Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
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   FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
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   SEQUENCE LISTING 
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   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates to improved waste receptacles and, more particularly, to receptacles with foot pedals for selective extension from the receptacle base to aid in flexible trash bag removal, and the like. 
   Waste receptacles that support flexible trash bags are popular and useful items for home and for commercial use. Ordinarily, a waste receptacle holds a flexible trash bag in an upright position with the unsealed end of the bag uppermost and open within the receptacle. Waste, trash and the like are deposited in the open bag. When it becomes necessary or desirable to remove the flexible bag for disposal, it is customary to grasp the waste receptacle with one hand and gather together with the other hand the open end of the flexible bag. The flexible bag, so held, is then withdrawn from the waste receptacle for disposal with its contents. 
   The foregoing is the ideal situation that all too frequently does not occur. Thus, when the flexible bag is too full, drawing the open end together with one hand often leads to immersing at least a part of the hand in the collected waste and spilling some of the waste from the flexible bag on the waste receptacle and surrounding surfaces. Given, moreover, the basic instability of the usual waste receptacle, held with one hand and, at the same time, grappling with the open end of the flexible bag with the other hand while bending over the receptacle at an awkward body angle frequently results in tipping the entire assembly waste and all-onto the floor. 
   To overcome these problems foot pads molded into the base of the receptacle have been proposed. These foot pads protrude out from the waste receptacle base in the expectation that by stepping on the pads, the waste receptacle is stabilized, freeing both hands to be used to gather the open top of the flexible bag and withdraw the bag from the receptacle. 
   This proposal, however, fails to satisfy practical commercial requirements. Illustratively, the fixed, protruding foot pads prevent these trash receptacles from being loaded or telescoped into stacks for efficient shipping, storage and shelving. Each one of these waste receptacles must be shipped, warehoused and displayed individually, which is a most unsatisfactory commercial situation. 
   Another proposal suggests mounting a spring biased pedal in a recess formed in a side of the waste receptacle and near the receptacle&#39;s base. A foot can press the pedal down against the supporting floor to enable both hands to withdraw the flexible bag from the waste receptacle. This proposal, apart from difficulty and expense in manufacture also exhibits an unsatisfactory characteristic. Thus, as the flexible bag is withdrawn from the waste receptacle, the essentially unrestrained waste receptacle, responding to the force of the biasing spring, may tip over toward the pedal, to result in spilled waste. 
   Consequently, there is a need for an inexpensive and stable waste receptacle that can free the user to apply both hands to withdraw the flexible bag from the receptacle when removing trash. The waste receptacle also must satisfy commercial needs with respect to economical shipping, warehousing and display. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   These and other difficulties that have characterized the prior art are overcome, to a large extent, through the practice of the invention. 
   A waste receptacle in accordance with features of the invention, for example, is provided with a pair of selectively extendable foot pedals that are mounted in housings on opposite sides of the receptacle base. These foot pedals are, for purposes of shipping and shelving, retracted within the receptacle to enable several receptacles to be telescoped or mounted within adjoining receptacles for efficient shipment and storage. 
   These foot pedals, moreover, can be manually extended from their respective housings in order to provide individual surfaces on which a user can place a respective foot to press the receptacle against the floor. In this way, the receptacle is stabilized while freeing the user&#39;s both hands to withdraw the flexible trash bag from the receptacle confines. 
   After use, the foot pedals can be pressed back into their respective housings, or by means of detents, retained in the extended portion. 
   Three illustrative techniques for mounting the foot pedals on the waste receptacle base are shown and described. One technique provides a pair of horizontally disposed pedals each received in a respective recessed housing formed in opposite sides of the receptacle base. The foot pedals are manually drawn out from their housings, to extend parallel with the receptacle&#39;s base. As noted above, the pedals can be pressed back into their respective housings or left in the extended portion. 
   Another technique that characterizes the invention mounts the pedals in respective housings formed in opposite sides of the receptacle base. These pedals, however, are selectively extended by pivoting them downward from the base and outwardly until the pedals are approximately in alignment with the base. This novel structure enables the pedals to be left in a fully extended condition or retracted after use, as desired. 
   As a further alternative, recesses formed in opposite sides of the receptacle adjoining the receptacle base house individual foot pedals. These pedals are selectively held in the respective housings through detents. Pivoting these pedals downwardly and outwardly to the level of the receptacle base enables the pedals to bear against the supporting surface for the receptacle. Detents on the pedals, when extended in the foregoing manner, retain the pedals in an extended position that allow the user to place a foot on each one of the two pedals and withdraw the flexible trash bag from the receptacle with both hands. The foot pedals, moreover, with detents engaged, can be left in the extended positions or, if desired, pressed to pivot upwardly and back into the respective recesses in the side walls of the receptacle. 
