TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to mobile garbage bins, and in particular to a brake for mobile garbage bins.

BACKGROUND

Mobile garbage bins of the type designed to be readily moved by one person typically comprise an upright receptacle with an open top, a lid, a handle near the top of the back of the receptacle, and two spaced apart wheels on either side of the receptacle near the bottom of its back. In typical bins, the handle is either a single bar like handle that extends across the width of the bin or two shorter bar like handles with a gap between them. The bin lid typically pivots about the handle. In Australia these bins are commonly referred to as "wheelie bins" and typically range in capacity from 80 to 360 litres. This type of mobile garbage bin is typically used for domestic waste collection from households, and separate bins may be used for general waste, recycling, and vegetation. These bins are also used in other applications requiring a compact mobile bin, such as in offices, factories, shopping centres, parks, etc.

When this type of mobile garbage bin is standing, its base and its wheels sit on the ground. To move the bin, a person holds the handle and tilts the bin backwards until the wheels contact the ground and the base is clear of the ground. The bin can then be pushed or pulled to move it.

When full, these bins can weigh a considerable amount, and a larger bin full of denser waste may weigh over 100 kg. This can make it very difficult for a person to wheel a full bin down a slope. In such situations, the bin may run away pulling the person with it, and possibly cause the person and bin to fall over. This problem may occur for example when a house is at the top of a steep driveway and the full bin must be wheeled down the driveway to the kerb for waste collection. This may be a particular problem for smaller or weaker people and in particular the elderly. International Patent Publication No. WO 00/44648 (Gibbs et al.) discloses a brake assembly for a mobile garbage bin. The brake assembly has a brake member connected an actuator chain. A U-shaped member with handle portion is mounted near the handle of the bin via lugs and is connected to the actuator chain. When a user grasps the handles of the bin he can also actuate the "handle portions" of the brake assembly which are situated below. By urging the U-shaped member upwardly the brake member is caused to pivot and engage the wheels. There are a number of disadvantages of this prior art. Whilst the U-shaped member abuts the central ribs, the "handle portions" of the brake assembly are situated below the handles of the bin. The necessary actuation of such a handle portion is difficult for smaller or weaker people such as the elderly.

Secondly the way this brake assembly operates means that undesirably there are many places where a user or an automated lift mechanism can catch and damage the brake assembly. Firstly the gap between the actuator chain and the bin is quite substantial. The brake arm is attached to a support bracket that hooks onto the axle. The actuator chain extends from the support bracket up to a hook that hooks over the top of the edge of the bin receptacle and to the U-shaped member. When a user moves handle portions of the brake assembly upwardly, the actuator chain causes the brake member to pivot relative to the support bracket. This particular pivotal arrangement requires the gap between the actuator chain and the bin receptacle to be disadvantageously in the order of 75-100mm. Also the configuration of the "handle portion" of the brake assembly below the bin handle provides a further possible "catch area". The problem with such a gap and the configuration of the handle portion is that they undesirably provide an opportunity for something to get caught between the actuator chain and bin receptacle or on the handle portions of the brake assembly. This is a problem as the bins are typically picked up and lifted by automated lift mechanisms on garbage trucks, and a large gap between the actuator chain and bin receptacle is undesirable, as inadvertent "catching" of the brake assembly can cause damage to the bin, brake assembly and possibly to the automated lift mechanism on the garbage truck.

The present invention seeks to overcome at least one of the disadvantages of the prior art. SUMMARY OF INVENTION

According to a first aspect the present invention consists in a brake mechanism for a mobile garbage bin, said bin comprising a receptacle with a back, a closed base and an open top closed by a lid, at least one handle disposed near the top of said back, and two wheels spaced apart on either side of said receptacle near the bottom of said back, wherein said brake mechanism comprises at least one hand-operated actuator that is surroundably mounted about said handle and rotatable about the longitudinal axis of said handle by a twist action, and operably linked to two brake engagement members via an actuation member, each of said brake engagement members being associated with one of said wheels, and each brake engagement member frictionally engaging its respective said wheel by the operation of said hand-operated actuator.

