FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for effectively treating the refuse normally collected on a daily basis by means of trucks for the purpose of its decontamination by putting the refuse contained inside the truck in contact with ozone generated on site with ad-hoc equipment mounted on said truck.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] The importance of domestic refuse treatment in the city, the speedy and proper refuse processing, andthe effects produced over the civil population when these measures fail are very well known. Plenty of journalistic news exist throughout the world which attest to the consequences over a big metropolis when the truckers union of a city goes on strike and does not collect the domestic refuse for several days. Any sort of plague and contagious diseases may quickly spread that shows the significance of refuse collection. [0003] As is also known, refuse is collected with trucks specially built for such purposes, which usually comprise a compressor to compact the collected refuse for the purpose of optimizing the collection thereof. Each truck usually has a driver and two workmen who deliver into the truck garbage bags left by people in the street, and sometimes, when a lot of bags accumulate, they set in motion a compactor which exerts pressure over and compact the refuse to continue collecting bags. [0004] These operators are in contact with said refuse and although some preventive measures are taken, such as the requirement to use proper gloves and shoes, nothing is done on the refuse itself, which produces a disgusting smell and the actual chance for the operators to become infected with bacteria typically present in refuse. [0005] In fact, the truck itself issues a disgusting smell that during the summer season becomes unbearable to any person who is near the truck. [0006] One of the purposes of the present invention precisely consists in the treatment of said refuse during collection in the truck so as to eliminate a great amount of bacteria which generate said smells and said potentially hazardous situations to the health of the operators. [0007] Several precedents exist of devices for refuse decontamination with ozone. An example thereof is given by the United States Patent No. 6,120,822 of Adrian Denvir et. al, wherein an apparatus and means for agricultural product decontamination by reacting the microorganisms and toxins present therein with ozone while making a rational and responsible use of the ozone once generated is provided. [0008] The United States Patent No. 6,279,589 of Mark Goodley refers to a container, decontaminator and cleaning apparatus utilizing ozone, and describes an apparatus supported by wheels used for its transportation to the place where, for instance, big vehicles such as trucks, airplanes, etc., are located and decontaminated by said apparatus by means of self-generated ozone. This provides an agile and movable means capable of being transported to the place where the ozone is to be applied. [0009] A further example is given by the United States Patent No. 6,287,465 of Ishihawajima- Harima et. al., which describes an ozone deodorizer useful to decontaminate sewage by applying ozone to the container thereof and removing the contamination of the gas generated by such water by using ozone. [0010] A particular case of the prior art for the present invention refers to the refuse receptacle described in the United States Patent No. 6,325,113 of Jon L. Roberts, who describes a refuse receptacle which applies an ultraviolet light and, as accessory, ozone, to kill bacteria and contaminating elements usually present in refuse, such as human disease carrier microorganisms. Although the ultraviolet light is highly efficient for bacterial decontamination, it is defective in that the ultraviolet light acts only over the places to which it is applied, and in the case of refuse contained inside a compactor box, refuse remaining beyond the reach of said light does not receive treatment, thus highly decreasing treatment efficiency. Moreover, the ultraviolet light fails to eliminate refuse smell. [0011] Another known means is that called "chemical method", consisting of the use of sodium hypochlorite which decontaminates refuse but has a difficulty in that it is not easy for the liquid to contact the refuse contained in the compactor box in whole, as well as that it may become hazardously combined with some elements generally present in refuse, thereby generating toxic gases, for instance, upon getting in contact with detergent agents. [0012] From the cited background, it is evident that the idea of applying ozone to sterilize refuse is already known, but none of such applications refer to the importance of treating refuse inside the truck transporting the same throughout the city, releasing bacteria and contaminating agents into the air as it circulates for collection purposes. Thus, there exists the need to have a means to sterilize refuse during its collection and while in circulation throughout big city streets where millions of people live. At present, these trucks are an actual receptacle of millions of bacteria and contaminating agents, spread into the air while the truck transits the streets. In fact, any person who has accidentally stepped near a refuse truck might have easily become aware of what is herein mentioned. The fact of being able to easily perceive the disgusting smell coming from the truck implies that it is spreading at that same moment bacteria and toxins which generate smell. Thus the need to remove said hazard of spreading bacteria and agents in the cities by applying the invention herein described.