Patent Abstract:
A wastebasket designed to work in combination with a trash bag insert, the wastebasket having one or more openings or slots on one or more of its sidewalls, the openings extending from the upper rim of the wastebasket to a point near the bottom of the wastebasket, so as to allow for an inward and outward motion of the sidewall sections so as to allow overstuffing of the trash bag while allowing the overstuffed bag to readily be removed from the wastebasket and/or the insertion of a trash bag whose opening circumference is smaller than the upper rim circumference of the wastebasket, whereby the trash bag is secured to the rim of the wastebasket.

Full Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    The present application is a continuation of copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/893967, filed Aug. 17, 2007, now allowed. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Wastebaskets have been used with a plastic bag inserted so that the waste that is put into the wastebasket can be easily removed and properly disposed. Also, most wastebaskets are constructed much like an inverted, truncated cone or pyramid with a non-circular base. That is, theft side, whether round, oval, square, or rectangular in cross-section, has an outward taper, making the bottom of the wastebasket interior smaller than the top of the wastebasket interior. Wastebaskets are now usually made of plastic and, in effect, they are large containers that are waterproof and can receive certain trash bags, also usually of plastic. There are two relatively independent problems with such typical wastebaskets that the present invention addresses. Both problems arise because of the manner of use when using trash bags, particularly plastic trash bags. 
         [0003]    The first problem has to do with the use of oversized trash bags. Typically, the plastic trash bag used is somewhat bigger than the wastebasket itself. It is therefore inserted into the wastebasket, and because the plastic bag is larger than the wastebasket, a problem often arises. When putting a plastic trash bag into the typical wastebasket, the open bottom of the bag is inserted through the top of the basket, and the bag&#39;s top is still considerably larger than a typical open top of a wastebasket, so it is just wadded up, or is sometimes tied into knot so that it will stay reasonably tight on the rim of a wastebasket. Quite often users will use large rubber bands or bungee cords around the bag top and the wastebasket rim, holding the bag in place. This is cumbersome and time-consuming. The invention herein disclosed and claimed solves this problem. 
         [0004]    The second problem is that, while using an overly large trash bag in any wastebasket, including the ones shown herein, often the tendency is to try to get as much trash in the trash bag as possible, at least in part because of the time and effort involved in getting the rubber band or an equivalent off when using the typical wastebasket, then tying the bag so that the contents will not spill, or having no other trash bags readily available at the moment. This often results in overstuffing the bag, pushing the waste down to compact it so that just a little more can be put in it, resulting in the bag acting much like a seal with the inner wall of the wastebasket, making it more difficult to remove the filled bag. This can also occur concurrently with the first problem, trying to put just a little more trash in, even without trying to overstuff the trash bag. Whether or not the wastebasket is tapered, when the engagement of the wastebasket side wall or was by a plastic bag that has been filled fits very tightly, particularly in the lower half of the trash bag, it likely that the lower part of the bag becomes filled with a higher concentration of heavier waste material, whether or not the material has been pushed downwardly until the bag is absolutely full, and then is pushed downwardly some more to be able to put a little more waste in it. This creates pressure in the bag, particularly the lower section of the bag that is still contained by the wastebasket side wall, and that pressure can cause a forced sealing action between the exterior of the trash bag and the interior side wall of typical wastebasket. This seal is in the form of a broad band of perhaps several inches along the outer circumference of the bag and inner circumference of the side wall and effectively seals the bottom section of the wastebasket below the seal. This sealing action leaves little or no opportunity for air to flow past the bag and into the volume of the wastebasket isolated by the seal, i.e., under the bag and around the lower portion of the bag, as the bag is being pulled out of the wastebasket. Consequently, as the bag is being pulled upwardly out of the wastebasket one finds that the resistance of that seal to let the flow of some outside air to enter and fill the increasing space causes a sub-atmospheric pressure to build in the isolated space which sub-atmospheric pressure must be overcome by more strenuously pulling the bag out or by sliding ones hand between the bag and the sidewall to release the seal. Typically, the trash bag has to be pulled as much as half way or more out of the basket before the seal created along a band area of the bag is released as the upward movement of the bag continues. 