Preferably the gap between said actuation member and said back of said receptacle is less than 15mm.

Preferably the upper end of said actuation member is pivotally attached to said actuator, and the movement of the lower end of said actuation member is guided by a guide device attached to said bin.

Preferably said actuation member is elongate and said brake engagement members extend laterally from said actuation member.

Preferably an insert can be placed in said. actuator to adapt said actuator to fit and surround different sizes of said handle.

Preferably wherein said hand-operated actuator comprises of two halves hinged together, each half of substantially semi circular profile.

Preferably when said actuator is operated to frictionally engage said wheels it moves said engagement member substantially downwards.

Preferably each said brake engagement member frictionally engages the outer perimeter of its respective said wheel.

Preferably said brake engagement members are attached to said actuation member.

Preferably said two brake engagement members are formed as a single component. In another embodiment said brake mechanism further comprises at least one slotted member that surrounds the axle or hub of one of said wheels to guide the movement of the lower end of said actuation member.

Preferably wherein said at least one handle of said bin comprises a first and a second handle, and said hand-operated actuator comprises a first hand-operated actuator and a second hand-operated actuator, each rotatably mounted to surround said first and second handles respectively.

Preferably said brake engagement members are biased away from said wheels.

Preferably said brake engagement members and said actuation member are made of sheet metal.

Preferably said hand-operated actuator is made from a mouldable plastic material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is a rear perspective view of a mobile garbage bin fitted with a first embodiment of a brake mechanism in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the bin and brake mechanism shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a partial view from underneath of the bin and brake mechanism shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a partial view from above of the handle area of the bin and brake mechanism shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a partial exploded view of an actuator and the upper end of the actuation member of the brake mechanism shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of an actuator of the brake mechanism shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 shows the actuator of Fig. 6 in its open configuration with inserts to adapt the actuator to a smaller bin handle.

Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view of the lower end of the actuation member and guide device of the brake mechanism shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 9 is a side view of the bin and brake mechanism shown in Fig. 1. DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Figs. 1 to 4 show a mobile garbage bin 1 fitted with a first embodiment of a brake mechanism 10 in accordance with the present invention. Bin 1 has an upright receptacle 2 with an open top 3, a back 4, and a base 5. This example bin 1 has a single handle 6 attached to its back 4, near top 3. Handle 6 extends substantially across the width of bin 1, and it has a longitudinal axis 7. A lid 8 closes top 3 of receptacle 2 and pivots about axis 7 of handle 6. Bin 1 has two spaced apart wheels 9 on either side of receptacle 2 near the bottom of back 4.

Brake mechanism 10 comprises an actuation member 1 1, two brake engagement members 12, two hand-operated actuators 13, and a guide device 14. Actuation member 1 1 comprises an elongate portion 23 and an upper end portion 18. Actuation member 1 1 is disposed substantially in the middle of and parallel to back 4 of receptacle 2, with- a small clearance to back 4. The upper end portion 18 of actuation member 1 1 splits into two spaced apart fingers 19. The upper end portion 18 of actuation member 11 is attached by screws to the elongate portion 23.

Brake engagement members 12 are attached to actuation member 1 1 and extend outwards laterally from actuation member 1 1. In this embodiment, brake engagement members 12 are formed as a single component and this single component is attached by screws to the elongate portion 23 of actuation member 1 1. Each brake engagement member 12 is associated with one of said wheels 9. Brake engagement members 12 are positioned such that their free ends 24 extend over wheels 9. Referring to Fig. 3 in particular, when brake mechanism 10 is not actuated there is a small clearance between the free ends 24 of brake engagement members 12 and wheels 9.

