EP2388210B1 - Refuse collection bin with collection indicator - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to the field of waste collection bins, in particular that of individual rolling collection bins having a capacity of between 80 and 1200 liters.

We know, for example from the document US-B-6,295,946 , a waste collection tank according to the preamble of claim 1, having a tank having a bottom and side walls and open at its upper end. Such a tank also comprises a lid, mobile in rotation about a substantially horizontal axis, between a position in which it closes the upper end of the tank resting on a flange surrounding the upper end of the tank, and a position in which he leaves free access to the tank.

This type of bin is used to collect the waste of particular users, and is regularly emptied during the passage of a garbage collection truck.

However, in view of the growing cost of waste collection, more and more local authorities are planning to set up an individual tariff for the collection service of bins, each producer of waste being for example invoiced according to the number of collections undergone. by his ferry for a given period.

It was found that some individual bins were parked on the sidewalk for practical reasons. They are thus emptied without it being necessary or desired by the user. However, as the number of collections made for a tank is determined when the tank is tipped in a collection truck body (for example by communication between an electronic chip placed on the tray and a reader located on the collection truck), the collection is recorded and charged to the user, even when the emptying is not desired (especially when the tray is empty).

There is therefore a need to make this form of pricing more fair to waste producers in all circumstances, even when they leave their bin parked on the street, for example because they go on vacation.

We already know in the state of the art a colorful fabric bandage set up by the user on the tray, including a handle at its rear end. This colored bandage indicates that the user wants his bin to be collected. However, such a bandage is likely to be degraded quickly because it can be easily torn off, or damaged due to weather conditions. As a result, such a system is not really satisfactory.

The object of the invention is to develop a ferry allowing fairer pricing of the collection service by the waste producer, enabling him especially to indicate effectively when he wants his ferry is collected.

For this purpose, the subject of the invention is a waste collection bin comprising a tub open at its upper end and a cover movable in rotation about an essentially horizontal axis, between a closed position in which it closes the upper end of the tank and an open position in which it leaves free access to the tank , the container comprising a member connected to a wall of the lid or the tank by a lanyard dimensioned so that, when the lid is in the closed position, the member is adapted to take a rest position in which it is located at inside the volume defined by the tank and the lid and an indicating position in which it is located outside this volume.

"Lanyard" means an element that connects the body to the wall of the lid or the tank while allowing it to be removed from this wall. Such a lanyard can be made in the form of a chain, rope, or strap, for example fabric.

Thus, when the user does not wish his bin to be collected, he places the organ in its rest position, inside the tank and, when he wants the bin to be collected, he places it in his indicating position that makes it visible from outside the bin. The bin thus has a robust indicator that can not be removed from the bin without a specific tool and therefore withstands both vandalism and bad weather.