         [0005]    Many wastebaskets are made of a plastic material that has some give in the sidewalls, When these wastebaskets are overstuffed, this is some bulging in the mid-section of the sidewalls; however, there is no give in the stiff, continuous opening or rim of the wastebasket. Consequently, in those instances where the wastebasket does not have or has a minimal outward taper from its bottom to its rim, removal of the overstuffed bag is further compromised by the interference fit between the bag and the rim. Thus, there are several aspects to be addressed with current wastebaskets. First, currently existing wastebaskets are made or materials that are too stiff to allow for overstuffing without creating significant forces or pressures against the interior side wall and also minimize the degree to which it may be overstuffed. Second, there is difficulty in lifting the filled bag, and even greater difficulty in lifting a heavy and also over-filled bag, out of the wastebasket, due in part to the creation of the seal along the bag/interior sidewall interface which isolates the lower section or volume of the wastebasket and creates a partial vacuum as the bag is being pulled out of the wastebasket. 
         [0006]    There have been proposals to put relief openings in the lowest part of the wastebasket or even in its bottom. Other proposals involve making a pipe as a part of the wastebasket that extends upwardly from the wastebasket bottom to its top so that outside air can be taken into the bottom space as the bag is being moved out. The relief openings weaken the bottom and lower part of the basket, and the basket can be standing in just a little water and the bag interior is immediately wetted. Worse, if the bag has liquids that leak from the bag, the liquids will spread out on the floor. The pipes are more costly to make and still must be kept clear of debris, mold, and such that there is always the problem of keeping an open air passage through the pipe. 
         [0007]    The potential, and often real, first problem led to the invention, and then it was recognized that the wastebasket construction herein disclosed and claimed also solved the second problem. 
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    The invention relates to a wastebasket that makes it extremely easy and very simple to put a plastic bag inside the wastebasket, retain the bag in the wastebasket until the now-filled plastic bag needs to be removed, then remove and dispose the waste materials that have been put into that trash bag, and easily install another trash bag. 
         [0009]    The invention also relates to that same wastebasket that will also allow an oversized or expandable trash bag placed in it to expand beyond the normal allowed room for trash bags when packed, and without creating or allowing the formation of a large sealed air space near the bottom of a standard-type wastebasket by the filled trash bag&#39;s pressing against an uninterrupted area to form a seal between the trash bag and the wastebasket. That makes it very difficult to pull the filled or overfilled trash bag out of the wastebasket, making it much easier to remove a filled bag, and also making it easier to place an empty bag back in the wastebasket without trapping air within the wastebasket so that it is difficult to fully open the trash bag from top to bottom, and have the installed trash bag to be fully open throughout its depth for the reception of waste. 
       DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART 
       [0010]    There are systems for retaining plastic trash bags in wastebaskets, such as using a rubber band as noted earner, or bungee cords, or providing clasps to grip the trash bag at its open end, and arrangements where the excess part of the trash bag being installed can have some sharp plastic hooks bunt into the wastebasket over which the trash bag excess part at the bag top is hooked, often making a hole in the trash bag material in doing so, as well as sticking the hand of the installer, because such hooks have sharp ends to pierce the trash bag when their top is pushed over them. Such wastebaskets use trash bags that are larger, at least in circumference, relative to the wastebaskets. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0011]    The invention includes a wastebasket that has one or more, but often just two, openings in the side wall of the wastebasket, These openings may be relatively narrow slots, or wider ones, that extend from the top of the wastebasket near to but still spaced from the bottom of the wastebasket. The side wall (when the wastebasket is round or made like an inverted truncated cone) or was (when the wastebasket is square or rectangular so that there are several was joined together) still retain their shape but allow for some resilient movement in a cantilever manner. The invention employs their plastic memory trait of always trying to return to their free original position when not prevented from doing so. 
         [0012]    There are two types of movement of at least one wastebasket part, and preferably with two or more wastebasket parts, associated with the openings that this construction can accommodate. In the first, the resiliency of the side walls will be used to secure a plastic bag to the top of the wastebasket. Specifically the side wall sections will resiliently resist an inward type of movement, in a cantilever manner, so that the plastic bags whose open end is just slightly smaller in their open circumference than the outside circumference of the wastebasket at the open top of the wastebasket, whether that open top be of a round, partly round or straight-sided, oval, oblong, square, rectangular, or other-shaped multisided wastebasket formed by one or more wastebasket side walls and a bottom connected to the bottom ends of said one or more side walls. The upper ends of the side-wall sections are moved inwardly, toward each other, enough to have the trash bag&#39;s open end pulled over them and hold them within that trash bag open end. When the side wall sections are released, they return part way to their normal free positions, and are retained from moving further by the narrower circumference of the trash bag opening; thus, holding the trash bag in place. 
