Patent ID: 8070006

Claim:
A disposable, deployable, collapsible waste container assembly comprising: an interior frame support structure comprising: a base being planar and substantially stiff; a top ring defining an upper opening, the top ring being substantially stiff; a foldable unitary, monolithic support member having a length, a width, a top end connected to the top ring, a bottom end connected to the base, and a middle portion extending between the top and bottom end, the support member extending continuously between the base and the top ring; an exterior enclosure surrounding the interior frame support structure, the exterior enclosure being flexible, collapsible, and substantially liquid impervious, the exterior enclosure comprising: a closed bottom portion; an open top portion; a circumferential sidewall extending continuously along the support member and between the closed bottom portion and the open top portion; wherein the top ring and the top end of the support member of the interior frame support structure are connected to the open top portion of the exterior enclosure and the base and the bottom end of the support member of the interior frame support structure are connected to the closed bottom portion of the exterior enclosure; a deployed assembly configuration where: the interior frame support structure is free-standing and the support member is deployed in a substantially straight, extended, and unfolded arrangement, extending along a longitudinal axis, the support member having an arcuate, concave cross-sectional shape enabling the support member to support axial loads and to resist bending at the middle portion until a threshold force is exceeded; the top ring is spaced apart from the base by the support member with the top ring parallel to the base, the circumferential sidewall deployed along the longitudinal axis and extending along the support member between the top ring and the base, the upper opening of the top ring provides waste disposal access to an interior defined by the exterior enclosure; a collapsed assembly configuration where: the interior frame support structure is collapsed and the support member is in a folded arrangement, the support member being folded in half across the length of the support member and at the middle portion, the top end folded upon the bottom end and the top end positioned directly adjacent to the bottom end, the support member having a flattened profile at the middle portion different from the arcuate, concave cross-sectional shape: the top ring is parallel and adjacent to the base and the circumferential sidewall is collapsed between the top ring and the base.