• la longe est reliée à la face interne du couvercle, face orientée vers l'intérieur de la cuve lorsque le couvercle est fermé. De cette façon, on réduit -les risques de vandalisme de l'organe indicateur. Il est en effet moins facile d'endommager l'organe puisqu'il n'est pas visible depuis l'extérieur du bac;
• le bac comprend des moyens de maintien de l'organe en contact avec la face interne du couvercle. Cela permet en effet de plaquer l'organe sur le couvercle notamment sa face interne, et ainsi d'éviter que l'organe ne soit positionné dans la cuve au voisinage des ordures. Cela limite donc les salissures de l'organe. Le bac est donc plus hygiénique pour l'utilisateur ;
• la longe est agencée de sorte que l'organe se trouve plaqué contre la face interne du couvercle lorsque le couvercle est en position verticale ou proche de la verticale. En particulier, les moyens de maintien et la longe sont agencés de sorte que les moyens de maintien sont aptes à activer le maintien de l'organe lorsque le couvercle est en position verticale ou proche de la verticale. Ainsi, lors du basculement du bac en vue de son vidage, lors duquel le couvercle prend une telle position verticale, l'organe est plaqué contre le couvercle et les moyens de maintien activent automatiquement le maintien de l'organe dans cette position correspondant, lorsque le couvercle se referme, à la position de repos de l'organe. Cela permet d'éviter que l'organe reste en position d'indication une fois le bac collecté. L'organe est en outre plaqué contre le couvercle sans que cela ne demande un effort supplémentaire aux collecteurs de déchets. Pour arriver à un tel résultat, la longe peut notamment être reliée à la face interne du couvercle en partie arrière de celui-ci et les moyens de maintien peuvent être placés sur le couvercle à une distance des moyens de liaison de la longe au couvercle essentiellement égale à la longueur de la longe, selon une direction essentiellement perpendiculaire à celle de l'axe de rotation du couvercle ;
• en particulier, l'organe est réalisé en métal et les moyens de maintien sont constitués par un aimant. L'aimant est choisi de sorte que la force qu'il exerce sur l'organe est supérieure au poids de l'organe. Ce mode de réalisation est particulièrement avantageux puisque la simple proximité de l'aimant et de l'organe suffit pour enclencher le maintien de l'organe contre la face interne du couvercle. Les moyens de maintien peuvent également comprendre des moyens mécaniques tels que des moyens d'encliquetage ;
• l'organe du conteneur comprend deux parois formant entre elles un angle supérieur à 45°. De cette façon, une première paroi de l'organe peut être posée sur une collerette du bac entourant l'extrémité supérieure de la cuve alors que la deuxième paroi rend l'organe plus visible depuis l'extérieur
• le bac comprend des moyens de verrouillage de l'organe en position de repos, ce qui permet d'éviter qu'une personne malintentionnée positionne l'organe en position d'indication alors que le producteur de déchets souhaitait le conserver en position de repos ;
• le bac comprend des moyens de verrouillage empêchant l'ouverture du couvercle, ces moyens comprenant de préférence une serrure apte à s'ouvrir lorsque le bac est en position de vidage. Les moyens de verrouillage de l'organe en position de repos peuvent notamment être constitués de cette serrure et éventuellement les moyens de maintien de l'organe contre la face interne du couvercle. Une telle serrure permet également d'éviter que les voisins ne placent leurs propres déchets dans le bac du producteur de déchets et permet ainsi d'augmenter la justesse du système de tarification. En outre, la serrure est apte à s'ouvrir lorsque le conteneur est placé dans une certaine position, correspondant à la position du bac lors de son basculement dans la benne de collecte. Cela autorise le vidage facile du conteneur avec l'ouverture du couvercle lors du basculement du bac dans la benne de collecte, même lorsque l'utilisateur a fermé la serrure. Une telle serrure est relativement classique.

The invention also includes one or more features of the following list:

• the lanyard is connected to the inner face of the lid, facing towards the inside of the tank when the lid is closed. In this way, the risks of vandalism of the indicator organ are reduced. It is indeed less easy to damage the organ since it is not visible from outside the tray;
• the tray comprises means for holding the member in contact with the inner face of the lid. This makes it possible to press the member on the lid, in particular its internal face, and thus to prevent the member from being positioned in the bowl in the vicinity of the refuse. This therefore limits the fouling of the organ. The bin is therefore more hygienic for the user;
• the lanyard is arranged so that the member is pressed against the inner face of the lid when the lid is in a vertical position or close to the vertical. In particular, the holding means and the lanyard are arranged so that the holding means are able to activate the maintenance of the body when the lid is in a vertical position or close to the vertical. Thus, during the tilting of the tray for emptying, in which the lid takes such a vertical position, the member is pressed against the lid and the holding means automatically activate the maintenance of the body in this corresponding position, when the cover closes, the rest position of the body. This prevents the organ remains in the indication position once the tray is collected. The member is further pressed against the cover without this requiring additional effort to the waste collectors. To achieve such a result, the lanyard may in particular be connected to the inner face of the lid at the rear of the latter and the holding means may be placed on the lid at a distance from the connecting means of the lanyard to the lid essentially equal to the length of the lanyard, in a direction substantially perpendicular to that of the axis of rotation of the lid;
• in particular, the member is made of metal and the holding means are constituted by a magnet. The magnet is chosen so that the force it exerts on the organ is greater than the weight of the organ. This embodiment is particularly advantageous since the mere proximity of the magnet and the member is sufficient to engage the maintenance of the body against the inner face of the lid. The holding means may also comprise mechanical means such as latching means;
• the container member comprises two walls forming between them an angle greater than 45 °. In this way, a first wall of the member may be placed on a collar of the tank surrounding the upper end of the tank while the second wall makes the body more visible from the outside
• the tray comprises locking means of the body in the rest position, which prevents a malicious person positions the body in the indication position while the waste producer wanted to keep in the rest position;
• the tray comprises locking means preventing the lid from opening, these means preferably comprising a lock capable of opening when the tray is in the emptying position. The locking means of the member in the rest position may in particular consist of this lock and possibly the means for holding the member against the inner face of the cover. Such a lock also makes it possible to prevent the neighbors from placing their own waste in the garbage collector's trough and thus makes it possible to increase the accuracy of the charging system. In addition, the lock is able to open when the container is placed in a certain position, corresponding to the position of the tray when it tilts in the collection bucket. This allows easy emptying of the container with the opening of the lid when tipping the tray into the collection bin, even when the user has closed the lock. Such a lock is relatively conventional.

