Patent Document

1. RELATED CASES  
       [0001]     This is a continuation of co-pending application Ser. No. 10/609,076, filed Jun. 27, 2003, which is in turn a continuation-in-part of co-pending Ser. No. 10/131,430, filed Apr. 24, 2002, entitled “Trash Can Assembly”, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated by this reference as though set forth fully herein. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     2. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The present invention relates to household items, and in particular, to a trash can assembly that incorporates a number of improvements and enhancements.  
         [0004]     3. Description of the Prior Art  
         [0005]     A major concern for both the home and the workplace is containing and holding wastes, refuse, and trash until permanent disposal. Trash cans act as containers for holding trash and other wastes that are produced in any typical home or office. Trash and garbage cans often employ lids and covers to contain the trash and its associated odor, to hide the trash from view, and to prevent the trash from contaminating areas beyond the lid.  
         [0006]     Conventional trash cans have been improved over the years to make them more user-friendly, sanitary, and hygienic. For example, many trash cans are now provided with a foot pedal positioned adjacent the base of the trash can so that a user can step on the foot pedal to open the lid of the trash can, thereby freeing up the user&#39;s hands to deposit trash, or to change the plastic liner or bag that is used to line the trash can. Other trash cans have even provided an interior metal or plastic liner that fits inside the trash can, and which can be removed to be washed. However, these conventional trash cans still suffer from a number of drawbacks.  
         [0007]     For example, the foot pedals on some of the conventional trash cans are noisy to use. In particular, stepping on a foot pedal of a conventional trash can often results in a loud banging noise as the lid is opened, and releasing the step on the foot pedal will also result in another loud banging noise as the lid slams shut under the force of gravity. These banging actions also result in wear and tear to the contacting parts.  
         [0008]     Other problems are associated with the internal liner. In conventional trash cans that use an internal liner, the user typically needs to remove the internal liner from the trash can to dispose of the contents therein. To do so, the user typically lifts the internal liner from the trash can, and this may result in the user gripping portions of the surfaces of the internal liner (or a trash bag that lines the internal liner), so that the user&#39;s fingers may come into contact with dirt, germs or trash items. In many of the conventional trash cans, there are no good ways to grip and hold the internal liner without the user&#39;s fingers actually contacting the surface of the trash bag that lines the internal liner, or the surface of the internal liner itself.  
         [0009]     Thus, there remains a need for a trash can that overcomes the drawbacks identified above.  
       SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE  
       [0010]     It is an object of the present invention to provide a trash can assembly that reduces noise and wear when the step pedal is actuated to open and close the lid.  
         [0011]     It is another object of the present invention to provide a trash can assembly that allows the user to remove an internal liner in a sanitary manner.  
         [0012]     It is yet another object of the present invention to reduce the metal-to-metal grinding of moving parts in a trash can assembly so as to improve the durability and performance of the trash can assembly.  
         [0013]     It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a trash can assembly which has a plurality of separate inner liners.  
         [0014]     In order to accomplish the objects of the present invention, there is provided a trash can assembly that has a shell having an enclosing wall. The assembly has a lid fitted over the top end of the shell, a pedal positioned adjacent the bottom end of the shell, a link assembly coupling the pedal and the lid, and a motion damper coupled to the link assembly for slowing the closing motion of the lid.  
         [0015]     In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, the assembly can also include an inner liner that is retained inside the shell, the inner liner having a peripheral lip, and a support frame secured to the top end of the shell, the support frame having a ridge on which the lip of the inner liner rests, and with the support frame further including a groove adjacent the inner liner.  
         [0016]     In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, two or more inner liners can be provided inside the shell.  
         [0017]     In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, the lid is pivotably connected to the upper edge of the outer shell by a connector which has a sleeve that is coupled to the upper edge of the outer shell, a non-metal tube that is positioned inside the sleeve, and a shaft received inside the bore of the tube.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0018]      FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of a trash can assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0019]      FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional side view of the trash can assembly of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0020]      FIG. 3  is a side plan view of the trash can assembly of  FIG. 1  shown without the outer shell.  
