Title: FOOD WASTE DISPOSAL EQUIPMENT

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a food waste disposal equipment, and in particular to a food waste disposal equipment which makes it possible to more easily dispose food wastes in such a manner that food waste is first stored in a storing body, and bacteria and water are eliminated using a sterilization and dehydration unit and are second stored in a waste bag for thereby easily eliminating bad smell and polluted water from food waste. In addition, it is possible to more easily and automatically tie an opening of a waste bag by using a bending member.

Background Art

A lot of food wastes such as long-time stored foods or leftover are generally produced everyday from each restaurant and home.

The food waste is frequently used as feed stuff for livestock. In recent years, such food wastes are disposed in a meter-rated waste bag. For disposing food wastes, it is needed to store food wastes in a waste bag after substantially eliminating water from the food waste in order to minimize the volume of food wastes.

Various apparatuses capable of eliminating water from food wastes are developed in order to minimize the volume of food waste. Such apparatuses are basically designed to eliminate water by compressing food wastes using a compressor and to vaporize remaining water using heat, by means of which the volume of food waste can be minimized.

However, such apparatuses are simply configured to discharge food waste after substantially eliminating water by compressing and heating the same, and the discharged food wastes are finally stored into a waste bag, which causes many inconveniences. To make matters worse, bad smells are produced due to long time storage.

Since water and bad smell might reside even a little bit owing to their natural characteristics, it is not easy tie an opening of a waste bag due to disgusting smell.

Disclosure of Invention

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a food waste disposal equipment which overcomes the problems encountered in a conventional art.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a food waste disposal equipment which makes it possible to more easily dispose food waste in such a manner that food waste is first stored in a storing body, and bacteria and water are eliminated using a sterilization and dehydration unit and are second stored in a waste bag for thereby easily eliminating bad smell and polluted water from food waste. In addition, it is possible to more easily and automatically tie an opening of a waste bag by using a bending member.

To achieve the above objects, there is provided a food waste disposal equipment which comprises a body in which a cover is installed in its upper side, and an opening and closing door is installed in its lower side; a storing member which is installed in the interior of the body and includes a storing space for first storing food waste, with an openable blocking plate being installed at a lower

side of the storing member; a sterilization and dehydration unit which is installed in a lower surface of the cover for thereby sterilizing and dehydrating the food wastes stored in the interior of the storing member; a waste bag for second storing the food waste which falls down from the storing member as the lower side of the storing member gets communicated with the opening of the waste bag, and the blocking plate is opened; a supporting member which is installed in the interior of the body and is supported by means of the rims in the side of the opening of the waste bag so that the opening of the waste bag is connected with a tower side of the storing member; a bending member which is installed in the interior of the body and ties and seals the opening of the waste bag which stores food wastes therein; and a controller which is installed on the body and controls the operations of the sterilization and dehydration unit and the bending member, respectively.

The sterilization and dehydration unit is formed of a plurality of flashing ultraviolet lamps.

The supporting member is formed of a plurality of holding tongs which hold the surrounding rims of the opening of the waste bag.

The bending member includes a tying body for tying the waste bag by controlling the wire wound therein, and a guide which is discharged from the tying body and guides the wire as it is installed surrounding an outer side of the opening of the waste bag.

A moving plate is installed in an inner lower side of the body and slides outwardly when the opening and closing door opens.

Effects

First, the food waste disposal equipment according to the present invention makes it possible to more easily dispose food wastes in such a manner that food wastes are first stored in a storing body, and bacteria and water are eliminated using a sterilization and dehydration unit and are second stored in a waste bag for thereby easily eliminating bad smell and polluted water from food waste.

