GB2044836A

GB2044836A - Device for holding a container cover open or partly open

Info

Publication number: GB2044836A
Application number: GB8004386A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Plastic Omnium SE
Current assignee: Plastic Omnium SE
Priority date: 1979-02-09
Filing date: 1980-02-08
Publication date: 1980-10-22
Also published as: IT8019810A0; DE3004449A1; BE881621A; ES256663U; FR2448486A1; NL8000807A; IT1140540B; ES256663Y

Abstract

A device for holding a cover 2 on a container 1 in open or partly open position, the cover being mounted so as to pivot relative to the container, springs not shown, being positioned in such a way as to urge the return of the cover to the closed position, comprises in combination at least one rib 6, 7 which projects from the inner wall of the cover and an elastically deformable component 8, mounted to as to project upwards from the upper edge of the container opposite to the open edge, the or each rib being able to co-operate with the component 8 in such a way as to deform it and pass beyond it during a cover opening movement, said component 8 forming an abutment for the corresponding rib and preventing the return of the cover to the closed position. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Device for locking the cover of a bin container in a partial and/or complete open position The present invention relates to a device for locking the cover of a bin container in a partial and/or complete open position, the cover being mounted so as to pivot relative to the container by means of lateral arms fixed to the cover and each articulated by one end to a shaft fixed to the container side wall.

Such bins are at present used for collecting industrial waste and household refuse and are made from metal and more recently from plastics materials.

In connection with such bins it is already known to provide springs between the ends of the lateral arms of the cover and the container in such a way as to position the cover relative to the container and enable the cover to be returned to the container closed position.

In French Patent 77.17101 the present Applicant has described such a spring-operated device permitting the positioning and balancing of the cover on the container of the bin.

In the case of such bins it is also necessary to lock the cover in the complete open position and well as in the partial open and in generally half-open position. Thus, for example, in the case of movable tanks with a capacity of 1100 litres German Standard DIN 30700 stipulates such cover locking systems pivoting on the container.

In the case of metal bins this locking is generally brought about by a spring catch mounted on the container and acting on bosses fitted to the cover. Such a construction is cumbersome, causes difficulty when emptying the waste contained in the bin and is difficult to protect from corrosion. Moreover, the fitting of such a device necessitates long and complex adjustment.

The present invention proposes a device for locking the cover in a partly open position and in particular a half-open and/or completely open position, which is simple and economic to construct and which obviates the disadvantages of the prior art devices. Moreover, the device according to the invention is designed to be used for both metal bins and for bins made from plastics materials.

The present invention therefore relates to a device wherein it comprises in combination at least one rib which projects from the inner wall of the cover and an elastically deformable cam, mounted to as to project upwards substantially in the centre of the upper edge of the container opposite to the open edge, the or each rib being able to co-operate with the cam in such a way as to deform it and pass beyond it during a cover opening movement, said cam being such that it forms an abutment for the corresponding rib and prevents the return of the cover to the closed position when this return movement is provided by the action of the return springs of the arm of the cover.

According to the invention a rib is advantageously provided in the vicinity of the free end of the cover permitting the locking of the cover in the completely open position. In addition a rib is provided substantially halfway along the cover permitting the locking of the later in substantially a half-open position.

It is clear that the satisfactory operation of the device according to the invention is largely dependent upon the characteristics and in particular the spring action of the material used for making the cam. Thus, the later must be sufficiently elastically deformable to be deformed during a manual opening of the cover by a user, but must be sufficiently rigid so that it is not deformed with the thrust of the rib under the action of the return springs of the cover arms.

According to the invention it is advantageous to select materials having a yield strength of approximately 1 00N/mm2 and a bending modulus of approximately 2800N/mm2.

Among the materials usable according to the invention specific reference is made to polyoxymethylene (POM) and polyamides (PA).

According to a particularly advantageous feature of the invention the cam of the locking device is provided with means making it possible to regulate its position on the bin container. These regulating means can be in particular constituted by spaced holes remote from an attachment hole of the cam on the container wall, regulation being ensured after riveting the cam to the wall of the container by means of a rivet introduced into the attachment hole by fitting a self-tapping screw into the hole corresponding to the desired position.

According to a special embodiment the cam is shaped like a partly hollowed out sector with sides of unequal length, the attachment hole being made in the vicinity of the tip of the sector and the regulating holes being spaced over a ring portion remote from the attachment hole.

Advantageously the cam is fixed to the container wall in such a way that the areas of friction of the ribs on the cam are slightly retracted to the external shape of the cam in order to prevent lateral strain due to the reaction of the slope of the cam on the ribs of the cover.

The different positions of the cam on the container obtained as a result of the regulating means more particularly make it possible to compensate dimensional variations between the different covers and containers, to regulate the engagement force between the container and the cover taking account of the tension of the return springs of the cover and the manual force to be exerted during open ing, and to modify the setting when the ribs or the cam become worn when the return springs of the cover have a different tension.

