CA2852784A1

CA2852784A1 - Vacuum food scraps and trash bin

Info

Publication number: CA2852784A1
Application number: CA2852784A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Weihua Sun; Xiaowei Yu
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2014-05-30
Filing date: 2014-05-30
Publication date: 2015-11-30

Abstract

A vacuum food scraps or trash bin has vacuum pump assembly installed to achieve vacuum pressure in the bin. The vacuum pump assembly may be manually driven piston type or an electrically driven vacuum pump type powered by solar panel with battery. A
push button on the lid or a foot pedal at the bin bottom is for releasing the bin vacuum pressure prior to opening the lid. A seal rubber gasket between the lid and bin body sustains the achieved vacuum pressure while the lid is closed. Suction heat with filter on the lid prevents the debris from plugging the vacuum pump while the air is being sucked out. This invention may be used in combination with food scraps or trash bins of different sizes and shapes.
This invention may benefit the air quality in communities by decreasing the odor emission from food scraps or trash bins while supporting the food scraps recycling program for sustainable community and environmental protection.

Description

Specification This invention relates to vacuuming the food scraps or trash bin to decrease the odor emission from food scraps or trash, slowing down the food scraps rotting process by decreasing the air/oxygen volume, and helping the communities promote food scraps recycling program.
It is common for people to experience the odor smell emitted from either food scraps bins or trash bins especially in hot weather. Communities' food scraps recycling programs are challenged due to the excessive malodorous smell from rotting garbage, flies, maggots and other vermin caused by food scraps. The conventional food scraps bin or trash bins are not designed to sustain the interior polluted air from emitting out to an open area and they are unsatisfactory for storing food scraps or stinky garbage for a week, typical garbage collection interval, in hot weather.
This invention found that these disadvantages of conventional food scraps bin and trash bin may be overcome by providing a built-in vacuuming system to decrease the oxygen amount in the bin for slower oxidizing process and seal the lid by vacuum pressure for less odor emission.
Such vacuum system allows an individual to pump the air out of the bin interior to obtain a certain vacuum percentage and the lid will be pressed to seal to reduce the odor emission. An individual may release the vacuum by either pushing the button on the lid or step on the petal at the bottom for lid opening.
Drawing VB-01 and VB-02 shows a typical vacuum pump assembly on a 40 gallons (150 liters) bin body Part 1. A seal gasket, Part 2, is grooved on the bin body to be pressed by the lid when the bin interior air is vented out. The gasket may be made of rubber, washable, replaceable, and sustained in position for effective sealing. A vacuum pump assembly, Part 3, together with vacuum pump cover, Part 4, forms the bin top lid. The vacuum pump cover is secured on top of the vacuum system assembly to protect the components from being compromised by mechanical impact, solar deterioration, or snow accumulation. The bin top lid is linked to the bin body by a lid swing arm, Part 5, for securing the top lid from falling to the ground while the lid is open for filling or dumping. A vacuum pump piston latch, Part 6, is used to secure the manual pump piston at the recovering position when the piston is pushed to the bottom. A
vacuum release pushbutton, Part 7, at the proximity of the vacuum pump cover handle provides a quick pressure release prior to opening the lid. The vacuum release push button is equipped with actively loaded spring pushing a rubber gasket against the lid interior surface for air-tight sealant and the exterior air goes into the bin through the opened gap while the push button is pressed down.

Drawing VB-03 details the vacuum pump assembly, Part 3. The base sheet, Part 31, provides a periphery tongue to press against the grooved seal gasket, a venting hole for vacuum release pushbutton, Part 7, and an openness for the venting cartridge block, Part 34.
The pump body support, Part 32, secure the pump cylinders on the base sheet for smooth and effective operation. The pump handle and hand protection shield, Part 33, provides an easy yet safe operation.
Drawing VB-04 describes the interior structure of the venting cartridge block.
Each isolated chambers has its own air suction head, Part 34A extends inside of the bin. A
washable and replaceable filter is attached to each air suction head to prevent the debris from plugging the vacuum pump. The one-way valve, Part 3B, comprises of a thick rubber or similar material attached to the block exterior wall for one way opening. The compressed air by pushing the pump down will force the one-way valve open. The valve will be closed if the bin interior pressure is lower than atmosphere. Another one-way valve, Part 3C, is identical to Part 3B, but can only be forced open when the pump piston is pulling out for air sucking. A
mounting base with gasket, Part 4D, is attached onto base sheet, Part 31 (shown in Drawing VB-03).

Claims

Claims The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1 A built-in vacuum assembly for sealing the lid onto food scraps bin or trash bin, comprising vacuum pumps, a venting block in which one-way valves are installed, a sealing gasket adapted around the bin body to be pressed by the lid for sustaining the vacuum pressure in the bin, a vacuum pressure release assembly to release the bin interior vacuum pressure prior to opening the lid, air suction heads with replaceable filters extending inside of the bin, and a cover with handle to protect the vacuum pumps and the respective components from mechanical, solar and climate damages.

2 A tool as defined in claim 1, in which the seal gasket is grooved on the bin body to be pressed by the lid, or vice versa, when the bin interior air is vented out. The gasket may be made of rubber, washable, replaceable, and sustained in position for effective sealing.

3 A tool as defined in claim 1, in which the vacuum pumps are manually driven piston type with handle or may be an electrically driven vacuum pump type powered by solar panel.

4 A tool as defined in claim 1, in which the manual piston type vacuum pump handle with hands protection shield is latched and secured onto the vacuum assembly top cover for splash water resistant.

A tool as defined in claim 1, in which the venting cartridge block has isolated air chambers with multiple one-way valves in order to gain backups in case of one air suction head being plugged and adapt to different bin sizes by installing different sizes and quantities of vacuum pumps.

6 A tool as defined in claim 1, in which the vacuum pump cover with handle is secured on top of the vacuum system assembly to protect the components from being compromised by mechanical impact, solar deterioration, or snow accumulation.

7 A tool as defined in claim 1, in which the air suction heads extend into the bin interior to provide a filtered channel for interior air being sucked out. The replaceable filters are secured onto the heads to prevent the debris from plugging the vacuum pumps.

8 A tool as defined in claim 1, in which the vacuum pressure release assembly may be a push button with actively loaded spring pushing a rubber gasket against the lid interior surface for air-tight sealant, the exterior air goes into the bin through the opened gap while the push button is pressed down. The vacuum pressure release assembly may be a foot pedal design secured onto the bin body with similar air sealant/release mechanism as the push button design.