Patent Document

RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    The present invention is a continuation of Disclosure Document Number 488,947 filed on Feb. 16, 2001. 
     
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention relates generally to household garbage removal. More specifically, the present invention relates to a household garbage removal system in which trash can be deposited from the interior of the house into an outdoor garbage receptacle.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    Every household has to deal with trash removal. Often it is done more than once a week to prevent unpleasant odors and the possibility of attracting insects and other unwanted pests into the house. Normally, trash removal requires a trip outdoors or to a garage. Going outside in the extreme heat of summer or in the extreme cold of winter can make trash removal even more unpleasant and inconvenient. Consequently, a need exists for a way to get trash out of the house without actually having to leave the house. The present invention fulfills this need.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    The present invention, the interior/exterior trash removal system and method for making is devised to allow one to throw away garbage from the interior of one&#39;s home to the exterior of the home without leaving the interior. It includes a doorway located on an exterior wall within the house. Said doorway leads to a garbage chute that travels through the exterior wall and ends in a large outdoor trash receptacle. The outdoor trash receptacle together with a portion of the garbage chute is housed in a small shed, sized to fit the same, built on the outside of the house. The shed has openings cut therethrough for ventilation and has a door for easy removal of the outdoor trash receptacle when necessary. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0005]    The advantages and features of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following more detailed description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like elements are identified with like symbols, and in which:  
         [0006]    [0006]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the housing outside of the house.  
         [0007]    [0007]FIG. 2 is a front view of the interior of the housing  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 3 is a front view of the door on the interior of the house.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0009]    The preferred embodiment of the present invention, the interior/exterior trash removal system  10 , is shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and  3 . In the preferred embodiment, the interior/exterior trash removal system  10  has a door  20  located on an exterior wall within any room of a house. The door  20  is preferably attached to the exterior wall via hinges  22 , although other means can be used, and has a secure locking system  24  much like any other exterior door of a house such that it prevents unwanted pests and intruders from entering the house via the door  20 . In the preferred embodiment, the door  20  opens to the chute  30  that is located within the exterior wall of the house. The chute  30  is preferably made of plastic although a number of other materials including, but not limited to, wood and/or metal can be used to make the chute. It is preferred that the chute  30  is angled down from the door  20  to the outside of the house. One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that the angle of the chute  30  should be of such a degree that garbage will easily slide without sticking or stopping. Further, it is preferred that the interior of the chute  30  be smooth such that garbage will slide easily without getting caught. At the outside of the house, the chute  30  extends over the top of a garbage can or receptacle  40 . It is preferred that a forty-five gallon garbage receptacle  40  be used. Using such a large receptacle  40  will lesson the frequency of changing or emptying the garbage receptacle  40 . One of ordinary skill in the art would readily recognize that any number of different sized garbage receptacles can be used. The size of the garbage receptacle  40  can vary based on the size of the household that is going to use the interior/exterior trash removal system  10 , the amount of garbage that said household throws out and how often the garbage is picked up by a trash collector. A single user whose garbage is picked up once a week may only need a fifteen gallon trash receptacle, whereas a family of five would need a much larger trash receptacle  40 .  
         [0010]    As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 in the preferred embodiment, the trash receptacle  40  is enclosed within a shed-like housing  50 . The housing  50  is preferably sized to be just large enough to enclose the trash receptacle  40  and accommodate a portion of the chute  30 , although one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that the housing  50  can be any size that the user would like. The housing  50  can be built larger to house tools, etc. together with the trash receptacle  40 . One of ordinary skill in the art would also recognize that the interior/exterior trash removal system  10  can exist without the housing  50 . The housing  50  serves to keep unwanted pests away from the garbage within the trash receptacle  40  and further serves to prevent precipitation from entering and filling the trash receptacle  40 . In the preferred embodiment, the floor of the housing  50  is constructed from concrete whereas the side walls and ceiling of the housing  50  are constructed from wood and are covered, sided, painted, etc. to match the home to which the interior/exterior trash removal system  10  is being installed. One of ordinary skill in the art would readily recognize that the housing  50  can be constructed from a number of different materials, including, but not limited to, plastic or concrete and need not match the home to which it is installed.  
         [0011]    In the preferred embodiment, the housing  50  has openings  52  along the top and bottome of the side walls. Said openings  52  are preferably located in the side wall approximately six inches down from the ceiling of the housing  50  and approximately eighteen inches up from the floor of the housing  50 . The openings  52  are preferably small in size, to prevent unwanted pest infiltration. Screening preferably covers the openings  52 , although it is not necessary. The openings  52  ventilate the housing  50  letting out odors and heat. It is preferred that said openings  52  be located both at the top and bottom of the side walls in order for the air within the housing  50  to circulate properly. One of ordinary skill in the art would readily recognize that the openings  52  can be located anywhere on the side walls or ceiling of the housing  50  and that there can be as many openings  52  as desired.  
         [0012]    In the preferred embodiment, the housing  50  has a door  54  that allows the user access to the trash receptacle  40  for removal and replacement. In the preferred embodiment, the door  54  is attached to the housing  50  via a set of hinges  56 . It is also preferred that the door  54  have a secure latch  58  that prevents unwanted pests and people from entering the housing  50  through the door  54 . One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that the door  54  need not be attached to the housing  50  via hinges  56 , a variety of other methods including but not limited to, having a sliding door, exist. Further, a secure latch  58  or lock is not necessary to the interior/exterior trash removal system  10 , but is preferred.  
         [0013]    Although this invention has certain preferred embodiments, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention, and all such changes and modifications are intended to fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

Technology Category: 7