GB2479828A

GB2479828A - Tray shaped biodegradable liner for the base of a bin

Info

Publication number: GB2479828A
Application number: GB1106715A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kevin Alfred Evans
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-04-22
Filing date: 2011-04-21
Publication date: 2011-10-26
Also published as: GB201106715D0; GB201006745D0

Abstract

A refuse container 10 has a base 12 and side walls 20, a liner 28 also has a base 30 and side. walls 32. The bases are similar sizes but the side walls of the liner are substantially shorter than the side walls of the container. The liner is formed of a biodegradable board material. Ideally the material is recycled pulped wood such as cardboard. The liner may include insecticides, insect replants and/or perfumes. The bases can be circular or rectangular. The side walls of the liner preferably include corrugations or slits, especially at corners 34, in order to resiliently press against the side walls of the container. The liner may be formed of a folded paper blank or a moulding. Liners can be supplied in a nested arrangement. The liner is generally shaped as a tray 28 with a rim 32 which fits in the bottom of a container that could be a wheelie bin.

Description

TITLE

Liners for refuse containers

DESCRIPTION

This invention relates to liners for refuse containers.

The invention was initially conceived as a liner for a wheelie bin. However, it also applies to liners for other refuse containers such as pedal bins, waste food caddies and containers for hospital or clinical waste.

When some kinds of refuse, particularly food waste, are placed in a wheelie bin they can make a mess and also attract disease-carrying insects, resulting in hygiene problems.

Consequently, it is desirable to clean the inside of the wheelie bin often, but that is laborious and can be unpleasant. Also, a typical wheelie bin is a considerable size, and even a large, fit adult can find such cleaning difficult.

In an attempt to alleviate these problems, some people place their food waste in used shopping carrier bags before depositing it in their wheelie bin. However, for child safety reasons, carriers bags are usually perforated and therefore leak. It is also possible to line the inside of the wheelie bin with a bin liner, i.e. a large bag made of plastics film. However, such bin liners are not inexpensive. Also, difficulties are encountered in securing the mouth of the bin liner to the mouth of the wheelie bin so that the bin liner does not fall down inside the wheelie bin. Furthermore, the degradability of such bin liners presents problems. It has also been proposed in patent document GB245993 1 A to line substantially the whole of the inside of the wheelie bin with a specially sized and shaped insert formed from biodegradable cardboard.

However, such inserts would, again, not be inexpensive. Furthermore, the storage of a supply of such inserts, prior to use, would require a considerable amount of space. Moreover, to be effective, it would be necessary to manufacture a large range of sizes of inserts to suit the different sizes of wheelie bin that are in common use.

An aim of the present invention, or at least of specific embodiments of it, is to overcome or alleviate the problems discussed above.

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a combination of a refuse container and a liner therefor. The refuse container has a base wall, and a side wall extending upwardly from the base wall. The liner has a base wall which covers at least a substantial proportion of the base wall of the container, and a side wall which extends upwardly from the base wall of the liner. The height of the side wall of the liner is substantially less than the height of the side wall of the container, and the liner is formed of a board material which is biodegradable. Because the side wall is substantially less high than the side wall of the refuse container, the amount of material required for the liner is less than in the case of the liner of GB2459931A, and the liner requires less storage space. Nevertheless, the liner is effective in dealing with most of the liquid that typically soils the inside of a wheelie bin.

In order to be environmentally friendly, the liner is preferably formed of a material from renewable resources, such as a pulped wood-based material.

The liner may be impregnated or coated with a substance which repels and/or kills insects and/or insect larvae and/or with a disinfectant and/or with a perfume.

In some embodiments of the invention, the liner has a degree of resilience so that the upper edge of the side wall of the liner presses outwardly against the side wall of the container and provides a degree of sealing against liquid creeping underneath the liner.

In one embodiment of the invention in which the base wall of the container is substantially circular, the base wall of the liner is preferably also substantially circular. In this case, the side wall of the liner may be corrugated or may be formed from overlapping fingers joined to the base wall of the liner, so that one size of liner is effective with a range of sizes of container base.

In another embodiment of the invention in which the base wall of the container is substantially rectangular, for example square, and the side wall of the container has four side wall portions each of which extends upwardly from a respective edge of the base wall of the container, the base wall of the liner is preferably also similarly substantially rectangular, and the side wall of the liner has four side wall portions each of which extends upwardly from a respective edge of the base wall of the liner.

