Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02778535 2012-05-31
CA Application
Agent Ref. 68849/00120
1 STEP GARBAGE CAN WITH DAMPER
2
3 FIELD OF THE INVENTION
4 [0002] The present invention relates broadly to garbage cans, more
specifically to
garbage cans with a closable lid and bag ring, and still more specifically to
garbage cans with a
6 controlled closing speed.
7
8 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
9 [0003] Garbage containers are well known in the prior art. Garbage
containers often
include lids that may be opened without manually lifting the lid off the
container. Often such
11 containers use a pedal system in which a foot pedal is depressed to open
the lid. In these
12 containers, the lids are often attached with a hinge or other pivotal
attachment which is
13 connected directly or indirectly to a lifter that directly activates the
lid. When the pedal is
14 released, the lid freely falls back to close the garbage can,
[0004] One problem with current garbage cans occurs if the lid falls too
quickly. This
16 often happens if the user's foot slips off the pedal before the user is
finished depositing garbage
17 or trash into the container. In this case, the lid may prematurely fall
on the user's hand or arms
18 spilling trash and resulting in inconvenience, injury to the user and
possible infection contracted
19 from the garbage dropped onto the user or surrounding environment.
[0005] Thus, there is a need in the field for a garbage container having a
system that
21 produces a slow, controlled, and reliable closure of the container lid.
22
23 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
24 [0006] The present invention broadly comprises a garbage can
including a can portion
having a bottom wall, at least one tubular wall extending upwardly from the
bottom wall and
26 including an upper rim, an inner chamber defined by the bottom wall and
the tubular wall, and
27 an open top; a lid; a bag ring having a recessed under surface adapted
to receive the upper rim
28 therein, the ring being pivotally coupled to the lid and arranged to
pivot onto and off of the upper
29 rim; a pedal assembly, the pedal assembly including a pedal lever
operatively attached to said
bottom wall and having a first end and a second end, said first end including
a pedal; a riser
31 having a first end and a movement end, wherein the movement end of the
riser is pivotably
32 connected to the second end of said pedal lever and the first riser end
is pivotably connected to
33 the lid; and, a damper fixedly attached to said outer surface of said
bottom wall and operatively
34 attached to said riser. The pedal lever is arranged to lever the riser
upwardly when said step
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CA 02778535 2012-05-31
CA Application
Agent Ref. 68849/00120
1 pedal is depressed, and the riser is arranged to pivot the lid off of the
ring when levered
2 upwardly by the step pedal. In a preferred embodiment, when the pedal is
released, the
3 damper prevents the riser from falling freely thereby causing the lid to
close slowly.
4 [0007] One object of the invention is to provide a garbage can
that caused the lid to
close slowly.
6 [0008] A second object of the invention is to supply a garbage
can in which the
7 container is water tight or integral in construction.
8 [0009] A third object of the invention is to present a garbage
can in which the pedal
9 assembly is outside the garbage storage chamber.
[0010] An additional object is to provide a ring-lid assembly in which the
bag ring pivots
11 independently on the lid.
12
13 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
14 [0011] The nature and mode of the operation of the present
invention will now be more
fully described in the following detailed description of the invention taken
with the accompanying
16 drawing Figures, in which:
17 [0012] Figure 1 is a front view of the garbage can of the
present invention;
18 [0013] Figure 2 is a rear view of the garbage can of the
present invention;
19 [0014] Figure 3 is a top view of the garbage can with the lid
removed looking into the
open container;
21 [0015] Figure 4 is a top perspective view showing the bag ring
pivotably connected to
22 the lid;
23 [0016] Figure 5 is a close up view of the rotatable attachments
of the lid and the bag
24 ring;
[0017] Figure 6 is a bottom view of the garbage can of the present
invention;
26 [0018] Figure 7 is an enlarged view of the connection between
the riser and the
27 movement end of the pedal lever;
28 [0019] Figure 8 is an enlarged view of the pedal assembly;
29 [0020] Figure 9 is an enlarged bottom view of the garbage can
showing the damper
fixedly attached to the well located at the back end of center portion of the
bottom surface;
31 [0021] Figure 9A shows the riser attached to the piston
component of the damper;
32 [0022] Figure 10 is a perspective view of the piston;
33 [0023] Figures 11 and 12 are schematic figures demonstrating
the action of the damper
34 on the riser; and,
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CA 02778535 2012-05-31
CA Application
Agent Ref. 68849/00120
1 [0024] Figure 13 is a schematic demonstration as to how the damper
slows the fall of
2 piston and attached riser.
