US20190283963A1 - Sorting waste receptacle - Google Patents
Sorting waste receptacle Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20190283963A1 US20190283963A1 US16/430,293 US201916430293A US2019283963A1 US 20190283963 A1 US20190283963 A1 US 20190283963A1 US 201916430293 A US201916430293 A US 201916430293A US 2019283963 A1 US2019283963 A1 US 2019283963A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- frame
- chute
- trolley
- waste
- members
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
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Classifications
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B07—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SORTING
- B07C—POSTAL SORTING; SORTING INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, OR BULK MATERIAL FIT TO BE SORTED PIECE-MEAL, e.g. BY PICKING
- B07C5/00—Sorting according to a characteristic or feature of the articles or material being sorted, e.g. by control effected by devices which detect or measure such characteristic or feature; Sorting by manually actuated devices, e.g. switches
- B07C5/36—Sorting apparatus characterised by the means used for distribution
- B07C5/361—Processing or control devices therefor, e.g. escort memory
- B07C5/362—Separating or distributor mechanisms
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B07—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SORTING
- B07C—POSTAL SORTING; SORTING INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, OR BULK MATERIAL FIT TO BE SORTED PIECE-MEAL, e.g. BY PICKING
- B07C5/00—Sorting according to a characteristic or feature of the articles or material being sorted, e.g. by control effected by devices which detect or measure such characteristic or feature; Sorting by manually actuated devices, e.g. switches
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B07—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SORTING
- B07C—POSTAL SORTING; SORTING INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, OR BULK MATERIAL FIT TO BE SORTED PIECE-MEAL, e.g. BY PICKING
- B07C5/00—Sorting according to a characteristic or feature of the articles or material being sorted, e.g. by control effected by devices which detect or measure such characteristic or feature; Sorting by manually actuated devices, e.g. switches
- B07C5/36—Sorting apparatus characterised by the means used for distribution
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B07—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SORTING
- B07C—POSTAL SORTING; SORTING INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, OR BULK MATERIAL FIT TO BE SORTED PIECE-MEAL, e.g. BY PICKING
- B07C5/00—Sorting according to a characteristic or feature of the articles or material being sorted, e.g. by control effected by devices which detect or measure such characteristic or feature; Sorting by manually actuated devices, e.g. switches
- B07C5/36—Sorting apparatus characterised by the means used for distribution
- B07C5/38—Collecting or arranging articles in groups
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65F—GATHERING OR REMOVAL OF DOMESTIC OR LIKE REFUSE
- B65F1/00—Refuse receptacles; Accessories therefor
- B65F1/0033—Refuse receptacles; Accessories therefor specially adapted for segregated refuse collecting, e.g. receptacles with several compartments; Combination of receptacles
- B65F1/004—Refuse receptacles; Accessories therefor specially adapted for segregated refuse collecting, e.g. receptacles with several compartments; Combination of receptacles the receptacles being divided in compartments by partitions
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65F—GATHERING OR REMOVAL OF DOMESTIC OR LIKE REFUSE
- B65F1/00—Refuse receptacles; Accessories therefor
- B65F1/14—Other constructional features; Accessories
- B65F1/1426—Housings, cabinets or enclosures for refuse receptacles
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B07—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SORTING
- B07C—POSTAL SORTING; SORTING INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, OR BULK MATERIAL FIT TO BE SORTED PIECE-MEAL, e.g. BY PICKING
- B07C2501/00—Sorting according to a characteristic or feature of the articles or material to be sorted
- B07C2501/0054—Sorting of waste or refuse
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65F—GATHERING OR REMOVAL OF DOMESTIC OR LIKE REFUSE
- B65F1/00—Refuse receptacles; Accessories therefor
- B65F1/0033—Refuse receptacles; Accessories therefor specially adapted for segregated refuse collecting, e.g. receptacles with several compartments; Combination of receptacles
- B65F2001/008—Means for automatically selecting the receptacle in which refuse should be placed
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65F—GATHERING OR REMOVAL OF DOMESTIC OR LIKE REFUSE
- B65F1/00—Refuse receptacles; Accessories therefor
- B65F1/14—Other constructional features; Accessories
- B65F2001/1489—Refuse receptacles adapted or modified for gathering compostable domestic refuse
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65F—GATHERING OR REMOVAL OF DOMESTIC OR LIKE REFUSE
