JPH09314113A - Garbage treatment apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make it possible to know simply whether the feed of garbage is possible or not or whether the replacement of a carrier is necessary or not by detecting the level of the mixture of the carrier to which microorganisms adhere, garbage, and a decomposition residue in a treatment tank and displaying the detection results. SOLUTION: A stainless steel agitation blade 14 is fixed to a shaft, and the shaft is rotated to agitate a treatment tank. When the height of a mixture exceeds a prescribed value by the agitation, the mixture which is pushed and accumulated by the agitation blade 14 or the volume of which is increased by the feed of garbage pushes a plate which is connected rotatably on a supporting point with the lower surface of a switch part 5 to operate a switch lever 7 so that a limit switch 6 is actuated. As a result, an electric signal passes from a control unit 4 through a signal line to flash LED on a display panel to indicate the stop of the feed. In this way, it is possible to simply know whether the feed of garbage is possible or not or whether the replacement of the carrier is necessary or not.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for treating food waste, and more particularly to an apparatus for treating food waste by microbial decomposition which is preferably used at home.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An apparatus for treating food waste by microbial decomposition mixes food waste with organic substances in a food waste by mixing microorganisms attached to a porous carrier that easily contains water such as sawdust in a treatment tank. The process of decomposing by microorganisms is performed. Since it takes time to treat food waste with microorganisms in its original size, a large amount of garbage is finely crushed with a stirring blade, and external air is blown into the treatment tank to activate aerobic microorganisms. There is also something to take in.

[0003] As an example of such a garbage processing device, by controlling the rotation time of the stirring blade and the operating time of the exhaust fan according to the elapsed time, there are a plurality of processing modes such as strength and weakness. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-227589 discloses that the processing modes are automatically displayed and the processing modes are automatically switched, and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-27890 discloses a method that estimates the water content from the stirring torque and adjusts the water content. There is a publication of -204608. In addition, as a means for charging food waste into the processing tank, there are a method of transferring from the indoor input port to the outdoor processing tank by a shooter, a method of transferring from the sink drain port to the processing tank, and the like.

[0004]

In these food waste processing apparatuses, when the amount of the mixture in the processing tank (consisting of the carrier to which microorganisms are attached, the garbage and the decomposition residue) exceeds a predetermined amount, the processing tank is treated. Since the amount of air in the interior is insufficient, the ability to decompose microorganisms is reduced, and as a result, the treatment capacity is reduced. Therefore, it is desirable to check the internal condition of the processing tank before adding the garbage. However, in the case of a system in which a transfer means such as a shooter is used to insert the material into the processing tank from the input port, the user cannot directly look inside the processing tank. Therefore, it is difficult for the user to judge whether or not it is possible to throw in garbage.

Further, if it is used for a long period of time, components that cannot be decomposed in food waste will be adsorbed and adhered to the carrier, making it difficult for microorganisms to grow, and it becomes necessary to replace the carrier to which the microorganisms adhere. Whether or not the processing capacity is sufficient can be judged by the amount of decrease in the mixture in the processing tank per unit time, but since the user cannot see the inside of the processing tank as described above, replacement of the carrier with microorganisms attached It was difficult to know if was needed.

The present invention is intended to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and its purpose is to know whether or not raw garbage can be put in and whether or not the carrier needs to be replaced. The purpose is to provide a waste treatment device.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, the apparatus for treating food waste according to the first aspect of the present invention has a treatment tank and a stirring means, and decomposes the carrier to which microorganisms are adhered and the garbage by stirring. In the food waste treatment device, the detection means for detecting the height of the mixture of the carrier, the food waste, and the decomposition residue in the treatment tank, and the display means for displaying the detection result are characterized. .

