Trash can
Patent No. US9573759 (titled "Trash can") on Mar 5, 2014. The application was issued on Feb 21, 2017.
What is this patent about?
’759 is related to the field of waste receptacles, specifically those featuring foot-pedal actuated lids and integrated motion control systems. It addresses the mechanical challenges of housing and stabilizing lid-opening components and damping mechanisms within the structural constraints of a portable container.
The underlying idea behind ’759 is to protect and stabilize the lid-actuation hardware by integrating a multi-walled recessed channel directly into the rear exterior of the container body. By nesting the lifting rod and the damping device within a specific stepped geometry of the container wall, the invention ensures that these sensitive mechanical parts remain within the container's footprint, shielding them from impact and allowing for more efficient stacking during transport.
The claims of ’759 focus on a trash can body featuring a rear surface with a recessed channel defined by a complex, three-wall geometry where a third wall sits at an angle between two others. This structure creates nested first and second portions within the channel, specifically designed to house a dampening device in the forward-most section near the junction of the foot pedal and the lifting rod.
In practice, the invention utilizes this specialized wall geometry to provide a rigid mounting point for a damping mechanism, such as a piston and cylinder, which slows the lid's descent. By placing the dampener in a recessed region that is displaced frontward from the container's outer periphery, the design prevents the hardware from being damaged or snagged, while the use of a stiffer mounting platform prevents the damping forces from twisting or fatiguing the softer plastic typically used for the main body.
This approach differs from prior solutions where damping hardware often protruded from the rear or was mounted to flexible plastic walls that would deform under the high loads generated by a user's weight on the pedal. By combining a stepped recess for mechanical protection with a material-specific mounting strategy, the invention achieves a more durable and compact foot-operated system that maintains its damping performance over time.
How does this patent fit in bigger picture?
Technical Landscape
In the mid-2000s when ’759 was filed, waste receptacle design was increasingly focused on user convenience and noise reduction at a time when lid deceleration was typically implemented using rotary motion dampers integrated into the pedal-linkage assembly. During this era, systems commonly relied on the inherent structural rigidity of the container walls to support mechanical components rather than utilizing multi-material reinforcement strategies. When hardware constraints made the use of lightweight or malleable plastics desirable for impact resistance, the mounting of high-torque mechanical components like dampening devices was non-trivial, as the concentrated forces often led to material deformation or misalignment of the internal linkages.
Prosecution Position
The disclosed invention achieves a technical advancement in receptacle durability and security through a dual-path architectural shift. First, it addresses the mechanical instability of dampening systems by introducing a mounting member constructed from a material stiffer than the primary container body, effectively isolating high-stress loads from the more flexible housing to maintain precise component alignment. Second, the integration of a lid-mounted slidable latch mechanism that engages a projecting ledge on the container body enables a positive mechanical lock. This configuration overcomes the limitations of gravity-based or friction-fit lids, providing a secure closure that resists accidental opening due to external forces or inversion of the container.
Claims
This patent contains 39 claims, with claims 1 and 10 serving as the independent claims. The independent claims focus on the structural design and manufacturing method of a trash can featuring a recessed channel on its rear surface that houses a dampening device to control lid movement, specifically positioning the dampener within a nested portion of the channel near the foot pedal and lifting rod assembly. The dependent claims serve to further define the material composition of the body and mounting components, the specific geometric orientation and angles of the recessed walls, and the mechanical integration of the dampening housing and mounting plates within the trash can base.
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US9573759
- Application Number
- US14198460A
- Filing Date
- Mar 5, 2014
- Publication Date
- Feb 21, 2017
- External Links
- Slate, USPTO , Google Patents