GB2433871A

GB2433871A - Compacting waste material in a bag or other receptacle by vacuum

Info

Publication number: GB2433871A
Application number: GB0600125A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Simon Levesley
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-01-05
Filing date: 2006-01-05
Publication date: 2007-07-11
Also published as: GB0600125D0; WO2007077440A3; WO2007077440A2

Abstract

A domestic waste bin 1 receives a bin bag 4. A bag valve holder 18 is attached to the bin bag, which holder is seated in the upper end of a vacuum tube 14, leading from an electric motor 10 to the bag 4. The motor 10 can be operated to evacuate air from the bag 4, when filled with waste material, thereby reducing the space normally occupied by the filled bag when ready for disposal. The motor 10 has an on/off switch 16 at the rear of the bin lid 7, and a timer 15 to limit its period of operation. The value holder 18 may contain a one-way valve 19. The top of the bag 4 may comprise a resealable plastics sealing strip.

Description

1 2433871

IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO WASTE DISPOSAL

This invention relates to improvements in or relating to waste disposal and is more particularly but not exclusively concerned with a domestic waste bin.

Domestic waste bins often comprise a generally cylindrical body on which is mounted a hinged lid that can be opened and closed by a foot pedal. Such bins usually have a liner inside the generally cylindrical body, which liner, in use, receives a removable bin' bag. During use of the waste bin there is a tendency for many people to fill the bin to maximum capacity or even to overfill the bag with domestic waste (squashed down into the bag) so that removal of the bin bag from the waste bin tends to be more problematic or disadvantageous than need be the case. In use of the waste bin, the walling of the bin bag may be urged into tight holding contact with the inner wall of the bin liner by the waste material (whether or not the bag is completely filled), thus restraining or preventing easy removal therefrom on pulling the bag from the liner.

Such an exercise may involve a considerable degree of dexterity and require the cylindrical body of the bin to be held with one hand while the bag is removed with the other. The exercise is all the more difficult to be performed by the arthritic, elderly or disabled. Additionally, in attempting to pull the bag from the liner, the bag itself may rip or burst apart and/or there may be spillage of the waste material through the open top of the bag.

Once again, the physical size of the filled bin bag will determine how many bags e.g. may be introduced into an outside refuse container such as a' wheelie' bin and, the smaller the space occupied by the waste material inside the bin bag, obviously the more advantageous, and the more bin bags can be introduced into the outside refuse container, thus adding to the convenience of the user and the refuse collection system employed.

It is an,bject of the present invention to at least alleviate the aforementioned, or other, problem associated with waste disposal.

According to the present invention there is provided a waste bin or container which, in use, receives a bag or receptacle for waste material, the arrangement being such that, in use, air inside the bag or receptacle can be evacuated to reduce the size or volume occupied by the waste material in the bag/receptacle.

Further according to the present invention there is provided the combination of a waste bin or container as defined in the immediately preceding paragraph and at least one disposable bin bag or receptacle.

Further according to the present invention there is provided a bag or receptacle adapted for the waste bin/container as defined in the penultimate paragraph.

Further according to the present invention there is provided a method of reducing the size or volume of waste material in a bin bag or receptacle (in a waste bin or container), said method comprising introducing waste material into said bin bag or receptacle, sealing the bag/receptacle, evacuating air from the bag/receptacle to thereby reduce the size or volume of the waste material By the present invention, once the bag or receptacle has been filled with waste material, the physical size or volume of the bag or receptacle containing the waste material can be reduced by extracting the air from within the bag/receptacle thereby creating a vacuum or partial vacuum within the bag/receptacle. Since the physical size or volume of the filled bag/receptacle is significantly reduced, the bag/receptacle can be easily removed from the waste bin or container (or from a liner within a waste bin or container) using one hand, without the bag/receptacle binding or holding on to an inner wall of the bin/container (or liner within the waste bin or container).

There are clear advantages to reducing the size of volume of waste material at source, in particular to increase the amount of waste material that could be stored in any outside refuse container.

