FR2695346A1 - Waste compactor and associated collection system - uses level detectors to activate compactor and to signal state of collector by radio to remote control station. - Google Patents

Abstract

The waste collector detects when a collector is filled to a pre-set level and sends a signal to activate the compactor when this level is reached. When the collector is filled completely a second detector delivers a signal indicating this. The detectors activate a radio transmitter that communicates with receivers in a central monitoring station. When the collector is filled operatives are despatched to empty it. ADVANTAGE - Provides remote indication of the state of a waste collector, allowing more effective management of waste collection from multiple sites.

Description

 The invention relates to the collection of waste deposited in a compactor.

 In order to improve this collection, it offers a waste compactor, comprising means for detecting a predetermined filling threshold, characterized in that it comprises radio-transmitting means connected to said detection means, for emitting a signal. radio when said predetermined threshold is detected.

 The compactor according to the invention is designed so that when a receiver receives a signal emitted by the compactor, it automatically warns the competent operators that they have to perform an operation of emptying the waste contained in the compactor.

 Notifying operators at a clearly identified threshold makes it possible to improve collection conditions, since with the invention, the use of surveillance by the user is avoided, and therefore the vagaries of collection due to a request for premature or more generally late emptying.

 In this regard, the invention is of a nature to reduce the storage time of waste between the time when the machine is full and that of its emptying and also of a nature to limit incidents due to overloads.

 The fact of transmitting the signal by radio makes it possible to avoid planning a new wire connection to the container.

 According to preferred characteristics, said predetermined threshold is a pre-filling threshold, the detection of which has no effect on the operation of a compaction member; the compactor also comprising second detection means for detecting a maximum filling threshold, connected to control means which put the compaction member to a standstill when the maximum filling threshold is detected.

 Thus, unlike the current collection, where it is necessary to wait until the compactor is full (maximum filling threshold reached) for the user to notify the emptying operators, the invention proposes that the operators be notified at an earlier stage ( pre-filling threshold).

 The emptying operators will therefore be able to predict when the compactor will be full and organize themselves to perform it immediately after the emptying operation.

 Consequently, the downtime of the compactor as a result of its filling can be minimized thanks to the invention.

 According to other preferred characteristics, the radio-transmitting means are connected to the means for detecting a predetermined threshold by means of a two-state circuit admitting a first state since a commissioning of the compactor until the predetermined threshold is detected, and a second state which it then takes and which it keeps until an emptying operation of the compacted waste, the radio-transmitting means emitting a signal when said circuit goes from the first to the second state.

 With these characteristics, the emission before emptying of a new signal corresponding to the detection of the predetermined threshold is avoided, despite the fact that the predetermined threshold will be reached again at each compaction cycle carried out after the first detection of the predetermined threshold.

 The fact of emitting a signal only at this first detection, has the advantage of avoiding the emptying operators having to sort through the detection signals they receive, in order to avoid triggering multiple procedures emptying of the same compactor.

 In a first embodiment, said two-state circuit admits said first state since the compactor is turned on and keeps said second state from the moment it took it until the compactor is turned off, the operation d a compactor stop switch having no effect on the two-state circuit.

 This embodiment is suitable for so-called "monoblock" compactors, that is to say which are loaded entirely on a truck to be brought to the emptying site: turning off the compactor means that we are going to empty it , and the power up that it is put into service after emptying.

 In a second embodiment, said two-state circuit admits said first state since an installation of a removable waste container and keeps said second state from the moment it took it until a decoupling of the container waste, the operation of a compactor stop switch having no effect on the two-state circuit.

 This embodiment is suitable for so-called "fixed station" compactors where it is only the bucket which contains the compacted waste which is brought to the emptying site.

 According to other preferred characteristics, the radio-transmitting means are adapted to emit a second signal when a waste emptying operation begins and / or ends.

 The emptying operators can thus automatically monitor and control the operations they perform.

 In the case where the compactor is in one piece, it is simple, convenient and economical to implement these characteristics by providing that the radio-transmitting means are connected to an electrical supply to the compactor via an interface circuit suitable for controlling the emission of said second signal when the compactor is switched on and / or off.

 In the case where the compactor is at a fixed station, it is possible to provide, for the same reasons, that the radio transmitter means are connected to a detector for placing a removable skip, in order to emit said second signal when a skip is put in place and / or uncoupled.

