GB2464372A

GB2464372A - Bottle shattering device

Info

Publication number: GB2464372A
Application number: GB0916012A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Mark Brown
Original assignee: Swr Smash & Grab Ltd
Current assignee: Swr Smash & Grab Ltd
Priority date: 2008-09-11
Filing date: 2009-09-11
Publication date: 2010-04-21
Anticipated expiration: 2029-09-11
Also published as: GB2464372B; GB2464372B8; GB0816668D0; GB0916012D0

Abstract

A bottle shattering device 10 has a lid 20, with a cover section 24 and a depending flange 26. When the lid is opened, see transition from fig.1 to fig.3, the flange covers access to a bottle smashing mechanism 16. Bottles already in the device 10 can continue to be processed by the smashing mechanism 16 during the loading of further bottles into the device 10. A lower chamber 42 also provides a zone in which glass fragments and the smashing mechanism 16 can be safely kept away from a user of the device.

Description

BOTTLE SHATTERING DEVICE

The present invention relates to bottle shattering devices, for example devices capable of receiving glass bottles, smashing them and depositing them in a holding receptacle for subsequent disposal.

Many establishments such as bars and restaurants sell or use a large quantity of products which come supplied in glass bottles, many including alcoholic beverages. These establishments are faced with a considerable task when it comes to waste disposal. Glass bottles are fragile and present a risk of injury if they break. Furthermore, many types of bottles are formed of recyclable material and are therefore required to be separated from other waste.

In such establishments, space often is at a premium and it is uneconomical and difficult to store empty bottles as a result of the large amount of space they use up. In light of this, it is known to provide devices for shattering bottles and retaining the glass fragments much more efficiently in terms of space usage, in a holding receptacle for subsequent collection and disposal.

For example, there is known a device having an aperture able to receive a single bottle at a time through a narrow opening and tube to a shattering mechanism. This could be considered a relatively safe system in that the narrow opening can prevent or substantially reduce the risk of an operator getting to and being injured by the smashing mechanism of the device while feeding bottles into the device. Such a device is, however, generally acceptable for low quantity use where few bottles need to be fed sequentially into the device at any time. For bars and restaurants, on the other hand, the quantity of bottles to be shattered is great and staff are often working under severe time pressures. A single feed device thus cannot always process bottles sufficiently quickly.

Another example of device is disclosed in WO-2004/067, 179, in which there is provided a hopper for receiving a plurality of bottles at a time. A smashing mechanism is located at the bottom of the hopper to smash the bottles in the hopper and then dispose of the fragments into a collecting bin. The smashing mechanism is accessible when the lid of the device is opened.

In addition to the problems mentioned above, various other problems associated with the treatment of old bottles include the following.

In many instances, there is an uncomfortable compromise between operator safety and speed with which such devices should preferably operate, that is the number of bottles which can be processed at the same time. There are also often compromises in terms of the space available for the machine in the establishments in which they are used and the time restricted conditions in which users must dispose of bottles. In regard to the latter, pressures of speed make it difficult for a user to feed only one or a few bottles at a time into the machine.

In the case of machines which provide direct access to the bottle holding hopper in which they are smashed, in order to protect the user it is necessary to switch off the machine at the time of loading bottles. This is not an ideal solution as newly loaded bottles and fragments of partially broken bottles find their way into the mechanism of the smashing device when it is idle. As a result of this, it is then necessary to impart a substantial initial force to the smashing mechanism in order to break any bottles which fall into the mechanism during loading. The increased inertia required can cause premature wear of the machine and often results in jamming of the machine, which an operator must clear before being able to use the machine. Clearing any machine jams of this nature is invariably a perilous task in light of the amount of broken shards of glass in the machine itself.

Another problem associated with such machines is that in many environments the devices are used to treat bottles which have contained alcoholic liquid and which thus may contain dregs of their contents. Alcohol is a corrosive material, particularly to the metal components of such a machine, which can lead to premature wear and failure of the mechanical components of the device. As a result, increased servicing is required to keep such devices operational.