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0013] The present invention refers to a device and method having an ecological integral means of bacteriologic and deodorizing decontamination by utilizing ozone as active agent. In the foregoing case, the use of ozone is not limited to the removal of disgusting smell but also to the actual destruction of the bacteria and microorganisms producing it. As mentioned above, the ozone has a decontamination effect upon immediate destruction of bacteria. In very few minutes it destroys such bacteria which generate, among other things, the disgusting smell of refuse, and also a couple of seconds later, basically due to its chemical instability, it becomes molecular oxygen (O2) again. [0014] The equipment proposed herein includes independent equipment of ozone generation, which provides the proper doses for decontamination and deodorization, ensuring the destruction of all types of bacteria, fungus or virus present in urban solid waste. [0015] The most important advantage incorporated by the present invention is the removal of the bacterial flora present in solid urban waste, and at the same time eliminates any possibility of pathogen agents propagation in the air by diffusion of the bacteria to the environment and through the liquid leached from the organic friction of the refuse. Cited as an example is the Antivirus, capable of being transmitted to domestic refuse by rodents through their urine. In these cases, the simple inhalation of the gases coming from the contaminated refuse may be a cause of contagion of the disease and eventually also death.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS [0016] Figure 1 is a front view of the compactor box of the refuse truck incorporating the equipment of the present invention. [0017] Figure 2 is a schematic view depicting the stages of ozone generation and its incorporation into the truck's refuse receptacle. [0018] Figure 3 is another schematic view depicting the electrical generation of the set herein described. [0019] Figure 4 illustrates the ozone diffuser position within the refuse truck's compactor box.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [0020] The equipment described, denoted by the general reference I5 comprises an ozone generator which takes the oxygen from the environment and converts it into ozone, at a ratio of approximately 30%. At the generator's outlet, a gas consisting of a mixture of air and ozone is produced. The equipment is composed ofthree parts (see Figure 2); a tension transformer 10, which converts the incoming 220V-50Hz into 2,400V-50Hz, a reactor 20 with an environmental air inlet 21 and an outlet to the pump 22, where the conversion reaction takes place from O2 to O3, and a pump 30 to force the air into the truck. Said equipment is mounted within the compactor box of the refuse collector truck, welded to the lower base of the truck's box and therefrom a hose 23 to transport the ozone, externally covered by a galvanized tube of 23 inches in diameter, raises parallel to the side stud up to ceiling of the compactor box. Upon reaching the truck's box ceiling, the tube 23 takes a curve to remain parallel to the ceiling at a distance of 2cm thereover up to the center of the compactor box, wherefrom it enters the box through a gas diffuser 24. [0021] Once inside the compactor box, the ozone spreads homogeneously throughout the whole volume, according to the laws of gas concentration, going from the sites of most concentration to those of less concentration, attaining a dynamic permanent balance. [0022] Due to its oxidizing power, the ozone is consumed during the oxidation process of the organic material, turning into molecular oxygen (O2) again. During this oxidation process, refuse is decontaminated and the disgusting smell thereof is removed. [0023] This equipment, mounted on a refuse truck, does not imply any type of requirement thereto either from the mechanical or from the electrical point of view. It is a light equipment, easy-to-install anywhere in the truck's chassis and the electrical power it needs to function may be extracted from the battery without causing any functional electrical problem since the elecLrical requirement is very low. [0024] The application of this equipment makes it possible to define a refuse treatment method, for the purpose of its deodorization and decontamination comprising the steps of: Installing an ozone generating equipment in the chassis of a refuse collector track; Installing a hose to connect the ozone generator outlet with the interior of the refuse compactor box of such refuse truck on the upper end thereof; As the refuse bags are delivered into the interior of the box, releasing a mixture of ozone gas and air which gets in contact with said refuse through the hose mentioned; and Allowing the uniform contact of said ozone gas with the refuse in order to allow the development of the oxidation process to permit the elimination of bacteria, toxins and microorganisms present in refuse. [0025] In view of the foregoing, it is clear that by applying the method and equipment herein described a problem so far completely left unattended may be solved.