As the carrier to which the microorganisms are attached, porous sawdust, resin or the like is used because it easily contains water. As the treatment tank used in the present invention, it is preferable that the inside of the treatment tank is made of a metal or a resin that is not corroded by moisture or the like, and has a shape with a high stirring efficiency by attaching R to the bottom. The garbage is decomposed by microorganisms inside the treatment tank, and the microorganisms used are natural aerobic bacteria adhering to the garbage and the like. In particular, when shortening the rising period of the processing capacity, aerobic bacteria or the like are added first. As a means of shortening the processing time, by stirring the carrier with the microorganisms attached and the garbage together with the stirring blade, the garbage and the blade of the stirring blade crush the garbage and reduce the bulk and increase the area where the bacteria adhere. Shorten the processing time.

The term "decomposition residue" refers to substances such as inorganic substances such as egg shells and shells, calcium, and ash that cannot be decomposed and remain in the treatment tank. The mixture is a carrier to which microorganisms are attached, food waste, and decomposition residues. The height of the mixture is the position of the boundary surface between the mixture and air in the treatment tank, and as the detection means for detecting the height of the mixture,
The contact type includes a micro switch, a limit switch, etc., and the non-contact type includes a light source (LED, semiconductor laser, etc.) and a photodetector, and an ultrasonic detection method that reacts and operates when the mixture becomes higher in distance due to ultrasonic waves. However, a contact-type switch, preferably a limit switch, which operates reliably without being affected by the dirt inside is suitable. The stirring blade is preferably made of stainless steel or other non-corrosive metal or resin.

As a display means for displaying the detected result, the state and the replacement time are displayed by lighting or blinking by an LCD, an LED or a lamp. Further, there are ones that are displayed on the display and some that warn the detection result by voice.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the garbage processing apparatus has a member as a detection means for detecting the height of the mixture in the treatment tank, which is moved by being pushed by the pressure when the height of the mixture becomes higher than a predetermined value. The switch is installed in the processing tank.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a garbage disposal device, which has a function of periodically detecting the height of a mixture and comparing the detection results with each other to judge the garbage disposal capacity of microorganisms.
A function is provided to inform the user that the carrier with microorganisms attached needs to be replaced. The mixture height data taken at regular intervals are stored in the control unit in memory and some past data is compared with the present data. If the height of the mixture decreases slowly even though the garbage is in the treatment tank, it is judged that the treatment capacity of microorganisms has deteriorated, and the user needs to replace the carrier with microorganisms attached. Warn that.

[0013]

The apparatus for treating food waste according to claim 1 has a treatment tank for decomposing and a means for agitating the mixture of the microorganisms attached carrier, the garbage and the decomposition residue in the treatment tank. By stirring the mixture, the upper surface of the mixture in the processing tank becomes flat. In addition, the processing time is shortened by crushing the food waste and increasing the area where bacteria adhere.

Further, since the detection means for detecting the height of the mixture and the display means are provided, by displaying the detection result, the user can know the time when the garbage is put in without directly looking inside. Furthermore, when the excess input of food waste or the input of substances that are difficult to decompose is input, it is possible to know the state in which a load exceeding the processing capacity is applied.

Further, when the height of the mixture exceeds a predetermined value for a certain period, it means that the decrease of the height of the mixture is very slow. In other words, it means that the garbage processing capacity of microorganisms is deteriorated. Therefore, it is possible to know the replacement time of the carrier to which the microorganisms are attached.

In the garbage disposal according to the second aspect of the present invention, as a means for detecting the height of the mixture, a switch having a member that is moved by the pressure of the mixture when the height of the mixture becomes high is installed in the treatment tank. The structure is simple, and it becomes an inexpensive and maintenance-free garbage processing device.

When a large amount of food waste is added or there are many components that take time to decompose, the height of the mixture increases due to the increase in volume. If they are continuously added, the amount of the added amount will be larger than the amount reduced by the processing, and the inside of the processing tank will be full, so that the processing cannot be performed. Therefore, the height and increase of the mixture are set so as to be activated when the mixture becomes higher than a predetermined value by a method of pressing a switch installed in the treatment tank.

