This invention relates to a quick and tidy way of lining waste containers.

In areas such as foyers and guest rooms of hotels, where the aesthetic quality of all visible articles is important, waste containers are often constructed in a manner which makes their regular cleaning lengthy and inconvenient. This adds to the cost of servicing such waste containers.

BACKGROUND ART Conventionally waste containers are lined with a sheer plastic bag with the upper rim of the bag being folded over, to the outside of, the upper rim of the waste container. This is generally unsightly and thus unsuitable for hotel use in public areas.

It has been proposed to overcome this problem by providing a lining bag held in position within the container by the use of a reuseable, or integral, sprung clip of a shape similar to the opening of the container but of a size slightly greater than the internal dimensions of the container. The bag is held in position by the clip when the clip is positioned between an edge moulding and a bead formed in the periphery of the container.

This arrangement has proved relatively time consuming during the daily liner changing procedure. For this reason, an alternative to the above described arrangement in which the liner tag is lazier to change, is desirable. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, in one broad form, the present invention provides a receptacle for litter including:- a generally upstanding hollow body with an opening at one end dimensioned so that a flexible bag structure can be received therein; supporting means internal of the body, proximate the one end and arranged about the circumference of the opening; a flexible bag structure including only one open end and having at that end a peripheral dimension approximately equal to or slightly larger than the internal circumference of the body at its one end, the open end having an end edge reinforced with at least one resilient band so as to urge the open end into a flat disposition with the internal faces of two halves of the bag at the one end thereof lying flatly generally against

each other while being resiliency deformable into a generally circular shaped opening; and wherein the bag is disposed within the body so that the resilient strap or band reinforcing the one end of the bag co-operates with the supporting means so as to position and at least partially support the bag relative to the body.

Also, the invention provides a flexible bag structure adapted to form, in combination with a suitable body, the receptacle described above, the flexible bag including one open end, the open end having an end edge reinforced with at least one resilient strip or band so as to urge the open end into a flat disposition with the Internal faces of two halves of the bag at the one end lying flatly generally against each other while being resiliently deformable into a generally circular shaped opening. It is preferred that in the receptacle of the invention the supporting means is formed by a circumferential ly running bead extending radially internally of the hollow body and positioned longitudinally inwardly from the one end of the hollow body or a plurality of approximate S-shaped substantially rigid clips spaced about the circumference of the open end and held in position beneath an end moulding surrounding the one end of the body of the container so as to form a plurality of small hooks internally of the hollow body positioned about the circumference thereof and proximate the one end thereof.

Preferably the resilient strip or band is formed integrally of the bag. The bag is preferably extruded into sheet or tube form with at least one thickened portion forming the resilient strip or band.

The resilient strip can be formed separately and welded to, or secured within a loop in the material of the bag around, the bag opening perimeter, before or after final bag construction. According to another aspect of the present the invention, there is disclosed a receptacle for litter including a generally upstanding hollow body with an opening at one end dimensioned so that a flexible bag structure can be received therein; supporting means internal of the body, proximate the one end and arranged about the circumference of the opening; a flexible bag structure including only one open end and having at that end a peripheral dimension approximately equal to or slightly larger than the internal circumference of the body at its one end, the open end

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having an end edge reinforced with a resilient band so as to co-operate with the supporting means in said body when the bag is disposed within the body, whereby the bag is supported within the body.

According to a still further aspect of the present invention, ther is disclosed a flexible bag structure adapted to be used with a receptacle, said flexible bag including one open end, the open end havin an end edge reinforced with a resilient band which forms a generally circular shaped opening.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS By way of example only, some preferred forms of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Fig. 1 1s a partly sectioned perspective view of a bin incorporating components of the invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a bag incorporating other components of the invention;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to that of Fig. 2 but of an alternative arrangement embodying the invention;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to that of Fig. 1 but of an alternative arrangement embodying the invention;

Fig. 5 is view similar to that of Fig. 2 but of another alternative arrangement embodying the invention;

F1g. 6 is a view similar to that of Fig. 2 but of a further alternative arrangement embodying the invention; Fig. 7 is a view similar to that of Fig. 2 but of a still further alternative arrangement embodying the invention; and

Fig. 8 is a view similar to that of Fig. 1 but of yet another alternative arrangement embodying the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A container 1 includes a hollow cylindrical body 2 with a neat end moulding 3. The end moulding 3 extends about the perimeter of the top end of the container 1. The moulding 3 is sufficiently resilient to maintain its predetermined substantially "U" or "3" cross-sectional shape. The moulding 3 is maintained in place by use of a suitable adhesive between the outer surface of the body 2 and the adjacent inner surface portion of the moulding 3.

