FR2929550A1 - Flexible or semi-rigid container e.g. plastic bottle, compacting device for waste disposal container i.e. dustbin, has actuating system arranged for activating piston with foot during maintaining container applied on collector - Google Patents

Abstract

The device (1) has a pumping unit sucks air contained in a flexible or semi-rigid container (3) e.g. plastic bottle, for emptying the interior of the container, where the unit is formed of a pump (5) with a piston (9). A collector (24) is connected to the pumping unit, and receives a neck (25) or opening of the container. A manual actuating system (11) actuates the pump, and is arranged for activating the piston with a foot during maintaining the container applied on the collector.

Description

DEVICE FOR COMPACTING BOTTLES

The present invention relates to a device for compacting flexible or semi-rigid containers or containers such as plastic or cardboard bottles. In particular, the invention will make it possible to reduce the volume of the containers once they have been emptied beforehand of their contents. The present invention applies to the field of disposable containers and packaging. In particular, it aims to reduce the storage and transport volumes of the waste, which are generally placed, in a first step, in containers of the trash can type and then, later, transported by means of garbage trucks to the garbage dumps and / or incinerators. In this respect, the invention also relates to a trash-type waste container equipped with such a device for compacting flexible or semi-rigid containers or containers. Modern consumption patterns have led to a considerable increase in the number and diversity of containers used for food, household cleaning products, maintenance products and industrial and automotive maintenance. Several types of container compacting devices are known whose principle is based on the suction of the air contained in said containers. Some applications use an adapter connected to a household vacuum as described in the publication FR 2.846.951. Suction devices equipped with a vacuum pump 25 as described in publication FR 2.822.750 and in publication DE 199.39.018 A1 are also known. These devices or compacting devices have the drawback of consuming electrical or even pneumatic energy, which goes against the reduction of environmental pollution. Moreover, these compaction devices generate noise pollution. In addition, these compaction devices must be positioned near the power source, which prevents them from being placed at the convenience of the users. In addition, the vacuum pumps used for the implementation of these compactors must have small dimensions to reduce their size, which has the disadvantage of increasing the pumping time of the air in the containers. On the other hand, their volume increases considerably when one seeks to minimize the duration of compaction. Other compacting devices have been developed and use mechanical systems, manual or motorized that compress the container from the outside by means of a platen or matrix. These compacting devices have various disadvantages; it should first be noted that their implementation is particularly complex and long, which tends to increase their manufacturing cost. Moreover, some devices are absolutely not ergonomic and require considerable effort to perform the compression of the container. It will also be noted that these compacting devices are bulky. Other compacting devices have been developed and consist in compacting a set of containers positioned inside a container / compactor. These devices have the disadvantage of being bulky and expensive. In addition, the compaction principle requires two operations, the first operation of filling the container / compactor in containers, and the second operation of transferring the set of compacted containers inside a second waste container. . These compactors are also consumers of electrical energy. Furthermore, a user may inadvertently position glass containers in the container / compactor, which may cause risk of injury in the presence of pieces of glass, for example when transferring to the second waste container.

The present invention aims to overcome these drawbacks, the main objectives, not exhaustive, of designing a quiet compaction device, compact, requiring no electrical or pneumatic energy, allowing a very high level of compaction. As such, the invention relates to a device for compacting flexible or semi-rigid containers such as plastic bottles or cans. The device comprises a pumping member for sucking the air contained in the container to realize the vacuum inside thereof. The device also comprises a collector connected to the pumping member and adapted to receive the neck or the opening of the container, through which the suction is carried out. This pumping member consists of a piston pump. In addition, the device comprises an actuating system of the pump arranged to activate said piston with the foot during holding with the hands of the container applied to the collector. The use of a piston pump for evacuation has the advantage of being able to quickly compact the containers, in a few seconds, without requiring significant efforts for the user. Moreover, these efforts are attenuated since the pumping is performed by the action of the leg of the user. In addition, it has the advantage of keeping the hands free in order to easily handle the container during compaction, regardless of its shape and volume, as long as it is sufficiently tight and deformable to undergo the effect of vacuum and be flattened. In addition, the elimination of the use of energy, especially electrical, avoids any risk of incident that may occur when the container to be compacted contained flammable product or detergent, said container retaining traces of this product which are sucked during pumping . This also has the advantage of being able to install the compaction device both indoors and outdoors, for both personal and collective home use. The compacting device requires little maintenance, except for frequency cleaning according to its use. Moreover, its design allows easy access to the various organs that compose it and to evacuate the residues of liquid or other products that have been sucked.