In this case, the liner may have four slitted corner portions each between adjacent ends of adjacent side wall portions of the liner at a respective corner of the liner, so that one size of liner is effective with a range of sizes of container base. In this case, the liner may be formed from a planar blank having fold lines between the base wall and the side wall portions and slits at the corner of the blank.

Alternatively, the liner may have four corrugated corner portions each joining adjacent ends of adjacent side wall portions of the liner at a respective corner of the liner, again so that one size of liner is effective with a range of sizes of container base. In this case, the liner may be formed from a planar blank having fold lines between the base wall and the side wall portions and fold lines at the corners of the liner for forming the corrugations. Alternatively, the liner may be moulded as a three-dimensional object having the side wall portions inclined to the base wall and having the corrugations moulded at the corners of the liner.

In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a liner per se for use with a refuse container. The liner comprises a base wall for covering at least a substantial proportion of the base wall of the container, and a side wall which extends upwardly from the base wall of the liner. The height of the side wall of the liner is substantially less than the maximum dimension of the base wall of the liner, and the liner is formed of a material which is biodegradable.

The invention also extends to a plurality of liners according to the second aspect of the invention, wherein the liners are identical, and the liners in a relaxed state are stacked one within another.

Specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described, purely by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a sectioned side view of a wheelie bin having a liner of a first embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a sectioned plan view taken on the section line 2-2 shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is an isometric view of the liner of Figure 1; Figure 4 is plan view of a blank for forming the liner of a second embodiment of the invention; Figure 5 is a sectioned side view of a lower portion of a wheelie bin fitted with the liner of Figure 4; Figure 6 is a plan view of a blank for a liner of a third embodiment of the invention and Figure 7 is an isometric view of the liner of Figure 6 after it has been pressed.

Referring to Figures 1 to 3, a conventional wheelie bin 10 has a base wall 12 which is generally square having internal dimensions of, for example, 440 mm x 440 mm, with rounded corners having an internal radius of curvature of, for example, 60 mm. The wheelie bin 10 also has a front wall 14, a rear wall 16, two side walls 18 and curved corner portions 20 between the side walls which follow the line of the corners of the base wall 12. The front, rear and side walls 14,16,18 taper outwardly slightly in the upward direction and have a height of about 1 m.

The wheelie bin also has a hinged lid 22, a handle 24 and a pair of wheels 26.

The liner 28 is in the form of a tray having a base wall 30 which is generally square with rounded corners, four side walls 32 and four corner portions 34. The external shape and size of the tray is such that it is a snug fit into the bottom of the wheelie bin 10, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The distance between the outer faces of opposite side walls 32 is therefore 440 mm or slightly less, and the external radius of curvature of the corner portions is about mm. The height of each side wall 32 is between 50 and 150 mm.

The liner 28 has a uniform wall thickness of about 2 to 4 mm and is moulded from wood-pulp to form a similar material to the material that has conventionally been used for decades for making egg-boxes and egg-trays. The material of the tray is impregnated or coated with a substance that repels and/or kills insects and their larvae, for example flies and maggots.

Preferably, the upper face of the base wall 30 and the inner faces of the side walls 32 and corner portions 34 are coated with a water impervious layer, but the bottom face of the base wall 30 and the outer faces of the side walls 32 and corner portions 34 are water absorbent.

In use, the liner 28 is placed into the bottom of the wheelie bin 10, and the wheelie bin is then filled with refuse in the conventional way. The majority of any liquid that drains from the refuse in the wheelie bin 10 will tend to trickle down through the refuse below and will be caught in the liner 28, where it will tend to puddle on the base wall 30 due to the non-absorbent nature of the upper face of the base wall. A small proportion of the liquid that drains from the refuse may find its way to the front, rear or side walls 14,16,18 of the wheelie bin 10, in which case it will trickle down the wall 14,16,18 and may find its way between the liner 28 and the wheelie bin 10, where it will be absorbed by the absorbent bottom face of the base wall 30 or outer faces of the side walls 32 and corner portions 34 of the liner 28. When the wheelie bin 10 is emptied by being tipped upside down and shaken by the mechanism on the refuse collection vehicle, the liner 28 may well fall out of the wheelie bin 10 with the refuse, and the liner 28 can then be replaced with a fresh liner 28. In the event that the liner 28 does not fall out, the householder can then decide whether the liner 28 is fit for continued use, in which case it can be left where it is, or whether it needs replacing, in which case the liner 28 can be removed, replaced by a fresh liner, and then the old liner 28 can be deposited back in the wheelie bin 10 on top of the fresh liner.