Second, it is possible to more easily and automatically tie an opening of a waste bag by using a bending member.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The present invention will become better understood with reference to the accompanying drawings which are given only by way of illustration and thus are not limitative of the present invention, wherein;

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating a food waste disposal equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a partially cut-away perspective view illustrating a food waste disposal equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view illustrating a food waste disposal equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention; and Figures 4A through 4E are views illustrating the uses of a food waste disposal equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating a food waste disposal equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a

partially cut-away perspective view illustrating a food waste disposal equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is a cross sectional view illustrating a food waste disposal equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figures 4A through 4E are views illustrating the uses of a food waste disposal equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The food waste disposal equipment 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention

The food waste disposal equipment 1 comprises a body 10 in which a cover 11 is installed in its upper side, and an opening and closing door 12 is installed in its lower side; a storing member 20 which is installed in the interior of the body 10 and includes a storing space 21 for first storing food waste, with an openable blocking plate 22 being installed at a lower side of the storing member; a sterilization and dehydration unit 30 which is installed in a lower surface of the cover 11 for thereby sterilizing and dehydrating the food wastes stored in the interior of the storing member 20; a waste bag 40 for second storing the food waste which falls down from the storing member 20 as the lower side of the storing member 20 gets communicated with the opening of the waste bag, and the blocking plate 22 is opened; a supporting member 50 which is installed in the interior of the body 10 and is supported by means of the rims in the side of the opening of the waste bag 40 so that the opening of the waste bag 40 is connected with a lower side of the storing member 20; a bending unit 60 which is installed in the interior of the body 10 and ties and seals the opening of the waste bag 40 which stores food wastes therein; and a controller 70 which is installed on the body 10 and controls the operations of the sterilization and

dehydration unit 30 and the bending unit 60, respectively.

The cover 11, which is opened and closed in upward and downward directions, is installed on an upper side of the body 10. The opening and closing door 12, which is opened and closed in leftward and rightward directions, is installed in a lower side of the body 10. Some elements, which will be described later, are installed in the inner and outer sides of the body 10.

The body 10 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape with a certain length extended in upward and downward directions, whose inner and outer sides might be made of various materials and might be formed in various shapes.

The cover 11 is configured to selectively open and close, through which a food waste 100 can be inputted into a storing member 20, with a sterilization and dehydration unit, which will be described later, being equipped therein. The cover 11 can be rotatably opened and closed with the helps of a structure hinged to the body 10. A knob 15 is installed on an upper side of the cover 11, so a user can open and close the cover 11 by grabbing the same.

The opening and closing door 12 is configured to support a waste bog 40 to a supporting member 50 and to discharge the waste bag 40 whose opening is tied by means of a bending member which will be described later. The opening and closing door 12 is rotatably installed with the helps of a structure hinged to the body 10 like the cover 11. A knob 15 is installed on a front side of the same for grabbing by a user.

A moving plate 13 is installed in an inner lower side of the body 10 and slides outwardly when the opening and closing door 12 installed in the body 10 opens. The moving plate 13 allows a user to easily discharge the waste bag 40

whose opening is tied.

It is preferred that a guide rail 14 is installed at both sides of an inner lower side of the body 10 so that the moving plate 13 slides. Wheels might be installed at a lower side of the same except for the discharging method which uses the guide rail 14.

A storing member 20 having a storing space 21 is fixed in the interior of the body 10 in which the moving plate 13 is installed. The storing member 20 is used for first storing the food waste 100, with a blocking plate 22 being opened and closed and installed in a lower side of the storing member 20. The storing member 20 is formed in a conical shape with its upper and lower sides being open, and the width of the same getting narrower from the upper side to the lower side. An end of the blocking plate 22 is protruded and comes into and comes out from an outer side of the body 10 for thereby closing or opening the lower side of the storing member 20 as it comes into and out. A through hole 22a, which communicates with a lower side of the storing member 20 when the blocking member 22 comes out, is formed in one side of the blocking plate 22. When the end of the blocking plate 2 comes out, the through hole 22a communicates with the lower side of the storing member 20, so the food waste 100 stored in the storing member 20 falls down into the waste bag 40. A knob 15 is installed in an end of the blocking plate 22 for helping a discharge.

The blocking plate 22 might be installed so that it can operate manually like in the earlier embodiment of the present invention, but might be installed along with a driving motor(not shown), so that the blocking plate 22 can automatically come in and out. In this case, the operation of the blocking plate

22 is controlled by means of a controller 70 which will be described later.