         [0013]    The second type of movement relates to the holding capacity of the wastebasket. Here, the side walls have their normally free position so that they have the general appearance of the usual wastebaskets; yet, they will also yield to internal, outwardly directed pressures so as to be bent outwardly to some extent. Specifically, at times, the wastebasket may not be emptied in time, and the extra trash put into the trash bag will be somewhat relieved by some outward lateral movement of those side wall areas that are quite dose to the slots or openings, 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]      FIG. 1  is a side elevation view of one wastebasket embodying the invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is another elevation view of another side of the wastebasket of  FIG. 1 , taken in the direction of arrows  1 - 1  of that figure. 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is a view of the top of the wastebasket of  FIG. 1 , taken in the direction of arrows  3 - 3  of that figure. 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is a side elevation view of the wastebasket of  FIG. 1  showing the flexible skies held inward of their normal position by a trash bag having a slightly smaller circumference than the outside circumference of the wastebasket at the opening of the wastebasket. 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  shows the wastebasket of  FIG. 4  after the skies have been released, the was returning to the extent permitted by the trash bag: the trash bag still holding the flexible sides slightly bent inward. 
           [0019]      FIG. 6  shows a modified wastebasket which has downwardly extending openings in the side sections, the openings having parallel sides that are laterally spaced apart. 
           [0020]      FIG. 7  is a top elevation view of the wastebasket of  FIG. 6 . 
           [0021]      FIG. 8  is an elevation view of an alternate embodiment of a wastebasket according to the present invention. 
           [0022]      FIG. 9  is a top elevation view of the wastebasket of  FIG. 8 , taken in the direction of arrows  9 - 9  of that FIGURE. 
           [0023]      FIG. 10  is a side elevation view of the wastebasket shown in  FIG. 1  with a trash bag in place, whish trash bag is usually one that has a larger circumference than the wastebasket, having been overstuffed so much with trash that the sidewall at and near the edges of the vertically extending slot or opening edges have been forced slightly outward in a lateral direction by the pressure of the overstuffed trash bag. 
           [0024]      FIG. 11  is a side elevation view of the overstuffed trash bag and wastebasket of  FIG. 10 , taken in the direction of arrows  11 - 11  of that figure. 
           [0025]      FIG. 12  is a side elevation view of still another wastebasket embodying the invention, showing the downwardly extending slot or opening of a more decorative nature, using a serpentine shape. 
           [0026]      FIG. 13  is a side elevation view of a wastebasket having a different opening presentation that, while extending downward, extends diagonally rather than vertically. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0027]    In any configuration of the wastebasket embodying the invention, such as that shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , there are two or more wastebasket side walls that are separated by the two or more slot-type openings, but more often two, in the side wall, or if more than one in at least one, but more often two, of the side walls. When there is a plurality of openings, they are preferably equally spaced apart along the wastebasket open top, extending downwardly from the wastebasket open top to a low point that is slightly above the wastebasket bottom. If there should be only one such opening, however, the invention can also be practiced, but at times the benefits thereof are not so easily attained. In any event, each such opening will have two generally downward-extending, opposing edges defining the opening so that those edges of each of the openings are parts of two or more side wall sections. There will be one such side wall section for each of the openings, with each of the two or more side wall sections having edges defined by two of the downward openings. 
         [0028]    The side wall sections are made of a plastic that has a plastic memory-recovering characteristic that allows each of them to be sufficiently flexible to have their uppermost ends resistively pushed inwardly toward each other; thereby reducing the effective circumference of the top opening of the wastebasket so that a trash bag open end, preferably one whose open end circumference is smaller than the circumference of the wastebasket in its free position, can be folded outwardly and over the wastebaskets rim. The inwardly moved side wall sections are then released, and each of them immediately exerts an outward force on the trash bag open-end area, but does not move back to its free position because the smaller circumference of the open end of the trash bag, engaged by the upper ends of the side wall sections, successfully resists such movement. The plastic memory forces of the side wall sections are therefore unable to return to their free-position location because their upper ends are surrounded by the unyielding plastic bag&#39;s circumferential open end, and the trash bag is securely retained on the wastebasket rim. 
