Waste treatment components

1. An insert assembly for supporting a bag of a waste disposal device, comprising:

an insert adapted to engage a peripheral edge of the bag while maintaining an opening of the bag unobstructed, said insert comprising:

an annular disc having an inner bag-engagement edge region defining an aperture and at least one bag-engagement edge, and an outer peripheral edge region, said outer peripheral edge region defining an exposed outer edge of said annular disc facing away from said aperture;

at least one projection projecting outward from said outer peripheral edge region of said annular disc;

a retainer arranged on said annular disc at said outer peripheral edge region, said at least one bag engagement edge and said retainer being elevated in a common direction from said annular disc, said retainer being situated radially outward of said at least one bag-engagement edge;

an attachment structure arranged on said annular disc;

a closure component connected to said attachment structure arranged on said annular disc,

said closure component including an annular portion and a tab situated outward of a radially outer edge of said annular portion and extending beyond said annular portion in a direction radially outward from said annular portion,

said closure component being movably connected to said annular disc by said attachment structure such that said closure component has a first engagement position in which said closure component is connected to said attachment structure at a first location and said tab of said closure component is engaged with said retainer of said insert at a second location and the bag when present is pressed by said annular portion of said closure component against said at least one bag-engagement edge of said annular disc of said insert to thereby cause said closure component to fix the bag to said insert and prevent movement of the bag relative to said insert, and a second non-engagement position in which said closure component is connected to said attachment structure at the first location and said tab of said closure component is not engaged with said retainer of said insert at the second location and the bag is not fixed to said insert to enable removal of the bag from engagement with the insert assembly and placement of a new bag into engagement with the insert assembly, said closure component being movable between the first and second positions while attached at the first location to said annular disc by said attachment structure.

2. The insert assembly of claim 1 , wherein each of said at least one projection has a first position coplanar with said annular disc and a second position bent upward relative to said annular disc.

3. The insert assembly of claim 1 , wherein said at least one projection comprises a plurality of projections spaced apart from one another around said outer peripheral edge region of said annular disc and projecting radially outward from said outer peripheral edge region of said annular disc.

4. The insert assembly of claim 3 , wherein said projections are equally spaced around a circumference of said annular disc.

5. The insert assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a weakened area between each of said at least one projection and said outer peripheral edge region of said annular disc to enable each of said at least one projection to bend both upward and downward relative to said outer peripheral edge region of said annular disc while attached to said outer peripheral edge region of said annular disc.

6. The insert assembly of claim 1 , wherein said attachment structure is configured to pivotally attach said closure component at the first location to said annular disc such that said closure component pivots between the first and second positions while attached at the first location to said annular disc by said attachment structure.

7. The insert assembly of claim 1 , wherein said annular disc includes an annular portion, said inner edge region including an inner wall extending upward from an inner edge of said annular portion, a ledge extending radially inward from an upper edge of said inner wall and an annular wall extending downward from an inner edge of said ledge, an opening being defined by said annular wall, said annular portion of said closure component having a U-shaped cross-section defining a channel facing toward said insert, said closure component being positioned in the first position such that said inner wall, said ledge and said annular wall are at least partly received in said channel.

8. The insert assembly of claim 5 , wherein said weakened area constitutes a living hinge.

9. The insert assembly of claim 5 , wherein said at least one projection is configured to bend up to 180° and to rest substantially flat on said annular disc when bent about 180°.

10. The insert assembly of claim 7 , wherein said attachment structure is configured to pivotally attach said closure component at the first location to said annular disc such that said closure component pivots between the first and second positions while attached at the first location to said annular disc by said attachment structure.

11. The insert assembly of claim 1 , further comprising ridges projecting upward from an upper surface of said annular disc.

12. The insert assembly of claim 1 , wherein said retainer is flexible and includes a vertical portion, a lip proximate a top of said vertical portion and under which said tab is received, a flange proximate the top of said vertical portion opposite said lip and an angled surface arranged above said lip to facilitate placement of said tab under said lip as said retainer flexes, said tab being configured to be urged into engagement with said retainer against the flexure of said retainer and said retainer being configured to require flexure thereof to enable release of said tab from engagement with said retainer.

