GB2352963A

GB2352963A - Discouraging manual opening of pedal-operated bin lid

Info

Publication number: GB2352963A
Application number: GB9918778A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Ohayon
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-08-10
Filing date: 1999-08-10
Publication date: 2001-02-14
Anticipated expiration: 2019-08-10
Also published as: GB9918778D0; GB2352963A8; GB2352963B

Abstract

In a pedal-operated bin, a lid (22) biased to its closed position is openable through a link mechanism (42) by depression of a pedal (36). In order to remind the bin user of the need to use the pedal (36) instead of one's hand to open the lid (22), peripheral parts of the lid are provided with finger deterrent means (90). Preferably, such finger deterrent means are arranged when urged by the user's fingers in a lid-opening direction to produce discomfort, unpleasant feelings or even pain in the user's fingers. The finger deterrent means (90) may be formed integrally with peripheral parts of the lid (22), or separately and secured to such parts of the lid. Such means may comprise a series of finger-contactable projections which may be rigid, flexible or yieldable; and may be in the form of undulations in a surface or on the edge of a strip material (92), or of an array of embedded particles (Fig.8,98) or of bristles or spikes (Fig.9,100).

Description

2352963 FOOT PEDAL-OPERATED BIN WITH FINGER DETERRENT This invention

relates to bins, particularly refuse bins, of the kind in which the open mouth of a bin body (or sack or other receptacle) is arranged for closure by a foot pedal-operated lid, which is biased to the closed position in which it closes the mouth.

In some refuse bins the bin body is rigid and the lid is hinged on the bin body itself, whilst in other bins the bin body is formed separately from a frame which carries the hinged lid and the associated pedal operating mechanism.

In this latter kind of bin, the bin body may be rigid and self-supporting on a lower part of the frame, or it may be in the form of plastics sack which is secured over and suspended from a ring of appropriate shape (e.g.

rectangular or circular) which forms the upper part of the frame and on to which the hinged lid closes.

In order to reduce cross infection in medical environments refuse bins should not permit opening of the lid by hand.

In my co-pending patent application No. 97 04914.2 (publication No. GB 2 323 019A) I have disclosed and claimed In a foot pedal-operated bin a link mechanism for enabling lid opening solely in response to depression of the foot-operated pedal, which mechanism also physically resists lifting of the lid by hand.

Despite the use of such a mechanism, it has been found that some users still persist in lifting the bin lid by hand, and to that end have applied such destructive manual forces to the lid that the lid operating link mechanism has been deformed and rendered ineffective to prevent lifting by hand. Thus, the objective in providing such a lid-opening link mechanism has been defeated.

The present invention seeks to provide additional means to discourage, or even positively deter, manual lifting of the lid in any form of foot pedal-operated bin where manual lifting is to be avoided.

According to the present invention, the lid is provided at predetermined positions around its periphery with finger deterrent means arranged on being contacted by a user's fingers to remind the user of the need to use the foot pedal instead to open the lid.

Preferably, the finger deterrent means are arranged whefi urged by a user's fingers in a lid-opening direction to produce discomfort, unpleasant feelings, or even pain in the user's fingers.

The finger deterrent means may extend around the whole or a part only of the periphery of the lid.

The finger deterrent means may be formed separately and be secured to respective peripheral parts of the lid, or it may be formed integrally with the peripheral parts of the lid.

The finger deterrent means may comprise a strip of woven fabric (e.g. webbing), or a series of finger-contactable projections. The latter may be rigid, flexible or yieldable.

Such projections may be in the form of undulations formed in a surface or on the edge of a strip material, and be suitably pointed or rounded. Alternatively, such projections may be in the form of an array of bristles or spikes. But, such projections must not be shaped or formed in such a manner that they will damage the user's fingers when urged against the projections in normal use in a lidopening direction.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a lid for use in a foot pedal-operated bin, which lid is provided at predetermined positions around its periphery with finger deterrent means arranged on being contacted by a user's fingers to remind the user of the need to use the foot pedal instead to open the lid.

Advantageously, the finger deterrent means are arranged so as when urged. by a user's fingers in a lid-opening direction to produce discomfort, unpleasant feelings, or even pain in the user's fingers.

Other features of the present Invention will appear from the description that follows hereafter and from the claims appended at the end of that description.

One foot pedal-operated refuse bin for use in a hospital environment and incorporating the present invention, and various alternatives thereof, will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which:- Figure 1 shows the bin in side elevation with Its lid in the closed position seated on and closing the upper end of the body of the bin; Figure 2 shows a plan view of the bin; Figure 3 shows pictorially the upper part of the bin body with the lid partly open; Figures 4 to 6 show in side elevation various forms of ringer deterrent strip members for attachment to the bin lid; Figure 7 shows a scrap transverse section showing the manner of attaching the respective strip members of the Figures 4 to 6 to the inner edge of the bin lid; Figures 8 and 9 show two other forms of finger deterrent edge members; and Figure 10 show a scrap transverse section showing the manner of attaching the respective edge members of Figures 8 and 9 to the inner edge of the bin lid.

Referring now to the drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are the same (apart from additional parts as required by the present invention) as the corresponding Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings which accompanied my co-pending British patent application 9704914.2 and which appear in the patent publication no. 'GB 2323019 A' thereof. In the present Figures the reference numbers used for respective parts are the same as those used in the earlier pending application for corresponding parts.

For a full explanation of the construction and manner of operation of the bin, the reader is referred to the above- mentioned patent publication.

However, briefly put, the bin comprises a bin body 10,12,14 which is carried on feet members 16 by side members 20. The open upper end 32 of the bin body is closed by a lid 22 which is hingedly carried on pivot pins 26 supported in brackets 28 secured on the rear side of the bin body.