- B65F2210/00—Equipment of refuse receptacles
- B65F2210/128—Data transmitting means
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65F—GATHERING OR REMOVAL OF DOMESTIC OR LIKE REFUSE
- B65F2210/00—Equipment of refuse receptacles
- B65F2210/148—Locking means
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65F—GATHERING OR REMOVAL OF DOMESTIC OR LIKE REFUSE
- B65F2210/00—Equipment of refuse receptacles
- B65F2210/152—Material detecting means
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65F—GATHERING OR REMOVAL OF DOMESTIC OR LIKE REFUSE
- B65F2210/00—Equipment of refuse receptacles
- B65F2210/152—Material detecting means
- B65F2210/1522—Material detecting means for glass
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65F—GATHERING OR REMOVAL OF DOMESTIC OR LIKE REFUSE
- B65F2210/00—Equipment of refuse receptacles
- B65F2210/152—Material detecting means
- B65F2210/1525—Material detecting means for metal
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65F—GATHERING OR REMOVAL OF DOMESTIC OR LIKE REFUSE
- B65F2210/00—Equipment of refuse receptacles
- B65F2210/152—Material detecting means
- B65F2210/1527—Material detecting means for plastics
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65F—GATHERING OR REMOVAL OF DOMESTIC OR LIKE REFUSE
- B65F2210/00—Equipment of refuse receptacles
- B65F2210/168—Sensing means
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65F—GATHERING OR REMOVAL OF DOMESTIC OR LIKE REFUSE
- B65F2210/00—Equipment of refuse receptacles
- B65F2210/172—Solar cells
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65F—GATHERING OR REMOVAL OF DOMESTIC OR LIKE REFUSE
- B65F2210/00—Equipment of refuse receptacles
- B65F2210/176—Sorting means
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65F—GATHERING OR REMOVAL OF DOMESTIC OR LIKE REFUSE
- B65F2210/00—Equipment of refuse receptacles
- B65F2210/184—Weighing means
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65F—GATHERING OR REMOVAL OF DOMESTIC OR LIKE REFUSE
- B65F2210/00—Equipment of refuse receptacles
- B65F2210/20—Temperature sensing means
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- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02W—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT
- Y02W30/00—Technologies for solid waste management
- Y02W30/10—Waste collection, transportation, transfer or storage, e.g. segregated refuse collecting, electric or hybrid propulsion
Definitions
- the disclosure of the present patent application relates to the collection and recycling of waste, and particularly to a system for sorting and collecting waste materials, and more particularly to a sorting waste receptacle.
- the sorting waste receptacle sorts and temporarily stores differing types of waste items.
- the sorting waste receptacle includes a hollow housing having a top wall, a bottom wall and at least one sidewall extending between the top wall and the bottom wall.
- the top wall has an opening formed therethrough for receiving a waste item, and a lower interior portion of the hollow housing is divided into a plurality of separate compartments, each compartment corresponding to a different type of waste.
- the waste item is temporarily held within a movable, hollow chute inside the hollow housing. While in the hollow chute, the waste item is weighed by a scale and at least one sensor determines its composition. Based on the composition of the waste item, the hollow chute is moved above the corresponding one of the separate compartments for dispensing of the waste item therein.
- a frame is mounted in an upper interior portion of the hollow housing.
- the frame includes longitudinally opposed front and rear walls, a pair of laterally opposed, longitudinally extending upper members secured to and extending between upper ends of the longitudinally opposed front and rear walls, and a pair of laterally opposed, longitudinally extending lower members secured to, and extending between, lower ends of the longitudinally opposed front and rear walls.
- Each of the longitudinally extending upper members has a longitudinally extending slot formed therethrough, and similarly, each of the longitudinally extending lower members also has a longitudinally extending slot formed therethrough.
- a sliding support or trolley is slidably mounted to the frame for supporting the hollow chute.
- the sliding support includes a pair of longitudinally opposed, laterally extending upper members extending between the pair of laterally opposed, longitudinally extending upper members of the frame, and a pair of longitudinally opposed, laterally extending lower members extending between the pair of laterally opposed, longitudinally extending lower members of the frame.
- the pair of longitudinally opposed, laterally extending upper members respectively slidably engage the longitudinally extending slots of the pair of laterally opposed, longitudinally extending upper members of the frame, such that the pair of longitudinally opposed, laterally extending upper members are selectively longitudinally movable within the frame.
