Waste receptacle

Abstract

A bin liner system (10) comprises a bucket (12) and a holder (30) for a supply of liner material, the liner material to form a bag to line the bucket (12). The bucket (12) comprises an opening (17) into which the holder (30) is inserted. The holder (30) includes features that facilitate its temporary removal from the bucket (12), such as upward-facing handles, hooks for the holder (30) to hang externally from the edge of the bucket (12), anti-slip feet for the holder (30) to be placed on an adjacent surface, and clearance between hooks and / or feet for feeding liner material. The hooks may be part of the feet. These features individually and combined facilitate handling the holder when re-lining the bucket.

Description

[0001] Waste receptacle

[0002] Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention relates to a bin, specifically to a liner system of the type comprising a supply of bin liner material held on a retainer element or “holder”. More specifically, the present invention relates to a system designed to facilitate replacing bags, or bin liners, from a supply of liner material.

[0004] Background

[0005] Waste disposal bins using a liner system or bags have become popular because they can facilitate emptying a bin. For instance, the use of a liner reduces the need for cleaning a conventional waste bin bucket, facilitates transferring waste away from the bin in a closed bag, and may also facilitate identifying different types of waste material, e.g., by using differently coloured bags for different recycling paths.

[0006] The waste bin may be provided effectively by a bag formed from the liner material, held by a support structure (such as a bucket or wall-mounted support bracket) to keep the bag open and / or upright. In a simple form, the support structure may be of wired form or may be provided simply by an outer edge of a bin bucket. Another form of liner system uses a separate support structure such as a cartridge or “holder” for a supply of liner material.

[0007] Open support structures in the manner of a frame are not usually designed to conceal the bin bag they support. To conceal such a bin bag from view and / or to better protect a bin bag, the support structure may be part of a furniture unit such as a cabinet or cupboard comprising a shelf to support the bin bag holder and a door to access a space underneath the holder for removing and replacing bin bags.

[0008] To replace a full liner bag with an empty liner bag, space and access is required to allow a unit to be opened. Typically, the bag has to be replaced from underneath the support structure. This can be a relatively awkward procedure due to the weight and nature of the bin bag contents. The present invention seeks to provide an improved bin liner system.

[0009] Summary of the Invention

[0010] In accordance with a first aspect of the invention, there is disclosed a bin liner system as defined in claim 1 , the system comprising a bucket and a holder for a supply of liner material for lining the bucket, wherein the bucket comprises a base and an opening, wherein the holder takes the form of an insert locatable to be seated in the opening.

[0011] The bucket will be understood to provide a container, or housing, for the liner material to be placed in the manner of a bin bag into the bucket. The bucket, also commonly called a waste bin, pail, or can, is typically of a free-standing, self-supported design. Alternatively, a base of the bucket may be located in a support structure in which the bucket stands, in use. The bucket may be made from a suitable material such as metal, plastics material and the like. In one form, the bucket is moulded, specifically injection moulded. However, the material and manufacturing method of the bucket are not necessarily intended to form a limitation of the invention.

[0012] The base is understood to be the in-use underside of the bucket. It may be of open form. In some variants, the base is closed so as to provide a fluid-collecting tray. The opening is understood to be an upward facing, or generally upward facing opening of the bucket. In some designs, the opening may be angled or oriented sideways.

[0013] The holder is conveniently of a hoop design comprising a tray with a central aperture and an inner wall structure surrounding the central aperture, wherein the tray provides a support for a supply of liner material. A supply of liner material or bags can in this manner be held within the bucket, while the central aperture provides a passage for waste to be placed inside the bucket. Holders with an inner wall allow liner material to be fed from the tray over the inner wall structure and through the central aperture, to form a bag depending through the central aperture. An appreciation underlying the invention was that, by locating the holder in the opening of the bucket, the bin system avoids the need for a furniture unit to conceal the holder and liner material. This allows a more compact liner system to be provided, having a footprint comparable to a conventional waste bin bucket. To provide an illustration of scale, the supply of liner material may be provided in the form of a tube of several tens of metres, gathered to form a hoop to sit on the tray, surrounding the central aperture.

[0014] The inventors appreciated that a holder, when lifted from the bucket for servicing, usually still contains a supply of liner material. The liner material sits on the tray of the holder, while the filled liner bag has a weight usually helping to retain it in the bucket. In this manner, lifting the holder results in a length of liner material being pulled from the supply hoop, and through the holder, as the holder is lifted, because the fresh liner material is practically tethered to the filled bag.