In addition, the invention also relates to a waste container, such as a bin, comprising a bin for receiving said waste. The container is equipped with a compacting device object of the invention. Such a container is conceivable because the compacting device according to the invention does not use any electrical or pneumatic energy. This design has the advantage of being able to dispose the container directly in the container after compaction. Other advantages and features of the present invention will appear on reading the following description based on figures, among which: FIG. 1 represents a first mode of design of a compacting device according to the invention; - Figure 2 shows schematically an actuating system of the pumping member according to the invention; FIG. 3 represents an alternative embodiment of a compacting device according to the invention; - Figure 4 shows a garbage container equipped with a compacting device according to the invention. The compacting device 1 according to the invention is designed to achieve a vacuum depression inside the containers 3, said depression for compressing and flattening said containers. As such, the containers must be made of flexible or semi-rigid material, such as plastic bottles or cans. The compacting device 1 according to the invention is equipped with a piston pump 5 which provides the vacuum inside the container. As illustrated in Figures 1 and 3, the pump 5 comprises a body 7 and a piston 9 slidably mounted within the body. The piston is fitted to the pump body, or even provided with seals 8 providing a sufficient seal at its periphery with respect to the pump body. The piston 9 is moved by the user by means of a manual actuation system 11 activated by the foot of the user. The compacting device 1 therefore requires no electrical energy for its operation. This design advantageously makes it possible to improve the efficiency of compaction. Indeed, it may be useful to ensure by the hands of the operator, a preferential maintenance of the container during and at the end of compaction. A slight action on the latter allows for example to tilt the bottom of the container at the end of compaction. This manipulation with the hands is possible because the actuation system is activated with the foot. The compacting device 1 comprises assembly means arranged to fix at least the pump 5 vertically on a support 10 so as to hold it in position and allow the vertical translation of the piston 9. Preferably, these assembly means will allow fixing the other elements of the compacting device. The assembly means allow the fixing of the constituent elements of the compacting device on supports 10, these supports being fixed or movable. These assembly means are equipped, preferably and without limitation, a carrier structure 12 provided with fastening means 13 for its arrangement and its attachment to the support 10. The fastening means 13 are preferably retractable or removable, which allows a rapid disassembly of the compaction device 1 and its arrangement on different types of support 10. In this case, as shown in Figure 1, the support 10 preferably comprises a fastening system 14 such as profiles U-shaped, in which are fitted tabs 15 secured to the rear face of the structure 12. According to a variant, the structure is fixed directly to the support by conventional means of the fastening screw type 16 passing through through holes 17 , the structure 12 being optionally kept spaced from the support 10 or mounted flexibly thereon by means of spacers or pads 18. The assembly means further comprise assembly parts 19,20 for fixing the body 7 of the pump 5 relative to the structure 12. These assembly parts 19,20 allow the vertical position of the pump 5 to be maintained so that the piston 9 moves vertically when activated with the foot. Furthermore, the assembly position of the pump 5 vis-à-vis the structure 12 is arranged so that in the end position of the piston 9, the foot of the user is in contact with the ground or a bearing surface disposed on the ground.

As such, the device comprises a base 21 which is preferably secured to the structure 12. In this case, it can be envisaged that the base 21 contributes to the maintenance of the structure 12, the latter being furthermore maintained vis-à-vis 10. It would also be conceivable to provide a base 21 solid and carrying 10 of the structure 12 on which the pump 5 is mounted, without adding additional fixation. In addition, the base 21 is arranged to allow the user to bear with his foot on it and thus stabilize the compaction device 1 during pumping with the other foot. The underside of the base can also be provided with adherent pads 23 improving its stabilization. The compaction device 1 comprises a collector 24 making it possible to extract the air contained in the container 3. The neck 25, or more generally the opening of the receptacle through which the liquid it contained, has been extracted is applied by the against a collector 24, and held in position by one or both hands during compaction. This collector 24 is provided with an air passage orifice 26 and provided with a flexible seal 27 adapted to receive the neck 25 by sealing at the latter, which increases the efficiency of the pumping during of the realization of emptiness. The seal 27 allows large angular deflections R between the normal 25 of the bearing plane on the manifold and the main axis of the container 3. In addition, the manifold 24 is preferably equipped with a centering tube 28 to facilitate the positioning the neck 25 of the container during its application on said collector. Likewise, it comprises an anti-intrusion filter 29, removable, ensuring the protection of the suction pump 5 against liquid or residual solids remaining in the bottom of the containers at the time of its compaction.

