Waste Receptacle With A Bumper to Maintain the Waste Receptacle a Predetermined Distance from a Wall or Other Vertical Surface

Abstract

A waste receptacle is described that includes a container, with an exterior and an interior, adapted to receive one or more discarded items within the interior. The waste receptacle also includes a lid hingedly mounted to the container, an actuator, disposed on the exterior of the container, connected to the lid so that manipulation of the actuator opens the lid to provide access to the interior of the container, and at least one bumper, attached to the exterior of the container, to space the container a predetermined distance from an adjacent surface.

1 . A waste receptacle, comprising:
 a container, with an exterior and an interior, adapted to receive one or more discarded items within the interior;   a lid hingedly mounted to the container;   an actuator, disposed on the exterior of the container, connected to the lid so that manipulation of the actuator opens the lid to provide access to the interior of the container;   at least one bumper, attached to the exterior of the container, to space the container a predetermined distance from an adjacent surface.   
   
   
       2 . The waste receptacle of  claim 1 , wherein the actuator is a foot-actuated pedal disposed near a bottom portion of the container. 
   
   
       3 . The waste receptacle of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one bumper is removably attached to the exterior of the container. 
   
   
       4 . The waste receptacle of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one bumper is attached to a bottom portion of the container. 
   
   
       5 . The waste receptacle of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one bumper is attached to the exterior of the container at a point between a top and bottom of the container. 
   
   
       6 . The waste receptacle of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one bumper is attached to the exterior of the container at a predetermined height. 
   
   
       7 . The waste receptacle of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one bumper is attached to the exterior of the container at a point near a top of the container, below the lid. 
   
   
       8 . The waste receptacle of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one bumper comprises two bumpers, spaced a predetermined distance from one another. 
   
   
       9 . The waste receptacle of  claim 1 , wherein the adjacent surface is a wall. 
   
   
       10 . The waste receptacle of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a plurality of feet attached to a bottom surface of the bumper.   
   
   
       11 . The waste receptacle of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a plurality of protrusions attached to a bottom surface of the bumper.   
   
   
       12 . The waste receptacle of  claim 11 , wherein the protrusions are adapted to engage a woven material to discourage sliding of the waste receptacle with respect to the woven material. 
   
   
       13 . The waste receptacle of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one bumper comprises a material selected from a group comprising an elastomer, a plastic, a metal, wood, a composite material, a rigid material, and a semi-rigid material.
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