US20070175901A1

US20070175901A1 - Party trash pail

Info

Publication number: US20070175901A1
Application number: US11/342,066
Authority: US
Inventors: Patricia Vargo
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-01-30
Filing date: 2006-01-30
Publication date: 2007-08-02

Abstract

A party trash pail including a container of predetermined volume, a plasticized liner removably insertable therein of a configuration to expand towards filling the container volume when laden with trash, yet with an upper dimension to overlap a defining outer rim of the container, and a header bearing against an outer surface of the liner to retain it in place within the container.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

NONE

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Research and development of this invention and Application have not been federally sponsored, and no rights are given under any Federal program.

REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX

NOT APPLICABLE

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to trash pails, in general, and to one which can be maintained hygienically clean for everyday use and for special occasions, in particular.
2. Description of the Related Art
As will be appreciated, most trash containers for everyday home use both indoors and outdoors are fabricated of plastic, usually drab green or grey in color. Commonly of 20 to 30 gallon capacity, they typically receive disposable trash bags as liners which, when filled, are typically tied off and then carried to the street for collection.
As will also be appreciated, the trash bags employed do not work as well as desired when used at large party occasions. Sometimes, for example, the trash bag is of a capacity less than that of the container—and slips down into the container as the bag becomes weighted with more and more added refuse. Sometimes, where the trash bag is of a larger capacity than the container, its open edges draped over the container's rim in an attempt to hold the bag in place unfortunately become dislodged because of the weight of the refuse, paper plates, paper cups, plastic utensils, etc. discarded therein; the combined weight then pulls the entire bag into the container.
As will be understood, with either of these happenings, the deposited trash overflowing the bag then tends to bear against, and contact, the inside surfaces of the container. Although the container should be cleaned for purposes of hygiene once the filled bag is removed, that usually isn't done. As will also be understood, when the container's covering lid is not fitted in place, the crumbled and disheveled bag inside can be seen and presents an unsightly appearance. As will be further understood, just having a drab green or grey plastic container at a kitchen area indoors, or alongside a barbecue grill in the outdoors, does very little to enliven or enhance the festivities of an occasion or event when a party or like get-together is going on.
Analysis of these situations has led to a realization that even if one were to try to assiduously match the capacity of the trash bag to the capacity of the trash container, these type of offensive conditions would continue to persist—and because the trash bags are composed of a pair of overlapping liner sheets fused together at their side and bottom edges. Testing has shown, in particular, that such joinings together limit their fillings and prevent the bag, once filled, from taking on the shape of the tapering-sided trash container in which the bag is placed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

