EP2336053B1

EP2336053B1 - Safety construction for closing an opening in the ground surface from which an underground waste container has been removed

Info

Publication number: EP2336053B1
Application number: EP10195746.2A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Marcel Rijken
Original assignee: Koninklijke Bammens BV
Current assignee: Koninklijke Bammens BV
Priority date: 2009-12-17
Filing date: 2010-12-17
Publication date: 2019-07-10
Anticipated expiration: 2030-12-17
Also published as: EP2336053A2; ES2739915T3; EP2336053A3; NL2003972C2; DK2336053T3

Description

Use is being made on increasingly larger scale both in and outside the Netherlands of underground waste containers with an insertion column situated above ground level. Such waste containers have for instance a size of about 2 meters by 2 meters by 4 meters. In order to prevent passers-by running the risk of falling into the underground opening when the waste container has been hoisted upward, use is made of safety provisions such as a rising safety floor or upward movable fences. For reasons of product engineering as well as for maintenance purposes, applicant prefers upward foldable panels which close off the opening in the hoisted position of the waste container.
NL-C-1032120 discloses a safety construction for closing an opening in the ground surface from which an underground waste container has been removed, comprising one or more pivotally arranged foldable floor parts.
The present invention provides a safety construction comprising: one or more pivotally arranged foldable floor parts, characterized in that each foldable floor part comprises a pivot construction for urging a floor part from a folded-down position to an upward folded position covering the opening, whereby each pivot construction comprises a vertically oriented arm part to support the pivot construction, a profile part pivotally arranged on the vertically oriented arm part, a shaft part, two inclining arms arranged at one side on the arm part and at the other side on the shaft part, and two helical tension springs, each attached between the shaft part and the profile part, wherein the shaft part is displaceable along the profile part into a locked position when the respective floor part is urged towards the upward folded position by the two helical tension springs, and wherein the pivot construction further comprises an unlocking finger arranged on the profile part and arranged to be urged into an upward directed position by the shaft part when positioned in the locked position, wherein the shaft part is unlocked by means of this unlocking finger by the weight of the underground waste container, or the force exerted by the underground waste container, when the underground waste container is moved downward against the unlocking finger.
Owing to the construction according to the present invention a floor part can easily be replaced, wherein the pivot construction causing the movement of the floor parts is then also replaced. No additional operations are required for fixing or releasing the floor parts and the pivot construction to or from the concrete underground walls. Because the pivot construction does not protrude relative to the floor part, or hardly so, it is extremely compact and the moving parts are fully shielded from the container. The floor parts can be positioned almost up to the ground surface, for instance up to about 5 centimeters there under, whereby no dangerous steps down are created in the unlikely event a passerby steps onto a floor part.
The pivot construction comprises two helical tension springs, which are deformed during the downward folding away along the pit construction, hereby providing the force required for the upward movement of the floor parts to the position closing the ground level opening. The two helical tension springs are each arranged at one end on the shaft part or pin which is displaceable along a metal profile part into a locked position, for which purpose a recess is arranged in the steel plate profile part. Practical tests have shown that the two helical tension springs of limited size can produce sufficient force to unlock a floor part and can be integrated into the construction of the floor part.
In the locking position the pin urges an unlocking finger in upward direction; this unlocking finger is then struck by the waste container when it is being moved downward before this waste container itself folds down the floor part.
In a further preferred embodiment the helical tension springs take a narrowed form toward one of the ends in order to reduce friction of the tension springs with the surrounding construction.
Further advantages, features and details are elucidated with reference to the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof; in the drawing:

Fig. 1 shows a schematic illustration of a device according to the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the device shown in figure 1, wherein the floor panels have been folded away by the underground container;
Fig. 3 is a perspective, partially broken-away view of detail III of figure 1;
Fig. 4 is a perspective, partially broken-away view of detail IV of figure 3; and
Fig. 5 is a bottom view of the embodiment shown in figure 4 in locked position;
Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a further preferred embodiment of an apparatus according to the present invention;
Fig. 7 is a perspective view of detail VII of Fig. 6;
Fig. 8 is a perspective view of detail VIII of Fig. 7;
Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of Fig. 6 in folded away position;
Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the embodiment according to Fig. 6 in folded away position wherein the floor panel has been taken out, and
Fig. 11 and Fig. 12 are a side view in two different positions.

