Refuse receptacle

A refuse receptacle adapted to hold a refuse bag in an open state and to function as a footstool, comprising:

• an inner container comprising an interior, a closed bottom, a generally cylindrical sidewall, a generally annular structure extending from an upper portion of the sidewall, a top with a central opening, and a circumferential flange extending radially outwardly from a bottom portion of the inner container and shaped to seat on a generally horizontal support surface below the inner container, the inner container being configured to receive the bag through its opening and contain the bag within its sidewall with an upper portion of the bag located over the annular structure, the annular structure being sufficiently resilient that the annular structure deflects elastically from a first orientation downwardly to a second orientation;
• and,
• an outer container comprising an open bottom, a generally cylindrical sidewall, a top with a central opening, and a generally annular structure internal to the outer container and attached to at least one of the top and sidewall of the outer container, the outer container being shaped to releasably receive the inner container through the open bottom of the outer container such that the openings of the containers are registered and permit refuse to be deposited into the bag through the registered openings;
• the annular structure of the outer container comprising a generally annular inclined camming surface that engages and deflects the annular structure of the inner container to its second orientation as the camming surface displaces downwardly relative to the annular structure of the inner container and a generally vertical cylindrical surface extending upwardly from the camming surface and dimensioned to closely receive the annular structure of the inner container in its second orientation from the camming surface thereby to grip the upper portion of the bag the annular structure of the inner container and to maintain the bag in the open state, the outer container being shaped and dimensioned such that the bottom of the outer container seats on the flange when the annular structure of the inner container is received by the generally vertical cylindrical surface;
• and,
• a cap shaped to seat over the opening of the outer container and to define a generally horizontal upper surface when seated, the receptacle being constructed to withstand an axial load of at least 300 pounds applied to the upper surface of the cap.