3
4 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
[0025] At the outset, it should be appreciated that like drawing numbers on
different
6 drawing views identify identical structural elements of the invention. It
also should be
7 appreciated that figure proportions and angles are not always to scale in
order to clearly portray
8 the attributes of the present invention.
9 [0026] While the present invention is described with respect to what
is presently
considered to be the preferred embodiments, it is understood that the
invention is not limited to
11 the disclosed embodiments. The present invention is intended to cover
various modifications
12 and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the
appended claims.
13 [0027] Furthermore, it is understood that this invention is not
limited to the particular
14 methodology, materials and modifications described and as such may, of
course, vary. It is also
understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing
particular aspects
16 only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention,
which is limited only by the
17 appended claims.
18 [0028] Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific
terms used herein have the
19 same meaning as commonly understood to one of ordinary skill in the art
to which this invention
belongs. It should be appreciated that the term "substantially" is synonymous
with terms such as
21 "nearly", "very nearly", "about", "approximately", "around", "bordering
on", "close to",
22 "essentially", "in the neighborhood of", "in the vicinity of', etc., and
such terms may be used
23 interchangeably as appearing in the specification and claims. Although
any methods, devices or
24 materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in
the practice or testing of
the invention, the preferred methods, devices, and materials are now
described. It should be
26 appreciated that the term "proximate" is synonymous with terms such as
"nearby", "close",
27 "adjacent", "neighboring", "immediate", "adjoining", etc., and such
terms may be used
28 interchangeably as appearing in the specification and claims.
29 [0029] Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific
terms used herein have the
same meaning as commonly understood to one of ordinary skill in the art to
which this invention
31 belongs. Although any methods, devices or materials similar or
equivalent to those described
32 herein can be used in the practice or testing of the invention, the
preferred methods, devices,
33 and materials are now described.
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CA 02778535 2012-05-31
CA Application
Agent Ref. 68849/00120
1 [0030] Adverting to the drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of
garbage can 10 ("can 10").
2 Container 12 is seen with lid 14 covering the open, upper rim of
container 12. Container 12
3 includes tubular wall 16, which includes depression 16a, and bottom wall
17 which together
4 define a chamber. Pedal assembly 20 fits into depression 16a with pedal
22 located at the first
end of pedal assembly 20. Pedal assembly 20 is attached to bottom wall 17 (not
seen in Figure
6 1). Pedal 22 is used to open lid 14 as discussed below.
7 [0031] Figure 2 is a rear view of can 10 with riser 30
extending along the outer surface
8 of tubular wall 16. Riser 30 is positioned on the opposite side of pedal
22. First end 32 of riser
9 30 is movably attached to second or movement end 24 of pedal lever 23
(not seen in Figure 2)
and pivotally attached to lid 14. By movably attached is meant that while
riser 30 and pedal
11 lever 23 are fastened together, riser 30 and pedal lever 23 may
independently rotate around
12 and/or slide laterally at the connection point.
13 [0032] Figure 3 is a top view of can 10 with lid 14 removed
looking into open container
14 12. Tubular wall 16 extends from bottom wall 17. Persons of skill in the
art will recognize that
there may be a plurality of tubular walls 16 extending from bottom wall 17
such as is rectangular
16 or other polygonal shaped cans 10. Center portion 17a of bottom wall 17
is raised to
17 accommodate pedal assembly 20 which is discussed below. Receivers 15,
formed in center
18 portion 17a, receive slots 25a of pedal assembly 20 to form an operative
attachment of pedal
19 assembly 20 to container 12. By operatively attached is meant that a
component or device is
connected either directly or indirectly to a second component and causes one
of those
21 components to function. For example, as described above, pedal lever 23
is described as
22 operatively attached or operationally attached to the slots 15 meaning
the attachment is such as
23 to allow pedal lever 23 to operate to move riser 30 up and down as
described below. Figure 3
24 also shows bag ring 40 resting on the upper rim of container 12.
[0033] Figure 4 is a top perspective view showing bag ring 40 pivotably
connected to lid
26 14 and having recessed under-surface adapted to receive the upper rim of
container 12.