         [0021]      FIG. 4  is a rear view of the trash can assembly of  FIG. 1  shown without the outer shell.  
         [0022]      FIG. 5  is an enlarged cross-sectional side view of the base of the trash can assembly of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0023]      FIG. 6  is a bottom plan view of the trash can assembly of  FIG. 1  shown without the outer shell.  
         [0024]      FIG. 7  is an enlarged top perspective view of the upper part of the trash can assembly of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0025]      FIG. 8  is an enlarged view of the area labeled X in  FIG. 7 .  
         [0026]      FIG. 9  is an isolated perspective view of a motion damper that can be used with the assembly of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0027]      FIG. 10  is an enlarged top perspective view of the upper part of the trash can assembly of  FIG. 1  illustrating a modification made thereto.  
         [0028]      FIG. 11  is an exploded isolated perspective view of one lid portion and tube of the trash can assembly of  FIG. 10 .  
         [0029]      FIG. 12  is an enlarged isolated view of a portion of the tube and shaft piece of the trash can assembly of  FIG. 10 .  
         [0030]      FIG. 13  is an enlarged isolated view of one top corner of the trash can assembly of  FIG. 10 .  
         [0031]      FIG. 14  is a cross-sectional view of the tube and a lid portion of the trash can assembly in  FIG. 10 .  
         [0032]      FIG. 15  illustrates the provision of a washer between the bracket and the upper hooked end of the lifting rod.  
         [0033]      FIG. 16  is a perspective view of the trash can assembly of  FIG. 1  showing the provision of two separate inner liners.  
         [0034]      FIG. 17  is a top plan view of the trash can assembly of  FIG. 1  showing the provision of two separate inner liners.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0035]     The following detailed description is of the best presently contemplated modes of carrying out the invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating general principles of embodiments of the invention. The scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims. In certain instances, detailed descriptions of well-known devices and mechanisms are omitted so as to not obscure the description of the present invention with unnecessary detail.  
         [0036]      FIGS. 1-9  illustrate one embodiment of a trash can assembly  20  according to the present invention. The assembly  20  has an outer shell  22  and an inner liner  24  that is adapted to be retained inside the outer shell  22 .  
         [0037]     The outer shell  22  is a four-sided shell that has four side walls, including a front wall  42 . It is also possible to provide the outer shell  22  in a generally cylindrical, oval or egg shape. The inner liner  24  can have the same, or different, shape as the outer shell  22 . The lid is made up of two separate lid portions  26  and  28  that are split at about the center of the outer shell  22 , each of which is hingedly connected to an upper support frame  130  (see  FIG. 7 ) along a top side edge of the outer shell  22  in a manner such that the lid portions  26 ,  28  pivot away from each other (see arrows AA in  FIG. 4 ) when they are opened. The outer shell  22  and its lid portions  26  and  28  can be made of a solid and stable material, such as a metal. The upper support frame  130  can be secured to the opened top of the outer shell  22 , and can be provided in a separate material (e.g., plastic) from the outer shell  22 . Each lid portion  26 ,  28  has a side edge  30  that has a sleeve  32  extending along the side edge  30 . A shaft (not shown) is retained inside the sleeve  32  and has opposing ends that are secured to one side edge of the upper support frame  130 , so that the lid portion  26 ,  28  can pivot about an axis defined by the shaft and its corresponding sleeve  32 . An L-shaped bracket  34  is secured at the rear end of each lid portion  26 ,  28 . One leg of the bracket  34  is secured to the underside of the lid portion  26 ,  28 , and the other leg of the bracket  34  has an opening  40  that is adapted to receive an upper hooked end  36  of a corresponding lifting rod  38 .  
