EP0941948A1

EP0941948A1 - Assembly for collecting and compressing waste and method therefor

Info

Publication number: EP0941948A1
Application number: EP98200724A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Max Gregor Paping
Original assignee: Budev BV
Current assignee: Budev BV
Priority date: 1998-03-09
Filing date: 1998-03-09
Publication date: 1999-09-15

Abstract

An assembly (1) for collecting rubbish, waste and the like comprises:

a frame construction (2) arrangeable at a desired waste disposal location,
receiving means (44) for receiving rubbish, which receiver is mounted within the frame construction in such a way as to be displaceable in the frame construction between a number of releasable, lockable positions (64), the positioning of the receiving means within the frame construction being dependent on pressure exertable on the receiving means.

Description

The present invention relates to an assembly for collecting rubbish, waste and the like, and to a method for collecting rubbish utilizing said assembly.
Waste containers wherein waste is compressed in order to increase the amount of waste which can be collected in a single bin liner for example, are known. A problem with such waste containers is that they are often very large in size due to the room needed therein to house the waste compressor. Accordingly such waste containers take up a large area when in position. This is particularly inconvenient when space is lacking.
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved waste container.
According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided an assembly for collecting rubbish, waste and the like, said assembly comprising:

a frame construction arrangeable at a desired waste disposal location,
receiving means for receiving rubbish, which receiver is mounted within the frame construction in such a way as to be displaceable in the frame construction between a number of releasable, lockable positions, the positioning of the receiving means within the frame construction being dependent on pressure exertable on the receiving means.

Since the receiving means which preferably comprise a bin-like container and a waste disposal bag are displaceable within the frame construction, waste can be disposed into the assembly, pressure exerted thereon in order to compress said waste, whereby the amount of volume within the assembly taken up by the waste decreases, until this compression force reaches a level whereby the bin and waste bag are released from their locked position and depressed further into the assembly, whereafter more waste can be disposed of therein.
Accordingly compression only needs to take place between the surface of the pre-compressed waste, lying on the receiving means, and waste which has been disposed of into the assembly but has yet to be compressed. In such a way a compact waste assembly is provided which can receive a large amount of waste before this waste has to be removed from the assembly.
Further features of the assembly according to the present invention are to be found in claims 2-10.
According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for collecting rubbish, preferably using the above assembly, comprising the steps of:

disposing of rubbish into a rubbish container to lie against a rubbish receiver arranged within the container,
compressing the rubbish against the rubbish receiver,
disposing of more rubbish into said rubbish container to lie on top of this pre-compressed rubbish,
compressing this non-compressed rubbish against the pre-compressed rubbish until the compression force exerted on the rubbish receiver is such to displace this with respect to a rubbish disposal opening of the container whereby more rubbish disposal area within the container is created.

