GB2226944A - Refuse bin liner holder - Google Patents

Abstract

A holder for a bin liner 21 comprises a resilient band 18, which is slidable through guides 16, 17 which are in turn displaceable along a channel 13 in a web 12. The liner is held over the band 18 and the band slides through the guides on closure of gates 10, 11 and the guides move towards a central stop 20 gathering the liner between the band 18 and web 12. In other embodiments, the band may be a closed loop within a guide strip, both of which slide through respective slots in a fixed web; or a single band is used, one side of which is fastened to a movable bin inlet part and the band passes through slots in a fixed web so that the liner bag mouth can be closed when the bin inlet is closed. The mouth of the liner is effectively sealed when the bin inlet is closed, to prevent odours. <IMAGE>

Description

Refuse Bin Liner Holder This invention relates to refuse bin liner holders.

It is now common for household refuse bins to be provided with disposable liner bags of plastics film, into which refuse is placed while the liner is in the bin, and then removed with the refuse for disposal. The simplest form is a bin with a removable lid with a removable lid, with the edges of the liner bag draped over the edges of the bin, and clamped by the lid which is removed for putting in refuse and for removing and replacing liner bags. In a further form, a removable lid has a 'flip top' comprising an aperture in the lid with a counter-balanced closure which can be opened and closed to put rubbish in the bin and is self closing. The liner is again draped over the edges of the bin, and the whole lid must be removed for disposal and replacement of the liner bag.

In yet another form, all or part of one side wall of the bin is pivoted to provide a hatch or chute which opens and closes.

No really satisfactory means has been devised to hold the liner and seal it between uses. In the bins with a lid or flip-top which clamp the liner edges, the liner bag is held open, and any sealing is done by the lid. In the bins with pivoting chute or hatch, the liner bag is usually loose in the bin, and not held or sealed in any way.

An object of this invention is to provide a refuse bin liner holder which can be used in pivoted hatch or chute type bins, and which acheives sealing of the mouth of the liner bag, thus limiting the escape of unpleasant odours.

According to the present invention, there is provided a bin liner holder for holding and sealing the mouth of a liner bag in the inlet of a refuse bin, comprising a band of flexible material adapted to follow the movement of a moveable member which is displaced by opening and closing of an inlet of a bin, guide means for the band through which the band can slide, a liner bag being attachable to or over the band, whereby opening of the inlet will pull the band through the guide means and hold the mouth of the liner open, while closure of the inlet will push the band back through the guide means, constricting themouth of the liner until it is effectively sealed.

In one embodiment, the inlet of the bin may be formed by a pair of gates, and the band comprise an open loop of springy metal or plastics which is slidably guided by slides which are displaceable in a channel in a web which extends across the back of the inlet, a guide strip extending between the gates and being pressed against by the band, which is held under compression, the liner mouth being draped over the band and clamped between the band and guide member by outward pressure of the band, such that on closing, the band is pushed back through the slides which move towards each other until the liner mouth is constricted against the web.

In another embodiment, there may be provides an outer guide strip in the form of an open U-shaped loop, and an inner resilient band in the form of a closed loop, each of the strip and the band being passed through respective slots in a web at the rear of the bin inlet, and the guide strip being secured to the front of a moveable part of the inlet, the liner mouth being securable between the resilient band and the guide strip whereby the strip and loop may be pushed back through the respective guide slots by closure of the bin inlet to constrict the mouth of the liner bag, and pulled out through the slots to open the liner mouth as the bin inlet is opened.

In yet a further embodiment, the band is formed from four arms, connected one pair to one side of a slidable hatch, and the other pair to the other side of the hatch, each arm being slidably engaged with an arm of the other pair, thereby defining a roughly trapezoidal loop, the liner mouth being held by the arms, the arms being slidable ralative past each other to expand or contract the loop as the inlet is opened or closed respectively, to open or seal the mouth of the liner.

One pair of arms may be connected to a movable member of the hatch, and the other to a fixed part, or both pairs of arms may be connected to movable hatch parts, e.g. a pair of sliding hatch covers.

The pairs of arms may be biased to diverge.

