WO2022032326A1

WO2022032326A1 - Vermicomposting bin assembly

Info

Publication number: WO2022032326A1
Application number: PCT/AU2021/050710
Authority: WO
Inventors: Helen Anne Holman; Luke Nigel Nattrass; Owen Edward Luke
Original assignee: Reln Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2020-08-12
Filing date: 2021-07-02
Publication date: 2022-02-17

Abstract

The present invention is broadly directed to a vermicomposting bin assembly 10 which may take the form of a domestic worm farm. The worm farm 10 generally comprises: 1. a housing 12 having a tray opening 14; 2. a lid 44 removably fitted to the housing 12 for closure of the tray opening 14 to form a substantially sealed enclosure; 3. two (2) internal trays 16a and 16b stacked one upon the other and together contained within the sealed enclosure of the housing 12, each of said internal trays 16a/b being removable from the housing 12 via the tray opening 14.

Description

VERMICOMPOSTING BIN ASSEMBLY

Technical Field

[0001 ] The present is broadly directed to a vermicomposting bin assembly and relates particularly, although not exclusively, to a domestic worm farm.

Background of Invention

[0002] Domestic worm farms are relatively popular in Australia and elsewhere in encouraging home owners and residents to handle their organic waste. Worm farming is beneficial for the environment insofar as food and other organic waste can effectively be recycled returning nutrients in the form of fertiliser back to the soil rather than disposing this waste in the garbage where it finishes up in landfill producing vast amounts of methane and other detrimental greenhouse gases.

[0003] Conventional worm farms generally consist of two (2) or more working trays located upon a base container. The working trays are typically stacked one upon the other with the uppermost tray containing fresh organic waste whilst the lower tray contains castings being organic waste that has previously been converted into the castings or other compost by the action of composting worms. The working trays have holes in their respective floors which allow for upward migration of the worms between adjacent trays and drainage of worm castings and other liquid fertiliser from the lowermost tray into the base container.

[0004] Australian patent no. 737050 (ALT050) and US patent no. 6,218,177 (US’177) are examples of innovations developed by the present inventor in improving the construction and operation of conventional worm farms. The worm farm of AU’050 is constructed as a stack assembly which allows the working trays to periodically be cycled or rotated through the worm farm which provides continuous processing of the organic waste. US’177 is functionally of a similar design to AU’050 but with the base container connecting to legs which together promote air ventilation through the worm farm. Summary of Invention

[0005] According to the present invention there is provided a vermicomposting bin assembly comprising: a housing having a tray opening; a lid removably fitted to the housing for closure of the tray opening to form a substantially sealed enclosure; a plurality of internal trays stacked one upon the other and together contained within the sealed enclosure of the housing, each of said internal trays being removable from the housing via the tray opening.

[0006] Preferably the bin assembly also comprises a collector reservoir removably connected to a base of the housing and configured to cooperate with a drain opening in the base to in-situ collect liquid castings from the housing. More preferably the collector reservoir slidably fits to the base of the housing for retraction from said base for emptying of liquid castings collected in the collector reservoir. Even more preferably the collector reservoir seals about the base of the housing to prevent the ingress of vermin, insects, or other unwanted matter into the housing via the drain opening. Still more preferably the base of the housing is sloped downward in the general direction of the drain opening. Even still more preferably the collector reservoir at least in part is constructed of a transparent or semi-transparent material providing visual indication of liquid castings collected in the collector reservoir.

[0007] Preferably the internal trays each include a basket of substantially identical construction and thus the trays are interchangeable for rotation within the sealed enclosure of the housing in the course of harvesting composted matter, worm castings and other organic matter from the bin assembly. More preferably the internal trays each include a rigid handle pivotally fitted to the basket and configured in a raised position to facilitate lifting of the tray from the housing. Even more preferably the rigid handle is one of a pair of rigid handles and the basket includes a pair of slots within which opposing ends of at least one of the pair of rigid handles pivots, the slots permitting sliding movement of said one or both handles of a lower tray in the event said handle is fouled by an adjacent and upper of the trays during its removal thereby releasing said fouled handle of the lower tray from the upper tray. Additionally or alternatively each of the trays includes an indent formed in the basket and arranged for finger engagement to assist with lifting of the internal tray from the housing.

