EP0137416A2

EP0137416A2 - Washing and disinfecting apparatus, particularly for roadside trash bins

Info

Publication number: EP0137416A2
Application number: EP84111504A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Adolfo Cristanini
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1983-10-07
Filing date: 1984-09-27
Publication date: 1985-04-17
Also published as: ES8607165A1; EP0137416A3; IT1195672B; IT8384965A0; ES536517A0

Abstract

The invention is concerned with a washing and disinfecting apparatus, particularly for roadside trash bins (7). The entire apparatus is advantageously mounted on a vehicle (2) and comprises a robot, such as a hydraulically or pneumatically operated one, which can lift and tilt trash bins (7) to be washed and disinfected, raise and move into a working position a rotatable/translatable shower assembly (4) having one or more jets (8) arranged to sweep the whole interior surface of a bin, lay down the cleansed bin, and return the shower assembly (4) to its home position. The apparatus further comprises a superheating boiler and a pump for pressurizing water to be supplied to the rotatable/translatable shower assembly (4). The inner walls of the bin are, therefore, cleansed by the combined effect of several actions, namely: at least one mechanical action of dirt dislodgement afforded by the jet(s), a thermal action resulting from the use of the superheated water, and a chemical action provided by the admixture of a detergent to the water.

Description

This invention relatea to a washing and disinfecting apparatus, particularly for roadside trash bins.
In recent years, the large-scale adoption of wheel-mounted bins for collecting garbage has resulted in greatly reduced, or at least significantly attenuated, costs for community garbage collection. Public hygiene considerations dictate, however, that the bins in the field be occasionally, if not regularly, washed and possibly disinfected. The bin washing and disinfecting operations have been conventionally carried out, heretofore, almost invariably either by some manual procedure (albeit such an approach is hardly an acceptable one, especially in large urban districts) or automatically through the use of tank trucks equipped with a hoisting/tilting device and a pump unit adapted to provide one or more cold water jets for sprinkling the interior walls of a bin, with the latter being suspended upside down from the hoisting/ tilting device. However, the jet(s) is(are) held fixedly, or alternatively, arranged for rotation about one or more axes which are fixed relatively to the interior walls of a bin to be washed. Such prior arrangements have been generally unsuccessful, both from the hygienic and economical standpoints. There are several reasons for such failure. Firstly, many interior areas of a bin being washed are not swept directly by the fixed or rotary jets, and a large proportion of the dirt stubbornly adhering on the bin walls fails to be subjected to an adequate mechanical removing action by the water. Accordingly, even the chemical action of any detergent products added to the water is likely to be a mild one, despite the use of large amounts of water per bin, this water going wasted to a large extent along with the detergent dissolved in it.
This invention is directed to provide a washing and disinfecting apparatus which can sweep, with one or more jets, the entire surface of a bin interior to be cleansed so as to generate at all points acrosssaid surface a powerful mechanical action effective to dislodge any dirt, even where solid, adhering on the bin walls and bottom.
A further object of this invention is to arrange for the apparatus to utilize the thermal effect to maximize the chemical action of detergents used in the water in order to provide an optimum cleansing effect involving waste of neither water nor detergent, thereby enhancing operating hygiene and economy.
It is another object of the invention to arrange for the apparatus to be highly reliable, apt to be manufactured at a competitive cost, and practical and easy to operate.
These and other objects, such as will be apparent hereinafter, are achieved by a washing and disinfecting apparatus, particularly for roadside trash bins, which comprises a hoisting/tilting device for bins to be washed and disinfected, a shower assembly adapted to act on the interior wall(s) of a bin and connected to a water supply, and is characterized in that the shower assembly includes at least one jet nozzle mounted rotatably on a spindle lying with its axis across the jet, a spindle holder adapted to be translated reciprocatingly along a preset working path, a control means for rotating the nozzle on the spindle, and a drive means for translating the spindle holder simultaneously with the rotation of the nozzle(s), thereby the nozzle(s) is(are) allowed to sweep the whole interior surface of a bin during one translational movement or pass of said holder along the working path.
Further aspects and advantages of the invention will be more readily understood from the following description of an embodiment thereof, with reference to the accompanying drawings, where:

Figure 1 is a side view showing diagramatically a motor vehicle equipped with an apparatus acoording to the invention and in engagement relationship with a bin on the ground;
Figure 2 is a side view of a shower assembly of the apparatus of Figure 1, shown in both the extended and folded conditions thereof;
Figure 3 is a fragmentary view of the left-hand side with some components shifted angularly from the detail view of Figure 2; and
Figure 4 is a hydraulic diagram.

