ES2974928T3 - Lifting and tilting device - Google Patents

Abstract

Lifting and tipping device for a garbage truck for lifting and tipping one or more garbage containers, with a comb carrier (1) extending in the transverse direction of the vehicle and having a plurality of teeth (4) that can be engaged in the corresponding pockets of the garbage containers, first guides (5) being provided at the ends of the comb carrier (1) that bring a garbage container into a lifting position, characterized in that at least a second guide (6) is provided in the center of the comb carrier (1) to bring a garbage container into a lifting position. This allows the garbage containers to be positioned with less effort and prevents incorrect operation of the device. (Automatic translation with Google Translate, without legal value)

Description

DESCRIPTION

Lifting and tilting device

The invention relates to a lifting and tilting device for a garbage vehicle with the features of the preamble of claims 1 and 2.

Refuse collection vehicles are equipped with lifting and tilting devices, which are designed to accommodate refuse containers and empty them into a hopper or into the collection container of the refuse collection vehicle. Refuse collection is usually achieved by means of a toothed housing with teeth projecting upwards at a distance from each other. Refuse collection containers have recesses into which the teeth fit. The refuse container is held between a support bar and the teeth and is lifted and tilted. If the refuse container does not sit properly on the teeth, the emptying operation is stopped and the container is set down again so as not to endanger refuse collection workers. Split-toothed receptacles consist of two individual receptacles that can be used synchronously to empty wide, large-capacity waste containers (e.g. four-wheeled containers with a volume of up to 1,100 litres) or can be used independently of each other to empty smaller waste containers (e.g. two-wheeled containers with a volume of up to 360 litres). In the latter case in particular, it is important that the waste containers sit on the correct receptacle teeth, otherwise the emptying operation will also be interrupted. Interruption always results in a loss of time, as the fault must be recognised and the emptying operation restarted.

It is therefore always necessary to position the waste container correctly so that the toothed housing can accommodate it cleanly. Correcting the position afterwards or even lifting the containers by means of the teeth is a great physical effort when the waste containers are full and therefore heavy. Achieving precise positioning also requires strength, especially if the support base is uneven or tilted.

Guides are arranged at the ends of the toothed housings, as shown in the figures in DE 10 2012 013 219 A1. These are sheet metal components which allow centring when lifting, but provide little support for the initial positioning of the waste container. In addition, the width of the toothed housing is fixed, so there is no flexibility for waste containers of different widths. Furthermore, there is a risk that when accommodating two narrow waste containers, they will interfere with each other if one of them is positioned too centrally or even beyond the centre. DE 4318269 C1 discloses a lifting and tilting device according to the preamble of claims 1 and 2.

The objective of the present invention is to propose a lifting and tilting device with which the positioning of waste containers in the tooth housing is improved.

This objective is achieved by means of a lifting and tilting device with the characteristics of claims 1 and 2.

Special designs of the invention are the subject of dependent claims 3 to 10.

The invention relates to a lifting and tilting device for a refuse collection vehicle for lifting and tilting one or more refuse containers with a tooth housing, which has a plurality of teeth that can be engaged in corresponding cavities of the refuse containers, wherein, at the ends of the tooth housing, first guides are provided, which bring a refuse container into a lifting position and wherein at least a second guide is provided in the center of the tooth housing to bring a refuse container into a lifting position.

The lifting and tilting device can be arranged at the rear of a refuse collection vehicle and thus extend transversely to the vehicle. Such a lifting and tilting device mounted at the rear is advantageously equipped with a split tooth housing, the two partial housings of which can also be moved independently of one another. A lifting and tilting device according to the invention can also be arranged on the side of a refuse collection vehicle.