Usually, the bin or container will have an electric motor (preferably battery operated) which is preferably located in the base of the bin/container to evacuate the bag/receptacle.

An on/off switch or start button for the motor is, preferably, located on an upper portion of the bin/container, conveniently on a hinged lid where provided. The on/off switch or start button may be hidden from view whilst the lid is closed to avoid accidental operation during normal use.

Preferably, the bin or container includes a timer circuit programmed to allow the motor to be switched on for a set time so the motor does not burn out during the air evacuation process.

In one embodiment, a vacuum tube or pipe is provided extending from the motor to an opening which receives a releasable connection to the bag/receptacle, in use. The releasable connection is, preferably, in the form of a bag valve holder fixed or sealed to the bag/receptacle (e.g. by welding) and may be a simple push fit into the opening The opening may be provided with stop means to limit the depth of insertion of the connection into the opening. The bag valve holder may include a one-way valve to prevent seepage of air into the bag/receptacle on release of the connection from the opening, when the bag/receptacle is ready for disposal.

The bin or container will usually be provided with a releasable plastics sealing strip or the like to allow the bag! container to be sealed with waste material inside so that air can then be evacuated therefrom by the motor, when required.

Further according to the present invention there is provided a bin bag or receptacle for use with a waste bin/container, the bag/receptacle having one or more of the following features:-a) a one way valve co-operable with a vacuum tube or pipe b) a releasable connection to a vacuum tube or pipe of the waste bin/container c) a releasable connection as in b) having a one way valve, d) a releasable connection which is a force fit or snap fit with a vacuum tube or pipe on the waste bin/container e) a sealing strip (releasable plastics seal) Many advantageous features of the present invention will be apparent from the

following description and drawings.

An embodiment of a domestic waste bin or container in accordance with the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying simplified drawings in which: FIGURE 1 shows an exploded perspective view of the component parts of the domestic waste bin, utilisable with a bin bag; FIGURE 2 shows a scrap, cross-sectional view through a connection of a bin bag to the waste bin; FIGURES 3 and 4 show more detailed, vertical cross sectional views of the domestic waste bin and bin bag prior to, and after, evacuation of the air inside the bin bag, respectively.

Referring to the FIGURES of the drawings, a domestic waste bin I has a generally cylindrical outer body or sleeve 2 which receives a frusto-conical bin liner 3. in use, the bin liner 3 will receive a (plastics) bin bag 4 (see FIGURE 2 showing part of a wall of the bin bag 4).

The cylindrical outer body or sleeve 2 is mounted onto a circular base 5 having a slot 5a for receiving a foot pedal 6 in a generally known manner. Foot pedal 6 is arranged to operate hinged lid 7 in a manner generally known per se via push rod 8, received in a rear cover 9 and operatively connected to the pedal 6. The lid 7 is hinged to the top of the rear cover 9 and the bottom of the rear cover is received in the base 5.

Importantly, the base 5 houses an electric motor 10 (and power source such as a battery -not shown) utilised in a manner to be described, to evacuate air (in the direction of the bold arrows as shown in FIGURE 4) from the bin bag 4 when the filled with waste material, thus creating a vacuum or partial vacuum thereby reducing the size or volume of waste material within the bin bag and thus the size or volume occupied by the bin bag itself.

The electric motor 10 is mounted into the base 5 by means of rubberised mounting blocks 11 and 12 and covered by motor cover 13, fitted to the base by any convenient means, such as a snap fit or by screws or other fastening means. The base 5 and cover 13 fit together and form a hermetic passage to a vacuum tube 14 that extends vertically at the rear of the bin 1, within the external cover 9 from location 5b on the base, outside the outer sleeve 2. The motor 10 is connected to a timer circuit 15 programmed to allow the motor to be switched on for a set time period only, selected such that the motor does not burn out during the air evacuation process.

An onloff switch or start button 16 for the electric motor 10 is located at the rear of the lid 7, which button is obscured from view by the rear cover 9 whilst the lid is closed. For convenience, the electrical connection between the button 16 and the electric motor 10 is only shown (in bold lines) in FIGURE 3 of the drawings.