         [0029]    When the trash bag is to be removed, the two side wall sections are again pressed inwardly until they no longer exert any force on the trash bag open end, and the bag is simply grasped and pulled out of the wastebasket. Because the lower ends of the slots or openings terminate shortly above the trash bottom, preferably at the same position which may be only about two inches above the bottom, air is able to enter below the bag allowing for its ease of removal. That space between the bottom and the lower ends of the openings can be varied considerably, so that any liquid that may have leaked out of the trash bag into the bottom of the wastebasket will still be retained in the bottom of the wastebasket, assuming that it is not in such an unusually large quantity that it would overflow through the openings&#39; lower ends. Such liquids are usually just the remains of the drink in one or more drink containers that have been put into the trash bag. Generally speaking, the point at which the slots or openings terminate above the bottom of the wastebasket is that which is considered sufficient to hold a reasonable volume of such liquids so that it is not spilled out of the wastebasket bottom. If the lower end of one of the openings should be slightly closer to the wastebasket bottom than any other opening end, it will be the one opening end that defines the top of the space that can contain fluid. Additionally, the length of the slots or openings is also important for allowing the desired cantilever action in the sidewalls such that the force or resilience of those side wall sections trying to return to their unfettered positions holds the trash bag in position. 
         [0030]    As noted above, the described configuration makes the removal of the trash bags easier because the pressure, particularly from the forcibly expanded trash bag, is easily relieved as the openings or slots allow for an outward lateral movement of the side walls, i.e., a bulging of the sidewalls about the slots or openings, whether due to the overstuffing of the trash bag or manual application of force, which will lessen the grip that the wastebasket has on the side of the trash bag, especially when the trash bag open end is no longer held by the side walls. Additionally, the slots or openings allow air to enter into the space in the lower section of the wastebasket, below the bottom of the trash bag, thereby relieving the momentary sub-atmospheric pressure created in the space between the wastebasket bottom and the bottom of the relatively full trash bag as it is being removed. Here, once the bottom of the trash bag being removed passes the lower end of the slots or openings, if not before, the space that did have some temporary sub-atmospheric air is immediately fully open to the atmosphere and thus no longer has any sub-atmospheric air pressure that resists removal of the trash bag. Furthermore, the slots or openings facilitate the overstuffing of the trash bags as the force of the trash against the sidewalls will allow an expansion of the openings and, hence expansion of the bag in the wastebasket. 
         [0031]    The slots or openings may be of several different shapes. For example, they may be shaped with an artistic effect rather than being just straight vertical slots or openings. There may be only one such slot or opening, but it is preferred that there be two or more such slots or openings so that there are two or more side walls acting on the trash bag to hold the trash bag in place as earlier described. Likewise, when the same side walls are being forced further outward from their free position, a bag therein that is being stuffed would not very likely act on just one side of the waste basket, but probably on each side of the slot or opening. This then allows for the wastebasket to bulge a bit about the openings or slots while the others part of the wastebasket do not yield to bulging caused by the pressure when pushing the trash down to make a little more room in the wastebasket. It is also contemplated, as part of the invention, to provide stiffening at or near the edges of the wastebasket formed by the slots or openings so that the strips of wastebasket siding do not move easily outward beyond a reasonable limit. Other means may also be used to resist, or at times even prevent, much outward movements of the wastebasket strips or side walls that are between the slots or openings. 
         [0032]    The wastebasket  10  of  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  3  has a rectangular shape, as seen while looking downwardly at the top of that wastebasket, and is so shown in  FIG. 2 . Wastebasket  10  has a side wall  12 , a bottom  14 , and a top opening  16  which is of the same shape as the bottom  14  but is larger so that the interior  18  of the wastebasket tapers inwardly from the top opening  16  to the bottom  14 . Wastebasket  10  is shown as having two sots or openings, one opening  20  being in the section  22  of the side wall  12  and the other opening  24  in the section  26  of the side wall  15  which is opposite to the side wall section  22 . The other sections  28  and  30  of the side was  12  and  15  have no openings. In this arrangement, the openings  20  and  24  have diverging sides  34 , with the bottom  27  of the openings being semi-circular. In the position shown, the side wall sections  28  and  30  are seen here on either side of the opening  20 , with the opening  24  being behind the opening  20 . These side walls  28  and  30 , respectively, are connected with the parts of the section  26  of side wall  12  and other parts of the section  26  of the side wall  15 , so that those side walls  28  and  30 , and their respective sections of side walls  12  and  15  are integral, and can be flexed to an adequate extent either inwardly or outwardly of their free position shown, i.e., towards or away from each other from the free position as shown in  FIG. 1 . It is to be understood that the wastebaskets shown herein are all made of a relatively flexible plastic material that has a strong plastic memory to try to return to their free position when they are forced to be resiliently moved inwardly or outwardly against sufficient force urging them inwardly or outwardly. 