[0008] Preferably the basket of each of the trays includes a perforated floor connected to a perimeter wall which at least in part is tapered to permit nesting of adjacent of the baskets at least partly within one another. More preferably the basket includes an outer perimeter flange connected to and surrounding an upper portion of the perimeter wall, said perimeter flange being shaped substantially complementary to and thus configured to fit internally of the housing.

[0009] Preferably the housing includes one or more leg mounting elements configured to provide detachable mounting for respective of one or more legs supporting the bin assembly. More preferably the leg mounting elements each form a shelf within the housing being configured to provide support for a lowermost of the internal trays which is thus separated from the base of the housing. Still more preferably the leg mounting elements adjacent the shelf each include one or more ventilation openings arranged to cooperate with respective of the legs to allow for ventilation of the sealed enclosure of the housing. Even more preferably the base of the housing includes an internal projection which provides additional support for the lowermost of the internal trays.

[0010] Preferably the lid includes one or more apertures for ventilation of the housing. More preferably the lid includes a plurality of leg protrusions configured on inversion of the lid and during harvesting of organic matter from one of the internal trays removed from the housing to align with corresponding depressions in the floor of said one of the internal trays thereby supporting said tray during the harvesting of organic matter. Even more preferably at least one of the plurality of leg protrusions of the lid includes a hinge element for detachable latching of said lid with an upper perimeter rim of the housing whereby the lid is hung from the housing.

[0011 ] Preferably the vermicomposting bin assembly is of a demountable construction. Brief Description of Drawings

[0012] In order to achieve a better understanding of the nature of the present invention a preferred embodiment of a vermicomposting bin assembly will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is an isometric view from above shown in part cutaway of a vermicomposting bin assembly according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is an exploded view of the vermicomposting bin assembly of the preferred embodiment of figure 1 ;

Figures 3A to 3D are various isometric and an enlarged view of a housing taken from the vermicomposting bin assembly of the preferred embodiment of the preceding figures;

Figures 4A and 4B are plan views from below and above respectively of the housing of figure 3;

Figures 5A to 5D are various isometric views of an internal tray taken from the vermicomposting bin assembly of the preferred embodiment of figures 1 and 2;

Figures 6A to 6C are isometric views from above and below respectively of a collector reservoir taken from the vermicomposting bin assembly of the preferred embodiment of figures 1 and 2;

Figures 7A and 7B are isometric views from below and above respectively of a leg taken from the vermicomposting bin assembly of the preferred embodiment of figures 1 and 2;

Figures 8A and 8B are isometric views from below and above respectively of a lid taken from the vermicomposting bin assembly of the preferred embodiment of figures 1 and 2;

Figure 9 is an isometric view from below of the vermicomposting bin assembly of the preferred embodiment of figures 1 and 2 shown with its collector reservoir retracted; Figures, 10A and 10B are isometric views from above of one of the internal trays removed for placement on the lid in its inverted position, both components associated with the vermicomposting bin assembly of the preferred embodiment of figures 1 and 2;

Figure 11 is an isometric view from above of the vermicomposting bin assembly of the preferred embodiment of figures 1 and 2 showing the lid supported on the housing when removed from the housing for exposing the uppermost of the internal trays.

Figure 12 is an enlarged sectional view showing fitting of the lid to the housing of the vermicomposting bin assembly of the preferred embodiment of the preceding figures.

Detailed Description

[0013] As best seen in figures 1 and 2, there is a vermicomposting bin assembly 10 of a preferred embodiment of the invention which in this case takes the form of a domestic worm farm. The worm farm 10 of this embodiment generally comprises:

1 . a housing 12 having a tray opening 14;

2. a lid 44 removably fitted to the housing 12 for closure of the tray opening 14 to form a substantially sealed enclosure 13;

3. two (2) internal trays 16a and 16b stacked one upon the other and together contained within the sealed enclosure 13 of the housing 12, each of said internal trays 16a/b being removable from the housing 12 via the tray opening 14.

[0014] The worm farm 10 of this embodiment also comprises a collector reservoir 18 removably connected to a base 20 of the housing 12. The collector reservoir 18 is configured to cooperate with a drain opening 22 (see figures 3 and 4) in the base 20 to in-situ collect liquid castings from the housing 12 or collector tray.