The upper end of the vacuum tube 14 is sealed to elbow joint 17 (see FIGURE 2) with stepped down diameter portion 17a being a force fit into open end 14a of the vacuum tube 14. The elbow joint 17 has a vertically disposed opening 17b in a stepped-up diameter portion 17c of the elbow joint, providing an annular wall or stop 17d limiting the depth of insertion of a bag valve holder 18 (show in isolation from a bin bag) into the elbow joint. An annular flange 17e surrounds opening 17b, and is shaped to seal against the outer surface of the outer sleeve 2 adjacent an opening 2a (see FIGURE 2) in the outer sleeve of matching diameter to opening 17b.

In use of the waste bin 1 with a bin bag 4, the bag valve holder 18 is attached to the bin bag 4 (the bin bag 4 may be of plastics and bag valve holder 18 may be welded thereto) extending through a hole 4a in a side wall of the bag in a manner which should be evident from FIGURE 2 of the drawings. The top of the bin bag 4 may be sealed when required (i.e. after the bag is filled) by a releasable interlocking plastics sealing strip of a known type (not shown). The tubular projecting portion I 8a of the bag valve holder 18 is then passed through a hole 3a in the rear of the bin liner 3 and through opening 2a at the rear of the outer body or sleeve 2 to be snugly received in matching opening 1 7b. The depth of insertion of the projecting portion 1 8a into the opening 17b is limited by the end of the projecting portion contacting stop 17d.

The bag valve holder 18 includes a one-way valve 19 that will allow air to be extracted from the inside of the bag 4 (via the motor 10) down the evacuation tube 14 in the direction of the bold arrows in FIGURE 4) but which will not allow air back into the bag.

Once the bin bag 4 has been suitably positioned within the liner 3, and the liner suitably positioned in the outer body or sleeve 2 with the bag valve holder 18 tightly fitted into the elbow joint 1, the waste bin I can be used in the normal manner with domestic waste being introduced into the open top of the bin bag. Once the bin bag 4 is filled, the sealing strip can be closed and the electric motor 10 operated by activating the on/off switch 16, thereby evacuating air from the bin bag 4 through the elbow joint 17 and evacuation tube 14 creating a vacuum or partial vacuum, advantageously, to compress or reduce the volume of the waste material and thus of the filled bin bag.

The motor 10 is allowed to operate for a preset time determined by the timer circuit at which point the motor automatically switches off. Advantageously, after this time, the bin bag 4 should be of a reduced size or volume (see FIGURE 4) that will allow easy removal from the waste bin 1 (after the valve body 18 has been disconnected from the elbow pipe 17) without the bag binding or holding on to the inner wall of the liner 3, as the bag is pulled from the liner. Once the valve body 18 has been disconnected from the elbow joint 17, the one-way valve 19 prevents air seeping back into the bag through the valve body 18, in a manner which should be evident from the FIGURES of the drawings.

Thus, the reduced volume, filled bin bag 4 is sealed and can be disposed of neatly and hygienically in an outside refuse receptacle such as a wheelie' bin.

It is to be understood that the scope of the present invention is not to be unduly limited by the particular choice of terminology and that a specific term may be replaced or supplemented by an equivalent or generic term. Further it is to be understood that individual features, method or functions relating to the waste bin, bag or receptacle or manner of reducing the size or volume of waste material might be individually patentably inventive. The singular may include the plural and vice versa.

Additionally, any range mentioned herein for any parameter or variable shall be taken to include a disclosure of any derivable sub- range within that range or of any particular value of the variable or parameter arranged within, or at an end of, the range or sub-range.

It is possible the present invention could be applied (on a larger scale) to an industrial rather than domestic environment. I()

Claims

CLAIMS

1 A waste bin or container which, in use, receives a bag or receptacle fOr waste material, the arrangement being such that, in use, air inside the bag or receptacle can be evacuated to reduce the size or volume occupied by the waste material in the bag/receptacle.

