Bucket spacer and kit for a temporary portable washing station

Abstract

A bucket spacer for supporting a first bucket on top of a second bucket for setting up a temporary washing station. The bucket spacer incudes an elongate body having first and second opposite ends, an exterior hook disposed at the first end and an interior ledge disposed at the second end of the elongate body. The exterior hook is mountable over a rim of the second bucket and rests against an exterior surface of the second bucket. The interior ledge and the elongate body extend into a cavity of the second bucket such that a bottom surface of the first bucket is supportable on the interior ledge of the bucket spacer. The bucket spacers provide a gap between the sidewalls of the first and second buckets, the gap having a width sufficient for inserting a hose of a pump that is mounted to a rim of the first bucket.

Description

BUCKET SPACER AND KIT FOR A TEMPORARY PORTABLE WASHING STATION CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0000] This application claims priority from United States Provisional Patent Application No.63 / 754,628, filed on February 6, 2025, entitled Bucket Spacer and Kit for a Temporary Portable Washing Station, entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a bucket spacer for supporting a first bucket on top of a second bucket; in particular, the present disclosure relates to such bucket spacers for setting up a temporary washing station, and a kit comprising a plurality of the bucket spacers.BACKGROUND

[0002] There is often a need to set up a temporary washing station. For example, when camping, it is often required to set up a temporary washing station for soaking or washing items such as clothes, hands, dishes, etc. Typically, a camper may bring a bucket or dish pan to be filled with water for this purpose. However, the water in the bucket or dish pan gets contaminated during the washing activity, and it may be required to dispose of the water and re-fill the bucket with fresh water, which is often inconvenient and may result in wasting water. Other situations requiring a temporary washing station may include any social gathering where people may need to wash their hands, and there is no sink or bathroom readily accessible at the site where the social gathering is taking place. Additionally, in health care or home care situations, where a patient may be bedridden, or else the patient may otherwise require easy access to a commode or a portable toilet next to their bed, it is difficult to provide a sink or another appropriate means for the patient to properly wash their hands in close proximity to the bed. Thus, there is a need for a temporary washing station which is portable and easy to set up.

[0003] US Patent Publication No. 2004 / 0031284 filed by BrettD. Thompson on August 13, 2002, discloses a device for thawing frozen food. A first container impervious to water has a quickrelease connection for connection to a pump. A second container for holding frozen food is inserted in the first container. The second container will have bores so that water will freely circulate from the first container to the second container. The first container has a water outlet, and water is taken from the water outlet via the pump and pumped into the second container, where the food is located, through a food reservoir pipe and a water return pipe. The food reservoir pipe is designed to extend over and around the food reservoir bucket (the second container) to return pumped water to the food reservoir bucket.

[0004] US Patent Publication No. 2008 / 0149219 filed by Gitelis et al. on October 28, 2007 discloses a dispenser of a cleaning substance comprising: a container for storing the cleaning substance separate from the contents of a bucket; a conveying mechanism for conveying the cleaning substance from the container into the bucket; and an attaching mechanism for attaching the conveying mechanism and / or the cleaning substance container to the bucket. In one embodiment, the dispenser may be placed inside the bucket and secured to the edge of the bucket by a clip. The dispenser may further comprise a pump assembly. In one embodiment, the bottom of the container has a small slope, enabling the fluid therein to concentrate in a depression accessible by a tube of the pump assembly. One embodiment further discloses a depression and a salient that enable interlacing of a plurality of buckets such that a space remains between each pair of adjacent buckets. The space may be used for storing some parts of the bucket, such as a part of the pump.

[0005] US Patent No. 12,054,309 patented by Katz et al. on August 6, 2024 discloses a set of flexible spacers which releasably engage the rim or the apron of a common five-gallon bucket, thereby securing two or more stacked buckets together so they may be easily transported using the handle on the top bucket. The spacers also maintain an air gap between the sidewalls of the buckets when in a nested, stacked configuration, allowing the buckets to be separated by disengaging the clips on the spacers. Each bucket spacer includes a biasing arm extending downward from an apron formed on the buckets.

[0006] In addition, US Patent Publication No. 2008 / 0105584 filed by Cecil on November 2, 2007, discloses a set of spacers that are placed around the rim of a bottom bucket in order to create an air gap between the sidewalls of the bottom and top buckets when the buckets are stacked in a storage configuration. The spacer is preferably configured with a hill to provide clearance for the spacer to fit over the peripheral rim of the bucket, to minimize the manual force required to install and remove the device from the bucket.