[0015] As seen in figures 1 to 4, the housing 12 of this example includes four (4) leg mounting elements 24a to 24d located in respective corners of the generally square-shaped base 20 of the housing 12. Each of the leg mounting elements 24a to 24d is configured to provide detachable mounting for respective of legs 26a to 26d arranged to support the worm farm 10. The legs such as 26a can be seen in more detail in figures 7A and 7B and are all of substantially identical construction. The housing 12 of this embodiment includes a generally square-shaped shell 27 formed about and continuous with the base 20.

[0016] As seen in figures 1 , 2 and 5, the internal trays such as 16a of this embodiment are of substantially identical construction and thus the trays such as 16a and 16b are interchangeable for rotation within the housing 12. It will be understood that in line with conventional practice, rotation of the trays such 16a and 16b is periodically performed in the course of harvesting composting matter, worm castings and other organic matter from the worm farm 10. Each of the internal trays such as 16a includes a basket such as 28a being tapered and thus configured to permit nesting of adjacent of the trays 16a and 16b within one another. For this purpose, each of the internal trays such as 16a is provided with a pair of rigid handles 32a and 32b pivotally fitted to the basket 28a and configured in a raised position (see figure 5C) to facilitate lifting of the tray 16a from the housing 12. The pair of handles 32a/b in a lowered position (see figure 5A) fold internally of the tray 16a permitting unobstructed nesting of any adjacent and upper trays such as 16b.

[0017] The handles 32a/b are arranged symmetrically to pivot centrally of the tray such as 16a thereby providing balanced removal of the tray 16a from the housing 12 without unwanted tipping of the tray 16a. Alternatively or additionally, the trays may each include a pair of indents (not shown) provided in opposing sides of the tray and arranged for finger engagement to assist with lifting of the tray from the housing.

[0018] As seen in figures 5A and 5B, the basket such as 28a of each of the trays such as 16a includes a perforated floor 34a. The perforated floor 34a is in this embodiment generally square-shaped and connected to a perimeter wall 36a which extends continuously around the boundary of the basket 28a. The perimeter wall 36b of the uppermost internal tray 16b is tapered inward toward its perforated floor 34b to permit nesting of that tray 16b within the perimeter wall 36a of the underlying and lowermost internal tray 16a. In this example, the basket such as 28a of the lowermost tray 16a includes an outer perimeter flange 38a connected and surrounding an upper portion of the corresponding perimeter wall 36a. The perimeter flange 38a of the basket 28a is shaped complementary to and thus configured to fit internally of the housing 12. The same configuration applies to the perimeter flange 38b of the basket 28b of the uppermost tray 16b wherein it is also shaped complementary to and thus configured to fit internally of the housing 12. Having the internal trays 16a/b of identical shape and configuration means the shell 27 of the housing 12 is in horizontal cross-section of substantially the same shape and dimensions. The shell 27 is therefore able to accommodate the internal trays 16a and 16b in either their upper or lower positions depending on their rotation through the housing 12. Put another way, opposing pairs of walls of the shell 27 are oriented substantially parallel to one another. The housing 12 of this embodiment of the worm farm 10 is thus substantially cube-shaped.

[0019] As seen in figures 5A and 5C, the pair of handles 32a/b each nest in their lowered position within a channel 35a formed about an internal land 37a of the working tray 16a. The internal land 37a is relatively large to reduce the likelihood of the uppermost tray 16b inadvertently grabbing the handle either 32a or 32b from the lowermost tray 16a during removal of the uppermost tray 16b. As seen in figure 5D, the handles such as 32a are at opposing ends pivotally fitted to a corresponding pair of slots such as 39aa and 39ab formed in the perimeter wall 36a of the basket 28a. In the event that during removal of the uppermost tray 16b it grabs the handle 32a of the lowermost tray 16a, the handle such as 32a slides along the slot such as 39aa/ab freeing the uppermost tray 16b from the handle 32a. Each of the opposing ends of the handle 32a include a key element 51 aa and 51 ab designed on reverse-pivoting of the handle 32a to fit within a corresponding keyway 53aa and 53ab formed at the end of the respective slot 39aa and 39ab. This keyed arrangement allows for releasable fitting of the handles 32a/b to the tray such as 16a.

