Protective refuse container

Abstract

Provided herein is a disclosure of a refuse container including a typical plastic refuse bag article therein that is inaccessible without opening the container itself. Such a refuse container is provided with a locked door component that leads to a removable inner receptacle with a top-placed cover sleeve. Such an inner receptacle slides into place under above-extended structures that under which the cover sleeve is positioned, the above-extended structures including an opening that leads to the positioned sleeve with a like-shaped opening therein. Additionally, the refuse container includes an outer opening along a side portion thereof that leads to a curved ramp itself leading to the opening aligned with the cover sleeve and inner receptacle. With this overall design, a plastic bag and cannot be removed without sliding the inner receptacle with the locked door opened.

Claims

1. A refuse container article comprising an external housing including a pathway from an external point through an opening to a final internal refuse depositing location therein, wherein said pathway exhibits an inclined and curved ramp having an initial downward incline followed by a curved downward ramp leading to said final internal refuse depositing location, wherein said final internal refuse depositing location is a three-dimensional removable internal container over which may be placed for refuse collection is a flexible plastic refuse bag, wherein said flexible plastic refuse bag cannot be accessed or removed from said refuse container when present over said three-dimensional removable internal container by reaching within said opening from said external point; wherein said external housing further comprises a) an opening leading internally within said external housing, said opening leading along said inclined and curved ramp having a horizontal bottom edge, b) a door with a lock device, c) said three-dimensional removable internal container having a closed end and a top opening having a peripheral edge, and d) a top positioned and removable sleeve component exhibiting a tunnel configuration with two opposing openings with a peripheral lip on the top end thereof for placement over said internal removable container top opening peripheral edges to ensure said sleeve rests atop said internal container and cannot descend or be pushed within said internal container, and a lower end thereof below said peripheral lip exhibiting a shape that is smaller than that of the shape of said internal container.

2. The article of claim 1 further including an indentation opposing said ramp component and exhibiting a horizontal bottom edge in the same plane as that of said opposing ramp component bottom edge, wherein said bottom edges provide a detent structure to prevent lifting of said internal container sleeve from its position over said internal removable container top opening peripheral edges when present within said refuse container.

3. The refuse container article of claim 1 wherein said inclined and curved ramp exhibits a horizontal bottom edge, and wherein the incline of said inclined and curved ramp of at least 5 degrees from said opening and the curvature of said inclined and curved ramp of at least 20 degrees after said incline.

4. The refuse container article of claim 3 wherein said refuse container article further includes at least two opposing internal ramp structures as inclined plates with a wall-attachment portion and an edge, wherein said ramp structures lead downward toward said bottom closed end but not touching the opposing wall portion thereof, wherein said first internal ramp is located below said sleeve component top end opening and is attached to said at least one wall in one location thereon, and wherein said at least one second internal ramp is located below said first ramp structure and any refuse traveling downward from said first ramp will land on said at least one second ramp structure and travel downward toward said bottom closed end thereof.

5. The refuse container article of claim 4 wherein said sleeve is removably attached to said internal container and said flexible bag is removably attached to said internal container.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The novel features believed characteristic of the disclosed subject matter will be set forth in any claims that are filed now and/or later. The disclosed subject matter itself, however, as well as a preferred mode of use, further objectives, and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 depicts a side partial cut-away view of the overall external housing and internal container component of the inventive refuse container;

(3) FIG. 2 depicts a front view of the inventive refuse container;

(4) FIG. 3 depicts a side view of the internal container;

(5) FIG. 4 depicts a side view of the internal sleeve;

(6) FIG. 5 depicts a top view of the internal container;

(7) FIG. 6 depicts a top view of the internal sleeve;

(8) FIG. 7 depicts a top view of an alternative internal sleeve;

(9) FIG. 8 depicts a side view of the alternative internal sleeve of FIG. 7; and

(10) FIG. 9 depicts a side cut-away view of the alternative internal sleeve of FIGS. 7 and 8 as included within the internal container.

(11) FIG. 10 depicts a top cut-away view of the refuse container of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS AND PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(12) Reference now should be made to the drawings, presented as non-limiting possible embodiments in accordance with the descriptions provided above. The ordinarily skilled artisan would fully understand the breadth and scope intended herein in relation to the following potentially preferred types.

(13) It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another element. Thus, a first element discussed below could be termed a second element without departing from the teachings of the present disclosure.