The present invention seeks to provide an improved bottle shattering device.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a bottle shattering device including a receptacle for holding bottle fragments, a shattering mechanism in operational communication with the receptacle, a hopper for holding bottles to be smashed, the hopper being in communication with the shattering mechanism and including at least one opening for receiving bottles; and a lid member operable to close the opening of the hopper; the lid member being provided with a moveable flange arranged to move with movement of the lid member, the flange being operable to cover the shattering mechanism when the lid is open and to uncover the shattering mechanism when the lid is closed. The lid member is advantageously operable to provide access for bottles into at least part of the hopper when open.

The structure in effect provides a shield over the shattering mechanism for protecting users loading bottles into the shattering device whilst still allowing access, in the preferred embodiment, to a substantial volume for receipt of bottles to be smashed and without requiring any notable increase in the overall volume of the shattering device. A user can thus be protected from potential injury during operation of the device whilst still being able, with the preferred embodiments, to load a plurality of bottles into the device at the same time.

The arrangement can also provide another significant advantage over prior art devices in that it is possible to allow the shattering device to continue operating also during the loading of bottles. In such a mode of operation, when the lid is opened, at which point the flange member shields access to the shattering mechanism, the shattering mechanism can continue operating, thereby to continue smashing bottles in its vicinity during the loading of new bottles. The flange member protects the user from shards and fragments of glass being generated by the shattering mechanism during this time. Thus, not only does the flange protect the user from the elements of the shattering mechanism but also protects the user from any shards or fragments of glass thrown up by the mechanism when in use.

Furthermore, as new bottles which have been loaded are brought into communication with the shattering mechanism (in the preferred embodiment by closing the lid again such that the flange member is moved back to a position in which it does not obstruct the shattering mechanism) bottles are brought into range of the shattering mechanism when the latter is already operational and thus already generating substantial momentum in its shattering elements or hammers. This substantially reduces the need for a large inertial force and thus can reduce the wear of the motor of the shattering mechanism and instances of jamming of the mechanism.

Being able to run the shattering mechanism continuously during the process of loading bottles also speeds up the operation of shattering bottles in that the shattering action can be performed continuously while bottles are loaded in batches in the machine, with one batch of bottles being shattered while another batch is being loaded.

In the preferred embodiment, the flange is arranged such that in the open configuration, that is when the lid is open and when the flange member blocks access to the shattering mechanism, the flange member divides the hopper into two substantially separate chambers, an input chamber into which new bottles to be shattered can be loaded and a shattering chamber by the shattering mechanism in which bottles already inserted into the device are held for shattering. This results in it being unnecessary to have separate inlet and shattering chambers of the type which can be found in some prior art devices.

In the preferred embodiment, the provision of the flange member coupled to the lid, the creation of two separate chambers, one for receipt of bottles to be smashed and the other for the continuous processing of bottles during operation of the machine, and the fact that the smashing mechanism can be run on a continuous basis but can ensure that the device can process at least as many bottles in any period of time as devices which are not provided with some form of shielding arrangement. A similar processing efficiency, if not greater, can thus be achieved with the addition of protection for a user.

In a preferred embodiment, the flange member and a part of the hopper form the inlet chamber for receiving bottles when the lid is open. So doing makes use of components and space already available within the shattering device in order to provide a good sized inlet chamber for receipt of a significant number of bottles and without unnecessarily increasing the volume of the device itself.

It is preferred that the flange forms a wall of the bottle holding chamber when the lid is closed. This ensures that it is not necessary to have an arrangement in which a shield or the like needs to be removed from the zone of the hopper.

Advantageously, the flange is movable between its open and shielding configurations such that in the shielding configuration the flange lies above the shattering mechanism to provide a substantially closed chamber using part of the hopper, which substantially closed chamber is in direct communication with the shattering mechanism. In some embodiments, the chamber in direct communication with the shattering mechanism is completely closed, but in preferred embodiments the flange simply obstructs a direct line from the opening to the shattering mechanism. The flange thus not only protects the user from the shattering mechanism in a direction from the opening into the device but also in a direction from the shattering mechanism towards the user, in a direction which typically shards of glass may be directed.

Preferably, the flange is formed integrally with the lid.

In the preferred embodiment, the shattering mechanism is located at a bottom of the hopper. Advantageously, the shattering mechanism forms a base of the hopper.