 According to other preferred characteristics, the radio transmitter means are connected to said second detection means, in order to emit a third signal when said maximum filling threshold is detected.

 This advantageously completes the monitoring carried out by the emptying operators.

 In a second aspect, the invention relates to the waste collection system which includes the compactor which has just been exposed. Preferably, this system further comprises: radio-receiver means for receiving each signal transmitted by a said compactor; transmitting means connected to said radio receiving means, for transmitting by a telephone line a telephone signal in response to a reception of a radio signal by the radio receiving means; data processing means adapted to receive each said telephone signal and to recognize it; and means for displaying information corresponding to each received signal.

 These features make it easy to monitor a large number of compactors located in a wide variety of locations.

The description of the invention will now be continued with the description of an exemplary embodiment, given below by way of illustration and not limitation with regard to the appended drawings in which
- Figure 1 is a schematic view of a waste collection system according to the invention
- Figure 2 is a diagram of an electrical control unit forming part of a compactor of the collection system shown in Figure 1; and
FIG. 3 schematically shows an interface circuit forming part of the block shown in FIG. 2.

 The waste collection system illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises a compactor 1 and a chain 2 for receiving transmission, processing and visualization of data.

 The compactor 1 is provided with a compaction ram 10 which comprises a hydraulic cylinder 11 to drive a compaction shield 12.

 The jack 11 is connected to a double-acting solenoid valve 13, itself connected to a flow generation which comprises a pump 14 driven by a motor 15 which draws from a reservoir 16.

 The motor 15 as well as the solenoids 17 and 18 of the solenoid valve 13 are connected to an electrical control unit 19, respectively by the conductors 20, 21 and 22. The block 19 is also connected to a detector 23 at the end of rear stroke of the ram 12 and to a front limit switch detector 24, respectively by the electrical conductors 25 and 26; while the pressure switches 27 and 28, both connected to the hydraulic line pushing the ram 10 are connected to the block 19 by the conductors 29 and 30 respectively.

 The block 19 also includes an on button 31, an stop button 32, an emergency stop button 33 and filling indicators 34 and 35.

 When the start button 31 is pressed, the motor 15 is supplied with power and the pump 14 starts to operate; in the event that the shield 12 does not engage the end-of-travel detector 23, the jack 11 is controlled in the rod retracted direction until the detector 23 is triggered; the jack it is controlled in the rod exit direction until the front limit switch 24 is engaged, the jack 11 is then supplied in the rod retraction direction until the shield 12 triggers the detector 23, and so on for a predetermined number of round trips of the shield 12, at the end of which the supply of the motor 15 is stopped; a new compaction cycle which can then be controlled by pressing the button 31 again.

 If the pressure switch 27 has detected a high pressure threshold, for example 140 bars, on the line in pushing of the jack 11, for a preset time, for example 5 seconds, then it is considered that the compactor is full and should not be filled more, the indicator 34 lights up, the jack 11 is supplied in the rod retracted direction and when the shield 12 triggers the detector 23 then the motor 15 ceases to be supplied. If the start button 31 is then pressed, a new cycle will not be triggered. If, however, the stop buttons 32 or 33 are pressed and then the button 31 is pressed, then a new compaction cycle will still take place.

 If, during a compaction cycle, one of the stop buttons 32 or 33 is pressed, then the power supply to the motor 15 will stop, the shield 12 therefore remaining in the position it had reached. The cycle will then continue when the start button 31 is pressed.

 If during a cycle the pressure switch 28 detects in the thrust line of the jack 11 a low pressure threshold, adjusted for example to 3/4 of the high threshold that the pressure switch 27 detects, that is to say little - near 100 bars with the aforementioned value, and this for a fixed period, for example 5 seconds, then it is considered that a pre-filling threshold of the compactor is reached, the indicator 35 lights up, but the detection of the low threshold for the prefixed duration has no effect on the operation of the ram 10.

 The compactor 1 further comprises a radio transmitter 36 connected to the block 19 by an electrical link 37 so that it emits a radio signal when the pre-filling threshold of the compactor is detected, that is to say when the indicator light comes on 35.

 Channel 2 comprises a radio receiver 38 whose reception frequency is tuned to that of the radio transmitter 36, chain 2 also includes other radio receivers 39 and 40 whose reception frequency is tuned to that of the radio transmitter respectively two other compactors provided on the same site as compactor 1.

