GB2544818A

GB2544818A - A bin for items which have been used and which are for disposal

Info

Publication number: GB2544818A
Application number: GB1521169.1A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Tolulope Opeyokun Enitan; Oladiran Rotami Babatunde
Original assignee: Babatunde Oladiran Rotimi
Current assignee: Babatunde Oladiran Rotimi
Priority date: 2015-11-30
Filing date: 2015-11-30
Publication date: 2017-05-31
Also published as: GB201521169D0

Abstract

A bin 2 comprises scanner means 4 for scanning identification codes on items as they are being placed in the bin. The bin further comprises transmitter means 6 for transmitting data on the items to a mobile telephone 8, whereby a person with the mobile telephone 8 is able to visit one more premises selling the items and be reminded that the items have been used and need to be replaced. The identification codes may be barcodes or QR codes and may give information on product names, brands and where the item was purchased. The data may be transmitted in a form suitable for an App on the mobile phone. The scanner means may be on the lid which may be a pedal operated lid. A shopping list reminder system comprising the bin and a mobile telephone in which may allow additional items to be added to the shopping list by manual input.

Description

A BIN FOR ITEMS WHICH HAVE BEEN USED AND WHICH ARE FOR DISPOSAL

This invention relates to a bin and, more especially, this invention relates to a bin for items which have been used and which are for disposal.

Persons going shopping often make a list of items which need to be purchased. Typically the list is produced shortly before the person goes shopping. Also typically, items which should be included on the list are forgotten. It thus invariably happens that people with or without lists of items to be purchased forget items that should have been purchased. This necessitates the person making a second shopping trip, which is often not convenient.

It is an aim of the present invention to reduce the above mentioned problem.

Accordingly, in one non-limiting embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a bin for items which have been used and which are for disposal, which bin comprises scanner means for scanning identification codes on the items as they are being placed in the bin, and transmitter means for transmitting data on the items to a mobile telephone, whereby a person with the mobile telephone is able to visit one more premises selling the items and be reminded that the items have been used and need to be replaced.

The bin of the present invention is thus able to avoid the problem of items being used and being forgotten to be replaced. As the items are disposed of in the bin, they are automatically scanned via the scanner means and they are automatically sent via the transmitter means to the mobile telephone. Thus the mobile telephone has a list of items which have been used and disposed of in the bin. This list can then be Viewed by the person with the mobile telephone as they are in the premises, and the person is able to be reminded of items that have been used and that may need to be replaced.

The bin may be one in which the identification code gives the name of the item. The name may be a generic name for the item such for example as bread, mustard, trainers, or baby lotion. Alternatively or in addition, the name may be that Of a Registered Trade Mark for the item, for example Hovis in the case of bread, Coleman’s in the case of mustard, Nike in the case of trainers, and Johnson’s in the case of baby lotion.

The identification code may also give the name of the premises from which the used item was purchased. Thus, for example, the identification code may give the name of premises in the form Of large stores such for example as Marks & Spencers, ASDA or Lidl, or the identification codes may give the name of local shops where the items were purchased, for example the name of local convenience stores.

The scanner means may be for scanning identification codes in the form of bar codes. Other types of identification codes may be scanned so that, for example, the identification codes may be quick response codes.

The transmitter means may be such that it transmits the data in a form suitable for an App on a mobile telephone. The transmitter means may transmit the data in other forms, providing they are suitable for being received by the mobile telephone and stored in the mobile telephone.

The bin may comprise a body and a lid. In this case, the scanner means may be on the lid. The bin may generally be of any size, shape and construction. The scanner means and the transmitter means may be located anywhere which is suitable and appropriate on the bin.

The present invention may be such that this is one of the bins for each category of recycled items.

The present invention also extends to a shopping list reminder system comprising a bin of the invention and the mobile telephone.

The shopping list reminder system may be one in which the mobile telephone has input means for inputting data on items which have been used and which are to be re-purchased, the data being such that items which have been used and which have not been placed in the bin, are added to the list which is in the mobile telephone and which has been provided by the scanner means and the transmitter means on the bin.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of a first bin of the present invention;

Figure 2 is view from the front and above of a lid forming part of the bin shown in Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a side view of second bin of the present invention.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, there is shown a bin 2 for items which have been used and which are for disposal. The bin 2 comprises scanner means 4 for scanning identification codes on the items as they are being placed in the bin. The bin 2 also comprises transmitter means 6 for transmitting data on the items to a mobile telephone 8. The rubbish bin is thus such that a person with the mobile telephone 8 is able to visit one or more premises selling the items, and be reminded that the items have been used and need to be replaced.

The scanner means 4 may be connected by a wire 10 to the transmitter means 6. Thus the scanner means 4 may transmit appropriate information via the wire 10 to the transmitter means 6. Alternatively, the scanner means 4 may be such that it is able to transmit in a wireless manner the scanned information to the transmitter means 6. When the transmitter means 6 receives the information, it is then able to transmit the information, for example as radio frequency signals 12, to the mobile telephone 8. The mobile telephone 8 will have an appropriate receiver for receiving the transmitted information. The transmitted information may be stored in memory means in the mobile telephone 8. The memory means will typically be the memory that is already in the mobile telephone 8 for receiving and storing information.