[0007] It may be desirable to provide a kit in which a user may utilize standard buckets to set up a temporary washing station.SUMMARY

[0008] The present disclosure includes a plurality of bucket spacers for positioning one bucket on top of another bucket, such that the buckets may be used to set up a temporary washing station, with the bottom bucket serving as a water reservoir and the top bucket serving as a catch basin for grey water. A kit may include a set of bucket spacers, a bracket, a hose and a pump. Each bucket spacer may be mounted onto the rim of the bottom bucket via a hook and may further include a ledge that extends away from the hook and into the cavity of the bottom bucket, so as to support a bottom surface of the top bucket when the top bucket is placed into the bottom bucket. Each spacer may also be configured to create a gap between the side walls of the bottom and the top bucket, with the gap being large enough to receive a hose for a pump. The pump may be mounted to the rim of the top bucket, and the hose may be inserted into the gap created between the side walls of the two buckets by the plurality of spacers, so that the pump is configured to pump clean water from the water reservoir of the bottom bucket into the top bucket via the hose. Furthermore, the kit may include a bracket that is mountable onto the rim of the top bucket for attaching a soap holder, soap dispenser, or other device to the top bucket, providing additional features for the temporary washing station. Conveniently, when it is time to dismantle the temporary washing station, the top bucket is simply removed from the bottom bucket and each of the pump, the plurality of spacers and the accessories are dismounted from the two buckets. The water contained in the bottom and top buckets is disposed, after which the buckets may be conveniently stacked together in a compact configuration for transportation and storage. The kit may be stored insidethe two stacked buckets, and there may be additional storage room in the two stacked buckets for other items, such as camping equipment, towels, soap, and the like.

[0009] A bucket spacer for supporting a first bucket on top of a second bucket is provided herein. The bucket spacer has first and second opposite ends and an elongate body extending therebetween. An exterior hook may be located at the first end of the body and be configured to securely mount over the rim of a bucket. When the hook is mounted to a bucket rim, the hook may rest against an exterior surface of the bucket. An interior ledge may be located at the second, opposite end of the elongate body, wherein the interior ledge extends into a cavity of the bucket when the spacer is mounted onto the bucket. A bottom surface of the first bucket may sit on, and be stably supported by, the interior ledges of the plurality of spacers. A length of the elongate body may be selected to provide the ledges of the plurality of spacers at a preferred depth within the cavity of the second bucket, such that the bottom surface of the first bucket, resting on the ledges, is raised up so as to be proximate to the rim of the second bucket, when the first bucket is inserted into the second bucket. Preferably, the length of the elongate body may be selected so that an overall height of the assembled, temporary washing station is at a comfortable height for use as a handwashing station. As well, by raising the bottom surface of the first bucket to be proximate to the rim of the second bucket, when the buckets are in a stacked configuration, this provides for an increased volume in the second bucket for holding water and thereby serving as a water reservoir for the washing station.

[0010] Each spacer is configured to create a gap between the sidewalls of the first and second buckets, when the buckets are in a stacked configuration. Preferably, the gap is sized to receive a hose of the pump, so that the pump is configured to pump the water held in the second bucket. In some embodiments, the bucket spacer may include a leg member extending from the elongate body or the interior ledge. The leg member may extend at an angle less than or equal to 90 degrees relative to the elongate body or the interior ledge and towards an interior surface of the second bucket, so as to create the gap between the sidewalls of the first and second buckets when the bottom of the first bucket is supported on the ledges of the bucket spacers.

[0011] In some embodiments, the spacer may include a first surface facing the cavity of the second bucket and a second surface facing the interior surface of the second bucket, such that the width of the body therebetween creates a gap between the first bucket and the second bucket to allow a hose to pass through when the first bucket sits on the ledge of the spacer.

[0012] A kit for securely supporting a first bucket on top of a second bucket for a washing station is provided herein. The kit includes a set of the spacers, as described above, disposed around an outer rim of the second bucket. The kit may also include a bracket for attaching accessories to the outer rim of the buckets, typically for attaching accessories to the top bucket in the kit. To attach the bracket to the buckets, the bracket may include a slot such that the top outer rim of the top bucket engages with the slot. Accessories that may be attached to the bracket may further include a pump, a soap holder, a soap dispenser or the like, such that the pump pumps water from the second bucket to the first bucket to wash items in a cavity of the first bucket.

