FR2834698A1 - Flexible container for temporary storage of sorted waste has floor with one or more moving hinged sections to accommodate more waste - Google Patents

Abstract

The container has a base (2) with at least one mobile hinged section, and a flexible extension (1) that forms at least one open volume to receive the waste. The flexible material can be in the form of a tarpaulin or net, reinforced with arches (4). The mobile section is hinged about a fixed axis and can be raised by a lifting system.

Description

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Flexible device for the temporary storage of sorted waste
The present invention relates to a device with flexible walls for the temporary storage of waste, and more particularly of sorted waste.

 Sorting has become a prerequisite in waste treatment processes. Conventional sorting centers include: - a sorting belt bringing the waste (belt conveyor), - sorters manually extracting this waste, - silos or boxes, isolated from each other by a wooden separation, placed underneath sorting belt to store the waste, each silo being intended for a category of waste such as cardboard, paper, PET, - chutes, in which the sorters throw the products, guiding the waste towards the middle of the silos.

 Silos generally have a shutter door which is opened during emptying. The sorted waste is then sent to a press to form bales of reduced volume.

 In the prior art, the waste arriving from the troughs in the silo quickly forms a pyramid. This pyramid shape limits the storage capacity. A 60 m3 silo will only temporarily contain around 20 m3 of waste arranged in a pyramid.

 This pyramid effect is particularly problematic in the case of hollow bodies such as plastic bottles because the 20 m3 recovered during an emptying of the silo is barely enough to make two bales. However baling by a press is an operation which requires many different adjustments each time the material to be compressed is changed.

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 This capacity limitation is also encountered when using less conventional silos, including an inclined slope to facilitate the emptying operation, or when using a more expensive silo, equipped with a conveyor-type extractor.

 The present invention therefore aims to overcome one or more of the drawbacks of the prior art by defining a device with flexible walls and a lifting bottom for the temporary storage of waste.

 This objective is achieved by a temporary waste storage device, characterized in that it comprises a floor or bottom comprising at least one movable part articulated on a fixed part, said floor being extended by a flexible part which forms at least one volume. open to receive waste.

 According to another feature of the invention, said device comprises lifting means which reversibly lift the mobile part of the floor, said mobile part being articulated around a fixed axis.

 According to another feature of the invention, the flexible part is a tarpaulin or a net.

 According to another feature of the invention, said cover comprises folds preformed inwards.

 According to another feature of the invention, said device comprises at least one frame, the flexible part being integral with said frame.

 According to another feature of the invention, said device comprises a frame formed by arches.

 According to another feature of the invention, said arches are substantially horizontal when the movable part of the floor is horizontal

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 and converging towards the edge opposite the articulated edge of the floor when the latter is inclined.

 According to another feature of the invention, said device occupies part of the volume of a rectangular silo for receiving waste from above, the floor being placed on the bottom of said silo, said flexible part being attached at at least three different points of the silo by suspension means and covering three lateral faces of said silo, the fourth lateral face or front face of the silo being constituted by a system for closing this silo.

 According to another feature of the invention, the fixed axis around which the movable part of the floor is articulated is located on the side of said front face of said silo.

 According to another feature of the invention, the movable part of the floor varies between a first limit position where said movable part remains in a horizontal plane and a second limit position in a plane inclined by 35 relative to the horizontal.

 According to another feature of the invention, the lifting means comprise at least one cable fixed to the movable part of said floor by one of its ends, the other end of said cable being wound on at least one pulley.

 According to another feature of the invention, the lifting means comprise two cables, two pulleys mounted on an axis movable in translation on the upper part of the frame.

 According to another feature of the invention, the lifting means comprise two cables sent by pulleys arranged on the upper part of the frame, these pulleys forming references to a pulley driven by a winding motor.

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 Another object of the invention is to provide a response to one or more of the problems encountered in the prior art by defining a process that can be carried out using the device according to the invention.

 This object is achieved by a process of deformation of a waste pyramid using the device according to the invention, characterized in that it comprises at least one movement by impulse of the movable part of the floor.

 The invention, with its characteristics and advantages, will emerge more clearly on reading the description made with reference to the appended drawings given by way of nonlimiting examples in which: - Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the device according to l invention with the movable floor in an inclined position, - Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the lower part of a device according to the invention, - Figure 3 shows a side view of the floor of a device according to the invention, - Figure 4 shows a front view of the upper part of a device according to the invention, with an embodiment of the suspension means of the flexible part, - Figure 5 shows a sectional view of a embodiment of the flexible part of the device according to the invention, - Figure 6 schematically shows a side view of said device without the cover with the movable floor in the inclined position, - fig ure 7 represents a perspective view of a cable and counterweight system for folding said flexible part of the device according to the invention, - Figures 8 and 9 represent a perspective view of the frame of a silo equipped with said device without the tarp.

