WO2008152358A1

WO2008152358A1 - Device for lifting wheeled bins

Info

Publication number: WO2008152358A1
Application number: PCT/GB2008/001877
Authority: WO
Inventors: Christopher Cadogan-Rawlinson; Mark Gary Bridges
Original assignee: Christopher Cadogan-Rawlinson; Mark Gary Bridges
Priority date: 2007-06-15
Filing date: 2008-06-04
Publication date: 2008-12-18
Also published as: DE212008000040U1; GB0711585D0; GB2450150A; GB2450150B; AU2008263693A1

Abstract

A device (30) for lifting and moving a wheeled bin (31) conforming to BS EN 840- 1 :2004 Part 1 and including a pick-up feature (12) to enable it to be lifted by a comb-lifter, the device comprising: a frame (7) having an upper portion and a lower portion; the upper portion having engagement means (8) for releasably engaging with one or more features (12,13,23) on the bin (31) to enable the device to lift the bin; and the lower portion being provided with a pair of spaced-apart wheels (34) such that the frame (7) can be wheeled on the ground; a support member (20) on the frame (7) below the engagement means (8), for supporting part of a bin when carried by the device; and the device further comprising a motor (5) for driving the wheels (34) via a differential (17), and control means (6,26) for a user to control the operation of the motor (5); the arrangement being such that, when the engagement means (8) is engaged with a feature of the bin (31) and the wheels (34) of the device (30) are on the ground, driving the wheels forward by means of the motor (5) will initially provide a powered lifting force to raise the bin (31) onto the device (30) and then a force for transporting the bin.

Description

DEVICE FOR LIFTING WHEELED BINS

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a device for lifting and manoeuvring wheeled bins.

BACKGROUND

The standard pan-European two-wheeled bin (often called a Wheelie Bin) is a mobile waste container as specified in BS EN 840-1 :2004 Part 1. A user wheels the full bin to a designated collection point where it is lifted and emptied into the container of a collection vehicle, and returned to the vicinity of the collection point.

The user then wheels the bin back to its normal storage location. The collection vehicle lifts the bin by means of a comb lifting device comprising a motorised pick- up system having a row of teeth and a locking system to retain the bin during emptying. The bin has a series of webs under an upper rim, which define pockets that are engaged by the teeth of the lifting device.

The bin is equipped with small diameter wheels which are narrow and made of an unyielding material. The maximum allotted weight of a full bin is typically 80 kg. With this weight the design of wheel, whilst satisfactory on smooth, hard surfaces such as concrete or tarmac, is quite unsuitable for broken or loose surfaces such as gravel or shingle, or soft ground such as roadside verges; this unsuitability causes difficulty in transferring the bins from their usual storage location to their collection point. Additionally, the effort required to move a full bin on difficult ground conditions may be beyond the capability of the less able-bodied person and the absence of a braking mechanism makes the handling of a laden bin downhill potentially hazardous.

Various hand carts are known for handling conventional bins in an industrial context, for example as described in GB 584,814 and GB 2 119 722. The carts include one or more hooks which must be aligned with corresponding features on a bin to be lifted. With the hook or hooks engaged with the bin, the user pulls the handles of the cart back whilst pushing the wheels forward to engage the frame of the cart with the bin and then lift the bin. The bin can then be moved on the cart. Loading the bin on the cart can be strenuous for the user, and these hand carts rely on the physical strength of the user and do not address the problems of handling a laden bin downhill or over adverse ground conditions.

US 2005/0230928 describes a power-assisted hand truck which includes a vertical rigid frame having a pair of un-powered wheels and a load-bearing member adjacent the wheels, for location under a load to be moved which must be lifted onto the load-bearing member manually. The truck is then tilted about the wheel axle to bring the centre of mass into or near balance over the axle. The truck includes a motorised drive wheel fixed above and behind the load-bearing wheels; such that when the frame is tilted to the necessary angle towards the user the drive wheel engages the ground and can provide tractive assistance for propelling the load. This arrangement ignores the need to co-ordinate the angle of tilt required to produce effective drive with that required for equilibrium of the load, which will vary.