- the hollow chute mounted on the sliding support has opposed upper and lower ends and, through its mounting on the sliding support, is selectively positionable longitudinally and laterally in the frame.
- the upper end of the hollow chute is adapted for receiving the waste item from the opening formed through the top wall of the hollow housing.
- the lower end of the hollow chute is adapted for dispensing the waste item into a selected one of the plurality of separate compartments in the lower interior portion of the hollow housing.
- At least one sensor such as a capacitive sensor or the like, is mounted on the frame for determining the composition of the waste item.
- the selected one of the plurality of separate compartments is determined based on the composition of the waste item.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sorting waste receptacle, partially cut-away to show separate compartments for sorted waste in the lower portion of the interior of the receptacle.
- FIG. 2A , FIG. 2B , FIG. 2C and FIG. 2D are schematic diagrams illustrating sorting waste between the three lower compartments of the sorting waste receptacle.
- FIG. 3A is a perspective view of an internal frame, sliding support and hollow chute of the sorting waste receptacle.
- FIG. 3C is a perspective view of the internal frame, sliding support and hollow chute of FIG. 3A , shown with the hollow chute in a second longitudinal position.
- FIG. 4 is a side view of the internal frame, sliding support and hollow chute of FIGS. 3A-3C .
- FIG. 5 is a front view of the sliding support and hollow chute of the sorting waste receptacle.
- FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a control system of the sorting waste receptacle.
- the waste item When the waste item is inserted through the opening 11 , the waste item is temporarily held within a movable, hollow chute 32 (shown in FIGS. 3A-3C ) inside the hollow housing 12 . As illustrated in FIGS. 2A-2D , while in the hollow chute 32 , the waste item is weighed by a scale 36 , and at least one sensor 78 determines its composition, or at least what recycling class (e.g., plastic, metal, glass, etc.) the waste item should be sorted into. Based on the composition of the waste item, the hollow chute 32 is moved above the corresponding one of the separate compartments 24 , 26 , 28 for dispensing of the waste item therein. As an example, as shown in FIGS.
- Sensor 78 may be a capacitive sensor or the like, configured for detecting glass.
- Sensor 80 may be a capacitive sensor or the like, configured for detecting plastic.
- Sensor 82 may be a capacitive sensor or the like, configured for detecting metal. If, for example, sensor 82 detects that the waste item is metal waste M, the chute 32 is moved to drop the waste item into compartment 24 , as illustrated diagrammatically in FIG. 2B . As shown in FIG. 2A , the chute 32 starts on scale 36 , to weigh the waste item, and then moves to the appropriate position.
- the chute 32 is moved to drop the waste item into compartment 26 , as illustrated diagrammatically in FIG. 2C . If sensor 78 detects that the waste item is glass waste G, the chute 32 is moved to drop the waste item into compartment 28 , as illustrated diagrammatically in FIG. 2D .
- a frame 30 or trolley frame is mounted in the upper interior portion 15 of the hollow housing 12 .
- the frame 30 includes longitudinally opposed front and rear walls 42 , 44 , respectively, a pair of laterally opposed, longitudinally extending upper members 46 , 50 extending between upper ends of the longitudinally opposed front and rear walls 42 , 44 , and a pair of laterally opposed, longitudinally extending lower members 48 , 52 extending between, lower ends of the longitudinally opposed front and rear walls 42 , 44 .
- Each of the longitudinally extending upper members 46 , 50 has a longitudinally extending slot 54 , 58 , respectively, formed therethrough, and similarly, each of the longitudinally extending lower members 48 , 52 also has a longitudinally extending slot formed therethrough. In the orientation of FIGS. 3A and 4 , only slot 56 can be seen extending through the lower member 48 , although it should be understood that a similar slot is formed through lower member 52 .
- a sliding support 60 or trolley is slidably mounted in the frame 30 for supporting the hollow chute 32 .
- the sliding support 60 includes a pair of longitudinally opposed, laterally extending upper members 90 , 91 extending between the pair of laterally opposed, longitudinally extending upper members 46 , 50 of the frame 30 , and a pair of longitudinally opposed, laterally extending lower members 92 , 93 extending between the pair of laterally opposed, longitudinally extending lower members 48 , 52 of the frame 30 .