The invention will now be elucidated by means of the following description which refers to the figures, wherein
figure 1 shows a partially cut away perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of the assembly according to the present invention,
figure 2 shows a partially cut away side view of the assembly from figure 1,
figure 3 also shows a partially cut away side view of the assembly from figure 1, when full with waste,
figure 4 shows a side view of the assembly from figure 1 in an open position for the disposal and removal of waste therefrom,
figures 5 a, b, c show a partially cut away side view of a second preferred embodiment of the assembly according to the present invention,
figures 6 a, b and c show a third preferred embodiment of the assembly according to the present invention,
figures 7 a and b show partially cut away side views of a fourth preferred embodiment of the assembly according to the present invention,
figures 8 and 9 show partially cut away perspective views of fifth and sixth embodiments of the present invention,
figure 10 shows a partially cut away side view of a seventh embodiment of the present invention,
figure 11 shows a partially cut away perspective view of an eighth embodiment of the assembly according to the present invention,
figures 12 a, b, c and d show a partially cut away side view of a ninth preferred embodiment of the present invention,
figure 13 a, b and c shows a partially cut away side view of a tenth preferred embodiment of the present invention, and
figure 14 a, b, c and d shows a partially cut away side view of an eleventh preferred embodiment of the assembly according to the present invention.
An assembly 1 (figure 1) comprises a frame 2 comprising a flat bottom part 4, two upstanding side parts 6 and a flat top part 8.
A cover 10, arranged on the frame 2 consists of two side walls 12 and a rear wall 14, which extend over the bottom frame parts 4 to contact the ground.
A front canopy 16 extends from a lid 18, mounted on the top of the frame 2, to cover a bottom front rod 20 of the frame 2. This canopy 16 is hingeably mounted on the bottom part 4 of the frame 2 by means of two pins 22 extending between sockets 24 mounted on the bottom part 4 of the frame 2, washers 26, affixed to lower side edges 28 of the canopy 16 and blocks 30 affixed to the washers 26.
The canopy 16 is provided with side walls 32 which extend diagonally upwards from the blocks 30 to terminate in an upper edge 34 thereof which extends towards the rear wall 14 (see figure 4).
A holder 36 is attached to the canopy 16 by means of two side integral channels 38 affixed to the canopy side walls 32. Stabilizing profiles 40, having an H form in x-section, are mounted within the channels 38. When the assembly is closed, as shown in figures 1-3, the channels 38 rest on top of the frame bottom side parts 4 to keep the bottom of the holder spaced at a distance from the ground. Buffer blocks 42, mounted on side walls of the holder 36 also rest against the frame parts 4 to keep the holder in this position when the assembly is closed.
A waste container 44 is mounted within the assembly by means of contoured sections 46, arranged on side walls of the container to extend from an upper waste receiving opening 48 thereof to a bottom wall 50 thereof, which contours 46 couple with the stabilizing 'H' profiles 40, fig 1.
A waste-press 52 is mounted underneath the lid 18 and comprises a motor 54 which drives a compressing plate 56 upwards and downwards by means of trellis elements 58.
Since the motor 54 is horizontally arranged with respect to the trellis elements 58 of the waste-press, a very compact, efficient waste compressing, disposal assembly is provided.
A guiding strip 60 is arranged vertically in the holder 36 and consists of a slot 62 extending between the top and bottom of the strip and a number of openings 64 arranged one above the other parallel to the slot 62.
A hand-tag 65 is affixed to the holder above this strip 60.
A housing 66 is mounted underneath the holder 44, see also figs 2-3, and houses a pivotable locking pin 68, and a spring 70 attached to a rear lip 72 of the pin 68 to depend in a channel 74 of the housing 66.
Two guide wheels 76 are mounted laterally on a strut 78, also mounted on the housing 66, to extend through the slot 62.
A number of rollers 80 are arranged around an upper opening of the holder 36. As shown in figures 2-3 for example, a waste disposal bag 82 is placed in the container 44 so that upper edges of the bag 82 depend from the rollers 78 between the holder 36 and the assembly 14 cover and canopy 16 respectively.
Since the waste bag is unraveled around a set of rollers, the force exerted on the sidewalls of the bag is kept to a minimum in order to prevent tearing and ripping of the bag. In this way a very hygienic waste disposal system is provided.
The assembly is preferably mounted on support blocks 84 (see figures 2-4) in order to facilitate cleaning thereunder.
A lip-like handle 86 is affixed at the top of the canopy 16 in order to facilitate opening and closing of the assembly.
In use the user simply pulls the handle 86 towards him or herself whereby the canopy 16, the holder 36, and the waste container 44 pivot outwards about the pins 22.
A depending profile 88 of the canopy 16 prevents further pivoting as this breaks against the ground (see figure 4).
In the waste removal and waste disposal position (as shown in figure 4), the compressing plate is fully retracted, in order to enable free movement of the container 36.
Waste is then simply disposed of into the waste bag 82 in the waste container 44 and the assembly closed by means of pushing the handle 86 in order to pivot the holder 36 around the pins 22 back into the closed position (as shown in figure 1-3).
The waste press 52 is then started whereby the compressing plate 56 is, by means of expansion of the trellis elements 58 downwardly displaced to compress waste 90 in the container 44 against the bottom thereof (see figure 2). As the waste 90 is compressed, an increasing force is exerted on the container 44, whereby this is displaced downwardly by means of the container profiles 46 being pushed down into the 'H' profiles 40 of the holder 36.
On doing so, the pin 68 is also displaced downwardly, so that its lower surface comes into contact with an upper edge of the subsequent opening 64. On doing so, the pin 68 is rotated upwards, whereby the rear lip 72 thereof is forced downwards against the spring 70.
The spring 70 offers an amount of resistance against this compression force, however, once this compression force becomes too great, the rear lip 72 of the pin 68 compresses the spring 70 to such an extent that the pin 68 is forced downwards into the next subsequent opening 64, in which opening it then locks the container 44. This process can be repeated, i.e. the assembly opened, waste disposed off into the container, the assembly subsequently closed, whereby the non-compressed waste is then compressed against the precompressed waste residing in the container, until again the compression force exceeds the resistive force of the spring, whereby the container is depressed further into the assembly to be releasably locked in position at a subsequent locking opening (see figure 3).
