EP4101789A1 - Biowaste collection system with specific containers - Google Patents

Abstract

Bio-waste collection system comprising containers (1) for storing bio-waste provided with at least one cover (2) for access to the upper part of the container (1), locations for positioning the containers on the ground, and a truck-type vehicle for collecting these containers (1). The container (1) is positioned on the ground by positioning means distributed in said container and on the location, preventing any tipping of the container (1) over a predetermined height when it is moved from its position placed on the ground. It is provided with a system for locking/unlocking the lid (2) comprising a member for locking the lid (2) when it is closed, movable by gravity between a first locking position and a second unlocking position of the lid ( 2) depending on whether the tilting angle of the container (1) is respectively lower or higher than a predetermined angle with respect to the vertical.

Description

The present invention is in the field of the collection of bio-waste, and it relates more particularly to the containers participating in a collection system in connection with vehicles which ensure their emptying. A particularity of bio-waste is that its state is likely to experience a very rapid evolution over time, which must be taken into account both in the storage methods in the containers and in the collection operations. Moreover, present or future normative constraints frame in an increasingly precise and restrictive manner the storage of said bio-waste as well as the methods of their collection.

Bio-waste is composed of organic matter, therefore biodegradable by micro-organisms, and is therefore likely to change state rapidly. Thus appear liquid or semi-liquid phases, fermented residues, etc. The design of storage containers must take this into account, in particular because there is no question of leaving bio-waste too accessible when it has been thrown away, knowing that it can present a real health risk. In general, it is also imperative to ensure that nothing can be spilled accidentally or by vandalism on the public highway. This is particularly true at the time of collection, carried out by specialized vehicles.

Bio-waste is and will thus be the subject of separate protocols involving the organization of specific collections, with storage bins adapted to their nature and the particular problems arising therefrom.

In the bio-waste collection systems already developed, in particular by the present applicant, a truck-type vehicle is mainly equipped with a bio-waste storage tank, a reception hopper for this waste, and means mechanisms for collecting containers filled with bio-waste capable of moving each container between a location on the ground and at least one emptying position on the vehicle. Given the specificities of bio-waste, in particular from a sanitary point of view, specialized vehicles also include a washing module, since it is preferable if not essential to return, after each emptying, containers freed from dirt resulting from bio-waste. In any case, the degradation of bio-waste, which ferments, becomes liquid, etc. requires at least regular washing of containers.

One of the objectives of the present invention is to guarantee controlled access to the containers, and also to prevent moving and overturning a container positioned on the public road, the latter having moreover to be always placed in the same place to allow a automated side collection. The invention in fact proposes a solution, mainly linked to the design of the container and its positioning, which satisfies the above objectives without however making the operation of collection and emptying of the container by an authorized vehicle more complex.

• une cuve de stockage des bio-déchets,
• une trémie de réception de ces déchets,
• des moyens mécaniques de collecte des conteneurs aptes à déplacer chaque conteneur entre un positionnement au sol et au moins une position de vidange basculée au-dessus de la trémie.

The proposed solution fits into a complete bio-waste collection system, comprising not only bio-waste storage containers fitted with at least one access cover in the upper part of the container, but also positioning slots containers on the ground and a truck-type vehicle for collecting these containers comprising:

• a bio-waste storage tank,
• a hopper for receiving this waste,
• mechanical means for collecting the containers able to move each container between a position on the ground and at least one emptying position tilted above the hopper.

• le conteneur est positionné au sol par des moyens de positionnement répartis dans ledit conteneur et sur l'emplacement, empêchant toute bascule du conteneur sur une hauteur prédéterminée lorsqu'il est déplacé à partir de sa position posée au sol ;
• le conteneur est muni d'un système de verrouillage/déverrouillage du couvercle comportant un organe de verrouillage du couvercle lorsqu'il est fermé ; et
• ledit organe de verrouillage étant mobile par gravité entre une première position de verrouillage et une seconde position de déverrouillage du couvercle selon que l'angle de basculement du conteneur est respectivement inférieur ou supérieur à un angle prédéterminé par rapport à la verticale.

This solution, according to the invention, is such that:

• the container is positioned on the ground by positioning means distributed in said container and on the location, preventing any tipping of the container over a predetermined height when it is moved from its position placed on the ground;
• the container is provided with a system for locking/unlocking the lid comprising a member for locking the lid when it is closed; and
• said locking member being movable by gravity between a first locking position and a second position for unlocking the lid depending on whether the tilting angle of the container is respectively lower or higher than a predetermined angle with respect to the vertical.