[0015] The effect appreciated by the inventors was that this allows a liner bag to be filled more, before it requires replacing, than was previously the case with liner bags replaced from underneath, because the lifting of a holder in this manner provides effectively a mechanism for extending a length of an already-filled bin bag, so that the bag is easier to tie up, reducing the risk of spillages. Furthermore, being accessible from above, once the holder is removed, it is in practice relatively easy to cut the liner material to separate the top end of the filled bag from the lower end of the new liner material. This also allows an appropriate amount of liner material to be cut after extending the liner material. As will be understood, any liner material that was extended in excess (i.e. longer than required to tie the full bag) is available for use as fresh liner material. Therefore, the pulling of fresh liner material from the supply does not necessarily result in an increased waste of fresh liner material.

[0016] The liner material of the hoop supply can subsequently be closed by a knot, tie or other appropriate form, and be pulled into the bucket to provide a new empty liner. The relining procedure may be concluded when the holder is reinserted into the bucket, such that its central aperture maintains the bag open.

[0017] In some embodiments, the holder is locatable on a seating location of the bucket in an upper region of the bucket.

[0018] The seating location may be provided by a lip structure, or by a ledge structure, of either the holder, the bucket, or may be provided on both the holder and the bucket. In a simple form, the bucket comprises a stepped profile extending along wall portions of the bucket to provide a seating surface for a lip structure arrangement of the holder. In some embodiments, the opening is defined by an edge region silhouette of the bucket, and the holder is seated within the edge region silhouette.

[0019] The edge region may be considered a distal, or (in use) upper edge of the bucket. By seating the holder within the edge region silhouette, the holder is located such that it does not protrude beyond the bucket. For instance, for a bucket with an (in use) upper edge, the holder may be seated no higher, in use, than the upper edge. Likewise, embodiments of the invention provide for a bucket with angled top surface. In that case, it will be understood that the holder remains within the bucket silhouette defined by the angled top surface.

[0020] The holder may, in this manner, assist with maintaining a shaping of the bucket. This may allow thinner-walled material buckets to be used.

[0021] In some embodiments, the bucket is provided by a closed structure constituted by circumferentially extending walls.

[0022] It will be understood that a bucket body formed in this manner does not require a door or otherwise laterally opening access port. It is believed that the absence of a door in the bucket, or housing, of the bin system allows for the manufacture of a more stable, unitary bucket structure than would otherwise be the case.

[0023] In some embodiments, the system comprises a lid for covering at least a portion of the opening, wherein the lid and the holder are dimensioned such that the lid closes over or onto the holder seated in the opening.

[0024] The lid may be provided by a cover component to at least partially conceal the holder.

[0025] In some embodiments, the lid comprises a lid frame surrounding a lid opening, the lid opening configured to align with a central aperture of the holder.

[0026] As will be appreciated, the lid may be shaped such that it forms a frame surrounding the open bag, such that predominantly the inside of a bin bag is exposed. This reduces the risk of waste material contacting the fresh supply of liner material in the holder.

[0027] In some embodiments, the lid opening may be provided with a lid insert attached to the lid frame.

[0028] The insert may be another frame structure having a predefined geometry, to provide, for instance, a round hole or an elongate slot. The shaping of the hole may provide a visual indicator for the type of waste to be collected in the bin. For instance, a round opening may indicate bottles, tins or cups, whereas a slot may indicate paper, cardboard waste, or confidential waste.

[0029] The insert may have a colour that may be associated (e.g., by convention or by a separate label) with a particular type of waste.

[0030] While the geometry and colour of the insert may differ, the use of an insert-accepting frame allows the same lid design to be used in the manufacture of the bin liner system, while the lid insert provides a configuration option for different waste types.

[0031] In some embodiments, the bucket comprises affixed to it in a cutter region a cutter element for cutting liner material, wherein the lid comprises a cutter cover located in the cutter region, to cover the cutter element when the lid is closed, and to reveal the cutter element upon opening of the lid.

[0032] A cutter region will be understood to be a region of the bin liner system in which a cutter is located so as to be accessible for separating liner material from a supply. Conveniently, a cutter is located at or near an edge region of the bucket.

[0033] In some embodiments, the system comprises a lock for latching the lid to the bucket.

[0034] In some embodiments, the lock comprises a latch mechanism actuatable to assume a locked configuration in which opening of the lid is inhibited and to assume an unlocked configuration permitting opening of the lid, wherein the system comprises a shield structure to provide a barrier between the latch mechanism and the holder, the barrier inhibiting snagging of the latch mechanism with liner material during its actuation. In some embodiments, the holder comprises an arrangement of retainer elements, configured to allow the holder to be attached to an exterior of the bucket.

