AU746837B2 - Apparatus for opening a hinged lid of a bin - Google Patents

Description

WO 00/09410 PCT/AU99/00652 TITLE OF THE INVENTION APPARATUS FOR OPENING A HINGED LID OF A BIN THIS INVENTION relates to a foot-operated apparatus for opening and closing a hinged lid on a bin, which is particularly suited for attachment to a wheeled bin. When fitted to the bin, the apparatus is not intended to interfere with the wheeling or emptying of the bin. Although the present invention is suited to fit many types of bins, with or without wheels, for the sake of convenience, the description is directed to wheeled refuse bins.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION One form of a wheeled refuse bin with which the invention is particularly useful with comprises a bin body with walls and a base, a pair of wheels mounted to a rearward lower side region of the bin body, a rear handle that is attached to an upper region of the bin body, and a lid that is hinged to the rear handle. The wheels are mounted to the rearward lower side region with an axle, only becoming operational when the bin is tilted at an angle about the wheels, usually by an operator of the bin pulling down on the rear handle. The axle between the wheels and the bin body is obscured by an extended wheel moulding, and a region of the bin wall adjacent the axle is recessed.

When emptying the contents of such a wheeled bin into a refuse collection vehicle, a hydraulic arm of the vehicle grips the bin either by the walls or by the rear handle. The bin is then raised from the ground and inverted, which causes the hinged lid to swing open and the contents of the bin to spill into the collection vehicle, following which the bin is again placed in an upright position on the ground.

To use such a bin, the operator typically has to open the lid with one hand whilst placing the refuse in the bin with the other. This can be problematic when both hands are needed to handle the refuse. Moreover, one hand is contaminated by touching the handle of the lid, which becomes more of an issue when using bins in hospitals, restaurants or like environments where hygiene is of paramount importance. For instance, pathological wastes are routinely handled in hospital environments and the WO 00/09410 PCT/AU99/00652 2 operator is required either to wash his or her hands after each visit to the refuse bin or to wear disposable gloves. One "hands free" solution is to leave the lid of the bin open, but this entails unnecessarily exposing those working in the environment of the bin to the contents of the bin, which may be hazardous, and an open lid also enables vermin to readily access the bin contents.

It would therefore be advantageous to have a bin with a lid that could be operated in a "hands free" manner. Moreover, it would be advantageous to have an attachable apparatus for operating a bin in a "hands free" manner wherein the fitted apparatus does not interfere with the wheeling of the bin or the emptying of the bin by a refuse collection vehicle.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the invention to alleviate these problems by providing an attachable apparatus for "hands free" operation of a hinged bin lid, an apparatus that will not interfere with the wheeling of the bin from one location to another, and, in some instances, the emptying of the bin.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention there is provided an apparatus for opening and closing the lid on a bin of the type herein before described, said apparatus comprising: a foot operable lever attachable to a lower side region of the bin; a purchase attachable to an upper region of the bin adjacent to the hinged edge of the bin lid, said purchase having resilient means; and a flexible tie piece connectable between the foot lever and the front region of the lid by way of the purchase, the construction and arrangement being such that when the apparatus is fitted to a bin, depression of the foot lever retracts the flexible tie piece and opens the lid, release of the foot lever enables the lid to close under its own weight, and said resilient means enables the purchase to return to a position for opening or closing the lid when it has been deflected from that position.

WO 00/09410 PCT/AU99/00652 3 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The foot lever can have an end attachable to and for pivoting about an axle or wheel moulding of the bin at the lower side region of the bin. The other end of the foot lever can be operated with the foot. Preferably, the foot lever is L-shaped and the other end for operation with the foot is positioned in front of and parallel to the lid-opening side of the bin.

The pivoting end of the foot lever can be attached by means of a yoke or similar gripping device. Preferably, the pivoting end of the foot lever further engages a recessed region of a bin wall adjacent the axle or wheel moulding to prevent unintentional disengagement of the foot lever from the bin. For instance, during wheeling of the bin or emptying of the bin by a refuse collection vehicle. The pivoting end of the foot lever can be modified to suit bins with different bin wall surfaces or can be modified for attachment to bins with projections in place of an axle or wheel moulding. If desired, the pivoting end can be extended to finish parallel to the rear of the bin, so that the foot lever is U-shaped, wherein the extension acts to limit the travelling distance of the foot lever by colliding with the rear bin wall. A U-shaped foot lever can further prevent unintentional disengagement of the foot lever from the bin.

The foot lever can be constructed from any sturdy material or a combination of materials, preferably metal tubing or rigid plastics material.