[0013] In one aspect, a bucket spacer for supporting a first bucket on top of a second bucket is provided. The bucket spacer comprises an elongate body having first and second opposite ends, an exterior hook disposed at the first end of the elongate body and an interior ledge disposed at the second end of the elongate body. The exterior hook is mountable over a rim of the second bucket and rests against an exterior surface of the second bucket. The interior ledge and the elongate body extends into a cavity of the second bucket such that a bottom surface of the first bucket is supportable on the interior ledge of the bucket spacer.

[0014] In some embodiments, the elongate body of the bucket spacer further comprises a first surface facing the cavity of the second bucket and a second surface facing the interior surface of a side wall of the second bucket, such that a width of the elongate body between the first and second surfaces of the elongate body creates a gap between a side wall of the first bucket and the side wall of the second bucket to allow a hose to pass through the gap when the first bucket is supported on the interior ledge of the bucket spacer.

[0015] In some embodiments, the bucket spacer further comprises a leg member extending from the elongate body or the interior ledge of the bucket spacer, wherein a free end of the legmember extends towards, so as to contact, the interior surface of the side wall of the second bucket. In some embodiments, the leg member extends at an angle less than or equal to 90 degrees relative to the body. In some embodiments, the leg member extends from the interior ledge.

[0016] In another aspect, a kit for securely supporting a first bucket on top of a second bucket for a washing station comprises a plurality of the bucket spacers disclosed herein; and a pump comprising a pump mounting means for mounting the pump to a rim of the second bucket and a hose operatively connected to the pump. In some embodiments, the plurality of spacers includes at least two spacers. In some embodiments, the kit further comprises an accessory, the accessory configured to be mounted onto a rim of the first bucket. In some embodiments, the accessory comprises a bracket, the bracket including a mounting means for mounting the bracket to the rim of the first bucket and wherein the accessory is releasably mountable to the bracket. In some embodiments, the accessory is a holder. In some embodiments, the pump mounting means is selected from a group comprising: a slot, a clamp, a hook, a clip. In some embodiments, the mounting means of the bracket is selected from a group comprising: a slot, a clamp, a hook, a clip.

[0017] In another aspect, a method of setting up a portable washing station at a site using a first bucket, a second bucket, and the kit described above is provided. Each bucket has at least a sidewall with an interior surface and an exterior surface, a cavity, a bottom surface, a top opening, and a rim. The cavity of each bucket is defined at least in part by its sidewall. The method comprises placing the second bucket on the ground at the site. The method also comprises positioning the bucket spacers of the kit around the rim of the second bucket in a spaced apart relationship such that the interior ledges of the bucket spacers are located within the cavity of the second bucket. The first bucket is then positioned on top of the second bucket so that the bottom surface of the first bucket is supported on the interior ledges of the bucket spacers. This is followed by mounting the pump of the kit to the rim of the first bucket using the pump mounting means, and operatively connecting the first end of the hose of the kit to the pump and directing the second end of the hose into the cavity of the second bucket.

[0018] In another aspect, a bucket assembly is provided. The bucket assembly comprises a first bucket and a second bucket. Each bucket has at least a sidewall with an interior surface andan exterior surface, a cavity, a bottom surface, a top opening, and a rim. The cavity of each bucket is defined at least in part by its sidewall. The bucket assembly also comprises at least one bucket spacer as described above, positioned between the first bucket and the second bucket such that the bottom surface of the first bucket is supported on the interior ledge of the at least one bucket spacer located within the cavity of the second bucket.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0019] While the bucket spacer and kit is claimed in the concluding portions hereof, example embodiments are provided in the accompanying detailed description which may be best understood in conjunction with the accompanying drawings where like parts in each of the several drawings are labeled with like numbers, and where:

[0020] FIG. 1 is a side perspective view of a first embodiment of a bucket spacer;

[0021] FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of a plurality of the bucket spacers of FIG. 1 mounted on the rim of a bucket;

[0022] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of two buckets in a stacked configuration with a plurality of the bucket spacers shown in FIG. 1 ;

[0023] FIG. 4 is a side view of a second embodiment of a bucket spacer;

[0024] FIG. 5 is a top perspective view of the bucket spacer shown in FIG. 4;