Guide device 14 is attached by screws 16 to back 4 near its bottom. Holes (not shown) are drilled into back 4 of bin 1 for screws 16 to screw into. Alternatively holes may be drilled through back 4 and screws 16 may be secured by nuts (not shown). The middle of guide device 14 is shaped to match the profile of elongate portion 23 of actuation member 11 such that when it is attached to bin 1 it creates an opening 17 between guide device 14 and back 4 that the lower end 15 of actuation member 1 1 slides into. Guide device 14 thereby guides the movement of lower end 15 of actuation member 1 1 , such that lower end 15 can only move in a substantially vertical direction when bin 1 is upright as shown in Fig. 1. Referring to Fig. 8 in particular, brake engagement members 12 are biased away from wheels 9 by means of a tension spring 25. One end of spring 25 is attached to a tab 26 on guide device 14. The other end is attached to a tab 27 on the bottom of actuation member 1 1. This biases actuation member 1 1 upwardly, which in turns biases brake engagement members 12 upwardly. Brake engagement members 12 are provided with projecting spacers 42 projecting towards back 4 of receptacle 2. Spacers 42 ensure that during operation of the braking mechanism 10, the engagement members 12 will not abut against back 4 as a result of any twist imparted to actuation member 11.

In this embodiment, actuation member 1 1, brake engagement members 12, and guide device 14 are made from sheet steel cut and bent to shape. The screwed construction allows the position of the brake engagement members 12 and the upper end portion 18 to be adjusted to suit different bins by using different holes in elongate portion 23. Actuation member 1 1 , brake engagement members 12, and guide device 14 are coated by painting or powder coating to provide a protective and decorative finish.

As can be seen in Figs. 5 and 6, each hand-operated actuator 13 has two halves 21 , each of approximately semi-circular profile, that are connected to each other by a hinge 22. In this embodiment, actuator 13 is moulded from plastic as a single component with a thin section between halves 21 forming the hinge 22. Fig. 5 shows actuator 13 opened out for attachment to handle 6 of bin 1. Each actuator 13 is attached to handle 6 by positioning one half 21 on handle 6 and folding the other half 21 over until the two halves 21 are fastened together using screws 40 and nuts 41 such that each actuator 13 surrounds handle 6. In this embodiment there is one actuator 13 at either end of handle 6. Each actuator 13 has a small clearance to handle 6 such that it can freely rotate by a user's "twist action" about the axis 7 of handle 6 as indicated by arrow 28 in Fig. 4. The external surface of each hand-operated actuator 13 is provided with a surface finish making it suitable for comfortable grip that minimises likelihood of slip when a user twists actuator 13 to actuate brake mechanism 10.

The upper end of actuation member 1 1 is pivotally attached to both actuators 13 by the following means. The top of each finger 19 of the upper end portion 18 of actuation member 11 has a pin 20 pressed into a hole through each finger 19, as shown in Fig. 5. Each half 21 of actuator 13 has a recess 30 that surround pin 29 when actuator 13 is folded closed, thereby by trapping pin 29 within the front of actuator 13.

The operation of brake mechanism 10 will now be described. With brake mechanism 10 attached to bin 1 but not actuated, bin 1 can be freely wheeled to move it in its usual manner by a user holding actuators 13, instead of holding handle 6 directly. When brake

mechanism 10 is not actuated, brake engagement members 12 are clear of wheels 9. To actuate brake mechanism 10, a user holding actuators 13 operates them by rotating them about the axis 7 of handle 6 by a twist action as indicated by arrow 28, as shown in Fig. 4. This then moves actuation member 11 and attached brake engagement members 12 downwards until their free ends 24 frictionally engage the outer perimeters of wheels 9. This then imparts braking to the rotation of wheels 9. The amount of braking of wheels 9 is proportional to the effort (torque) that the user applies to actuators 13, and thus wheels 9 may still roll when some braking is applied to them.

Brake mechanism 10 thereby overcomes the problem of bin 1 running away down a slope. Once bin 1 starts to run away, or in anticipation of this, the user rotates actuators 13 to apply the desired amount of braking (retardation) to wheels 9.