On depression of the container further into the assembly, the waste bag is unrolled over the rollers 78 until this is almost completely filled with waste (see also figure 3). When the waste bag is full, the assembly is opened, the waste bag removed, and the container raised to its first receiving position (as shown in figure 2) by simply pulling the container upwards by means of the tag 65. In this position, the assembly is again ready to be filled with waste, whereafter the waste compression can recommence.
The frame is preferably made of metal whereby the container, holder, cover and canopy can all be made of a lightweight, strong synthetic material.
The waste-bag can be provided with small perforations wherethrough moisture can escape into the container.
It will be noted that the size, and particularly the length, of the assembly can be made to the specific requirements of the end user. In this way, the assembly according to the present invention can be used in a number of locations such as restaurants, factories, airplanes, caravans, hospitals and motorhomes to name but a few.
In a second preferred embodiment of the assembly according to the present invention as shown in figures 5a, b and c, a pivotable waste container 100 is housed in a outer shell 102 which is provided with an opening 104, wherein a cylinder-like drum 106 having four waste receiving chambers 108 is housed, whereby waste is disposed into these chambers, the drum rotated so that the waste falls thereout into the container 100 onto a plate-like receiver 110. The container is then pivoted back to its vertical position as shown in figure 5b, whereafter the waste is compressed against the receiving plate 110.
Such an assembly is particularly useful where contact with the disposed of waste must be guarded against, for example in hospitals when disposing of used medical equipment and the like. Furthermore the presence of the cylinder drum also acts as a security mechanism to prevent one trapping one's hand between the container and the waste press for example.
In a third preferred embodiment of the assembly according to the present invention (figures 6a, b and c), a waste receiving container 120 is provided with two oppositely arranged doors 122, which are vertically displaceable in a slot 124 of the container and pivotable about a pin 126 in said slot, in order to provide two oppositely arranged waste disposal openings 128. Two flaps 130 are pivotly arranged behind these openings 128.
In use, the doors 122 are lifted and pivoted open, whereafter waste is disposed of into the container 120 through the openings 128, the flaps 130 pivoting inwards during waste disposal. The waste comes to rest against a receiving plate 132 whereafter the flaps 130 are shut so that compression of the waste can be carried out as shown in figure 6b, by means of the press 134.
In figure 7a and b, a fourth preferred embodiment of the assembly according to the present invention is shown, whereby the waste press is housed in a hingeable lid 140 thereof, which hingeable lid can be tilted to provide a waste disposal opening 142, whereafter the lid can be closed and waste compression carried out.
Figures 8, 9 and 10 show further embodiments of the assembly according to the present invention, whereby a length of material M can be arranged over the trellis elements of the waste press in order to prevent waste from becoming entrapped therebetween. A concertina-like shield C can also be provided around the waste-press (as shown in figure 9) for carrying out the same function.
In figure 10 a second flexible waste bag B made of paper can be arranged within the plastic waste bag. This embodiment is particularly useful for dispensing of and compressing, n.b. the waste press is not shown in fig 10, paper towels for example, since the paper waste-bag containing the compressed paper towels can simply be removed from the assembly and placed on the street for collection of used paper, whereby pre-sorting of the waste for different refuse collectors is obviated.
Figure 11 shows an eighth embodiment of the present invention which is particularly useful for dispensing of and compressing soft drink cups. In this embodiment, a base 150 of a receiving container 152 is composed of four interlocking triangular pieces 154 which meet in the middle of the base 150. On exerting pressure against this base 150, the cups are crushed until the flaps 154 are pushed downwards to yield an opening wherethrough these crushed cups fall into a waste bag for example.
Figure 12a-d shows a preferred embodiment of the assembly, specifically used for disposing of and compressing synthetic fast food packages, such as hamburger packages. In this embodiment, the waste receiving container 160 is held in place within a holder 162, by means of a number of tensioned elements 164 affixed to the assembly by means of springs 166. Since each of these elements 164 has a truncated profile, the receiver 160 is held in place by the upper surface of such a profile which is not being squeezed against the wall of the assembly by the container 160 (as shown in figure 12a).
A length of waste packaging material 168, such as cardboard, is associated with an opening 170 of the assembly to extend below the waste press 172. In use, the packages 174 are dispensed through the opening 170, whereafter this is compressed, the press 172 separating a length 176 of the waste packaging material in the process (figure 12b). The press is subsequently raised (figure 12c) whereafter the process is repeated, until the assembly is full of compressed packages, individually separated by lengths of waste packaging material, (as shown in figure 12d). The truncated form of the profiles 164 enables a smooth downward displacement of the receiver 160 and an effective locking thereof between compression cycles.
A variant of this embodiment is shown in figure 13a, b and c, whereby the packages are simply disposed into the assembly onto a waste disposal bag 180 arranged around a set of rollers 182.
A roll of waste packing material 184 is associated with the opening. After dispensing of the packaging, a length of this material 184 is arranged over the packages by means of compression of the waste press 186 and subsequently cut off by means of a cutting head 188 to separate the disposed packages within the waste bag 180 (as shown in figure 13c).
An eleventh preferred embodiment of the assembly according to the present invention is shown in figure 14a-d. In this embodiment, a waste container 200, is pivotally arranged in a shell 202. A waste press 204 doubles as a receiving surface for waste. A waste bag 206 is arranged within the container 200 around a set of rollers 208. In use, the container is simply pivoted open and waste disposed of into the bag 206. The container is then pivoted back into its closed position (figure 14d) and the compression plate 210 of the press 204 is displaced upwards (figure 14c) by means of trellis elements 212 to compress the waste against the an underside of a top flat surface 214 of the shell 202. The compression plate 210 can than be retracted and more waste disposed of therein. As the compression force exceeds the resistive force of the spring associated with the locking pin, the waste press 210 is displaced downwardly into the container 200, the waste bag 206 unraveling as this is done so (see figure 14d). Once full of compressed waste, the container can simply be pivoted open, the waste removed and the whole process repeated.