         [0033]    The top opening  16  and the two openings  20  and  24  have an outwardly extending structure or rim  32 , made as a bead or a planar part, outlining them and extending outwardly from the side wall sections  22 ,  26 ,  28 , and  30 , and the openings  20  and  24 . The portions of structure  32  that are at the top of the side sections  28  and  30  may be extended outwardly to provide handles for lifting the wastebasket, as needed, as shown in  FIG. 3 . The structure also acts as a stiffening member that resists bending and movements of the parts that would be more likely to bend and move when the wastebasket is substantially full of trash. Depending upon the flexibility of the material of which the wastebasket is made, some excess flexibility usually will require stiffening by the beaded edging all along the openings  20 , as shown. Other less flexible materials of which the wastebasket is made may dispense with some or even all of the beaded edging along the openings  20 . 
         [0034]      FIG. 4  shows the use of the invention in making it very easy to install and remove trash bags into and out of wastebaskets. As earlier noted, the wastebasket shown is the wastebasket  10  of  FIG. 1 , but the arrangement also applies to other wastebasket arrangements, including those of  FIGS. 2 through 8 . The only requirement for this use is the provision of trash bags  50  that are slightly smaller in circumference, particularly at the area of their open ends  52 , than the inner circumference of the rim  32  that is located at the top opening  16  of the wastebasket  10 . Each trash bag  50  should also be somewhat longer than the depth of the wastebasket, so that its bottom  54  can engage, or be quite near to, the bottom of the wastebasket while a part of its open end area can be placed over the wastebasket rim and down its outer side, or may extend longer down the outside of the wastebasket.  FIG. 5  shows the wastebasket  10  and the plastic bag  50  in position, ready to receive trash, with the bag&#39;s being secured at its top and the main part of the bag well inside the wastebasket  10 . 
         [0035]    The wastebasket  110  of  FIG. 6  also has a rectangular shape as seen while looking downwardly at the top of that wastebasket, as shown in  FIG. 7 . Wastebasket  110  has a side wall  112 , a bottom  114  and a top opening  116  which is of the same shape as the bottom  114  but is larger so that the interior  118  of the wastebasket tapers downwardly and inwardly from the top opening  116 . Wastebasket  110  is shown as having two slots or openings, one opening  120  being in the section  122  of the side wall  112  and the other opening  124  in the section  129  of the side wall  112  which is opposite to the section  122 . The other sections  128  and  130  of the side wall  112  have no openings like the openings  120  and  124 . In this arrangement, the openings  120  and  124  have parallel sides  134 , with the bottom  126  of the openings being semi-circular. 
         [0036]    The top opening  116  and the two openings  120  and  124  have an outwardly extending structure or rim  132  made as a bead or a planar part outlining them and extending outwardly from the side wall sections  122 ,  128 ,  129  and  130 , and the openings  120  and  124 . Portions of structure  132  that are at the top of the side sections  129  and  130  are extended outwardly and may provide handles for lifting the wastebasket, as needed. The structure also acts as a stiffening member that resists bending and movements of the parts that would be more likely to bend and move when the wastebasket is substantially full of trash. 
         [0037]    The structure or rim  132  is somewhat eider than the structure of rim  32  of  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  3  and is rolled so as to form a tubular opening  135 . Opposite ends  136  and  138  of a sliding rod  140  extend into those tubular openings across the top of the openings  120  and  124 . The rod is spring-loaded to normally have the position shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , and may be moved sufficiently to latch it in place so that the openings  120  and  124  are not blocked, and can allow somewhat freer movements of the sections  122  and  128  than is avowed when the rod  140  is in its latched position, as shown in  FIG. 6 and 7 . 