 The invention will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.

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 The invention consists in particular of a storage device with flexible walls (1) and a movable floor (2) articulated around a fixed axis (21). This device is particularly intended to be adapted in a conventional silo for storing sorted waste, commonly called sorting box.

 According to a first embodiment of the invention, the device comprises a movable floor (2) consisting in particular of a rigid sheet, a tarpaulin (1), means of fixing (10) of the tarpaulin to said movable floor (2) , two legs (20) or yokes fixed to the ground supporting the axis (21) around which the movable floor (2) rotates, and means for suspending the sheet.

 A conventional sorting silo comprises a frame (3), illustrated in Figures 1,6, 7 and 8, giving it a parallelepiped shape, side walls and a door (6) which is generally a roller shutter. To fit into certain silos devoid of frame (3), said device can be provided with an adequate frame which reproduces the frame of said frame (3). The means of suspension of the sheet (1) are fixed to crosspieces (30) of said frame (3) which serves as a supporting structure of the device according to the invention, as illustrated in FIG. 3. These means of suspension can be tails -of-pig (12), screwed on the sleepers (30) and spaced between them from 20 to 40 cm. The cover (1) has at its high edge perforations reinforced by eyelets (11) and intended for the passage of a cord or a cable, possibly elastic, which connects the cover (1) to the tail-decochon (12) . The fixing means (10) of the sheet on the movable floor (2) are preferably non-protruding. It is possible, for example, to use bolts (10) with raised heads to directly connect the cover (1) to the edges of the movable floor (2). You can also pass the cover (1) below the movable part of the floor (2). According to this embodiment, the cover (1) is fixed to three sides of the movable floor (2) and forms three walls. There remains a side not covered by the cover (1) which is located on the side of the door (6) of the silo, to allow the device to be removed from storage.

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 The movable floor (2), substantially horizontal, is articulated around a fixed horizontal axis (21) which runs along the edge of the exposed side. Figure 3 illustrates the rotation of said floor (2) by an angle (8), which remains less than 35, around said axis (21).

 The invention will now be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.

 The sheet (1) used to form the flexible part of the device according to the invention is both very resistant and flexible. The weight supported by the device is of the order of 2 tonnes, and is distributed over the sheet (1) and the movable floor (2). The materials making up the device will therefore be particularly resistant. The device according to the invention will be more particularly suitable for hollow products which do not exceed 50 kg / m3. The size of the device depends on the dimensions of the silo it occupies. It is generally sized for a capacity of 60 m3. According to one embodiment of the invention, the cover (1) is reinforced by means of a frame comprising a plurality of arches (4). FIG. 5 illustrates a variant of the invention for which a certain number of lateral fasteners (14) on the tarpaulin (1) makes the latter integral with said arches (4) which then embrace said tarpaulin (1). In a variant of the invention, the lateral fasteners comprise a hem (140) and form with the cover a circular guide for the arches (4). Each arch (4) is movable around a horizontal axis parallel to the axis (21) of rotation of the movable floor (2).

 The device according to the invention comprises lifting means for lifting the movable floor (2) on the side opposite the door. This lifting can be achieved in particular by a flat cylinder system with a lever arm, by a cable (5) or rack system, electrically, pneumatically, automatically or hydraulically. The hoop system (4) guides the folding of the sheet when the movable floor (2) is raised. Figure 6 illustrates the fact that the arches (4) substantially follow the inclination of the movable floor (2).

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According to another embodiment of the invention, the sheet (1) has preformed folds or seams so that it folds like a bellows when lifting the movable floor (2).

The invention will now be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 9.

According to one embodiment of the invention, said device comprises a cable and counterweight system, illustrated in FIG. 7, allowing the tarpaulin (1) to be folded. This system is provided with a bar (71) forming a fold at the rear of the cover (1), on the side opposite the door, and in particular comprises two cables (70) each connected to one of the ends of the bar ( 71). Each of these cables (70), which also make it possible to form folds in the cover (1), passes over at least one pulley (73) positioned in height, below the crosspieces (30), and retains a counterweight (72) which ensures automatic folding. The lifting of the movable floor (2) causes the counterweight (72) to descend, and therefore the cover (1) to be folded. Conversely, when the movable floor (2) is lowered, the cable (70) pulls the counterweight and the cover (1) unfolds.

