AU2007100816B4

AU2007100816B4 - Mobile Garbage Bin

Info

Publication number: AU2007100816B4
Application number: AU2007100816A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Darryl Kershaw; Thorsten Voss
Original assignee: Sulo MGB Australia Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Sulo MGB Australia Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2007-08-27
Filing date: 2007-08-27
Publication date: 2007-09-27
Anticipated expiration: 2015-08-27
Also published as: NZ570422A; AU2007100816A4

Description

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AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Innovation Patent Applicant: SULO MGB Australia Pty Ltd Invention Title: Mobile Garbage Bin The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method for performing it known to us: 2 Q) Mobile Garbage Bin

(N

to ;This invention relates to a mobile garbage bin and, more particularly, to the installation of an electronic chip on C s the mobile garbage bin.

ND In recent years, there has been a move towards improving 00 the identification of mobile garbage bins by placing a transponder on the bin which can be read every time the bin is picked up and emptied so that a record can be kept Sof the use of the bin.

If a bin is to carry a transponder, which is often in the form of a chip, the bin needs to be provided with a mechanism for location of the chip. The chip needs to be in a secure position on the bin. It has to be in a position where it can be adequately read by an appropriate reader which would usually be carried by the vehicle which is picking up and emptying the bin.

Mobile garbage bins are subjected to rough usage in a variety of weather conditions and it is thus important that the chip be located on the bin whereby it can withstand the rough usage and the environment in which the bin is used.

It is these issues that have brought about the present invention.

According to one embodiment of the present invention there is provided a mobile garbage bin moulded in plastics to define an enclosure having a front, back and sides, a closed base and an open mouth closed by a lid which is pivotally secured to the back of the bin, the open mouth being surrounded by a peripheral ledge, the moulding of the bin including a chip nest located under the peripheral ledge characterised in that the chip nest is positioned N\Melborne\Cascs\PatenX72000-72999\72726 AU\Spicis72726AU Specification 2007-9-24 doc 27/08/07 3 Q)under the front right side of the ledge when viewed from c-I tothe front to support, in use, a chip having a planar ;surface extending parallel to the side of the enclosure.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the IND accompanying drawings in which: 00 Figure 1 is a perspective view of a mobile garbage bin with the lid open; CI Figure 2 is a plan view of the bin shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side view of the bin; Figure 4 is an underside view of part of a top ledge of the bin illustrating a chip nest; Figure 5 is a perspective view of the chip nest; and Figure 6 is a cut-away view of the chip nest.

The garbage bin 10 illustrated in the accompanying drawings is injection moulded in plastics and comprises an elongate enclosure 11 of substantially square cross section having vertical side walls 12, 13, 14, 15 which merge into a horizontal base 16. A pair of wheels interconnected by an axle 21 assembly is mounted to extend across the rear wall 15 of the bin 10 adjacent the base 16. The bin enclosure 11 has an open mouth 25 surrounded by a reinforced peripheral ledge 26 which has a horizontal peripheral surface 27, a downwardly extending skirt 28 supported by spaced strengthening webs 29 which join the skirt 28 to the respective wall 12, 13, 14, 15 of the bin 10. At the rear top edge of the bin 10 there is provided an elongate bar 30 which is secured to the wall of the bin via four equally spaced webs 31. The bar 30 is arranged N\Melbournc\Cascs\Paten\72000-72999\P72726 AU\Spccs\P72726 AU Spccificaion 2007-8-24doc 27/08/07 4 to support a lid 32 which pivots about the bar on hinge pins 33 to close off the open mouth 25 of the bin. In ;use, the bin can be wheeled by pulling down on the bar to lift the base 16 of the bin clear of the ground. Users C- 5 of the bin can thus wheel a full and heavy bin to a desired location.

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00 These bins have also been designed to be emptied by comb and grab lifters which are mounted on trucks. When using F1 0 a grab lifter, the trucks drive up to the bin and pick up Sthe bin while clamping around the wall 13. In both C-I operations, the bin is being lifted up so that it tilts forwards and empties its contents into an appropriate receptacle.

In recent years, there have been proposals to place a transponder on the bin and incorporate a reader into the lifting mechanism so that every time a bin is picked up and emptied, it is read by the reader so that the identification of bins in known as is the frequency of the emptying process and, if necessary, the weight of product emptied. In this invention, it is proposed to modify the tooling associated with the moulding of the bin so that a chip nest 50 is provided underneath the downturned ledge at the open mouth of the bin on the right hand side of the bin 10 as it is viewed from the front. The nest 50 is moulded in plastics and adapted to accommodate a chip which is usually in the form of a circular disc. The nest is designed to support discs of varying thicknesses and the design of the assembly is such that, through use of robotic means, the bin can be injection moulded and have the chips placed in situ in one assembly line.