Claims

Assembly for collecting rubbish, waste and the like, said assembly comprising:

a frame construction arrangeable at a desired waste disposal location,

receiving means for receiving rubbish, which receiver is mounted within the frame construction in such a way as to be displaceable in the frame construction between a number of releasable, lockable positions, the positioning of the receiving means within the frame construction being dependent on pressure exertable on the receiving means.
Assembly according to claim 1, further comprising compression means for compressing rubbish between said compression means and the receiving means.
Assembly according to claims 1 or 2 wherein the compression means comprise an automatic press arranged under a lid of the assembly to be displaceable between a compressing position and a non-compressing position.
Assembly according to claim 3 wherein the compression means comprise a motor for displacing a number of trellis elements between a compressed and an expanded position, which elements are associated with a compression member, preferably taking the form of a plate, wherein the motor is arranged substantially parallel with the compression member.
Assembly according to any of the preceding claims wherein the receiving means comprise a bin like container and/or a waste disposal bag.
Assembly according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising releasable, lockable means for releasably, locking the receiving means at a number of predetermined rubbish receiving positions within the frame construction.
Assembly according to claim 6, wherein the releasable, lockable means comprise a releasable,locking pin and a number of spaced apart co-operating openings wherethrough the locking pin is extendable.
Assembly according to claim 7 wherein the locking pin is mounted under the container in association with a compressible spring, and wherein the cooperating openings are associated with a holder mounted in the assembly between the frame and the receiving means.
Assembly according to any of the previous claims, further comprising stabilizing means for stabilizing the displacement of the receiving means within the frame.
Assembly according to claim 9, wherein the stabilizing means comprise a profiled member associated with the holder and a co-operating profiled member associated with the receiving means, which co-operating member is cooperably displaceable in the rail member.
Assembly according to claim 10, wherein the holder comprises a number of rollers arranged around an upper opening thereof where about the waste disposal bag is transportable between the frame construction and the bin like element.
Assembly according to any of the preceding claims further comprising shielding means for shielding the trellis elements from the waste.
Assembly according to any of the preceding claims further comprising a paper waste bag associated with the receiving means.
Method for collecting rubbish comprising the steps of:

disposing of rubbish into a rubbish container to lie against a rubbish receiver arranged within the container,

compressing the rubbish against the rubbish receiver,

disposing of more rubbish into said rubbish container to lie on top of this pre-compressed rubbish,

compressing this non-compressed rubbish against the pre-compressed rubbish until the compression force exerted on the rubbish receiver is such to displace this with respect to a rubbish disposal opening of the container whereby more rubbish disposal area within the container is created.
Use of an assembly according to any of the claims 1-13 for carrying out the waste disposal method according to claim 14.