According to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the collector 24 is offset with respect to the pump 5. On the contrary, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the collector 24 is fixed directly on the body 7 of the pump 5. in both cases, the collector 24 remains fixed with respect to the pump 5, and therefore with respect to the structure 12 and the support 10. It is also possible to fix the collector 24 directly on the structure 12 or on the support 10. The collector 24 can also be fixed on another support, for example a wall or a work plan. Preferably, the collector 24 is articulated to adjust its orientation as a function of the inclination of the container applied to said collector. The collector 24 is thus pivotally mounted about an axis, and preferably in a ball joint 30, which makes it possible to modify at least its orientation angle O. This angle 0, illustrated in FIG. 1, is preferably between 0 and 90 degrees.

The actuating system 11 of the pump arranged to activate said piston 9 with the foot 31 during holding with one or both hands of the container 3 applied to the manifold 24. As illustrated in Figures 1 to 3, the system actuator 11 comprises a stirrup 32 which is assembled at the end 33 of the rod 34 of the piston 9. This stirrup 32 is able to receive the foot 31 of a user, and preferably comprises a soleplate 35, illustrated in FIG. 2, which increases the bearing surface with the foot in the decent phase of the piston. This stirrup ensures the stroke of the piston from one end to the other of the pump, in combination with the assembly position of the pump 5 on the structure 12.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the actuating system comprises means for guiding the stirrup in vertical translation in order to ensure proper guiding thereof relative to the axis of vertical translation of the piston during its run inside the body of the pump. These guide means are implemented, for example, by at least two guide rods 36a, 36b arranged vertically and slidably receiving the stirrup 32, so as to ensure a slide of the stirrup 32 on these two rods. guidance 36a, 36b. These guide means of the stirrup are preferably fixed on the base 21, so as to keep them in position during the activation of the piston. Furthermore, the maintenance of these guide means indirectly allows the pump to be held in a vertical position, in combination with the assembly means on the support 10. According to a variant of the design, these guide means are constituted by a piece of guidance 37 on the structure 12, said guide member 37 comprising at least one roller 37a for the recovery of the forces exerted on the stirrup 32. The assembly composed of the stirrup, the piston rod and the piston is thus moved alternately from top to bottom and then from bottom to top by the user's foot, the piston being preferably able to reach the start and end positions in the pump body. In addition, the actuating system preferably comprises a return device, such as a return spring or a counterweight, which places the caliper in a high privileged position after use. Preferably, the yoke is actuated by the operator's foot during the piston descent phase, and possibly during the piston up phase, the latter being however provided in majority by the return device. According to one embodiment, such as that illustrated in FIG. 1, the pump 5 is double-acting and comprises two active chambers 38, 39 each allowing the admission and the exhaust of the air for the realization of the vacuum during pumping. , the two chambers 38,39 being equipped with anti-return 40.43 intake and exhaust 41.42, the valve type, to ensure and preserve the vacuum of air in the container 3 during pumping. According to another design mode, such as that illustrated in FIG. 3, the pump 5 is single-acting and comprises a single active chamber 44 allowing admission and exhaust of the air, said chamber being equipped with anti-condensation device. intake return 45 and exhaust 46 to ensure and preserve the vacuum of air in the container.

According to the two modes shown in Figures 1 and 3, the non-return devices define the air flow and possibly liquid necessary for the proper functioning of the device during the movements of the piston. These movements, combined with the action of the anti-return devices, generate an increasing depression as a function of the successive movements of the piston 9, the latter being transmitted inside the container 3.