In short, it is a gravity lock, which means that the opening of the lid is possible under certain conditions, which are not and must not be fulfilled when the container is placed at ground level. It is an angle of tilting of the container which makes it possible to unlock the lid, which can therefore be opened and emptied as soon as this angle is reached. But the system does not allow this tilting amplitude to be reached when the container is on the ground or near the ground, which is a way of ensuring that complete opening will only be possible when the container is supported by the mechanical means of collection of the vehicle. The various means constituting the invention are therefore closely complementary.

Indeed, if it is theoretically possible to do so by other means, it is then necessary to have adequate means to lift a container heavy enough not to be handled by hand by a person, said means then not having to only be able to lift it from a considerable height, but also to tilt it when it has reached a certain height.

In these perspectives, the positioning means must be understood as making it possible to precisely position the container in a predetermined location. on the ground, these positioning means also benefiting from a design which facilitates the installation of each container when it is placed on the ground. These means distributed between the container and the base guarantee that in no case a tilting movement can be imparted to the container over a certain height which results from the configuration of the positioning means.

According to one possible configuration, the locking member comprises at least one hook for retaining a surface of the cover, said hook being secured to a plate mounted freely in rotation between two stops of the container, the center of gravity of the member locking mechanism being provided so that the hook is driven by gravity towards the lid unlocking position when the container is tilted through an angle greater than said predetermined angle, and moved in the opposite direction by gravity towards the lid locking position when the container tipping angle is less than said predetermined angle.

The locking member is therefore designed and positioned so that its unbalance allows it to move, depending on the application of the gravitational field on the member, between the aforementioned positions which in fact depend on the orientation of the container. Thus, in the initial position at rest, when the container is placed on the ground with the lid accessible in the upper part, the plate is in a first stable locking position, and it is not possible to open the lid since the hook retains lid. Opening is also not possible when the container is moved vertically during the initial lifting movement of the container.

As soon as the mechanical collection means perform the tilting, and after crossing an angular threshold, the locking member tilts under the effect of gravity and the hook releases the cover. The plate/hook/stops assembly in fact produces a mechanically bistable system, the two stable positions depending on the angle of inclination of the container.

Preferably, the predetermined angle is equal to at least 40° relative to the vertical. This means in practice that as long as the movement is vertical or has a vertical appearance because for example maintained or guided by the means for positioning the container (which occurs over a certain height from the position placed on the ground), we are below 40° and there is no possibility of unlocking the cover. Unlocking does not occur at the start of the changeover either. The mechanical means of collection must have tilted the container by more than 40° so that the lid can be opened. It should also be noted that it is then theoretically openable, but that it remains pressed against the container because of its weight, and that it only opens when the rocker is more frank and that it is located then, returned, above the hopper.

According to one possible configuration, the plate can be square in shape, an arm whose free end carries the hook protruding from the plate in the extension of a side of the latter and the rotary connection being located in the vicinity of a corner of the plate located at the other end of said side, the hook opening on the plate side in the direction of an orifice of a bracket integral with the cover.

In the bistable mechanical device of the locking system of the invention, it has been seen that the stops make it possible to limit the amplitude of the travel of the plate carrying the hook. According to the invention, these stops are for example placed respectively near the free end of the arm carrying the hook and near a corner of the plate diametrically opposite the corner from which the arm protrudes.

In the invention, the operation of the locking system is also dependent on the means for positioning the container on the ground, insofar as the latter prevent tilting, which alone is capable of allowing the lid to be unlocked. This is true for any vertical movement of the container over a certain height, and therefore also in the first part of the container's journey when driven by the mechanical collection means attached to the vehicle.

In practice, and according to one possible configuration, the means for positioning the container on the location on the ground can consist of a base comprising a base fixed to the ground and a vertical plate capable of fitting into a housing of the container by sliding in a substantially vertical direction.

It is this vertical plate and the relative movement of the plate and of the housing which provide vertical rectilinear guidance of the container when it is towed from the ground. The vertical plate, due to its mechanical connection with the housing of the container, acts as a rail in the first part of its displacement, even induced by the mechanical means of collection of the vehicle.

According to one possibility, triangular fins reinforce the attachment of the plate to the base. In such a case, the housing in the container is provided to house the plate/fin assembly, with the same guiding functions as those described above.

Preferably, according to the invention, the container comprises an inner container made of stainless material for the storage of bio-waste. Bio-waste produces juices by liquefaction which must not be able to flow and escape from the container. This is also one of the reasons for positioning the lid on top of the container. This inner container acts as a waterproof and protective inner skin.