Preferably, the operation of the shattering mechanism is controlled by a timer, which timer is configured to cause the shattering mechanism to operate for a predetermined period of time after the timer has been activated. Advantageously, the device is arranged such that a count of the timer is reset upon opening of the lid member, or upon closing of the lid member from a fully open position, so as to restart the predetermined period. For this purpose, there is preferably provided a sensor, which in one embodiment is in the form of a switch or the like, able to sense when the lid is opened or closed from the fully open position, and send a reset signal to the timer, The shattering mechanism therefore can be made to operate for a predetermined period after the loading of bottles into the device, the predetermined period being chosen as sufficient to be able to smash all the bottles which might be loaded at any one time, and can also be made to operate on a continuous basis while bottles are being loaded into the device, without requiring the device to be manually restarted each time. In addition, the device can be safely left once the last bottles have been loaded without waiting for it to finish. The device will continue to operate whilst the timer continues its count to the predetermined time. Once this has expired without the door member having been opened or closed from the fully open position, the device will automatically switch itself off. The device remains with power connected but the motor, which is preferably electric, will stop once the timer has run down fully.

In the preferred embodiment, the machine can be designed so as to be continuously in the standby mode but not operational during periods in which the timer has exhausted its count. Provision of a detector in the lid resets the timer when the lid is opened so as to start up operation of the shattering mechanism. It will be appreciated by the person skilled in the art that upon first use of the shattering device, there will be no bottles within or adjacent the shattering mechanism which require shattering and thus the shattering mechanism can be made to start up free of any obstructing bottles. Only once the lid has been closed will loaded bottles gain access to the shattering mechanism, by which time the shattering mechanism will be operating, preferably at full speed or substantially thereat, and thus at full or near full momentum by the time newly loaded bottles fall into the operating zone of the smashing mechanism. As a result, the initial stress imposed upon the smashing mechanism and in particular the motor thereof can be substantially reduced in comparison with devices which activate the smashing mechanism only once bottles have been loaded. This can reduce premature wear and failure of the smashing mechanism and can also reduce maintenance and servicing thereof.

Advantageously, the motor can also be started even when the lid is in the fully closed position by activating a start button which is preferably mounted on a panel at the front of the device.

Advantageously, the device comprises one or more detectors which are configured to detect one or more of the following situations: a) the receptacle is full; b) the receptacle is out of position; and c) there is a jam in the device.

In response to detecting one of the above situations, the device is configured to alert the user. Preferably, the device alerts the user by a warning light specific to the situation detected. Advantageously, the smashing mechanism will not operate if one of the above situations has been detected. This can be achieved by deactivating the switch and the start button in response to detection of one or more of the above situations.

In the preferred embodiment, the device is made substantially of a polymer or resinous material, in the preferred embodiment made substantially of polyethylene.

Advantageously, the hopper, storage bin and lid at least are made of such a material and most preferably also some of the elements of the smashing mechanism. Preferably, all of the smashing mechanism is made of metal. The use of such a material, which is typically chemically inert or substantially inert, makes the device more resistant to chemical degradation caused by alcoholic or other residues in the bottles being smashed and can thus make the device more reliable. The specific structure and construction of the preferred embodiment of the device enables it to be manufactured from such a material without compromising the operational efficacy of the device.

Embodiments of the present invention are described below, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side cross-sectional view of a device according to an embodiment of this invention in a closed configuration; Figure 2 is a side cross-sectional view of a device according to the embodiment of Figure 1 in a partially open configuration; Figure 3 is a side cross-sectional view of a device according to the embodiment of Figures I and 2 in a fuliy open configuration; Figure 4 is a side view of a device according to another embodiment of the invention in a closed configuration; Figure 5 is a front view of a device according to the embodiment of Figure 4 in the closed configuration; and Figure 6 is a side cross-sectional view through line E-E of Figure 5, of a device according to the embodiment of Figure 4 and 5 in the closed configuration.

With reference to Figures 1 to 3, an embodiment of bottle shattering device 10 is in the form of a stand-alone unit able to be positioned in a store room of a customer or client establishment. It comprises a casing 12 which holds the components of the device, bottles or other items to be smashed and fragments of the smashed items until they are disposed of by an operator. The device 10 comprises for this purpose a hopper 14, a shattering mechanism 16 and a fragment receptacle or storage bin 18.

A lid member 20 is provided at an upper part of the hopper 14 and is pivotably located relative to the hopper by means of first and second pivot posts 22 either side of the lid 20 (only one being shown in Figures 1 to 3). The lid member 20 includes a cover section 24 which covers the upper end of the hopper 14 in a closed position, as well as a depending flange 26 which in this embodiment is formed integrally with the cover section 24.