         [0038]     In addition, a toe-kick recess  44  can be provided on the outer shell  22  adjacent the base  46  of the outer shell  22 , and is adapted to receive a foot pedal  48  that is pivotably secured to a pedal bar  60  in the base  46 . The toe-kick recess  44  can be formed as part of the base  46 , and the outer shell  22  would define a curved cut-out to receive the recess  44 . The curved cut-out in the shell  22  can be made by first cutting out a properly sized and configured hole in the body of the outer shell  22 , and then inserting a plastic curved panel that defines the actual recess  44 . The recess  44  extends into the interior confines of the outer shell  22  (as defined by the periphery of the outer shell  22 ). The recess  44  also extends upwardly for a short distance from the base  46 . The pedal bar  60  is made of a material (e.g., metal) that carries some weight, and extends from the foot pedal  48  along the base  46  and is then pivotably coupled to the lifting rods  38  that extend upwardly along the rear of the outer shell  22  to connect the lid portions  26 ,  28 . The pedal bar  60  and the lifting rods  38  operate to translate an up-down pivot motion of the pedal  48  to an up-down pivot motion for the lid portions  26 ,  28 . Each of these components will be described in greater detail hereinbelow.  
         [0039]     Referring now to  FIGS. 3-6 , the base  46  of the outer shell  22  has a raised or domed base panel  52  and a skirt or flange portion  50  that extends from the base panel  52 . In one embodiment of the present invention, the base panel  52 , the skirt  50  and the recess  44  can be formed in one plastic piece. The pedal bar  60  is retained under the base panel  52  and inside the skirt  50 . The pedal bar  60  has two short side walls  64 . The front of the pedal bar  60  is attached to the pedal  48 , and the rear of the pedal bar  60  has two opposite holes  62 . One of the holes  62  is provided on each of the two opposing side walls  64 , and each hole  62  receives a lower hooked end  66  of a corresponding lifting rod  38 . A fulcrum rod  68  extends through the two side walls  64  of the pedal bar  60  at a location that is closer to the front of the pedal bar  60  than the rear of the pedal bar  60 . Thus, the pedal bar  60  can be pivoted about a pivot axis defined by the fulcrum rod  68 . In particular, the pedal bar  60  can be pivoted between two positions, a first rest position as shown in  FIG. 2  where the pedal  48  is at a vertically higher position than the rear of the pedal bar  60 , and a second open position (where the lid portions  26 ,  28  are opened) as shown in  FIG. 5  where the pedal  48  is pressed to a vertically lower position than the rear of the pedal bar  60 .  
         [0040]     Thus, the fulcrum rod  68  is positioned at a location that is closer to the front of the pedal bar  60  than the rear of the pedal bar  60  so that the portion of the pedal bar  60  that is rearward of the fulcrum rod  68  would be greater (and therefore heavier) than the portion of the pedal bar  60  that is forward of the pedal bar  60 , thereby causing the rear of the pedal bar  60  to be at a vertically lower position than the pedal  48  when in the rest position of  FIG. 2 .  
         [0041]     As shown in  FIG. 5 , the base panel  52  defines a recessed region  70  with a soft material  72  (e.g., a foam sponge) secured below the recessed region  70 . The recessed region  70  acts as a stop member in that it prevents the rear of the pedal bar  60  from being raised to a vertical level that exceeds the vertical position of the recessed region  70 , as shown in  FIG. 5 . The soft material  72  therefore functions as a noise and contact absorber so that there will be minimal noise and wear on the pedal bar  60  when it contacts the recessed region  70 .  
         [0042]     In many applications, given the dimensions of the base  46 , it will be difficult to first position the pedal bar  60  inside the base  46  and then attempt to fit a lengthy fulcrum rod inside the base  46  and insert the fulcrum rod through the pedal bar  60 . Therefore, the present invention provides a novel method for securing the fulcrum rod  68  in its desired position with respect to the base  46  and the pedal bar  60 . First, referring to  FIG. 6 , the base panel  52  is provided with a column  74  that extends vertically downwardly from the base panel  52 , and the column  74  has a horizontal bore (not shown) that opens towards the center of the base  46 . Next, the fulcrum rod  68  is extended through opposing and aligned openings in the two side walls  64  so that the two opposing ends  76 ,  78  of the fulcrum rod  68  extend beyond the side walls  64 . In the next step, the pedal bar  60  and the fulcrum rod  68  are positioned inside the base panel  52 , with one end  76  of the fulcrum rod  68  positioned inside the bore of the column  74 . The other end  78  of the fulcrum rod  68  has a flat configuration with a hole (not shown), so that a screw  80  can be threaded through the hole in the end  78  to secure the fulcrum rod  68  to the base panel  52 .  
