EP0728680A1 - Refuse receptacle - Google Patents

Abstract

The rubbish container comprises a tub (1) having a bottom and a side wall with a rim (3,4) forming an opening and a pivoted cover (2). The cover rotates between two extreme positions of opening and closing by a web (7) fixed on the cover which is pivoted (6) to a web (5) on the tub. The tub web limits the travel of the cover by acting on the other web. The tub web has a lower edge with a convex section and the corresponding cover web has a stop surface with a concave surface complementary to the tub web edge. The web edge and stop surfaces come into contact and interrupt the rotation of the cover at a determined distance from the tub side wall.

Description

The invention relates to a container in particular for waste.

Containers are known comprising a tank consisting of a bottom and a side wall, provided with a rim defining the opening of the tank, as well as a cover hinged in rotation relative to the tank between two extreme positions. opening and closing.

The articulation is obtained thanks to at least one wing, integral with the cover, cooperating with at least one associated wing, integral with the tank.

Thus, the cover can be folded down in the closed position on the rim, while in the open position it is moved towards one face of the side wall.

These containers, in particular when they are used in building courtyards, are made available to residents, and emptied periodically by road services. At present, these containers are mostly made of plastic, such as polyethylene.

A drawback of these containers is that they are relatively noisy, in particular when they are moved, and when their lid is operated.

In general, noise pollution is produced when the cover, raised, falls on the horizontal rim of the tank. Also when, after having noted it beyond the vertical, the cover is released against the adjacent face of the side wall and strikes it.

In addition, the largest of these containers can be dangerous for the fingers or the hand, when the lid is suddenly released, after being lifted, and it then falls sharply, either on the rim of the tank, or on the adjacent face of the side wall.

Document EP-435,733 describes a container fitted with pads of elastic material, projecting between the underside of the cover and the rim of the tank to absorb the closing contact of the cover.

This document also describes a jack brake to slow the closing movement of the cover. This brake is heavy and built separately and then assembled with the cover, which increases the cost price.

Document DE-A-35.17.723 also describes a container fitted with pads of elastic damping material.

Document US-A-5,071,024 describes a device for locking or blocking a container cover in the open position, in order to avoid tipping of this cover which could strike the legs of a person moving the container.

document US-A-5,141,124 describes a container, the wings of which are provided with sectors and radial cavities which cooperate to allow the free cover to pivot by 90 ° and controlled by 270 °. These sectors and cavities are complex, weaken and make tedious the assembly of the tank and the lid.

None of these documents offers an effective and simple solution to the problem of noise caused by the impact of the cover against the side wall of the tank when it is opened.

The object of the invention is to solve this problem in a simple, light and economical manner.

The object of the invention is a container of the type defined above, of which at least one first wing has a stroke limiter, acting on the associated wing, limiting the movement of the cover so that said cover cannot come into contact with said side face in said open position.

The stroke limiter can be placed either on a wing of the cover or on a wing of the tank.

According to one embodiment, the first wing has, facing the associated wing, a first face comprising a flat portion terminated by a prominent stop, against which the associated wing comes into abutment in the open position.

According to one characteristic, the associated wing has, opposite the planar portion of the first face of the first wing, an opposite planar face arranged to slide on said planar portion during the rotation of the cover, while the stroke limitation stop has a profile combined with the profile of the lateral face adjacent to the opposite flat face.

According to a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the container has two wings projecting from the rim of the tank, curved upwards and spaced apart on either side of the vertical median plane of the tank, defining an axis of rotation situated above the plane of the rim of the tank. The wings of the tank have a lower edge with a convex profile. Two wings extending the cover, associated with the two wings of the tank, each have a lateral reinforcement extending in the vertical plane of the wings of the tank, and have a stop surface having a concave profile conjugate to the convex profile of the wings of the tank.

According to another particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, at least one of the wings has a contact element coming into contact with the edge of the wing which is associated with it, before the end of the closing movement of the cover, for braking this in order to reduce the noise at closing. This contact element can be produced by giving a beveled profile to the lateral reinforcement of the cover wing, on its side facing the associated tank wing in the closed position, so that this beveled surface comes into contact with the concave upper rim of the tank wing before the end of the lid closing movement. The lateral reinforcement can also be extended by a protruding portion, with an oblique profile relative to the associated wing of the tank.

This embodiment of the present invention can be carried out particularly advantageously by molding the cover with its wings and with its reinforcements limiting one-piece stroke, for example polyethylene or polypropylene.

• la figure 1 est une vue générale de l'articulation cuve-couvercle d'un conteneur;
• la figure 2 est une vue latérale d'une aile de la cuve et représente en trait discontinu une position intermédiaire d'arrêt en rotation du couvercle, et en trait alterné une position de fin de déformation élastique du couvercle arrêté ;
• la figure 3a montre une vue de dessous d'une aile de couvercle ;
• la figure 3b montre une vue latérale de la même aile de couvercle, le couvercle étant en coupe partielle ;
• la figure 3c est une coupe selon D-D de 3b.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention appear in the detailed description which follows, of an embodiment of the invention illustrated by the following appended figures.