Before emptying, the toothed housing is usually positioned below the area where the waste container recesses are located. The waste containers are brought closer to the toothed housing. In the case of wide containers, the toothed housing is then moved over its entire width or, in the case of a split toothed housing, only a part of it is moved upwards in narrow containers so that the teeth can fit into the recesses of the waste containers. The lifting position is understood to be the position that the containers assume before they are properly lifted. This position is achieved when, on the one hand, the containers are close enough to the toothed housing so that the teeth can fit into the recesses and, on the other hand, they are positioned so that the intended teeth fit and the waste container does not protrude beyond the toothed housing to the right or left.

The first guides at the ends of the tine housing ensure that the waste containers do not hang in the tine housing. When emptying the container, it cannot hit the discharge opening or lose waste. Instead, the containers slide along the guide into their intended position for the lifting movement of the tine housing. The waste collection operator does not have to laboriously position the heavy waste container precisely or correct its position, but has more freedom in positioning, which also takes less time.

However, narrow waste containers in particular must not protrude centrally over the area of the toothed housing intended for them. This is ensured by the second guides, which ensure that the waste container is already correctly positioned in the transverse direction of the vehicle when the lifting position is assumed. During lifting, the second guides provide resistance for the waste container if it is centred by means of the first guides during the lifting movement.

The second guides can be designed to be movable, so that they are moved backwards when a wide waste container has to be emptied, so that it can also be positioned close enough to the tooth housing.

According to a first aspect of the invention, the first guides have sliding surfaces which point in the vertical direction of the vehicle and are inclined towards the centre of the toothed housing, so that a waste container is guided on the sliding surfaces into the lifting position. The inclined sliding surfaces favour the centring of the waste containers. When the container is lifted, it is guided securely on the toothed housing and cannot tip over to the side.

According to the first aspect of the invention, the first guides have an externally arranged stationary component and an internally arranged movable component, each with a sliding surface, and the components are arranged in a first state such that the sliding surfaces form a joint sliding surface. The outer components form the end part of the respective tooth housing and the inner components are arranged from there towards the centre of the tooth housing.

In particular, the externally arranged components are made of a metallic material, which results in a high level of stability and resistance to the forces exerted by the waste containers. The internally arranged components can be made of a plastic such as polyamide. They can be designed as wear parts that are easy to replace, since the waste containers are usually guided in this area of the first guide for centring and are therefore the area that is most exposed to the most loads. Thanks to the relatively soft plastic design, the waste containers are less damaged.

In addition, an upward-protruding extension can be provided on the first guides, for example on components arranged on the outside. This can be designed so that it protrudes beyond a wide waste container. This means that it is in the field of vision of the waste collection operator, who thus has additional visual aid for the correct positioning of the waste container.

Particularly preferably, the movable component can be removed from the area of the tooth housing, so that in this second state the stationary component alone forms the first guide. This means that the movable component can be removed from the area in which the waste containers are placed in the lifting position.

According to the standard, a clear width of between 1230 and 1280 millimetres can be selected between the end limits of the toothed insert. Due to the variety of waste container designs with different widths, the maximum permitted value for the clear width is often selected. However, this has the disadvantage that the correct positioning and centring of narrower waste containers is made more difficult, since if they are positioned too centrally, the end guide known from the prior art no longer reaches the container. According to the invention, the clear width of the toothed insert can be varied in this case in a simple manner by removing the movable component. This means that the waste collection operator can react without much effort to the types of containers to be emptied by setting the first guide in the first or second state.

Another design of the invention provides that the movable component is held in position by a positive lock in the first and second state. Advantageously, the movable component is not completely removed, but is merely displaced from its position. Thanks to the positive locking connection, it remains in the respective position in the device or in the tooth housing so that it cannot be lost.

In addition, the movable component is held in position in the first and second states by a spring force. This simplifies the change from the first to the second state, as no tools are required. The operating personnel only have to move the movable component against the spring force and, if necessary, release it from the positive-lock connection. The new position is automatically adopted, driven by the spring force.

Advantageously, the second or second guides have one or more sliding surfaces which are inclined towards the ends of the tooth housing, so that a waste container is guided on the sliding surfaces into the lifting position. The inclined sliding surfaces favour the centring of the waste containers.

