TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a clutch for garbage disposal apparatus, and more particularly, to a clutch for garbage disposal apparatus, which can protect garbage disposal apparatus by interrupting motive power when foreign matters except garbage get stuck between crushing rolls during the crushing, and thus the crushing roll is stopped.

BACKGROUND ART

In general, most of garbage discharged from houses or restaurants contains lots of moisture, and thereby pollutes soil and rivers.

For example, general garbage and dregs must be discharged in the state where the garbage is dried without moisture according to the Garbage Disposal Act. However, since there is a problem in that it takes a long time to separate garbage and dry it into the state where there is no moisture, people still put garbage containing moisture into a garbage bag and discharge it. Therefore, there occur several problems in that we get to face an environment where flies swarm or bacteria such as molds multiply around the garbage bag in the summer with a heat wave, and moisture or water flown out from the garbage permeates through rivers or subterranean water, and thus causes environmental pollution.

Therefore, recently, a dehydrating device for removing moisture of garbage has been on the market. Moreover, garbage disposal apparatuses, which resolve garbage using microorganisms, stir the garbage, remove moisture by a heater, and removes bad smell caused by harmful gas generated from prior mentioned process using a deodorizing device having a plasma member, an ion member and a filter member, has been disclosed and used.

Furthermore, a garbage disposal apparatus connected to a sink, particularly an outlet of the sink, for crushing and dehydrating garbage discharged from a house or a restaurant has been disclosed. Such garbage disposal apparatus is generally mounted on the lower portion of the sink for gathering and disposing the garbage through the steps of filtering, crushing and dehydrating the garbage which is induced into a sewage pipe.

For example, Korean Utility Model Registration No. 209783 discloses a garbage disposal apparatus. In Korean Utility Model Registration No. 209783, the garbage disposal apparatus includes: a hopper mounted on the upper portion of a frame; a motor mounted on the outside of the hopper and having an eccentric cam; a crusher mounted on the lower portion of the hopper and rotated by motive power; a tapered screw shaft mounted on the lower portion of the crusher, having a twist piece and rotated by the motive power; a reducer mounted at a side of the screw shaft and having a discharge hole and an outlet; a filter and a basin mounted on the outside of the discharge hole; and a zymogen medicinal fluid case connected to a compression part of the reducer and the screw shaft and a part of the hopper.

However, such garbage disposal apparatus breaks down and is damaged easily. That is, the crusher stops rotating immediately when materials (i.e. a spoon, a dish cloth etc.) except garbage get stuck between crushing rolls during the crushing.

At this time, the motor connected to the crusher is overloaded, thereby causing many problems such as a breakdown of the motor as well as snapping of a belt as motive power transfer means. DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

Accordingly, the present invention has been made in vierw of the above problems occurring in the prior art, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a clutch for a garbage disposal apparatus, which is mounted on a garbage disposal apparatus installed on the lower portion of a sink for crushing and dehydrating garbage, and interrupts motive power when materials except garbage get stuck between crushing rolls, thereby preventing a breakdown of the garbage disposal apparatus.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a clutch for garbage disposal apparatus, which can previously prevent the garbage disposal apparatus from being overloaded and broken down, thereby reducing expenses and time for repairing the garbage disposal apparatus, and safely using the garbage disposal apparatus for a long time.

To achieve the above object, in one aspect, the present invention provides a clutch for garbage disposal apparatus which comprises: a housing having a hopper directly connected to an outlet of a sink; a crushing part mounted inside the housing, rotating on a rotary shaft and having a pair of crushing rolls for crushing garbage; a dehydrating part consisting of a screw shaft located beneath the crushing rolls for transferring the garbage and removing moisture by compressing the garbage; and an electrically operating part having a motor for actuating the crushing part and the dehydrating part, wherein the clutch comprises: a main plate mounted on the rotary shaft of the crushing roll, connected to the motor to rotate and having an inclined piece formed on the outer circumference; a movable plate being closely in contact with the main plate and having an inclined resilient piece formed at the corresponding position to the inclined piece of the main plate and holding jaws formed inside the inclined resilient piece; a slave plate located between the main plate and the movable plate and having holding protrusions formed on the wall surface thereof to be caught on the holding jaws; a fixed ring inserted to prevent rotation of the slave plate; a pin being closely in contact with the slave plate after passing through the movable plate and pressing the slave plate by fixmly tightening a fixing member fixed to the rotary shaft after passing through the movable plate and the slave plate; springs interposed between the main plate, the fixed ring, the movable plate and the fixing member, respectively for assembling them with its elasticity; and switching means disposed outside the movable plate for stopping the operation of the motor, wherein the inclined piece of the main plate forcedly pushes the incline resilient piece so as to move the movable plate outwardly when foreign matters except garbage gets stuck between the crushing rolls, whereby the switching means is actuated and the motor is stopped.

