WO2020053777A1

WO2020053777A1 - Device for processing used nappies

Info

Publication number: WO2020053777A1
Application number: PCT/IB2019/057643
Authority: WO
Inventors: Walter DE NIL
Original assignee: Diaper Care Holding, Naamloze Vennootschap
Priority date: 2018-09-12
Filing date: 2019-09-11
Publication date: 2020-03-19
Also published as: BE1026604A9; BE1026604A1; BE1026604B9; BE1026604B1

Abstract

Device for processing used nappies, said device comprising a lid (5) under which used nappies can be deposited, after which each used nappy is separately and immediately film- wrapped into an airtight and odourless package in less than 20 seconds. The device is provided with a threading mechanism (9) with a threading motor (19) which transports each deposited used nappy downward and at the same time envelops it in airtight film after which a sealing mechanism (15) with two sealing bars (12, 13) which are closed, compresses and seals the nappy package, while the content of the package is vacuum sealed and the removed air is discharged through a carbon filter to absorb dust and odour. The device is provided with the necessary safeguards to guarantee a safe operation.

Description

Device for processing used nappies.

The present invention relates to a machine for processing used nappies .

In particular, the invention is intended for processing used nappies for all categories of nappy users and users of incontinence material, such as for dependent adults or for young children and/or babies in hospitals, care homes, rest homes, creches, etc.

It is known that baby nappies are now mostly used in the form of disposable nappies or pampers which are intended for single use and which, after use, are disposed of together with their contents in household waste or in containers intended for that purpose.

It is also known that nappies or incontinence material are used in care facilities for dependent persons and that these nappies must be collected and disposed of.

In all cases, the used nappies cause odour nuisance, which is often a nuisance in large care facilities, and the used nappies also cause environmental pollution when disposed of with household waste.

In Belgium alone, 5.8% of all waste comes from used nappies and 80,000 tonnes of used nappies are thrown away every year. All this results in a considerable emission of carbon dioxide or CO2 in the atmosphere . Traditional use of nappies for babies and dependent persons therefore not only causes odour nuisance but also environmental nuisance and a risk of infection for both carers and dependent persons .

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a solution to the aforementioned and other disadvantages by providing a device for processing used nappies . To this end, the invention relates to a device for processing used nappies, said device comprising a lid under which used nappies can be deposited, characterised in that the device film-wraps each used nappy individually and immediately into an airtight an odourless package.

The device is provided with a threading motor, which transports a deposited used nappy downward and at the same time envelops it in airtight film until a threading sensor stops the threading motor and the airtight film above the deposited used nappy can be vacuum sealed.

The device is provided with two sealing bars which are closed and hereby compress the nappy package while the content of the package is vacuum sealed.

After the sealing bars are closed, a sealing and cutting process is started, whereby the nappy package is sealed in two places and the nappy package is cut between the two places such that each nappy is wrapped separately in an airtight and odourless way. After the sealing and cutting process, the sealing bars return to their resting position and the wrapped nappy falls into a container provided for this purpose. After the sealing bars have returned to their resting position, the device's wrapping cycle is repeated and a warning light indicates the device is ready again for a next deposit of a used nappy.

Preferably, the device is equipped with safety mechanisms which ensure the device can only be started if a number of conditions have been met .

The device contains a micro switch on the front panel of the housing in which the device is located, said micro switch having to be closed before the device can start.

The device is provided with an drawer in which all the necessary electronics are incorporated, said drawer being provided with a micro switch which has to be closed before the device can start.

The device is provided with a sensor in the lid of the device which detects whether there is a used nappy in the tray under the lid, said sensor having to detect a deposited nappy before the wrapping cycle can start.

The lid itself is provided with a micro switch that must indicate that the lid itself is closed before the wrapping cycle can start. The device is also provided with an emergency stop switch which shuts off the supply of electrical energy to the device in case of an emergency situation.

The device allows the used nappy to be automatically wrapped in less than 20 seconds and can be moved manually, for example to a next room in a care facility.

With the intention of better showing the characteristics of the invention, a preferred embodiment of a device for processing used nappies according to the invention is described hereinafter, by way of an example without any limiting nature, with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: figure 1 schematically shows a perspective view of a device for processing used nappies according to the invention;

figure 2 shows a cross-section according to line II-II in figure 1;

figure 3 shows a cross-section according to line III- III in figure 1;

figure A shows a perspective top view of the threading mechanism in the device according to the invention; figure 5 shows a perspective view of a sealing bar, turned toward the film to be sealed;

figure 6 shows a perspective view of a compression spring for clamping an odour and dust filter;

figure 7 shows a perspective view of an odour and dust filter for the device according to the invention. Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a device 1 for processing used nappies according to the invention, consisting of a housing 2 which is provided with swivel castors 3, an drawer 3' with electronics and a front door 4, and at the top is provided with a lid 5 and a semitransparent dome 6, in which a removable odour and dust filter 7 is located.