A safety construction 10 (figures 1,2) comprising two upward foldable floor parts or panels 11, 12 is preferably arranged about 5 centimeters below ground surface 3 on a concrete construction 5 comprising side walls 6,7. An underground waste container 8 comprises an insertion column 9 and a lifting construction 4 for hoisting or lowering the waste container. Floor parts 11, 12 are moved to the opened position by the force (weight) of waste container 8, wherein these floor parts lie against the respective side walls 6, 7.
In the locked position (fig. 3) unlocking levers or fingers 13, 14 and 15, 16 respectively protrude in upward inclining direction from each floor part 11, 12. Pivotable or foldable floor parts 11, 12 are attached to the top side of concrete construction 5 via frames 21 with eight screw bolts (not shown).
In the locked position shown in figure 3 robustly formed arm parts 22 are oriented vertically so as to support via partially reinforced support plates 17-20 against the concrete wall. On one side the inclining arms 27 of pivot construction 31 (fig. 4) are arranged in each case on these vertical arm parts 22 and on the other side on a shaft part 32, on either side of which are arranged the helical tension springs 33, 34 respectively. The helical tension springs are attached at the ends with screw bolts 35, 36 to the steel profile parts 38 provided with two channels. Shaft part 32 urges unlocking finger 14 into the upward inclining raised position, in which position shaft part 32 is located in two recesses in the flanges of profile part 38, and thereby keeps the floor parts locked.
During lowering of waste container 8 the unlocking fingers 13-16 are first moved downward, whereby shaft parts 32 are moved out of the locking recess and floor parts 11, 12 are moved downward by the weight of the waste container itself (the force exerted thereby). The position shown in figure 5 is eventually reached, wherein helical tension springs 33, 34 are (considerably) deformed relative to the position shown in figure 4 and unlocking finger 14 is folded inward. During lifting out of the container the extended helical tension springs 33, 34 urge the floor parts 11, 12 upward into the position shown in figure 3.
The above described preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a number of significant advantages. The floor parts can be arranged up to 5 cm or less below the ground surface. The floor parts can be easily arranged on the pit construction using screw bolts placed through a frame part. The whole folding mechanism is accommodated in a floor part, whereby it can be replaced as one service element; the construction is extremely compact, this being advantageous for transport, while the moving parts are shielded from the container. Operation and play of the floor part in the closing position depends to a great extent on the pit construction, since the floor part is fixedly connected to the pit construction only via the frame part. The floor part can easily be folded upward so that, if necessary, inspection and/or maintenance can take place in the pit.
The further embodiment according to Fig. 6 are foldable floor parts 11, 12 (corresponding to the first embodiment) provided with pivot constructions 31 which correspond to the construction shown in the first preferred embodiment. In pivot construction 31 (Fig. 7) two helical tension springs 64, 65 are mounted of which one end (Fig. 8) is tapered such as to remain free of the remaining steel construction and to prevent that the friction forces could falter the folding of the floor parts. In the further embodiment (Fig. 9 and 10) the floor part can easily be taken out of the further pivot construction 71 (see especially Fig. 10). Because of this construction, which is provided at the upper side of openings 72 through which shaft parts 73, 74 can be taken out in folded position, a floor part-which may be damaged-can easily be replaced.
As it is clear from detail of Fig. 11 and 12, the further pivot construction 71 is provided with a cam disc 75 which is provided such that the shaft parts of the floor part 12 can be taken out through the curve path 76 in upwards direction such that the floor part can be taken away easily.
The present invention is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

Safety construction (10) for closing an opening in the ground surface from which an underground waste container (8) has been removed, comprising one or more pivotally arranged foldable floor parts (11, 12),
characterized in that each foldable floor part (11, 12) comprises a pivot construction (31) for urging a floor part (11, 12) from a folded-down position to an upward folded position covering the opening, whereby each pivot construction (31) comprises
a vertically oriented arm part (22) to support the pivot construction (31),

a profile part (38) pivotally arranged on the vertically oriented arm part (22),

a shaft part (32),

two inclining arms (27) arranged at one side on the arm part (22) and at the other side on the shaft part (32), and

two helical tension springs (33, 34), each attached between the shaft part (32) and the profile part (38),

wherein the shaft part (32) is displaceable along the profile part (38) into a locked position when the respective floor part is urged towards the upward folded position by the two helical tension springs (33, 34), and

wherein the pivot construction (31) further comprises an unlocking finger (13 - 16) arranged on the profile part (38) and arranged to be urged into an upward directed position by the shaft part (32) when positioned in the locked position, wherein the shaft part (32) is unlocked by means of this unlocking finger (13 - 16) by the weight of the underground waste container (8), or the force exerted by the underground waste container (8), when the underground waste container (8) is moved downward against the unlocking finger (13 - 16).
Safety construction (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein in the locked position the shaft part (32) engages in recesses in the profile part (38).
Safety construction (10) as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the helical tension springs (33, 34) take a narrowed form toward one of the ends.