The spring comprises the first spring inserted between the main plate and the fixed ring, and the second spring interposed between the movable plate and the fixing member, wherein the first spring is a plate spring and the second spring is a plate spring or a coil spring.

The presentive clutch can control spring pressure pressing the main plate by tightening strength of the pin.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a garbage disposal apparatus having a clutch according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially sectional view of the garbage disposal apparatus having the clutch.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing the state where the clutch of the present invention is mounted.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the clutch according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the clutch.

FIG. 6 is a partially sectional view of the clutch.

FIG. 7a is a sectional view showing the state before the inclined resilient piece 531 of the movable plate ascends above the inclined piece 511 of the main plate 510.

FIG. 7b is a sectional view showing the state where the inclined resilient piece 531 of the movable plate is in contact with the switching means after the inclined resilient piece 531 of the movable plate ascends above the inclined piece 511 of the main plate 510.

<Explanation of essential reference numerals in drawings> 10: garbage disposal apparatus 100: housing 101: hopper 110: front plate 120: flow channel 200: crushing part 210, 220: crushing roll 230, 240: scraper 300: dehydrating part 310: screw shaft 320: filtering member 400: electrically operating part 410: motor 500: clutch 510: main plate 520: slave plate 530: movable plate

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTIONT Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a garbage disposal apparatus having a clutch according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a partially sectional view of the garbage disposal apparatus having the clutch, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing the state where the clutch of the present invention is mounted.

Furthermore, FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the clutch according to the present invention, FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the inventive clutch, and FIG. 6 is a partially sectional view of the inventive clutch.

The garbage disposal apparatus 10 according to the present invention includes a housing 100 having a hopper 101 communicating with an outlet 2 located at a side or the center of a sink bawl of a sink 1, a crushing part 200 for crushing garbage and dregs flowed into the hopper 101, a dehydrating part 300 for moving the garbage crushed by the crushing part 200 and removing moisture of the garbage by compressing it, and an electrically operating part 400 for operating the crushing part 200 and the dehydrating part 300, in which a clutch 500 according to the present invention is mounted between the crushing part 200 and the electrically operating part 400 for interrupting motive power of the electrically operating part 400 when materials except garbage get stuck the crushing part 200.

It is preferable that the clutch 500 is connected to the crushing part 200 as shown in the drawings, but according to circumstances, it would be appreciated that the clutch 500 may be connected to a screw shaft 310 of the dehydrating part 300.

First, the garbage disposal apparatus will be described prior to the clutch. The hopper 101 communicating to an inner installing space 102 is mounted on the upper portion of the housing, and connected to the outlet 2 of the sink 1. In the installing space 102, that is, the space located at the upper portion of the housing 100, a pair of crushing rolls 210 and 220 rotating on a rotary shaft 201 connected to the electrically operating part 400 are mounted, and the dehydrating part 300 located beneath the crushing rolls 210 and 220 is also mounted.

In the lower portion of the installing space 102, moisture of the garbage is gathered in a gathering part 122 through a flow channel 120, and the flow channel 120 is communicated with a discharge pipe 130.

In other words, a front plate 110 is mounted on the front surface of the housing 100, and the discharge pipe 130 is assembled to the front portion of the front plate 110. A moisture outlet 112 communicating with the flow channel 120 is formed at the position where the discharge pipe 130 is assembled to the front plate 110, so that the moisture gathered in the discharge pipe 130 during dehydration flows into the flow channel 120 through the moisture outlet 112.

Here, the discharge pipe has a locking jaw 131 formed on an end portion thereof, and the locking jaw 131 is forcedly fitted to the front plate 110, and if necessary, it is fitted to the front plate 110 by packing or welding so as to prevent water leakage.