At a front region 28 of the lid member 20 there is provided a front barrier 30 and a shoulder 160. In some embodiments, front barrier 30 includes first and second depending arms either side of the cover member 24 to provide a rest shoulder 32. However, preferably, the front barrier 30 provides a barrier of constant length depending from the cover member 24 substantially across the full width of the cover member 24.

The hopper 14 has a shape which could be described generally as a funnel when viewed in transverse cross-section as in Figures 1 to 3, having at its lower, narrow, end a smashing mechanism, an example of which is described below. Forming the remaining parts of the hopper 14 are a rear wall 34, which in this embodiment is substantially straight, a curved front wall 36, the curvature of which is substantially circular and side walls 40, only one of which is shown in the cross-sectional view of Figures 1 to 3. At an upper end of the curved wall 36, there is provided a substantially horizontal shelf portion 38. The top of the hopper 14 is substantially open and houses the lid member 24.

The hopper 14 provides a chamber 42 for temporary storage of bottles or other articles to be processed by the device 10.

Extending above the structure of the hopper 14 there are provided a front guard 50 and two side guards 52 which are formed integrally with the casing of the device 10 and which could be considered part of the hopper 14 and chamber 42 of the device. The front guard 50 is arranged to abut against the shoulder 160 of the lid member 20 in the closed position to support the closed lid.

The smashing mechanism 16 is operatively connected to the chamber 42 of the hopper 14 in such a way that bottles within the chamber 42 can reach the smashing mechanism 16 so as to be smashed thereby. The smashing mechanism 16 can take one of a variety of forms. In one example it includes a plurality of hammer elements coupled to a rotatable shaft, the hammer elements being able to swing into the lower zone of the chamber 42 so as to smash any bottles lying at or proximate the base of the chamber 42.

For this purpose, the lower wall of the hopper 14 may be provided with a plurality of elongate slots through which the hammers of the smashing mechanism can swing One example which may be used is a smashing mechanism similar to that described in WO-20041067 179.

The receptacle or storage bin 18 can be of any form suitable for receiving fragments of smashed items. It would typically be in the form of a generally rectangular box with an open top, although its shape is not relevant, For this purpose the smashing mechanism 16 is located within a passage 44 which operatively couples the chamber 42 and the receptacle 18.

The receptacle or storage bin 18 is removable from the device 10, typically by being provided in a suitable drawer or being in the form of a drawer itself The device 10 is also provided with an electronic control system (not shown) for controlling the smashing mechanism 16. For this purpose, there is preferably provided a mechanism for detecting the position of the lid member 20 and for controlling operation of the smashing mechanism 16 in accordance with this. In one example, the lid member 20 is provided with a protrusion or finger 46 which extends beyond the outside of the cover member 24 and a switch 48 able to cooperate with the protrusion or finger 46. The switch 48 is coupled to the control system for controlling the motor of the smashing mechanism 16. The protrusion 46 can additionally or alternatively serve to limit the extent to which the lid can be raised by abutment with a shoulder at the back of the device.

With reference to Figures 1 to 3, it can be seen that the lid member 24 is pivotable, on the pivot 22, from the closed configuration shown in Figure 1, through a partly open configuration seen in Figure 2, to a fully open configuration as seen in Figure 3. Referring first to Figure 1, with the lid member 24 fully closed, the depending flange 26 lies adjacent the back wall 34 of the hopper 14 such that in practice it forms a rear wall of the chamber 42. The cover member 24 of the lid unit 20 is sufficiently spaced from the pivot point 22 so as to lie substantially above the front and side guards 50, 52, thereby maximising the volume of the chamber 42. In this configuration, any bottles within the chamber 42 are able to move by gravity downwards towards the bottom of the hopper 14 and thus into contact with the smashing mechanism 16 and in particular, in the example described above, with the smashing hammers of the smashing mechanism 16. In this configuration, all bottles located in the chamber 42 would be gradually smashed by the smashing mechanism 16 and fragments of bottles thus produced will fall through the slotted or otherwise base of the hopper 14, through the passage 44 and into the receptacle 18.

