WO1999051511A1

WO1999051511A1 - Waste container having a reusable and dischargeable subcontainer for storing the waste

Info

Publication number: WO1999051511A1
Application number: PCT/SE1999/000559
Authority: WO
Inventors: Stig Gustafsson
Original assignee: Bissy Försäljnings Ab
Priority date: 1998-04-06
Filing date: 1999-04-06
Publication date: 1999-10-14
Also published as: SE9801176D0; AU3857399A; SE510889C2; SE9801176L

Abstract

The invention relates to a waste container, including a storage space in which a reusable subcontainer for storing waste is placed, a roof for sealing the storage space at the top where the roof is provided with an opening for introducing waste into the subcontainer, whereby the subcontainer can be lifted out from the storage space for collecting and dumping the waste. To facilitate that the subcontainer is easy to open and close for emptying, and to accomodate the weight of the waste so that the device for opening and closing the container remains essentially unaffected by and independent of the weight of the waste held within it, the subcontainer (9) is provided with sealable openings (18) in the side and the bottom (13) has an upward tapering shape that points towards the centre of the subcontainer to form a guiding surface for leading the waste out through the openings.

Description

l z.

Waste container having a reusable and dischargeable subcontainer for storing the waste

The present invention relates to a waste container, including a holding space for accommodating a reusable subcontainer for storing the waste, a roof for sealing the holding space at the top and that is provided with openings for introducing the waste into the subcontainer, whereby the subcontainer can be lifted up out ofthe holding space for collecting and dumping the waste.

As awareness of environmental issues increases, many countries have started sorting waste at source and recycling a variety of materials and products. In the beginning, this was largely a question of paper, glass and aluminium that the consumer disposed of at a limited number of locations, but this has now grown into a comprehensive program of sorting waste that involves everyone. To facilitate this work, waste stations of various types have been set up at places close to residential areas, industry, etc., where these waste stations, in order to not impact too greatly on the residential environment, have usually been given an external design that harmonises aesthetically with the surroundings. It is also known that a substantial part ofthe storage container is buried in the ground to reduce the space that the waste sorting and recycling units normally require. As the majority ofthe waste lies under ground level where the temperature is normally lower, these known types of units for the collection and storage of waste have the advantage that the waste is not subjected to warm summer weather that can give rise to increased odour problems. For example, a waste container with a holding space for a subcontainer ofthe type stated above is known from SE 0 425 547. For collecting and dumping ofthe stored waste, the subcontainer is intended to be lifted up out of a defined holding space at the waste container, partly located under ground level. To facilitate emptying the said subcontainer, the document proposes that emptying takes place through the bottom via a hole that can be opened and closed and that can, in principle, be considered to include a rope tied in a knot. The bottom part ofthe subcontainer is opened by pulling the rope.

For transport onwards and recycling, the waste in such a liftable subcontainer can suitably be dumped in transport containers arranged on the flat platform of a collecting vehicle. A disadvantage of a subcontainer of this known type is that the weight ofthe waste essentially acts exclusively against the opening device located at bottom ofthe container. As the opening device itself acts to weaken the bottom ofthe subcontainer, this known type of subcontainer is not suitable for use when the waste comprises moist and thereby relatively heavy material such as garden waste, glass or liquid waste. It can be easily appreciated that the weight ofthe waste can be significant even if the waste comprises relatively light material 2 . such as paper for recycling or similar, especially if the subcontainer is relatively elongated in shape with a large proportion of this shape located in a holding space under ground level.

Another disadvantage of known containers is that they do not allow collecting and emptying of fractions of waste, i.e. collecting different types of waste in the subcontainer that is part ofthe waste container and emptying each ofthe fractions of waste separately from the subcontainer.

A key objective ofthe present invention is thus to achieve a waste container of the type stated above that allows the subcontainer to be opened and closed simply, but that can accept the weight ofthe waste in a better manner than currently known subcontainers, and where the device for opening and closing the container remains essentially unaffected by and independent ofthe weight ofthe waste stored within it.

A common aspect ofthe said known containers is that they have arrangements for emptying the container that are designed so that they do not allow the waste to be divided and stored in fractions in the container so that respective fractions can be selected for emptying from the container. Another objective ofthe present invention is thus to achieve a waste container that allows the fractionation of different types of waste by them being collected in the subcontainer included in the waste container in a manner so that they are separated from one another and that these types or fractions of waste can be emptied individually from the container. These objectives ofthe invention are achieved by it having the features that are stated in the characteristics ofthe claims. Other features and advantages ofthe invention are evident from the claims and the following description, which refers to the enclosed drawings and where;