- the pair of longitudinally opposed, laterally extending upper members 90 , 91 slidably engage the longitudinally extending slots 54 , 58 of the pair of laterally opposed, longitudinally extending upper members 46 , 50 , such that the pair of longitudinally opposed, laterally extending upper members 90 , 91 are selectively longitudinally movable within the frame 30 .
- Exemplary rollers 62 are shown being received within slot 54 , and it should be understood that a similar pair of rollers may be received within slot 58 . It should be further understood that rollers 62 are shown for exemplary purposes only, and that any suitable type of wheels, rollers, bearings or the like may be used for sliding the pair of longitudinally opposed, laterally extending upper members 90 , 91 within the slots 54 , 58 .
- the pair of longitudinally opposed, laterally extending lower members 92 , 93 respectively slidably engage the longitudinally extending slots (only slot 56 shown, the opposing lower slot being symmetrical) of the pair of laterally opposed, longitudinally extending lower members 48 , 52 of the frame 30 , such that the pair of longitudinally opposed, laterally extending lower members 48 , 52 are selectively longitudinally movable within the frame 30 .
- Exemplary rollers 64 are shown being received within slot 56 , and it should be understood that a similar pair of rollers may be received within the laterally opposed slot. It should be further understood that rollers 64 are shown for exemplary purposes only, and that any suitable type of wheels, rollers, bearings or the like may be used.
- the hollow chute 32 mounted on the sliding support 60 has opposed upper and lower ends and, through its mounting on sliding support 60 , is selectively positionable longitudinally and laterally in the frame 30 .
- the upper end of the hollow chute 32 is open or otherwise adapted for receiving the waste item from the opening 11 formed through the top wall 14 of the hollow housing 12 .
- the lower end of the hollow chute 32 is open or otherwise adapted for dispensing the waste item into a selected one of the plurality of separate compartments 24 , 26 , 28 in the lower interior portion 13 of the hollow housing 12 .
- the selected one of the plurality of separate compartments 24 , 26 , 28 is determined based on the composition of the waste item (i.e., the recycling class of the waste item) as detected by sensors 78 , 80 , 82 .
- the hollow chute 32 may have opposed front and rear walls 73 , 75 , respectively, and a slot 84 may be formed through the rear wall 75 .
- This provides for direct access of the waste item by sensors 78 , 80 , 82 when hollow chute 32 is in the position of FIG. 2A , i.e., when the hollow chute 32 is positioned above scale 36 , which is mounted on the lower end of frame 30 .
- Scale 36 not only weighs the waste item, but also prevents the waste item from falling into one of the compartments 24 , 26 , 28 before hollow chute 32 is moved into the desired position.
- a controller 112 is preferably mounted within hollow housing 12 .
- Controller 112 may be a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a programmable logic controller, a processor such as that commonly associated with a personal computer, or the like.
- Sensors 78 , 80 , 82 are in communication with the controller 112 , allowing controller 112 to send actuation signals, as will be described in greater detail below, to selectively move hollow chute 32 .
- Controller 112 may be supplied with power from any suitable source, such as one or more solar panels 116 (shown in FIG. 1 ) mounted on the hollow housing 12 .
- Controller 112 may be accessed through an interface 40 , such as a touchscreen interface or the like, and may further be accessible through a transceiver 118 , such as a Wi-Fi transceiver or the like, providing communication with an external server or with a user through a portable device, such as a smartphone. Further, as shown, scale 36 may be in communication with controller 112 for receiving and recording the weight of the waste item.
- an interface 40 such as a touchscreen interface or the like
- a transceiver 118 such as a Wi-Fi transceiver or the like
- scale 36 may be in communication with controller 112 for receiving and recording the weight of the waste item.
- the sliding support 60 may have a pair of laterally opposed sidewalls 74 , 76 .
- a first actuator 66 is mounted on the frame 30 , adjacent sidewall 74 . It should be understood that a similar actuator may also be mounted laterally opposite actuator 66 , adjacent sidewall 76 .
- the first actuator 66 is shown mounted to the upper member 46 , although it should be understood that, alternatively, the first actuator 66 could be mounted on the lower member 48 .
- a first end of a pivoting bar 68 is mounted on the first actuator 66 for selective pivoting of the first pivoting bar 68 .