The foot operable end of the lever can be further modified to be better suited for use with the foot. For instance, a rubber pad for enhanced gripping by a sole of the foot can be attached.

The tie piece can be connected to a region between the ends of the foot lever and to a handle at the front region of the lid. Preferably, the tie piece passes through an upper section of the purchase that can further contain a pulley wheel. The tie piece can comprise a length of rope, a cord, high tension wire or a chain, or any other suitable material.

If desired, the tie piece can further have a weak link for disconnecting the foot lever from the lid should the tension in the tie piece exceed that required for opening and closing the lid of the bin. For instance, during emptying of the bin by a refuse collection vehicle the tie piece may become WO 00/09410 PCT/AU99/00652 4 entangled, in which case the weak link would break apart or break away (for subsequent reattachment) so to release the bin and minimise damage to the apparatus.

The use of the term "purchase" in the description and claims is meant to be interpreted as a device used to change the direction and point of application of a pulling force of the tie piece.

The purchase can be attached to a rear handle of the bin adjacent the hinged edge of the lid. Preferably, the resilient means of the purchase comprises a spring. In one form of the invention the purchase has a torsional spring. In another form of the invention the purchase has an extension spring. The present invention also contemplates modifications of the described purchases to accommodate other types of springs, including spiral, conical, helical, leaf, flat and compression springs as well as other resilient materials such as rubber. Such modifications will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.

In one form of the invention, the purchase can comprise a torsional spring with one section anchorable to an upper region of the bin, and another section adapted to extend upwardly therefrom. Preferably, the upwardly extending section has a pulley wheel. If desired, the purchase can have a formation in the upwardly extending section for resting atop an upper region of the bin to further stabilize the purchase when opening and closing the lid.

For instance, the formation can be a bend for resting atop a rim of the bin.

The purchase can be attached by winding the spring onto the rear handle of the bin and anchoring the spring to the upper region of the bin. For instance, the anchoring section of the spring can be anchored to a support arm that connects the rear handle to the bin body.

The purchase can be altered to suit different types of bin handles. For instance, the spacing of or the number of coils of the spring can be varied in accordance with the length of the rear handle and the placement of suitable anchoring points, such as support arms that connect the rear handle to the bin body. When fitted to the bin, the purchase can be free standing and the upwardly extending section can be maintained in a substantially upright WO 00/09410 PCT/AU99/00652 position for opening or closing the lid.

The purchase can be constructed of any resilient material, including metal, rubber and plastics material such as high-density polyethylene.

Preferably, the purchase comprises an appropriately fashioned metal rod.

In another form of the present invention the purchase can have a lower section with a first set of formations for attaching the purchase to the rear handle of the bin and a second set of formations for resting an adjacent edge of the purchase atop an upper region of the bin, and an upper section to which can be attached a pulley wheel and an end of an extension spring. The other end of the spring can pass between the first and second sets of formations and can be anchored to an upper region of the bin. The construction of the purchase can be such that when fitted to the bin the purchase is free standing and the tie piece passes between the first and second sets of formations and over the pulley wheel.

Preferably, the pulley wheel and spring are attached between two parallel spaced plates, interconnected by a third smaller plate, and the first and second sets of formations are features of both parallel plates. For instance, each parallel plate can have a matching first formation in the shape of a downwardly pointing slot, and each plate can have a matching L-shaped second formation.

Optionally, the purchase can have a camming member attached between the first set of formations and the spring to assist in the expansion and contraction of the spring when the purchase has been deflected from the lid opening and closing position. Preferably, the plates comprise metal or plastics material.

When operating the apparatus the lid can be opened to a maximum swinging angle defined by the position of the purchase, which is about degrees. Since the lid does not exceeded a swinging angle of about degrees, when the foot lever is released, the lid can close under its own weight. In situations where the lid is forced open more than about degrees, for example, this situation may occur when the bin is being emptied by a refuse collection vehicle, the purchase can be deflected from the lid WO 00/09410 PCT/AU99/00652 6 opening position by the lid, following which the spring means of the purchase can buffer the greater swinging angle and return the purchase to the substantially upright position for opening or closing the lid with the foot lever.

The apparatus comprises few working parts that are relatively simple and cheap to manufacture, and can be altered in a straightforward manner to suit a range of bins, and when attached to a bin is unlikely to disengage the bin by accident. The apparatus is unlikely to interfere with wheeling of the bin from one location to another and in some instances the emptying of the bin by a refuse collection vehicle. The apparatus can be attached to and detached from a bin in a relatively straightforward manner.