 Each of the radio receivers 38, 39 and 40 is connected by a respective electrical link 41, 42 and 43 to a transmitter 44 which each time it receives a signal from the radio receivers, establishes via the public network a telephone link with data processing means 45, and transmits through the telephone line 46 a signal corresponding to that which it has received, the data processing means 45 being provided for receiving these various telephone signals, for the recognize, and to control according to their nature, display means 47, here a printer connected by a link 48, in order to display therein the information corresponding to the signal.

 This information is intended for operators responsible for emptying the various containers, who organize their work according to them.

 As can be seen in FIG. 2, the block 19 comprises a circuit 50 for controlling the ram 10, the links 20, 21, 22, 25, 26 and 29 reaching this circuit 50 which is also connected to the power supply network 51 and to a transformer 52 by its low voltage side, the high voltage side of the transformer 52 being connected to the network 51.

 One of the connections between the transformer 52 and the circuit 50 includes a switch 53 which opens when the stop button 32 or the emergency stop button 33 is pressed, and which then does not close only when the start button 31 is pressed.

 On the low voltage side of the transformer 32 are also connected a two-state circuit 54 and an interface circuit 55, the latter being connected to the transformer 52 by links 56 and 57.

 The circuit 54 is connected by the link 30 to the pressure switch 28 and by links 58 and 59 to the interface circuit 55. it admits a first state since a power-up of the compactor, that is to say from the moment when the block 19 is connected to the network 51, until the pressure switch 28 has detected the low pressure threshold for the prefixed period, that is to say until the only pre-filling of the compactor is detected, from what it keeps a second state until the compactor is turned off, corresponding to the moment when the block 19 is disconnected from the network 51. In the first state of the circuit 54, the indicator 35 is off, while it is on in the second state. In addition, the circuit 54 includes a switch 60 (see FIG. 3) which leaves the connections 58 and 59 isolated in the first state (position illustrated in FIG. 3), and which connects them one to the other when circuit 54 is in the second state. It is the passage of the switch 60 from the open position to the closed position (passage of the circuit 54 from the first to the second state) which triggers the production by the transmitter 36 of a radio signal.

 Because the circuit 54 is supplied independently of the switch 53, this has no effect on the state that the circuit 54 takes. Thus, after the light 35 has come on, the stop button 32 can be pressed or on the emergency stop button 33, without this causing the light 35 to go out or the circuit 54 to go to the first state.

 As can be seen in FIG. 3, the interface circuit 55 includes a rectifier bridge 61 which transforms the alternating current received from the transformer 52 into direct current, a relay coil 62 being disposed directly between the plus and minus poles, a relay coil 63 being connected directly to the minus pole while it is connected to the plus pole via the switch 60, a relay coil 64 being connected directly to the plus pole while it is connected to the minus pole via the collector and the emitter of a transistor 65, the base of which is connected between a resistor 66 and a capacitor 67 connected respectively to the plus pole and to the minus pole, the radio transmitter 36 having a negative terminal connected directly to the minus pole by a conductor 68, and a plus terminal connected via a resistor 69 to the plus pole, a conductor 70 being provided between the plus pole and the resistor 69, a condensa tor 71 being arranged in parallel between the plus and minus terminals.

 The circuit 55 further comprises diodes 72 to 74, respectively arranged in parallel with the coils 62 to 64 to avoid the risks of self-supply of the coils by return of current in the circuit, and a diode 75 to force the capacitor 71 to discharge into the radio transmitter 36 when the circuit 55 ceases to be supplied.

 The circuit 55 is illustrated at rest (not supplied), where the switch 76 controlled by the coil 62 is closed, the switch 77 controlled by the coil 63 open and the switch 78 controlled by the coil 64 closed. When these coils are energized, the switch they control switches to the reverse position.

 The switch 76 is disposed between terminals 79 and 80 of the radio transmitter 36, and the switches 77 and 78 between the terminals 81 and 82. When the latter are brought into contact, then the transmitter 36 produces a first radio signal, and when terminals 79 and 80 are connected, it produces a second radio signal. The radio transmitter 36 illustrated is in fact provided to be able to transmit four different signals, a third signal being transmitted when the terminals 83 and 84 are brought into contact and a fourth signal when the terminals 85 and 86 are brought into contact.