Fig. 1 shows a waste container with an holding space that partially extends down into the ground in which there is a subcontainer for collecting and storing waste, Fig. 2 shows the subcontainer when its contents are being emptied into a transport container arranged on the flat platform of a transport vehicle, Fig. 3 shows a longitudinal section view of a subcontainer according to the invention, Fig. 4 shows a side view ofthe subcontainer according to Fig. 3 with the opening and resealable flaps in their closed position, Fig. 5 shows a side view ofthe subcontainer according to Fig. 4 with the opening flaps in their open position, Fig. 6 shows a longitudinal section view ofthe lower section of a subcontainer having three different sections for accommodating three fractions of waste. Fig. 7 shows a cross-sectional view of a subcontainer according to Fig. 6. 3 ^

In Fig. 1, 1 designates a waste container with an inclined storage space 2 that includes a lower space that extends partly below the level ofthe ground and an upper section that extends upwards somewhat above ground level 3. The lower section of the storage space is formed from an enclosing vertical and preferably circular wall section 4 that can advantageously be made of prefabricated ring-shaped concrete elements placed on top of one another, and the space located in the upper section above ground level 3, as is shown in the figure and primarily for aesthetic reasons, can be suitably formed of several wall sections 5 of joined together wooden panels that from a shape point of view essentially match the lower section ofthe wall located in the ground and that are firmly attached with the upper edge of these sections. As is evident from a closer examination of Fig. 1, the lower edge ofthe upper wall section 5 is arranged a short distance above the upper edge ofthe lower wall section 4 located in the ground so that a column of air 6 ventilated from the storage space 2 is established between the said upper and lower wall sections. In this way, the occurrence of condensation inside the storage space 2 is essentially avoided. As is evident from Fig. 1, the waste container is suitably designed so that its main volume is situated below ground level 3. The enclosing wall section 5 ofthe waste container located above ground level supports a dome-shaped roof 7, preferably manufactured in steel or glass-fibre reinforced plastic, that seals ofthe storage space 2 for waste at the top. The roof 7 is provided with a requisite number of sealable openings 8, so-called waste openings, for introducing waste to a subcontainer 9 placed in the storage space 2. The said subcontainer 9 is arranged suspended under the roof 7 and has a shape and size chosen so that it is located close to the cavity wall of the storage space 2.

At its top, roof 7 is provided with a lifting eye bolt 10 for a lifting hook, and when a lifting force is brought to bear on the lifting eye bolt, as for example is shown in Fig. 2 by means of a lifting arm 12 arranged on a transport vehicle 11 , the roof 7 together with the subcontainer 9 suspended underneath is lifted from the storage space 2 ofthe waste container 1 and can be manoeuvred into an emptying position above a transport container placed on the flat platform of a transport vehicle.

Figs 3 to 5 show a subcontainer 9 together with the roof 7 in more detail. As is best evident from the longitudinal section in Fig. 3, the subcontainer includes a dome or cone- shaped bottom 13 that forms a sliding elevation for the rubbish that, in order to display the rigidity required, is made from sheet plate or glass-fibre reinforced plastic, a sock-like element 14 that is attached in a removable manner to a peripheral, fully enclosing edging section 15 respective 16 arranged at the roof 7 and bottom 13 respectively by screw devices 4 z_ not shown in the figure, a lifting element 17 able to take up forces and extending in the centre ofthe subcontainer 9 between the roof 7 and the top ofthe cone-shaped bottom 13.

As the sock-like element 14 is attached to the roof 7 respective bottom 13 in a removable manner, it is possible to disassemble it with a few simple turns ofthe hand and replace the sock-like element 14 on site should damage or substantial wear be seen when dumping or handling waste. The lifting element 17 is firmly attached at its ends at the roof 7 and the bottom 13 and suitably includes a very strong steel cable or rod. As the lifting element 17 extends between the bottom 13 and the roof 7 and the weight ofthe waste essentially rests against the bottom 13, it should be realised that the forces that normally occur when lifting and handling the subcontainer 9 will essentially be taken up by the bottom 13 plus the lifting element 17. In this way, the subcontainer can carry very large loads without the flexible socklike element 14 ofthe subcontainer being subjected to any notable stress.

