Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SYSTEM FOR SECURING A REFUSE CONTAINER
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to refuse containers, and more
particularly it
relates to securing a refuse container to counter forces intended to tip it
over.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
[0002] Garbage containers, such as green bins, are placed outdoors for
health or
sanitary reasons and to prevent odour from fouling up the indoor living space.
In
addition, garbage containers are not aesthetically pleasing, unsightly, and do
not
typically fit in with the decor of most interior spaces. It is a well-known
problem that
garbage or food containers left outdoors are prone to getting accessed, or
knocked over,
by domestic and wild animals, such as raccoons and bears, in search of food.
[0003] In the event that a garbage container is knocked over by animals, or
wind,
the container lid is forced open and the animals rummage through the container
in
search of food, resulting in the contents of the container being strewn in the
vicinity of
the container, or all over the porch, yard, driveway, or street curb. Exposed
contents
provide a breeding ground for maggots and flies, and also attract vermin, such
as mice
and rats, leading to increased populations of same. Accordingly, one is
compelled to
expeditiously gather the unsightly, and often foul-smelling strewn waste
material and
redeposit it in the container, which can be a time-consuming and frustrating
exercise,
and not one without embarrassment.
[0004] Numerous prior art solutions have been proposed to address the above-
noted
problem, however these proposals have been primarily directed towards
providing
containers with lids that can not be opened by animals, especially raccoons.
These prior
art proposals include complicated locking and latching mechanisms, spring-
loaded
devices, bungee cords, and rocks or other heavy objects placed on top of the
lids, and so
forth. However, most of these approaches are easily defeated by raccoons which
readily
tip the container over, forcing the lid off the container. In addition to
being ineffective,
spring-loaded devices and bungee cords can be relatively difficult to operate,
especially
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for the elderly, and can be hazardous. Placing rocks and other heavy objects
on the lid,
in order to weigh the lid down, requires considerable strength and dexterity,
and is
fraught with accidents. Such proposals also present a problem to the
sanitation
personnel who have to decipher how these prior art solutions function in order
to open
the lid for waste disposal.
[0005] It is an object of the present invention to mitigate or obviate at
least one of
the above-mentioned disadvantages.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] In one of its aspects, there is provided an enclosure for a
container, said
container having a substantially rectangular walled body having a front wall
facing a
back wall, and joined together by opposed body side walls and a base to define
an
interior volume with a body opening for input of refuse into said interior
volume; said
body having handle supports and a handle bar extending therebetween and
integrally
formed therewith; a lid associated with said opening and operable between a
closed
position and open position, and is pivotably attached to said handle bar via
hinge means
for access to said interior volume, said having a recessed lid handle
engageable by a
user's hands to provide a lifting force to said lid to swing open said lid
about said hinge
means, and place said lid in said open position, said enclosure comprising:
a back wall, opposed enclosure side walls having a top end and a bottom
end, and a top wall to collectively define an enclosure opening opposite said
back wall;
a platform disposed between said top end and said bottom end, said
platform for elevating and supporting said container;
a retainer member secured to said back wall, said retainer member
comprising a unitary frame having a flat, elongate mounting plate with a first
longitudinal axis in a vertical plane, with an angled segment extending
downwardly
therefrom with a second longitudinal axis oblique to said first longitudinal
axis, a U-
shaped segment comprising a first arm with a third longitudinal axis
substantially
parallel to said first longitudinal axis of said mounting plate, an arcuate
portion joining
said first arm to a second arm extending upwardly towards said first arm with
a fourth
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longitudinal axis oblique to said third longitudinal axis , whereby a
transverse opening
is defined between said first arm, arcuate portion and said second arm, and
said
transverse opening is dimensioned to receive said handle bar associated with
said
container; a tether having a hook member at one end and other end secured on
said
mounting segment, said hook member being removably attached to said lid to
maintain
said lid in an angled open position;
whereby said handle bar is placed within said U-shaped segment and in close
proximity to said arcuate portion, and said base engages and rests on said
platform to
co-operatively resist a force is applied to said body intended to topple said
container,
and maintain said container in a substantially upright position.