[0035] For instance, the retainer elements may be provided as an arrangement of hooks, or as a return lip arrangement suitable for hooking onto a corresponding carrier element of the bucket.

[0036] In some embodiments, the arrangement of retainer elements is shaped corresponding to an edge region of the opening, to allow the holder to hang from the opening.

[0037] For instance, the retainer elements may comprise hook structures to engage a rim of the edge region.

[0038] In some embodiments, the holder comprises an arrangement of feet via which it may be supported on a surface.

[0039] In some embodiments, one or more of the feet are constituted by one or more of the retainer elements.

[0040] Retainer structures in the form of hooks may be shaped as feet, or, likewise, feet structures may be provided with a hook protrusion.

[0041] In some embodiments, the retainer elements extend from a body surface of the holder portion, in a manner defining a shallow region between them, the shallow region providing clearance for passage for liner material between retainer elements.

[0042] In some embodiments, the holder comprises one or more handles exposed to the in- use upper end of the holder.

[0043] The handles facilitate removal of the holder from the bucket. It will be appreciated that the handles may be part of wall portions of the holder, provided e.g. by suitably sized holes or handle elements so as to provide a grip region for an operator. The handles may be located within the profile of the holder or may be dimensioned such that the handles remain within the silhouette of the bucket, and may be concealed by the lid where present, when the holder is seated inside the bucket.

[0044] In some embodiments, the system comprises a connector element for connecting two bucket bodies side-by-side, the connector element comprising two engagement surface portions each configured to abut an outer contour of the bucket at multiple contact locations thereof, to reduce freedom of rotation of the connector relative to the outer contour when connected to the bucket.

[0045] In another aspect of the invention, there is provided a connector element, for connecting two refuse bins or bucket bodies in a spaced-part relation, the connector elements comprising two engagement surface portions each configured to abut an outer contour of a bucket body at multiple contact locations thereof, to reduce freedom of rotation of the connector relative to the outer contour when connected to a bucket body.

[0046] The engagement surface portions may comprise protrusions providing point contacts, such as a two-point contact or three-point contact with a bucket. In this manner, bucket movement both towards and away from each other and / or rotation between two buckets, both opening (splaying) and closing rotation, may be inhibited.

[0047] In some embodiments, the system comprises at least two bucket bodies and a connector element connecting the at least two bucket bodies side-by-side.

[0048] Description of the Figures

[0049] Exemplary embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the Figures, in which:

[0050] Figure 1 is an isometric view of a bin liner system in a first configuration;

[0051] Figure 2 is an isometric view of a bin liner system in a second configuration;

[0052] Figure 3 is an isometric view of a bin liner system in a third configuration;

[0053] Figure 4 is an isometric view of a bin liner system in a fourth configuration;

[0054] Figure 5 is an isometric top view of a holder of a bin liner system;

[0055] Figure 6 is an isometric underneath view of the Figure 5 holder; Figure 7 is an underneath view of the Figure 5 holder;

[0056] Figure 8 is a side view of the Figure 5 holder;

[0057] Figure 9 is a section view of a bin liner system in an in-use configuration;

[0058] Figure 10 is an enlarged view of a portion of Figure 9;

[0059] Figure 11 is an isometric view of an embodiment in a service configuration;

[0060] Figure 12 is an isometric view of another embodiment in another service configuration;

[0061] Figure 13 is a top view corresponding to the configuration of Figure 11;

[0062] Figures 14A, 14B and 14C are schematic illustrations of a servicing procedure;

[0063] Figures 15A, 15B and 15C are schematic illustrations of another servicing procedure;

[0064] Figure 16 is an isometric underneath view of a bezel component;

[0065] Figure 17 is an isometric top view of a holder component;

[0066] Figure 18 is an isometric top view of part of a bucket component;

[0067] Figure 19 is an isometric view of a spacer component; and

[0068] Figure 20 is an underneath view of an arrangement of two connected bucket bodies.