Supporting means in the form of a plurality of clips 4 are arranged about the internal periphery of the top open end of the container 1. The

clips 4 are substantially rigid and of a general "S" cross-sectional shape. The "S" cross-sectional shape forms a hook at each end of the clip 4. One of the hooks of each clip 4 is thus positioned under the moulding 3 and over the end edge of the body 2. The other hook of each clip 4 is thus positioned internally of the body 2, about the periphery of the top end of the container 1, and a small distance inward of the container 1 from the extreme end thereof. Each of the clips 4 is held in position frlctionally by the moulding 2 so as to be supported by the end edge of the body 2. A plastic lining bag 5 is provided with one open end 6, the periphery of which is reinforced with a stiffening band 7. The band 7 comprises two halves, each half of the band 7 urging its respective portion of the bag 5 to lie in a flat plane. In this manner the end 6 of bag 5 is normally closed with the two halves thereof lying flatly one against the other.

The peripheral length of the end 6 of the bag 5 is approximately equal to or slightly larger than the internal peripheral length of the open end of the container 1. The closed bag 5 includes two end points 8 which can be squeezed one towards the other so as to open the end 6 of the bag 5 and form a generally circular opening so that the bag 5 may be placed within the body 2. The reinforcing band 7 is easily positioned within the exposed hooks of the clips 4 so as to support the bag 5. In this supported position the tendency of the band 7 to from the open end 6 of the bag 5 Into a flat configuration and the relative peripheral lengths of the end 6 and the opening of the body 2 ensure that the bag 5 sits snugly and fully supported within the opening of the container 1.

In a preferred manufacturing process the reinforcing band is produced separately and placed proximate an edge of the plastics sheet. That edge is then folded over the band 7 and heat sealed to Itself so as to envelope the band 7 in the overlapping portion as shown in Fig. 5. The sheet can again be folded over and the sides welded.

In Fig. 3 an alternative bag 15 is generally similar to bag 5 in that it has its opening 6 and opposed in points 8. However the resilient band 7 is formed continuously of the material of the bag 15. The bag 15 is conveniently constructed in either of two ways. In one process a plastics thin sheet is extruded with integral reinforcing bands 7 at opposite edges, the bag is then folded over, lapping one band 7 over the other, and the sides of the bag heat sealed in the well known

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anner. Alternatively the bag 15 is formed by extruding thin plastic sheet as a tube with a very much thickened portion forming a strip longitudinally of the continuous tube. As the tube 1s extruded 1t is split at the thickened portion and cut and seamed transversely at regular Intervals. The thus parallel transverse seams from side edges extending from the end points 8 of the finished bag. The slit portion forms the periphery of the opening 6 and the thickened portion forms the band 7. As seen in Fig. 4 the lining bags 5 and 15 can also be used in a container 11 which Includes a peripheral bead or Up 14 formed Internally of the body of the container 12. The lip 14 can be replaced by a number of dimples, pins or other protuberances 24 spaced about its path as illustrated in Fig. 8 on a container 22, which 1s a further arrangement.

In Fig. 6 an further alternative bag 25 is generally similar to bags 5 and 15 in that it has an opening 6, however the resilient band 7 ^* is a single strip and does not comprise two halves. The single strip of the band 7 has only one end point or break 8 and the bag can be manipulated about this end point 8 in order that the bag 25 fits into the container 1. The bag 25 can be constructed using similar techniques as described above in relation to the bags 5 and 15. In Fig. 7 a further alternative bag 35 is generally similar to bags 5, 15 and 25 in that it has an opening 6, however the resilient band 7 is a single continuous strip and does not have any end points 8 as the other bags 5, 15 and 25. The continuous strip of the band 7 is made from a flexible material made using similar techniques as described above, and is made of such flexible materials to be able to be manipulated in such a way as to be fitted into the container 1 and easily removed from the container.

Although the invention has been described in detail with reference to only one preferred embodiment and people skilled in the field will be able to vary the design in some aspects without departing from the broad form of the invention defined hitherto before.