[0007] In another of
its aspects, there is provided a retaining device for use with a
container, said retaining device comprising:
a unitary frame having:
a flat, elongate mounting plate with a first longitudinal axis in a
vertical plane, with an angled segment extending downwardly therefrom,
a U-shaped segment with a first arm in a plane substantially
parallel to said vertical plane of said mounting segment,
an arcuate portion joining first arm to a second arm extending
upwardly towards said first arm, whereby an opening is defined between said
first arm, arcuate portion and said second arm, and said opening is
dimensioned
to receive a handle bar associated with said container, said handle bar
disposed
between a pair of handle supports integrally formed with said container;
a tether having a hook member at one end and other end secured
on said mounting plate, said hook member being removably attached to a lid
hingedly connected to said container to adapt said lid between an angled open
position and a closed position; and
whereby said mounting plate is fixedly attached to a rigid mount.
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[0008] In yet another of its aspects, there is provided a retaining system
for
maintaining a refuse container in a substantially upright position, said
retaining system
comprising:
a retaining device for removably receiving a handle bar of said container,
said retaining device fixedly attached to a rigid mount;
a platform for receiving a base of said container and elevating said
container above a support surface;
an enclosure disposed around said container, said enclosure having an
enclosure opening to facilitate depositing of said refuse into said container
and removal
of said container from said retaining device and said enclosure, and placement
of said
container in said enclosure.
[0009] Advantageously, the container is maintained in a generally upright
position
by the retaining device co-operating with the surface that the container rests
on.
Positioning the container on an elevated platfoim at a predetermined height
foils the
way raccoons operate to tip over a container, since the lid or opening of the
container is
placed beyond the reach of a raccoon. Typically, raccoons rear up on their
hind legs, or
climb on each other, and use their body weight to tip over the bin and thereby
popping
open the lid. The height of the platform above the ground is also selected to
allow a user
to open and close the container lid, or lift the container, in a substantially
upright
posture. In addition, the device and platform do not include any moving parts,
or
resiliently biased elements, such as springs or bungee cords, that can cause
injury, or
parts that require replacement. In addition, no modification to the container
is required
in order for operation of the container retaining system, unlike some prior
art proposals.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] Several exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be
described, by way of example only, with reference to the appended drawings in
which:
[0011] Figure la is a perspective view of a retaining device in use with a
container;
[0012] Figure lb is a perspective view of the retaining device;
[0013] Figure lc is a side view of the retaining device;
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[0014] Figure id is a perspective view of a retaining device in use with a
container,
after a force has been applied to one of its sidewalls;
[0015] Figure 2a shows a perspective view of a retaining device and a
platform;
[0016] Figure 2b is a perspective view of a container with a lid in a
closed position;
[0017] Figure 2c is a perspective view of a container with a lid in a
closed position,
after a force has been applied to one of its sidewalls;
[0018] Figure 3 is a perspective view of a container enclosure, with a lid
of the
container in a closed position; and
[0019] Figure 4 is a view of a perspective view of a container enclosure,
with a lid
of the container in an open position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS
[0020] Looking at Figures la, lb, lc and Id, there is shown, a retaining
device
generally designated by the numeral 10, in an exemplary embodiment, for use
with a
refuse container 12, such as a green bin, used to contain biodegradable waste
or
compostable materials as a means to divert waste from landfills. In some
localities
green bins are also used to contain unsorted municipal waste. Retaining device
10 is
fixedly secured to a substantially vertical, rigid structure 13, such as a
brick or masonry
wall, siding or post, by fastening means, including but not limited to,
screws, rivets,
nails, bolts, nuts and bolts, anchors, clamps, and welding. Device 10
maintains refuse
container 12 in a substantially upright position while resting on a
substantially
horizontal support surface 14, such as the ground, and placed adjacent to
rigid structure
13.