The crushing part 200 according to the present invention includes a pair of crushing rolls 210 and 220, and scrapers 230 and 240 for preventing adhesion of the garbage on the crushing rolls by scraping the crushing rolls 210 and 220. The crushing rolls 210 and 220 are connected to the electrically operating part 400, respectively and rotated.

The electrically operating part 400 comprises a motor 410, a chain 430 and a sprocket 420 as electromotive means, namely a driving device. In the state where the sprocket 420 is mounted on the rotary shaft 201, the sprocket 420 mounted on a driving shaft 411 is connected to the sprocket 420 mounted on the rotary shaft 201 via the chain 430 so as to transfer turning power of the motor. A pair of the sprockets is mounted on the driving shaft 411, wherein one of the sprockets is connected to a rotary shaft of the crushing part 200 and the other is connected to the screw shaft 310 of the dehydrating part 300 so as to transfer motive power to the crusher 200 and the screw shaft 310.

Meanwhile, the rotary shaft of one of the crushing rolls 210 and 220 of the crushing part 200 is directly connected to the electrically operating part 400, and the rotary shaft of the other crushing roll receives motive power from the above main rotary shaft in a gearing manner. At this time, the crushing rolls 210 and 220 have teeth of different numbers from each other, so that the crushing rolls 210 and 220 are rotated at different rotational speeds.

Moreover, the scrapers 230 and 240 is mounted on the housing and having scraping plates 231 and 241 fitted between the crushing blades 211 and 221 of the crushing rolls 210 and 220 for separating the garbage adheared on the crushing rolls 210 and 220. It is preferable that the scraping plates 231 and 241 are precisely finished so as to be closely fitted to the space between the crushing blades 211 and 221.

The dehydrating part 300 comprises a screw shaft 310 and a filtering member, namely filter 320, mounted inside the installing space 102 and the discharge pipe 130. The housing 100 further includes a garbage can 3 disposed therein for gathering the dehydrated garbage.

The screw shaft 310 is injection-molded with metal or synthetic resin material, and has an inclined part 312 formed on the front part thereof and a spiral screw 311 formed on the outer circumference thereof. An end of the inclined part 312 of the screw shaft 310 protrudes to the outside, and the other end of the screw shaft 310 is fitted into a bearing 301, which is mounted on the housing 100, and connected to the electrically operating part 400. The pitch of the screw 311 is gradually narrowed toward the front portion, so that the garbage is compressed by the interval of pitch as it is moved forward.

The clutch 500 according to the present invention comprises: a main plate 510 and a slave plate 520 forcedly fitted to the rotary shaft 201 of the crushing part 200; a fixed ring 540a for preventing rotation of the slave plate 520; a movable plate 530; springs 540 and 541 interposed between the main plate 510 the slave plate 520, the fixed ring 540a and the movable plate 530 for elastically mounting the main plate 510, the slave plate 520 and the movable plate 530 by its elastic force; and a fixing member 550 and a pin 560 passing through the main plate 510, the slave plate 520, the fixed ring 540a, the movable plate 530 and the springs 540 and 541 and assembled to the rotary shaft 201.

The main plate 510 has an inclined piece 511 formed on the outer circumference thereof, and the inclined piece 511 may be formed integrally with the main plate 510 or attached after prepared separately .

The slave plate 520 is to rotate the movable plate 530, and has a number of holding protrusions 521 formed on the edge portion thereof.

The movable plate 530 moves in the outward direction along the inclined piece 511 when the rotary shaft 201, namely the crushing part 200, is stopped, so as to stop rotation of a motor 410 according to a signal of switching means 570, for example, a micro switch. The movable plate 530 comprises inclined resilient pieces 531 formed on the inner surface thereof in the same radius of rotation as the inclined piece 511, and holding jaws 532 formed inside the inclined resilient pieces 531, in other words, in the same radius of rotation as the holding protrusions 521 of the slave plate 520.

In a pair of the springs 540 and 541, the first spring 540 provides high pressure and is located between the main plate 510 and the fixed ring 540a, and the second spring 541 provides low pressure and located on the outer circumference of the movable plate 530, so that the fixing member 550 and the movable plate 530 are elastically mounted by forcedly pushing the fixing member 550 and the movable plate 530 by the elasticity of the springs, and thereby, the fixing member 550 and the movable plate 530 can be rotated at the same time when the rotary shaft is rotated. For the springs, a plate spring or a coil spring may be used, but it is preferable to use a plate spring for the first spring 540 to provide the high pressure. However, for the second spring 541, any one of the plate spring and the coil spring can be used.