[0025] FIG. 6 is a kit incorporating at least a plurality of the bucket spacers shown in FIG.1, a pump, a pump bracket, an accessory, and an accessory bracket;

[0026] FIGS. 7 and 8 are top perspective views of the kit of FIG. 6 mounted to two buckets in a stacked configuration;

[0027] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the pump bracket shown in FIG. 6;

[0028] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the accessory shown in FIG. 6; and

[0029] FIGS. 11 A and 1 IB are perspective and side views, respectively, showing the pump bracket and the accessory shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 mounted to two buckets in a stacked configuration.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] With reference to FIGS. 1-3, a bucket spacer 100 for supporting a first bucket 200 on top of a second bucket 300 is illustrated herein. Bucket spacer 100 may include an elongate body 110 having first and second ends, with an exterior hook 120 located at the first end, and an interior ledge 130 located at the second end. With reference to FIG. 1, elongate body 110 is a portion of the bucket spacer that connects exterior hook 120 of bucket spacer 100 to the interior ledge 130 of bucket spacer 100 . The elongate body 110 may, in some embodiments, substantially conform to the surface of the sidewall of the bucket that the bucket spacer is mounted to. By conforming to the shape of the bucket sidewall, the elongate body 110 may provide additional stability to the exterior hook and to the interior ledge of the bucket spacer when mounted to the rim of a bucket.

[0031] In use, the exterior hook 120 is mounted onto a rim of the bottom, second bucket 300, and the interior ledge 130 is located inside the cavity of the bottom bucket 300. The exterior hook 120 may be configured in different ways, so long as it is stably mountable to the rim 310 of the second bucket 300 and is designed to stably support the weight of the first, top bucket 200 and the contents of bucket 200, such as grey water and any accessories that may be attached to the bucket 200, when the bucket 200 rests on the ledge 130 of the bucket spacer 100. Preferably, the bucket spacer 100 may be made of a rigid or a resilient material such as metal or a rigid plastic, or any other material that is suitable for the application, as would be known to a person skilled in the art.

[0032] Referring to FIG. 1, interior ledge 130 is a portion of bucket spacer 100 that is located on the opposing end of bucket spacer 100, such that interior ledge 130 extends into the cavity of the bucket 300 that the bucket spacer 100 is mounted onto. The interior ledge 130 is approximately perpendicular to the side wall 320 of the bottom bucket 300. Particularly, the extension of the interior ledges 130 of a plurality of bucket spacers 100, together provide a support surface within the bottom bucket 300 for supporting the bottom surface of a top, first bucket 200 when a bottom surface 230 of the top bucket rests or sits on each interior ledge 130. Bucket spacers 100 may be radially spaced apart around the rim 310 of bottom bucket 300, as shown in FIG. 2.

[0033] With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, when the bucket spacer is mounted onto a bucket 300, the exterior hook 120 of each spacer 100 may be located at a first end of elongate body 110 and interior ledge 130 may be located at the second, opposing end of elongate body 110 such that the exterior hook 120 rests against an exterior surface of the bucket 300 and the interior ledge 130 extends into the cavity of the bucket 300. Interior ledge 130, disposed on an opposite end of the elongate body 110, may be approximately perpendicular to the elongate body 110 and approximately perpendicular to the interior surface of the bucket side wall 320, as shown in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3 and 6. However, this is not intended to be limiting, and some embodiments (not shown) may include ledges 130 that are at an angle of less than 90 degrees relative to the interior surface 140 of the elongate body 110. As stated above, to provide additional stability to the exterior hook and to the interior ledge of the bucket spacer, an exterior surface 150 of the elongate body 110 may also conform to the shape of the bucket sidewall 320. The interior ledge 130 is configured to support the weight of a top bucket 200 and the weight of the contents of the top bucket 200, as the bottom surface of the top bucket 200 rests upon the ledges 130 of two or more bucket spacers 100. Advantageously, the design of the bucket spacer having a ledge 130 allows for the elevation of the top bucket 200 relative to the ground, because the ledges 130 stop the bottom surface of the top bucket 200 from sliding deeper into the bottom bucket 300, when the top bucket is inserted into the bottom bucket. Furthermore, the inclusion of the ledge 130 on the spacers 100 allows for the spacers 100 to be used on any size or configuration of a bucket; although five-gallon buckets are typically shown in the illustrations herein, it will be appreciated that other sizes of buckets may be used with a plurality of spacers to form the temporary sink, as described herein.