27 Figure 4 demonstrates that lid 14 and bag ring 40 have separate and
independent pivotal
28 attachments, with ring 40 pivotally connected to lid 14 and lid 14
pivotally connected to first riser
29 end 34. Figure 5 depicts the pivotal attachments of lid 14 to first
riser end 34. Lid 14 includes
opposing ears 14a which include ear slots 14b. Riser pin 35 ("pin 35") extends
to either side of
31 lid end 34 into slot 14b. When riser 30 is elevated by pedal lever 23,
it rotates ears 14a upward
32 which thereupon rotates lid 14 upward. Conversely, when riser 30 falls,
it will pull down on ears
33 14a to pull lid 14 to the upper rim of container 12.
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CA 02778535 2012-05-31
CA Application
Agent Ref. 68849/00120
1 [0034] Figure 5 also illustrates the pivotal attachment of ring 40 to
lid 14. Opposing pins
2 43 extend into channels 42 and provide a rotating or pivoting connection
with lid 14. It can be
3 seen that when lid 14 is rotated up, ring 40 is separately rotatable
around pins 42. This lid-bag
4 ring assembly provides the advantage of having no attachment to the
container allowing both
container and lid-bag ring assembly to be shipped in smaller, cheaper shipping
cartons in which
6 multiple units of each type may be stacked or nested.
7 [0035] Figure 6 is a bottom view of can 10. Pedal lever 23 is
operatively attached to the
8 outer surface of center portion 17a (not seen in Figure 6) by screws 27.
Pegs 25 extend into
9 slots 25a to provide rotatable support for pedal lever 23. By rotatable
support is meant that
slots 25a are shaped to both hold pedal lever 23 in position and to allow
pedal lever 23 to move
11 through an arc similar to a see-saw when pedal 20 is depressed and
released.
12 [0036] Figure 7 is an enlarged view of the connection between
first riser end 32 and
13 movement end 24 of pedal lever 23. In the embodiment shown, first riser
end 32 is curved and
14 receives pin bar 24a that extends across movement end 24. This
configuration enables pedal
lever 23 to lift first riser end 32 when movement end 24 is elevated by pedal
20.
16 [0037] Figure 8 is an enlarged view of pedal assembly 20. Pedal
assembly base 28
17 ("assembly base 28") supports pedal assembly 20. Pedal 22 is attached to
pedal lever 23
18 which is terminates with movement end 24. In one embodiment, pedal 22
and movement end
19 24 are fabricated as one integral structure. By integral is meant that
the component parts are
formed together as a single unit. Clearly seen is bar 24a which extends
between the two ends
21 of movement end 24. Pegs 25 fit into slots 25a which are integral to
assembly base 28 to both
22 support pedal lever 23 and allow it to pivot about slots 25a to raise
and lower movement end 24
23 which raises and lowers attached riser 30. Screw holes 27 in assembly
base 28 allow the
24 attachment of pedal assembly 20 to bottom surface 17 with pedal lever 23
under center portion
17a. In one embodiment, pedal base 28 is a fabricated as an integral structure
to include slots
26 25a.
27 [0038] Figure 9 is an enlarged bottom view of garbage can 10
showing damper 50
28 fixedly attached to well 17b located at the back end of center portion
17a. Damper 50 includes
29 chamber 54 placed within well 17b and piston 52 which is sized to be
placed within chamber 54.
Guide fins 56 extend from piston 54 and act to keep piston 54 in alignment
when it moves within
31 chamber 54. Above fins 56 is aperture 58. Figure 9A shows riser 30
operatively attached to
32 piston 52 by the fitting of projection 38 from riser 30 into aperture
58. By operatively attached is
33 meant that a component or device is connected either directly or
indirectly to a second
34 component and causes that second component to function. For example, as
described above,
=
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CA 02778535 2012-05-31
CA Application
Agent Ref. 68849/00120
3 [0039] Figure 10 is a perspective view of piston 52. Stop 51
prevents piston 52 from
7 [0040] Figures 11 and 12 are schematic figures demonstrating
the action of the damper
12 [0041] Figure 13 is a schematic demonstration as to how damper
50 slows the fall of
18 [0042] Thus it is seen that the objects of the invention are
efficiently obtained, although
21 claimed.
22
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