With reference to the drawing figures, generally indicated at 1 is an apparatus according to the invention which, as shown in Figure 1, is advantageously mounted on a vehicle, e.g. a truck 2. The apparatus 1 shown comprises an either hydraulically or pneumatically operated robot which comprises essentially a hoisting/tilting device 3, a shower assembly 4 (Figures 2 and 3), one or more water tanks 5, and a boiler pressurizing assembly 6.
The hoisting/tilting device 3 is placed, for example, in the rear portion of the truck 2 and adapted to engage a wheel-mounted roadside bin 7 to be cleansed, lift and overturn it so as to bring it upside down adjacently a shower assembly 4, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, and then lay it down on completion of the washing operation. A detailed description and illustration of the device 3 will be omitted herein because this may be a conventional hoisting/tilting device as employed on trucks operated to pick up garbage from roadside bins.
The shower assembly 4 shown in Figures 2 and 3 comprises a nozzle 8 fed, through a line not shown, from the boiler pressurizing assembly 6 and adapted to issue a jet. The nozzle attachment base is inserted into a holder 9 which is locked on the output shaft 10 of a drive motor 11, such as a hydraulic motor. As may be seen, the axis 12 of the shaft 10 extends normal to the axis 13 of the nozzle. The motor 11 can perform alternate rotations in either directions, e.g. through about 270⁰, thanks to its being provided with rotation direction reversing means, such as electric limit switches, not shown. The motor 11 is, in turn, carried on the free end of an arm 14,whose other end is connected to the output shaft 15 of a torque generator, generally indicated at 16. The arm 14 extends perpendicularly to both the axis 12 and axis 15, which lay on respective perpendicular planes to each other.
The torque generator 16 is mounted on a raised portion 17 of an upper arm 18, which is journalled at 19 to one end of a lower arm 20 having its other end journalled at 21 to a fixed support, such as an anchoring block 22 securely attached, e.g. bolted, to the truck 2. A respective jack actuator, 23 and 24, is journalled between the arms 18 and 20, and between the arm 20 and block 22.
The hydraulic motor 11, torque generator 16, and water supply to the nozzle 8 are driven hydraulically, for example, in the manner diagramatically illustrated by Figure 4. The hydraulic circuit of Figure 4 has its input end E connected to a pressurized liquid supply, not shown, to which the output end U is also connected. The circuit includes five distributors, e. g. five electromagnetic distributors 25,26,27,28 and 29, a relief valve VI, pressure reducers RP, flow regulators RF, and driven cut-off valves VBP. The distributor 25 drives the hydraulic motor 11, the distributor 26 controls the torque generator 16, the distributors 27 and 29 control the jacks 23 and 24, respectively, and the distributor 28 controls a jack 30 which drives, in turn, a delivery valve (not shown) for the water from the assembly 6 flowing to the nozzle 8.
The boiler assembly 5 may include a fast oil or gas firing boiler, e.g. of the type described or illustrated in published Italian Patent Application No. 84913 A/80 filed on February 15, 1980, which can supply pressurized hot water by virtue of its connection to a high pressure pump.
The operation of the washing and disinfecting apparatus just described is comparatively simple.
Once the boiler assembly 6 is in operation and ready to deliver superheated water under pressure, a bin 7 may be brought close to the hoiating/tilting device 3, which will overturn it above the shower assembly 4. The operator will then start the automatic washing and disinfecting cycle. This cycle begins with the extension of the arms 18 and 20 from the folded position shown at the bottom of Figure 2 to the raised position whereat the shower assembly 4 is brought under the bin 7. The extension of the arms 18 and 20 is effected by the jacks 23 and 24, which operate at different angular velocities and have their extension movements to the preset position stopped by travel end devices such as electric limit switches. At the end of the raising movement of the arms 18 and 20, the distributor 28 will energize the jack 30 to admit superheated pressurized water to the nozzle 8. At the same time, the distributors 25 and 26 will operate both the hydraulic motor 11 and torque generator 16. The nozzle 8 issues then a powerful jet and will be controlled by the motor 11 to perform relatively fast and frequent movements through 270° in either directions, while the jet is being caused to impinge on the inner walls of the bin 7. As the nozzle 8 is rotated about the pivot pin or axis 10, the torque generator 16 slowly moves the arm 14 to cause the assembly including the nozzle 8, motor 11, and arm 14 to travel along a 2100 arc of a circle.
The number of the oscillations of the nozzle 8 about the shaft 12 is related to the angular velocity of the arm 14 rotation about the shaft 15 such that the jet issuing from the nozzle 8 can sweep the whole interior surface of the bin. A full cleansing cycle may include a single translation or rotation through 210° of the arm 14, as well as a forward translation or pass and a return one. It should be noted that the bin interior surface is subjected both to the mechanical action of the jet issuing from the nozzle 8 and to the thermal action brought about by the super- cheated water, as well as to the chemical action of the detergent(s) dissolved in the water. Further, the use of superheated water enables a physical sterilization in addition to a chemical sterilization by any suitable substances dissolved in the water, of the bins 7. Washing and disinfecting take place simultaneously without recycling of the foul water and chemicals dissolved therein, which are instead supplied at all times advantageously "fresh". The combined mechanical/ thermal/chemical action affords a greatly reduced consumption and washing time, which reflects in a high output (cleansed bins/hour) and, hence, economical convenience of the apparatus as a whole.
On completion of either a single or two-pass cleansing cycle, the jacks 23 and 24 will lower or fold down the shower assembly 4 back to a home or folded position, as shown at the bttom of Figure 2At this time, a cleansing cycle end sound
device would be preferably energized to warn the operator of the robot being ready to operare the hgisting/tilting device to lower the
washed and disinfected bin 7 onto the ground,
The invention as disclosed bereinebove is
to many modifications and changes within its protection scope, Thus, as an example, the translational scope. Thus, as an example, the translational movement, instead of taking place along an are of a circle, could follow any desired arcuate path, or
a rectilinear path.
In particular, both the materials and dinensionr used may vary contingent on individual requirements.