2. A waste bin or container as claimed in Claim I having an electric motor.

3. A waste bin or container as claimed in Claim 2 in which the motor is located in the base of the bin/container to evacuate the bag/receptacle.

4. A waste bin or container as claimed in Claim 2 or Claim 3 in which the motor is battery operated.

5. A waste bin as claimed in Claim 2 or Claim 3 in which the motor is mains : operated. I... S... * S

* .. S 6. A waste bin or container as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 5 in which an el..., * . on/off switch or start button for the motor is located on an upper portion of the : bin/container. S... S...

S C See.

7. A waste bin or container as claimed in Claim ô in which the on/off switch or start button is located on a hinged lid. ii

8. A waste bin or container as claimed in Claim 7 in which the onloff switch or start button is arranged to be hidden from view whilst the lid is closed.

9. A waste bin or container as claimed in any one Claims 2 to 8 which includes a timer circuit programmed to allow the motor to be switched on fOr a set time so the motor does not bum out during the air evacuation process.

10. A waste bin or container as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 9 in which a vacuum tube or pipe is provided extending from the motor to an opening which receives a releasable connection to the bag/receptacle, in use.

ii. A waste bin or container as claimed in Claim 10 in which the releasable connection is in the form of a bag valve holder fixed or sealed, in use, to the bag/receptacle.

12. A waste bin or container as claimed in Claim i i in which the bag valve holder : * is a push fit into the opening. S... * * S...

13. A waste bin or container as claimed in Claim 12 in which the opening is * I** *S * I * :.: provided with stop means to limit the depth of insertion of the connection into : * the opening. I... I...

S S...

14. A waste bin or container as claimed in any one of Claims 9 to 13 in which the bag valve holder includes a one-way valve to prevent seepage of air into the bag/receptacle on release of the connection from the opening, when the hag/receptacle is ready for disposal.

15. A waste bin or container substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

16. The combination of a waste bin or container as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims and at least one bin bag or receptacle.

17. The combination as claimed in Claim 16 in which the bin bag or receptacle is disposable.

18. The combination as claimed in claim 16 or claim 17 in which the bag valve holder is fixed or sealed to the bag/receptacle by welding.

19. The combination as claimed in any one of Claims 16 to 18 in which the bag or : * receptacle is provided with a releasable plastics sealing strip or the like. I... * I S...

20. A bag or receptacle adapted for the waste bin/container as claimed in any one S..... * S

* .: of claims I to 15 or fOr the combination as claimed in any one of Claims 16 to :.. 19. S... S... * S...

21. A bin bag or receptacle adapted for use with a waste bin/container, the bag/receptacle having one or more of the following features:-a) a one way valve co-operable with a vacuum tube or pipe b) a releasable connection to a vacuum tube or pipe of the waste bin/container a releasable ronnertinn as in h) having a nne way valve d) a releasable connection which is a force fit or snap fit with a vacuum tube or pipe on the waste bin/container e) a sealing stnp (releasable plastics seal) 22. A method of reducing the size or volume of waste material in a bin bag or receptacle (in a waste bin or container), said method comprising introducing waste material into said bin bag or receptacle, sealing the bag/receptacle, evacuating air from the bag/receptacle to thereby reduce the size or volume of the waste material.

23. A method as claimed in Claim 22 in which air is evacuated from the bin bag/receptacle by an electric motor.

24. A method as claimed in Claim 23 in which the motor is switched on or started : * by a button on an upper portion of a waste bin or container receiving the bin I...

bag or receptacle.

S..... * .

* : 23. A method as claimed in claim 23 or 24 including operating the motor fOr a set : * time period. * .SS S...

S S S...

26. A method as c!aimed in any one of claims 23 to 25 including reteasably connecting the bin bag/receptacle to an opening of a vacuum tube or pipe connected to the motor.

27. A method as claimed in claim 26 in which the bin bag/receptacle is a push fit into the opening.

28. A method as claimed in claim 22 and substantially as herein described. * ** * S S 55*5 *S.S * * ****

S

S S SS*S * * * *5SS** * * * I * I I * S.. S... * . 5..