US 4,834,253 AGranted

Recycling container unit

OwnerDavid R. Crineinventor

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Abstract

In a preferred embodiment, a recycling container unit that includes an upright outer open-top vessel and several insertable upright inner open-top vessels seated within space of the outer vessel, intermittently detachably attached to the wall of the outer vessel by mated male and female members, and the outer vessel having spacing-structure extending upwardly from the inner upper surface of the bottom of the outer vessel positioned to space the seated inner vessels from one-another when mounted within the inner space of the outer vessel, each of the inner and outer vessels including handles accessible when the inner vessels are seated within the outer vessel, the shape of the bottom surface of the floor of the inner vessel corresponding in shape to the seating portion of the upper surface of the inside floor of the outer vessel, and the bottom surface of the bottom of the outer vessel corresponding in shape to the upper surface of the bottom of the outer vessel, and the inner and outer vessel's inner and outer walls and interior spaces each being tapered from a top larger cross-section to a smaller bottom cross-section, the shapes of the tops of the outer and inner vessels and of the outer vessel's open tops, being such that the inner vessels are seated in side-by-side upright relationship within the outer vessel allowing empty outer vessels to be stacked and allowing empty inner vessels to be stacked.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A recycling container unit comprising in combination:

(a) an upright outer vessel having a first open-top of a first predetermined cross-section sufficient to receive therethrough a first plurality of upright inner vessels in side-by-side relationship to one-another, said upright outer vessel having outer vessel-forming upright wall-structure forming a first inner-space opening into said first open-top and of sufficient first inner-volume space to receive said plurality in side-by-side relationships to one-another, (b) said first plurality of said upright inner vessels having inner-vessel cross-sectional dimensions such that the first plurality are receivable and seatable within said upright outer vessel in said first inner-space in side-by-side relationship, each of said upright inner vessels having a second open-top of second cross-sectional area sufficient to receive contents therethrough, each of said upright inner vessels having second inner-space opening into said second open-top, each of said upright inner vessels having sufficient second inner-volume space to receive and contain contents therein, and (c) anchoring means for intermittently detachably-mounting said first plurality in predetermined positions on said upright outer vessel upright wall-structure when said first plurality are within said first inner-volume space, said predetermined positions being said first plurality uprightly positioned in said side-by-side relationship, said anchoring means comprising intermittently interlockable male-structure and female slot-forming structure, one of said male-structure and said female slot-forming structure being on said inner-vessel wall-structure, and a remaining one of said male-structure and said female slot-forming structure being on one of said inner-vessel walls, positioned such that said male-structure and said female slot-forming structure are aligned and interlockable when said first plurality are seated within said first inner-volume space.

A recycling container unit comprising in combination:

(a) an upright outer vessel having a first open-top of a first predetermined cross-section sufficient to receive therethrough a first plurality of upright inner vessels in side-by-side relationship to one-another, said upright outer vessel having outer vessel-forming upright wall-structure forming and first inner-space opening into said first open-top and of sufficient first inner-volume space to receive said plurality in side-by-side relationships to one-another;
(b) said first plurality of said upright inner vessels having inner-vessel cross-sectional dimensions such that the first plurality are receivable and seatable within said upright outer vessel in said first inner-space in side-by-side relationship, each of said upright inner vessels having a second open-top of second cross-sectional area sufficient to receive contents therethrough, each of said upright inner vessels having second inner-space opening into said second open-top, each of said upright inner vessels having sufficient second inner-volume space to receive and contain contents therein;
and (c) anchoring means for intermittently detachably-mounting said first plurality in predetermined positions on said upright outer vessel upright wall-structure when said first plurality are within said first inner-volume space, said predetermined positions being said first plurality uprightly positioned in said side-by-side relationship, said anchoring means comprising intermittently interlockable male-structure and female slot-forming structure, one of said male-structure and said female slot-forming structure being on said outer-vessel wall-structure, and a remaining one of said male-structure and said female slot-forming structure being on one of said inner-vessel walls, positioned such that said male-structure and said female slot-forming structure are aligned and interlockable when said first plurality are seated within said first inner-volume space.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.