Cassette and apparatus for use in disposing waste materials into an elongated flexible tube

• US 10,696,476 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2016
• Issued: 06/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Refills Company Ltd.
• Original Assignee: International Refills Company Ltd.
• Inventors: Morand, Michel
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomas, Kareen K
• Application Number:
  US15/736,895
• Publication Number:
  US 20180362250A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,477 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 1/0006 Flexible refuse receptables, e.g. bags, sacks
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 1/06 with flexible inserts, e.g. bags or sacks B65F1/0073 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 1/062 having means for storing or dispensing spare bags
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 2230/148 Sleeve

Abstract

A cassette for packing waste material into an elongated tube of flexible material is provided. The cassette includes a ring-shaped receptacle defining a central opening and a storage area for receiving the elongated tube of flexible material. The cassette also includes a cover at a top portion of the storage area and a plurality of projecting elements extending from a periphery of the cassette and being configured to support the cassette in a waste storage container. Also provided is a cassette which includes a lip having a variable projection width. A waste storage container is also provided including a cassette holder having a hollow area for removably receiving a cassette, the cassette being configured to matingly fit into the hollow area.

Claims

1. A cassette for packing waste material into an elongated tube of flexible material, the cassette, comprising:

(a) a ring-shaped receptacle defining a central opening, the central opening extending along a generally vertical axis, the ring-shaped receptacle defining a storage area receiving a length of elongated tube of flexible material in a folded condition outward of the central opening;

(b) a peripheral portion including a plurality of outwardly projecting elements in a spaced apart relationship, the projecting elements being configured to suspend the cassette in a waste storage container.

2. A cassette as defined in claim 1, wherein the plurality of projecting elements lie in a generally common imaginary plane.

3. A cassette as defined in claim 2, wherein the imaginary plane is generally horizontal.

4. A cassette as defined in claim 3, wherein each projecting element has an outward extent measured along a direction that is normal to the vertical axis, that is larger than a thickness of the projecting element measured along the vertical axis.

5. A cassette as defined in claim 1, wherein the projecting elements are equally spaced around the periphery of the cassette.

6. A cassette as defined in claim 2, including a cover in a top portion of the storage area.

7. A cassette as defined in claim 1, wherein the ring-shaped receptacle is annular.

8. A cassette as defined in claim 1, wherein the peripheral portion includes a plurality of straight sides joined to each other at an angle.

9. A cassette as defined in claim 8, wherein the plurality of straight sides include a first side and a second side, the first and second sides being generally parallel.

10. A cassette as defined in claim 1, wherein the peripheral portion includes a plurality of sides of unequal length.

11. A cassette for packing waste material into an elongated tube of flexible material, the cassette comprising:

(a) a ring-shaped receptacle defining a central opening, the central opening extending along a generally vertical axis, the ring-shaped receptacle defining a storage area receiving the elongated tube of flexible material in a collapsed condition outward of the central opening;

(b) a lip projecting outwardly from the ring-shaped receptacle and extending along at least a portion of the periphery of the cassette, the lip having a variable projection width,

(c) the lip defining a plurality of sides of the cassette, including a first pair of generally parallel sides and a second pair of generally parallel sides, which extend generally transversally to the first pair of parallel sides.

12. A cassette as defined in claim 11, including a cover in a top portion of the storage area.

13. A cassette as defined in claim 11, wherein the first and second pairs of sides are major sides, the cassette including a first pair of generally parallel minor sides and a second pair of generally parallel minor sides, the minor sides being shorter than the major sides.

14. A cassette as defined in claim 13, wherein the projection width of the lip is larger in the vicinity of the minor sides than the projection width in the vicinity of the major sides.

15. A cassette as defined in claim 11, wherein the lip constitutes means to suspend the cassette in a waste storage container.

16. A cassette as defined in claim 15, comprising a bottom, the lip is configured to support the cassette in the waste storage container while the cassette hangs by the lip and is unsupported by the bottom.

17. A cassette as define in claim 11, wherein the ring-shaped receptacle is annular.

18. A cassette for packing waste material into an elongated tube of flexible material, for use in a waste storage container, the storage container including a cassette holder, the cassette holder having a rim defining a hollow area for removably receiving the cassette, the hollow area having an outer peripheral wall portion having a generally octagonal configuration, the wall portion including a first pair of opposed cassette support elements and a second pair of opposed cassette support elements, the cassette having a body configured to matingly fit the hollow area and having means to engage the rim to suspend the cassette from the rim.

19. A cassette as defined in claim 18, including a plurality spaced apart projecting elements configured for engaging the first and second pairs of opposed cassette support elements.

20. A cassette as defined in claim 19, wherein the cassette has a generally octagonal configuration including minor sides and major sides, the minor sides being shorter than the major sides, the projecting elements being associated with minor sides of the cassette.

21. A cassette as defined in claim 20, wherein the plurality of spaced apart projecting elements lie in a common imaginary plane.

22. A waste storage container including:

(b) a holder for a cassette for packing waste material into an elongated tube of flexible material, the cassette, comprising;

(a) a ring-shaped receptacle defining a central opening, the central opening extending along a generally vertical axis, the ring-shaped receptacle defining a storage area receiving a length of elongated tube of flexible material in a folded condition outward of the central opening;

(c) a plurality of projecting elements in a spaced apart relationship, the projecting elements extending from a periphery of the cassette and being configured to support the cassette in a waste storage container,

(d) the waste storage container including a cassette holder including a plurality of projecting supports configured to engage the projecting elements to retain the cassette in the cassette holder.

23. A waste storage container as defined in claim 22, wherein the plurality of projecting supports include a first pair of generally opposed projecting supports and a second pair of generally opposed projecting supports.

24. A waste storage container as defined in claim 23, wherein the cassette holder defines a generally octagonal recessed area to matingly receive the cassette.