[0034] In some embodiments of the bucket spacer, such as illustrated in FIGS. 4 to 5, bucket spacer 100 may include leg member 410 to provide additional support to the top bucket 200 and to provide a sufficiently wide gap G between the side walls 220, 320 of the top and bottom buckets when the top bucket 200 is placed onto the interior ledge 130 of the bucket spacers 100. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, leg member 410 may extend from the ledge 130 and towards the side wall 320 of the bottom bucket 300, such that a free end 415 of the leg 410 rests against the side wall 320. Such a configuration of the spacer 100 provides for stable mounting of thespacer 100 onto the rim of the lower bucket 300, as well as creating a sufficiently wide gap G between the side walls 220, 320 of the buckets 200, 300 when the buckets are in a stacked configuration. The width of the gap G between the side walls 320, 220 of the buckets 300, 200 should be large enough to readily receive a hose 630 of a pump 620 (see FIG. 6).

[0035] Additionally, as may be noted when comparing the embodiment of FIGS. 1 -3 and the embodiment of FIGS. 4 - 5, the bucket spacer embodiment of FIGS. 4 - 5 is manufactured using less material to form the elongate body 110 as compared to the first embodiment of FIGS. 1 - 3, and is therefore less expensive to manufacture while providing comparable support and stability to the bucket 200. It will be appreciated that a spacer 100 manufactured in a manner to reduce the amount of material required, may have different configurations of the leg member 410. For example, rather than extending from the distal end of the ledge 130, distal from the elongate body 110 of the bucket spacer, the leg member 410 may extend from any portion of a bottom surface of the ledge 130. In other embodiments, the leg member 410 may extend from any portion of the elongate body 110 and towards the side wall 320 of the bottom bucket 300, at any angle relative to the elongate body 110. Any such variation on the leg member 410 (not shown) are intended to be included in the scope of the present disclosure. As mentioned elsewhere herein, the width of the gap G between the side walls 320, 220 of the buckets 300, 200 should be large enough to readily receive a hose 630 of a pump 620.

[0036] With reference to FIG. 6, a plurality of bucket spacers 100 may be included in a kit 600 for setting up a temporary washing station. The kit 600 may include at least three bucket spacers 100, a pump 620, a pump bracket 610 and a hose 630. The pump 620 may be mounted onto an upper end of the pump bracket 610, and a lower end of the pump bracket 610 may include a mounting feature. In one embodiment and as shown in FIG. 6, the pump bracket includes two slots 615 positioned on opposite sides of the pump bracket, the slots 615 sized for slidably mounting the pump bracket 610 onto a rim of the top bucket 200. FIG. 9 shows another embodiment of the pump bracket. In this embodiment, the pump bracket 610’ includes two vertical slots 615’ positioned on opposite sides of the pump bracket, where one or both of the slots 615’ include a widened portion at one end for forming a notch 615’a. The notch accommodates elements on the rim, such as a flange or an apron, to facilitate secure mounting of the pump bracket onto therim. The hose 630 may be operatively attached to the pump 620. Optionally, the kit may also include one or more accessories. As an example, not intended to be limiting, accessories may include a holder 640. In one embodiment, the holder 640 mounts onto a holder bracket 650 at an upper end of the bracket 650, and the bracket 650 includes a mounting means 655, such as a slot, which is configured for stably mounting the bracket 650 to the rim of the top bucket 200. In other embodiments, the holder may be anchored to the rim of the top bucket via one or more hooks. The holder 640 may be configured to hold any number of items, including but not limited to soap, a soap dispenser, cleaning tools, cloths, scrubbers, towels and the like, and may also be used to hold jewelry or other items that a person wishes to remove when using the washing station. FIG. 7 shows an embodiment of the holder, where the holder 640 is anchored over the rim of the top bucket via a single hook. An alternative embodiment of the holder is illustrated in FIG. 10, where a holder 640’ is anchored over the rim of the top bucket via two spaced apart hooks. In the embodiment of FIG. 10, rim engaging edges of the holder 640’ are also curved to conform to the rim of the bucket 200. FIGS. 11 A and 1 IB illustrate the pump bracket 610’ and the holder 640’ in a use position, anchored to the rim of the top bucket 200. It will be appreciated that the holders 640, 640’ shown in the figures are merely examples, and that other forms of holders, for holding different types of items, are intended to be included in the scope of the present disclosure. Additionally, it will be appreciated that the pump bracket 610 does not need to be separate from the pump 620; in some embodiments, the pump 620 may be configured with a mounting means 615 on the body of the pump, for mounting the pump to the rim of a bucket. Likewise, rather than providing a holder bracket 650 separate from a holder 640, some embodiments of the holder 640 may include an integrated mounting means 655 for mounting the holder 640 onto the rim of a bucket. As well, it will be appreciated that the configuration of the mounting means as a slot 615, 615’, 655 is not intended to be limiting, and that any other structure that is suitable for stably mounting a pump 620 or a holder 640 to the rim of a bucket may be utilized as the mounting means 615, 615’, 655. Other examples of mounting means, not intended to be limiting, include hooks, clamps or clips.

