RECEPTACLE FOR REFUSE AND OTHER MATERIALS

This invention relates to receptacle for refuse or other materials.

It is well known to use large sacks of plastics materials as receptacles for refuse and other materials. A disadvantage of such refuse sacks is that they are unable to hold their shape and for this reason, they are often difficult to fill single-handedly. Generally, one person is required to hold the mouth of the sack open whilst another person loads the refuse or other materials into the sack.

In order to overcome this problem, it has been proposed to provide a device for supporting a refuse sack to facilitate the filling thereof. UK Patent Application GB2177996 discloses one such sack support device comprising an annular frame which holds the mouth of the bag open, so that it can be conveniently filled by one person.

A disadvantage of such devices is that the weight of materials in the sack will eventually cause the sack to become detached from the frame. In order to overcome this problem, it has been proposed to provide clips for clamping the mouth of the sack to the frame. However, a disadvantage of this arrangement is that the clips are difficult and time consuming to fit and furthermore, there is a risk that the neck of the sack could tear under the weight of the materials in the sack. Another disadvantage of known sack supports is that sticks and other bulky or sharp items can readily rupture the sack.

I have now devised a receptacle for refuse or other materials which alleviates the above-mentioned problems.

In accordance with this invention, there is provided a receptacle comprising an open sack of flexible material and a device for supporting the sack in a generally upright position, the device comprising a frame having a pair of spaced apart portions, the sack extending upwardly between said portions and opposite sides of the neck of the sack being turned over the respective frame portions to keep the sack open, and a sling having opposite ends connected to the respective frame portions and extending downwardly around the sack to constrain and support the latter.

The sling constrains and supports the sack, thereby preventing it from becoming detached under the weight of its contents as it is filled. The sling also helps to prevent the sack from bursting or from being ruptured by sharp materials. Furthermore, the sling keeps the bottom of the sack away from the ground, thereby preventing it dragging on the ground and tearing as the device is moved.

Preferably, said pair of frame portions are substantially straight and are preferably arranged parallel to each other, the sling preferably comprising a sheet member of fabric or other flexible material having a width which is substantially equal to the length of said frame portions.

Preferably said material is non-absorbent to water.

Preferably, said pair of frame portions each comprise depending legs at their respective opposite ends.

Preferably, the legs of one frame portion are pivotally connected intermediate their opposite ends to the respective legs of the other frame portion, thereby allowing the device to be folded when not in use.

Preferably the sheet member comprises a pair of panels which are connected at their upper ends to the respective frame portions, the lower ends of the panels being interconnected.

Preferably the lower ends of the panels are interconnected by a bottom panel, which is preferably creased or otherwise arranged to fold in half when the frame is collapsed.

Preferably, one or more pockets are provided on the exterior surface of the sling for conveniently storing items such as tools and accessories for gardening.

Preferably the sling is detachable from the frame.

In one embodiment, the device may comprise one or more wheels, rollers or castors or the like to facilitate movement of the receptacle, particularly when full.

An embodiment of this invention will now be described by way of an example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a support device of a refuse receptacle in accordance with this invention; and

Figure 2 is a sectional view through the device Figure 1 .

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a support device for a conventional refuse sack, the device comprising a collapsible frame 10 formed of tubular steel and a sling 20 fitted to the frame 10. The frame 10 comprises a substantially identical pair of frame portions 11 , each having an elongate cross-member 12 and a pair of parallel depending legs 13 disposed at respective opposite ends of the cross-member 12.

The legs 13 of one frame portion 1 1 are pivotally connected intermediate their opposite ends to the corresponding legs 13 of the other frame portion 11 by respective pins 14. It will be appreciated that this arrangement allows the frame 10 to be collapsed by bringing together the cross-members 12 of the respective frame portions 1 1. It is preferred that the cross-member 12 of one of the frame portions 11 is slightly shorter than the other so that it can be arranged to fold within the plane of the other frame portions 1 1 , thereby making the device more compact when folded.

A flexible strap 15 extends between the upper portions of one or both pairs of interconnected legs 13, in order to limit the distance by which the two cross-members 12 can be moved apart.

The sling 20 comprises a pair of rectangular panels 21 of fabric or other flexible sheet material, which are attached at their upper ends to respective cross-members 12 of the frame 10. Each panel 21 is detachably attached to the frame 10 by folding the ends of the panel 21 over the cross-member 12 at 24 and securing the folded down end back onto the panel 21 using hook-and-pile or other types of releasable fasteners.

The lower ends of the panels 21 of the sling 20 are interconnected by a generally square bottom 22 panel, which preferably comprises a transverse fold intermediate its opposite sides to allow the bottom panel to fold upwardly in half when the frame 10 is collapsed. A plurality of pockets 23 are stitched to the outer faces of the side panels 21 of the sling 20. The pockets 23 may be formed of a transparent plastics material, so that the contents of the pocket 23 may be viewed.

A refuse sack B can be attached to the device by unfolding the frame 10 and placing the sack B between the spaced-apart cross-members 12. The neck of the sack B is then folded over the cross-members 12, to extend partially down the sides 21 of the sling 20, as illustrated in Figure 2.

Garden refuse and other materials can then be loaded single-handedly into the sack B through the mouth thereof, which is conveniently held open by the frame 10.

The sling 20 constrains and supports the sack B, thereby preventing it from becoming detached under the weight of its contents. The sling 20 also helps to prevent the sack B from bursting or from being punctured by sharp materials. Furthermore, the sling 20 keeps the bottom of the sack B away from the ground, thereby preventing it dragging on the ground and tearing as the device is moved.

In a further embodiment, the legs 13 of one or both of the frame portions 11 may be provided with wheels, so that the device can be conveniently wheeled from one location to another.

The support device of a receptacle in accordance with this invention is simple and inexpensive in construction, yet is reliably able to hold a refuse or other sack open even when full. When not in use, the device can be easily folded so that its bulk is reduced for storage. It is also possible to remove the sling for cleaning or for replacement.