Other advantages and characteristics of the invention can be gathered from the following description of a non-limitative embodiment and with reference to the attached drawings, wherein show: Figures 1 and 2 side elevations of an 1 100 litre movable tank, partly broken away so as to illustrate the fitting of the device according to the invention.

Figure 3 an embodiment of the cam of the device according to the invention.

Figure 4 a sectionally view along the line IV-IV of Fig. 3.

Figure 5 a sectional view illustrating the device according to the invention, mounted on a bin.

Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate the device according to the invention mounted on a bin in the form of a movable tank with a capacity of 1 100 litres.

The bin essentially comprises a container 1 and a cover 2, mounted so as to pivot on the container by means of lateral arm 3 fixed to the cover and each articulated by one end to a shaft 4 fixed to a side wall of the container 1.

Springs are positioned between the ends of the lateral arms 3 of cover 2 and container 1 in such a way as to position the cover with respect to container and permit a return of the cover with the container in the closed position.

In accordance with French Patent 77.17101 of the present applicant it is possible to use for each of the arms a spiral return spring fitted in a box 5 on hinge pin 4 at the end of each of the arms 3.

However, the present invention is not limited to the use of such return springs and can be realised, no matter what return springs are used returning the cover to the closed position on the container.

In the device according to the invention, ribs projecting from the inner wall of the cover are provided on the later.

In the represented embodiment one rib 6 is located in the free end of the cover and one rib 7 is positioned substantially half-way along the cover.

Each of the ribs 6 and 7 is able to cooperate with an elastically deformable cam 8 mounted in an upwardly projecting manner substantially in the centre of the upper edge 9 of the container opposite to its opening edge.

A preferred embodiment of the cam and its fitting to the corresponding wall of the container is illustrated in Figs. 3 to 5.

As can best be seen in Fig. 3 the cam is shaped like a partly hollowed-out sector with sides 10 and 11 of unequal length the edge 1 2 having a plurality of spaced projections 1 3. Close to its tip cam 8 has an attachment hole 1 4 for the passage of a rivet 1 5 (Fig. 5).

On a ring portion 1 6 the cam also has a plurality of regulating holes 1 7 into one of which is fitted a self-tapping screw 1 8 (Fig.

5). The cam 8 is advantageously made by injection moulding of polyoxymethylene (POM).

For the fitting of cam 8 a rivet 1 5 is firstly introduced into the attachment hole 1 4. The cam 8 is then pivoted about this rivet until a satisfactory position of the cam is obtained, after which the self-tapping screw 1 8 is fitted into the selected hole 17, which locks the cam on the container wall.

As can be seen in Fig. 3 fitting is advantageously carried out in such a way that each of the ribs 6 or 7 comes into contact with the cam between projections 13, i.e. slightly retracted with respect to the external shape of the cam which prevents a lateral strain due to reaction of the slope of the cam on each of the ribs.

During the manual opening of the cover, ribs 6 and 7 placed thereon come into contact with cam 8, deform it and then pass beyond it.

When the cover is then released, said return springs either maintain rib 7 against cam 8 and the cover is half-open or if a complete opening has taken place rib 6 is maintained against cam 8.

Although the invention has been described in conjunction with a particular embodiment it is in no way limited to this embodiment and numerous modifications can be made to it, more particularly with regard to the construction of the cam and the material from which it is made.

Claims

1. A device for locking a cover on the container of a bin in the partial and/or complete open position, cover being mounted so as to pivot relative to the container by means of lateral arms fixed to the cover and each articulated by one end to a shaft fixed to one side wall of the container, springs being positioned between the lateral arms of the cover and the container in such a way as to permit a return of the cover in the closed position, wherein it comprises in combination at least one rib which projects from the inner wall of the cover and an elastically deformable cam, mounted to as to project upwards substantially in the centre of the upper edge of the container opposite to the open edge, the or each rib being able to co-operate with the cam in such a way as to deform it and pass beyond it during a cover opening movement, said cam being such that it forms an abutment for the corresponding rib and prevents the return of the cover to the closed position which this return movement is provided by the action of the return springs of the arm of the cover.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein it comprises a rib in the vicinity of the free end of the cover and a rib located substantially half-way along the cover.

3. A device according to either of the claims 1 and 2 wherein the cam is provided with means permitting the regulation of its position on the bin container.

4. A device according to claim 3 wherein the regulating means are constituted by spaced holes remote from an attachment hole of the cam on the wall of the container, adjustment being ensured after riveting the cam to the container wall by means of a rivet introduced into the attachment hole, by fitting a self-tapping screw into the hole corresponding to the desired position.

5. A device according to claim 4, wherein the cam is shaped like a partly hollowed-out sector with sides of unequal length, the attachment hole being located in the vicinity of the sector tip, the regulating holes being distributed over a ring portion remote from the attachment hole.

6. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cam is made by the injection moulding of polyoxymethylene.

7. A bin, particularly a movable tank comprising a container and a cover mounted in pivotable manner with respect to the container, wherein it comprises a device according to any one of the preceding claims.