- a slot 70 is formed through the first pivoting bar 68 for receiving a first peg 72 , which is mounted on sidewall 74 . It should be understood that a similar pivoting bar and peg may be provided laterally opposite, corresponding to the laterally opposed sidewall 76 . As shown in FIGS. 3B and 3C , selective pivoting of the first pivoting bar 68 drives the sliding support 60 to selectively longitudinally slide with respect to the frame 30 , either toward front wall 42 ( FIG. 3B ) or toward rear wall 44 ( FIG. 3C ).
- the hollow chute 32 is driven to move in the lateral direction in a similar manner.
- at least one second actuator 102 is provided for imparting lateral movement to the hollow chute 32 .
- first and second actuators 66 , 102 may be any suitable type of rotational or pivotal actuator, such as a servo motor or the like.
- second actuator 102 is shown mounted on lower member 92 in FIG. 5 , it should be understood that second actuator 102 could, alternatively, be mounted on upper member 90 of sliding support 60 .
- a first end of a second pivoting bar 104 is mounted on the second actuator 102 for selective pivoting of the second pivoting bar 104 .
- a slot 108 is formed through the second pivoting bar 104 .
- lateral movement of the hollow chute 32 is effected by second peg 106 , which is mounted on the front wall 73 of the hollow chute 32 , engaging slot 108 , such that selective pivoting of the second pivoting bar 104 drives the hollow chute 32 to selectively laterally slide with respect to the sliding support 60 .
- controller 112 is in communication with the first actuators 66 and the second actuator 102 for delivering control signals thereto.
- exemplary rollers 98 are shown being received within slot 94 formed through laterally extending upper member 90 and, similarly, in FIG. 3A , exemplary rollers 95 are shown received within slot 97 formed through laterally extending upper member 91 .
- exemplary rollers 100 are shown received within slot 96 of laterally extending lower member 92 , and it should be understood that a similar pair of rollers may be received within the longitudinally opposed slot formed through laterally extending lower member 93 .
- rollers 95 , 98 , 100 are shown for exemplary purposes only, and that any suitable type of wheels, rollers, bearings or the like may be used.
- controller 112 may assign points, based on the weight measured by scale 36 , for each deposit of waste into the sorting waste receptacle 10 . For example, one kilogram of plastic waste P could result in a user gaining twenty points in a consumer personal account.
- Transceiver 118 can be used to transmit such scores to an external server or to a user's mobile device.
- a smart card reader 114 or the like could be provided, allowing the user to scan or insert a personal smart card, thus registering the user (and linking to the user's personal account), and recording the point value on the smart card. The points may later be redeemed for currency or be used to purchase goods or services.
- the hollow housing 12 may be equipped with a locking system, preventing unauthorized removal of waste therefrom.
- sorting waste receptacle is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the generic language of the following claims enabled by the embodiments described herein, or otherwise shown in the drawings or described above in terms sufficient to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the claimed subject matter.
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Abstract
Description
- This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/219,422, filed on Dec. 13, 2018, which claimed the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/598,482, filed on Dec. 14, 2017.
- The disclosure of the present patent application relates to the collection and recycling of waste, and particularly to a system for sorting and collecting waste materials, and more particularly to a sorting waste receptacle.
- Due to global environmental concerns, there is renewed interest in the recycling of waste, such as glass and plastic bottles, aluminum cans and the like. Although numerous local governments require the sorting of waste for recycling, the general public has long been averse to the widespread adoption of recycling, particularly due to the messy and labor-intensive process of manually sorting the waste. In order to encourage the sorting of waste for the purpose of recycling, it would obviously be desirable to provide a trash receptacle that automatically sorts the waste into different recycling categories, so that it would no longer be necessary to manually sort the waste. Thus, a sorting waste receptacle solving the aforementioned problems is desired.
- The sorting waste receptacle sorts and temporarily stores differing types of waste items. The sorting waste receptacle includes a hollow housing having a top wall, a bottom wall and at least one sidewall extending between the top wall and the bottom wall. The top wall has an opening formed therethrough for receiving a waste item, and a lower interior portion of the hollow housing is divided into a plurality of separate compartments, each compartment corresponding to a different type of waste. When the waste item is inserted through the opening formed in the top wall, the waste item is temporarily held within a movable, hollow chute inside the hollow housing. While in the hollow chute, the waste item is weighed by a scale and at least one sensor determines its composition. Based on the composition of the waste item, the hollow chute is moved above the corresponding one of the separate compartments for dispensing of the waste item therein.