The lid unit 20 can be opened by pivoting this about the pivot point 22. Figure 2 shows the lid member 20 in a partially opened configuration. As can be seen in Figure 2, the depending flange 26 rotates with the rotation of the lid member 20 so as to move over the bottom of the hopper 14 and thus over the smashing mechanism 26. It will be appreciated that the depending flange 16 and the bottom of the hopper 14 would be sized and arranged to ensure that the end of the depending flange 26 does not come into contact with the smashing devices of the smashing mechanism 16 as it moves across them.

In the position shown in Figure 2, the front end of the lid member 20, in particular the front barrier 30, has only just reached the top of the front guard 50. In other words, access to the chamber 42 remains blocked to any user. In this position, the bottom of the depending flange 26 has substantially reached the lower portion of the curved wall 36 of the hopper 14 and, as can be seen, substantially blocks off the smashing mechanism 16.

Further pivoting of the lid unit 20 in an opening direction (towards the fully open position of Figure 3) will cause a depending flange 26 to continue rotating about the pivot point 22 and its lower end to follow the curvature of the curved wall 36, thereby maintaining a tight positioning of the end of the flange 26 against the curved waIl 36 as the lid opens and an operator becomes able to gain access to the inside of the device.

Although the curved wall 36 has been described as being circular in shape, it would typically have a shape which follows the path of movement of the end of the depending flange 26 as the lid is opened, so as to ensure that there is always effective shielding of the shattering mechanism. The curved wall 36 could therefore have any arcuate shape corresponding to the rotational arc of the lower end of the depending flange 26.

The lid unit 20 is preferably pivotable up to the position shown in Figure 3, at which point the flange 26 is positioned substantially horizontally at the top of the curved wall 36 at the front of the hopper 14. In this position, the depending flange 26 blocks all access to the smashing mechanism 16 in order to prevent injury to a user of the device 10.

Furthermore, as can be seen in particular in Figure 3, in this position the depending flange 26 in effect splits the chamber 42 into first and second portions 42' and 42". The upper portion 42" provides an inlet chamber for loading bottles into the device 10. In contrast, the lower portion 42' provides a chamber which remains sealed and in which bottles already in the device 10 can continue to be processed by the smashing mechanism 16 during the loading of further bottles into the device 10. The lower chamber 42' also provides a zone in which glass fragments and the smashing mechanism 16 can be safely kept away from a user of the device.

It is preferable that the device 10 is provided with a mechanism for locking the lid member 20 in the open position shown in Figure 3 to ensure that the lid member 20 remains in the open position during the loading of new bottles to be processed. Any suitable locking and latching mechanism of the type known in the art could be used for such apurpose.

It will be apparent from Figure 3 in particular that the device 10 provides a large opening 54 for loading bottles into the device 10, which opening is preferably large enough to allow a plurality of bottles to be loaded at the same time, allowing for example these to be tipped out of a transportation crate or tray. Furthermore, the upper chamber 42" provides a chamber of sufficient volume to accommodate a substantial number of bottles.

Once the user has loaded the bottles into the device 10, the lid unit 20 can be unlatched and closed again, in which case it will pivot back through the configuration shown in Figure 2 towards a fully closed position of Figure 1. As this happens, the depending flange 26 pivots backwards towards its closed position of Figure 1, thus eventually presenting the bottles to the smashing mechanism 16.

In the preferred embodiment, the smashing mechanism 16 can be made to operate on a substantially continuous basis during the use of the device 10. Thus, when already loaded with bottles and in the configuration of Figure 1, the smashing unit 16 can be operational to smash any bottles housed within the chamber 42. When the lid unit 20 is opened even to the configuration of Figure 3, the smashing unit 16 can continue to operate so as to continue breaking up any bottles which have been previously loaded. New bottles can be loaded into the device, that is into the upper chamber 42", whilst the smashing unit continues to function. The lid member 20 can then be closed in order to seal the top of the device 10 in order to pass newly loaded bottles towards the smashing mechanism 16. With the smashing unit already operational, it will already be working at sufficient momentum to be able to smash easily new bottles reaching it from the upper chamber 42". In this way, the load on the motor of the smashing unit 16 can be substantially reduced compared with that required of a standing start and there is a substantially reduced risk ofjamniing of the smashing mechanism 16. Furthermore, bottles newly loaded into the device 10 can be gradually moved towards the smashing unit 16 as bottles are smashed and these are able to occupy entirety of the volume of the chamber 42 during this process. This is possible because of the particular design of the lid unit 20 and the fact that it does not create any additional void not accessible during the smashing operation.