   It also should be noted that the principles of the invention are applicable to waste receptacles with shapes other than rectangular as, for example, cylindrical and truncated conical waste receptacles. 
   As a result, the problems created by trying to withdraw flexible trash bags from a waste receptacle with one hand while attempting to stabilize the receptacle with the other hand are largely overcome through the practice of the invention. 
   These and other features of the invention are described more completely in the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention when taken with the figures of the drawing. The scope of the invention, however, is limited only through the claims appended hereto. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
       FIG. 1  is a front elevation in full section of a waste receptacle that embodies features of the invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a partial view, in section, of a foot pedal for use in connection with the structure shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a partial view, in section, of another embodiment of a foot pedal for use in connection with the structure shown in  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 4  is a partial view in section of still another embodiment of a foot pedal for use in connection with the structure showing  FIG. 1 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   As best illustrated in  FIG. 1 , a generally rectangular waste receptacle  10  is provided with an open top  11  for receiving a flexible, removable trash bag (not shown in the drawing). A pair of opposing lateral sides  12 ,  13  extend from the open top  11  to a generally flat base  14 . Recessed housings  15 ,  16  are formed in opposite respective sides  12 ,  13  of the receptacle  10 . The housings  15 ,  16 , moreover, are formed in the receptacle  10  adjoining the base  14 . 
   In accordance with a feature of the invention foot pedals  17 ,  20  each are selectively foldable in the direction of respective arrows  21 ,  22  into the individual housings  15 ,  16 . A specific structure that characterizes features of this invention is shown in  FIG. 2 . As illustrated, the foot pedal  17  has a shaft  23  that is received in corresponding journals (not shown in the drawing) that are formed in the recessed housing  15 . In this manner, the foot pedal  17  can be pivoted back into the recessed housing  15  in the direction of the arrow  21 . When so received within the housing  15 , exposed surface  24  of the pedal  17  is generally flush with outer surface  25  of the lateral side  12  of the receptacle  10 . 
   When withdrawn from the housing  15  in the direction of arrow  26 , at full extension, the exposed surface surface  24  of the foot pedal  17  lies essentially flush with external surface  27  of the base  14 . To maintain the foot pedal  17  in the extended condition illustrated in  FIG. 2 , two detents are used, of which only boss  30  is shown protruding from the lateral side of the foot pedal  17 . The boss  30  selectively engages in a mating recess (not shown in the drawing) formed in the base  14 . The boss  30 , moreover, snaps into, or out of the mating recess through the natural resiliency of materials from which the foot pedal  17  and the receptacle  10  are formed. 
   The force required to snap the boss  30  out of it mating recess is sufficient to enable the foot pedal  17  to remain in the extended condition through the stresses of ordinary use. 
   In a similar manner, by pivoting the foot pedal  17  into the housing  15  in the direction of the arrow  21 , boss  30  and the companion boss on the opposite side of the pedal  17  disengage from their respective recesses (not shown in the drawing). With the detents at the base  14  of the receptacle  10  disengaged, and the foot pedal  17  being pivoted into the recessed housing  15 , a detent or boss  31  on the free end of the foot pedal  17  snaps into a mating recess (not shown in the drawing) to retain the foot pedal  17  in the upwardly folded position. A corresponding boss (not shown in the drawing) protrudes from the side of the foot pedal  17  opposite to the boss  31  in order to engage and be received in a mating recess  32 . A similar system of detents, bosses and mating recesses is provided for the foot pedal  20  ( FIG. 1 ). In this manner, the exposed surface  24  of the foot pedal  17  and exposed surface  35  of the corresponding pedal  20  are held in positions that are flush with the respective outer surface  25  and outer surface  28  of the receptacle  10 . 
   In operation, and as shown  FIG. 1 , the foot pedal  20 , at the base  14  and the lateral side  13  is pivoted from the housing  16  in the direction of arrow  33  to extend from the base  14 . In this manner, with the appropriate detents engaged, the two foot pedals  17 ,  20  are extended as shown in  FIG. 1 . The waste receptacle is stabilized against supporting surface  34  by placing each foot of the user on a respective one of the two foot pedals  17 ,  20 . Thus, stabilized, the user is free to apply both hands to withdrawing a flexible trash bag (not shown in the drawing) from the open top  11  of the waste receptacle  10 . 
