Trash can assembly

1. A trash can assembly, comprising:

a shell having a top end and a bottom end, the shell having an enclosing wall;

a lid fitted over the top end;

a pedal positioned adjacent the bottom end;

a link assembly coupling the pedal and the lid;

an inner liner that is retained inside the shell, the inner liner having a peripheral lip; and

a support frame secured to a portion the top end of the shell, the support frame having a border shoulder on which the lip of the inner liner rests, the border shoulder extending inwardly from the enclosing wall, and the support frame further including a groove cut from a portion of the border shoulder and positioned adjacent the inner liner in a manner such that a space is defined between an edge of the groove and the lip of the inner liner.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the link assembly includes:

a pedal bar having a rear, and a front connected to the pedal; and

a lifting rod having a lower end coupled to the rear of the pedal bar, and an upper end coupled to the lid.

3. The assembly of claim 2 , further including means coupled to the lifting rod for biasing the lid towards the base.

4. The assembly of claim 1 , further including means coupled to the link assembly for slowing the closing motion of the lid.

5. The assembly of claim 4

wherein the slowing means includes a damping wheel fixedly secured to the base, and a sliding bar that is operationally coupled to the damping wheel and which is secured to a pedal bar.

6. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the lid comprises two separate lid portions, with each lid portion coupled to the shell in a manner such that the two lid portions pivot away from each other.

7. The assembly of claim 6 , wherein the shell has a pair of opposing side edges at its top end, and wherein each lid portion is pivotably secured to one of the opposing side edges.