None of the prior art devices addresses the problem of a user having to exert substantial strength to raise the loaded bin into equilibrium over the axle of the device, nor to propel the loaded device and control it on gradients and/or over unprepared surfaces.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Aspects of the invention are specified in the independent claims. Preferred features are specified in the dependent claims.

The invention provides a self-propelled device for moving a wheeled bin, which combines a powered lifting force via the propulsion wheels to raise the bin onto the device and force for transporting it.

In a preferred embodiment, the engagement means engage with the pick-up feature on a bin conforming to BS EN 840-1 :2004 Part 1. This enables the wheel- base to be narrow because the device need not span the wheels of the bin. However, it would also be possible for the engagement means to engage with an alternative feature, for example a handle of the bin.

The device of the invention allows a user to achieve a powered under-centre lift of the bin, followed by transport of the bin, all using the powered wheels. The device enables the bin to be captured in one movement, and driven away, without undue exertion by the user and without the user needing to use his or her weight or leverage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the following drawings in which:

Figures 1 and 2 show, respectively a front view and an isometric side view of a device for lifting a wheeled bin, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 3 shows the device of Figure 1 approaching a wheeled bin prior to engagement;

Figure 4 is a view from below, showing engagement means of the device engaged with lifting features of the bin;

Figure 5 shows sectional side views of the location of the engagement means of the device with the lifting features of the bin, before and after interengagement;

Figure 6 illustrates the wheeled bin in a collected position on the device;

Figure 7 shows a user about to rotate the bin to a transit position;

Figures 8 illustrates the bin in a transit position;

Figure 9 shows a control unit of the device;

Figure 10 shows a differential gear arrangement in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; and

Figure 11 shows a view from underneath the bin in the collected position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a device 30 for lifting and moving a wheeled bin has a main frame 7 which in this example is made from tubular aluminium or steel. The frame 7 includes in an upper portion engagement means 8 for releasably engaging with one or more features on the bin. The operation of the engagement means 8 will be described in more detail later. The frame 7 has a lower portion on which are mounted a pair of spaced-apart wheels 34 which enable the frame 7 to be wheeled on the ground. The wheels 34 are mounted on an integrated transaxle 22 which is operably connected to a motor 5 and gearbox assembly powered by battery cells 4.

The transaxle 22 is not a single wheel axle, but contains a pair of half-axles 9 driven by the motor 5 via a reduction gear 10 and a differential gear 17 (Figure 10). The transaxle can preferably be of a type commonly used in light duty self- propelled devices and incorporate suitable gearing to reconcile the speed range of the drive motor with the preferred ground speed of the device, and a means to allow simultaneous differential rotation of the wheels to assist steering. Using an integral differential allows: cornering about the centre point of the device; manoeuvrability comparable to a standard wheeled bin; and low system mechanical backlash so that power delivery can be very smooth even during a change of direction. The motor/gearbox produces little audible noise and an effective power to weight ratio for the application.

In this embodiment, a pair of handles 2 are pivotally mounted on the frame 7 for a user to hold when lifting and moving a wheeled bin. The handles 2 are mounted on the frame 7 by means of an adjustable clamp system 3. For user convenience, the angle of the handles 2 can be adjusted relative to the frame 7. In this embodiment the handles 2 are connected by an upper crossbar 1 , which provides an alternative gripping location when the device is in use. The frame 7 includes a support point or region for supporting a lower portion of a bin. In this embodiment the support point is provided by a lower crossbar 20 which spans the frame and functions as a support member; in an alternative embodiment a support point or support member may be provided by the main frame being suitably shaped to support a bin when being used to move the bin.

The motor is controlled by an electronic DC controller 6, linked to a handle- mounted control unit 26 (Figure 9) which is secured to one of the handles 2 at a location indicated generally by arrow 9 (Figure 2A), by clamps 25. The unit 26 may be mounted for either left-handed or right-handed operation. The unit 26 has an ON/OFF switch 27 and a control lever 38. The lever 38 is movable about a pivot 28 between two extreme positions, corresponding to maximum forward speed and maximum reverse speed. The lever 38 is spring-centred, ie it will return automatically when released to a central neutral resting position in mid arc at which position the drive wheels 34 are not powered but the DC Controller remains live. The speed in a forward or reverse direction will depend on the degree to which the control lever is displaced from its central rest position, with a preferred maximum speed no greater than an easy walking pace, for example 3-4 mph. In one embodiment, the user can pre-set a desired walking speed using the control unit, to avoid the need for precise control of the lever. The control unit 26 may be linked to the motor controller 6 by wires or via a wireless connection for potential with and without user free control. The controller 6 regulates the signal and produces the limits of output (volts/amps) for the motor.