Claims

1. An apparatus for washing and di sinfecting cavities, in particular roadside trash bins, comprising a hoisting/tilting device (3) for bins (7) to be washed and disinfected, a shower assembly (4) adapted to act on the interior wall(s) of a bin (7) and connected to a water supply, characterized in that the shower assembly (4) includes at least one jet nozule (8) mounted rotatably on a spindle (12) lying with its axis (13) across the jets a spindle holder (14) adaped to be translated reciprocatingly along a preset working path, a control means (11) for rotating the nozzle (8) on the spindle (12), and a drive means (16) for translating the holder (14) simultaneously with the rotation of the nozzle(s) (8), thereby the nozzle(s) (8) is(are) allowed to sweep the whole interior surface of the bin (7) during one translational movement or pass of said holder along the working path.

2. An apparatus according to Claim 1, characterized in that the said control means (11) is adapted to impart the nozzle (8) a rotary motion alternately in either directions within a preset angle of rotation smaller than 360°.

3. An apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said drive means is effective to cause said holder to translate along a curvilinear path.

4. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the shower assembly (4) further comprises a raising apparatus for shifting said assembly (4) from a home position to a working position located at the mouth of a bin (7) to be cleansed, and vice versa.

5. An apparatus according to Claim 4, characterized in that the said raising apparatus comprises a first arm (20) having one end journalled to a fixed support (22), a second arm (18) journalled to and folding onto the first arm (20) and carrying: the shower assembly (4), and an actuating means (23,24) for the first and second arms.

6. An apparatus according to Claim 2 or 3 or 5, characterized in that the said control, drive and actuating means (11;16;23,24) is hydraulically or pneumatically operated.

7. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the water supply includes a heating boiler (6) and a means of pressurizing the water to be supplied to the nozzle(s) (8).

8. A motor vehicle equipped with a washing and disinfecting apparatus as claimed in any Claim 1 to 7.

9. A washing and disinfecting apparatus, particularly for roadside trash bins, substantially as herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.