- In order to perform the automatic sorting and moving of the chute, a frame is mounted in an upper interior portion of the hollow housing. The frame includes longitudinally opposed front and rear walls, a pair of laterally opposed, longitudinally extending upper members secured to and extending between upper ends of the longitudinally opposed front and rear walls, and a pair of laterally opposed, longitudinally extending lower members secured to, and extending between, lower ends of the longitudinally opposed front and rear walls. Each of the longitudinally extending upper members has a longitudinally extending slot formed therethrough, and similarly, each of the longitudinally extending lower members also has a longitudinally extending slot formed therethrough.
- A sliding support or trolley is slidably mounted to the frame for supporting the hollow chute. The sliding support includes a pair of longitudinally opposed, laterally extending upper members extending between the pair of laterally opposed, longitudinally extending upper members of the frame, and a pair of longitudinally opposed, laterally extending lower members extending between the pair of laterally opposed, longitudinally extending lower members of the frame. The pair of longitudinally opposed, laterally extending upper members respectively slidably engage the longitudinally extending slots of the pair of laterally opposed, longitudinally extending upper members of the frame, such that the pair of longitudinally opposed, laterally extending upper members are selectively longitudinally movable within the frame. Similarly, the pair of longitudinally opposed, laterally extending lower members respectively slidably engage the longitudinally extending slots of the pair of laterally opposed, longitudinally extending lower members of the frame, such that the pair of longitudinally opposed, laterally extending lower members are selectively longitudinally movable within the frame.
- The hollow chute mounted on the sliding support has opposed upper and lower ends and, through its mounting on the sliding support, is selectively positionable longitudinally and laterally in the frame. The upper end of the hollow chute is adapted for receiving the waste item from the opening formed through the top wall of the hollow housing. The lower end of the hollow chute is adapted for dispensing the waste item into a selected one of the plurality of separate compartments in the lower interior portion of the hollow housing. At least one sensor, such as a capacitive sensor or the like, is mounted on the frame for determining the composition of the waste item. The selected one of the plurality of separate compartments is determined based on the composition of the waste item.
- These and other features of the present disclosure will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.
-
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sorting waste receptacle, partially cut-away to show separate compartments for sorted waste in the lower portion of the interior of the receptacle. -
FIG. 2A ,FIG. 2B ,FIG. 2C andFIG. 2D are schematic diagrams illustrating sorting waste between the three lower compartments of the sorting waste receptacle. -
FIG. 3A is a perspective view of an internal frame, sliding support and hollow chute of the sorting waste receptacle. -
FIG. 3B is a perspective view of the internal frame, sliding support and hollow chute ofFIG. 3A , shown with the hollow chute in a first longitudinal position. -
FIG. 3C is a perspective view of the internal frame, sliding support and hollow chute ofFIG. 3A , shown with the hollow chute in a second longitudinal position. -
FIG. 4 is a side view of the internal frame, sliding support and hollow chute ofFIGS. 3A-3C . -
FIG. 5 is a front view of the sliding support and hollow chute of the sorting waste receptacle. -
FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a control system of the sorting waste receptacle. - Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.