         [0043]     A pair of springs  84  and  86  are provided to normally bias the lid portions  26 ,  28  to the closed position shown in  FIG. 2 . Referring to  FIGS. 2-4 , each spring  84 ,  86  has a first end  90  that is secured to the base panel  52 , and a second end  92  that is secured to a bent portion  94  of one of the lifting rods  38 . Thus, when the assembly  20  is not experiencing any external forces (i.e., it is in the closed position), the springs  84 ,  86  will normally bias the lifting rods  38  in the downward vertical direction, thereby causing the lid portions  26 ,  28  to be closed. The springs  84 ,  86  also prevent the lower hooked ends  66  from becoming disengaged from the rear of the pedal bar  60 , and takes out any slack in the linkage involving the lifting rods  38 .  
         [0044]     The assembly  20  provides a motion damper  96  that functions to dampen the closing motion of the lid portions  26 ,  28  so that the lid portions  26 ,  28  can close slowly and not experience a hard slamming motion. The motion damper  96  is illustrated in greater detail in  FIG. 9 , and can be embodied in the form of the “Rotary Motion Damper” sold by ITW Delpro of Frankfort, Ill., although other known and conventional motion dampers can be utilized without departing from the scope of the present invention. The motion damper  96  has a toothed bar  98  with a row of teeth  100  positioned along a side thereof. One end of the toothed bar  98  has a pair of aligned openings  102 . A platform  104  has a pair of guides  106  that receive the toothed bar  98 . A toothed damping wheel  108  is carried on the platform  104  and is adapted to engage the teeth  100  on the toothed bar  98  as the platform  104  experiences relative movement in both directions (see arrows A and B) along the toothed bar  98 . Assuming that the damping wheel  108  remains stationary, when the toothed bar  98  moves in the direction B, the damping wheel  108  does not offer any resistance so the toothed bar  98  can move smoothly and quickly in the direction B. However, when the toothed bar  98  moves in the direction A, the damping wheel  108  does offer resistance so the toothed bar  98  can only move very slowly in the direction A. The motion damper  96  is positioned in the interior of the outer shell  22 , and is secured to both the base panel  52  and the pedal bar  60 . In particular, the platform  104  has a connecting element  110  that is secured to a bracket (not shown) in the base panel  52 . The bracket can be secured to the base panel  52  by a screw  116  as shown in  FIG. 2 . In addition, the end of the toothed bar  98  with the aligned openings  102  extends through an opening in the base panel  52 , and a damping rod  112  secured to the pedal bar  60  extends through the openings  102  (see  FIGS. 5 and 6 ) to couple the toothed bar  98  to the pedal bar  60 . Thus, the platform  104  of the motion damper  96  is essentially fixed at a stationary position with respect to the base panel  52 , and the toothed bar  98  can be moved up or down (i.e., in the directions B or A) as the rear end of the pedal bar  60  is pivoted up or down by the pedal  48 .  
         [0045]     The operation of the trash can assembly  20  will now be described. When the assembly  20  is not in use, the lid portions  26 ,  28  are normally closed as shown in  FIG. 2 . At this position, the springs  84  and  86  are relaxed and do not exert any bias. To open the lid portions  26 ,  28 , the user steps on the pedal  48 , which pivots the pedal bar  60  about the fulcrum rod  68  with the pedal  48  moving vertically downward, and the rear end of the pedal bar  60  being pivoted vertically upwardly. The soft material  72  provides a buffer or absorber to minimize any noise that may be caused by the pedal bar  60  contacting the recessed region  70 . As shown in  FIGS. 3-5  and  7 - 8 , the rear end of the pedal bar  60  pushes the lifting rods  38  upwardly, so that the lifting rods  38  will push the lid portions  26 ,  28  open about the pivoting of the shafts in the sleeves  32 . The lid portions  26 ,  28  will pivot away from each other to expose the top of the of the outer shell  22 . Simultaneously, the damping rod  112  will push the toothed bar  98  upwardly (i.e., in the direction B in  FIG. 9 ). As described above, the damping wheel  108  will not offer any resistance to the movement of the toothed bar  98 , so the entire lifting motion of the rear of the pedal bar  60  and the lifting rods  38  will be smooth and relatively quick. At this opened position, the springs  84  and  86  are stretched and therefore biased. As long as the user maintains his or her step on the pedal  48 , the bias of the springs  84 ,  86  is overcome, the rear of the pedal bar  60  will remain in the position shown in  FIG. 5 , and the lid portions  26 ,  28  will remain opened.  