The frame 7 is provided with a foot tread 11 which projects behind the frame 7 towards the user when the device 30 is in use. The foot tread 11 also provides a rest point which enables the device 30 to be rested with both wheels 34 and the foot tread 11 on the ground, as will be discussed later.

Turning now to Figure 3, the device 30 is shown with a wheeled bin 31 which is to be lifted and moved. The bin 31 is of a familiar type, conforming to BS EN 840- 1:2004 Part 1. The bin 31 comprises a receptacle 36 which has a hinged lid 37 and a pair of bin wheels 35. The lid 37 has a handle 23 on the same side as the wheels 35 to enable a user to wheel the bin between a collection location and a location where it is to be filled up. The bin 31 has a pick-up feature 12 on the side opposite the handle 23 and wheels 35, which is used by a comb lifter on the collection vehicle to pick up the bin 31 at the collection location, after which the receptacle 36 is locked in position, inverted to empty it and set down again for a user to return it to its normal location. The pick-up feature 12 comprises a downward-facing channel within which are a number of spaced-apart webs or ribs 13 which define openings for receiving comb members of the lifter. The receptacle 36 has a height of about 860-1030 mm, and the bin 31 has a total maximum height of up to 1190 mm including the lid 37. The receptacle 36 has a nominal volume of 240 litres. The total allotted weight (net weight + contents) is 80 kg. With a full load, the bin 31 can be difficult to manoeuvre on unmade or loose surfaces such as gravel or shingle, or on soft surfaces. A less able-bodied person may find great difficulty in wheeling the bin on loose or soft surfaces, even in a straight line, and handling the laden bin downhill may be hazardous.

To aid a user in moving the bin 31 , the device 30 is used. From the initial approach position shown in Figure 3, the device 30 is moved under power at an easily controlled speed by the motor 5, so that the engagement means 8 are brought under the pick-up feature 12 in direction 21 (Figure 5). In this embodiment, the engagement means comprises a pair of collector tubes 8 which are inwardly directed via radiused end portions. The collector tubes 8 are moved towards the bin receptacle 36, clearing the lower edge of the pick-up feature 12. The collector tubes 8 hit the bin receptacle 36 and ride up into a captive state between the webs or ribs 13 (Figure 4). The curved portions of the collector tubes 8 will clash with the ribs 13 if the alignment between the device 30 and the bin 31 is imperfect. In this event, the radius of the curved portions acting against the ribs 13 will naturally guide the collector tubes 8 towards the correct central location for lifting, leaving the device 30 engaged with the bin 31 in the collected position shown in Figure 6. The user 14 holds the handles 2 and places a foot 15 on the foot tread 11 of the device (Figure 7) and uses the control lever to cause the wheels 34 to be powered forwards. The engagement means 8 in use is a fixed distance from the bottom of the wheels 34, and this distance is greater than the distance from the pick-up feature 12 to the ground. Thus, powering the wheels 34 forward causes the bin 31 to be lifted and tilted to the transit position shown in Figure 8. If the bin 31 is parked against a wall or other surface, the bin wheels 35 will roll up the surface, as indicated by arrows 16. Because the bin 31 is grabbed using the same pick-up feature as when it is emptied on a lorry, the bin can be opened with the lid hinge away from the user, avoiding the need to rotate the bin when parking it. Once in the transit position, the device can be made to carry the bin in either a forward or reverse direction to a collection point.

Referring now to Figure 11 , the bottom face 18 of the bin is shown, with a vertical face 19 supported on the lower crossbar 20 in the transit position. The crossbar 20 has radiused portions 24 designed to aid loading and maintain a central location of the bin to the device.