[0021] Now looking at Figure lc, container 12 comprises a substantially
rectangular
walled body 16 having front wall 17a facing back wall 17b, and joined together
by
opposed body side walls 18a, 18b, and base 19, to define interior volume 20
with body
opening 22 for input of refuse 24 into interior volume 20. Container 12 may be
formed
from thermoplastic material, such as, polyethylene, polypropylene,
acrylonitrile
butadiene styrene (ABS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), nylon, and the like. In
addition,
body 16 includes handle supports 26, 28 and a substantially cylindrical handle
bar 30,
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integrally formed therewith. Wheels 31 (not shown) are rotatably attached to
an axle
affixed to base 19 to enable maneuvering, as needed, such as to facilitate
transporting
container 12 to and from the curb. Lid 32 is pivotably attached to handle
supports 26,
28 via hinge means 33a, 33b for access to interior volume 20 for placing
refuse 24
therein, or to remove refuse 24 therefrom for disposal. In a closed position,
lid 32 rests
on body opening 22. Lid 32 includes recessed lid handle 34 engageable by a
user's
hands to provide a lifting force to lid 32 and swing open lid 32 about hinge
means 33a,
33b. Container 12 also includes locking mechanism 35 for securing lid 32 to
body 16
when lid 32 is in a closed position, thereby protecting the contents 24 of
container 12
from animal intruders, as well as inclement weather conditions. An exemplary
locking
mechanism 35 includes latch mechanism 36 on lid 32 and catch member 38 on body
16.
Latch mechanism 36 is actuable by a user to lock and unlock lid 32 to and from
body
16, respectively. Each of opposed body side walls 18a, 18b includes auxiliary
handles
39a, 39b integrally formed therewith, such that container 12 may be picked by
a user for
placement on retaining device 10 or removal therefrom, as well as for
transportation.
[0022] As can be
seen in Figure 1 c, handle bar 30 of container 12 is removably
attached to retaining device 10. Generally, retaining device 10 comprises a
unitary
frame with a flat, elongate mounting plate 40 having a longitudinal axis in a
vertical
plane, with angled segment 42 extending downwardly therefrom, U-shaped segment
43
with first arm 44 with a longitudinal axis substantially parallel to the
longitudinal axis
of mounting plate 40, and arcuate portion 46 joining first arm 44 to second
arm 48
extending upwardly and angled towards first arm 44. As such, angled second arm
48
has a longitudinal axis that is oblique to the longitudinal axis of first arm
44. Channel
50 is defined between first arm 44, arcuate portion 46 and angled second arm
48, and
channel 50 is dimensioned to receive handle bar 30. As shown in Figures lb and
lc,
channel 50 has a transverse opening 51 dimensioned to fit handle bar 30, and
therefore
the distance between a top edge 52 of angled second arm 48 and first arm 44 is
slightly
larger than the diameter of the substantially cylindrical handle bar 30. The
width of the
unitary frame is dimensioned such that it is slightly smaller than the
distance separating
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handle supports 26 and 28. Accordingly, handle bar 30 is received in channel
50, and
abuts or is in close proximity with arcuate portion 46, and edges 53, 54 of
arcuate
portion 46 face handle supports 26 and 28, respectively. Phantom lines in
Figure lc
illustrate the position assumed by handle bar 30 as it travels in and out of
channel 50,
when securing container 12 to retaining device 10, and when removing container
12
from retaining device 10, respectively.
[0023] Secured on flat, elongate mounting plate 40 is tether 60 at end 66,
with hook
member 62 at other end 64. Hook member 62 is removably attached to lid 32 and
holds
lid 32 in an angled open position such that a sufficient portion of body
opening 22 is
accessible for placing refuse 24, as shown in Figure 4. Maintaining lid 32 in
an open
position prevents lid 32 from inadvertently closing and falling on a user's
hand and/ or
fingers while placing refuse 24 inside container 12, or disposing of said
refuse 24. The
length of tether 60 may be varied depending on the desired angle of lid 32
when
opened.