         [0038]    The wastebasket  210  of  FIGS. 8 and 9  is round in shape as seen while looking downwardly at the top of that wastebasket, as shown in  FIG. 9 . Wastebasket  210  has a circular side wall  212 , a round bottom  214  and a round top opening  216  which is of the same shape as the bottom  214  but is larger so that the interior  218  of the wastebasket conically tapers downwardly from the top opening  216 . Wastebasket  210  is shown as having four slots or openings  220 ,  222 ,  224  and  226 . These openings are positioned in the side wall  212  at 90° intervals, as is best seen in  FIG. 9 . 
         [0039]    The top opening  216  and the four openings  220 ,  222 ,  224 , and  226  have an outwardly extending structure or rim  232 , made as a bead or a planar part, outlining the openings and extending outwardly from the side walls at the lower parts of the openings  220 ,  222 ,  224  and  226 . These structures also act as a stiffening member that resists bending and movements of the parts that would be more likely to bend and move when the wastebasket is substantially full of trash. 
         [0040]    In one general configuration, as shown in  FIGS. 1-3 ,  6 ,  7 , and  10 - 13 , there are two or more wastebasket side walls that are separated by the two or more slot-type openings in at least one of the side wall or walls, and when being a plurality of openings being preferably equally spaced apart at the wastebasket open top, extending downwardly from the wastebasket open top to a low point that is slightly above the wastebasket bottom. If there should be only one such opening, however, the invention can also be practiced, but not as easily. In any event, each such opening will have two generally downward-extending edges defining the opening so that those edges of each of the openings are parts of two or more side wall sections. There will be one such side wall section for each of the openings, with each of the two or more side wall sections  28  and  30  having edges defined by two of the generally downwardly extending openings. The side wall sections are made of a plastic material that has a plastic memory-recovering characteristic that allows each of them to be sufficiently flexible to have their uppermost ends resistively pushed inwardly toward each other, reducing the effective circumference of the top opening  16 ,  116 , etc,, of the wastebasket and the trash bag open end  52  is just folded outwardly and over the wastebasket&#39;s rim  32 ,  132 , etc. The inwardly moved side wall sections are then released and each of them immediately exerts an outward force on the trash bag open end area  52 , but do not move back to their free position because of the smaller circumference of the open end  52  of the trash bag  50 . Their plastic memory forces are therefore unable to be allowed to return to their free-position location because their upper ends are surrounded by the unyielding plastic bag&#39;s circumferential open end  52 , and the trash bag  50  is securely retained on the rim of the wastebasket. When the trash bag  50  is to be removed, the two side wall sections  28  and  30  are again pressed inwardly unto they no longer exert any force on the trash bag open end, and the bag is simply grasped and pulled out of the wastebasket. 
         [0041]    Because the lower ends  26 , 126 , etc., of the slots or openings terminate shortly above the bottom  14 ,  114 , etc. of the wastebasket, preferably only about two inches, although that can be varied considerably, any liquid that may have leaked out of the trash bag  50  into the bottom of the wastebasket will still be retained in the bottom of the wastebasket. This assumes, of course, that the quantity of liquid is not such an unusually large quantity that would overflow through the openings&#39; lower ends and that the bottom of the trash bag has leaked. Typically, this liquid is just the remains of the drink in one or a few drink containers that have been put into the trash bag. Generally speaking, the height of the terminal ends  26 ,  126 , etc., of the slots or openings is that which is considered sufficient to hold a reasonable volume of liquids so that it does not spill out of the wastebasket bottom. 
         [0042]      FIGS. 10 and 11  show the wastebasket  310 , which is the same as the wastebasket  10  of  FIG. 1 , with some trash  340  having been stuffed downwardly into a plastic bag  342  that had been earlier inserted into the wastebasket  310 . Usually, the trash bag  342  is larger that the wastebasket  310  when persons tend to try to stuff more waste material into the bag. The relatively larger bag  342  also has an excess of material defining its opening, and this excess material is just gathered up or is tied with a knot to make it fit the top opening of the wastebasket  310 . These figures show a wastebasket in which the trash had been pushed and stuffed into the plastic trash bag  342 , with the lower part of the trash bag being filled even more densely near the wastebasket bottom  314 , and still some trash  340  sticking up over the top of the wastebasket  310 . 