• Figure 1 is a general view of the tank-lid joint of a container;
• Figure 2 is a side view of a wing of the tank and shows in broken lines an intermediate position for stopping the rotation of the cover, and in alternating lines a position of end of elastic deformation of the stopped cover;
• Figure 3a shows a bottom view of a cover wing;
• Figure 3b shows a side view of the same cover wing, the cover being in partial section;
• Figure 3c is a section along DD of 3b.

In FIG. 1, a container is seen comprising a tank 1 and a cover 2.

The tank is molded in one piece and comprises a side wall surmounted by a rim 3 formed so that it comprises a flat surface 4 on which the cover 2 rests.

One of the faces of the tank is extended by a pair of identical wings 5, the body of which is substantially vertical and bent upwards as shown in FIG. 2.

The wings 5 in the shape of "ears" curved upwards define a horizontal axis of rotation, which can be materialized by a handle, and on which the cover 2 is articulated.

In FIGS. 3a and 3b, the cover is extended by a pair of wings 7. Each has a circular orifice 8, capable of being placed opposite the corresponding circular opening 6 of a wing 5 of the tank.

The wings 5 and 7 thus form a hinge or hinge articulation.

The wings 7 each have a flat surface 9 surrounding the orifice 8, facing the corresponding flat surface 10 of the associated wing of the tank. The flat faces 9 and 10 facing the wings of the tank and the cover are here in contact. They are in slightly distant designs, given the clearances and manufacturing tolerances.

On the side of the cover, the wing 7 has an additional thickness forming a stop 11. The stop ends in a stop surface 12 adjacent to the flat face 9 of the wing 7 of the cover.

The stop 11 also constitutes a reinforcement of the wing 7 which improves the solidity and the longevity of the cover 2.

In FIG. 3a for example, the cover-wing-stop assembly is molded in one piece from plastic.

In FIG. 3b, the thickened stop 11 decreases in thickness on the side adjacent to the stop surface 12 along an oblique surface 14 forming a bevel and projecting from the wing.

Considering the shape of the stop visible in FIG. 3b, it is understood that the stop surface 12 is moved away from the corresponding wing 5 of the tank when the cover is closed, and also during almost all of its opening movement. .

By bringing Figures 2 and 3b together, it appears that the abutment surface 12 comes into contact against the lower rim 13 of the wing 5 of the tank when the cover 2 has turned and is substantially vertically downwards.

Then, the stop 11 (in fact its surface 12) is located in the rotation stop position shown in PA.

In this position, the stop 11 is not yet in contact over its entire surface 12 with the rim 13. Similarly, the cover 2 is then not in contact with the lateral face of the tank.

The stop 11 therefore acts as a stroke limiter which prevents the impact of the central part of the cover against the tank, shock generally generating significant noise, especially when the tank is empty and forms a resonance box.

Once the rotation of the cover 2 is interrupted by the partial contact of the surface 12 and the flange 13, the wing 7 undergoes elastic deformation due to the inertia stored by the opening rotation of the cover.

The structure and the dimensions of the wing 5 in particular are calculated so that the deformation cannot alter the cover 2, throughout its expected duration of use.

And for the cover 2 during maximum deformation of the wing 7 cannot reach, and therefore strike, the tank 1.

During this deformation, the surface 12 of the abutment is sort of unwound against the rim 13, to a position of end of deformation illustrated in PF in FIG. 2.

In this position PF, the surface 12 follows the rim 13, so that their contact is complete. By complete, it is meant that the contact is extended over a maximum area according to admissible conditions of use.

The deformation moving the surface 12 from the position PA to the position PF, results in an absorption of kinetic energy from the cover 2 at the end of opening.

And thus causes a gentle and effective damping of the cover 2 at the end of opening, before the so-called complete contact, of the stop 11 and of the wing 5.

Then, the wing 7 of the cover 2 regains a state without deformation, stable and such that the surface 12 is at a location close to or coincident with the position PF.

In summary, at least one wing 5 of the tank 1 has a lower edge 13 with a convex profile, while at least one corresponding wing 7 of the cover 2 has an abutment surface 12 of which a concave profile is substantially complementary to that of the edge 13, the latter 13 and the abutment surface 11 being arranged so that when the lid 2 is opened, the edge 13 and the surface 12 come into partial contact by interrupting the rotation of the lid 2 at a determined distance from the wall side of the tank 1, a space then being formed between the edge 13 and the surface 12 to allow an elastic damping deformation of the wing 5 of the cover 2 until the edge 13 and the surface 12 match substantially, without the cover 2 hitting the tank 1.