It is preferred that the device 10 and in particular the smashing unit 16 continues to operate for a predetermined time after the loading of bottles. For this purpose, the control unit will be provided with a timer (not shown) which continues operating the smashing unit 16 until a predetermined time has elapsed. The timer unit can be linked to the switch 48 so as to reset to the predetermined time every time the lid unit 24 is opened or closed from the fully open position. In this way, whenever the lid unit is opened, indicative of new bottles being loaded into the machine, the timer unit will ensure that the smashing mechanism 16 will operate for the predetermined time after the lid has been closed. That predetermined time is preferably chosen to be a period which will with confidence result in the smashing of all of the bottles loaded into the device 10 without unnecessary wastage caused by overly prolonged operation of the smashing unit 16. In most instances, the bottles in the hopper 14 will be smashed within 5 to 10 seconds, typically before an operator is ready to lead a new batch of bottles.

It will be appreciated that the device 10 can be operated on a continuous basis, with a user loading a first batch of bottles into the device 10, closing the lid unit 20 to allow these to fall into the lower chamber 42', then opening the lid unit 20 again to load a further batch of bottles wl1iIe the first batch is being smashed. This repetitive operation can continue until all the bottles to be processed have been loaded in the device 10. For this purpose, although the embodiment of Figures 1 to 3 shows the smashing mechanism 16 in close proximity to the end of the depending flange 26, in other embodiments this could be provided at a greater vertical distance below the bottom of the flange 26 to provide a greater volume for holding bottles during the smashing operation. Thus, bottles which have been loaded but not yet smashed can be held within the unit as the lid unit 20 is raised again to load a further batch of bottles.

In the preferred embodiment, the major components of the device 10 are formed of a polymer or resin material, most preferably polyethylene. These components can typically be the lid unit 20, the hopper 14, the walls forming the passage 44, the storage receptacle 18, the casing of the unit 10 as well as parts of the mechanism of the smashing unit 16, including hammers and the like. The use of such a material can enable the device to withstand better the corrosive environment often experienced with such devices as a result of, for example, alcoholic dregs within the bottles to be smashed.

It will be appreciated that although the device has been described in connection with the smashing of glass bottles, the device can be used to break up any other form of glassware, pottery or other shatterable articles.

An embodiment of a device 10! depicted in Figures 4 to 6 is the same as that depicted in Figures 1 to 3 and described above, but with the following changes.

In this embodiment, the front wall 36' is not curved but is substantially flat. The front wall 36' runs from the front edge of the base of the hopper 14 to below the front guard 50. Therefore, in this embodiment, there is no requirement for the substantially vertical surface between the bottom of the curved wall 36 and the base of the hopper 14, nor for the shelf portion 38.

The length of the depending flange 26 is configured such that at its closest point to the wall 36', the wall 36' and the flange 26 narrowly avoid coming into contact with each other. There will therefore always be a slight gap between the flange 26 and the wall 36', and therefore between the upper chamber 42" and the lower chamber 42'. However, the lengths of the front barrier 30 and the flange 26 are configured such that when the lid member 20 has been raised sufficiently that there is an opening between the front barrier 30 and the front guard 50, the flange 26 obstructs a direct line between the opening and the smashing mechanism 16.

Therefore, the path from the opening to the smashing mechanism is circuitous.

Glass shards and other debris which are caused to be ejected from the vicinity of the smashing mechanism do not have a clear path to the user; they will necessarily encounter an internal surface of the device, thereby shielding the user. In addition, the circuitous path to the smashing mechanism prevents access thereto by the user and maintains the safe separation of zones of the device 10'.

As stated above, in the embodiment of Figures 4-6, the flat wall 36' does not follow the curved path taken by the flange 26, but allows a gap between the wall 36' and the flange 26 such that the gap is not in a direct line between the smashing mechanism 16 and an opening between the front barrier 30 and the front guard 50. This arrangement of components allows the wall 36' to be positioned further from the back wall 34 of the hopper 14. This results in the hopper having a larger volume. Accordingly, more bottles can be loaded into such a device, and bottles are less likely to jam as they descend the tapering path towards the smashing mechanism 16.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the device preferably further includes a cowling 60 to enclose the components described above. The cowling 60 can also be used with the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 3. The cowling 60 can be provided with a door 62 to allow access to the receptacle 18. The receptacle 18 can be removed through the door 62 to be emptied or replaced with an empty receptacle 18.