According to one embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the compacting device 1 comprises a pipe 47 connecting the active chamber or chambers 38, 39 or 44 of the pump 5 to the collector 24. Such a pipe is necessary when the pump 5 is double acting. Although optional, this tubing can also be implemented when the pump 5 is single-acting, as illustrated in FIG. 3. In addition, as illustrated in FIG. 1, this tubing 47 is advantageously arranged for deporting the pump. collector 24 with respect to the pump 5 at handling height with the hands, for example at 90 cm in height. According to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the anti-return devices 40, 41, 42, 43 are arranged at the ends of the pump body 7 in the upper chamber 38 and in the lower chamber 39. The tubing 47 is connected to the upper chamber 38 and the lower chamber 39 of the pump. During the descent of the piston 9, the non-return device 41 in the upper chamber 38 blocks the passage of air, while the exhaust air in the lower chamber 39 is effected by the non-return device 42, the non-return device 43 blocking the passage of air at the intake port 48 under the combined effect of the persistent depression in the tubing assembly 47, manifold 24 and container 3 and the pressure air contained in the lower chamber 39; the depression generated in the upper chamber 38 allows the opening of the non-return device 40 allowing the passage of air through the inlet orifice 49, the vacuum being thus transmitted by means of the tubing 47 to the manifold 24, by means of the ball joint 30, then to the container 3. During the ascent of the piston 9, the operation is reversed: the non-return device 40 in the upper chamber 38 and the non-return device 42 in the lower chamber 39 are closed, while the non-return device 41 in the upper chamber 38 allows the escape of the air contained in said upper chamber, and the non-return device 43 in the lower chamber 39 allows the admission of the air contained in the container 3. The drop in pressure in the container 3 will cause the implosion of the latter. Successive trips and returns of the piston 9 are made if necessary. In this case the level of depression in the container will increase during each pumping cycle. The use of a double-acting pump 5 makes it possible to increase the speed of compaction by using both the upward movement of the piston and the descent of the latter to generate the depression. Preferably, the compaction device 1 comprises removable devices for recovering waste liquids from the containers. These recovery devices, for example small holding tanks 63, 64, are arranged near the exhaust or discharge air ports 50, 51, at the level of the escapement prevention devices 41, 42 in. upper chamber 38 and lower chamber 39. These recovery devices can be integrated in the body 7 of the pump 5. Such recovery devices simplify the maintenance of the installation and the disposal of waste liquids vacuumed. According to the mode illustrated in Figure 3 where the pump is single-acting, only the upper chamber of the pump body is active. The anti-return exhaust device 46 is disposed on the piston 9, and allows the escape of the area contained in the upper chamber 44 of the pump body 7. In addition, an opening 52 is made in the lower part of the lower chamber 53 of the pump body, so as to allow the passage of air between said lower chamber and the outside. In this case, the removable recovery device 65 of waste liquids is preferably placed directly under the opening 52. Another embodiment of the pump 5 is conceivable, such as for example a single-acting piston pump. including no anti-return device. In this case, during the rise of the piston, it is necessary to slightly separate the container 3 of the seal 27 on the manifold 24, so as to allow air to enter the active chamber of the pump body.

Preferably, the compacting device 1 comprises a regulating device 54. This regulating device 54, illustrated in FIG. 1, is arranged on the tubing 47. It makes it possible to limit the vacuum level during pumping and, consequently, the forces to be exerted during pumping by means of the stirrup 32. Thus, when the vacuum is reached in the container, the regulation device 54 ensures the descent of the piston without exerting too much stress on the stirrup 32, which avoids degradation. Preferably, the pump body comprises at its lower end 55 and at its upper end 56 a removable cover. This facilitates access to the inside of the pump body for any maintenance operations. According to another aspect of the invention, it relates to a waste container 57 of the bin type, illustrated in FIG. 4. The waste container 57 comprises a bin 58 for receiving said waste, a handling handle 59 and casters 60 facilitating its movements, especially to move it on public roads on days of garbage collection by garbage trucks. The waste container 57 is equipped with a compacting device 1 having one or the other of the characteristics described above. In this case, one of the faces 61 of the tray 58 constitutes the support surface 10 allowing the removable reception or not of the compaction device 1. The structure 12 of the assembly means of the compaction device 1 may for example be fixed in its upper part on the waste container 57 by quick coupling systems, such as knee attachments or brackets, or even locking locks adjustable in height and the thickness of the outer upper rim 62 of the tray 58, which exert a pressing or pinching force of the structure 12 on said upper rim 62 of the tray 58. In another embodiment, the structure is fixed permanently by specific means added to the existing containers. In a last case, provided during the manufacture of the waste container, the container preferably comprises an embedding zone for integrating the compaction device 1 inside the tray 58, or even to conceal said compacting device to the interior of said waste container 57. The volume of the package and the stiffness of the latter determine the level of vacuum necessary to compress the container. Depending on the dimensions of the pump, one or more movements of the pump are then necessary. As an indication, the forces applied to the walls of the container are the product of the difference in the pressures exerted between the inner and outer surfaces of the latter by its surface. Note that the compaction device does not require a maximum vacuum level to achieve a deformation of the container. However, to define an order of magnitude, with, for example, the forces applied to a bottle having a diameter of eight centimeters and a height of twenty centimeters, the surface will be about 500 cm2. Assuming a maximum pressure difference of 1 bar between the inside and the outside of the container, the force applied will be 5000 Newton. The efforts involved are therefore considerable. It is better understood that the present invention can effortlessly compact all containers such as plastic bottles regardless of their thickness, or packaging boxes and many other flexible or semi-rigid objects. Note that the compression of containers made according to the present invention does not require to replace the plug after compacting. The container being destroyed in its structure. Replacing the plug after compaction will only slightly improve the compaction rate result. It should be noted, and to define an order of magnitude, that the residual volume of the container will correspond to about one eighth of the initial volume and that for a level of vacuum much lower than that cited in the example. The compaction speed depends on the extraction rate of the air contained in the container. The compaction rate achieved depends on the level of vacuum exerted at the end of compaction.

