US20070034635A1

US20070034635A1 - Garbage can

Info

Publication number: US20070034635A1
Application number: US11/203,069
Authority: US
Inventors: Chin-Fu Chiou
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-08-15
Filing date: 2005-08-15
Publication date: 2007-02-15

Abstract

A garbage can includes a cap body, an arc-shaped blade unit and a starting device as main components. The starting device and the arc-shaped blade unit are fitted together for acting mutually. The starting device is provided with a torsion spring for actuating the arc-shaped blade unit to collapse or expand sideward so as to open or close the opening of the cap body of the garbage can.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a garbage can, particularly to one having a starting device and an arc-shaped blade unit assembled on its cap body. The arc-shaped blade unit is controlled by the starting device to collapse or expand sideward for opening or closing the opening of the cap body of the garbage can.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, a garbage can with a cap tallies with requirements of sanitation and environmental protection; therefore, such garbage cans have been researched and developed. One of them is a conventional pedal-controlled garbage can 1 having a cap 10 threadably combined thereon, as shown in FIG. 1, but the cap 10 is not easy to be assembled with the can body because the interacting mechanism 12 between the pedal 11 and the cap 10 has lots of components and is complicated in structure. In addition, when the cap 10 is pedaled to open or close, there may produce colliding noises and make the garbage can unstable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The objective of the invention is to offer a garbage can having a starting device and an arc-shaped blade unit assembled on its cap body. The arc-shaped blade unit is actuated by the starting device to collapse or expand sideward for opening or closing the opening of the cap of he garbage can.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

This invention will be better understood by referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional garbage can;
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a cap of a garbage can in the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the cap of a garbage can in the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a magnified perspective view of the actuating member and the first arc-shaped blade of the cap of a garbage can in the present invention;
FIG. 5 is a partial magnified upper view of FIG. 3;
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the cap of a garbage can, having the arc-shaped blade unit partly collapsed sideward in the present invention;
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the cap of a garbage can, having the arc-shaped blade unit completely collapsed sideward in the present invention; and
FIG. 8 is a partial magnified upper view of FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A preferred embodiment of a garbage can in the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, includes a cap body 2, an arc-shaped blade unit 3, a starting device 4, a can body 5 and plural locking members (N) combined together.
The cap body 2 has its topside formed with an opening 20 having one side fixed with a positioning ear 21, and the other side provided with an insert hole 22 and a lug 23. The insert hole 22 has its interior fixed with engage members 220, and the lug 23 shaped as a D is formed with engage-position recess 230 in the center.
The arc-shaped blade unit 3 to be assembled on the opening 20 of the cap body 2 is composed of a first arc-shaped blade 30 and second arc-shaped blade 31. The first arc-shaped blade 30 is fixed with a fitting flange 300 at one end and a pivotal member 301 at the other end. The fitting flange 300 has its central portion bored with a through hole 302 having its circumferential edge provided with a plurality of ribs 303 extending outward radially. Further, the first arc-shaped blade 30 has its opposite sides respectively provided with engage projections 304 and stop surfaces 305, and the fitting flange 300 is provided with engage members 306 at the inner side. The second arc-shaped blade 31 has its opposite sides respectively bored with a pivotal hole 310.
The starting device 4 to be fitted with the pivotal member 301 and the fitting flange 300 of the first arc-shaped blade 30 is composed of a torsion spring 40 and an actuating member 41. The torsion spring 40 is fitted around the fitting flange 300 of the first arc-shaped blade 30 and has its opposite ends respectively engaged with the engage members 220 of the cap body 2 and the engage members 306 of the first arc-shaped blade 30. The actuating member 41 has one end formed with a fitting flange 410 having its circurmferential edge cut with a plurality of fitting notches 411 spaced apart equidistantly, and the other end formed with a press surface 412 having its underside formed with a recessed combining surface 413, and an engage projection 414 in the interior.
The locking members (N) respectively consist of a gasket and a screw.
In assembling, firstly, the two pivotal holes 310 at the opposite ends of the second arc-shaped blade 31 are respectively fitted on the fitting flange 300 and the pivotal member 301 of the first arc-shaped blade 30. Next, the torsion spring 40 is fitted around the fitting flange 300 of the first arc-shaped blade 30, and the first and the second arc -shaped blade 30, 31 are fixed respectively with the positioning ear 21 and the insert hole 22 of the cap body 2. Subsequently, the fitting notches 411 of the fitting flange 410 of the actuating member 4 are correspondingly fitted with the ribs 303 of the fitting flange 300 of the first arc-shaped blade 30. Then, two locking members (N) are respectively inserted through the pivotal member 301 and the through hole 302 of the first arc-shaped blade 30 and respectively locked with the positioning ear 21 of the cap body 2 and the actuating member 41. Afterward, the opposite ends of the torsion spring 40 are respectively engaged with the engage members 306 of the first arc-shaped blade 30 and the engage members 220 of the cap body 2. Lastly, the actuating member 41 is pressed down upon the lug 23 of the cap body 2 to let the engage projection 414 of the actuating member 41 engaged firmly with the engage-position recess 230 of the lug 23 of the cap body 2, thus finishing assembly of the cap of a garbage can.
In using, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 8, after the cap body 2 is covered on the opening of a can body 5, the engage projection 414 under the actuating member 41 of the starting device 4 will be actuated to disengage from the engage-position recess 230 of the lug 23 of the cap body 2. Simultaneously, the engage members 306 of the first arc-shaped blade 30 are forced by the torsion spring 40 to move upward and actuate the second arc-shaped blade 31 to collapse sideward together with the first arc-shaped blade 30. At this time, the opening 20 of the cap body 2 of the can body 5 becomes open, as shown in FIGS. 6 to 8. To close the opening 20 of the cap body 2, only press the actuating member 41 down onto the lug 23 of the cap body 2 to let the ribs 303 of the fitting flange 300 of the first arc-shaped blade 30 rotated together with the fitting notches 411 of the actuating member 41. When the combining surface 413 of the actuating member 41 is closely covered on the lug 23 of the cap body 2, the engage projections 304 of the first arc-shaped blade 30 will actuate the second arc-shaped blade 31 to close sideward. When the engage projection 414 of the combining surface 413 of the actuating member 41 is engaged with the engage-position recess 230 of the lug 23 of the cap body 2, the opening of the cap body 2 of the can body 5 is completely closed.
As can be understood from the above description, this invention has the following advantages.
1. The opening 20 of the cap body 2 can be opened or closed only by interaction of the arc-shaped blade unit 3 and the starting device 4, convenient in operation and having practicability.
2. The arc-shaped blade unit 3 assembled on the opening 20 of the cap body 2 is actuated to collapse or expand sideward, original in operation.
While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described above, it will be recognized and understood that various modifications may be made therein and the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications that may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A garbage can comprising:

a can body having its lower side disposed with a pedal, a pivotal base and an interacting rod;

a cap body having its topside formed with an opening, said opening having one side fixed with a positioning stud, said opening having the other side provided with an insert hole and a lug, said insert hole disposed with engage members in the interior;

an arc-shaped blade unit assembled on said opening of said cap body, said arc-shaped blade unit composed of a first arc-shaped blade and a second arc-shaped blade, said first arc-shaped blade having one side formed with a fitting flange and the other side provided with a pivotal member, said fitting flange having its inner side disposed with engage members, said second arc-shaped blade having its opposite sides respectively formed with a pivotal hole, said two pivotal holes respectively fitted with said fitting flange and said pivotal member of said first arc-shaped blade;

a starting device fitted with both said insert hole of said cap body and said fitting flange of said first arc-shaped blade, said starting device composed of an actuating member and a torsion spring, said actuating member having one end formed with a fitting flange, said actuating member having the other end formed with a press surface, said torsion spring fitted around said fitting flange of said first arc-shaped blade, said torsion spring having one end engaged with said engage members inside said cap body, said torsion spring having the other end engaged with said engage members of said first arc-shaped blade; and

said actuating member of said starting device actuating said arc-shaped blade unit to collapse or expand sideward for opening or closing said opening of said cap body of said garbage can.

2. The garbage can as claimed in claim 1, wherein said arc-shaped blade unit has said first arc-shaped blade moving said second arc-shaped blade to collapse or expand sideward for opening, and closing said opening of said cap body of said garbage can, when said arc-shaped blade unit opens or closes.