The scanner means 4 is able to scan any suitable and appropriate type of used item as it is being placed in the bin 2. Thus the used item may be an empty carton, a plastic container, a plastic bottle, or a metal can. The bin may be one of a series of bins that are used together, with each bin being for receiving a designated type of used item in accordance with official recycling requirements. The used item may be an item of food, clothing or other item that is typically placed in a bin for disposal.

For used items that are normally not disposed of in a bin such for example as the bin 2, 20, then the items may still be recorded in the mobile telephone 8. This may be effected simply by passing the used item close to the scanner means 4 on the bin 2 so that the scanner means 4 can scan the used item even although it has not been placed in the bin. The scanned information Can then be transferred to the transmitter means and transmitted to the mobile telephone as normal. All the person has to do is to remember when they are disposing of the item, to pass the item near to the scanner means for being scanned. Alternatively, the mobile telephone may be such that it has input means providing the facility of manually adding the used item to the shopping list that has been transmitted by the transmitter means 6.

The bin may be one ih which the identification code gives at least the name of the item. The name of the item may be a generic name for the item and/or it may be a specific registered trade mark for a particular brand of the item.

The identification codes may also give the name of the premises from which the used item was purchased.

The scanner means may be for scanning identification codes as on the used items. Thus, for example, the identification codes may be in the form of bar codes, quick response codes, or other codes.

The transmitter means 6 may be such that it transmits the data in a form suitable for an App on the mobile telephone. The App may thus be a convenient way receiving and storing the data, and also allowing the person easily to remember how to find the list on their mobile telephone. Generally, the transmitter means may transmit the data in any desired and appropriate manner, for receipt by the mobile telephone in any desired and appropriate manner.

The bin 2 comprises a body 14 and a lid 16. The scanner means 4 and the transmitter means 6 are positioned on the lid 16 as shown. More specifically, the scanner means 4 is positioned on a front part of the lid 16 so that as the lid 16 opens to enable the used items to be placed in the bin 2, the items normally pass immediately by the scanner means 4 and are thus easily able to be read. The transmitter means 6 is placed on top of the lid where it is not likely to be obscured, and from where it is able to transmit the radio frequency signals 12 to the mobile telephone 8. The bin 2 is known as a pedal bin and it is opened by means of a foot pedal 18.

As shown in Figure 1, the bin 2 is such that the Iid16 rests on the top of the body 14.

Referring to Figure 3, there is shown a bin 20 in which similar parts as in the bin 2 have been given the same reference numerals for ease of comparison and understanding. With the bin 20, the lid 16 is a recessed lid which locates within the top of the body 14.

The combination of the bin 2, 20 and the mobile telephone 8 form a shopping list reminder system. The shopping list reminder system is an advantageous way of helping to avoid a person using items and forgetting to replace the items when they are out shopping.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiments of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings have been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, the bin 2, 20 may be any suitable and appropriate type of bin. Thus the bin 2, 20 may alternatively be of a different size, shape and construction. There may be a series of the bins for different recycling categories of used items. The scanner means 4 and the transmitter means 6 may be placed at other positions on the bin. The mobile telephone 8 may be any known type of mobile telephone 8, and also provided with means for receiving data in any appropriate form and relating to the identification codes scanned by the scanner means. Individual components shown in the drawings are not limited to use in their drawings and they may be used in other drawings and in all aspects of the invention.

Claims

1. A bin for items which have been used and which are for disposal, which bin comprises scanner means for scanning identification codes on the items as they are being placed in the bin, and transmitter means for transmitting data on the items to a mobile telephone, whereby a person with the mobile telephone is able to visit one more premises selling the items and be reminded that the items have been used and need to be replaced.

2. A bin according to claim 1 in which the identification code gives at least the name of the items.

3. A bin according to claim 2 in which the name is a generic name for the item.

4. A bin according to any one of the preceding claims in which the name is a registered trade mark for the item.

5. A bin according to any one of the preceding claims in which the identification code also gives the name of the premises from where the used item was purchased.

6. A bin according to any one of the preceding claims in which the scanner means is for scanning identification codes in the form of bar codes or quick response codes.

7. A bin according to any one of the preceding claims in which the transmitter means is such that it transmits the data in a form suitable for an App on the mobile telephone.

8. A bin according to any one of the preceding claims in which the bin comprises a body and a lid.

9. A bin according to any one of the preceding claims in which the lid is a pedal-operated lid.

10. A bin according to claim 8 or claim 9 in which the scanner means is on the lid.

11. A bin for items which have been used and are for disposal, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

12. A shopping list reminder system comprising a bin according to any one of the preceding claims and the mobile telephone.

13. A shopping list reminder system according to claim 12 in which the mobile telephone has input means for inputting data on items which have been used and which are to be re-purchased, the data being such that items which have been used and which have not been placed in the bin, are added to the list which is in the mobile telephone and which has been provided by the scanner means and the transmitter means on the bin.