WO2017216755A1

WO2017216755A1 - Waste collection system

Info

Publication number: WO2017216755A1
Application number: PCT/IB2017/053566
Authority: WO
Inventors: Luca Ferraccioli
Original assignee: Ferraccioli Group International S.L.
Priority date: 2016-06-15
Filing date: 2017-06-15
Publication date: 2017-12-21
Also published as: ES2646889B1; ES2646889A1

Abstract

A waste collection system (100) comprising a data delivery and reprocessing station (10) provided with a respective electronic device (11) for exchanging data with at least a bin (20); wherein the data can be directly exchanged between the data delivery and reprocessing station (10) and bin (20), or indirectly through an electronic control unit (CC); and at least a bin (20) provided with a respective electronic device (21) for exchanging data with the data delivery and reprocessing station (10); wherein the data can be directly exchanged between the data delivery and reprocessing station (10) and the bin (20), or indirectly through an electronic control unit (CC). The electronic device (21) is provided with means for enabling/disabling (23, 24) the closing means (22) of the bin (20). The authorization for opening the closing means (22) is activated only if the bin (20) still has available space for receiving a particular type of separate or undifferentiated waste.

Description

"WASTE COLLECTION SYSTEM"

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a waste collection system. BACKGROUND ART

It is well known that ecological and environmental problems make it increasingly difficult to find areas for traditional landfills for collecting all kinds of materials, which are undifferentiated, sometimes polluting (such as medicines, batteries, solvents), or more often useful as source of raw materials (such as e.g. aluminium, paper, plastic, glass) .

Therefore, besides solving the problem of landfills, waste recycling allows substantial savings in energy and raw materials .

As already known, the term "separate collection" indicates a waste collection system that provides a first differentiation at source carried out by the citizens based on the type of waste. It is also known that the term "undifferentiated collection" indicates a type of waste collection in which waste of different species and/or origins are all thrown by the user in the same bin.

Therefore, the ultimate purpose of the "separate collection" is a waste sorting carried out by the users before the pre-selected waste disposal in suitable containers (dumpsters, bins, etc.) located in the street. In this way, each type of differentiated waste is redirected toward the most suitable disposal or recovery treatment, ranging from landfill storage or incineration/WTE treatment for undifferentiated waste, composting for organic and recycling for the actual separate waste (paper, glass, cans, plastic) .

When the "separate collection" is carried out in the street, the citizens must dispose of their waste in containers (dumpsters; bins) located on the sidewalks.

A separate waste collection also requires different types of containers.

For example, a commonly used container is the so-called "bell", whose shape resembles the classical bronze bells of church bell towers. Bells are usually employed for the collection of glass, cans or plastic (or a combination of these materials) .

Unlike a bin, which must be overturned for being emptied, a bell is emptied from below, by lifting it up and opening the lower base by means of a mechanical mechanism arranged next to the lifting hook.

For encumbrance and aesthetic reasons, some cities, especially in Northern Europe, have provided underground containers in which the waste is disposed of through a trap at street level. The "separate waste collection" method has undoubtedly several advantages, among which the possibility for the user to dispose of her/his waste at any time with lower collection costs, but also the disadvantage of reducing the percentage of "separate collection" as well as the quality of the separately collected material, since the correct disposal of the waste depends on the civil pride of the citizens. In fact, any erroneous disposal cannot be sanctioned, since everybody may use the containers in the street.

Moreover, one of the typical problems of the bins consists in that anyone can open them to remove any valuable material or simply to vandalize.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

The present invention therefore aims to overcome the problems of current waste collection systems.

The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a waste collection system that can overcome the aforesaid drawbacks .

Therefore, according to the present invention, it is provided a waste collection system according to claim 1 or anyone of the claims directly or indirectly dependent on Claim 1.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

better understanding of the present invention, preferred embodiment is now described purely by way of non- limiting example and with reference to the accompanying figures, wherein:

- Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of the waste collection system according to the present invention;

- Figure 2 shows a block diagram illustrating the operation of the system of Figure 1.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

In Figure 1, reference number 100 indicates as a whole a waste collection system in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.

Waste collection system 100 comprises, first of all, the following two devices:

la- a totem (data delivery and reprocessing station) 10 provided with a respective electronic device 11 for exchanging data with at least a bin 20; wherein the data can be directly exchanged between totem 10 and bin 20, or indirectly through an electronic control unit (CC) ; and lb- at least a bin 20, provided with a respective electronic device 21 for exchanging data with totem (data delivery and reprocessing station) 10; wherein the data can be directly exchanged between totem 10 and bin 20, or indirectly through the electronic control unit (CC) .

Electronic control unit (CC) can be a simple server, or an actual data transmission, storage and management unit, completely automated or provided with specialized operational staff.