As shown in Figures 4 to 6, the chip nest 50 comprises a pair of spaced corner posts 51, 52 which project downwardly from the underside of the top ledge 26 with a pair of spaced supporting webs 53, 54 projecting from the N \Mclbvurne\Cas\Patent\7200-7299\P72726AIJ\Spcis\P72726 AU Specification 2007-8-24 doc 27/08/07

I

5 Q)downwardly facing vertical wall 13 of the bin. The corner c-I tposts 51, 52 each comprise an L-shaped flange which ;projects downwardly from underside of the ledge. Each flange defines a side wall 56 and a top wall 57 and the C 5 top wall 57 has a downwardly extending rib 58. As shown in Figure 5, the two corner posts 51, 52 in association ND with the ledge and wall of the bin define a gap 59 into 00 which a circular disc shaped chip 70 can be slid from the underneath of the bin. The gap between the downwardly extending ribs 58 on the top wall and the upwardly extending webs 53, 54 on the wall of the bin is slightly 1 less than the thickness of the chip 70 so that the chip is a press fit into the gap and this press fit forces the top wall 58 of each corner post 51, 52 slightly upwardly to accommodate the chip 70. As a further means of ensuring the chip remains secured in its nest, each side wall 56 has a forwardly projecting arcuate finger 60 which acts like a resilient spring against the periphery of the chip.

Thus when a chip is inserted into the nest, the front edge of the chip 70 first forces the fingers 60 apart and when the chip is fully inserted so that it abuts against the underside of the ledge, the fingers 60 engage the periphery of the chip to hold it in position. In this matter, the nest 50 ensures the chip 70 is held securely and accurately with its planar face vertical and parallel to the outer wall 13 of the bin 10. The resilient flexibility of the fingers 60 and the ribs 58 on the top wall of the corner posts 51, 52 ensures that the nest can accommodate chips of varying thicknesses and it is envisaged that the nest 50 can accommodate chips 70 which vary from 1 to 8 mm in thickness.

The chip nest has been designed to ensure that, notwithstanding the harsh shock loads and wide range of temperatures that bins of this kind are subjected to, the chip will remain in situ. The chip has been positioned on the right hand side of the bin when viewed from the front N \elboume\Caes\jalent\72000.72999\P72726 AL\Specjs\P72726AU Specifiation 2007-8-24 doc 27/08/07 -6because this is the most satisfactory position for a reader on a grappling arm to come into proximity to the ;bin as it is lifted and tipped into a collection vehicle.

This protocol suits the Australian means of picking up and 5 emptying bins of this kind.

IND It is, however, understood that this invention is 00 applicable to a variety of different bins and the chip nest can be positioned in a variety of different positions on the bin.

(I The vertical chip nest provides the bin with a number of advantages. The chip and the bin have been designed to pass tests specified in European Standard EN840.5 and Australian Standard AS 4123.5 (draft). The chip nest itself is an insert into the mould which is used to manufacture the bins and therefore can be mass produced with minor modification. The chip nest is also designed to house different thicknesses of chips. The chips do not require any mechanical locking devices such as screws or pop rivets and once the chip is inserted, the resilient fingers can be bent further inwardly to ensure the chip is held tightly. In a further embodiment not described above, an additional reinforcement, to ensure against dislodgement of the chip, is to fill the cavity with silicone.

The chip nest is also designed so the chips can be inserted during production or at a later stage, in the field. The positioning of the chip nest ensures the chips are always in the same position thus assisting the customer in setting up the lifting equipment and readers across a fleet of trucks. Finally, the design of the chip nest has been conducted to ensure the least amount of shrinkage on the bin rim. This reduces the likelihood of the chip nest being exposed and also assists with hiding of the position of the chip.

N Melborne\Cases\Patcnt\72000.72999\P72726 ALASpecis\P72726 AU Spcificaion 2007-8-24 doc 27/08/07

Claims

2. The mobile garbage bin according to claim 1 wherein the chip nest is moulded in resilient plastics to accommodate chips of varying thickness.
3. The mobile garbage bin according to either claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the chip nest comprises a pair of spaced corner posts each defining a side wall and a top wall, the walls defining a gap into which can be inserted the chip as a press fit.
4. The mobile garbage bin according to claim 3 wherein resilient fingers extend from each corner post into the gap to engage and hold the chip in the gap. A mobile garbage bin substantially described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. N \Melboumc\CsePatent\72000-72999\P72726 AtASpecis\i'2726 AU Specification 2007.8-24 doc 27/08107