[0020] Returning to figures 1 to 4, the leg mounting elements 24a to 24d each form a shelf 40a to 40d within respective internal corners of the housing 12. The shelves 40a to 40d provide support for the lowermost of the internal trays 16a which is thus raised from the base 20 of the housing 12. The leg mounting elements 24a to 24d adjacent each of the shelves 40a to 40d includes a perforated surface 55a to 55d forming a ventilation opening 57a to 57d in the base 20 of the housing 12. As best seen in figures 1 and 7, the ventilation opening such as 57a is arranged to cooperate with corresponding channels such as 59a formed in respective of the fitted legs such as 26a. The cooperating ventilation opening 57a and channel 59a allows for ventilation of the otherwise substantially enclosed bin assembly 10. In this embodiment the base 20 of the housing 12 includes an internal projection in the form of a dome 42 formed centrally of the base 20. The dome-shaped projection 42 effectively provides two functions, namely:

1 . the dome-shaped projection 42 provides additional support for the lowermost of the internal trays 16a which rests upon it;

2. the dome-shaped projection 42 provides a surface for worms to return to the lowermost tray 16a in the event they inadvertently fall through the perforated floor 34a of the lowermost tray 16a into the housing 12.

Figures 1 , 2 and 8 depict the lid 44 configured to removably fit to the housing 12 for closure of the tray opening 14 thereby forming the substantially sealed enclosure 13. The lid 44 of this example includes an upper slightly raised roof structure 46. The roof structure 46 includes a centrally-located and generally square-shaped cavity 48 having a ceiling element 50 with a series of ventilation apertures such as 52. The lid 44 as seen in figure 2 accommodates a handle 54 which fits within the cavity 48. As seen in figure 12, the lid 44 includes an inner perimeter lip 45 on its underside having a series of vertical ribs such as 41aconfigured to contact an upper perimeter rim of the housing 12. This contact between the ribs 41 a of the lid 44 and the housing 12 is effective in spacing the lid 44 from the housing 12 to provide a narrow ventilation gap 43. The ventilation gap 43 is sufficiently wide to permit “breathing” of the otherwise largely enclosed environment of the bin assembly 10 whilst preventing any possible ingress of insects or other vectors.

[0021 ] As best seen in figures 6 and 9, the collector reservoir 18 slidably fits to the base 20 of the housing 12. More particularly, the base 20 includes a pair of rail members such as 56a located either side of the drain opening 22 and designed to cooperate with opposing flange elements such as 57a of the collector reservoir 18. This arrangement facilitates fitting of the collector reservoir 18 to the base 20 of the housing 12 for retraction from the base 20 for emptying of liquid castings collected in the collector reservoir 18. The collector reservoir 18 includes a spout 60 located at its upper rim which assists in emptying liquid castings from said reservoir 18. [0022] As best seen in figures 3 and 9, the base 20 of the housing 12 is sloped downward in the general direction of the drain opening 22. This promotes flow of liquid castings entering the housing 12 to flow toward the drain opening 22 and thereafter into the underlying collector reservoir 18. The collector reservoir 18 is designed to seal about the base 20 of the housing 12 to prevent the ingress of vermin, insects, or other unwanted matter into the housing 12 via the drain opening 22. In this embodiment the collector reservoir 18 is constructed of a transparent or semi-transparent material providing visual indication of liquid castings collected in the collector reservoir 18.

[0023] As seen in figures 8 and 10, the lid 44 is designed to cooperate with one of the internal trays 16a to 16b in the course of harvesting composting matter, worm castings and other organic matter from the worm farm 10 of this embodiment. The lid 44 is designed to be inverted or turned upside down to provide support for one of the internal trays such as 16a on its removal from the housing 12. The underside of the lid 44 includes four (4) leg protrusions 58a to 58d located adjacent each of its corners and aligned with corresponding depressions in the form of pockets 59a to 59d within the floor such as 34a of the internal tray 16a. With the lid 44 inverted, distal ends of the legs such as 58a nest within aligned of the corresponding pockets such as 59a of the internal tray 16a to provide stable location of the tray 16a during harvesting of its organic matter.

[0024] As seen in figures 8 and 11 , the legs 58a to 58d are at their distal ends turned outwards forming hinge elements 61 a and 61 b for detachable latching with an upper perimeter rim of the housing 12. The paired legs 58a/d include the hinge elements 61a/d turned outward in the same direction and configured to act as hinge points for the lid 44 on the perimeter rim of the housing 12. This means the lid 44 can be tilted into a generally vertical disposition and hung from the housing 12 via the hinge elements such as 61 a/d to free a user’s hands when for instance adding new food or other organic waste to the uppermost tray 16b.