The lid also includes a filling hatch with an automatic closing system, with a smaller surface than the lid and which allows users to throw their bio-waste into the container, or more precisely into the container fitted to the container. This hatch can also be equipped with a lock or access control, for example electronic. A bio-waste container cannot remain open, hence the automatic closing system applied to the hatch.

• La figure 1 représente, en vue perspective, un conteneur selon l'invention placé sur la voie publique ;
• La figure 2 montre, en vue en section, la partie supérieure du conteneur positionné verticalement, avec l'organe de verrouillage dans une première position de verrouillage du couvercle ;
• La figure 3 représente les mêmes éléments que la figure 2, mais lorsque le conteneur est suffisamment basculé pour que l'organe de verrouillage soit en position de déverrouillage du couvercle ;
• La figure 4 montre en vue perspective les moyens de positionnement du conteneur au sol ;
• La figure 5 représente, en vue perspective, lesdits moyens de positionnement fixés sur un promontoire lorsqu'une fixation directe sur le sol est impossible ; et
• La figure 6 montre, en vue en section, la coopération entre un conteneur et ses moyens de positionnement au sol.

The invention will now be described in more detail, with reference to the appended figures. which represent a non-limiting example of implementation of the invention, and for which:

• The figure 1 shows, in perspective view, a container according to the invention placed on the public highway;
• The figure 2 shows, in sectional view, the upper part of the container positioned vertically, with the locking member in a first lid locking position;
• The picture 3 represents the same elements as the figure 2 , but when the container is sufficiently tilted so that the locking member is in the unlocking position of the lid;
• The figure 4 shows in perspective view the means for positioning the container on the ground;
• The figure 5 shows, in perspective view, said positioning means fixed on a promontory when direct fixing on the ground is impossible; and
• The figure 6 shows, in sectional view, the cooperation between a container and its positioning means on the ground.

With reference to the figure 1 , the container 1 of the invention is positioned on a promontory 100 and comprises in the upper part a lid 2 provided with a filling hatch 3 that can be used by users when they throw their bio-waste into the container 1. The face 10 of the container 1 located in the foreground has a recess 11 equipped with a bar 12 and side orifices 13 provided to cooperate with the mechanical means for collecting containers attached to a vehicle (not shown).

With reference to figure 2 and 3 , the lid 2 has a hinge 4 which allows it to pivot relative to the rest of the container 1, and therefore to open and close in rotation around this hinge 4. In the vicinity of the edge opposite to said hinge, the cover 2 comprises an interior bracket 5 in sheet metal fixed by bolting to the cover, provided with an orifice allowing the insertion of a hook 6 fitted to the end of an arm 7 projecting from a plate 8 mounted freely in rotation around a shaft 9 in the container 1. The plate 8/arm 7/hook 6 assembly constitutes in practice the locking member made in one piece.

The plate 8 is of substantially square shape, and it is designed so that the center of gravity of the locking member is offset with respect to the axis of rotation so that the movements applied to the container 1 are reflected by gravity in the movements of said plate 8. Thus, when the container 1 is placed on the ground, as shown in figure 1 , plate 8 is in the position shown in figure 2 : the moment applied to the center of gravity of the locking member by its weight causes it to rotate until it comes into contact with the stop 14 of the container 1 and so that the hook 6 placed at the free end of arm 7 is inserted into the orifice of stirrup 5. In this case, cover 2 is locked, and cannot be lifted. The only possible access to the interior of the container 1 is, possibly, the hatch 3 of much smaller surface. As soon as the container 1 is tilted sufficiently, as for example in picture 3 , the moment applied, still by its weight, to the locking member as drawn causes it to rotate in the direction of the abutment 15 secured to the container 1. In this position, the hook 6 is out of the stirrup 5 and the cover 2 is no longer locked. It would then suffice to continue tilting the container 1 so that the lid 2, unlocked, opens under the effect of its own weight, which is completely the case when the container 1 is turned over, at the end of training by the mechanical means of collection attached to the waste collection vehicle.

The positioning means 20 of the container 1 on the ground allow successful operation of the entire collection of said container 1. They in fact define the placement location of the container. They comprise for this purpose a base 21 fixed horizontally to the ground, in this case on a promontory 100 which is however not essential. A vertical plate 22 allows the actual positioning of the container 1 in that it is inserted into a housing 16 of the container 1 which has a shape suitable for this interlocking. The base 20 thus formed must make it possible to avoid any movement in a horizontal plane and/or overturning of the container 1 when it is placed on the ground. It can be fixed directly to a concrete floor or to a heavy concrete plot if the ground does not allow direct fixing. Triangular fins 23 reinforce the structure.

