Waste receptacle

Abstract

An apparatus and methods for collecting swept waste material are described herein. The apparatus includes a dustpan having a base and a wall, a handle, and a plurality of protrusions. The base is configured to be placed in contact with a surface to be cleaned and includes a front lip over which debris can be swept. The wall extends upwardly from at least a portion of the base other than the front lip and is configured to contain debris in the dustpan. The handle is coupled to a top edge of the wall opposite she from tip and extends away from the wall and downwardly from the top edge so that an end of the handle is disposed approximately even with the base. The plurality of protrusions extend inwardly from the wall and are configured to remove debris from bristles of a broom when the broom is swept across the plurality of protrusions.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a dustpan configured to receive and contain debris, the dustpan including:
 a base configured to be placed in contact with a surface to be cleaned, the base having a front lip over which debris can be swept into the dustpan; 
 a wall extending upwardly from at least a portion of the base other than the front Up and having a top edge, the wall configured to contain debris in the dustpan; 
   a handle having a first end and a second end, the first end coupled to the top edge of the wall of the dustpan opposite the front lip, the handle extending away from the wall and downwardly from the top edge so that the second end is disposed approximately even with the base so that when the dustpan is placed on a surface to be cleaned the second end of the handle cart contact the surface; and   a plurality of protrusions extending inwardly front the wall and configured to remove debris from bristles of a broom when the broom is swept across the plurality of protrusions.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the handle has an arcuate shape between the first end and the second end. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the handle further includes a foot pedal extending from the second end, the foot pedal configured to be engagable by the foot of a user to anchor the second end of the handle to a surface to be cleaned. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the handle has a substantially arcuate cross-section. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of protrusions are approximately equally spaced from each other. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of protrusions has a substantially triangular cross-section. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of protrusions are flexible. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of protrusions are rubber. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least one protrusion of the plurality of protrusions is a different size than a second protrusion of the plurality of protrusions. 
     
     
         10 . An apparatus comprising:
 a dustpan configured to receive and contain debris, the dustpan including:
 a base configured to be placed in contact with a surface to be cleaned, the base having a front lip over which debris cart be swept into the dustpan; 
 a wall extending upwardly from at least a portion, of the base other than the front lip, the wall configured, to contain debris in the dustpan; 
   a handle having a first end and a second end, the first end coupled to the dustpan, the handle extending away from the dustpan so that the second end is disposed approximately even with the base so that when the dustpan is placed on a surface to be cleaned the second end of the handle can contact the surface; and   a plurality of protrusions, each protrusion having a substantially triangular cross-section extending inwardly from the wall and configured to remove debris from bristles of a broom when the broom is swept across the plurality of protrusions.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of protrusions are flexible. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of protrusions are rigid. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of protrusions are rubber. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of protrusions are approximately equally spaced from each other. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein at least one protrusion of the plurality of protrusions is a different size than a second protrusion of the plurality of protrusions. 
     
     
         16 . An apparatus comprising:
 a dustpan configured to receive and contain debris, the dustpan including:
 a base configured to be placed in contact with a surface to be cleaned, the base having a front lip over which debris can be swept into the dustpan; 
 a wall extending upwardly from at least a portion of the base other than the front lip and having an aperture, the wall configured to contain debris in the dustpan; 
   a handle extending away from the dustpan so that at least a portion of the handle is disposed approximately even with the base so that when rite dustpan is placed on a surface to be cleaned the handle can contact the surface; and   a tooth assembly having a plurality of flexible protrusions on a first surface and a mushroom-shaped projection on a second surface, the second surface opposite the first surface, the mushroom-shaped projection configured to pass through the aperture in the wall of the dustpan and secure the tooth assembly to the wall so that the plurality of flexible protrusions extend inwardly from the wall, the plurality of protrusions configured to remove debris from bristles of a broom when the broom is swept across the plurality of protrusions.   
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the tooth assembly is unitarily formed. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein at least one of Jive plurality of protrusions has a substantially triangular cross-section. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the plurality of protrusions are flexible. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the handle has a first end and a second end, the first end coupled to the dustpan, the handle extending away from the dustpan so that the second end is disposed approximately even with the base. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the wall has a fop edge and the first end of the handle is coupled to the top edge of the wall of the dustpan opposite the from lip. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the handle is substantially U-shaped and includes a connector and two ends, the two ends coupled to the dustpan opposite the front lip.