[0069] Figures 1 to 4 illustrate a bin liner system 10 comprising a bucket 12 providing a support structure for a bin liner. The bucket 12 is of unitary form and may be injection moulded or blow moulded, or pre-assembled. Being of unitary form, the bucket 12 comprises a circumferentially extending wall and floor portion integral with the wall. In this manner, the bucket provides a retainer structure to contain leaks and the like. Being of unitary form, the bucket 12 comprises an opening defined by an edge region 17, the opening being (here) an in-use upward-facing opening. The circumferentially extending side wall is, here, provided by a generally quadrilateral layout conforming to a generally quadrilateral footprint. However, the invention is not necessarily limited to a particular bucket footprint. The bucket 12 may have another geometry such as a round footprint or others. The bucket 12 is of tapered configuration, widening upwardly, to facilitate bucket-in-bucket nesting for storage and transportation. The bucket 12 may comprise a cutter 13, constituting a cutter element, such as a blade structure. The cutter 13 may be integrally formed with a wall structure, and / or may be provided as a replaceable insert. The cutter 13 may be used for cutting liner bags and / or ties, reducing a need for tools such as scissors to be carried separately by a user. The cutter 13 is provided in a cutter region, i.e. here at the edge region 17, so as to be accessible during liner replacement. Near the edge region 17, the bucket 12 comprises an inner ledge 15 (see Figures 3 and 4) extending along the internal perimeter of the bucket 12. The inner ledge 15 may be provided with tab structures 151 in the form of upstands or tabs.

[0070] The bin liner system 10 further comprises a cover 20, constituting a lid, that provides a bezel to fit onto the top of the bucket 12. Herein, the cover 20 has an external contour corresponding to the inner periphery of the opening of the bucket 12, and comprises an aperture 26, constituting a lid opening, to provide access to the interior of the bucket 12. The cover 20 is, here, a component separable from the bucket 10 and may be attached at a hinged side to provide a hinged cover. The cover 20 may be shaped so as to assist with maintaining the shaping of the bucket 12, which allows the side walls of the bucket 12 to be made relatively thinner than might otherwise be the case. The cover 20 may be seated on the bucket with a clearance above the aforementioned inner ledge 15.

[0071] The aperture 26 may have different shapes than the rounded-corner rectangle shape illustrated in Figures 1 to 4. For instance, the aperture 26 may be round or of slot form, to visually indicate that the bin is intended, for instance, for bottles, cans, or paper waste. In some embodiments, the aperture 26 provides a frame for a further lid insert to be provided (lid insert not shown in the Figures), wherein the lid insert may comprise a coloured surface, and / or a smaller opening such as a slot or round opening. In some variants, the aperture 26 may be closed with a closed lid insert. However, the lid 20 is not necessarily provided with an opening, and may comprise a closed surface without aperture. The type of lid 20 may depend on the type of waste with which the bucket 12 is intended to be used. The lid 20 comprises a tab 21 positioned on the lid 20 and dimensioned to cover the cutter 13 when the lid 20 is closed on the bucket 12. The design of the lid 20 may be such that it sits, when closed, within the silhouette of the bucket 12, and, in that case, it will be appreciated that the tab 21 may be a portion that protrudes beyond the silhouette of the bucket 12 while a main body of the lid 20 remains within the silhouette of the bucket 12.

[0072] Furthermore, the bin liner system 10 comprises a holder 30. The holder 30 is a component to be inserted into the bucket 12 and will be described in more detail with reference to Figures 5 to 10. As illustrated in Figure 2, the holder 30 is to be seated on the inner ledge 15 such that it remains within the silhouette of the bucket 12, no higher than the edge region 17 of the bucket 12. The holder 30 comprises a compartment to hold a supply of liner material, and provides a support structure to hold open a bin bag formed from liner material, and to support upright the bin bag in the bucket 12.

[0073] Referring to Figures 5 to 8, the holder 30 comprises a body of generally unitary form comprising a tray surrounding an opening, constituting a central aperture. The tray of the holder 30 is provided by a base 34 of hoop form, here having a quadrilateral footprint, generally corresponding to the footprint of the bucket 12, the base 34 comprising an inner perimeter edge and an outer perimeter edge. Extending from the outer perimeter edge of the base 34, the holder comprises an upwardly extending outer wall 32. Extending from the inner perimeter edge of the base 34, the holder 30 comprises an inner wall 50 extending generally parallel to the outer wall 32, ending in a free (in use, upward-facing) inner edge 46. In this manner, the holder 30 provides a hoop-shaped holding volume 52, providing a hoop-shaped compartment defined between the inner wall 50 and the outer wall 32, the holding volume 52 being provided to hold a supply of liner material 2 (see Figures 9 and 10).