Depending on the arrangement of the lifting and tilting device on the vehicle, the sliding surfaces can point in the rear direction of the vehicle, in the transverse direction of the vehicle or also in the vertical direction of the vehicle or in an intermediate direction.

In this way, a narrow waste container is directed to one end of the tooth housing. This prevents it from protruding beyond the center of the tooth housing and getting caught by the wrong teeth or section of teeth.

It is known that conventional lifting and tilting devices are provided with sensors, for example ultrasonic sensors, which detect whether a wide waste container approaches the tooth housing. The sensors are usually located centrally in the tooth housing, so that narrower waste containers do not protrude into the detection area. If the sensors detect a waste container in their detection area, the system assumes that a wide waste container must be emptied. The sensors have the disadvantage that they can become dirty or no longer function properly when it rains or snows. According to a second aspect of the invention, it is therefore provided that the second guide(s) are configured as switches or cooperate with a switch, whereby switching takes place when a force is exerted on the guide(s) perpendicular to the tooth housing.

When a wide waste container is moved into its lifting position, it hits the second guide and exerts a force on it. This activates the circuit and the on-board system knows that a wide waste container must be emptied and makes the corresponding adjustments. A switch is an easy-to-install, robust and weather-resistant component. In addition, the switch is advantageously a proximity switch which is activated as soon as the second guide(s) are moved perpendicular to the tooth housing by a force.

Simultaneously with the changeover, the second guides can be moved from the area in front of the tine housing to make room for the waste container to be correctly brought into its lifting position in front of the tine housing.

Advantageously, the second guide(s) are locked parallel to the toothed housing, so that no switching takes place. If a narrow waste container is moved up to the toothed housing, the switch must not be accidentally activated when the waste container touches the second guide and the latter centres the waste container. In this case, the waste container normally exerts a force on the guide from one side, i.e. essentially parallel to the toothed housing. It is then positioned so that it is locked and cannot move in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. This means that no switching is triggered and the system does not incorrectly identify the waste container.

In another design of the invention, preferably foldable arms are provided which laterally support a waste container, the arms having a guide section and an introduction section, the latter having at least one sliding surface, through which an extension of the waste container is guided into a storage position when it is lifted.

The preferably foldable arms are used to support and guide preferably wide waste containers laterally. A full waste container requires a lot of manoeuvring effort and must still be brought exactly into its lifting position. To do this, it must be pushed as straight as possible towards the toothed housing. The waste container can be supported on the guide section, so that the waste collection operator does not have to work against laterally acting forces. This makes work much easier, especially, but not only, on inclined surfaces. At least one sliding surface also guides the waste container when it is lifted towards the waste collection vehicle, so that at this point in the emptying operation, the waste container is again centred in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. If the waste container is too far away from the toothed housing, the sliding surfaces come into contact with extensions that are mounted on the waste containers and protrude laterally before or during lifting. As soon as the container is lifted, the extensions slide downwards by gravity on the sliding surfaces, causing the entire waste container to slide back towards the waste collection vehicle. At the same time, it is supported laterally by the guide sections, so that it cannot deviate laterally.

Advantageously, the sliding surfaces are oriented towards the tooth housing and are inclined towards the tooth housing. This reliably ensures the centring of the container.

In particular, the interaction of the arms with the first guides leads to an additional improved centring of the waste container in front of the tooth housing and to a safe and more careful positioning of the waste container in its lifting position for the waste collection operator.

