US3165222A - Disposal unit - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 12, 1965 J. SENTLINGER DISPOSAL UNIT Filed June 8, 1962 -INVENTOR.' JACK L. SE/VTL/NGER, BY 5 J ATTORNEY.

mazhp United States Patent 3,165,222 DISPOSAL UNIT Jack L. Sentlinger, Huntington Park, Calih, assignor to Phillip Kudler Filed June 8, 1962, Ser. No. 202,352 1 Claim. (Cl. 22018) This invention relates to a disposal unit and more particularly to such a unit utilizing'unique mounting means which permits ready attachment to and detachment from a support.

Detachably mounted disposal units such as litter baskets are utilized extensively in vehicles such as automobiles, boats, and aircraft as well as in the home and in business establishments. It is important especially in mobile situations that the disposal unit be held securely to its support, yet at the same time that it be readily removable for disposal of the refuse contained therein. In the installation of such a disposal unit, sometimes the mounting support surface is curved as in the case of an automobile transmission hump and sometimes it is fiat, making it desirable that the unit be adaptable for proper mounting on either type of surface.

The device of this invention is an improvement over prior art devices in providing mounting'means suitable for utilization on either flat or curved surfaces by means of a latching device which allows easy attachment to and detachment from a support bracket. This end result is achieved in the device of the invention by utilizing a tongue member which is attached at one end thereof to the refuse container. The tongue unit has a step formed therein spaced from the other end thereof and a joggle formed adjacent to the step portion. This joggle mates with a similar piece formed in a bracket which is attached to the support. The latching tongue can thereby be quickly attached to the bracket and detached therefrom by a simple finger action. Three legs are utilized on the bottom of the container adjacent to the tongue to assist in holding the container to the support. Two of these legs are wedged shaped to prevent the sliding of the container while the third has a concave end portion. This facilitates mounting on support surfaces which are either round or flat with good stability in either type of situation.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved disposal unit.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a disposal unit which is securely held to a support in a bracket unit and yet which can readily be detached therefrom.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a dis posal unit of economical construction which is suitable for mounting on either curved or flat surfaces.

Other objects of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings of which V,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the device of the invention,

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a receiver bracket suitable for utilization with the device of the invention for mounting on curved surfaces, and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a receiver bracket suitable for utilization in mounting the device of the invention on flat surfaces.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a preferred embodiment of the device of the invention is illustrated. Container which may be fabricated of any suitable material such as for example, plastic or metal, has a rolled top edge which is sloped. Rolled edge 15 is suitable for use in holding on a cover if this is desired. The high portion of rim 15 would normally be installed facing outwardly thus tending to cover the litter within the container from view. Fixed- 3,165,222 Patented Jan. 12, 1965 ICC ly attached to the bottom of container 10 is an elongated latching tongue 11. Tongue 11 is fixedly attached to bottom of the container by means of plastic lands 18 protruding from the bottom of the container which fit through holes formed in the tongue and which are made to retain the tongue by a heat sealing operation. Bracket portions 19 formed in the bottom of container 10 aid in holding the tongue in place.

Latching tongue 11 is fabricated of a resilient material such as, for example, stainless steel and has an end portion 21 which is separated from the bottom of the container to permit finger actuation thereof. Adjacent to end portion 21 is a step 22 which abuts against the bottom of the container. Adjacent to step 22 is formed a joggle 23.

Fixedly attached to the bottom of the container are wedge shaped legs 13 and 14, such legs being symmetrically positioned near opposite edges of the container on opposite sides of the tongue. A third leg 16 is fixedly attached to the bottom of the container near the end thereof, leg 16 having a concave edge portion 16a. If so desired, legs 13, 14, and 16 may be integrally formed with the bottom of the container.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a receiver bracket 25 suitable for mounting the container on a curved support 26 is shown. Receiver bracket 25 is attached to curved support 26 which may comprise the bump in the floor of an automobile over the transmission thereof, by means of machine screws 28. Receiver bracket 25 has a joggle 30 formed therein which mates with joggle 23, both joggles having substantially the same length and width.

Referring now to FIG. 3, a receiver bracket 31 suitable for mounting on a flat support surface 35 is illustrated. Receiver bracket 31 is mounted on support surface 35 by means of screws 28. The receiver bracket has a joggle portion 30 which has substantially the same width and length as joggle portion 23.

As can readily be seen, tongue 11 can be attached to an associated receiver bracket 25 or 31 by slipping end portion 21 and step portion 22 of latching tongue under joggle 30 of the bracket and bringing joggle 23 of the tongue into mating engagement with joggle 30. The container 10 can be removed from its support merely by depressing end portion 21 of tongue 11 and pulling the container away from the receiver bracket.

The device of the invention thus provides a simple yet highly effective means for mounting a disposal unit, firm support being provided therefore on either curved or flat surfaces.

While the device of the invention has been described and illustrated in detail it is to be clearly understood that this is intended by way of illustration and example only, and is not to be taken by Way of limitation, the spirit and scope of this invention being limited only by the terms of the following claim.

I claim:

In combination, a container and a mounting device for removably attaching said container to a support, said mounting device comprising,

a receiver bracket, the ends of said bracket being fixedly attached to said support, said bracket having a joggle formed therein,

an elongated latching tongue fabricated of a resilient material, one end portion of said tongue being fixedly attached to the bottom of said container, said tongue being positioned adjacent to the bottom of said container along the longitudinal axis thereof and extending over a substantial portion of the longitudinal dimension of said container bottom, the other end portion of said tongue being proximate to an edge of said container bottom and separated from at the ends thereof closest to said' third leg, whereby said legs provide firm support for said container on both flat and curved surfaces.

tween said step and said one end portion, said step abutting against said bottom, said joggle formed in 5 said tongue haying substantially the same length and Width as the width and length respectively of the References Cited by the=Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS joggle formed in said bracket whereby said joggles gi l; "'1 are capable of mating engagement Wllh each other, a 2/62, Barton et a1" a pair of wedge shaped legs fixedly attached to said 10 2 container, said legs being symmetrically positioned near opposite edges of said container on opposite sides of said tongue, and w a third leg fixedly attached to said container adjacent to the extremity of said one end portion of said tongue, a portion of the support end of said third leg being concave, said Wedge shaped legs having apices FOREIGN PATENTS 405,186 12/33 GreatBritain. 571,939 9/45 Great Britain.

15 THERON E. CONDON,Primary Examiner.

'EARLE I. DRUMMOND, Examiner.

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