[0074] The expression “hoop shaped”, in relation to the footprint of the holder 30, is intended to cover circular shapes, oval and obround shapes, as well as non-circular shapes, such as polygonal shapes, and polygonal shapes with rounded corners, as illustrated herein. The inside of the inner wall 50 provides a free region 54 constituting a central aperture that provides a chute or passage between the in-use lower and upper sides of the holder 30. In use, the free region 54 provides a passage between the outside of the bucket 12 and the interior volume of the bucket 12. The outer wall 32 comprises, on one side, an inwardly extending recess 36. A surface of the inwardly extending recess 36 defines a shield structure described below with reference to Figures 16 to 18.

[0075] In use, the base 34 may be considered a lower end of the holder 30. The free edge of the outer wall 32 opposite the base 34 may be considered the upper end of the holder 32. The free edge is provided with an externally-oriented lip structure 38 extending along, and around, the perimeter of the outer wall 32. The lip structure 38 provides a retainer structure to be seated on the inner ledge 15 that provides a seating location (see Figures 1 to 2) in the opening of the bucket 12. As will be appreciated, the lip structure 38 may be continuous or may, alternatively, be provided by a plurality of discrete protrusions spaced apart along the perimeter of the outer wall 32. By providing the lip structure 38 near or at the upper end of the holder 30, the holder 30 can be located practically within the silhouette of the bucket 12, even if the inner ledge 15 is located relatively high in the bucket 12.

[0076] The lip structure 38 may be provided with hook structures 381 , here provided at the underside of the lip structure 38. The hook structure 381 may engage with corresponding tab structures 151 of the inner ledge 15, to hold the holder 30 in a desired location. In this manner, the engagement of the hook structure 381 and their corresponding tab structures 151 may help to maintain the side walls in a desired (close) distance by preventing splaying of the bucket walls under the load of the holder 30. The splaying-inhibiting function of the tab structures 151 and the hook structures 381 reduces the risk of the holder 30 dislodging and / or dropping into the bucket 12. In turn, it is believed that the use of the hook structures 381 provides a stabilising engagement that allows the bucket walls to be made from a relatively thinner material structure.

[0077] The outer wall 32 is provided with an arrangement of (here: two) handles 48 that allow the holder 30 to be removed by hand from a bucket. This facilitates handling of the holder 30. Being located on the outer wall 32, the handles 48 are accessible while the holder 30 supports a liner bag.

[0078] The underside of the base 34 is provided with a plurality of, here: four, feet 40. The feet 40 provide retainer elements and protrude from the base 34 to define between them an interstitial space 41 between the base 34 and a plane 45 (illustrated in Figure 8), wherein the plane 45 is understood to be constituted by a plane through the contact points of the feet 40 with a flat surface underneath. A portion of the base 34 is provided with a recessed region 35 that provides increased clearance between the underside of the base 34 and the plane 45.

[0079] Figures 9 and 10 illustrate a section of the bin liner system 10 with a supply 2 of liner material, in hoop form, located in the holding volume 52. Figure 10 illustrates an enlarged view of a portion of Figure 9 in which parts of the liner material are omitted to show more detail of the bin liner system. The reference numerals of Figures 9 and 10 correspond to the reference numerals of the preceding Figures, and so the description thereof is not repeated for all numerals.

[0080] To provide illustrative values, the supply 2 may be constituted by a tube of several tens of metres length, of heavy-duty liner material, gathered to hoop form, and may have a mass of a few kilograms. In order to form a bin bag from the supply 2, a suitable length 4 of liner material is pulled over the inner edge 46 of the holder 30 and through the free region 54 into the interior volume of the bucket 12. The length 4 of liner material is initially of tubular form with a free (lower) open end. The open end may be closed with a closure 6 in the form of a cable tie or, in a simple form, by tying a knot, to provide a bag 1. Several mechanisms will be known to form a suitably sealed closure and different mechanisms may be appropriate for different types of waste material. The bag 1 is thereby formed with an opening 3 underneath the aperture 26 of the cover 20.

[0081] To replace a bag 1 , it is practical if access can be provided to the liner supply 2 via the underside of the holder 30, to cut the bag 1, which may be filled with waste, from the length 4 of new liner material, to tie the open ends and to pull a further length 4 of liner material from the supply 2 into the bin. To avoid having to lift the holder 30 together with a full bag out of the bucket 12, the holder 30 is provided with retainer elements that allow it to be temporarily supported on a surface, for instance on another bucket 12 next to the serviced bucket, and / or to be suspended from the bucket 12. In this manner, the holder 30 can be lifted separately, without also having to lift the full bag.