In certain embodiments, at least one stud (such as stud 11a in FIG. 3A) respectively projecting from the surface 12 and / or from the rim 13 as well as towards this rim 13 and / or the surface 12, are provided.

Here, the studs are in the form of a sphere section.

In an embodiment comprising a plurality of studs on the cover 2 and / or on the tank 1, these studs are of increasing size (diameter, projection) in a direction included in a plane perpendicular to the articulation of the cover 2, and in a meaning moving away from this articulation.

In the reverse movement for closing the cover 2, the bevelled surface 14 does not act as a stroke limiter, but it comes into contact with the upper edge 15 of the wing 5 before the cover is completely closed.

It then brakes the end of the movement by friction, a slight lateral deformation of the wings due to this contact being absorbed thanks to the elasticity of the materials used.

The stop 11 is said to be deformable.

The manufacturing materials used, in particular polyethylene (PET), having a certain elasticity, stopping the stroke causes a soft elastic shock, the effects of which are much less violent than a direct impact against the wall of the tank.

Similarly, such a shock is low in comparison with a usual stop against a fixed non-deformable stop.

The modified cover according to the invention has the advantage of being able to adapt to pre-existing tanks.

In addition to the opening stroke limiting device, reducing the noise when the container is opened, and / or the bevel braking device 14, the cover can also be fitted with a device limiting the closing noise.

For example, a pair of pads of elastic material, such as rubber, absorb the noise of the lid closing and are arranged in contact with the lid-rim of the vessel.

The cover damped both at opening and at closing, adaptable to existing tanks. It is also preferable, unlike the solution proposed by EP-435 733, to have the elastic pad (s) absorbing the shock and noise of the closure, not on the cover, but on the rim of the tank. Indeed, the rim of the tank is wide and can receive elastic pads of larger size. This arrangement is also advantageous because the noise produced by a cover, both when opening and closing, is a function of its moving mass: by placing the elastic pads on the tank and not on the cover, it reduces slightly the mass of the latter, and, taking into account the position of a shock-absorbing pad located on a cover at the level of the zone which describes the largest arc of a circle, the kinetic energy which must be absorbed is reduced at the end opening or closing of the cover.

Claims (9)

Waste container comprising a tank (1) consisting of a bottom and a side wall provided with a rim (3, 4) defining the opening of the tank (1) and a cover (2) articulated in rotation by relation to the tank between two extreme opening and closing positions thanks to at least one wing (7) secured to the cover cooperating with at least one associated wing (5) secured to the tank, so that the cover can be folded down in closed position on the rim (3, 4), and in the open position towards one face of the side wall, at least one first wing (5, 7) having a stroke limiter, acting on the wing associated (7, 5), limiting the movement of the cover (2), characterized in that at least one wing (5) of the tank (1) has a lower edge (13) with a convex profile, while at at least one corresponding wing (7) of the cover (2) has a stop surface (12) of which a concave profile is substantially complementary to that of the edge (13), the latter (13) and the abutment surface (11) being arranged so that when the lid (2) is opened, the edge (13) and the surface (12) come into partial contact by interrupting the rotation of the cover (2) at a determined distance from the side wall of the tank (1), a space is then provided between the edge (13) and the surface (12) to allow an elastic deformation damping of the wing (5) of the cover (2) until the edge (13) and the surface (12) substantially match, without the cover (2) hitting the tank (1). Container according to claim 1, characterized in that the first wing has, opposite the associated wing, a first face comprising a flat portion (9) terminated by a prominent stop (11) against which said associated wing abuts in said open position. Container according to claim 2, characterized in that the associated wing has, opposite the planar portion (9) of the first face, an opposite planar face (10), arranged to slide on the planar portion (9) during the rotation of the cover (2), the travel limitation stop (11) having a profile substantially conjugated to the profile of the lateral face (13) adjacent to the opposite flat face (10) Container according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by the presence of two wings (5) protruding from the rim of the tank, curved upwards and spaced apart on either side of a vertical median plane of the tank ( 2), defining an axis of rotation fixed above the plane (4) of the rim of the tank. Container according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by the presence of a contact element (14) on at least one wing (5, 7) coming into frictional contact with the edge of the associated wing (7, 5) before the end of the lid closing movement, without limiting said movement. Container according to claim 5, characterized in that said contact element comprises a friction surface (14) located on the stop (11) limiting the travel of each of the wings of the cover (7), adjacent to the stop surface (12 ), and facing the concave upper rim (15) of the associated tank wing (5). Container according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the wings carrying the stroke limitation stop are molded in one piece therewith and with the tank or the cover carrying the wings. Container according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it comprises at least one pad of elastic material, such as rubber, projecting from the upper face of the rim (3, 4), capable of coming opposite an edge of the cover (2) in the closed position. Container according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it comprises at least one stud (lla) projecting respectively from the surface (12) and / or the rim (13) as well as towards this rim (13) and / or the surface (12).

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