In the garbage processing device according to claim 3,
It has a judgment function to judge the garbage disposal capacity of microorganisms by comparing the detection results of the height of the mixture taken periodically and a warning function to warn the user that the carrier with microorganisms attached needs to be replaced. Set up. From these, it is possible to easily and concretely know the replacement time of the carrier to which the microorganisms are attached.
In addition, the data of the height of the mixture taken periodically is stored in the control unit, and some past data and the present data are compared. Therefore, it is possible to grasp the degree of deterioration of the processing capacity of microorganisms.

[0019]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the processing device during normal operation, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the processing device when the height of the mixture is higher than a predetermined value, and FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view around the switch.

In the present embodiment, the microorganisms are:
Use aerobic bacteria attached to food waste. Sawdust is used as the carrier. However, microorganisms should be attached to the carrier.

Environmentally, the temperature inside the processing tank is 40 to 60 ° C.
By adjusting the temperature to 1, the mesophilic bacterium that operates in the temperature range decomposes the garbage and suppresses the generation of harmful insects, and the high temperature prevents an increase in water content. As a means for adjusting the temperature, the temperature is detected by a thermistor (temperature sensor 12), which is inexpensive in terms of circuit configuration, and the temperature is heated by the planar heater 21 to maintain a constant temperature environment in which bacteria can easily act. Moreover, in order to reduce energy loss, the periphery of the processing tank 2 and the lid 17 is covered with a heat insulating material (foam). The treatment tank is made of resin, and is rounded at the bottom so that stirring can be performed so that corners do not accumulate. In addition, the lid and the device body are waterproof so that they can be installed outdoors. Regarding stirring, a stirring blade 14 made of stainless steel is attached to the shaft, and the shaft is rotated by a transmission belt from a stirring motor 13 (AC motor) to stir the inside of the processing tank 2. Regarding forced exhaust, the exhaust port 19 is used by the fan 18.
It is exhausted from. A deodorant is attached to the exhaust port to prevent foul odors. As the transfer means, the duct 1 in which the shooter 15 inclines from the indoor inlet 10 to the outdoor processing tank 2 is provided.
6 to transfer. The opening and closing door 20 prevents the odor from the processing tank 2 from leaking into the room. Also, when the door is opened or closed, forced exhaust is used to prevent odors from leaking. Forced exhaust is performed by operating the fan 18.

When the height of the mixture becomes higher than a predetermined value, the limit switch 6 operates to detect the height of the mixture and display it on the display panel 1. The switch unit 5 has a lever-type limit switch 6 installed at the bottom of the fan, and when the height of the mixture becomes higher than a predetermined value, the mixture is pushed up by the stirring blades 14 or the mixture becomes bulky by throwing in garbage. A plate connected to the lower surface of the portion 5 so as to rotate with one point as a support is pushed so that the switch lever 7 moves and the limit switch 6 operates. As a result, the electric signal passes through the signal line 8 from the control unit 4 and blinks the LED indicating that the display panel 9 is closed. This allows the user to know that it is impossible to throw in garbage. If the switch continues to operate even after one week with the supply stopped, the microcomputer of the control unit 4 judges that the processing capacity is lowered, and the electric signal is sent from the control unit 4 through the signal line 8. The display LED indicating that the carrier needs to be replaced is flashed through the display panel 9. Particularly, an embodiment of the warning function according to claim 3 will be described below. First, the height of the mixture is detected periodically.
The data of the detected height is sent to the control unit 4,
It is stored there. Each time new data is sent, the control unit 4 compares some data in the past with the current data, and examines the transition of the accumulated height of the mixture over time. So when the height of the mixture decreases slowly,
It is considered that the treatment capacity of microorganisms has deteriorated, and it is judged that it is time to replace the carrier with microorganisms attached. This information is displayed on the display panel 9 and communicated to the user.

As a method of exchanging the carrier with microorganisms attached, the front panel 22 of the apparatus is removed, the mixture is taken out, the panel 22 is attached, and a new carrier with microorganisms attached is introduced from the upper lid 17.