[0082] Figure 10 illustrates a section through the feet 40, showing their free end 42 (here, provided with anti-slip elements, e.g., in the form of rubber grommets) and a hook 44. The hooks 44 are inwardly oriented underneath the footprint of the base 34 to reduce a risk of interference of a hook 44 with a bag 1. The hooks 44 are oriented such that they allow the holder 30 to be hung from the edge region 17 of the bucket 12, to thereby attach the holder 30 to an exterior of the bucket 12.

[0083] Figures 11 to 13 show a configuration using multiple buckets 12 to form an island using the bin liner system of the invention. Figures 11 and 13 show a two-bucket arrangement comprising a first bin 10a and a second bin 10b. Figure 12 shows a variant using more than two bins, here three bins 10a, 10b and 10c. A larger number of bins may be arranged in this manner. The different bins may be used for waste separation. The bins 10a, 10b, 10c may be connected using a connector element 60 (see Figures 13, 19 and 20) that comprises a contour comprising two engagement surface portions each corresponding to an outer contour of the bucket. In this manner, the engagement surface portions of the connector element 60 can be attached to two adjacent buckets, to hold the two adjacent buckets in a predetermined configuration relative to each other, by reducing their freedom of movement and / or rotation. In this manner, a predetermined angle or spacing can be arranging between adjacent buckets.

[0084] Using the hooks 44, the holder 30 can be temporarily suspended from the edge region 17 of an open bucket 12, as illustrated in Figures 11 and 13. In that case, the free ends 42 of the feet 40 (which may be the respective opposite feet that are not used to hook the holder 30 onto the edge region 17) may help to maintain the base 34 spaced from the walls of the bucket 12, providing a clearance constituted by the interstitial space 41 between the base 34 and the bucket 12 for liner material to be fed through into the bucket 12. Alternatively or in addition, the recessed region 35 in the underside of the base 34 provides increased clearance. The clearance provided by the interstitial space 41 facilitates the passage of an amount of liner material, which may be relatively thick heavy duty material, to be pulled over the inner edge 46 and through the free region 54 into the bucket 12, while the holder 30 is outside the bucket 12.

[0085] Figure 12 shows a configuration comprising three bins 10a, 10b, 10c, comprising a central bin 10b without suitably accessible side walls. The feet 40 comprise, in addition to the hooks 44, the above-mentioned free ends 42 (see Figure 10) that can be placed on a free surface 22 of the cover 20. As will be appreciated, a closed cover 20 of an adjacent bin, here bin 10c, can be used to temporarily rest the holder 30b of the centre bin 10b, to provide access to its interior. The free ends 42 and / or the cover 20 may be provided with anti-slip features or anti-slip surfaces for improved support. The interstitial space 41 between the underside of the base 34 and the free surface 22 facilitates pulling liner material from the holder 30b through its free region 54 into the bin 10b. In embodiments comprising a splaying-inhibiting configuration for the holder seat, such as the hook structure 381 engaged in corresponding tab structures 151, a correspondingly larger weight of the holder 30b can be tolerated to rest on the bin 10c. Figures 14A-C and 15A-C illustrate a benefit of the holder 30 when this is used in combination with a bucket 12. Figures 14A, 14B and 14C illustrate a cabinet 8 comprising a door 9, wherein the door 9 is shown in an open condition and is understood to be closable to conceal the interior. The cabinet 8 will be understood to comprise an open top (not shown) underneath which is supported a holder 30 from which a bag 1 hangs into the free volume of the cabinet 8. The bag 1 is formed from a length of liner material 4 closed with a closure 6. Figure 14A shows the bag 1 filled, leaving only a small unfilled volume 7, to illustrate that the bag 1 requires replacing. To replace the bag 1, the door 9 is opened to provide access to the interior of the cabinet 8. As illustrated in Figure 14B, using suitable tools such as scissors, the bag 1 is cut from the supply 2, leaving a suitable free volume 7 to allow the bag 1 to be tied while a remaining length 4 of liner material hangs from the supply 2. In Figure 14C, the bag 1 is tied and removed, and a new bag 1A is formed from the supply 2 by pulling more length 4 into the interior of the cabinet 8 and closing this using a closure 6A.