Other features of the invention are shown in the following figures. They show:

Figure 1: The tooth housing of a lifting and tilting device according to the invention

Figures 2a, 2b: a first guide, a first and a second state

Figures 3a, 3b: a second guide

Figure 4: A folding arm

1 shows a divided tooth housing 1 of a lifting and tilting device according to the invention for a refuse collection vehicle, not shown in detail. Such a lifting and tilting device is usually mounted at the rear of the refuse collection vehicle in order to empty the contents of refuse containers into a rear opening of a collection container or into a hopper of the refuse collection vehicle. The tooth housing 1 consists of a left and a right partial housing 2, 3 and extends in the transverse direction of the vehicle. The tooth housing has teeth 4 which project upwards. The teeth 4 engage in corresponding recesses in the refuse containers. If the tooth housing 1 is moved upwards, i.e. in the vertical direction of the vehicle, by means of a drive (not shown in detail here), the refuse container is also raised. After a certain time and/or distance, the refuse container is held by a clamp between it and the teeth 4, so that the refuse container can no longer fall out of the tooth housing 1. The waste container is then tilted so that its contents are emptied into the collection container or hopper.

The teeth 4 have switches, which confirm that the waste containers are properly seated on the teeth 4. If the teeth 4 do not grip the waste container properly or do not grip it at all, the emptying operation is stopped, to ensure the safety of the operating personnel and passers-by.

The two 2,3 partial holders can be moved together, synchronously or independently of each other. To empty a wide waste container, both 2,3 partial holders are required. A narrow waste container can only be emptied with one 2,3 partial holder.

At the ends of the tooth housing 1, a first guide 5 is provided in each case. A second guide 6 is arranged in the middle. In this case, only a second guide 6 is shown; usually two second guides 6 are installed, the sliding elements 19 of which point towards each other, in each case towards the end of the tooth housing 1. The guides 5, 6 are intended to bring a waste container into a lifting position. This means that the waste container is positioned, on the one hand, at a sufficiently short distance and parallel in front of the tooth housing 1, so that the teeth 4 also engage in the correct recesses, when the tooth housing 1 is moved upwards. On the other hand, narrow waste containers in particular must be placed in front of the correct partial housing 2,3, so that two waste containers that are emptied at the same time do not interfere with each other or the lifting and tilting device accidentally interprets a narrow waste container as a wide waste container, because the narrow waste container triggers the corresponding sensors.

As can be seen in more detail in Figures 2a and 2b, which show the first guide 5, which is located on the right-hand side of the tooth housing 1 facing the vehicle, the first guides 5 have sliding surfaces 7, 8. The sliding surfaces 7, 8 point in the vertical direction of the vehicle and are inclined towards the centre of the tooth housing 1, in this example towards the centre of the vehicle. The waste container can slide along these sliding surfaces 7, 8 during the lifting movement and, when viewed in the transverse direction of the vehicle, is centred, so that it is not positioned too far outwards.

The second guide 6 (see Figures 3a and 3b) also has sliding surfaces 9, 10, which also guide the waste containers. When emptying narrow waste containers, the first guides 5 and the second guides 6 work together and jointly center the waste container and bring it into its lifting position. When emptying wide waste containers, the first guides 5 of the end part cooperate accordingly.

In addition to the sliding surfaces 7, 8, the first guides 5 also have delimiting surfaces 11, 12, which also act as a guide in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

The first guides 5 also have a non-displaceable component 13 arranged on the outside and a movable component 14 arranged on the inside, each with a sliding surface 7, 8. The movable component 14 is made of plastic, the non-displaceable component 13 is a metal component which is firmly connected to the tooth housing 1. The movable component 14 can be moved into two positions. In FIG. 2a, the first guide 5 is shown in a first state. The movable component 14 is located in the region of the tooth housing 1. The sliding surface 7 of the non-displaceable component 13 and the sliding surface 8 of the movable component 13 together form a common sliding surface.

The movable component 14 has two pins on its rear side, which are not visible in this case, which engage in insertion holes 15 of the non-movable component 13. This creates a positive-locking connection by which the movable component 14 is held in position. This is reinforced by two spring screws 16 which pass through a guide slot 17 (see enlarged fragment in FIG. 1). The springs hold the movable component 14 in position by means of a spring force.