 When the circuit 55 is energized, then the coil 62 is activated, the switch 76 immediately changes position, the terminals 79 and 80 being disconnected before the capacitor 71 is charged, and therefore that there is a sufficient voltage between the positive and negative terminals of the transmitter 36 so that it could transmit the second signal.

 When the switch 60 changes position, that is to say when the circuit 54 changes state, then the coil 63 is energized, the switch 77 changes position, which has the effect of connecting the terminals 81 and 82, the transmitter 36 produces a radio signal, and when the capacitor 67 is charged, then the transistor 65 switches so that the coil 64 is also connected to the negative pole, the switch 78 changes position and the transmitter 36 stops producing a signal.

 When the circuit 55 ceases to be supplied, then the coil 62 ceases to be supplied, and the switch 76 establishes contact between the terminals 79 and 80, the transmitter 36 then producing the second signal, the capacitor 71 being dimensioned for that there remains for a certain period the necessary voltage between the positive and negative terminals of the transmitter 36.

 In a variant not illustrated, the transmitter 36 is supplied quickly enough when the circuit 55 is energized so that the second signal is also transmitted at this time.

 In a variant not shown, the circuit 55 is completed so that the terminals 83 and 84 are connected in a similar manner to the terminals 81 and 82, but when the compactor is full.

 In the example illustrated, the compactor 1 is in one piece, it is therefore detected that it has left to be emptied when it is turned off, and that it is put into service after emptying when it is turned on. In the case where a stationary compactor is used, the connection of terminals 79 and 80 is controlled when the bucket which contains the compacted waste is placed and / or uncoupled.

 The circuit 50, the radio transmitter 36, the radio receivers 38, 39 and 40, the transmitter 44 and the data processing means 45 need not be described further since they are well known to those skilled in the art. .

 It will be recalled that the invention is not limited to the embodiments described and shown.

Claims (10)

 1. Waste compactor, comprising means (27, 28, 19) for detecting a predetermined filling threshold, characterized in that it comprises radio transmitter means (36) connected to said detection means, for transmitting a radio signal when said predetermined threshold is detected.  2. Compactor according to claim 1, characterized in that said predetermined threshold is a pre-filling threshold whose detection has no effect on the operation of a compaction member (10); the compactor also comprising second detection means (27, 19) for detecting a maximum filling threshold, connected to control means (19) which stop the compaction member when the maximum filling threshold is detected .  3. Compactor according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the radio transmitter means (36) are connected to the means for detecting a predetermined threshold by means of a two-state circuit (54) admitting a first state since commissioning of the compactor until the predetermined threshold is detected, and a second state which it then takes and which it keeps until an emptying operation of the compacted waste, the radio-transmitting means emitting a signal when said circuit goes from the first to the second state.  4. Compactor according to claim 3, characterized in that said two-state circuit (54) admits said first state since powering up the compactor and keeps said second state from the moment it took it until a power-up off the compactor, the operation of a switch (53) for stopping the compactor having no effect on the two-state circuit.  5. Compactor according to claim 3, characterized in that said two-state circuit admits said first state from the placement of a removable waste container and keeps said second state from the moment it took it up to to a decoupling of the waste container, the operation of a compactor stop switch having no effect on the two-state circuit.  6. Compactor according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the radio transmitter means (36) are adapted to emit a second signal when a waste emptying operation begins and / or ends.  7. Compactor according to claim 6, characterized in that the radio-transmitting means (36) are connected to an electrical supply (51) of the compactor (1) via an interface circuit (55) adapted to control the transmission. said second signal when the compactor is turned on and / or off.  8. Compactor according to claim 6, characterized in that the radio-transmitting means are connected to a detector for fitting a removable bucket, for transmitting said second signal when a bucket is fitted and / or uncoupled.  9. Compactor according to claim 2, characterized in that the radio-transmitter means (36) are connected to said second detection means, in order to emit a third signal when said maximum filling threshold is detected.  10. Waste collection system, characterized in that it comprises: at least one compactor (1) according to any of claims 1 to 9; radio reception means (38, 39, 40) for receiving each signal emitted by a said compactor; transmitter means (44) connected to said radio receiver means, for transmitting over a telephone line (46) a telephone signal in response to reception of a radio signal by the radio receiver means; data processing means (45) adapted to receive each said telephone signal and to recognize it; and display means (47) for information corresponding to each received signal