   To retract the foot pedals  17 ,  20  in order to telescopically stack several of the waste receptacles, or for purposes of display or storage, it is only necessary to overcome the detent forces and pivot the foot pedals  17 ,  20  in the direction of the respective arrows  21 ,  22 . The exposed surface  24  on the foot pedal  17  and the exposed surface  35  on the foot pedal  20  now lie flush with the respective outer surfaces  25  and  28  of the waste receptacle  10 . Accordingly, the foot pedals  17 ,  20 , so retracted, do not block or interfere with stacking or other handling that is required of the waste receptacle  10 . 
   An alternative mounting for waste receptacle foot pedals embodying principles of the invention is illustrated in  FIG. 3  For example, a foot pedal  36  is mounted in a recessed housing  37  formed in base  40 . To extend the foot pedal  36  from the housing  37  in the direction of arrow  41 , the foot pedal  36  is pivoted about a shaft  42  that is journalled in the base  40 . To pivot the pedal  36  in the direction of the arrow  41 , the pedal  36  is pressed downwardly to overcome retention by detents, of which only mating detent recess  43  and a boss  44  that protrudes from the distal end on the opposite side of the foot pedal  36  is shown in the Figure. 
   When fully extended, a pair of detents, of which only detent boss  45  is shown in the drawing, engage corresponding mating recesses in the lateral sides of the housing  37  to selectively lock the foot pedal  36  into its extended position. On retraction, it is only necessary to overcome the locking effect of the detents (of which the detent boss  45  is illustrative) and press the extended foot pedal  36  back toward the housing  37  in the direction of arrow  46 . On retraction, the detents of which the boss  44  and the detent recess  43  are typical, engage the foot pedal  36  and retain the pedal  36  in the housing  37 . In accordance with a feature of the invention, the foot pedal  36  has a companion foot pedal (not shown in the drawing) of essentially the same construction mounted on the side of the waste receptacle  10  that is opposite to the position of the foot pedal  36 . In this fashion, two foot pedals are made available to stabilize the waste receptacle  10  and to enable use of both hands to withdraw a flexible trash bag (not shown in the drawing) from the receptacle  10 . 
   A further embodiment of the invention is shown in  FIG. 4 . Base  47  of the receptacle  10  has a recessed housing  50  formed at the junction between the base  47  and side  51 . At a corner  52  formed by the intersection of the base  47  and the side  51  a stop  53  is provided that is joined to both sides of the housing  50 . 
   A foot pedal  54  bridges over the stop  53 . In order to bridge over the stop  53  and thus to retain the foot pedal  54  in the fully extended status shown in  FIG. 4 , an indentation  55  is formed in bearing surface  56  of the pedal  54  that receives the stop  53 . 
   In further operation, the foot pedal  54  is manually pressed into the housing  50  in the direction of arrow  61 . A round  60  formed on the outer side of the indentation  55  eases the insertion and full retraction of the foot pedal  54  into the housing  50 . To retain the foot pedal within the recessed housing  50  a key  65  protrudes from proximal end  66  of the pedal  54 . As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , when the foot pedal  54  is pressed back fully into the housing  50  in the direction of the arrow  61 , the key  65  is seated in a slot  67  that is formed in the wall of the housing  50 . When so received, the surface  56  of the pedal  54  bears against the top of the stop  53  and the key  65 , at the proximal end  66  of the pedal  54 , is supported in its companion slot  67  to retain the retracted foot pedal  54  within the recessed housing  50 . 
   When it is desired to extend the foot pedal  54  from the housing  50  in the direction of arrow  57 , distal end  70  of the foot pedal  54  protrudes beyond the stop  53 . So extended, foot pressure on exposed portion  63  of the pedal  54  presses the bearing surfaces  56  against the stop  53  and supporting surface  64  to stabilize the foot pedal  54  against both the stop  53  and the supporting surface  64 . 
   A corresponding foot pedal (not shown in the drawing) in accordance with a feature of the invention, provided at the opposite side of the waste receptacle  10  enables the user to steady the receptacle  10  on the supporting surface  64  by placing each foot on a respective pedal and pressing the pedals against the supporting surface  64 . Thus stabilized, the user can withdraw a flexible trash bag (not shown) from the waste receptacle  10  with both hands without touching the trash contents, tipping the waste receptacle or spilling the trash. 
   Consequently, there is provided in accordance with the invention an improved waste receptacle that overcomes the awkward and unsanitary mishaps that have characterized the use of prior art receptacles.

Technology Category: b