[00241 In operation, container 12 is picked up via auxiliary handles 39a,
39b and
handle bar 32 is guided towards retaining device 10, placed above transverse
opening
51 between edge 52 of angled second member 48 and first member 44, and
introduced
into channel 50. Container 12 is then lowered towards surface 14 until handle
bar 32 is
in close proximity with arcuate portion 46, or abuts arcuate portion 46 and
base 19
engages and rests on horizontal surface 14. In the event that force is applied
to one of
opposed body side walls 18a to push container 12, in an effort to topple
container 12,
edge 72 at base 19 adjacent to side wall 18a in contact with horizontal
surface 14 is
caused to move longitudinally along the horizontal surface 14 until handle
support 26
engages edge 53 of arcuate portion 46, while edge 70 at base 19 adjacent to
side wall
18b travels in the direction of the applied force, as shown in Figure ld. Once
handle
support 26 engages edge 53 of arcuate portion 46, continued application of the
force has
no effect on body 16, and container 12 remains relatively stationary and in an
upright
position. Even when rocked, container 12 remains in a substantially upright
position.
Correspondingly, a pushing force applied to other opposing side wall 18b with
the
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intention of toppling over container 12 is also thwarted by the engagement of
handle
support 26 with edge 54 of arcuate portion 46 of retaining device 10.
[0025] Alternatively, in the event a force is applied adjacent to lid 32 or
container
body opening 22 via side wall 18a in an effort to pull down container 12, body
16
begins to briefly rotate about edge 72 at base 19 adjacent to side wall 18a
acting as a
pivot. Concurrently, handle support 28 rotates briefly before coming into
contact with
edge 54 of arcuate portion 46, and handle bar 30 fails to clear edge 52 of
angled second
arm 48, and therefore remains within channel 50. The engagement of handle
support 28
with edge 54 of arcuate portion 46 and the engagement of edge 72 with surface
14 co-
operatively arrests the rotational motion of body 16, and thereby maintaining
container
12 in a substantially upright position. Once the force is removed, container
base 19
returns to its resting position on horizontal surface 14.
[0026] Correspondingly, in the event a force is applied adjacent lid 32 or
container
body opening 22 via side wall 18b in an effort to pull down container 12, body
16
begins to briefly rotate about edge 70 at base 19 adjacent to side wall 18b
acting as a
pivot. Concurrently, handle support 26 rotates briefly before coming into
contact with
edge 53 of arcuate portion 46 of retaining device 10, and edge 70 engages
surface 14 to
co-operatively inhibit the rotational motion of body 16, and thereby
maintaining
container 12 in a substantially upright position. Once the force is removed,
container
base 19 returns to its resting position on horizontal surface 14.
[0027] In the event a force is applied adjacent lid 32 or container body
opening 22
via front wall 17a in an effort to pull down container 12, body 16 attempts to
rotate
about front edge 74 at base 19, however back wall 17b of body 16 or wheels 31
swiftly
abut and engage vertical surface 13, thereby inhibiting any further motion,
thus
maintaining container 12 in a substantially upright position. All the while,
handle bar
30 fails to clear edge 52 of angled second arm 48, and therefore remains
within channel
50.
[0028] Now looking at Figure 2a there is shown retaining device 10 and
exemplary
platform 80, and Figure 2b shows container 12 secured to retaining device 10
and
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resting on exemplary platform 80. Generally, platform 80 includes
circumferential wall
82 having top surface 84 and bottom surface 86 engaging a substantially
horizontal
surface 14. The height of top surface 84 above horizontal surface 14 is chosen
such that
when container 12 is placed on top surface 84, a user standing on horizontal
surface 14
can open and close lid 32 without stooping or bending over, thereby reducing
the strain
on the user's lower back and knees, including possible musculoskeletal injury.