The device according to the invention easily fits into most existing sorting silos. The movable floor (2) has a substantially rectangular shape which covers almost the entire floor area of the silo. The edge (22) of said floor (2) opposite the door (6) is rounded to avoid any protruding part where the cover (1) is fixed. The arrival from the top of the waste into the silo is located on the side of the door (6) of said silo, the waste generally passing through a chute. A conventional silo has a centering square (31) which delimits the arrival of the waste from above. A cable system (5), involving two pulleys (50) mounted on an axis installed above the sleepers, can be chosen in a variant of the invention for lifting said floor (2). FIG. 8 illustrates a cable system (5) for which a rotary motor (51) is installed at the end of the axis of the pulleys (50). This axis movable in translation on the upper part covers an area between the side opposite (22) to the door (6) and the centering square (31) through which the waste arrives. according to

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 another variant, illustrated in FIG. 9, the movable floor (2) is raised by two cables (53), each passing over a set of pulleys (55), which join in a vertical cable (54) which is pulled from a winding motor (52), placed at the bottom and rear of the device according to the invention. Such a winding motor can obviously be placed otherwise, around or above said device.

 One of the advantages of the device according to the invention lies in the increase in capacity within the silo. A 60 m3 silo according to the prior art quickly reaches a limit capacity because of a pyramid effect, the waste substantially forming a tetrahedron. This effect, which prevents further filling, generally appears when an amount of waste is poured in excess of one third of the volume of the silo. An operator can use the lifting means of the device according to the invention to deform the pyramid, which results in a better distribution of the waste, the door of the silo remaining closed. This gives impulses to gradually raise, over a period of two minutes for example, the movable floor (2). The flexible walls (1) of said device fold during this operation and the distribution of waste becomes more homogeneous. The operator then lowers the floor (2) for further filling of the device according to the invention. The storage capacity can thus increase by 150%.

 Another advantage of the device according to the invention is the greater facility for unloading the silo. The inclination of the movable floor (2) can be modified to regulate this unloading.

 The device according to the invention, with the lifting means which accompany it, is particularly adaptable and can be easily installed on existing equipment.

 It should be obvious to those skilled in the art that the present invention allows embodiments in many other forms

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 specific without departing from the scope of the invention as claimed. Therefore, the present embodiments should be considered by way of illustration, but may be modified in the field defined by the scope of the appended claims, and the invention should not be limited to the details given above.

Claims (14)

1. Device for temporary storage of waste, characterized in that it comprises a floor or bottom (2) comprising at least one movable part articulated on a fixed part, said floor (2) being extended by a flexible part (1) which forms at least one open volume to receive the waste.  2. Temporary waste storage device according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises lifting means which reversibly lift the movable part of the floor (2), said movable part being articulated around a fixed axis ( 21).  3. Device for temporary storage of waste according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the flexible part (1) is a tarpaulin or a net.  4. Device for temporary storage of waste according to claim 3, characterized in that said sheet (1) has folds preformed inward.  5. Device for temporary storage of waste according to claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it comprises at least one frame, the flexible part (1) being integral with said frame.  6. Device for temporary storage of waste according to claim 5, characterized in that it comprises a frame formed by arches (4).  7. Temporary waste storage device according to claim 6, characterized in that said arches (4) are substantially horizontal when the movable part of the floor (2) is horizontal and converge towards the edge (22) opposite the articulated edge of the floor (2) when it is tilted. <Desc / Clms Page number 11>  8. Device for temporary storage of waste according to claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it occupies part of the volume of a rectangular silo for receiving waste from above, the floor (2) being placed on the bottom of said silo, said flexible part (1) being attached at at least three different points of the silo by suspension means and covering three lateral faces of said silo, the fourth lateral face or front face of the silo being constituted by a closure system (6) of this silo.  9. Temporary waste storage device according to claims 2 to 9, characterized in that the fixed axis (21) around which the movable part of the floor (2) is articulated is located on the side of said front face of said silo.  10. Device for temporary storage of waste according to claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the movable part of the floor (2) varies between a first limit position where said movable part remains in a horizontal plane and a second limit position in a plane inclined by 35 with respect to the horizontal.  11. Device for temporary storage of waste according to claims 2 to 10, characterized in that the lifting means comprise at least one cable fixed to the movable part of said floor (2) by one of its ends, the other end of said one cable winding on at least one pulley.  12. Device for temporary storage of waste according to any one of claims 2 to 11, characterized in that the lifting means comprise two cables, two pulleys mounted on an axis (56) movable in translation on the upper part of the frame of the silo.  13. Device for temporary storage of waste according to any one of claims 2 to 12, characterized in that the lifting means comprise two cables (53) sent by pulleys disposed on the <Desc / Clms Page number 12>  upper part of the silo frame, these pulleys forming references to a pulley driven by a winding motor (52).  14. A method of deformation of a waste pyramid using the device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that it comprises at least one impulse movement of the movable part of the floor.