Air-Tight Reusable Trash Receptacle With Sealed Lid Ring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current portable trash cans lack the ability to prevent liquid and odor leakage, especially when inverted or tipped, due to their open design and lack of a secure sealing mechanism.
Innovation Solution
A portable air-tight and water-tight trash receptacle design featuring a lid, outer ring, inner ring, and fabric cover, with threaded and sealed interfaces to secure a trash bag, utilizing rubber seals and locking mechanisms to maintain containment regardless of orientation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If current portable trash cans use an open design with a simple lid resting on the lip, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability of containment is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The lid is divided into multiple functional segments: a first lid portion that engages with the receptacle body and a second lid portion that provides additional sealing. This segmentation allows each portion to perform its specific function while maintaining overall ease of operation and significantly improving containment reliability through multiple sealing interfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
A seal member is introduced as an intermediary element between the lid and the receptacle body. This seal member fills the gap between rigid components, providing a flexible barrier that prevents leakage while maintaining the simple snap-fit engagement mechanism that ensures ease of operation.
2Device complexity
If current portable trash cans use a simple lid design, then device complexity is reduced, but ability to prevent liquid and odor leakage is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
A flexible seal member, typically made of rubber or similar elastomeric material, is incorporated into the lid assembly. This thin flexible film conformally engages with the receptacle body opening, creating an effective barrier against liquid and odor leakage while adding minimal structural complexity to the overall design.
Solution Approach 2:
The lid is segmented into multiple portions with different functions: one portion provides structural support and engagement, while another portion houses the sealing mechanism. This segmentation allows the complex sealing function to be isolated to a specific component, maintaining overall device simplicity while effectively preventing harmful factors.
3Ease of manufacture
If current portable trash cans use an open vessel design, then ease of manufacture is improved, but ability to retain contents in inverted orientation is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible seal member creates a conformal seal that adheres to the receptacle body opening through friction and elastic deformation. This seal remains effective regardless of orientation because the flexible material continuously maintains contact with the sealing surface, enabling the can to retain contents even when inverted without complicating the manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing mechanism is designed to function effectively in any orientation by utilizing the flexible seal member's ability to maintain contact through elastic recovery. Rather than designing for a specific orientation, the seal is engineered to work 'the other way round' as well, allowing the can to be safely inverted for cleaning or storage without leakage.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively prevents liquid and odor leakage, ensuring that contents such as liquids and noxious fumes remain contained, even when the receptacle is inverted or tipped, providing a secure and hygienic disposal method.
Implementation Method 1
a seal, preferably made of rubber, that prevents liquid and gas leakage between the lid and the receptacle body
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for preventing leaks from rubbish containing liquids and noxious smells has an air-tight and water-tight reusable trash receptacle. The receptacle uses an inner ring and an outer ring to secure a trash bag. A lid contains a seal such that an air-tight and water-tight seal is formed when the lid is engaged with the outer ring. The outer ring has a seal that engages the trash bag such that an air-tight and water-tight seal is formed when the outer ring is engaged with the liner on the inner ring. A fabric cover attaches to the outer ring and protects and hides the trash bag held within. The lid is attached to the outer ring in a variety of ways, including hinges, threads, tether, and tabs. The outer ring secures to the inner ring in a number of ways including threads, clips, and tabs.