In order to remove the movable component 14 from the area of the tooth housing 1 and bring it into a second state, the refuse collection operator pulls the movable component 14 and releases the pins from the insertion holes 15 against the force of the spring. He then moves the movable component 14 along the guide slot 17, in which the spring screws 16 are guided, into a further position, in which the pins can also slide into the insertion holes 15. This second state is shown in figure 3b. Thus, the movable component 14 can be pushed in a single manoeuvre to change the free width of the tooth housing 1 and adapt it to different working conditions, as already described above. In this second state, only the sliding surface 7 of the stationary component 13 acts as a centring element.

An extension 18 is attached to the sliding surface 7 of the stationary component 13 at the top. This protrudes above the waste containers and provides the operating personnel with an additional visual aid for correctly positioning the waste containers.

A second guide 6 is shown in Figures 3a and 3b. This also has several sliding surfaces 9, 10 on a sliding element 19, which reinforce the guidance of the waste containers during their positioning. The sliding surfaces 9, 10 are oriented differently in this embodiment and point both vertically and towards the rear of the vehicle. However, they are all inclined towards the end of the tooth housing 1, i.e. towards the outside of the vehicle. The sliding element 19 is made of plastic, for example polyamide, and is removably attached to a lever 20. This means that this wear-prone component can be easily replaced. In addition, the waste containers are not easily damaged due to the comparatively soft plastic.

The lever 20 is mounted on a joint 21 and pivots in the direction of the refuse collection vehicle when a force F acts perpendicularly to the toothed housing 1, i.e. in this case in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, as can be seen in Figure 3b. This occurs when a wide refuse container is pushed against the second guide 6. The second guide 6 also has an arc section 22 which, when the lever 20 pivots, protrudes into the detection range of the proximity switch 31, as shown schematically here. In this way, the proximity switch 31 is activated, whereby the control system of the lifting and tilting device recognizes that a wide refuse container is to be emptied. As a result, the two partial housings 2, 3 move synchronously to accommodate and empty the refuse container.

If the waste container is removed again, the lever 20 returns to its initial position supported by a spring 23. The arc section 22 moves away from the detection zone of the proximity switch 31 and the latter is deactivated.

In order to prevent the proximity switch 31 from being accidentally activated even in narrow waste containers, the second guide 5 is designed in such a way that it is locked as soon as a force S acts on it laterally, i.e. parallel to the tooth housing 1. Locking means that it cannot be pivoted in the joint 21. If the waste container hits the second guide 6 when it is positioned by the waste collector or when it is centred by lifting it, this force does not cause any switching. In this way, the partial housings 2, 3 are prevented from accidentally moving at the same time.

The lifting and tilting device also has foldable arms 24 which support a waste container laterally and also guide it into the correct position. The arms 24 can be folded at a joint 25. A spiral spring, not shown here, is provided as a support, one end of which is fixed to the waste collection vehicle and the other end is fixed to a spring eyelet 26 on the arm 24. The arm 24 shown in Figure 4 has a guide section 27 and an insertion section 28. The insertion section 28 also has sliding surfaces 29.

In particular, the arms 24 are used for emptying wide waste containers. These are large in volume and difficult to manoeuvre and therefore require a great deal of manoeuvring effort. The waste containers can be supported on the guide sections 27, so that the operating personnel do not have to perform a transverse movement of the waste container, but simply push the container in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle towards the tooth housing 1. The effort required for this is significantly lower.

The insertion sections 28 also result in the waste container being positioned close to the tooth housing. The sliding surfaces 29 of the insertion sections 28 point towards the tooth housing 1 and are inclined towards the tooth housing 1, i.e. they point and are inclined towards the vehicle. In the initial position, the arms 24 are located below extensions protruding from the side walls of the waste containers. As soon as the lifting and tilting device moves upwards, the insertion sections 28 of the arms 24 come into contact with the extensions of the waste container, if the waste container is not positioned close enough to the tooth housing 1. The extensions slide towards the vehicle, driven by gravity, along the sliding surfaces 29 and the waste container is centred in its lifting position in front of the tooth housing 1, also in interaction with the first guides 5. The extensions come to rest in a storage position 30, although they do not necessarily come into contact with the arms 24. The waste containers are mainly held in the tooth housing 1 between the teeth 24 and a clamping device.