         [0046]     When the user releases the pedal  48 , the combined weight of the pedal bar  60  (i.e., a pulling force) and the lid portions  26 ,  28  (i.e., pushing forces), as well as gravity and the natural bias of the springs  84 ,  86 , will cause the lid portions  26 ,  28  will pivot downwardly to their closed positions. In other words, the lifting rods  38 , the toothed bar  98  and the pedal bar  60  will all experience a downward motion. In this regard, the fact that the fulcrum rod  68  is positioned closer to the pedal  48  (i.e., the front of the pedal bar  60 ) means that the rear of the pedal bar  60  is actually heavier, and will exert a force to aid in pulling the lifting rods  38  down in a vertical direction. However, the damping wheel  108  will resist the downward vertical movement (i.e., in the direction of arrow A in  FIG. 9 ) of the toothed bar  98 , so the entire downward motion of the rear of the pedal bar  60  and the lifting rods  38  will be slowed. By slowing this downward motion of the pedal bar  60  and the lifting rods  38 , the lid portions  26 ,  28  will close slowly, and the pedal bar  60  will be lowered slowly, all to avoid any annoying loud slamming actions or noises.  
         [0047]     Referring now to  FIGS. 2 and 7 , the upper support frame  130  has a border shoulder  132  that extends along its inner periphery which is adapted to receive the upper lip  140  of the inner liner  24  so that the inner liner  24  can be suspended on the shoulder  132  inside the outer shell  22  during use. The support frame  130  has opposing ends  134  and  136 , with a scalloped groove  138  formed in each end  134 ,  136 . The scalloped grooves  138  allow the user to insert his or her fingers into the grooves  138  under the upper lip of the inner liner  24  to lift the inner liner  24  from the interior of the outer shell  24  when the lid portions  26 ,  28  are opened. This provides a convenient way for the user to remove the inner liner  24  from the outer shell  22 , without requiring the user to grab or grip unnecessarily large portions of the inner liner  24 . The hinged connection of the lid portions  26 ,  28  to the upper support frame  130  shown in  FIG. 7  can be modified as shown in  FIGS. 10-14 . In  FIG. 7 , each lid portion  26 ,  28  has a metal shaft that is retained in a sleeve  32  and has opposing ends that are secured to the upper support frame  130  in a manner such that the corresponding lid portion  26  or  28  can pivot about an axis defined by the shaft and the sleeve  32 . The sleeve  32  can be formed by curling part of the edge of the metal lid portion  26 ,  28  in a manner that leaves a longitudinal opening along the length of the sleeve  32  between the outermost edge of the sleeve  32  and the lid portion  26 ,  28 . This curling is best illustrated in  FIG. 14  in connection with the sleeve  32   a.  The metal shaft can be retained inside this sleeve  32 . Unfortunately, the metal-on-metal contact between the shaft and the sleeve  32  causes wear and tear, and result in the generation of squeaky noises when the shaft pivots inside the sleeve  32 . In addition, after extended use, food, dust and other waste matter may enter the interior of the sleeve  32  via the longitudinal opening, which may impede the pivoting motion of the shaft inside the sleeve  32 .  
         [0048]     The present invention provides a modified connection in  FIGS. 10-14  that overcomes these drawbacks. The same numeral designations will be used to designate the same elements in  FIGS. 7 and 10 - 14 , except that an “a” will be added to the designations in  FIGS. 10-14 . In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 10-14 , the metal shaft  200  is retained inside a non-metal (e.g., plastic) tube  202 , which is in turn retained inside the sleeve  32   a,  as best shown in  FIG. 14 . The tube  202  has a generally cylindrical configuration with a protruding edge  204  extending along the length of the tube  202 . The protruding edge  204  is configured as a somewhat rectangular block that is adapted to fit snugly into the longitudinal opening of the sleeve  32   a,  thereby blocking the longitudinal opening and preventing dust and particles from entering the interior of the sleeve  32   a.  As best shown in  FIG. 14 , the tube  202  does not completely fill up the interior space of the sleeve  32   a.    
