018]     The preferred means for attaching the bag to the container is shown in  FIGS. 1-3 .  FIG. 1  shows an exploded view of the double wedge rings employed for such attachment, but the bag is not shown. The wedging is tight enough to hold the rings together but not so tight that they cannot be assembled and detached by hand. Ring  20  is wedged into ring  30 , which contains the sweeping ramp  31 , and such arrangement is shown in cross section in  FIG. 3 , which also shows the bag  12  attachment via ring  20  to ring  30 . Thus the bag  12  is not attached to the container  10  allowing it to be removed along with the rings and utilized outside of said container for sweeping, especially with small container sizes. The sweeping ramp  31  composed of firm material  32  sized to fit into the top of said container is part of ring  30 . Firm material  32  is identified as a good sweeping base in contrast to flimsy or excessively wavy material where sweeping is difficult. Multiple hasps  13  attach ring  30  to container  10 . Often spring metal blades attached to the edges of the ramp  31  and extending over the trash container  10  edges are utilized; however, these are not shown in  FIGS. 1-3  but are shown in  FIG. 5  for a different configuration. The handle  33  as shown in  FIGS. 1-3  is convenient in the shown location for smaller sizes of the trash container  10 ; however, for larger sizes such a handle is often placed on an edge of the ramp  31 , but this is not shown in  FIGS. 1-2 .  
         [0019]     An alternate collecting arrangement is shown in  FIGS. 4-6  involving only the ramp part of the arrangement, for the container and its bag are separate as the ramp is designed to fit a number of sizes of containers; yet for completeness, the container and bag are shown in the figures. The container  40  surrounds a standard replaceable trash bag  50  that folds over the container top. A sweeping ramp  41  is composed of firm material  42 . The ramp  41  is adjustable so as to fit into a variety of different sizes of trash containers  40  by means of altering the ramp  41  in width by overlapping material sections  43 , which slide in or out so as to fit a number of sizes of standard trash containers  40  and yet allow an easily employed sweeping ramp  41 . The mounting of the ramp  41  into the trash container  40  opening is shown in three potential manners in  FIGS. 4-6 . In  FIG. 4  expandable bars  44  loaded with a spiral spring  47  are attached to the underside of the ramp  41  and are positioned to tightly fit against the inner side of said container  40  opening including the bag  50 . Alternatively in  FIG. 5  spring clips  45  are mounted  46  on the ramp  41  edges that press tightly against the outer side of the container  40  including the bag  50 , and are convenient to hold the bag  50  into said container  40 . In  FIG. 6  one or more pawl and racket mechanisms  60  are employed on the top underside of said ramp  41  that hold the expanded ramp tightly as they contact the inner side of said container  40  opening including the bag  50 .  
         [0020]     A collecting arrangement for a trash container comprising a container for trash with a bag and with a side substantially flat so that said container is stable either upright or lying on the flat side, wherein the container is sized for a standard replaceable trash bag. The trash container, often made of plastic, may contain more than one flat side for many common such containers are routinely made in substantially square or rectangular shapes. Often a convenient shape is semicircular for the trash container. Further it is convenient to place a pair of wheels on the outside bottom of said container particular for larger sizes. The standard bag size varies from small sizes of 4 and 13 gallons that are common for house use to larger sizes of 20 through 39 gallons that are normally used for garages and outdoors.  
         [0021]     A means for attaching the bag to the container so that trash fills the bag further comprises being selected from the group consisting of Velco straps, elastic bands, a series of clips, a wedged insert rings into the inside top of the container, and a hold-down connection. These are standard ways of keeping the bag within the container. The preferred method is the use of a wedged insert double ring which allows the bag to be attached between the rings so that all can be removed together along with the connected ramp and utilized outside of the container for sweeping especially with small container sizes.  
         [0022]     A sweeping ramp composed of firm material is sized to fit into the top of the container along with means for attaching the ramp to the trash container, while lying on the flat side, so that trash swept onto and over the ramp flows into the bag. It is understood that referring to a sweeping ramp implies the use of a piece of hand-operated equipment, such as a broom, brush, or a leaf rake, that is not specifically identified herein. Firm material is identified as a good sweeping base in contrast to flimsy or excessively wavy material where sweeping is difficult. A number of common ways of attaching the ramp and container further comprise being selected from the group consisting of an insert ring sized to the top of said container employing multiple hasps, a handle attached to the side of said ramp, one or more spring metal blades attached to the edges of said ramp and extending over said trash container edges, and combinations thereof. The preferred method of an insert ring with connecting multiple hasps matches with the previous bag holding insert ring to allow the bag and ramp to move together. When a handle is employed it can be screwed into the ramp and utilized either by hand or by foot, the latter is particularly convenient when outdoors. When spring metal blades are employed, they conveniently hold the ramp to the container as well as the bag in place.  
         [0023]     A collecting arrangement for a trash container, which surrounds a standard replaceable trash bag that normally folds over the container top, comprising a sweeping ramp composed of firm material with means for adjusting the ramp in width so as to fit into a variety of different sizes of trash containers, and means for mounting the ramp into said trash container opening, wherein the trash container is positioned on a side on a substantially flat plane so that the rear of the ramp significantly contacts a the plane, often a floor inside or the ground outside, allowing sweeping of the trash onto and over the ramp and into the trash bag within the container.  
         [0024]     The means for adjusting said ramp in width further comprises construction with overlapping sliding material sections. These sections can slide in or out so as to fit a number of sizes of standard trash containers and yet allow an easily employed sweeping ramp.  
         [0025]     The means for mounting the ramp into the trash container opening further comprises a number of potential methods. Spring-loaded expandable bars are attached to the underside of the upper ramp and are positioned to tightly fit against the inner side of the container opening including the bag, and these are conveniently blocked from completely coming apart. Alternatively spring clips are mounted on the upper ramp edges that press tightly against the outer side of the container including the bag, and are convenient to hold the bag into the container. A further method uses one or more pawl and racket mechanisms on the upper underside of the ramp that hold the expanded ramp tightly as they contact the sides of the container opening including the bag. Lifting the pawl allows the ramp to slide for removal.  
         [0026]     The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and therefore such adaptations or modifications are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1