• la figure 1 est une vue de la partie supérieure d'un bac de collecte de déchets conforme à l'invention, avec un organe en position d'indication.
• la figure 2 est une vue partielle du bac de la figure 1, montrant plus particulièrement le couvercle en position ouverte.

The invention will be better understood on reading the description which follows, given solely by way of example and with reference to the drawings in which:

• the figure 1 is a view of the upper part of a waste collection tank according to the invention, with a member in the indication position.
• the figure 2 is a partial view of the ferry from the figure 1 , more particularly showing the lid in the open position.

We have shown on the figure 1 a waste collection tank 12 provided with a lid 10. The collection tank 12 comprises a tank 14, the tank comprising a bottom and side walls 16 and being open at its upper end. A flange 18 surrounds the vessel 14 at its upper end.

The lid 10 is rotatable about a horizontal axis 20, located in the rear part of the tank, at the upper end of the tank and its gripping handle 22. The lid 10 can take a closed position, in which it covers the tank and rests on the collar 18 (position shown on the figure 1 ), and an open position, leaving free access to the tank.

The figure 2 represents the inner face of the lid, oriented towards the inside of the tank when the lid is closed. This cover comprises a body 24 and fins 26 projecting from the body towards the rear to connect it to the tank. The tray also comprises a member 28 connected to the lid by means of a lanyard 30 formed in the example by a cloth strap. The lanyard 30 is more particularly connected to the lid at the rear end of the body of the lid, via a rivet 31A. The lanyard is also attached to the member by means of a rivet 31 B.

As we see on the figure 2 , the member comprises a first wall 32 on which is fixed the lanyard and a second wall 34 forming a return, perpendicular to the first wall.

The lanyard 30 is dimensioned so that the member can assume a rest position, in which the member is within the volume defined by the bowl and the lid, when the lid is closed, and an indicating position. , represented on the figure 1 in which the organ is outside this volume. In particular, the length of the lanyard 30 is sufficient to allow the member 28 to be positioned at least partially outside the vessel. It has in the example a length approximately equal to three quarters of a dimension of the lid body.

In the position of indication on the figure 1 the return 34 of the member 28 is placed on a portion of the flange 18 located on a side wall of the vessel and the first wall 32 is substantially vertical, clearly visible from the outside. The member is maintained in the indication position by cooperation of the lid and the collar of the tray, the return being wedged between these two elements.

In the embodiment shown in the figures, the member 28 is made of a metallic material and a magnet 40 (shown in dotted lines) is arranged on the inner face of the cover. This magnet 40 is arranged on the front part of the inner face of the lid, at a distance from the connection of the lanyard 30 to the lid (in the example the distance to the rivet 31A) close to or equal to the length of the lanyard, according to a direction substantially perpendicular to that of the axis of rotation of the lid. Because of this, in the position of the figure 2 the magnet 40 is opposite the member 28. The magnet 40 is chosen so that the force it exerts on the organ is greater than the weight of the organ. The magnet 40 keeps the member pressed against the inner face of the lid, particularly in the rest position when the lid is subsequently closed.