[0025] The vermicomposting bin assembly or worm farm 10 of this embodiment is of a demountable construction permitting removal of at least the legs 26a to 26d and collector reservoir 18 from the housing 12 for compact transportation of the worm farm 10 in its disassembled condition. The demountable worm farm 10 of this example is assembled with relative ease by:

1 . snap fitting of the legs 26a to 26d to respective of the leg mounting elements 24a to 24d; and

2. fitting of the collector reservoir 18 to the base 20 of the housing 12 by the sliding action described above.

[0026] Otherwise, the nested internal trays 16a and 16b are located or contained within the housing 12 and the lid 44 positioned across the tray opening 14 of the housing 12 thereby substantially enclosing the internal trays 16a/b. In operation, the worm farm 10 is filled with organic waste and composting worms for harvesting of solid compost from the lowermost of the internal trays such as 16a and worm castings and other liquid fertiliser from the collector reservoir 18. In a similar manner to the prior art, the internal trays such as 16a/b are periodically cycled or rotated through the housing 12 for semi-continuous processing of the organic waste. It will be understood that the worm farm 10 may be used in conjunction with other bedding material and appropriate conditioners which promote composting within the internal trays such as 16a/b.

[0027] Returning to figure 5, each of the working trays such as 16a includes an indicator line such as 45a on an inside of its perimeter wall 36a to denote a maximum fill level. This maximum fill level at line 45a is positioned wherein:

1 . There is adequate material in the lowermost tray 16a to contact the underside of the uppermost tray 16b for worms to be able to migrate easily between trays

16a/16b;

2. The lowermost tray 16a is not overfilled so that when the uppermost tray 16b is fitted it is over-elevated and the lid 44 will not close on the housing 12.

[0028] As seen in figure 1 , in the event the maximum fill level is exceeded, there is additional vertical space between the uppermost tray 16b and the lid 44 to still permit its closure on the housing 12. [0029] Although operation and use of the vermicomposting bin assembly or worm farm 10 of the preferred embodiment is essentially the same as the prior art, it is to be understood that substantial containment of the working or internal trays such as 16a/b within the housing 12 has at least the following benefits:

1 . the trays 16 a/b together being inside the housing 12 and the associated lid 44 are enclosed in the same ventilated environment whereby the moisture level of air is even throughout the substantially enclosed housing 12;

2. aesthetically the worm farm 10 is more attractive wherein the internal trays 16a/b are not visible but rather smooth continuous lines and profiles are provided by the housing 12 and lid 44;

3. the housing and lid with limited ventilation together provide improved insulation to the internal working trays from the effects of externally hotter or colder climates or environments.

[0030] In contrast to the vermicomposting bin assembly or worm farm 10 of this embodiment, the prior art has no or limited control over the moisture levels of air throughout the system and generally exhibit lower humidity levels in the upper working tray and can be extremely wet in the lower working tray(s) and/or the base container. This variation in moisture levels in conventional worm farms means that they are:

1 . less efficient in composting insofar as the temperature within the working trays is more difficult to regulate;

2. higher maintenance insofar as they require more frequent harvesting of either or both solid or liquid fertilisers to for example avoid the build up of unpleasant odours.

[0031] Now that a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described it will be understood that the vermicomposting bin assembly has at least the following advantages over the admitted prior art:

1. the vermicomposting bin assembly is cleaner and more efficient in its operation in composting organic waste; 2. the bin assembly may include a collector reservoir which provides in-situ collection of worm castings and other liquid fertiliser without the build up of unwanted odours;

3. the bin assembly is visually more attractive than existing worm farms and thus may be more acceptable in domestic application such as at homes and in apartments;

4. the vermicomposting bin assembly forms a substantially sealed enclosure which is effectively sealed with limited ventilation and thus less susceptible to invasion by insects and vermin.

[0032] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention described herein is susceptible to variations and modifications other than those specifically described.

For example, the internal trays and housing may vary in shape from the preferred embodiment provided the trays in their stacked configuration are contained within the housing. The collector reservoir may in a more traditional manner be replaced with a tap fitted to the drain opening. The feet need not be detachable and may be replaced with other leg mounting elements which appropriately support the bin assembly. All such variations and modifications are to be considered within the scope of the present invention the nature of which is to be determined from the foregoing description.