Platform
80 comprises a galvanized steel base with a top surface 84 that conforms
closely to the
shape of container 12 such that raccoons have no ledge to climb on. In
addition, top
surface 84 is elevated about 14 inches above ground 14, thereby placing
container 12
beyond the raccoon's proven anatomical ability to climb into interior volume
20, or
climb on another raccoon in order to access interior volume 20. Platform 80
may be
secured to horizontal surface 14 or vertical structure 13 such that it remains
stationary
while in use. For example, platform mounting plate 88 has one portion attached
to
circumferential wall 82 and another portion secured to vertical structure 13.
[0029] Figure 2c
shows container 12 resting on platform 80, with handle bar 30
residing within channel 50, following an application of a force to sidewall
18a. As
described above, when a force is applied to one of opposed body side walls 18a
in an
effort to topple container 12, edge 70 of side wall 18b in contact with top
surface 84
acts as a pivot point, while edge 72 of side wall 18a travels away from top
surface 84 in
a rotational fashion. As body 16 begins to rotate, handle support 26 comes
into contact
with arcuate portion 46 of retaining device 10, and arrests the rotational
motion of
handle 30, and therefore that of body 16. Correspondingly, a force is applied
to other
opposing side wall 18b with the intention of toppling over container 12 is
also thwarted
by the engagement of handle support 28 with arcuate portion 46 of retaining
device 10.
Once the force is removed, container base 19 returns to its resting position
on top
surface 84. Accordingly, any force applied to the side wall 18a or 18b, or
front wall 17a
by an animal or wind, or repeated force to rock container 12, in an effort to
release
handle 30 from retaining device is curtailed. Accordingly, despite these
forces, handle
30 is maintained within channel 50 of retaining device 10, and handle 30 can
only be
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completely removed from channel 50 by lifting container 12 off top surface 84
such that
handle 30 travels upwardly to clear edge 52 of second angled aim 48. Once
cleared,
container 12 is then pivoted away from the retaining device 10 and platform
80, for
subsequent placement on the curb for collection, relocation, or cleaning.
[0030] Similarly, in the event a force is applied adjacent to lid 32 or
container body
opening 22 via side wall 18a in an effort to pull down container 12, body 16
begins to
briefly rotate about edge 72 at base 19 adjacent to side wall 18a acting as a
pivot, and
handle support 28 rotates briefly before coming into contact with edge 54 of
arcuate
portion 46, and handle bar 30 fails to clear edge 52 of angled second arm 48,
and
therefore remains within channel 50. Therefore, the engagement of handle
support 28
with edge 54 of arcuate portion 46 and the engagement of edge 72 with top
surface 84
co-operatively arrests the rotational motion of body 16, thereby maintaining
container
12 in a substantially upright position. Once the force is removed, container
base 19
returns to its resting position on top surface 84. Correspondingly, when a
force is
applied adjacent to lid 32, or container body opening 22, via side wall 18b in
an effort
to pull down container 12, body 16 begins to briefly rotate about edge 70 at
base 19
adjacent to side wall 18b acting as a pivot, and handle support 26 rotates
briefly before
coming into contact with edge 53 of arcuate portion 46 of retaining device 10,
and edge
70 of base 19 engages top surface 84 to co-operatively inhibit the rotational
motion of
body 16, and thereby maintaining container 12 in a substantially upright
position. Once
the force is removed, container base 19 returns to its resting position on top
surface 84.
[0031] In the event a force is applied adjacent to lid 32 or container body
opening
22 via front wall 17a in an effort to pull down container 12, body 16 attempts
to rotate
about front edge 74 and back wall 17b or wheels 31 abut and engage vertical
surface 13,
thereby inhibiting any further motion, thus maintaining container 12 in a
substantially
upright position. All the while, handle bar 30 fails to clear edge 52 of
angled second
arm 48, and therefore remains within channel 50.