As will become clear hereinafter, the present invention takes as its starting point a trash container which is cylindrical, or substantially cylindrical in configuration preferably with a covering lid. The invention then proceeds with a trash bag of capacity slightly larger than that of the container—but configured and designed so as to take on the comparable shape of the inside of the container once the trash bag is opened. By being slightly larger than the container itself, the bag of the invention is thus allowed to overlap the rim of the container so that when folded over the rim, an elastic band can be utilized as a “header” near the top of the container. This allows the “header” to rest against the folded over bag in retaining the bag in place as it is being weighted down with party refuse. In accordance with the invention, furthermore, the container is fabricated of a white or black plastic so as to allow for its being easily decorated according to any ongoing event—supplemented, if desired, by streamers or other frills hanging down from the encircling elastic band.
By matching the trash bag to the trash container in this manner, not only will the bag fill the container according to its volume, and being held there by the surrounding band in a decorous manner, but the bag, once released from being held in place and lifted from the container, allows the inside surface of the container to remain substantially untouched by any refuse. Only a minimal amount of cleaning would then be required after its use. As will be seen, in this preferred embodiment, the trash bag is composed of a plasticized liner of at least a 20 gallon volume.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features of the present invention will be more clearly understood from a consideration of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIGS. 1 and 2 respectively show the trash container and trash bag of the invention as separated, with the bag ready for insertion into the container as a liner; and
FIG. 3 is an illustration of the trash container of the invention with the trash bag in place as a liner.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the Drawings, the trash pail of the invention 10 includes one of a cylindrical and substantially cylindrical container of predetermined volume 12. For the preferred embodiment of the invention of FIGS. 2 and 3, the container 12 includes an open top 14 of outer diameter greater than the diameter of an included closed bottom 16. An open-top, closed-bottom-plasticized liner 18 is removably insertable into the container 12, and selected of a configuration to expand towards filling the container volume when laden with trash added through its own open-top. As more clearly shown in FIG. 3, the liner 18 is of an upper dimension 20 to overlap a defining outer rim 22 of the container 12. In accordance with the invention, a header 24 (FIG. 3) bears against an outer surface of the plasticized liner 18 at a location below the overlapping portion of the liner, and below the outer rim 22, in retaining the liner 18 in place within the container 12.
In a preferred construction of the party trash pail of the invention, such header 24 includes an elastic band 26 from which a plurality of streamers 28 hang downwardly along an outside surface of the container 12 for purposes of decoration.
As will be appreciated, the inclusion of the streamers 28 allow the party pail of the invention to take on a decorative appearance—which is also fostered by fabricating the container 12 of white or black plastic, rather than of the drab green or grey which previously characterizes prior container designs. As will also be apparent, configuring the container 12 with an open top diameter greater than that of the closed bottom facilitates the removal of the filled liner 18 from the container. An aperture 30 of the container 12 is provided for receiving a nail, hook or other fastener extending from a wall surface (as in a garage). This allows the party pail of the invention to be hung away for storage when not needed, or is no longer intended for use.
With a plasticized liner 18 fillable to a size of at least 20 gallon volume in this manner (and preferably to one of 28-32 gallon volume), not only will the party pail of the invention present an attractive appearance—but one which can be set up as an “events can” for special occasions through the addition of the streamers 28, as well as the addition of any decorations suitable to the “occasion”. These also can be inserted beneath and held in place against the container by the elastic band 26. Preventing the liner from falling into the container continues to keep the inside of the container hygienically clean besides allowing the container to be set up for the special occasion use. As will be seen, this allows the invention to serve as a “party trash pail”, instead of just as a garbage pail which sits in a home or at a backyard, with a liner which continually collapses into the container as it becomes filled by use.
While there have been described what are considered to be preferred embodiments of the present invention, it will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the teachings herein. For at least such reasons, therefore, resort should be had to the claims appended hereto for a true understanding of the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A party trash pail comprising:

one of a cylindrical and substantially cylindrical container of predetermined volume;

an open-top, closed-bottom plasticized liner removably insertable into said container, said liner being of configuration to expand towards filling said container volume when laden with trash added through said open-top and of an upper dimension to overlap a defining outer rim of said container; and

a header bearing against an outer surface of said plasticized liner at a location below the overlapping portion of said liner in retaining said liner in place within said container.

2. The party trash pail of claim 1, wherein said header includes an elastic band.

3. The party trash pail of claim 1, wherein said plasticized liner is fillable with trash to a size of at least 20 gallons volume.

4. The party trash pail of claim 1, wherein said plasticized liner is fillable with trash to a size of 28-32 gallon volume.

5. The party trash pail of claim 1, wherein said container is fabricated of white or black plastic.

6. The party trash pail of claim 1, wherein said container includes an open top of a diameter greater than the diameter of an included closed bottom.

7. The party trash pail of claim 1, also including a plurality of streamers hanging downwardly from said header along an outside surface of said container.

8. The party trash pail of claim 1, also including means on said container for hanging away said container for storage when not in use.

9. A party trash pail comprising:

a header bearing against an outer surface of said plasticized liner at a location below the overlapping portion of said liner in retaining said liner in place within said container;

wherein said header includes an elastic band;

wherein said plasticized liner is fillable to a size of at least 20 gallons volume;

wherein said container includes an open top of a diameter greater than the diameter of an included closed bottom; and

also including means on said container for hanging away said container when not in use.