         [0043]    Although the description the wastebasket  10  of  FIGS. 1 ,  2 , and  3  is most frequently referred to, it is to be understood that this description of  FIGS. 10 and 11  generally relates to all of the wastebaskets shown in the drawings. When the plastic trash bag  342  was inserted into the top opening of wastebasket  310 , or in any of the disclosed wastebaskets  10 ,  110 , or  210 , it can he moved downwardly more easily without any trapped air being under it because of the openings  20  and  24 ,  120  and  124 ,  220  and  224 , and  320 ,  322 ,  324 , and  326 . If necessary, the person putting it in can reach into at least the upper part of one of those openings and guide or pull the bottom of the trash bag  342  to be sure that it is down sufficiently and fitted at least dose to the interior wall of the sections of the basket side wall. It is also a usual practice to place both hands into an opened plastic trash hag  342  and keep them there, spread apart to keep the trash bag reasonably open. After the bag has been inserted into the wastebasket, hands spread the trash bag out so that little air is trapped under it, within the wastebasket  310 . Even then, there is still some air trapped under the trash bag. As the trash is put into the trash bag, the bag fills up, and it will begin to engage the interior surfaces of the side sections  322 ,  326 ,  328 , and  330  or the equivalent side sections of any of the other disclosed wastebaskets, or a standard type of wastebasket having no means provided particularly for this purpose. When the trash  340  is pushed further into the trash bag  342 , it will cause there to be some pressure on the wastebasket inner was  318 . When that pressure builds up throughout the trash bag, the portions of the sides  322 ,  326 ,  328  and  330  will fed the pressure. 
         [0044]    In contrast, a wastebasket having a solid bottom and side wads has no ability to compensate for the pressure build up which only increases as more and more trash is added: here the only things that try to yield to the pressure are the trash and the trash bag that is inside the wastebasket. In that situation, the trash bag, particularly the lower part of the trash bag, becomes pressed against the wastebasket inner wall making it difficult to extract the bag from the wastebasket. In particular, lower portion of the trash bag forms and air tight band with the inner wall of the wastebasket with a high pressure or force against the inner wall of the wastebasket that strongly resists any removal of the full trash bag. Additionally, as one tries to remove the overstuffed trash hag, no air is able to bypass the trash bag such that a sub-atmospheric condition is created in the lower portion of the wastebasket beneath the trash bag, making it further difficult to extract the trash bag. 
         [0045]    When using a wastebasket in accordance with the invention herein disclosed and claimed, that pressure can become sufficient to cause the wall sections  22  and  26 ,  122  and  126 ,  222  and  226 , or  322  and  326 , to move outwardly, yielding to that inside force caused by tightly stuffing trash into the trash bag and the wastebasket itself. This is shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 . This yielding action lessens the pressure of the filled trash bag against the inner wall of the wastebasket, making its removal easier. Also, because the slot allows for the inflow of air, the sub-atmospheric pressure that was in the bottom of the wastebasket is likewise release, if it forms at all. Thus, when an overstuffed trash bag is being lifted out of the wastebasket, it will have less resistance to such movement at the beginning, and as soon as even a part of the trash bag clears the lowest part of the openings and can be lifted out much more easily. This advantage can even be felt when the trash bag is fairly full but has not been overstuffed. 
         [0046]    While the disclosures in  FIGS. 1 through 11  only show openings or slots having straight sides, either diverging or parallel, it is within the purview of the invention to provide one or more openings similar to those openings at a diagonal angle to the vertical, curved, Serpentine or sinuous, or even straight but zigzagged. Alternatively, they may employ a combination of any two or more of these shapes. The shapes of such openings may include artistic effects. Some of such openings may be in combination with a scene so that it appears that a part of the scene has moved when the part of the wastebasket defining the openings moves in response to being stuffed or overstuffed with trash, as shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 . Even so, any such openings are considered to be equivalent to those shown when they function in the same manner when the wastebaskets are filled, and even more so when they function in the manner set forth when the wastebaskets are overstuffed. FIGURES  12  and  13  show two of such samples. The wastebasket  410 , shown in  FIG. 12 , has an opening  412  that extends downwardly, but is sinuous or serpentine in shape. The wastebasket  510  in  FIG. 13  shows an opening  512  that extends downwardly, but is diagonally positioned relative to the upper edge of the sidewall.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1