WASTE CONTAINER WITH GARBAGE BAG RETAINER AND RESERVOIR

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Application Serial No. 11/480,802 filed on July 3, 2006, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

This invention relates generally to trash bag receptacles and more particularly to waste baskets with retainers to prevent trash bags from slipping down inside said trash basket during use. Plastic trash/garbage bags have become a staple for the storage and disposal of refuse largely because of their low cost, small storage space required until use, durability and decrease in maintenance requirements for waste containers.

One of the problems with trash/garbage bags when used in a rigid waste container is their propensity to slip down inside the container during use and, when first placed in the container to trap air between the bag and the wall of the container thereby substantially decreasing the available space within the bag until the trapped air is released, which can become a messy chore if the garbage placed in said bag is wet or sticky in nature.

To address these problems, there have been a variety of mechanisms developed. Some of these mechanisms are described in U.S. Patent 6,728,996,

"Adjustable Liner Retainer for Containers", issued to Roscow, May 4, 2002; U.S. Design Patent D484, 660, "Flexible Bag Retainer", issued to Robbins, December 30, 2003, U.S. Patent 6, 808, 073, "Bag Assembly", issued to Cuisinier, October 26, 2004; U.S. Patent 6, 824, 005, "Lining Refuse Receptacle Devise, Kit and Method", issued to Ashinhurst, November 30, 2004, U.S. Patent 6,843,453, "Bag Holder Assembly", issued to Rogers, January 18, 2005, U.S. Patent 6,893,158, "Liner Retainer Device", issued to Tipp, May 17, 2005; and U.S. Patent 6, 918, 505, "Retainer for Liner Bag in Waste Receptacle", issued to Gifford, July 19, 2005.

While these inventions provide solutions to some of the aforesaid problems, all leave some aspect of the problem of managing waste containers unsolved.

SUMMARY

The present invention provides a garbage or trash bag holder and unused garbage or trash bag storage facility within a waste or garbage can of common design. Within the context of this invention are contemplated plastic garbage or trash bags, but also any other flexible refuse holder which may be placed within a waste receptacle. Within the preferred embodiment, the invention uses a garbage or trash receptacle which is adapted to receive a plastic bag retainer comprising a loop having substantially the same shape as the garbage or trash receptacle which passes over the outside of said container thus trapping the bag between the container and the trash receptacle. The receptacle is provided with an outwardly extending shelf which restrains the retainer from falling to the floor thus releasing the bag. The waste container is also provided with means to store unused plastic bags within the base of the receptacle below the bag currently in use in a manner that allows for ready retrieval and use of unused bags once the bag in use is full and ready for removal from the receptacle. Additionally the garbage or trash receptacle is provided with perforations through the wall thereof to allow the release of air trapped between the wall and the refuse bag.

In an alternative embodiment, a bag retainer is formed from a ring of semi rigid material which is congruent in shape with the waste container and designed to rest on top of said container. The alternative bag retainer has a downwardly extending skirt which is approximated to the inside of the wall of said waste container. The alternative bag retainer, like the ring of the preferred embodiment operates to trap the refuse bag between the retainer and the wall of the receptacle thereby preventing said bag from falling down inside said receptacle.

When the garbage bag is full, the retainer is removed from contact with the waste receptacle which allows the full bag to be removed and secured for disposal. Reaching into the hole in the storage facility located in the bottom of the waste

container, one pulls the next bag from the supply contained therein, opens or inflates the bag in the common manner and folds it over the top of the container. The newly opened bag is then secured to the container by folding the open end over the top of the container and using the retainer as a securing means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG 1 is an exploded side elevational view of the preferred embodiment with the waste container shown partly in phantom showing the bag reservoir in place at the bottom of the container.

FIG 2 is a thin cross section of the top portion of the preferred embodiment taken along line 2-2', but not showing the side wall of said container except at the point of section, showing a new or unused bag being put in place and in contact with the retainer in the preferred embodiment.

FIG 3 is a thin cross section of the top portion of the preferred embodiment again taken along line 2-2', but not showing the side wall of said container except at the point of section, showing a bag in place in the container with the bag retainer holding the bag in place and in contact with the bag retainer.

