Trash Receptacle Lid Hinge Relocation for Front Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing garbage and recycling bins are cumbersome for residential users, especially the elderly and physically challenged, due to the placement of wheels, handlebars, and lid hinges in the same plane, making it difficult to maneuver full or heavy bins and access the lid without turning them.
Innovation Solution
Repositioning the wheels, handlebar, and lid hinges in different vertical planes or adding a customized lid apparatus to facilitate easier handling and maneuvering, allowing the lid to be opened without walking around the bin, thus improving accessibility and usability for all users.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the wheels, handlebar, and lid hinge are placed in the same plane of the receptacle, then the manufacturing and assembly are simplified, but the ease of operation deteriorates as users must walk around and turn the bin to access the lid
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dimensionality change by relocating the lid hinge from the same vertical plane as the wheels and handlebar to a different vertical plane (typically the opposite side). This spatial reconfiguration in a different plane allows the lid to be accessed from the front without requiring the user to walk around or turn the bin, thereby improving ease of operation while maintaining manufacturing feasibility
2Device complexity
If the lid hinge is positioned in the same vertical plane as the wheels and handlebar, then the structural design is simplified, but the ease of operation worsens for elderly and physically challenged users
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by positioning the lid hinge in a different vertical plane than the wheels and handlebar. This reconfiguration places the lid opening mechanism in a more accessible location that does not require users to approach from the side or rear, significantly improving maneuverability for elderly and physically challenged users while adding only minimal structural complexity
3Device complexity
If the bin must be turned around to move it from storage to curbside, then the component placement remains conventional, but the ease of operation deteriorates when the bin is full or heavy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent improves maneuvering ease by relocating the lid hinge to a different vertical plane, allowing the lid to be opened from the front of the bin. This enables users to access and empty the bin without turning it around, which is particularly beneficial when the bin is full or heavy and difficult to rotate, thereby reducing physical strain on users
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides various configurations of the bin and lid portions of waste receptacles for ease of use by residential users, while remaining adaptable to different methods of trash collection and/or waste collection vehicles. The present invention inverts or rearranges the location of the wheels, handlebar, and hinge(s) of the lid from the rear of the bin to the front of the bin; or rearranges the location of the hinge(s) to change the point of attachment of the lid to the bin. The present invention also includes prefabricated lid apparatus for attachment to existing bins via a fastening means or secure mode of connection. The combination of the inverted bin components, and/or rearrangement of the location of the lid hinge(s), and/or the customized lid apparatus result in a new, improved and useful garbage and/or recycling receptacle.