Referring now to Figures 4 and 5, the liner 28 of the second embodiment of the invention is formed from a sheet 35 of material similar to that described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. The sheet 35 is generally square, having dimensions of about 500 x 500 mm, with rounded corners 36 having a radius of curvature of about 100 mm. A series of radial slits 38 of varying lengths are cut at each round corner 36 SO that a number of fingers 40 are formed.

Between adjacent corners 36, three fold lines 42A,B,C are formed in the sheet 34 spaced about 25, 50 and 75 mm, respectively, from the edge of the sheet 35. The fold lines 42A,B,C may be formed by creasing, scoring, indenting or perforating. At the corners 36 of the sheet 35, the fold lines continue around the corners.

In use, the sheet 35 is placed in the top of the wheelie bin 10 and pushed down to the bottom of the bin 10, using for example an end of a broomstick or the like if need be. Assuming that the internal size of the base wall 12 of the wheelie bin 10 is sized between 350 x 350 mm and 500 x 500 mm, the sheet 34 will crease at each of its edges along one or more of the fold lines 42A,B,C so that, as shown in Figure 5, a liner 28 is formed with a side wall 32 at each edge of the liner 28. At the corners of the liner 28, the fingers 40 may be poked down into the corner of the wheelie bin 10, again for example using the end of a broomstick, so that the fingers 40 crease along one of more fold lines at the corners 40 and overlap one another to some extent.

In order to facilitate insertion of the sheet 35 into the wheelie bin 10, the householder may start the creasing of the sheet 35 along the fold lines 40A,B,C appropriate to the size of the wheelie bin 10 before inserting the sheet 35 into the bin 10.

It will be appreciated that, with the second embodiment of Figures 4 and 5, the size of the sheet 35 is not specific to a particular size of base wall 12 of the wheelie bin 10, and can be used with a range of sizes of wheelie bin 10. Also, the sheet 35 can be used to produce generally rectangular liners 24 for wheelie bins 10 that have generally rectangular base walls 12.

Referring now to Figures 6 and 7, a blank 44 for a liner 28 of the third embodiment of the invention is formed from a sheet of material similar to that described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. The blank 44 is generally square having dimensions of about 500 x 500 mm with rounded corners 46 having a radius of curvature of, for example, 100 mm. In order to ft)rm the liner 28, the blank 44 is placed in a press having complementarily shaped tools which crease the blank 44 along the dashed lines 48,50 shown in Figure 6 to form the shape shown in Figure 7.

Specifically, the crease lines 48 are arranged as a square having dimensions 300 x 300 mm, and the blank 44 is folded in the same direction along the crease lines 48 to form four side walls 32 inclined upwardly from a base wall 30. At the corners, the crease lines 50 radiate from the intersections of the crease lines 48, and the blank 44 is folded in alternating directions along the crease lines 50 to form tapering corrugations 52 at the corners 34 of the liner 28. In addition to folding the blank 44 along the crease lines 48,50, the press tools are also shaped to compress or perforate the material of the blank 44 along the crease lines 48,50 so that the material folds more readily along the crease lines 48,50 than elsewhere. The amount of deformation of the blank 44 is, for clarity, exaggerated in Figure 7, and preferably is less than is shown.

In use, the liner 28 is placed in the top of the wheelie bin 10 and pushed down to the bottom of the bin 10, using for example an end of a broomstick or the like if need be. Assuming that the size of the base wall 12 of the wheelie bin 10 is smaller than the as-pressed outline size of the liner 28 as viewed in plan, the top edges of the side walls 32 and the corrugated corners 34 will be pressed inwardly by the front, rear and side walls 14,16,18 of the wheelie bin 10 so that the liner 28 is a snug fit in the bottom of the wheelie bin 10. With the dimensions of liner 28 mentioned above, the liner 28 is suitable for use with a wheelie bin 10 having a base wall 12 ranging in size from just over 300 x 300 mm to just under 500 x 500 mm.

In a modification to the method of manufacture of the liner 28 described with reference to Figures 6 and 7, the liner 28 is moulded in the shape shown, rather than being pressed from sheet.