- The
sorting waste receptacle 10 automatically sorts and temporarily stores differing types of waste items. As shown inFIG. 1 , thesorting waste receptacle 10 includes ahollow housing 12 having atop wall 14, abottom wall 16 and at least onesidewall 18. It should be understood that the dimensions and configuration of thehollow housing 12 are shown inFIG. 1 for exemplary purposes only. Thetop wall 14 has an opening 11 formed therethrough for receiving a waste item, such as exemplary aluminum can M. Thehollow housing 12 has alower interior portion 13 and anupper interior portion 15. Thelower interior portion 13 is divided into a plurality ofseparate compartments FIG. 1 ,compartment 24 is configured for receiving metal waste M (such as cans and the like),compartment 26 is configured for receiving plastic waste P (such as plastic water bottles and the like), andcompartment 28 is configured for receiving glass waste G (such as glass bottles and the like). - When the waste item is inserted through the
opening 11, the waste item is temporarily held within a movable, hollow chute 32 (shown inFIGS. 3A-3C ) inside thehollow housing 12. As illustrated inFIGS. 2A-2D , while in thehollow chute 32, the waste item is weighed by ascale 36, and at least onesensor 78 determines its composition, or at least what recycling class (e.g., plastic, metal, glass, etc.) the waste item should be sorted into. Based on the composition of the waste item, thehollow chute 32 is moved above the corresponding one of theseparate compartments FIGS. 3A and 4 , threesuch sensors Sensor 78 may be a capacitive sensor or the like, configured for detecting glass.Sensor 80 may be a capacitive sensor or the like, configured for detecting plastic.Sensor 82 may be a capacitive sensor or the like, configured for detecting metal. If, for example,sensor 82 detects that the waste item is metal waste M, thechute 32 is moved to drop the waste item intocompartment 24, as illustrated diagrammatically inFIG. 2B . As shown inFIG. 2A , thechute 32 starts onscale 36, to weigh the waste item, and then moves to the appropriate position. Similarly, ifsensor 80 detects that the waste item is plastic waste P, thechute 32 is moved to drop the waste item intocompartment 26, as illustrated diagrammatically inFIG. 2C . Ifsensor 78 detects that the waste item is glass waste G, thechute 32 is moved to drop the waste item intocompartment 28, as illustrated diagrammatically inFIG. 2D . - In order to perform the automatic sorting and moving of the
hollow chute 32, aframe 30 or trolley frame is mounted in the upperinterior portion 15 of thehollow housing 12. As shown inFIGS. 3A-3C , theframe 30 includes longitudinally opposed front andrear walls upper members rear walls lower members rear walls upper members longitudinally extending slot lower members FIGS. 3A and 4 , only slot 56 can be seen extending through thelower member 48, although it should be understood that a similar slot is formed throughlower member 52. - A sliding
support 60 or trolley is slidably mounted in theframe 30 for supporting thehollow chute 32. The slidingsupport 60 includes a pair of longitudinally opposed, laterally extendingupper members upper members frame 30, and a pair of longitudinally opposed, laterally extendinglower members lower members frame 30. The pair of longitudinally opposed, laterally extendingupper members longitudinally extending slots upper members upper members frame 30.Exemplary rollers 62 are shown being received withinslot 54, and it should be understood that a similar pair of rollers may be received withinslot 58. It should be further understood thatrollers 62 are shown for exemplary purposes only, and that any suitable type of wheels, rollers, bearings or the like may be used for sliding the pair of longitudinally opposed, laterally extendingupper members slots - Similarly, the pair of longitudinally opposed, laterally extending
lower members lower members frame 30, such that the pair of longitudinally opposed, laterally extendinglower members frame 30.Exemplary rollers 64 are shown being received withinslot 56, and it should be understood that a similar pair of rollers may be received within the laterally opposed slot. It should be further understood thatrollers 64 are shown for exemplary purposes only, and that any suitable type of wheels, rollers, bearings or the like may be used. - The
hollow chute 32 mounted on the slidingsupport 60 has opposed upper and lower ends and, through its mounting on slidingsupport 60, is selectively positionable longitudinally and laterally in theframe 30. The upper end of thehollow chute 32 is open or otherwise adapted for receiving the waste item from theopening 11 formed through thetop wall 14 of thehollow housing 12. The lower end of thehollow chute 32 is open or otherwise adapted for dispensing the waste item into a selected one of the plurality ofseparate compartments interior portion 13 of thehollow housing 12. The selected one of the plurality ofseparate compartments sensors FIG. 3A , thehollow chute 32 may have opposed front andrear walls slot 84 may be formed through therear wall 75. This provides for direct access of the waste item bysensors hollow chute 32 is in the position ofFIG. 2A , i.e., when thehollow chute 32 is positioned abovescale 36, which is mounted on the lower end offrame 30.Scale 36 not only weighs the waste item, but also prevents the waste item from falling into one of thecompartments hollow chute 32 is moved into the desired position. - As shown in
