Pivoting Trash Bin Locking Arm for Lid Clearance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional trash container locking systems are cumbersome, pose hazards to children and homeless individuals, and require labor-intensive installation, often causing unauthorized access and operational difficulties during trash disposal.
Innovation Solution
A trash container locking apparatus featuring a pivotally mounted elongate locking arm with integrated locking flanges and a combined pivot mount and locking device, allowing easy installation and secure locking in two positions to prevent unauthorized access and ensure safe operation during trash disposal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a locking bar is pivotally mounted on the container and rotated between a position extending over the lid to hold it closed and a position rotated down against the front wall of the container, then the lid can be freely opened when the bar is in the down position, but the bar tends to drop down and get in the way of the lid or the trash itself when the bin is inverted to dump trash
Solution Approach 1:
The locking bar is designed to pivot between two fixed positions (over the lid and against the front wall) rather than being continuously adjustable. This dynamic positioning ensures the bar either secures the lid or clears the dumping path, eliminating the harmful intermediate positions where the bar could interfere with lid operation or trash disposal.
2Adaptability or versatility
If separate left and right arms are provided for pivotally mounting on opposite side walls of a trash container and a pipe is cut to the desired length for spanning the front wall between the free ends of the two arms, then the system can be adapted to different container sizes, but the installation process is labor intensive and subject to error
Solution Approach 1:
The locking system is divided into separate modular components: left arm assembly, right arm assembly, and a spanning pipe. Each component can be independently manufactured and positioned, allowing flexible adaptation to different container sizes while simplifying the overall installation process through standardized sub-assemblies.
Solution Approach 2:
The arm assemblies are designed as universal components that can be mounted on various container sizes and configurations. The standardized mounting interfaces and adjustable positioning enable the same basic component design to serve multiple container types, reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining adaptability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the pipe is free to flop around when the container is inverted, then the pipe can accommodate movement, but it potentially catches on the lid and prevents it from opening
Solution Approach 1:
The spanning pipe is designed with controlled flexibility that allows it to accommodate the natural movement and deformation of the container during inversion, while its specific geometry and mounting configuration ensure it maintains clearance from the lid throughout the dumping motion, preventing interference.
Data Source
AI summary
A locking apparatus for releasably securing the lid of a trash container in a closed position has a locking arm with an elongate central portion for extending across the closed lid and bent end portions pivotally mounted on opposite sides of the container via pivot brackets which allow the arm to be pivoted between a first position extending across the closed lid of the trash container and a second position extending across the front wall of the container. The pivot bracket on one side is part of a locking device which has first and second locking formations on opposite sides of the pivot bracket, and the bent end portion of the arm on that side is releasably locked to the first locking formation by a locking member such as a padlock when the arm is in the first position and releasably locked to the second locking formation by the same member when the arm is in the second position.