In this way, the organ can in all circumstances be pressed against the inner face of the lid, even when the lid is in the closed position and the inner face is facing downwards. The fouling of the organ is thus avoided since it is not in the middle of the garbage when it is in the rest position. It is also made more easily accessible for the waste producer.

With the tank according to the invention, the waste generator owner of the tray can indicate in a simple way to the waste collector if he wants his bin is collected, by placing the indicator member 28 in the indication position. When he does not want the tray is collected, it leaves the member 28 in the rest position inside the tray.

During the collection of the tray, conventionally, the tray is tipped in a dumpster of a collection truck. During this tilting, the lid is vertical with the handle at the upper end of the lid. In this position, and because of the gravity, the member 28 passes (autonomously) from the indication position to a position in which the member in contact with the cover, such as that shown in FIG. figure 2 . The member 28 then covers the magnet 40 and is attracted towards it so that when the tray is returned to the use position, the member is in the rest position, within the volume defined by the tank and the lid and pressed against the inside of the lid. Once the tray is collected, the body is returned to the rest position without intervention of the waste generator or the collector.

It should be noted that the invention is not limited to the embodiment presented above.

Indeed, the member may for example be made of a material other than that described above and may be of another form than that described above, for example a planar shape.

In addition, the lanyard may also be made of a material other than the fabric, for example a plastic material. It could also be constituted by a chain or a rope. It can be connected to the tray in other places and by other means than the means described, for example by screws. It can also be of different dimensions from what has been described. The member could for example be positioned at the front wall of the tray.

It should also be noted that the lanyard may be connected to the tank at one of the walls of the tank.

The means for holding the organ in the rest position are also optional. They may also comprise means other than a magnet, for example mechanical means such as latching means.

Note also that the tray preferably comprises a lock for locking the lid in the closed position on the tank to prevent an ill-intentioned neighbor to introduce the tank its own waste. This lock is preferably shaped to open when the tray takes a position such that the cover is essentially vertical with its handle at its upper end. We do not detail here before this type of lock, known in itself. Such a lock allows the opening of the tray when tilting, without a neighbor can open it easily and without complex handling of the tray.

This lock allows the locking of the body in the rest position and prevents collection of the tray when this is not desired by the user since it prevents access to the body of unauthorized persons when it is in the rest position.

Claims (10)

1. Waste collection bin (12) comprising a tank (14) open at its upper end and a lid (10) rotatable about a substantially horizontal axis (20) between a closed position in which it closes the upper end of the tank (14) and an open position in which it allows free access to the tank (14), characterised in that the bin (12) comprises an indication member (28) connected to a wall of the lid (24) or of the tank by a cord (30), dimensioned such that, when the lid (10) is in closed position, the member (28) can take up a rest position in which it is located inside the volume defined by the tank (14) and the lid (10) and an indication position in which it is located outside this volume.
2. Bin (12) according to the preceding claim, wherein the cord (30) is connected to an inner side (24) of the lid (10), oriented towards the inside of the tank (14) when the lid is closed.
3. Bin (12) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cord (30) is arranged such that the member (28) is pressed against an inner side (24) of the lid (10) when the lid (10) is in vertical or nearly vertical position.
4. Bin (12) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, when the indication member (28) is connected to a wall of the lid (24), the bin (12) comprises means (40) for holding the member (28) in contact with an inner side of the lid (10).
5. Bin (12) according to the preceding claim, wherein the holding means (40) and the cord (30) are arranged such that the holding means (40) are adapted to activate the holding of the member (28), when the lid (10) is in vertical or nearly vertical position.
6. Bin (12) according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the member (28) is made of metal, the holding means comprising at least one magnet (40) preferably arranged on the inner side of the lid (10).
7. Bin (12) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the member (28) comprises two walls (32, 34) forming together an angle greater than 45°.
8. Bin (12) according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising means for locking the member (28) when it is in rest position.
9. Bin (12) according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a lock to hold the lid (10) in closed position on the tank (14), the lock preferably being adapted to open when the bin (12) is in emptying position.
10. Bin (12) according to claims 8 and 9 taken together, wherein the means for locking the member (28) in rest position include the lock.

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