The cowling 60 can provide the side guards 52 extending upwards parallel to the sides of the lid member 20, the lid pivots such as the pivot points 22 and the front guard 50. The cowling 60 is detachable from the rest of the device 10', the rest of the device 10' forming a base portion. The cowling 60 can be fixed to the base portion by side latches 66 on each side.

In the embodiment of Figures 4 to 6, an indentation 47 is used to cooperate with a switch 48', which is provided instead of the switch 48 that co-operates with the protrusion 46. The switch 48'is provided with a protrusion or finger which extends beyond the outside of the rear or top of the base portion of the device 10 to cooperate with and be actuated by the indentation 47. As the lid unit 20 is raised or lowered, the finger of the switch 48' can extend fully into the indentation causing the switch 48' to be actuated. In this embodiment, the protrusion 46 still serves to limit the extent to which the lid can be raised.

Preferably, the lid member 20 is provided with a handle 64 to facilitate opening.

Features and modifications can be combined and interchanged as required.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A bottle shattering device including a receptacle for holding bottle fragments, a shattering mechanism in operational communication with the receptacle, a hopper for holding bottles to be smashed, the hopper being in communication with the shattering mechanism and including at least one opening for receiving bottles; and a lid member operable to close the opening of the hopper; the lid member being provided with a moveable flange arranged to move with movement of the lid member, the flange being operable to cover the shattering mechanism when the lid is open and to uncover the shattering mechanism when the lid is closed.
2. A bottle shattering device according to claim 1, wherein the lid member is operable to provide access for bottles into at least part of the hopper when open.
3. A bottle shattering device according to claim I or 2, wherein the flange is arranged such that in the open configuration, that is when the lid is open the flange member divides the hopper into ttvo substantially separate chambers, an input chamber into which new bottles to be shattered can be loaded and a shattering chamber by the shattering mechanism.
4. A bottle shattering device according to any preceding claim, wherein the flange member and a part of the hopper form an inlet chamber for receiving bottles when the lid is open.
5. A bottle shattering device according to any preceding claim, wherein the flange forms a wall of the bottle holding chamber when the lid is closed.
6. A bottle shattering device according to any preceding claim, wherein the flange is movable between its open and shielding configurations such that in the shielding configuration the flange lies above the shattering mechanism to provide a substantially closed chamber using part of the hopper, which substantially closed chamber is in direct communication with the shattering mechanism.
7. A bottle shattering device according to any preceding claim, wherein the flange is formed integrally with the lid.
8. A bottle shattering device according to any preceding claim, wherein the shattering mechanism is located at a bottom of the hopper.
9. A bottle shattering device according to any preceding claim, wherein the shattering mechanism forms a base of the hopper.
10. A bottle shattering device according to any preceding claim, including a control device operable to operate the smashing mechanism on a substantially continuous basis.
11. A bottle shattering device according to any preceding claim, including a timer for controlling operation of the shattering mechanism.
12. A bottle shattering device according to claim 11, wherein the timer is configured to cause the shattering mechanism to operate for a predetermined period of time after the timer has been activated.
13. A bottle shattering device according to claim 11 or 12, including means to reset a count of the timer upon opening andlor closing of the lid member so as to restart the predetermined period.
14. A bottle shattering device according to claim 13, wherein count reset means includes a lid position sensor.
15. A bottle shattering device according to any preceding claim, wherein the device is made substantially of a polymer or resinous material.
16. A bottle shattering device according to claim 15, wherein the device is made substantially of polyethylene.
17. A bottle shattering device according to claim 15 or 16, wherein one or more of: the hopper, the storage bin and the lid at least are made of a polymer or resinous material.
18. A bottle shattering device according to claim 15, 16 or 17, wherein one or more elements of the smashing mechanism are made of a polymer or resinous material.
19. A bottle shattering device substantially as herein described and with reference to each of the accompanying drawings.
20. A method of shattering bottles using a device according to any preceding claim.