WO2005042382A1

WO2005042382A1 - Apparatus for removing cutlery from waste

Info

Publication number: WO2005042382A1
Application number: PCT/NL2004/000765
Authority: WO
Inventors: Willem Ter Kuile
Original assignee: Arsis Industrial Design
Priority date: 2003-11-04
Filing date: 2004-11-01
Publication date: 2005-05-12
Also published as: NL1024696C2; DE112004002111T5

Abstract

An apparatus (1) for removing cutlery from waste intended for a waste container (2), which apparatus is placeable above the waste container and defines a feed path (a) for letting in waste to be deposited in the waste container, and wherein a closing device (4) is provided for closing off the feed path that is adjustable between an open position (4’) in which there is free passage to the waste container, and a closed position (4’’) in which the passage to the waste container is blocked, and wherein a cutlery detector (5) is provided to which the closing device is connected for adjusting the closing device from the open position to the closed position when the cutlery detector has detected the presence of cutlery, wherein a waste feeder (3) is provided with which the feed path for the waste is coupled, and a cutlery collection receptacle (6) that is positioned substantially lower than the waste feeder and that has an inlet opening (7) bordering on the feed path.

Description

Apparatus for removing cutlery from waste

The invention relates to an apparatus for removing cutlery from waste intended for a waste container, which apparatus is placeable above the waste container and defines a feed path for letting in waste to be deposited in the waste container, and wherein a closing device is provided for closing off the feed path that is adjustable between an open position in which there is free passage to the waste container, and a closed position in which the passage to the waste container is blocked, and wherein a cutlery detector is provided to which the closing device is connected for adjusting the closing device from the open position to the closed position when the cutlery detector has detected the presence of cutlery. Such an apparatus is known from the 7American patent specification US-A-4 632 253. The known apparatus is embodied as a lid to be placed on the waste container, aving a sloping bottom under which the cutlery detector is provided. At its upper side, the lid is provided with a pivotingly mounted flap that in the open position affords a free passage for the waste. In the closed position, the flap rests on a lower rim of the sloping bottom surface upon which the waste can be deposited. The closed position is activated when the cutlery detector, which is present under the sloping bottom surface, has de- tected cutlery. In this closed position, the waste and the cutlery are prevented from disappearing into the waste container and the user is able to remove the cutlery from the waste . A disadvantage of this known apparatus is that the recovery of the cutlery is an unsavoury job. An additional inconvenience is that it is only possible to continue using the apparatus for the removal of waste after the detected cutlery has been removed, and the closing device has returned to the open position to allow a free passage to the waste container. An apparatus in accordance with the preamble is known from DE-A-29 44 192 as well as from US-A-5 538 143, wherein a waste feeder is provided that joins up to the feed path for the waste, and a cutlery collection receptacle that is positioned substantially lower than the waste feeder and that has an inlet opening bordering on the feed path wherein, when the closing device is in the closed position, the cutlery and/or waste from the waste feeder can reach the cutlery collection receptacle. It is the object of the invention to provide an alternative for the known apparatus and to achieve further advantages that will be clarified hereinbelow. The apparatus according to the invention is characterized in that the feed path runs substantially vertically and joins up to an outlet opening of the waste feeder, wherein the closing device is a flap that in the open position extends substantially vertically, which flap in the closed position forms a sloping guide surface in the feed path, an upper end of which borders to a first rim of the outlet opening of the waste feeder, and a lower end is positioned in a close vicinity of a second rim of the inlet opening of the cutlery collection receptacle. When the flap is in the open position, the waste can thus under the influence of gravity fall from the waste feeder via the feed path into the waste container while when the flap is in the closed position, the feed path is closed off and the waste with the then present cutlery from the waste feeder can be introduced, also under the influence of gravity, via the inlet opening into the cutlery collection receptacle. The apparatus according to the invention has the advantage that in the event of cutlery being carried along with the waste, this cutlery can be diverted to the cutlery collection receptacle, so that immediately thereafter the appa- ratus can be used again for the removal of further waste without the necessity of human intervention. The apparatus is usually provided with a connection for an excitation source such as, for example, an electrical or pneumatic feed. If the excitation source is absent or switched off, it is desirable for the flap to be in the closed position. This affords the advantage that in order to use the apparatus, it is always a prerequisite that the excitation source be connected. In a first embodiment, the apparatus according to the invention is characterized in that the closing device is integrated with the cutlery collection receptacle and that the cutlery collection receptacle is adjustable between the closed position, in which it is located substantially directly below the waste feeder, and the open position, in which the same is located below and substantially next to the waste feeder. More preferably, however, the cutlery collection receptacle is in a second embodiment embodied to be stationary and is provided with other means for guiding the waste con- taining cutlery to the cutlery collection receptacle. For the quick and effective operation of the closing device, it is desirable for the closing device to be provided with a hinge at the outlet opening of the waste feeder. By way of completing the ease of use of the appara- tus according to the invention, it is advantageous for the cutlery collection receptacle to possess a lid that can be opened to allow the cutlery to be removed. This also avoids waste intended for the waste container inadvertently being introduced into the cutlery collection receptacle instead of being introduced into the intended waste feeder. Hereinbelow the invention will be further elucidated by way of a, with respect to the claims non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention, and with reference to the accompanying drawing. The drawing shows in: - Fig. 1 the waste container upon which is placed the apparatus for the removal of cutlery from waste intended for the waste container; - Fig. 2 the apparatus for the removal of cutlery from waste in more detail, and - Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, the apparatus according to the invention provided with the closing device in the open and closed position, respectively. Identical reference numerals in the figures refer to similar components. Referring first to Fig. 1, reference numeral 1 designates the apparatus for the removal of cutlery from waste intended for a waste container 2. As clearly shown in Fi<g. 1, this apparatus 1 is placed on the waste container 2 and is removable therefrom. If desired, the apparatus 1 may also be placed on a separate stand, as long as the apparatus is positioned above the waste container 2. The apparatus 1 possesses a feed path indicated by arrow A for letting in waste that is introduced into a waste feeder 3 of the apparatus 1. Fig. 1 also shows a closing device indicated as flap 4, which is adjustable between a closed position 4'' represented by full lines and an open po- sition 4' represented by dotted lines. For the effective use of the feed path A, the closing device must of course be in the open position 4' as indicated by the dotted line in order to provide a free passage from the waste feeder 3 to the waste container 2. Indeed, it is obvious that when the cILos- ing device embodied as flap 4 is in the closed position A ' ' , the feed path A from the waste feeder 3 to the waste container 2 is blocked. The adjustment of the closing device 4 between the open position 4' and the closed position 4'' takes place sub- ject to the detection by a cutlery detector 5 of a piece of cutlery being introduced into the waste feeder 3. This cutlery detector 5 may suitably be embodied as a coil incorporated in the wall of the waste feeder 3, or mounted behind said wall. In more detail, Fig. 2 shows that the apparatus 1 is also equipped with a cutlery collection receptacle 6, wh±ch in the closed position 4'' of the closing device 4 provides a guide path for the cutlery present at that moment, which due to the said closed position 4' ' can be introduced from the waste feeder 3 into the cutlery collection receptacle 6. Advantageous is the embodiment in which the cutlery collection receptacle 6 is shown to be positioned substantially lower than the waste feeder 3. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the cutlery collection receptacle 6 has an inlet opening 7 bordering on the feed path A. It is further clearly shown that the feed path A runs substantially vertically and joins up to an outlet opening 8 of the waste feeder 3, wherein the closing device 4 embodied as flap in the open position 4', shown as dotted line, extends substantially vertically. As may further be derived from Fig. 2, the closing device 4 embodied as flap in the closed position 4', forms a sloping guide surface in the feed path A, of which an upper end 9 borders on a first rim 10 of the outlet opening 8 of the waste feeder 3, and of which a lower end 11 is located in the close vicinity of a second rim 12 of the inlet opening 7 of the cutlery collection receptacle 6. To facilitate a quick and effective operation of the flap, it is pivotingly mounted at the outlet opening 8 of the waste feeder 3, and the flap is adjusted in a manner known to the person skilled in the art, using an actuator 13 that operates the flap 4 via an operating mechanism 15, 16. The ex- citation of the actuator 13 is subject to trie detection of cutlery by the cutlery detector 5. To this end a control unit 14 is connected to the cutlery detector, operating the actuator 13. Figs . 1 and 2 further clearly show that the cutlery collection receptacle 6 is provided with a lid 17, which is normally closed and which must be opened in order to remove cutlery recovered from the waste from the cutlery collection receptacle 6. Finally, Fig. 3 and 4 each separately depict the ap- paratus 1 according to the invention, wherein can be seen that in Fig. 3 the closing device 4 is in the open position so as to provide a free passage from the waste feeder 3 to an opening 18 that affords access to a waste container to be placed underneath the apparatus 1. Fig. 4 shows that the closing device 4 is set to the closed position causing waste and cutlery introduced into the waste feeder 3 to end up in the cutlery collection receptacle 6, while preventing them from disappearing into a waste container placed underneath the apparatus 1.