The determination of the dimensional characteristics of the compaction apparatus components also takes place in the main characteristics of the extraction rate and the final vacuum level.

Claims (14)

REVENDICATIONS1. Device for compacting (1) flexible or semi-rigid containers (3) such as plastic bottles or cans, comprising a pumping member for sucking up the air contained in the container to make the vacuum inside thereof, and a collector (24) connected to the pumping member and adapted to receive the neck (25) or the opening of the container, through which the suction is carried out, characterized in that the pump comprises a pump (5) with piston (9), the device comprising an actuating system (11) of the pump (5) arranged to activate said piston (9) with a foot during the maintenance of the applied container on the collector (24). 2. Compaction device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises assembly means (12, 13) arranged to fix at least the pump (5) vertically on a support (10) so as to keep it in position and allow the vertical translation of the piston (9). 3. Compaction device according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the actuating system comprises a yoke (32) assembled at the end of the piston (9) and guide means (36a, 36b, 12, 37, 37a) of the stirrup in vertical translation, the stirrup being adapted to receive a foot of a user. 4. Compaction device (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that it comprises a base (21), said base being arranged to maintain in position said guide means (36a, 36b, 12, 37) and the pump during activation of the piston (9). 5. Compaction device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the collector (24) is articulated to adjust its orientation depending on the orientation of the container (3) applied to said collector (24). ). 6. Compaction device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the pump (5) is double-acting and comprises two active chambers (38,39) each for admission and exhaust air for the realization of the vacuum during pumping, the two chambers being equipped with non-return devices (40, 41, 42, 43) to ensure and preserve the air vacuum in the container (3) during pumping . 7. Compaction device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the pump (5) is single acting and comprises only an active chamber (44) for the admission and exhaust of the air, said chamber being equipped with anti-return devices (45,43) to ensure and preserve the air space in the container. 8. Compaction device (1) according to one of claims 6 or 7, characterized in that it comprises a pipe (47) connecting the active chamber or chambers (38,39 or 44) of the pump (5) to manifold (24), said manifold being arranged to deport the collector with respect to the pump. 9. Compaction device (1) according to claim 8, characterized in that it comprises a control device (54) arranged on the pipe (47) to limit the vacuum level during pumping. 10. Compaction device (1) according to one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that it comprises devices (63, 64, 65) for recovering waste liquids, said recovery devices being arranged at the level of exhaust ports (50,51 or 52) from the outside air. 11. Compaction device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the collector (24) is equipped with a seal (27) adapted to receive the neck (25) or the opening the container (3) allowing an angular movement thereof. Waste container (57) of the bin type comprising a tank (58) for receiving said waste, characterized in that it is equipped with a compacting device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 11. 13. Waste container (57) according to claim 12, characterized in that the compaction device (1) is embedded in the tray (58). 14. Waste container (57) according to claim 12, characterized in that the compaction device is fixed on the tray (58) by means of a quick coupling system.