[0037] In use, the plurality of bucket spacers 100 may be used to support a first bucket 200, so that the bottom surface of the first bucket 200 is partially inserted into the cavity of the second bucket 300 on the bottom of the bucket stack, when the buckets are in a stackedconfiguration. The plurality of bucket spacers 100 are firstly mounted, in a spaced-apart array around the rim 310 of the bottom bucket 300, which provides a plurality of interior ledges 130 within the cavity of the bottom bucket 300, as best shown in FIG. 2. Then, the top bucket 200 is placed onto, and supported by, the plurality of ledges 130, as best shown in FIG. 3. Advantageously, the length of the elongate body 110 of the spacers 100 may be selected to provide for supporting the bottom surface 230 of the top bucket 200 within the bottom bucket 300 and at a relatively short distance from the rim 310. By doing so, an overall height H of the stacked bucket configuration positions the rim of the top bucket 200 at a convenient height for the top bucket 200 to be used as a washing station, reducing the need for a person to crouch, stoop down or bend over when using the washing station. For example, not intended to be limiting, for the stacked sink configuration shown in FIG. 8 the overall height H of the stacked buckets 200, 300 and the pump 620 may be approximately 35 inches when the buckets 200, 300 are standard five-gallon buckets typically sold in a hardware store. Whereas, for comparison, a standard bathroom faucet is located approximately 36 inches from the ground.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 8, the hose 630 is operatively connected to the pump 620, and an opposite free end of the hose 630 is inserted into the gap G between the two buckets 200, 300. The width of the gap G is configured to be sufficiently large to receive the diameter of the hose 630, preferably without squeezing or kinking the hose. The bottom bucket 300 is filled with clean water, and acts as a water reservoir for the pump 620, accessed via the hose 630 which runs from the water reservoir to the pump 620. As best viewed in FIG. 7, optional accessories may be mounted to the rim of the top bucket 200, such as a holder 640. When the washing station is in use, the user operates the pump 620 to pour a stream of clean water over one’s hands, or alternatively onto items that are to be washed, such as dishes or clothing items. The grey water, having been used to clean hands or an item, is captured within the cavity of the top bucket 200, thus keeping the used, grey water apart from the clean water contained in the reservoir of the bottom bucket 300. Conveniently, if required to wash dishes or other items with the temporary washing station, the dishes or other items to be washed may be placed in the top bucket 200 during the washing process, thereby using the bucket 200 as a sink or wash basin. When the washing is complete and the temporary washing station is no longer required, the washing station is easily and readily dismantled by simply removing the accessories 640 and the pump 620 from the topbucket 200, and then removing the top bucket 200 from the plurality of ledges 130 of the bucket spacers 100. The water contained in the buckets 200, 300 may be poured out and the bucket spacers 100 may be dismounted from the rim 310 of the bottom bucket 300. Thereafter, optionally the entire kit 600 may be placed in a storage bag, and optionally, the kit 600 may be stored within one of the buckets 200, 300 for future use. Furthermore, the buckets 200, 300 may be stored together in a compact configuration, as the height of two buckets 200, 300 is only slightly greater than the height of a single bucket 200, when the two buckets are stacked together in a storage configuration without using the bucket spacers 100. Conveniently, the cavity of the stacked buckets 200, 300, in a storage configuration, is available for storing other items, which allows for compact and convenient transport of the temporary washing station from one location to another.