FIG 4 is an exploded side elevational view of the alternative embodiment with the waste container shown partly in phantom revealing the bag reservoir in place at the bottom of the container. FIG 5 is a thin cross section of the top portion of an alternative embodiment showing a new or unused bag as it is being inserted into the waste container and the retainer being inserted into the container to hold the bag in place.

FIG 6 is a thin cross section of the alternative embodiment showing a bag in place in the container with the bag retainer holding the bag in place and in contact with the bag retainer.

DISCLOSURE OF THE ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENT

With reference to FIGS. 1-3, a preferred embodiment of the waste container, as shown in FIG. 1, waste container 1 comprises a continuous surface 101 having an inside wall 102 and an outside wall 103 forming a first opening 104 and a

second opening 105 together with a bottom portion 106 sealingly attached to said first opening. Said bottom portion generally defines the shape of said waste container. Bag retainer 2 is shown in exploded configuration with respect to waste container 1. Bag retainer 2 comprises a rigid ring 201 generally conforming in shape to said second opening 105 and slightly larger than said second opening 105 to allow said rigid ring to slide over the outside of said container and down said outside wall 103. Said rigid ring 201 has an inner wall 202 and an outer wall 203 generally defining the thickness of said ring 1 in one dimension and a top wall 204 and a bottom wall 205 generally defining the thickness of said ring 201 in a second dimension. The continuous surface 101 has a plurality of perforations 301a through said surface spaced in groups of perforations in close proximity to one another and a plurality of groups of said perforations, 301a, 301b spaced around the periphery of said continuous surface 101.

A bag reservoir 5 having a top 501 and a side wall 502, said top having a opening 503 therethrough, said top and side wall cooperating to both form a shape which is congruent to the shape of the waste container and slightly smaller than said container to allow said bag reservoir to nestle at the bottom of said waste container. Said top 501 and said side wall 502 further cooperating with said bottom portion 106 to form a void bounded on the outside by said top, side wall and bottom portion. Referring now to FIG 2, we see a partial cross section of FIG 1 , taken along the line 2-2' but not including the end wall of the waste container 1 for clarity. Perforations 301a, 301b are shown in this cross section.

Slide arrester 601 is located in close proximity to second opening 105 and projects outwardly from outside wall 103 a distance approximately equal to the thickness of said rigid ring 201. The proximity of said slide arrester to said second opening 105 is at least equal to the thickness of said rigid ring 201 as defined by said upper wall 204 of said ring 201 and said lower wall 205 of said ring 201.

In use, a garbage bag, commonly manufactured from a plastic material is placed over said rigid ring 201 and the ends of the opening to said bag 701, 701a are positioned to drape down the inside of said waste container 1. Said rigid ring is placed around the outside wall 103 of said container and into contacting relationship

with said slide arrester 601. The closed end of said garbage bag 702 is then pushed into said waste container which is now ready for use, as is shown in FIG 3.

Bag reservoir 5, when in place in the bottom of said waste container 1 provides space within said void in which to store unused garbage bags. The hole through the top 501 of said reservoir 5 allows an unused garbage bag to be pulled therethrough in preparation for placing said bag into use.

An alternative embodiment of the invention is presented in Figures 4 through 6. Figure 4 shows waste container 1 partially in phantom to show bag reservoir 5 in place and partially exploded to show an alternative embodiment of the bag retainer 6.

Referring now to the cross section shown in Figure 5, in the alternative embodiment, the top edge 107 of the waste container is rolled outwardly to form an inverted "U" shape 108, as is better shown in Figure 5.

Alternative bag retainer 6 has a "U-shaped" upper edge 601 and an inner skirt 603 congruent in shape with the upper edge of waste container 1, and slightly smaller in size to allow said alternative bag retainer to both slide inside the waste container 1, for said upper edge 601 to be in close proximity to said upper edge 601, and said inner skirt 603 to be in close proximity to said inside wall 102.

In use, garbage bag B is pulled through the top opening 503 of bag reservoir 5 and expanded to an open condition. Bag retainer 6 is placed inside the opening of said garbage bag, as shown in Fig. 5, and pressed into the opening of waste container 1. The bag retainer 6 is pressed inside waste container 1 trapping the bag B between the two elements. The bag B is pressed down into said waste container 1, and said system is ready for use.