The term "comprise", or variations of the term such as "comprises" or "comprising", are used herein to denote the inclusion of a stated integer or stated integers but not to exclude any other integer or any other integers, unless in the context or usage an exclusive interpretation of the term is required.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a side rear perspective view of an apparatus attached to a wheeled refuse bin, according to one form of the present invention; Figure 2 is a rear view of the purchase of Figure 1 partly shown in phantom; Figure 3 is a side view of the purchase of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a top view of the L-shaped lever of Figure 1 partly shown in phantom; Figure 5 is a side view of the L-shaped lever of Figure 4; Figure 6 is a side plan view of a purchase attached to a wheeled refuse bin, partly shown in phantom, according to another form of the present invention; Figure 7 is a side plan view of the purchase of Figure 6, partly shown in phantom; and Figure 8 is a rear view of the purchase shown in Figures 6 and 7, partly shown in phantom.

I I i ri-ii i~r~c~Er--r-i~l-r r~ WO 00/09410 PCT/AU99/00652 7 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in all of which like reference numerals refer to like parts.

Referring first to Figure 1, there is shown a wheeled refuse bin 1 having a plastic-moulded bin body 2 with walls and a base, a pair of wheels 4, 28 pinned to a rearward lower side region of the bin body 2 with an axle 5, a rear handle 7 that is attached to an upper region of the bin body 2, and a lid 3 that is hinged 6 to the rear handle 7. The lid 3 has two handles 8, 9 for opening and closing the lid 3. The axle 5 between the wheels 4, 28 and the bin body 2 is obscured by an extended wheel moulding 43 (only one wheel moulding 43 can be seen in Figure and a region of the bin wall adjacent the axle 5 is recessed, as shown in phantom in Figure 7. The bin body 2 has a rim 18 on which the lid 3 rests.

Referring to Figures 1 and 7, an apparatus comprises a foot operable lever 10 that is attachable to the wheel moulding 43 of the bin 1, a purchase 11, 37 having resilient means 16, 29 that is attachable to the rear handle 7 of the bin, and a flexible tie piece 12 connectable between the foot lever 13 and the lid handle 8 by way of the purchase 11, 37. When the apparatus is fitted to the bin 1, depression of the foot lever 10 retracts the tie piece 12 and opens the lid 3. Release of the foot lever 10 enables the lid 3 to close under its own weight. The resilient means 16, 29 of the purchase 11, 37 enables the purchase 11, 37 to return to a substantially upright position for opening or closing the lid 3 when it has been deflected from that position.

A purchase 11 according to one form of the present invention in a lid opening and closing position in shown in Figure 1. A purchase 37 according to another form of the present invention in a deflected position is shown in Figure 7.

Referring now to Figures 4 and 5, there is shown an L-shaped foot lever 10. The foot lever 10 is attachable to and for pivoting about the wheel moulding 43 of the bin at the lower side region of the bin body 2. The other end of the foot lever 22, which sits in front of and parallel to the lid-opening i WO 00/09410 PCT/AU99/00652 8 side of the bin, is operable with the foot.

The pivoting end 21 of the foot lever 10 is attached to the wheel moulding 43 with a yoke 21 having two arms 26, 27. The pivoting end 21 further engages the recessed region of a bin wall 2 adjacent the axle 5 or wheel moulding 43 to prevent unintentional disengagement of the pivoting end 21 from the bin 1. The yoke arms 26, 27 can stay attached to the bin 1 during wheeling of the bin 1 or emptying of the bin 1 by a refuse collection vehicle, even upon inversion of the bin 1.

Referring now to Figures 1-3, in one form of the invention, the purchase 11 comprises a torsional spring 16 with one section having an hooked end 14 for anchoring to a support arm 15 that connects the rear handle 7 to the bin body 2 and another section 19 adapted to extend upwardly therefrom. The upwardly extending section 19 has a formation in the shape of a bend 17 that sits on top of the rim 18 and further stabilizes the purchase 11 when opening and closing the lid 3.

A pulley wheel 20 is pinned to the upwardly extending section 19, through which the tie piece 12 passes. The tie piece 12 is connectable to the lever 13 and lid handle 8 with hooks 23, 24.

The purchase 11 is attachable by winding the spring 16 onto the rear handle 7, beginning with the anchoring end 14. When fitted to the bin 1, the purchase 11 is free standing and the upwardly extending section 19 is maintained in a substantially upright position.

Referring now to Figures 6-8, in another form of the present invention the purchase 37 has a lower section with a first set of formations 32, 41 in the shape of downwardly pointing slots for attaching the purchase 37 to the rear handle 7 of the bin and a second set of formations 33, 34, L-shaped, for resting an adjacent edge of the purchase 37 atop a rim 18 of the bin. A pulley wheel 25 and an end of an extension spring 29 are pinned 39 at an upper section of the purchase 37. The other end of the spring 29 passes between the first 32, 41 and second 33, 34 sets of formations and is anchored with a hook 35 underneath a lip 36 of the rim 18.