FIG. 6 , acontroller 112 is preferably mounted withinhollow housing 12.Controller 112 may be a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a programmable logic controller, a processor such as that commonly associated with a personal computer, or the like.Sensors controller 112, allowingcontroller 112 to send actuation signals, as will be described in greater detail below, to selectively movehollow chute 32.Controller 112 may be supplied with power from any suitable source, such as one or more solar panels 116 (shown inFIG. 1 ) mounted on thehollow housing 12.Controller 112 may be accessed through aninterface 40, such as a touchscreen interface or the like, and may further be accessible through atransceiver 118, such as a Wi-Fi transceiver or the like, providing communication with an external server or with a user through a portable device, such as a smartphone. Further, as shown,scale 36 may be in communication withcontroller 112 for receiving and recording the weight of the waste item. - As shown in
FIGS. 3A-3C , the slidingsupport 60 may have a pair of laterally opposed sidewalls 74, 76. In the orientation ofFIGS. 3A and 4 , afirst actuator 66 is mounted on theframe 30,adjacent sidewall 74. It should be understood that a similar actuator may also be mounted laterally oppositeactuator 66,adjacent sidewall 76. InFIGS. 3A and 4 , thefirst actuator 66 is shown mounted to theupper member 46, although it should be understood that, alternatively, thefirst actuator 66 could be mounted on thelower member 48. A first end of a pivotingbar 68 is mounted on thefirst actuator 66 for selective pivoting of the first pivotingbar 68. Aslot 70 is formed through the first pivotingbar 68 for receiving afirst peg 72, which is mounted onsidewall 74. It should be understood that a similar pivoting bar and peg may be provided laterally opposite, corresponding to the laterally opposedsidewall 76. As shown inFIGS. 3B and 3C , selective pivoting of the first pivotingbar 68 drives the slidingsupport 60 to selectively longitudinally slide with respect to theframe 30, either toward front wall 42 (FIG. 3B ) or toward rear wall 44 (FIG. 3C ). - The
hollow chute 32 is driven to move in the lateral direction in a similar manner. As shown inFIG. 5 , at least onesecond actuator 102 is provided for imparting lateral movement to thehollow chute 32. It should be understood that first andsecond actuators second actuator 102 is shown mounted onlower member 92 inFIG. 5 , it should be understood thatsecond actuator 102 could, alternatively, be mounted onupper member 90 of slidingsupport 60. - A first end of a
second pivoting bar 104 is mounted on thesecond actuator 102 for selective pivoting of thesecond pivoting bar 104. Aslot 108 is formed through thesecond pivoting bar 104. Similar to the longitudinal movement of the slidingsupport 60, as described above, lateral movement of thehollow chute 32 is effected bysecond peg 106, which is mounted on thefront wall 73 of thehollow chute 32, engagingslot 108, such that selective pivoting of thesecond pivoting bar 104 drives thehollow chute 32 to selectively laterally slide with respect to the slidingsupport 60. As shown inFIG. 6 ,controller 112 is in communication with thefirst actuators 66 and thesecond actuator 102 for delivering control signals thereto. - In
FIG. 5 ,exemplary rollers 98 are shown being received withinslot 94 formed through laterally extendingupper member 90 and, similarly, inFIG. 3A ,exemplary rollers 95 are shown received withinslot 97 formed through laterally extendingupper member 91. Similarly, as shown inFIG. 5 ,exemplary rollers 100 are shown received withinslot 96 of laterally extendinglower member 92, and it should be understood that a similar pair of rollers may be received within the longitudinally opposed slot formed through laterally extendinglower member 93. It should be further understood thatrollers - In use, in order to encourage consumers to recycle,
controller 112 may assign points, based on the weight measured byscale 36, for each deposit of waste into the sortingwaste receptacle 10. For example, one kilogram of plastic waste P could result in a user gaining twenty points in a consumer personal account.Transceiver 118 can be used to transmit such scores to an external server or to a user's mobile device. Alternatively, asmart card reader 114 or the like could be provided, allowing the user to scan or insert a personal smart card, thus registering the user (and linking to the user's personal account), and recording the point value on the smart card. The points may later be redeemed for currency or be used to purchase goods or services. Thehollow housing 12 may be equipped with a locking system, preventing unauthorized removal of waste therefrom. - It is to be understood that the sorting waste receptacle is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the generic language of the following claims enabled by the embodiments described herein, or otherwise shown in the drawings or described above in terms sufficient to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the claimed subject matter.
Claims (17)
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US201816219422A | 2018-12-13 | 2018-12-13 | |
US16/430,293 US10406564B1 (en) | 2017-12-14 | 2019-06-03 | Sorting waste receptacle |
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