(14) The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms a, an, and the are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms comprises and/or comprising or includes and/or including when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

(15) FIG. 1 shows a side view of a potentially preferred embodiment of this disclosure. The overall refuse disposal article 10 includes an external housing 12, an opening 14 with an inclined ramp 16 (which is also curved, as shown with the ramp 166 in FIG. 10), and a flat bottom edge 18 leading to an internal cavity 19 in which an internal container 20 with a sleeve 22 and a flexible plastic trash bag 24 are present. The sleeve 22 has a peripheral edge 26 that is larger than the peripheral edge (36 in FIG. 3) of the internal container 20 to allow for said sleeve 22 to rest thereupon and cover the edges of the bag 24. A door 28 with a lock 30 provides controlled access to the internal cavity 19 and thus the internal container 20 and bag 24. There is also shown here an opposing indentation 32 with a flat bottom edge 34 that is within the same plane as the bottom edge 18 of the ramp 16. Such bottom edges 18, 34 allow for alignment with the top edge of the sleeve 22 in order to prevent access to the bag 24 from the opening 14 and ramp 16. The opposing indentation 32 also provides a manner of deflecting refuse from any area along such a wall to a location other than within the bag 24. FIG. 2 shows the front of the refuse disposal article 10 with the hinged opening 14 within the external housing 12 and the placement of the internal container 20 and sleeve 22 in relation to the bag 24.

(16) FIGS. 3 and 4 provide side and top views of one possible embodiment of the three-dimensional removable internal container 20. Here, the container 20 is of a square-like shape at the top edge 36 and extends downward in the same shape in a three-dimensional closed-end structure. Such a container 20 has a closed bottom 38 in this instance, but may be open if desired. The top edge 36 exhibits a certain circumference (sum of all top edge side lengths) that aligns with the sleeve (22 of FIGS. 5 and 6). In this manner, that sleeve 22 has a top peripheral edge 42 that extends over the top edge 36 of the internal container 20 to permit placement thereover without propensity for such a sleeve 22 to descend or fall within the internal container 20 but rest thereon safely. The sleeve 22 further includes four extending walls 40 that descend within the internal container 20 as far as possible when the two top edges 36, 42 are aligned (and present with a bag therebetween). When introduced with a bag (24 of FIG. 1) sandwiched between the internal container top edge 36 and a sleeve peripheral top edge, the internal container 20 with sleeve 22 and bag 24 provides an article that slides within the internal cavity 19 of the external housing 12 and that closely abuts the bottom edges 18, 34, of the ramp 16 and opposing indentation 32 to prevent access and/or removal of the sleeve 22 and thus bag 24 from an external location, or at least until the door 28 is unlocked and the internal container 20, sleeve 22, and bag 24 are removed therefrom.

(17) FIGS. 7, 8, and 9 provide an alternative sleeve 110 Having a top end 112 with an opening 114 that aligns with that of the refuse can (18 of FIG. 1, for instance). With such a closed end and limited opening top end 112, the sleeve 110 may be provided with a depth similar to that of the internal container (122 of FIG. 9), thereby also substantially matching the depth of the cavity opening of a flexible refuse bag (not illustrated). Such a sleeve 110 is shown at a side view in FIG. 8 with the top opening 114, an underside lip 116 (much like that described above for the shorter type of sleeve) and a bottom end 120 that remains open just as for that described above, as well. Opposing ramps 118 are provided within the sleeve 112 in order to provide refuse direction as well as protection thereof as it resides within the bottom portion 120 from any external reaching, grabbing, etc. As noted above, such an alternative sleeve 110 may be removably attached to the internal container (122 of FIG. 9) as added benefit and strength. FIG. 9 shows the composite 110 of inserted sleeve 112 and internal container 122 with a flexible bag (not illustrated) to be present between both with the sleeve 112 inserted therein and the bag (not illustrated) inserted within the internal container cavity 124. Thus, taking this composite 110, one may utilize such in place of that as shown in FIG. 1 to provide a different, potentially more effective, obstacle to external reaching of the bag and/or refuse therein, while still allowing for a sanitary refuse can to be provided.

(18) FIG. 10 shows a cut away view of the top portion of the refuse container article 10 including the inclined ramp 16 and the curved portion thereof 166 leading downward to a horizontal bottom edge 18 and the internal cavity 19 within which the three-dimensional removable internal container (20 of FIG. 1) and thus the flexible refuse bag (24 of FIG. 1) are present. Such an inclined, curved ramp 16, 166 thus add to the obstacles for external access to the internal container 20, but allows for refuse to move through such a pathway for desired disposal therein.

(19) Thus, a manner of providing a sanitary refuse collection system with a flexible plastic trash bag while also according a manner preventing access to such a trash bag while in use is permitted. Although specific embodiments of the invention have been disclosed, those having ordinary skill in the art will understand that changes can be made to the specific embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The scope of the invention is not to be restricted, therefore, to the specific embodiments, and it is intended that the description herein cover any and all such applications, modifications, and embodiments within the scope of the present invention.