Claims

1 . A vermicomposting bin assembly comprising: a housing having a tray opening; a lid removably fitted to the housing for closure of the tray opening to form a substantially sealed enclosure; a plurality of internal trays stacked one upon the other and together contained within the sealed enclosure of the housing, each of said internal trays being removable from the housing via the tray opening.

2. A vermicomposting bin assembly as claimed in claim 1 also comprising a collector reservoir removably connected to a base of the housing and configured to cooperate with a drain opening in the base to in-situ collect liquid castings from the housing.

3. A vermicomposting bin assembly as claimed in claim 2 wherein the collector reservoir slidably fits to the base of the housing for retraction from said base for emptying of liquid castings collected in the collector reservoir.

4. A vermicomposting bin assembly as claimed in either of claims 2 or 3 wherein the collector reservoir seals about the base of the housing to prevent the ingress of vermin, insects, or other unwanted matter into the housing via the drain opening.

5. A vermicomposting bin assembly as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 4 wherein the base of the housing is sloped downward in the general direction of the drain opening.

6. A vermicomposting bin assembly as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 5 wherein the collector reservoir at least in part is constructed of a transparent or semitransparent material providing visual indication of liquid castings collected in the collector reservoir.

7. A vermicomposting bin assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the internal trays each include a basket of substantially identical construction and thus the trays are interchangeable for rotation within the sealed enclosure of the housing in the course of harvesting composted matter, worm castings and other organic matter from the bin assembly.

8. A vermicomposting bin assembly as claimed in claim 7 wherein the internal trays each include a rigid handle pivotally fitted to the basket and configured in a raised position to facilitate lifting of the tray from the housing.

9. A vermicomposting bin assembly as claimed in claim 8 wherein the rigid handle is one of a pair of rigid handles and the basket includes a pair of slots within which opposing ends of at least one of the pair of rigid handles pivots, the slots permitting sliding movement of said one or both handles of a lower tray in the event said handle is fouled by an adjacent and upper of the trays during its removal thereby releasing said fouled handle of the lower tray from the upper tray.

10. A vermicomposting bin assembly as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 9 wherein each of the trays includes an indent formed in the basket and arranged for finger engagement to assist with lifting of the internal tray from the housing.

11. A vermicomposting bin assembly as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 10 wherein the basket of each of the trays includes a perforated floor connected to a perimeter wall which at least in part is tapered to permit nesting of adjacent of the baskets at least partly within one another.

12. A vermicomposting bin assembly as claimed in claim 11 wherein the basket includes an outer perimeter flange connected to and surrounding an upper portion of the perimeter wall, said perimeter flange being shaped substantially complementary to and thus configured to fit internally of the housing.

13. A vermicomposting bin assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the lid includes one or more apertures for ventilation of the housing.

14. A vermicomposting bin assembly as claimed in claim 11 wherein the lid includes a plurality of leg protrusions configured on inversion of the lid and during harvesting of organic matter from one of the internal trays removed from the housing 15 to align with corresponding depressions in the floor of said one of the internal trays thereby supporting said tray during the harvesting of organic matter.

15. A vermicomposting bin assembly as claimed in claim 14 wherein at least one of the plurality of leg protrusions of the lid includes a hinge element for detachable latching of said lid with an upper perimeter rim of the housing whereby the lid is hung from the housing.

16. A vermicomposting bin assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the housing includes one or more leg mounting elements configured to provide detachable mounting for respective of one or more legs supporting the bin assembly.

17. A vermicomposting bin assembly as claimed in claim 16 (when it depends directly or indirectly on claim 2) wherein the leg mounting elements each form a shelf within the housing being configured to provide support for a lowermost of the internal trays which is thus separated from the base of the housing.

18. A vermicomposting bin assembly as claimed in claim 17 wherein the leg mounting elements adjacent the shelf each include one or more ventilation openings arranged to cooperate with respective of the legs to allow for ventilation of the sealed enclosure of the housing.

19. A vermicomposting bin assembly as claimed in either of claims 17 or 18 wherein the base of the housing includes an internal projection which provides additional support for the lowermost of the internal trays.

20. A vermicomposting bin assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said bin assembly is of a demountable construction.