In another embodiment, the band may be a closed loop, which is passed through slots in a web, and thereby divided into two loops one to each side of the web. The edge of one loop may be secured to a movable part of the bin inlet, and a liner carried by the loop between the movable part and the web. Closing of the inlet will push the band through the slots reducing the loop between the movable part and the web and expanding the loop on the back side of the web, sealing the liner mouth at the same time.

The band in any of the embodiments may be of spring steel or of an equivalent resilient plastics material.

Several preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 is a plan view of a bin inlet showing a first embodiment of means for retaining and opening and closing the mouth of a bin liner bag, in the open position; Fig. 2 shows the embodiment of Fig. 1 in the closed position:: Fig. 3 is a plan view of a bin inlet with a second embodiment of means for retaining and opening and closing the mouth of a bin liner bag, in an open position; Fig.. 4 is a plan view of the embodiment of Fig. 3 in the closed position; Fig. 5 isa plan view of a bin inlet with a third embodiment of means for retaining and opening and closing the mouth of a bin liner bag, in an open position; Fig. 6 is a plan view of the embodiment of Fig. 5 in the closed position; Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a pivoted chute type refuse bin with a further embodiment of bin liner bag holder according to the invention, drawn is if the parts were transparent; and Figs 8a-8c illustrate the effect of opening and closing the bin on a loop forming part of the holder.

The first embodiment of device according to the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is located in an inlet of a refuse bin which is defined by a pair of hinged gates 10, 11 one at each side of the mouth which pivot between an open position (Fig. 1) and a closed position (Fig. 2). A web 12 extends across the back of the inlet and this has in its upper surface a channel 13 between walls 14, 15. At each end of the groove, a slide 16, 17 is accomodated which each carry one limb of a resilient flexible band 18 in the form of a open loop, in such a way that the band can slide through the slides. a guide plate or strip 19 extends across the gap between the gates 10, 11 to which it is slidably secured. This closes the gap between the gates and prevents the band 18 from bulging out of the gap.

The channel 13 is formed with a cam or stop 20 at the mid point to limit the travel of the slides 16, 17. In use a liner bag 21 is draped over the band 18, with a free portion against the web 12. The strip 19 and gates 10, 11 serve to retain the mouth of the bag due to outward spring pressure of the band 18, which is under compression.

When the mouth is closed, the band 18 is pushed back through the slides 16, 17 which also are displaced towards each other in the channel 13 until virtually all of the band extends behind the web 12, and the mouth of the liner is constricted in the vicinity of the stop 20 (Fig. 2). When the gates are opened, the loop under its own resilience, follows them to open the mouth of the liner.

A second embodiment of device is shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Here a pivoted chute bin inlet 30 bas side webs which pass through slots in a web 31 and has a guide strip 32 atached to the inner side of the chute front wall. The guide strip 2 extends in a U-shaped open loop through further slots in web 31 and has within it a resilient band 33 in the form of a closed loop, which extends through slots near the middle of web 31. A liner bag 34 is draped over the band 33 and held by resilient pressure of that loop against the guide strip 32.

On closing of the inlet, the strip 32 and band 33 are pushed through their respective slots in the web 31, and the liner is gathered up into a constricted space between the remaining part of the band 33 and the web 31, effectively sealing the mouth of the liner. (Fig. 4).

In Figs. 5 and 6, a third embodiment is shown. The bin inlet is closed by two slidable panels 40, 41, from the underside of which depend respective webs 40a, 41a. Respective pairs of liner holding arms 42, 43 and 44, 45 are mounted on the webs 40a, 41a, and the pairs of arms are spring biased to diverge one arm from the other.One pair of arms is slidable with respect to the other, as by passing through longitudinal slots in the arms of the other pair, and the outer ends of the arms bear on curved side webs 46 47, which allow the arms to diverge more widely when their ends are at the centre of the inlet (open position) than when near the ends (closed position) When the inlet is opened, the arms form a loop as shown in Fig. 5 and the liner bag 48 is secured over the arms, as the inlet is closed by pushing the panels 40, 41 together, the arms slide relative to each other until the Fig. 6 position is reached, with the mouth of the liner bag 48 gathered up between the webs 40a and 41a, the ends of the arms guided by the side webs 46, 47 into tight U-shaped loops.