Actuator 13 may be used for bins of varying handle size. For example, Fig. 7 shows actuator 13 in its open configuration with inserts 29 to adapt actuator 13 to a smaller diameter bin handle. Each insert 29 is a flexible ring with a break in its perimeter to allow the insert 29 to be slipped on to a handle. In this embodiment there are two inserts 29 that sit in

corresponding grooves 31 in actuator 13. In use, inserts 29 are first fitted to the smaller bin handle and then actuator 13 is clipped around them.

One of the advantages of this embodiment over the prior art International Patent Publication No. WO 00/44648 (Gibbs et al.) is that the actuators 13 of the present embodiment surround the handle 6, rather than being spaced away from them as in the prior art. This means that the user is actually holding the actuator 13 when holding and moving bin 1 around, and unlike the prior art the user does not need to manipulate a separate handle portion. It should be noted in the present embodiment, it is quite easy for a user holding and moving bin 1 via actuators 13 to "twist" them forwardly about axis 7 when necessary to actuate brake mechanism 10. This arrangement of actuators 13 which surround handles 6, are less likely to get caught during operation.

Another advantage of the present embodiment is that the gap G, shown in Fig 9, between actuation member 11 and the rear 4 of receptacle 2, is kept to a minimum. Whilst the gap varies over the height of the receptacle 2, in the present embodiment gap G should be no more than 15mm at its greatest, and is more preferably about 12mm at its greatest. This gap between actuation member 11 and rear of receptacle 4 makes the present brake mechanism 10 less likely of being caught or damaged during lifting and handling of bin 1 by an automated lifting mechanism. One of the reasons that the gap G can be kept to a minimum is that actuation member 11 imparts a "substantially downward motion" to brake engagement members 12, rather than pivoting the brake arm of the prior art to the extent required. Furthermore, as actuation member 11 is connected to actuators 13 via upper end portion 18, there is no need to have actuation member attached or hooked to the inside bin as occurs in the prior art.

In other not shown embodiments of the invention, brake engagement members 12 may be separate components that are separately attached to actuation member 11. However, it is important that the gaps between each brake engagement member 12 and its associated wheel 9 are similar so that both brake engagement members 12 simultaneously contact their associated wheel 9 when brake mechanism 10 is actuated.

In another not shown embodiment of the invention, brake engagement members 12 may be formed as a single component as in the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 4, but this single component may be pivotally attached to the actuation member 11. This arrangement would then automatically distribute the braking force between the two wheels 9. The amount of pivoting movement of the single component may be limited to prevent braking members 12 contacting wheels 9 when the brake mechanism is not actuated.

In other not shown embodiments of the invention, the actuation member may comprise a frame rather than being a single elongate member 11. Also, each brake engagement member may have an arcuate surface that contacts its associated wheel 9. Also, the guide device may comprise a block with holes in it that rods attached to the actuation member slide in. In other not shown embodiments of the invention, the brake mechanism may comprise only one actuator 13. Some types of bin have two separate handles, and a brake mechanism to suit such bins may have an actuator 13 fitted to each handle, or to only one of the handles.

In other not shown embodiments of the invention, the actuators may be open on one side so that they can flex and clip onto the bin handle, rather than being hinged in two halves. For example, such an actuator may have a bar at its front that is pivoted to the actuation member and two or more spaced apart open rings spaced along the bar that clip onto the handle.

In other not shown embodiments of the invention, the lower end of the actuation member 1 1 may have its movement guided by a device that fits over the axle or hub of the bin wheels 9. Such a guide device would comprise a guide member disposed on either side of the bin, with each guide member being disposed between the wheel 9 on its side of the bin and the bin receptacle 2. Each guide member has a substantially vertical slot that is open at its bottom end that the axle or hub of the wheel slides into. Each guide member is thereby restrained to only move substantially vertically when the bin 1 is upright. An advantage of this embodiment is that it may be fitted to a bin without drilling holes into it.

In other not shown embodiments of the invention, the actuation member, brake engagement members, and guide device may be made from other materials than sheets steel. For example, injection moulded plastics, or aluminium may be used.

The terms "comprising" and "including" (and their grammatical variations) as used herein are used in an inclusive sense and not in the exclusive sense of "consisting only of.