[0086] Figures 15A to 15C illustrate embodiments corresponding to Figures 11 and 13. A holder 30 is seated within the silhouette of a bucket 12. The bucket 12 is a structure with continuous sidewalls, i.e., without lateral doors. To provide access to the bag 1, the cover 20 is lifted or opened (cover 20 not illustrated in Figures 14A to 14C), and the holder 30 is pulled upward, out of the bucket 12. At this stage, the bag 1 contains waste that contributes to the weight of the bag 1. The waste helps to pull further liner material from the holder 30, through the free region 54. In this manner, the holder 30 can be removed without also having to lift the bag 1. Thereby, the length of the bag 1 can be practically extended to ensure it envelopes waste at a waste level that may have reached into the holder 30, i.e. into the free region 54 (see, e.g., Figure 5). Turning to Figure 15C, the bag 1 is cut from the supply 2, tied and removed, and a new bag 1B is formed from the supply 2 by pulling a length 4 from the holder 30 via the interstitial space 41 , and by closing the bag 1 using a closure 6A. The holder 30 is inserted into the bucket 12. Where provided, the cover 20 is closed over the holder 30.

[0087] The arrangement is beneficial because it allows a holder 30 to be seated inside the bucket 12. By allowing the length of liner material to be pulled through the holder 30 as the holder 30 is lifted from the bag 1, the bag 1 may be filled higher than would otherwise be the case for a system requiring underneath access. This is believed to facilitate the replacing of bin liners, by reducing the likelihood of spillages or waste falling out of the liner material. Particularly, in the case of a full bin bag, it can be seen that the procedure of Figures 15A to 15C allows further liner material to be added to extend the bin bag length during a servicing procedure.

[0088] As may be appreciated from the schematic illustration of Figure 15C, if too much liner material is pulled from the holder 30, then this does not result in waste, because excess liner material can be used to form a new bag 1 (or 1A, respectively).

[0089] Figures 16 to 18 show a configuration that may be used in addition to, or as alternative to, the bin liner system 10. Figure 16 shows a cover 20a that is a variant of the cover 20, comprising a locking mechanism 28 such as a bolt or latch 28. The locking mechanism 28 constitutes a lock that allows the cover 20a to be latched to the bucket. The locking mechanism 28 is located on the cover 20a in a region corresponding to the recess 36 of the holder 30, illustrated in Figure 17. The holder 30 of Figure 17 corresponds to the holder 30 described in Figures 5 to 8. Figure 18 shows a bucket 12a that is a variant of the bucket 12, comprising a hole 14 located so as to align with the locking mechanism 28, when the cover 20a is closed on the bucket 12a. The locking mechanism may be operated using a key (not shown) to restrict access to the bucket 12a to authorised users. For instance, the bucket 12a may be a design for confidential paper waste, shredding waste, or the like. The recess 36 comprises a wall portion 36a that provides a shield structure to separate the holding volume 52 from the locking mechanism 28. This reduces a risk of a component of the mechanical locking mechanism becoming entangled with the supply of liner material during its actuation. It will be appreciated that the cover 20 may be provided without an aperture, or with a narrow, e.g. slot-shaped aperture, that inhibits access to waste inside the bin.

[0090] Figure 19 shows an isometric view of a connector element 60. The connector element 60 is used to connect two buckets 12 in a predefined, spaced apart distance relative to each other. The connector element 60 comprises a main body 61 with two connector protrusions 62a, 62b positioned laterally on the main body 61, the spacing between the two connector protrusions 62a, 62b defining the distance between two buckets 12a, 12b. As will be appreciated, in this manner the distance between two buckets 12a, 12b can be predefined by appropriate design and shaping of the connector element 60. Each connector protrusion 62a, 62b is designed as a general T-profile comprising a stem and wider distal area to engage in a corresponding slot or re-entrant recess on the bucket 12a, 12b. In this manner, the connector protrusions 62a, 62b each provide a mechanical attachment mechanism engageable in a corresponding receiving structure on the buckets 12a, 12b. As will be appreciated, by providing a connection with re-entrant profile and a wider free end, in the manner of a dovetail joint or T joint, the connector element 60 limits movement of two connected bins both towards and away from each other.

[0091] The connector element 60 comprises two pairs of abutment surfaces, a first pair including a first abutment surface 64a and a second abutment surface 66a, and a second pair including a third abutment surface 64b and a fourth abutment surface 66b. The abutment surfaces 64a, 66a and 64b, 66b are formed in the manner of protrusions extending outward from the body 61 , laterally on both sides of each connector protrusion 62a, 62b, thereby providing a pincer structure, the pincer structure limiting rotation of a bucket relative to each connector protrusion 62a, 62b. By providing the abutment surfaces as pairs, located laterally of the connector protrusions 62a, 62b, the connector element limits rotation of the two buckets towards and away from each other. The body 61 of the connector element 60 comprises two outer abutment surface 68a, 68b that are intended to be rear-facing, in use.