Finally, in Figs. 7 and 8a-8c, a domestic refuse bin 100 comprises a main body 111 and a front wall inlet chute 112, pivoted at 118 to the main body near the bottom of the front thereof. A continuios flexible band 114 is attached to the front wall of the chute by a rivet 119, and passes through a pair of slots 115, 116 in a wide tongue or dependant web 113 formed integrally with the main part of the bin. This divides the band 114 into two loops- an inlet loop 114a and a residual loop 114b in the chute and main body respectively. A bin liner bag 121 is secred over the inlet loop 114a, from inside, and clamped onto the outer face of the band 114 by clips 120 which are slidable on the band.

The effect that this arrangement has infuse is illustrated in Figs. 8a-8c. When the chute is closed, as in Fig. 8a, the attachment 119 is close to the web 113, and almost all the band 114 is pushed through the slots 115, 116 to form the residual loop 114b. The inlet loop 114a is at its smallest possible with the clips 120 all abutted together and the neck of the liner bag 121 is gathered in and effectively sealed.

As the chute is opened by pivoting forwards, the band is pulled through the slots, and loop 114a progressively opens o out as loop 114b is drawn in. When the chute is fully open, (Fig. 8c) the loop 114b effectively disappears and the loop 114a comprises almost all the band. If the clips are still bunched, they may be spread by hand to open the neck of the liner along the loop. when closing, the band is progressively pushed back through the slots, expanding loop 114b and contracting loop 114a and forcing the clips 120 towards each other and gathering up the neck of the liner bag. Full liner bags are removed for disposal and replaced with empties with the chute fully open.

The bands 18, 33, 114, and the arms in Figs 5 and 6 are of spring steel, and other components may be of metal or of plastics as appropriate.

The bin liner bag holders described acheive the objects of providing holders which can be used in a variety of types of bin and of acheiving sealing of the liner bag in such a bin.

Claims (7)

Claims

1. A bin liner holder for holding the mouth of a bin liner bag in the inlet of a refuse bin, comprising a band of flexible material adapted to follow the movement of a moveable member which is displaced by opening and closing an inlet of the bin, guide means for the band through which the band can slide, a liner bag being attachable to or over the band, whereby opening of the inlet will pull the band through the guide means and hold the mouth of the liner open, while closure of the inlet will push the band back through the guide means, constricting the mouth of the liner until it is effectively sealed.

2. A bin liner holder according to Claim 1, wherein the inlet is formed by a pair of pivoted gates, and the band comprises an open resilient loop which is held by slides which are displaceable in a channel in a web extending across the back of the inlet, a guide strip extending between the gates and pressing against the band, which is held under compression the liner mouth being draped over the band and clamped between the band and guide member by outward pressure of the band, such that on closing, the band is pushed through the slides which move towards each other until the liner mouth is gathered against the web.

3. A bin liner holder according to Claim 1, wherein there is provided an outer guide strip in the form of an open Ushaped loop, and the band is an inner resilient closed loop, the strip and the band each passing through respective slots in a web at the rear of the inlet, and the guide strip being secured to the front of a movable part of the inlet, a bin liner bag mouth being securable between the band and the guide strip, whereby the strip and band may be pushed back through their respective guide slots by closure of the bin mouth to gather the mouth of the liner bag, and pulled out through the slots by opening of the inlet to open the liner mouth.

4. A bin liner holder according to Claim 1 wherein the band is formed of four arms, connected one pair to one side of a slidable hatch, and the other to the other side of the hatch, each arm being slidably engaged with an arm of the other pair, thereby defining a roughly trapezoidal mouth, the bin linermouth being held by the arms within the mouth, the arms being slidable past each other when the opening is closed to gather the liner mouth , and pulled out to open the liner mouth when the inlet is opened.

5. A bin liner holder according to claim 1 wherein the band is divided into two loops by the guide means, one loop being attached to a movable part of the bin inlet and carrying the mouth of a liner bag by means of clips or the like which are slidable on the band, the other loop being the extension of the band through the guide means.

6. A holder according to Claim 5 wherein the guide means is a pair of slots in a fixed web at the rear of the inlet, t the band passing through the slots.

7. A holder according to any preceding Claim, wherein the band is of spring steel or an equivalent resilient plastics material.