It will be appreciated that the liners 28 described with reference to Figures 4 and 5, or Figures 6 and 7, are stackable when in their relaxed state so as to save space during storage.

It will be appreciated that many modifications and developments may be made to the wheelie bin liners 28 described above.

For example, the base wall 30 of the liners 28 may be rectangular having different dimensions in its two extents. Also, the base wall 30 may be circular, in which case the fingers 40 of Figures 4 and 5, or the corrugations 52 of Figures 6 and 7, may be provided continuously around the circular edge of the base wall 30 so as to form the side wall of the liner 28. Some refuse containers have a bottom which is not fiat; for example, with some wheelie bins, the bottom of the bin is shaped so as to accommodate the wheels 26 and axle of the wheelie bin. In this case, the base wall 30 and the side walls 32 of the insert may be complementarily shaped.

In addition to, or instead of, being impregnated or coated with a substance which repels and/or kills insects and/or their larvae, the liners 28 may be treated with a disinfectant and/or a perfume.

Instead of the water impervious layer being provided on the upper and inner faces of the base wall 30 and side walls 32, it may be provided on their lower and outer faces, respectively.

Alternatively, the water impervious layer may be omitted.

Although the liners 28 have been described for use with a wheelie bin 10, liners constructed on similar principles but of a different size may be used with smaller refuse caddies including caddies used specifically for food waste, pedal bins, containers for hospital or clinical waste and other refuse containers.

It should be noted that the embodiments of the invention have been described above purely by way of example and that many other modifications and developments may be made thereto within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A combination of a refuse container and a liner therefor, wherein: the refuse container has: a base wall, and a side wall extending upwardly from the base wall; the liner has: a base wall which covers at least a substantial proportion of the base wall of the container, and a side wall which extends upwardly from the base wall of the liner; the height of the side wall of the liner is substantially less than the height of the side wall of the container; and the liner is formed of a board material which is biodegradable.
2. A combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the liner is formed of a material from renewable resources.
3. A combination as claimed in claim 2, wherein: the liner is formed from pulped wood-based material.
4. A combination as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein: the liner is impregnated or coated with a substance which repels and/or kills insects and/or insect larvae and/or with a disinfectant and/or with a perfume.
5. A combination as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein: the liner has a degree of resilience so that the upper edge of the side wall of the liner presses outwardly against the side wall of the container.
6. A combination as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein: the base wall of the container is substantially circular; and the base wall of the liner is substantially circular.
7. A combination as claimed in claim 6, wherein: the side wall of the liner is corrugated.
8. A combination as claimed in claimed in any of claims 1 to 5, wherein: the base wall of the container is substantially rectangular; the side wall of the container has four side wall portions each of which extends upwardly from a respective edge of the base wall of the container; the base wall of the liner is substantially rectangular; and the side wall of the liner has four side wall portions each of which extends upwardly from a respective edge of the base wall of the liner.
9. A combination as claimed in claim 8, wherein: the liner has four slitted corner portions each between adjacent ends of adjacent side wall portions of the liner at a respective corner of the liner.
10. A combination as claimed in claim 9, wherein: wherein the liner is formed from a planar blank having fold lines between the base wall and the side wall portions and slits at the corner of the blank.
11. A combination as claimed in claim 8, wherein: the liner has four corrugated corner portions each joining adjacent ends of adjacent side wall portions of the liner at a respective corner of the liner.
12. A combination as claimed in claim 11, wherein: wherein the liner is formed from a planar blank having fold lines between the base wall and the side wall portions and fold lines at the corners of the liner for forming the corrugations.
13. A combination as claimed in claim 11, wherein: wherein the liner is moulded as a three-dimensional object having the side wall portions inclined to the base wall and having the corrugations moulded at the corners of the liner.

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14. A combination of a refuse container and a liner therefor, substantially as described with reference to the drawings.
15. A liner for use with a refuse container in a combination as claimed in any preceding claim, the liner comprising: a base wall for covering at least a substantial proportion of the base wall of the container, and a side wall which extends upwardly from the base wall of the liner; wherein: the height of the side wall of the liner is substantially less than the maximum dimension of the base wall of the liner and the liner is formed of a material which is biodegradable.
16. A plurality of liners as claimed in claim 15, wherein: the liners are identical; and the liners in a relaxed state are stacked one within another.
17. A liner, for use with a refuse container, substantially as described with reference to the drawings.