The pulley wheel 25 and spring 29 are pinned 39 between two parallel WO 00/09410 PCT/AU99/00652 9 spaced cheek plates 30, 31. These plates 30, 31 are further connected by a smaller plate 38. The parallel plates 30, 31 are identical, each having a member of the first set 32, 41 of formations and a member of the second set of formations 33, 34.

s When fitted to the bin 1, the purchase 37 is free standing and the tie piece 12 passes between the first 32, 41 and second 33, 34 sets of formations, over the pulley wheel 25 and through a slot 42 in the third connecting plate 38.

The purchase 37 further has a camming member 40 attached between i0 the first set 32, 41 of formations and the spring 29 to assist in the expansion and contraction of the spring 29 when the purchase 37 has been deflected from the lid opening and closing position. Figure 7 shows the purchase 37 in a deflected position.

Referring now to Figures 1-3 and 6-8, when operating the apparatus, the lid 3 opens until colliding with the purchase 11, 37, which corresponds to a maximum opening angle of about 90 degrees. Since the lid 3 does not exceeded a swinging angle of about 90 degrees, when the foot lever 10 is released, the lid 3 is able to close under its own weight.

In situations where the lid 3 is forced open more than about 90 degrees, for instance, this may occur when the bin 1 is being emptied by a refuse collection vehicle, the purchase 11, 37 is deflected from the substantially upright position by the swinging force of the lid 3, following which the spring 16, 29 of the purchase 11, 37 buffers the greater swinging angle and returns the purchase 11, 37 to the position for further opening or closing of the lid 3 with the foot lever In this manner, the difficulty encountered with the disposal of refuse in a hygienic "hands free" manner is obviated with ease and the apparatus will not interfere with normal procedures of wheeling and emptying of the bin.

Whilst the above has been given by way of illustrative example of the invention, many modifications and variations may be made thereto by persons skilled in the art without departing from the broad scope and ambit of the invention as herein set forth.

Claims (14)

1. An apparatus for opening and closing the lid on a wheeled bin of the type herein before described, said apparatus comprising: a foot operable lever attachable to a lower side region of the bin; a purchase attachable to an upper region of the bin adjacent to the hinged edge of the bin lid, said purchase having resilient means; and a flexible tie piece connectable between the foot lever and the front region of the lid by way of the purchase, the construction and arrangement being such that when the 1o apparatus is fitted to the bin, depression of the foot lever retracts the flexible tie piece and opens the lid, release of the foot lever enables the lid to close under its own weight, and said resilient means enables the purchase to return to a position for opening or closing the lid when it has been deflected from that position.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the resilient means of the purchase comprises a spring.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 or 2, wherein the purchase is attachable to a rear handle of the bin adjacent the hinged edge of the lid.

4. The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the foot lever has an end attachable to and for pivoting about an axle or wheel moulding of the bin at the lower side region of the bin, the other end of said foot lever being operable with the foot.

The apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the tie piece is connectable to a handle at the front region of the lid.

6. The apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the tie piece passes over a pulley wheel in an upper region of the purchase.

7. The apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the foot lever is L-shaped and is adapted to extend around the front of the bin.

8. The apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the tie piece has a weak link for disconnecting the foot lever from the lid WO 00/09410 PCT/AU99/00652 11 should the tension in the tie piece exceed that required for opening and closing the bin lid.

9. The apparatus of claim 2, 3 or 6, wherein the purchase comprises a torsional spring with one section anchorable to an upper region of the bin and another section adapted to extend upwardly therefrom.

The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the purchase is attachable by winding the spring onto the rear handle of the bin and anchoring an end of the spring to an upper region of the bin.

11. The apparatus of claim 2 or 6, wherein the purchase comprises: a lower section with a first set of formations for attaching the purchase to the rear handle of the bin and a second set of formations for resting an adjacent edge of the purchase atop an upper region of the bin; and an upper section to which is attached a pulley wheel and an end of an extension spring, the other end of the spring passing between the first and second sets of formations and being anchorable to an upper region of the bin, the construction and arrangement being such that when the purchase is fitted to the bin it is free standing and the tie piece passes between the first and second sets of formations and over the pulley wheel.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the pulley wheel and spring are attached to the upper section of and between two parallel spaced plates, each of the plates having an aforesaid formation associated therewith.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 or 12, further having a camming member between the first set of formations and the spring.

14. An apparatus as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1-5 or 6-8 of the accompanying drawings.