In the transit position, the centre of mass of the filled bin preferably lies about over the wheel axle 22 and the handles 2 are ergonomically angled for comfort. There is good ground clearance, and the user can guide the bin 31 on the device 30 under motor power with little physical effort. If the user lets go of the handles 2, and releases the control lever, the motor will no longer power the wheels and the device will come to a halt. The device can be parked in a rest position with the foot tread 11 in contact with the ground, where it provides a stable rest point. When the bin is wheeled downhill, the motor may be used to retard its downhill progress by releasing the control lever and allowing the windings of the motor to work against the momentum of the bin and device to retard them.

Although the invention has been described with reference to an embodiment in which the engagement means are adapted for engagement with the pick-up feature on a wheeled bin as specified in BS EN 840-1 :2004, it will be understood that other arrangements are possible. In particular, the engagement means may engage with the handle of the bin, for example they may include an upturned C- shaped or U-shaped channel for receiving the handle. In this embodiment, the drive wheels will be spaced sufficiently far apart to accommodate the bin and its wheels.

The device may also be adapted for the power assisted handling of other loads by the provision of a load carrying platform designed to releasably engage with the engagement means 8 of the device or be of a bespoke design suitable for moving individual or multiple type of loads/goods.

The invention provides a device for lifting and moving wheeled bins, which fits in particular to bins conforming to BS EN 840-1:2004. The device is capable of moving over many surfaces and types of terrain with ease and comfort to the user. The motor-driven wheels mean that user effort is reduced so that the device may be used by less able-bodied people who would otherwise find it difficult or impossible safely to move a loaded wheeled bin from one place to another.

Claims

1. A device for lifting and moving a wheeled bin conforming to BS EN 840- 1:2004 Part 1 and including a pick-up feature to enable it to be lifted by a comb- lifter, the device comprising: a frame having an upper portion and a lower portion; the upper portion having engagement means for releasably engaging with one or more features on the bin to enable the device to lift the bin; and the lower portion being provided with a pair of spaced-apart wheels such that the frame can be wheeled on the ground; a support member on the frame below the engagement means, for supporting part of a bin when carried by the device; and the device further comprising a motor for driving the wheels via a differential, and control means for a user to control the operation of the motor; the arrangement being such that, when the engagement means is engaged with a feature of the bin and the wheels of the device are on the ground, driving the wheels forward by means of the motor will initially provide a powered lifting force to raise the bin onto the device and then a force for transporting the bin.

2. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the engagement means is adapted and arranged to engage with the pick-up feature on the bin.

3. A device according to claim 2, wherein the engagement means comprises a pair of engagement members arranged and adapted for engaging with the pick-up feature on the bin.

4. A device according to claim 3, wherein the pair of engagement members project from or are integrally formed with the frame and each has an inwardly- directed curved portion at or towards its free end.

5. A device according to any of claims 2-4, wherein the engagement means in use is a fixed distance from the bottom of the wheels, and this distance is greater than the distance from the pick-up feature to the ground.

6. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the engagement means comprises at least one engagement member which is adapted to support a handle of the wheeled bin.

7. A device according to claim 6, wherein said at least one engagement member has a generally U-shaped or C-shaped channel for receiving the handle.

8. A device according to any preceding claim, further comprising a foot tread which projects from one side of the frame.

9. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein the support point is provided by a cross member which spans from one side of the frame to another.

10. A device according to claim 8, wherein the cross member is disposed adjacent to the wheels.

11. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein the control means comprises a control unit which enables a user to control the speed and/or direction of rotation of the wheels.

12. A device according to claim 11 , wherein the control unit is mounted on a handle of the device.

13. A device for lifting and moving a wheeled bin conforming to BS EN 840- 1:2004 Part 1 and including a pick-up feature to enable it to be lifted by a comb- lifter, the device comprising: a frame having an upper portion and a lower portion; the upper portion having a pair of engagement members projecting from or integrally formed with the frame, the engagement members being arranged and adapted for releasably engaging with the pick-up feature to enable the device to lift the bin; and the lower portion being provided with a pair of spaced-apart wheels such that the frame can be wheeled on the ground; a support member on the frame below the engagement means, for supporting part of a bin when carried by the device; and the device further comprising a motor for driving the wheels via a differential, and control means for a user to control the operation of the motor; the arrangement being such that, when the engagement means is engaged with the pick-up feature of the bin and the wheels of the device are on the ground, driving the wheels forward by means of the motor will initially provide a powered lifting force to raise the bin onto the device and then a force for transporting the bin.