Figure 2 shows a vertical cross-section of figure 1, whereby the position of a battery 8 on the bottom of the housing 2 is visible and a lateral view of the threading mechanism 9 whereby two of the four gearwheels 10, 11 and the two sealing bars 12, 13 are visible in retracted condition under the lid 5, as well as a tray 14 under the lid 5 in which the used nappy can be deposited.

Figure 3 shows a second vertical cross-section of figure 1 perpendicular to the preceding vertical cross-section, in which a frontal view of the threading mechanism 9 is visible and a frontal view of the sealing and cutting mechanism 15.

Figure 4 shows a perspective view of the threading mechanism 9 of the device 1 according to the invention, which consists of a left film contact pressure roller 16 and a right film contact pressure roller 17 connected by a drive shaft 18, which drives both contact pressure rollers 16, 17 from one threading motor 19. For each contact pressure roller, the rotation of the drive shaft 18 is transmitted to the interlocking gearwheels of the contact pressure rollers 16, 17 by means of a rotating sprocket 20, which by means of a toothed belt 21 drives the shaft of one of the interlocking gearwheels of each contact pressure roller 16, 17 whereby a belt tensioning roller 23 keeps the toothed belt 21 tight.

Figure 5 shows a perspective view of one of the two horizontally movable sealing bars 12 on which two Teflon adhesive strips 24 are visible, each provided with one heating wire 25, with which two films located opposite each other can be sealed together. A third Teflon adhesive strip 26 is located between the two heating wires 25 on which a cutting wire 27 runs on a reel to cut the sealed films of a previous and a next nappy package from each other.

Figure 6 shows a filter clamp 28 to clamp an odour and dust filter, consisting of two clamping plates 29, 30 which are pulled towards each other by a compression spring 31 and can be pulled apart by means of two handles 32, 33. The two clamping plates 29, 30 are each provided with teeth 34 to clamp an odour and dust filter.

Figure 7 shows a cylindrical odour and dust filter 35 through which air can be extracted.

The operation of the device 1 is very simple and as follows .

The device 1 is moved manually from for example the door of a first room in a care facility for dependent persons to the door of a next room from which a used nappy needs to be collected. The device is started up whereby the device checks the safety of the machine, before indicating by means of a light signal that the machine 1 is ready for the deposit of a next used nappy.

The lid 5 of the machine is opened and the next used nappy is deposited in the designated tray 14 under the lid. The threading mechanism 9, driven by a threading motor 19, transports the deposited used nappy downward and at the same time envelops the nappy with airtight film until a threading sensor stops the threading motor 19 and the airtight film above the deposited used nappy is vacuum sealed. This is done by two sealing bars 12, 13 which are closed and hereby compress the nappy package while the content of the package is vacuum sealed and the removed air is discharged through a carbon filter to absorb the odour.

After the sealing bars 12, 13 are closed, a sealing and cutting process is then started, whereby the nappy package is sealed in two places and the nappy package is cut between the two sealing seams by a cutting wire 27 such that each nappy is wrapped separately in an airtight and odourless way. During the sealing and cutting procedure the vacuum sucking process continues a while, this is to replace the air in the device 1 such that no odour and dust remain.

After the sealing bars 12, 13 have returned to their resting position, the wrapped nappy drops into a container at the bottom of the device 1 provided for this purpose. The device automatically checks a number of safeguards after which, if all conditions for a safe operation are met, the device indicates, by means of a warning light, that the device 1 is ready again for a next deposit of a

5 used nappy.

The device is now ready for a next wrapping cycle of a next nappy. A wrapping cycle is completed within a time span of 20 seconds or less.

The wrapped nappies in the container are transferred to a collection container for further processing.

The safeguards checked by the device are a micro switch on the front panel 4 of the housing 2 of the device, which has to be closed before the device 1 is able to start a next wrapping cycle.

Another micro switch on the drawer 3' in which all the necessary electronics are incorporated, checks whether this drawer is closed before the device 1 is able to start a next wrapping cycle.

A sensor in the lid 5 of the device detects whether a used nappy is present in the tray 14 under the lid before a next wrapping cycle can start.

The device is provided with an emergency stop switch which can be pressed at any time in an emergency situation to shut off the supply of electrical energy to the device 1. The wrapping cycle is controlled by an electronic control unit. At every start-up the control unit will start the internal software program and the machine is reset during 1 second.