A foot pedal 36 protruding at the front side of the bin is mounted on a transverse pivot rod 34 carried beneath the bin body in the side members 20. One rear end part 38 of the foot pedal is pivotally connected via an articulated push rod link mechanism 42 to a pivot bracket 44 carried on the underside of the bin lid 22. That link mechanism comprises lower and upper push rod elements 42A and 42B.

and a biasing spring 46 which biases a movable stop 56 carried on the upper push rod element 42B into engagement with a fixed stop 54 carried on the bin body.

-5Lifting of the lid manually is prevented by the engagement of those two stops, whereas foot pressure applied to the foot pedal overcomes the tension in the bias spring 46 and moves the stop 56 rearwardly with respect to the cooperat- Ing stop 54 and thus permits the link mechanism 42 to rise and so lift the lid 22.

To discourage those who still wish to lift the bin lid by hand, the present invention provides a finger deterrent edge member 90 secured around the inner edge of the bin lid 22.

The lower edge of that member 90 is formed with a series of projections which may be in the form of smooth rounded undulations (Figure 4, 92), sharper triangular undulations (Figure 5, 94), saw teeth (Figure 6, 96), embedded particles (Figure 8, 98), or bristles or spikes (Figure 9, 100). Those projections are intended to create discomfort or otherwise an unpleasant sensation (even of pain) in a userls fingers when pressed against them to lift the lid as a reminder that the lid is not for lifting by hand. Any suitable configuration of such projections may be used, provided always that they are not shaped in a manner that will cause physical damage to the fingers or hand of the user.

The Figures 4 to 6 illustrate varying degrees of sharpness of the proposed projections, though the scale of the drawings does not permit an adequate showing in the Figures 5 and 6 of the desired smoothing or the tips of the sharper projections.

Figure 7 shows the manner of attaching the deterrent edge members 90 of Figures 4 to 6 to the inner peripheral surface of the bin lid 22, either by riveting or by spot welding at locations 102.

Figures 8 and 9 show alternative forms of finger deterrent edge members 90, in which an angle-section strip material 104 carries on it lowermost surface embedded particles 98 (Figure 8), for example of an abrasive and/or plastics material, or an array of yieldable brush-like bristles or spikes 100 (Figure 9).

Figure 10 shows the manner of attaching the deterrent edge members 90 of Figures 8 and 9 to the inner peripheral surface of the bin lid 22, either by riveting or by spot welding at locations 106.

If desired, the single piece finger deterrent member 90 shown in Figure 3 may be replaced by separate portions thereof secured respectively to the front and side peripheral parts of the lid.

Whilst in the above-described embodiments the finger deterrent edge member 90 has been constituted as a separate element suitably attached to the bin lid, such edge member (particularly of the kind shown in the Figures 4 to 6) may alternatively, where appropriate, be formed integrally with the bin lid, for example by notching the down-turned edge of the lid.

The finger deterrent edge member(s) may be made of a woven fabric, metal or any suitable plastics material, and may be fitted to or incorporated in any form of foot pedaloperated bin for which manual lifting of the lid is to be deterred.

Where a woven fabric (e.g. webbing) is to be used, a plain strip of such material without the scalloping indicated in Figures 1 and 3 will suffice in appropriate circumstances.

Whilst the above invention has been described in relation to a refuse or waste bin, the invention Is equally applicable to any foot pedal-operated bin in which manual lifting of the lid is to be avoided, for whatever reason.

Claims

1. A bin of the kind comprising a bin body or other receptacle having an open mouth, a lid biased to a closed position in which it closes the open mouth of the bin body or other receptacle, a foot pedal, a link mechanism interconnecting the lid and the foot pedal and arranged to open the lid from the closed position on depression of the foot pedal, wherein there is provided on the lid at predetermined edge positions finger deterrent means arranged on being contacted by a user's fingers to remind the user of the need to use the foot pedal instead to open the lid.

2. A bin according to claim 1, wherein the finger deterrent means are arranged when urged by a user's fingers in a lid-opening direction to produce discomfort, unpleasant feelings or even pain in the user's fingers.

3. A bin according to any one of the claims 1 to 2, wherein the finger deterrent means are formed separately and secured to respective peripheral parts of the lid.

4. A bin according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the finger deterrent means are formed integrally with peripheral parts of the lid.

5. A bin according to any preceding claim, wherein the finger deterrent means comprises a series of finger- contactable projections.

6. A bin according to claim 5 as dependent upon any one of the claims 1 to 3, wherein said projections are flexible or yieldable.

7. A bin according to claim 5 or 6, wherein said projections are in the form of undulations formed in a surface or on the edge of a strip material.

-88. A bin according to claim 5 or 6, wherein said projections are in the form of an array of bristles or spikes.

9. A bin according to any preceding claim, wherein the link mechanism is arranged to enable lid opening solely in response to depression of the foot-operated pedal, and to physically resist opening of the lid by hand.

10. A bin according to any preceding claim, incorporating the features set out in any one of the claims of my copending patent application No. 97 04914.2 (publication No. GB 2 323 019A).

11. A bin lid for use in a foot pedal-operated bin, wherein there is provided at predetermined edge positions around the lid finger deterrent means arranged on being contacted by a user's fingers to remind the user of the need to use the foot pedal instead to open the lid.

12. A bin lid according to claim 11, wherein the finger deterrent means are arranged when urged by a user's fingers in a lid-opening direction to produce discomfort, unpleasant feelings or even pain in the user's fingers.

13. A bin lid according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the finger deterrent means comprise finger deterrent means as set out above in any one of the claims 5 to 8.

14. A foot pedal-operated bin substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.

15. A bin lid for use in a foot operated-bin, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.