13. The insert assembly of claim 1 , wherein the attachment location is opposite the engagement location.

14. An insert assembly for supporting a bag of a waste disposal device, comprising:

an insert adapted to engage a peripheral edge of the bag while maintaining an opening of the bag unobstructed, said insert comprising:

an annular disc having an inner bag-engagement edge region defining an aperture and at least one bag-engagement edge, and an outer peripheral edge region, said outer peripheral edge region defining an exposed outer edge of said annular disc facing away from said aperture;

at least one projection projecting outward from said outer peripheral edge region of said annular disc;

a retainer arranged on said annular disc at said outer peripheral edge region, said at least one bag engagement edge and said retainer being elevated in a common direction from said annular disc, said retainer being situated radially outward of said at least one bag-engagement edge; and

a closure component attached to said annular disc,

said closure component including an annular portion and a tab situated outward of a radially outer edge of said annular portion and extending beyond said annular portion in a direction radially outward from said annular portion,

said closure component having a first engagement position in which said closure component is attached at an attachment location to said annular disc and said tab of said closure component engages with said retainer of said insert at an engagement location spaced apart from said attachment location and the bag when present is pressed by said annular portion of said closure component against said at least one bag-engagement edge of said annular disc of said insert to thereby cause said closure component to fix the bag to said insert and prevent movement of the bag relative to said insert, and a second non-engagement position in which said closure component is attached at the attachment location to said annular disc and said tab of said closure component is not engaged with said retainer of said insert and the bag is not fixed to said insert to enable removal of the bag from engagement with the insert assembly and placement of a new bag into engagement with the insert assembly, said closure component being movable between the first and second positions while attached at the attachment location to said annular disc,

said annular disc further including a weakened area between each of said at least one projection and said outer peripheral edge region of said annular disc to enable each of said at least one projection to bend downward relative to said outer peripheral edge region of said annular disc while attached to said outer peripheral edge region of said annular disc and upward relative to said outer peripheral edge region of said annular disc while attached to said outer peripheral edge region of said annular disc about 90° to a position in which said projection is substantially perpendicular to said annular disc.

15. The insert assembly of claim 14 , wherein said retainer is flexible and includes a vertical portion, a lip proximate a top of said vertical portion and under which said tab is received, a flange proximate the top of said vertical portion opposite said lip and an angled surface arranged above said lip to facilitate placement of said tab under said lip as said retainer flexes, said tab being configured to be urged into engagement with said retainer against the flexure of said retainer and said retainer being configured to require flexure thereof to enable release of said tab from engagement with said retainer.

16. The insert assembly of claim 14 , wherein the attachment location is opposite the engagement location.

17. An insert assembly for supporting a bag of a waste disposal device, comprising:

an insert adapted to engage a peripheral edge of the bag while maintaining an opening of the bag unobstructed, said insert comprising:

an annular disc having an inner bag-engagement edge region defining an aperture and at least one bag-engagement edge, and an outer peripheral edge region, said outer peripheral edge region defining an exposed outer edge of said annular disc facing away from said aperture;

at least one projection projecting outward from said outer peripheral edge region of said annular disc;

a retainer arranged on said annular disc at said outer peripheral edge region, said at least one bag engagement edge and said retainer being elevated in a common direction from said annular disc, said retainer being situated radially outward of said at least one bag-engagement edge; and

a closure component attached to said annular disc,

said closure component including an annular portion and a tab situated outward of a radially outer edge of said annular portion and extending beyond said annular portion in a direction radially outward from said annular portion,

said closure component having a first engagement position in which said closure component is attached at an attachment location to said annular disc and said tab of said closure component engages with said retainer of said insert at an engagement location spaced apart from said attachment location and the bag when present is pressed by said annular portion of said closure component against said at least one bag-engagement edge of said annular disc of said insert to thereby cause said closure component to fix the bag to said insert and prevent movement of the bag relative to said insert, and a second non-engagement position in which said closure component is attached at the attachment location to said annular disc and said tab of said closure component is not engaged with said retainer of said insert and the bag is not fixed to said insert to enable removal of the bag from engagement with the insert assembly and placement of a new bag into engagement with the insert assembly, said closure component being movable between the first and second positions while attached at the attachment location to said annular disc,

said annular disc further including an annular portion, said inner edge region including an inner wall extending upward from an inner edge of said annular portion, and a ledge extending radially inward from an upper edge of said inner wall,

said annular portion of said closure component defining a channel facing toward said insert and configured such that said inner wall and said ledge of said annular disc are at least partly received in said channel when said closure component is in the first position.

18. The insert assembly of claim 17 , further comprising an attachment structure arranged on said annular disc and configured to pivotally attach said closure component at the attachment location to said annular disc such that said closure component pivots between the first and second positions while attached at the attachment location to said annular disc by said attachment structure.

19. The insert assembly of claim 17 , wherein said retainer is flexible and includes a vertical portion, a lip proximate a top of said vertical portion and under which said tab is received, a flange proximate the top of said vertical portion opposite said lip and an angled surface arranged above said lip to facilitate placement of said tab under said lip as said retainer flexes, said tab being configured to be urged into engagement with said retainer against the flexure of said retainer and said retainer being configured to require flexure thereof to enable release of said tab from engagement with said retainer.

20. The insert assembly of claim 17 , wherein the attachment location is opposite the engagement location.