In an alternative embodiment not shown, the data delivery and reprocessing station (totem) 10 is integrated in bin 20 so as to form a compact bin 20.

Furthermore, totem 10 is provided with a display 12, a user recognition device 13 (UT) (e.g. a reading system of a card with barcode, QRcode, RFid for the user identification (UT) ) , a push-button panel 14, a scale 15 to weigh the waste that the user (UT) will dispose of in bin 20, a volume sensing device 16 of a container full of waste (not shown) and an infrared sensor 17.

Volume-sensing device 16 is electronically connected with scale 15 so as to avoid abuses by the users.

For example, while disposing of the waste in the system, if user (UT) declares that the container is full of cardboard, the system, knowing the average density of the cardboard and measuring the volume by means of the volume-sensing device 16, estimates that that volume should weigh a certain number of kilograms. However, if scale 15 measures a weight higher than the expected one, it probably means that the user (UT) has added e.g. stones to the waste (e.g. to get a bigger discount on the waste disposal fee) . Obviously, if the system detects that a user (UT) is trying to provide false data, it withdraws the separate waste disposal authorization to that user (UT) , inviting her/him to dispose of the waste in the undifferentiated waste bin, thus avoiding polluting other materials.

The newly conceived infrared sensor 17, however, is able to distinguish in real time the different kinds of waste contained in the same container.

Both methods (scale 15 together with volume detection device 16, on the one side, and infrared sensor 17, on the other side) may be used at the same time, or alternatively, in the same waste collection system 100.

Bin 20 provides for its own load cell 23, arranged on the bottom of bin 20, weighing directly the amount of waste that each time is disposed of in bin 20 by a given user (UT) .

Bin 20 is also provided with at least a level sensor 24 that detects when bin 20 is full, or, more generally, when bin 20 reaches the desired filling level.

The system 100 further comprises at least a waste collection truck 30, provided with a corresponding electronic device 31 for exchanging data with electronic control unit (CC) . A GPS may be used for the data transmission between the electronic device 31 and the electronic control unit (CC) .

The system 100 is completed by at least a landfill 40, which is also equipped with a corresponding electronic device 41 for exchanging data with the electronic control unit (CC) .

Advantageously, but not necessarily, the data can be exchanged between controller (CC) , on the one hand, and electronic devices 11, 21, 23, 24, 31, 41, on the other hand, by means of a communication protocol GPRS {General Packet Radio Service) , which, as already known, is an enhanced version of the known GSM. Even data exchanging methods used in mobile telephony or in wireless systems may be used.

However, any suitable data transmission protocol may be used without departing from the scope of the invention. In actual use, if e.g. the user (UT) wants to dispose of 5 kg of glass in bin 20, she/he just has to be identified by totem 10, for example by inserting her/his card with a respective bar code in the recognition device 13, or by using any recognition system (fingerprints; iris; radio frequency; etc.) .

If bin 20 has enough space to receive 5 kg of glass, electronic device 11 generates a first signal that is sent to electronic control unit (CC) , which, in turn, reprocesses the first received signal and generates a second signal that is sent to electronic device 21.

If level sensor 24 (possibly together with load cell 23 arranged on the bottom of bin 20) detects the presence of empty space in bin 20, electronic device 21 generates a third signal for activating the opening of electromechanical lock 22.

If, on the contrary, level sensor 24 detects that bin 20 is completely full, the opening of the electromechanical lock 22 is not activated (and therefore bin 20 remains closed) and display 12 shows a message with which the system recommends to the user (UT) to dispose of the waste in another bin (still having available free space) that is located nearby.

For this purpose, to improve the information display, a map of the area where the system 100 is located may appear on display 12 with bright spots corresponding to the still usable bins.

Moreover, once that bin 20 is full, the electronic control unit (CC) sends a signal detected by electronic device 31 mounted on truck 30 to alert the driver of truck 30 that there is a full bin in a certain place.

Furthermore, after that the bin has been emptied a certain number of times, the electronic system controlled by electronic control unit (CC) generates a message to alert that bin 20 must be cleaned, thereby activating an intervention of the cleaning/maintenance department of the company that controls the waste collection in a given area. The electronic control unit (CC) also calculates the best route for truck 30 so that it collects in a scientifically correct way the largest amount of waste during a given route; or the electronic control unit (CC) can calculate the best route for truck 30 so that it collects the largest amount of waste with the lowest vehicle fuel consumption and/or with the least amount of time spent by the collection means and/or operators.

As already stated, even the landfill 40 is equipped with a respective electronic device 41 that continuously sends to electronic control unit (CC) signals relating to its condition, such as, for instance, data relating to the filling level of landfill 40 with a specific type of waste (glass, paper etc.) .