         [0049]     The tube  202  has an interior bore  206  through which two separate shaft pieces  208  can be inserted. Both shaft pieces  208  can be identical in construction, with one provided at each of the opposing ends of the tube  202 . The shaft pieces  208  can be made from metal. As best shown in  FIG. 12 , each shaft piece  208  has a smaller-diameter inner section  210  and a larger-diameter outer section  212 . The inner section  210  is inserted into the bore  206  at one end of the tube  202 , and the outer section  212  has a larger diameter to ensure that part of the shaft piece  208  remains outside the bore  206 .  
         [0050]     To assemble the lid portion  26 ,  28 , the user or manufacturer first inserts the tube  202  into the sleeve  32   a  in a manner such that the protruding edge  204  is snugly fitted into the longitudinal opening of the sleeve  32   a.  The sleeve  32   a  and its tube  202  are then placed into the appropriate location on the side edge of the upper support frame  130  as shown in  FIG. 10 . Then, as shown in  FIG. 13 , the inner section  210  of each shaft piece  208  is inserted through bores  218  in the upper support frame  130  that are aligned with the bore  206  of the tube  202  when the sleeve  32   a  and its tube  202  are positioned in the upper support frame  130 . The inner section  210  will extend through the bore  218  in the upper support frame  130  and then into the bore  206  of the tube  202 . A portion of the outer sections  212  of the shaft pieces  212  will be exposed to the outside of the bore  218 , but most of the outer sections  212  will be positioned inside the bore  218 . With one shaft piece  208  provided at each opposing end of the tube  202  and sleeve  32   a,  the lid portions  26 ,  28  can pivot about the axis defined by these shaft pieces  208 .  
         [0051]     A small opening  220  is provided on the protruding edge  204  adjacent each end of the tube  202 . The free end of the inner section  210  of each shaft piece  208  is positioned adjacent this opening  220 . As a result, a user can remove the lid portions  26 ,  28  by inserting a sharp-tip object (e.g., screw-driver) through the openings  220  (see  FIG. 10 ) and pushing the inner section  210  of each shaft piece  208  out of the bores  206  and  218 .  
         [0052]     Thus, the provision of the non-metal tube  202  provides two immediate benefits. First, the protruding edge  204  prevents dust and particles from entering the interior of the sleeve  32   a.  Second, the non-metal material of the tube  202  eliminates the metal-on-metal contact or grinding of a pivoting metal shaft within a metal sleeve.  
         [0053]      FIGS. 10 and 15  also illustrate another modification, where a non-metal (e.g., plastic) washer  230  can be provided to prevent the undesirable metal-to-metal grinding between the bracket  34  and the upper hooked end  36  of the lifting rod  38 . Specifically, a plastic washer  230  can be positioned in the opening  40  in the bracket  34 . The washer  230  can have a sleeved configuration with a flange  232  so that the upper hooked end  36  can extend through the washer  230 . As a result, the washer  230  acts as a separating layer between the metal upper hooked end  36  and the metal bracket  34 .  
         [0054]      FIGS. 1-9  illustrate the use of one inner liner  24 , but it is also possible to provide two or more inner liners. For example,  FIGS. 16 and 17  illustrate two inner liners  24   a  and  24   b  that can be configured to fit snugly, and in side-by-side fashion, inside the outer shell  22 . The provision of two inner liners  24  allows the user to sort the trash, for example, to separate recycleable waste matter from other waste matter.  
         [0055]     The above detailed description is for the best presently contemplated modes of carrying out the invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating general principles of the invention. The scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims. In certain instances, detailed descriptions of well-known devices, components, mechanisms and methods are omitted so as to not obscure the present description with unnecessary detail.

Technology Category: 4