Reference numbers

1 Tooth accommodation

2 Partial left accommodation

3 Partial right accommodation

4 Tooth

5 First guide

6 Second guide

7 Sliding surface of 13

8 Sliding surface of 14

9 Sliding surface of 19

10 Sliding surface of 19

11 Boundary surface of 14

12 Boundary surface of 13

13 Non-movable component

14 Scrollable component

15 Insertion hole

16 Spring screw

17 Guide slot

18 Extension

19 Sliding element

20 Lever

21 Articulation

22 Arch section

23 Spring

24 Arm

25 Articulation

26 Spring Eyelet

27 Guide Section

28 Introduction section

29 Sliding surface of 28

30 Storage position

31 Proximity switch

F Force

S Strength

Claims (10)

i. Lifting and tilting device for a refuse collection vehicle for lifting and tilting one or more refuse containers, with a tooth housing (1) extending in the transverse direction of the vehicle and having a plurality of teeth (4) which can be engaged in corresponding cavities of the refuse containers, wherein at the ends of the tooth housing (1) first guides (5) are provided which bring a refuse container into a lifting position, wherein at least a second guide (6) is provided in the centre of the tooth housing (1) for bringing a refuse container into a lifting position, and the first guides (5) have sliding surfaces (7, 8) which point in the vertical direction of the vehicle and are inclined towards the centre of the tooth housing (1), so that a refuse container is guided on the sliding surfaces (7, 8) into the lifting position, characterised in that the first guides (5) have an externally arranged, stationary component (13) and an internally arranged, movable component (14) (14), in each case with a sliding surface (7,8) and the components (13,14) are arranged in a first state such that the sliding surfaces (7,8) form a joint sliding surface. 2. Lifting and tilting device for a refuse vehicle for lifting and tilting one or more refuse containers, having a tooth housing (1) extending in the transverse direction of the vehicle and having a plurality of teeth (4) which can be engaged in corresponding recesses of the refuse containers, wherein at the ends of the tooth housing (1) first guides (5) are provided, which bring a refuse container into a lifting position, wherein at least one second guide (6) is provided in the centre of the tooth housing (1) for bringing a refuse container into a lifting position, characterised in that the second or second guides (6) are configured as switches or cooperate with a switch, wherein the switching takes place when a force F is exerted on the guide or guides (6) perpendicularly to the tooth housing (1). 3. Lifting and tilting device according to claim 1, characterized in that the movable component (14) can be removed from the area of the tooth housing (1), so that, in this second state, the stationary component (13) alone forms the first guide (5). 4. Lifting and tilting device according to claim 3, characterized in that the movable component (14) is held in its position by form-fitting in the first state and in the second state. 5. Lifting and tilting device according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the movable component (14) is held in its position in the first state and in the second state by an elastic force. 6. Lifting and tilting device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second or second guides (6) have one or more sliding surfaces (9, 10) which are inclined towards the ends of the tooth housing (1), so that a waste container is guided into the lifting position on the sliding surfaces (9, 10). 7. Lifting and tilting device according to claim 2, characterized in that the switch is a proximity switch, which is activated as soon as the second or second guides (6) are moved perpendicularly to the tooth housing (1) by a force F. 8. Lifting and tilting device according to claim 7, characterized in that the second or second guides (6) are locked when a force S is applied parallel to the tooth housing (1), so that no switching takes place. 9. Lifting and tilting device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that arms (24) are provided, preferably foldable, which laterally support a waste container, the arms (24) having a guide section (27) and an insertion section (28), the latter having at least one sliding surface (29) through which an extension of the waste container is guided into a storage position (30) when it is lifted. 10. Lifting and tilting device according to claim 9, characterized in that the sliding surfaces (29) point towards the tooth housing (1) and are inclined towards the tooth housing (1).