[0039] The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the presently disclosed bucket spacer and kit for configuring a temporary washing station. Further, since numerous changes and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the present disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all such suitable changes or modifications in structure or operation which may be resorted to are intended to fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A bucket spacer for supporting a first bucket on top of a second bucket, each bucket having at least a sidewall with an interior surface and an exterior surface, a cavity, a bottom surface, a top opening, and a rim, the cavity being defined at least in part by the sidewall, the bucket spacer comprising:an elongate body having first and second opposite ends, an exterior hook disposed at the first end of the elongate body and an interior ledge disposed at the second end of the elongate body,wherein the exterior hook is mountable over the rim of the second bucket and rests against the exterior surface of the second bucket; andwherein the interior ledge and the elongate body extend into the cavity of the second bucket such that the bottom surface of the first bucket is supportable on the interior ledge of the bucket spacer.

2. A bucket spacer of claim 1 , wherein the elongate body further comprises a first surface facing the cavity of the second bucket and a second surface facing the interior surface of a sidewall of the second bucket such that a width of the elongate body between the first and second surfaces of the elongate body creates a gap between the sidewall of the first bucket and the sidewall of the second bucket when the first bucket is stacked on top of the second bucket and the bottom surface of the first bucket is supported on the interior ledge of the bucket spacer..

3. The bucket spacer of any one of claims 1 or 2 further comprising a leg member extending from the elongate body or the interior ledge of the bucket spacer, wherein a free end of the leg member extends towards, so as to contact, the interior surface of the side wall of the second bucket.

4. The bucket spacer of claim 3 wherein the leg member extends at an angle less than or equal to 90 degrees relative to the body.

5. The bucket spacer of any one of claims 3 or 4 wherein the leg member extends from the interior ledge.

6. The bucket spacer of claim 5 wherein the leg member extends at an angle less than 90 degrees relative to the body.

7. A kit for securely supporting a first bucket on top of a second bucket to form a portable washing station, each bucket having at least a sidewall with an interior surface and an exterior surface, a cavity, a bottom surface, a top opening, and a rim, the cavity being defined at least in part by the sidewall, the kit comprising:a plurality of bucket spacers, wherein each bucket spacer of the plurality of bucket spacers is as defined by any one of claims 1 to 6;a pump, the pump comprising a pump mounting means for mounting the pump to the rim of the first bucket; anda hose configured to be operatively connected at a first end to the pump and having a second end directed into the second bucket upon assembly of the kit.

8. The kit of claim 7 wherein the plurality of spacers includes at least two spacers.

9. The kit of any one of claims 7 or 8 further comprising an accessory, the accessory configured to be mounted onto the rim of the first bucket.

10. The kit of claim 9 wherein the accessory further comprises a bracket, the bracket including a mounting means for mounting the bracket to the rim of the first bucket and wherein the accessory is releasably mountable to the bracket.

11. The kit of claim any one of claims 9 or 10 wherein the accessory is a holder.

12. The kit of any one of claims 7 to 11 wherein the pump mounting means is selected from a group comprising: a slot, a clamp, a hook, a clip.

13. The kit of any one of claims 10 to 12 wherein the mounting means of the bracket is selected from a group comprising: a slot, a clamp, a hook, a clip.

14. A method of setting up a portable washing station at a site using a first bucket, a second bucket, and the kit of claim 7, each bucket having at least a sidewall with an interior surface and an exterior surface, a cavity, a bottom surface, a top opening, and a rim, the cavity being defined at least in part by the side wall, the method comprising:placing the second bucket on the ground at the site;positioning the bucket spacers of the kit around the rim of the second bucket in a spaced apart relationship such that the interior ledges of the bucket spacers are located within the cavity of the second bucket;positioning the first bucket on top of the second bucket so that the bottom surface of the first bucket is supported on the interior ledges of the bucket spacers;mounting the pump of the kit to the rim of the first bucket using the pump mounting means; andoperatively connecting the first end of the hose of the kit to the pump and directing the second end of the hose into the cavity of the second bucket.

15. A bucket assembly, the assembly comprising:a first bucket and a second bucket, each bucket having at least a sidewall with an interior surface and an exterior surface, a cavity, a bottom surface, a top opening, and a rim, the cavity being defined at least in part by the sidewall; andat least one bucket spacer as defined in claim 1, positioned between the first bucket and the second bucket such that the bottom surface of the first bucket is supported on the interior ledge of the at least one bucket spacer located within the cavity of the second bucket.

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