The vertical plate 22 is trapezoidal in shape, the upper edge being the small side of the trapezium. The shape of the housing 16 being provided for the reception of such a shape, an automatic centering takes place in the plane of the plate 22 during the insertion of one into the other. Similarly, the triangular fins 23 allow natural centering in a perpendicular direction, so that the positioning means provided in the invention, as distributed over the location and in the container 1, considerably facilitate the installation of the latter. in a predetermined position on the site assigned to it. They are neither retractable nor adjustable, and therefore no one can bypass them to tilt the container 1 when it is on the ground. Similarly, the height before rocking is predetermined and imposed.

In fact, the interlocking of the base 20 in the housing 16 of corresponding shape allows relative sliding which requires lifting the container 1 high enough to move it parallel to the ground or overturn it, which is hardly possible without equipment heavy. The existence of this type of base 20 also facilitates in practice automated collection by mechanical means, the gripping devices attached to the collection vehicles having limited latency possibilities in terms of movement. The fact that the positioning of the containers 1 is standardized facilitates so greatly collecting.

As is apparent in figure 6 , the container 1 comprises an inner container 30, shown highlighted in dotted lines, which is made of stainless material and is specifically provided for the storage of bio-waste. This container 30, for example made of stainless steel, is directly in contact with the bio-waste, and it has a maximum capacity of 400 l. .3 m from the ground.

It should be noted that the invention is not limited to the configuration example particularly described and explained with reference to the figures. This example should only be considered as a simple non-exhaustive illustration of the invention. On the contrary, it includes variants in particular of shape, materials, configuration, etc. for gravity lock system, base, cover and hatch layout, etc.

Claims (9)

Bio-waste collection system comprising containers 1 for storing bio-waste provided with at least one cover (2) for access to the upper part of the container 1, locations for positioning the containers on the ground, and a vehicle for collection truck type of these containers 1 comprising: - a bio-waste storage tank, - a reception hopper for this waste, - mechanical means for collecting the containers (1) able to move each container (1) between a position on the ground and at least one emptying position tilted above the hopper, characterized in that : - the container (1) is positioned on the ground by positioning means (20) distributed in said container and on the location, preventing any tipping of the container (1) over a predetermined height when it is moved from its position placed on the ground; - the container (1) is provided with a system for locking/unlocking the cover (2) comprising a locking member (6, 7, 8) for the cover (2) when it is closed; and - said locking member (6, 7, 8) being movable by gravity between a first locking position and a second unlocking position of the lid (2) depending on whether the tilting angle of the container (1) is respectively lower or higher at a predetermined angle from the vertical. System for collecting bio-waste according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the locking member comprises at least one hook (6) for retaining a surface of the cover (2), the said hook (6) being integral with a plate (8) mounted freely in rotation between two stops (14, 15) of the container (1), the center of gravity of the locking member (6, 7, 8) being provided so that the hook (6) is driven by gravity towards the lid (2) unlocking position when the container (1) is tilted through an angle greater than said predetermined angle, and moved in the opposite direction by gravity towards a locking position of the lid (2) closed when the tilting angle of the container (1) is less than said predetermined angle. Bio-waste collection system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the predetermined angle is equal to at least 40° with respect to the vertical. Bio-waste collection system according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the plate (8) is square in shape, an arm (7) whose free end carries the hook (6) projecting from the plate (8) in the extension of one side of the latter and the rotary connection being located in the vicinity of a corner of the plate (8) located at the other end of the said side, the hook (6) opening on the plate side in the direction of an orifice of a stirrup (5) secured to the cover (2). System for collecting bio-waste according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the stops (14, 15) are placed respectively near the free end of the arm (7) carrying the hook (6) and near a corner of the plate (8) diametrically opposite the corner from which the arm (7) protrudes. Bio-waste collection system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the means for positioning the container (1) on the location on the ground consist of a base (20) comprising a plinth (21) fixed on the ground and a vertical plate (22) capable of fitting into a housing (16) of the container (1) by sliding in a substantially vertical direction. Bio-waste collection system according to the preceding claim, characterized in that triangular fins (23) reinforce the attachment of the plate (22) to the base (21). Bio-waste collection system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the container (1) comprises an inner container (30) made of stainless material for the storage of bio-waste. System for collecting bio-waste according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cover (2) comprises a hatch (3) for filling with an automatic closing system.

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