An end of the fixing member 550 is closely in contact with the slave plate 520 after passing through the center of the movable plate 530, and pushes the slave plate 520 and the fixed ring 540a when the pin 560 is assembled, so that the elasticity of the first spring 540 is maintained. Meanwhile, switching means 570 is mounted on the outer surface of the movable plate 530.

In the operation of the clutch according to the present invention having the above structure, when the crushing part 200 is stopped, the switching means 570 is actuated to stop the motor 410. Referring to FIGS. 7a and 7b, the operation of the clutch will be described as follows. Here, FIG. 7a is a sectional view showing the state before the inclined resilient piece 531 of the movable plate ascends above the inclined piece 511 of the main plate 510, and FIG. 7b is a sectional view showing the state where the inclined resilient piece 531 of the movable plate is in contact with the switching means after the inclined resilient piece 531 of the movable plate ascends above the inclined piece 511 of the main plate 510.

First, when the garbage is induced into the garbage disposal apparatus through the hopper 101, the motor 410 of the electrically operating part 400 is driven by manual manipulation or a sensor. When the motor is driven, the garbage is crushed by the crushing blades 211 and 221 while passing through the crushing rolls 210 and 220, and the crushed garbage drops down to a lower space 103 of the housing.

Furthermore, the screw shaft 310 transfers the garbage rotating, and at this time, the garbage is compressed and dehydrated between the screw 311 and the filter 320 by the screw 311 having gradually narrowed pitches, and then, discharged to the outside.

During the above process, when foreign matters except the garbage get stuck between the crushing rolls 210 and 220, the crushing roll 210 and 220 stops the rotation, but the sprocket 420 connected to the motor is continuously rotated.

In other words, the main plate 510 fixed to the rotary shaft by the pressure of the plate spring 540 transfers the motive power of the motor when garbage with less strength than the pressure is induced into the garbage disposal apparatus, but rotates idly on the rotary shaft when foreign matters with more strength than the pressure (i.e. a spoon, a dish cloth etc.) except the garbage, get stuck between the crushing rolls and the crushing roll 210 is stopped. In this case, the main plate 510 is continuously rotated, but the slave plate 520 which is pressed by the fixed ring fixed by a key recess 201a and a key of the rotary shaft 201 is automatically stopped. When the holding protrusions 521 of the slave plate and the holding jaws 532 of the movable plate 530 rotating by the inclined piece 511 meet, also the movable plate 530 is stopped. Then, the inclined piece 511 of the rotating main plate 510 meets the inclined resilient piece 531 of the stopped movable plate 530, and the inclined resilient piece 531 ascends above the inclined piece 511, whereby, the movable plate is moved and the switching means 570 is actuated so as to stop the motor. The rotary shaft 201 has a stepped portion for fitting and fixing the main plate, the slave plate and the movable plate. When the movable plate fixed to the holding jaws 532 and the holding protrusions 521 is ascended, the position of the holding jaws 532 and the holding protrusions 521 is lower than that of the inclined piece 511 and the inclined resilient piece 531, so that the holding jaws 532 go over the holding protrusions 521 by the movable plate receiving rotational power by the inclined piece 511 of the main plate, and then the movable plate returns to the original position.

While the present invention has been described with reference to the particular illustrative embodiments, it is not to be restricted by the embodiments but only by the appended claims. It is to be appreciated that those skilled in the art can change or modify the embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.

INDUSTRIALAPPLICABILITY

As described above, the present invention provides an effective clutch for garbage disposal apparatus, which is mounted on the lower portion of a sink for crushing and dehydrating garbage, wherein the motor is stopped by moving the movable plate outwardly to actuate the switching means when materials except garbage get stuck between the crushing rolls, thereby preventing a breakdown of the garbage disposal apparatus due to overload and reducing expenses and time for repairing the garbage disposal apparatus. Also, the present invention provides an advantage of dumping garbage directly into a crusher, while garbage is dumped into the crusher after being filtered due to the problem that foreign matters except garbage get stuck in the crusher in the traditional garbage disposal apparatus.