As is evident from Figs 4 and 5, the sock-like element 14 is provided with sealable openings 18 arranged in the fully circular side wall down in the area ofthe lower edge ofthe cone-shaped bottom 13. More specifically, the said sealable openings 18 include holes 19 made by cuts at regular intervals along the circumference ofthe sock-like element 14 with which the flap-like opening 20 made of flexible material interact for closure. Each one of the said opening flaps 20 can be pivoted via a jointed connection 21 with the lower circular edge section ofthe cone-shaped bottom 13 so that it can be folded down to a hanging position shown in Fig. 5 from the closed-up, sealed position shown in Fig. 4. The said opening flaps 20 are suitably made starting from the same flexible material used for the sock-like element, whereby an arrangement for a special jointed connection between the opening flap 20 and the cone-shaped bottom 13 is not necessary. The jointed connection can instead form an integrated part ofthe opening. To open and close the said opening flaps 20, a locking device 22 acts between each opening and the part ofthe side wall ofthe sock-like element 14 that meets it. This locking device 22 includes a locking ring or cotter pin of a suitably known kind that, with the help of a rope or equivalent long device connected to the locking ring, can be switched from a locked position to a non-locked position that frees the opening flap, such as shown in Fig. 5. Figs. 6 and 7 show other embodiments ofthe invention. More specifically, the subcontainer 9 has been divided up into sections 23 with the help of partitioning walls 24 arranged on the inside and extending between the roof 7 and the bottom 13. Each section 23 has a sealable opemng arranged in the bottom ofthe container that is suitably ofthe opening flap-hole type described above. The partitioning walls 24 are suitably made starting from the 5 _ same material as the sock-like element 14 and comprise parts that have been cut to a form so that they resemble sectors of circles fitting into the ring-shaped space between the inside of the sock-like element 14 and a tube-shaped element 25 enclosing the lifting element 17 in the centre ofthe subcontainer. The said tube-shaped element 25 is suitably made of a plastic material like the sock-like element 14, the cone-shaped bottom and the partitioning wall arranged within so that the said parts can be joined together by known techniques for welding plastic.

By dividing the subcontainer into separate sections 23, a number of different fractions of waste can be accommodated in one and the same subcontainer 9 and, by means of an opening arranged at each section, the waste from individual sections can be emptied independently of one another from the subcontainer 9.

Emptying the waste container 1 takes place in the following way: With the help of a crane device on a transport vehicle, the roof 7 together with the subcontainer 9 is lifted up from the storage space 2 ofthe waste container 1, a rope is attached to the locking pin arranged at the opening, after which the subcontainer, with the help ofthe crane device 12, is manoeuvred to an emptying position above a transport container on the transport vehicle 11. Pulling the line draws the cotter pin to its open position so that the opening flap opens due to the pressure ofthe waste within the subcontainer 9.

After this, the empty subcontainer is manoeuvred to a position where the crane operator at a comfortable working height can close the opening flap and arrange the cotter pin securely in a position to seal the opening and at the same time free the rope from the said cotter pin. Finally, the subcontainer 9 is lifted down into the storage space 2 ofthe waste container 1. The invention is not limited to that shown in the drawing and that described above but can be changed and modified in a number of ways within the scope ofthe concept ofthe invention stated in the following claims.

Claims

6 -Claims

1. Waste container, including a storage space in which a reusable subcontainer for storing waste is placed, a roof for sealing the storage space at the top where the roof is provided with openings for introducing waste into the subcontainer, whereby the subcontainer can be lifted out from the storage space for collecting and dumping the waste characterised in that the subcontainer (9) is provided with sealable openings (18) in the side and that the bottom (13) ofthe subcontainer has an upward tapering shape that points towards the centre ofthe subcontainer to form a guiding surface for leading the waste out through the openings.

2. Waste container according to claim lcharacterised in that the sealable openings (18) are arranged in the lower section ofthe subcontainer (9).

3. Waste container according to any ofthe previous claims characterised in that the subcontainer (9) is arranged to be suspended under the roof (7) and that the free edge sections ofthe roof have an extension outwards from the periphery ofthe subcontainer (9) such that the said free edge sections rest against the upper edge ofthe storage space (2) when the subcontainer is accommodated in the storage space.

4. Waste container according to any ofthe previous claims characterised in that the subcontainer (9) is manufactured with the use of partly a flexible cloth-like material in the shape of a sock-like element (14) and partly a rigidly formed bottom (13) to which the sock- like element is attached, and that a lifting element (17) that is able to take up forces is arranged to extend between the roof (7) and the bottom (13) in the subcontainer (9).

5. Waste container according to claim lcharacterised in that the sealable openings (18) include holes (19) accommodated in the outer section ofthe subcontainer (9) and opening flaps (20) of a flexible material that interact with these holes and that via a jointed connection (21) are connected in a swinging manner with the lower circular edge ofthe cone-shaped bottom (13), a locking device (22) that acts between the opening flap (20) and a section in the side wall ofthe subcontainer that meets it and that is positioned so that when the flap is folded up and held in a locked position by the locking device, it is able to fall down to a freely hanging position.

6. Waste container according to claim lcharacterised in that the locking devices (22) between the opening flap (20) and the side wall ofthe subcontainer (9) are chosen so that they can be switched to an open position to free the opening flap (20) by the 7 z influence of a sha╧å pull or a pulling force on a rope or similar that is coupled to the locking device.

7. Waste container according to claim lcharacterised in that the subcontainer (9) is divided into sections (23) by means of at least one internally arranged partitioning wall (24) and that each such section is associated with a sealable opening (18) arranged low down on the subcontainer (9).

8. Waste container according to claims 4 and 7characterised in that each partitioning wall (24) is arranged like a section of a circle extending between the lifting element (17) in the centre ofthe subcontainer (9) and the inside ofthe sock-like part (14).