US 6,199,803 B1Granted

Trash container system

OwnerThomas C. Schaferinventor

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A trash container system, particularly for marine pleasure craft, for disposing of refuse wherein the trash container system comprises a trash bag holding device having laterally projecting extensions and a trash receptacle having a resilient, elastomeric, inlet mouth at its top, couplable to the trash bag holding device about and over the lateral extensions, and a sealable (e.g. zippered), refuse expelling outlet at its bottom. The resilient elastomeric inlet mouth functions to (1) securely couple the trash receptacle to the trash bag holding device via the collapsible elastomeric properties of the resilient elastomeric inlet mouth; (2) hold refuse in the trash receptacle; and (3) expand, easily and effortlessly, to receive therethrough refuse having a myriad of dimensions and shapes. In the preferred embodiment, the body of the trash receptacle is made of mesh material with a zipper extending across its bottom to selectively discharge the contained trash (alternatively the trash can be removed though the top, if so desired) and an expandable, elastomeric opening across its top for the easy insertion of trash (or its removable, if so desired). The system was specifically designed for marine use in, for example, pleasure craft, with the trash bag holding device being secured by, for example, screws or other like mechanical fasteners or adhesive to a vertical surface (e.g. a wooden cabinet wall but can be used elsewhere as well).

Claims20

Dependent claims

A trash container and emptying system for disposing of refuse, comprising:

a trash bag holding device securable to a vertical or near vertical surface, having an at least generally flat, surface securement portion and a trash receptacle bag holding portion with laterally extending, side ends generally forming a “T” shape;
and
an associated trash receptacle bag for storing therein refuse having
a bottom and a top,
a resilient, elastomeric, inlet mouth at the bag's top having a predetermined collapsed contour couplable to said trash bag holding device by being extendable over, above and about said laterally extending, side ends and then inherently moving inwardly above and past said side ends under its elastomeric properties,
a proximal side and a distal side, with the distal side being closer to said surface securement portion of said bag holding device when said trash receptacle bag is coupled to said bag holding device, and
a sealable refuse discharging outlet located at said bottom of said trash receptacle bag for discharging therefrom the refuse;
said trash receptacle bag hanging down from said holding device when said resilient, elastomeric, inlet mouth is coupled to said trash bag holding device above and about said laterally extending, side ends, allowing trash to be inserted into said bag when the user inserts refuse through said inlet mouth by moving said proximal side of said inlet mouth orthogonally away from said bag holding portion of said bag holding device, while allowing said trash bag to be easily remove from said trash bag holding device by stretching said inlet mouth sideways past and away from the ends of said laterally extending, side ends.

5 more elements

A method for disposing of refuse, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a trash bag holding device for a vertical or near vertical surface having an at least generally flat, surface securement portion and a trash receptacle bag holding portion with laterally extending, side ends generally forming a “T” shape;
(b) providing a trash receptacle bag having a top and a bottom with an open interior without any interior restrictions between the top and bottom of the bag for storing therein refuse, having a resilient, elastomeric, inlet mouth having a predetermined collapsed contour couplable to the trash bag holding device about the “T” shape, and a refuse discharging outlet for discharging therefrom the refuse manually placed in the trash receptacle bag;
(c) securing the trash bag holding device to a vertical or near vertical surface using the generally flat surface securement portion of the trash bag holding device;
(d) coupling the resilient, elastomeric, inlet mouth to the trash bag holding device about the “T” shape via the resilient, collapsible elastomeric properties of the inlet mouth, suspending the bag from and holding the bag in place on the bag holding device solely by the elastic interaction of the collapsed inlet mouth about the “T” shape with the elastomeric, inlet mouth having been extended by the user over, above and about the side ends of the bag holding device and allowed to collapse elastically about the “T” shape;
(e) intermittently expanding out the resilient, elastomeric inlet mouth in an orthogonally outward direction away from the vertical surface to which the bag holding device is secured while the bag is coupled to and solely held by the “T” shape of the bag holding device;
(f) manually placing refuse in the trash receptacle bag through the orthogonally outwardly expanded, resilient, elastomeric, inlet mouth while step “e” is being performed;
(g) promptly after the refuse has been placed in the bag in step “f”, releasing the resilient elastomeric inlet mouth, allowing it to return to the mouth's collapsed disposition, returning the bag to being solely held by the “T” shape of the bag holding device;
and
(h) sometime thereafter, emptying the manually placed refuse in the trash receptacle bag through the refuse discharging outlet for disposal of the refuse.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.