Next, the processing procedure of raw garbage will be described. The opening / closing lid 20 is opened from the indoor charging port 10 and the garbage is charged into the processing container. When put in, the stirring blade 14 is stirred by the stirring motor 13. The stirring time is 1 minute, and the control unit 4 operates with a timer. Stirring is run for 1 minute every hour.

The fan 18 for forced exhaust is operated during stirring operation after charging and every 30 minutes for 3 minutes. Intake port 11
Is exhausted from the exhaust port 19 through the deodorant by the fan 18. As a result, the air from the outside is taken into the processing tank 2 through the intake port. Temperature sensor 1 in processing tank 2
2 is detected by the control unit 4 and the heater 21 is turned on by the control unit 4.
The temperature inside the processing tank 2 is adjusted by turning it off / on.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, only the gravity was used as the means for transferring the food waste from the charging port to the processing tank, but other methods such as scraping with a crusher, centrifugal force, and flowing with water are also available. is there.

[0027]

In the food waste processing apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention, the user has the means for detecting the height of the mixture in the processing tank and the display means for displaying the detection result. You can see how much is left. Therefore, the user can easily know the suitability of throwing in the garbage, and can perform the optimal garbage processing.

When the mixture is above a certain height for a certain period of time, it means that the decrease of the height of the mixture is very slow. In other words, it means that the garbage processing capacity of microorganisms is deteriorated. Therefore, it is possible to know the replacement time of the carrier to which the microorganisms are attached.

In the garbage disposal according to the second aspect of the present invention, as the detection means for detecting the height of the mixture, a switch having a member which is pushed and moved by the pressure when the height of the mixture becomes higher than a predetermined value is treated. By installing it in the tank, the structure is simple, inexpensive, and maintenance-free.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the food waste treating apparatus has a judgment function for judging the food waste treating ability of microorganisms by comparing the detection results of the height of the mixture taken periodically, and the user's By providing a warning function to warn that the adhered carrier needs to be replaced, it is possible to easily and concretely know the replacement time of the carrier to which the microorganism is adhered.

Further, in the food waste processing apparatus according to the third aspect, it is known in advance that the processing capacity of microorganisms has deteriorated. Therefore, when the processing of food waste by the microorganisms is completed, the carrier with the microorganisms attached is replaced. The replacement work is easy.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of an internal mechanism of a food waste processing device in a normal operation of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of the internal mechanism of the food waste processing apparatus when the mixture of the present invention is higher than a predetermined value and the switch is activated.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a switch unit of the food waste processing device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Food Waste Disposer Main Unit 2 Treatment Tank 3 Mixture 4 Control Unit 5 Switch Section 6 Limit Switch 7 Switch Lever 8 Signal Line 9 Display Panel 10 Indoor Input Port 11 Inlet 12 Temperature Sensor 13 Stirring Motor 14 Stirring Blade (Stirring Means) 15 Shooter 16 Duct 17 Lid 18 Fan 19 Exhaust port 20 Opening / closing door 21 Heater 22 Device front panel 23 Top of mixture

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A food waste treatment device comprising a treatment tank and a stirring means, and stirring and decomposing a carrier to which microorganisms are adhered and food waste, wherein the treatment comprises the carrier, the food waste and a decomposition residue. An apparatus for treating food waste, comprising: a detection unit that detects the height of the mixture in the tank, and a display unit that displays the detection result. 2. The garbage according to claim 1, wherein a switch having a member that is pushed and moved by the pressure of the mixture when the height of the mixture becomes higher than a predetermined value is installed in the processing tank as the detection means. Processing equipment. 3. A judgment function for periodically detecting the height of the mixture and comparing the detection results to judge the garbage disposal capacity of microorganisms, and the user needs to replace the carrier with microorganisms attached. The food waste processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a warning function for notifying that the food waste is present.