[0032] As shown in Figure 3, retaining device 10 is secured by fastening
means to
housing enclosure 90 resting on horizontal surface 14, such the ground, or
elevated on
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platform 91, similar to platform 80 described above. Housing enclosure 90
comprises
back wall 94 separating opposed housing walls 96a, 96b and top wall 97 to
define
enclosure opening 98 in front of back wall 94. Container 12 rests on top
surface 99 of
platform 91, and retaining device 10 receives handle 30 such that container 12
is
maintained in a substantially upright position. Platform 92 is secured to
horizontal
surface 14 or vertical structure 13, such that it remains stationary while in
use.
[0033] As described above, when a force is applied to one of opposed body
side
walls 18a in an effort to topple container 12, edge 70 of side wall 18b in
contact with
top surface 99 acts as a pivot point, while edge 72 of side wall travels away
from top
surface 99 in a rotational fashion. As body 16 begins to rotate, handle
support 26 comes
into contact with arcuate portion 46 of retaining device 10, and arrests the
rotational
motion of handle 30, and therefore that of body 16. Correspondingly, a force
is applied
to other opposing side wall 18a with the intention of toppling over container
12 is also
thwarted by the engagement of handle support 26 with arcuate portion 46 of
retaining
device 10. Once the force is removed, container base 19 returns to its resting
position on
top surface 99.
[0034] The dimensions of housing enclosure 90, especially the separation
distance
between opposed housing walls 96a, 96b is chosen such that the clearance
between each
of opposed housing walls 96a, 96b and opposed side walls 18a and 18b is
minimized to
prevent access by animals, such as raccoons. However, should an animal manage
to
gain access to the clearance, the restricted space impedes an animal, such as
a raccoon,
from having sufficient leverage to apply a force intended to tip over
Container 12.
[0035] In one example, enclosure 90 and platform 91 are constructed from
galvanized steel, or other materials able to withstand the environmental
effects or
inclement weather. Platform 91 conforms closely to the shape of base 19 of
container
12 such that raccoons have no ledge to climb on, and platform 91 is elevated
about 14
inches above the ground level, thereby placing container 12 beyond a raccoon's
proven
anatomical ability to climb into interior volume 20, while minimizing stooping
by a
user, in operation. In exemplary enclosure 90, the depth between enclosure
opening 98
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and back wall 94 is about 19 inches, while the width of enclosure 90 extending
between
opposed housing walls 96a, 96b is about 22 inches, which provides adequate
room for
securing container 12 to retaining device 10, removing container 12 for
placement on
the curb, or otherwise. When container 12 is secured to retaining device 10
and resting
on platfoim 91, the spacing between container sidewall 18a and housing wall
96a, and
the spacing between container sidewall 18b and housing wall 96b is minimized,
such as
3 inches, to inhibit ingress of raccoons with intentions of tipping over
container 12.
[00361 Benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have been
described
above with regard to specific embodiments. However, the benefits, advantages,
solutions to problems, and any element(s) that may cause any benefit,
advantage, or
solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as
critical,
required, or essential features or elements of any or all the claims. As used
herein, the
teims "comprises," "comprising," or any other variations thereof, are intended
to cover a
non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus
that
comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may
include other
elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or
apparatus.
Further, no element described herein is required for the practice of the
invention unless
expressly described as "essential" or "critical."
[00371 The preceding detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the
invention makes reference to the accompanying drawings, which show the
exemplary
embodiment by way of illustration. While these exemplary embodiments are
described
in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the
invention, it should be
understood that other embodiments may be realized and that logical and
mechanical
changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the
invention. For
example, the steps recited in any of the method or process claims may be
executed in
any order and are not limited to the order presented. Further, the present
invention may
be practiced using one or more servers, as necessary. Thus, the preceding
detailed
description is presented for purposes of illustration only and not of
limitation, and the
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scope of the invention is defined by the preceding description, and with
respect to the
attached claims_
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