Foldable Trash Container with Biodegradable Liner
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for an environmentally friendly and functional trash container that avoids the disposal of plastic or synthetic trash bags, which are detrimental to the environment, by providing a convenient and efficient means for waste disposal without using plastic or synthetic bags in garbage cans or disposal vehicles.
Innovation Solution
A foldable exterior container designed to hold a biodegradable interior container, such as a paper grocery sack, with handles for easy transport and storage, allowing for the disposal of trash without the need for plastic bags, where the exterior container can be folded flat for compact storage and transportation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If plastic trash bags are used for waste disposal, then the disposal process is convenient and efficient, but environmental harm increases due to plastic pollution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs disposable paper bags instead of reusable plastic bags. The paper bags are designed to be single-use, biodegradable alternatives that maintain the convenience of disposable waste containment while eliminating long-term environmental pollution. The paper bags can be easily disposed of with the trash without requiring separate removal or recycling processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the material parameter from plastic to paper for the trash bags. This material substitution fundamentally alters the environmental characteristics while maintaining the functional properties needed for waste disposal. The paper material provides biodegradability and compostability, transforming the environmental impact parameter while preserving ease of use.
2Productivity
If a trash container is designed to hold filled containers, then disposal efficiency improves, but the container size and storage space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a nested container system where smaller trash containers (paper bags) are placed inside a larger exterior container. The exterior container is designed with an openable lid and retaining means that allow multiple smaller containers to be stored within its confines. This nesting arrangement maximizes disposal efficiency by accommodating multiple trash bags while maintaining compact storage footprint.
Solution Approach 2:
The exterior container incorporates dynamic elements including an openable lid and removable retaining means. These dynamic components allow the container to transition between closed storage mode and open disposal mode, enabling efficient loading and unloading of trash containers while maintaining a compact form factor during storage.
3Volume of moving object
If the exterior container is made foldable for compact storage, then storage space is reduced, but structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The exterior container is divided into multiple panels or sections that can be folded relative to each other. This segmentation allows the container to collapse into a compact form for storage while maintaining structural integrity when assembled. The foldable design typically involves hinge connections or interlocking panels that enable easy deployment and compact retraction.
Solution Approach 2:
The container employs flexible materials and thin-walled structures that allow folding and collapsing. The exterior container may utilize flexible panels or thin-walled construction that can be bent and folded into compact configurations for storage, then easily deployed to full size for use. This flexible construction reduces the need for complex rigid joint mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
Trash container assembly has interior container wall structure with upper edge structure, a bottom, and an upper opening and interior and exterior surfaces. The assembly has an exterior container with front, rear and side walls connected to a collapsible bottom, with the side walls connected to the front and rear walls so that the walls fold inwardly with the side walls positioned between the front and rear walls, and the bottom collapsed within the walls. In the open position the exterior container walls upper opening receives the interior container. When interior container is inserted with the exterior container, a retention member associated with the exterior container wall structure engages the interior container to resist it moving away from the exterior container. Structural supports are between side walls layers with a fold line located in between, and between front and rear wall layers, and above the bottom.