Claims

1. An apparatus (1) for removing cutlery from waste intended for a waste container (2), which apparatus is place- able above the waste container (2) and defines a feed path (A) for letting in waste to be deposited in the waste con- tainer (2), and wherein a closing device (4) is provided for closing off the feed path (A) that is adjustable between an open position (4') in which there is a free passage to the waste container (2), and a closed position (4'') in which the passage to the waste container (2) is blocked, and wherein a cutlery detector (5) is provided to which the closing device (4) is connected for adjusting the closing device (4) from the open position (4') to the closed position (4'') when the cutlery detector (5) has detected the presence of cutlery, wherein a waste feeder (3) is provided with which the feed path (A) for the waste is coupled, and a cutlery collection receptacle (6) that is positioned substantially lower than the waste feeder (3) and that has an inlet opening (7) bordering on the feed path (A) wherein, when the closing device (4) is in the closed position (4'') , the cutlery and/or waste from the waste feeder (3) can reach the cutlery collection receptacle (6) , characterised in that the feed path (A) runs substantially vertically and joins up to an outlet opening (8) of the waste feeder (3), wherein the closing device (4) is a flap that in the open position (4' ) extends substan- tially vertically, which flap (4) in the closed position

(4'') forms a sloping guide surface in the feed path (A), an upper end (9) of which borders to a first rim (10) of the outlet opening (8) of the waste feeder (3) and a lower end (11) is positioned in a close vicinity of a second rim (12) of the inlet opening (7) of the cutlery collection receptacle (6) .

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the same is provided with a connection for an excitation source, characterised in that if the excitation source is absent or switched off, the flap (4) is in the closed position.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the closing device (4) is integrated with the cutlery collection receptacle (6) and that the cutlery collection receptacle (6) is adjustable between the closed posi- tion, in which it is located substantially directly below the waste feeder (3) , and the open position, in which the same is located below and substantially next to the waste feeder (3) .

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterised in that the flap (4) is provided with a hinge at the outlet opening (8) of the waste feeder (3) .

5. An apparatus according to one of the claims 1-4, characterised in that the cutlery collection receptacle (6) possesses a lid that can be opened to allow the cutlery to be removed.