[0092] In this manner, the connector element 60 limits both translational movement in two directions, and rotational movement in two directions. The connector element 60 may be connected to a hinge subassembly or other suitable structure of the buckets. In an embodiment, the connector element 60 is shaped to fit underneath the top portion and at the rear side to which the cover 20 is attached, to at least partially conceal it from view.

[0093] Figure 20 shows an underside view of an arrangement of two buckets 12a, 12b connected by a connector element 60. The connection is formed by the connector protrusions 62a, 62b engaging in corresponding recesses. The abutment surfaces 64a, 66a limit rotation inward and outward by abutment against corresponding structures of the buckets (here, bucket 12a). The connector element 60 may be formed as a generally flat body, wherein the abutment surfaces 64a, 66a and 64b, 66b may comprise tapered abutment surfaces to provide a tightening engagement with the corresponding outer surfaces of the buckets 12a, 12b. By using tapering abutment surfaces, a good seating can be achieved with reasonable tolerances observed in practice. While the connector protrusions 62a, 62b may be designed in different ways, it is believed to be practical to form the connector protrusions 62a, 62b of the connector element 60 weaker than the corresponding engaging portions of the bucket 12, such that in the event of a breakage, the relatively lower cost connector element 60 is expected to break sacrificially, rather than the relatively more expensive bucket body.

[0094] With the connector element 60 attached to two buckets 12a, 12b, the outer abutment surfaces 68a, 68b define a contact line 70 with a structure, such as a wall behind the buckets 12a, 12b. In this manner, the connector element 60 may be designed to provide a minimum distance from a wall behind the bins, preventing that the bins are pushed too closely to a wall. The outer abutment surfaces 68a, 68b may, in this manner, also ensure that sufficient clearance remains behind a bucket for the cover 20 to be opened at a backward angle, to prevent it from closing inadvertently.

[0095] As will be appreciated, in embodiments the connector element 60 may be designed for use with two conventional buckets, e.g. buckets without holder or continuous liner system.

[0096] Whilst the principle of the invention has been illustrated using exemplary embodiments, it will be understood that the invention is not so limited, and that the invention may be embodied by other variants defined within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A bin liner system comprising a bucket and a holder for a supply of liner material for lining the bucket, wherein the bucket comprises a base and an opening, wherein the holder takes the form of an insert locatable to be seated in the opening.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the holder is locatable on a seating location of the bucket in an upper region of the bucket.

3. The system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the opening is defined by an edge region of the bucket, and wherein the holder is seated no higher than the edge region.

4. The system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the bucket is provided by a closed structure constituted by circumferentially extending walls.

5. The system according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a lid for covering at least a portion of the opening, wherein the lid and the holder are dimensioned such that the lid closes over or onto the holder seated in the opening.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the lid comprises a lid frame surrounding a lid opening, the lid opening configured to align with a central aperture of the holder.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the lid opening may be provided with a lid insert attached to the lid frame.

8. The system according any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the bucket comprises affixed to it in a cutter region a cutter element for cutting liner material, wherein the lid comprises a cutter cover located in the cutter region, to cover the cutter element when the lid is closed, and to reveal the cutter element upon opening of the lid.

9. The system according to any one of claims 5 to 8, comprising a lock for latching the lid to the bucket.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the lock comprises a latch mechanism actuatable to assume a locked configuration in which opening of the lid is inhibited and to assume an unlocked configuration permitting opening of the lid, wherein the system comprises a shield structure to provide a barrier between the latch mechanism and the holder, the barrier inhibiting snagging of the latch mechanism with liner material during its actuation.

11. The system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the holder comprises an arrangement of retainer elements, configured to allow the holder to be attached to an exterior of the bucket.

12. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the arrangement of retainer elements is shaped corresponding to an edge region of the opening, to allow the holder to hang from the opening.

13. The system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the holder comprises an arrangement of feet via which it may be supported on a surface.

14. The system according to claim 13, when depending from claim 11 or 12, wherein one or more of the feet are constituted by one or more of the retainer elements.

15. The system according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein the retainer elements extend from a body surface of the holder portion, in a manner defining a shallow region between them, the shallow region providing clearance for passage for liner material between retainer elements.

16. The system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the holder comprises one or more handles exposed to the in-use upper end of the holder.

17. The system according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a connector element for connecting two bucket bodies side-by-side, the connector element comprising two engagement surface portions each configured to abut an outer contour of the bucket at multiple contact locations thereof, to reduce freedom of rotation of the connector relative to the outer contour when connected to the bucket.

18. The system according to claim 17, comprising at least two bucket bodies and a connector element connecting the at least two bucket bodies side-by-side.

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