All this to make sure that at the end of the route the driver of truck 30 exactly knows whether she/he can unload in a given landfill 40, or whether that particular landfill 40 is no longer able to receive a particular type of waste. If landfill 40 is not able to receive a particular type of waste (e.g., there is still room for glass and paper, but not for cans), the electronic system controlled by electronic control unit (CC) redirects truck 30 toward the nearest and more convenient landfill that can still accept that particular type of waste (cans, in the above example) . With regard to the operation of the system 100, reference is made to what has been stated above and to the block diagram of Figure 2.

The main advantages of the waste collection system object of the present invention are the following:

- preventing the uncontrolled opening of the bins, thus avoiding vandalizing, theft etc.

- rationally handling the filling of the bins, thus preventing the collection trucks from making a stop (which is expensive, and not a little) to spill a half-empty bin;

- optimizing the route of the separate waste collection trucks; and

- optimizing the management of the landfill.

Claims

1. Waste collection system (100), characterized in that it comprises the following devices:

la- at least one data delivery and reprocessing station (10) provided with a respective electronic device (11) for exchanging data with at least one bin (20) ; wherein the data can be directly exchanged between said at least one data delivery and reprocessing station (10) and said at least one bin (20), or indirectly through an electronic control unit (CC) ; and

lb- at least one bin (20) provided with a respective electronic device (21) for exchanging data with said at least one data delivery and reprocessing station (10); wherein the data can be directly exchanged between said at least one data delivery and reprocessing station (10) and said at least one bin (20), or indirectly through the electronic control unit (CC) ; said electronic device (21) being provided with means for enabling/disabling (23, 24) closing means (22) of said at least one bin (20) ; the authorization for opening said closing means (22) being activated only if said at least one bin (20) still has available space for receiving a particular type of separate or undifferentiated waste.

2. A system (100), according to Claim 1, characterized in that said at least one data delivery and reprocessing station (10) is integrated in said at least one bin (20) so as to form a complete compact bin (20) system.

3. A system (100), according to anyone of the preceding Claims, characterized in that said at least one bin (20) is provided with control means (23, 24) for detecting the complete filling of said at least one bin (20) .

4. A system (100), according to anyone of the preceding Claims, characterized in that said at least one data delivery and reprocessing station (10) and/or said at least one bin (20) comprise weighing means (15) and/or volume sensing means (16) for the waste to be disposed of in bin (20) .

5. A system (100), according to Claim 4, characterized in that it further comprises an infrared sensor (17) for distinguishing in real time the different types of waste contained in the same container.

6. A system (100), according to Claim 3, characterized in that if said control means (23, 24) detect that said bin (20) is full, said opening/closing means (22) are not activated, while a display (12) shows a message with which the system informs a user (UT) that she/he will have to dispose of the waste in another bin (22) .

7. A system (100), according to anyone of the preceding Claims, characterized in that it comprises at least one automotive collecting means (30) for the collection of waste from said bin (20) ; said at least one automotive collection means (30) being provided with electronic means (31) for exchanging information with said electronic control unit (CC) , in particular by means of a GPS, so as to be alerted when said bin (20) is full.

8. A system (100), according to Claim 7, characterized in that once that bin (20) has reached the desired filling level, said electronic control unit (CC) comprises means for sending a signal to said electronic device (31) mounted on said at least one automotive collection means (30) for informing the driver of said at least one automotive collection means (30) about the location of a full bin (20) .

9. A system (100), according to Claim 8, characterized in that said electronic control unit (CC) comprises means which, after that bin (20) has been emptied a certain number of times, generate a signal to alert that bin (20) must be cleaned.

10. A system (100), according to anyone of the preceding Claims, characterized in that said electronic control unit (CC) comprises means for calculating the best route for said at least one automotive collection means (30) for collecting in a scientifically correct way the largest amount of waste during a given route; or said means of said electronic control unit (CC) are designed to calculate the best route for said at least one automotive collection means (30) for collecting the largest amount of waste with the minimum vehicle fuel consumption and/or with the least amount of time spent by the collection means and/or operators.

11. A system (100) according to anyone of the preceding Claims, characterized in that it further comprises at least a landfill (40) provided with respective electronic means (41) for sending to said electronic control unit (CC) signals relating to its condition, such as, for instance, data relating to the filling level of landfill (40) with a specific type of waste (glass, paper etc . ) .

12. A system (100) according to anyone of the preceding Claims, characterized in that for exchanging data between said electronic control unit (CC) , on the one hand, and said electronic devices (11, 21, 31, 41) together with said control means (23) , on the other hand, it is used a communication protocol GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), or data exchanging methods used in mobile telephony or in wireless systems.