The device has a software system which offers the user the following possibilities:

(i) In case of a technical defect in the device the technical service can read out the problem remotely. An immediate solution is offered via telephone assistance or on site;

(ii) the user can send an e-mail directly to the technical service using an e-mail icon on the screen of the display with a complete diagnostic report of the device;

(iii) the user can set which extra information is shown on the display screen, such as for example how many nappies were wrapped that day, in a week or in a month and this for example per ward or per corridor.

(iv) the user receives an automatic notification when the carbon filter has to be replaced or when the film cartridge is almost finished and needs to be replaced;

(v) the software, by means of a double depth sensor, measures the amount of film that is necessary per wrapped nappy to reduce the film usage to an absolute minimum. A special sleeve and feed tube are used in the device for the film, which allows a film with a thickness of only 10 microns to be used, thus saving 66% in weight on film usage.

The device also allows the wrapping cycle to be reduced to 10 seconds per wrapped nappy.

The present invention is by no means limited to the embodiments described as an example and shown in the figures, but a device 1 for processing used nappies according to the invention can be realised in all kinds of forms and dimensions without departing from the scope of the invention, as defined in the following claims.

Claims

Claims .

1.- Device (1) for processing used nappies, said device comprising a lid (5) under which used nappies can be deposited, characterised in that the device film-wraps each used nappy separately and immediately into an airtight and odourless package.

2.- Device according to claim 1, characterised .in that the device (1) is mobile and can be moved manually.

3.- Device according to claim 1, characterised in that the device (1) automatically wraps the used nappy in less than 20 seconds.

4.- Device according to claim 1, characterised in that the device is provided with a threading mechanism (9) with a threading motor (19) which transports a deposited used nappy downward and at the same time envelops it in airtight film until a threading sensor stops the threading motor (19) and the airtight film above the deposited used nappy is vacuum sealed .

5.- Device according to claim 4, characterised in that the device is provided with a sealing mechanism (15) with two sealing bars (12, 13) which are closed and hereby compress the nappy package, while the content of the package is vacuum sealed and the removed air is discharged through a carbon filter to absorb the odour.

6. - Device according to claim 5, characterised in that a sealing and cutting process is started after the sealing bars (12, 13) are closed whereby the nappy package is sealed in two places and the nappy package is cut between the two places such that each separate nappy is wrapped into an airtight and odourless package.

7.- Device according to claim 6, characterised in that the sealing bars (12, 13) return to their resting position after the sealing and cutting process and the wrapped nappy falls into a container provided for this purpose.

8.- Device according to claim 7, characterised in that the wrapping cycle of the device (1) is repeated after the sealing bars (12, 1.3) have returned to their resting position and a warning light indicates that the device is ready again for a next deposit of a used nappy.

9.- Device according to claim 8, characterised in that the device contains a micro switch on the front panel (4) of the housing (2) in which the device is located, said micro switch having to be closed before the device (1) can start a next wrapping cycle.

10.- Device according to claim 8, characterised in that the device is provided with an drawer (3' ) in which all the necessary electronics are incorporated, said drawer being provided with a micro switch which has to be closed before the device (1) can start a next wrapping cycle.

11.- Device according to claim 8, characterised in that the device is provided with a sensor in the lid (5) of the device (1) , which detects whether there is a used nappy in the tray (14) under the lid (5) , said sensor having to detect a nappy before a next wrapping cycle can start.

12.- Device according to claim 8, characterised in that the device (1) is provided with an emergency stop switch which shuts off the supply of electrical energy to the device in case of an emergency situation.

13. - Device according to claim 8, characterised in that the device (1) has a software system which offers the user the following possibilities:

(i) in case of a technical defect in the device the technical service can read out the problem remotely and offer an immediate solution via telephone assistance or on site;

(iii) the user can set which extra information is shown on the display screen, such as how many nappies were wrapped that day, in a week or in a month and this for example per ward or per corridor; (iv) the user receives an automatic notification when the carbon filter has to be replaced or when the film cartridge is almost finished and needs to be replaced;

(v) the software, by means of a double depth sensor, measures the amount of film that is necessary per wrapped nappy to reduce the film usage to an absolute minimum.

14.- Device according to claim 8, characterised in that the device applies a special sleeve and feed tube for the film, which allows a film with a thickness of only 10 microns to be used, thus saving 66% in weight on film usage

15. - Device according to claim 8, characterised in that it allows the wrapping cycle to be reduced to 10 seconds per wrapped nappy.