A sterilization and dehydration unit 30 is installed in a lower surface of the cover 11 for sterilizing and dehydrating the food waste 100 which is first stored in the storing space 21 of the storing member 20. The sterilization and dehydration unit 30 is formed of a plurality of flashing ultraviolet ray lamps whose operations are controlled by a controller 70, which will be described later, electrically connected using an electric cable(not shown).

The electric power used for flashing the sterilization and dehydration unit 30 is supplied by means of a plug cable(not shown) electrically connected with the controller 70 by means of an electric cable(not shown) and extended from the body 10, with the plug cable being connected with an external power source.

The electric power is supplied to the bending unit 60(which will be described later) as well. A ventilation fan(not shown) might be further installed in one side of the body 10 having the storing member 20 for ventilating the smells of the food waste 100 which is to be sterilized and dehydrated by means of the sterilization and dehydration unit 30.

A waste bag 40 is supported in the interior of the body 10 having the storing member 20. The opening of the waste bag 40 is connected with a lower side of the storing member 20 for second storing the food waste 100 as the food waste 100 falls down from the storing member 20 when the blocking plate 22 is opened.

The waste bag 40 is a conventional meter-rated bag which is designed to store the food waste 100. In another example of the present invention, the food

waste 100 can be stored in another waste bag and then can be moved into the meter-rated waste bag 40.

The waste bag 40 is supported by means of a plurality of supporting members 50 installed in the interior of the body 10 with the rim sides of the waste bag 40 being held. The opening of the waste bag 40 is connected with the lower side of the storing member 20. The supporting member 50 has one end fixed in the interior of the body 10, and the other end equipped with a fixing tongs held at the rims of the opening of the waste bag 40.

The supporting member 50 is stably fixed to an inner side of the body 10 for thereby reliably storing the food waste 100 which falls down from the storing member 20 as an opening of the waste bag 40 is connected with a lower side of the storing member 20. It is preferred that the supporting member 50 is equipped with a certain member for adjusting its length depending on the standard of the waste bag 40. A bending member 60 is installed in the interior of the body 10 in which the supporting member 50 is installed. The bending member 60 is configured to tie and seal the opening of the waste bag 40 as the food waste 100 has stopped falling down from the storing member 20.

The bending member 60 is fixed on one side wall of the interior of the body 10 where the opening of the waste bag 50 is positioned. The bending member 60 includes a tying body 61 for tying the waste bag 40 by controlling a wire 63 wound therein, and a guide 62 which is installed surrounding an outer side of the opening of the waste bag 40 and guides a wire 63 unwound from the tying body 61. The tying body 61 includes a reel(not shown) on which the wire 63 is

wound, a control unit for controlling a feeding work of the wire 63, and a thermal melting unit for thermally melting the wire 63 which has tied the opening of the waste bag 40.

Here the guide 62 guide the feeding of the wire 63 which is outputted from the tying body 61 and ties the opening of the waste bag 40.

The bending member 60 is the same as a conventional bending member 60. So the detailed construction of the same will be omitted for a simplified description. A certain tying apparatus might be used, which uses an ultrasonic wave or a certain tie. A controller 70 is installed in an outer side of the body 10 in which the bending member 60 is installed. The controller 70 controls the operations of the sterilization and dehydration unit 30 and the bending member 60.

The controller 70 is electrically connected with the sterilization and dehydration unit 30 and the bending member 60 through an electric cable(not shown). An electric power is supplied to the controller 70 by means of a plug cable(not shown) connected with an external power source. The controller 70 controls the temperature and time of the sterilization and dehydration unit 30 and the bending member 60, respectively.

The operations of the food waste disposal equipment 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

A user opens the opening and closing door 12 and widens the fixing tongs of the supporting member 50 for thereby stably holding the rims of the opening of the waste bag 40. The opening of the waste bag 40 is positioned in the interior of the guide 62 of the bending member 60 and is connected with a lower side of the storing member 20.

The cover 11 is opened, and a waste food 100 to be disposed is poured into the storing member 20. It is needed to check whether the blocking plate 22 is inwardly placed before pouring the food wastes.

After the above works are finished, the cover 11 is sealed, and the sterilization and dehydration unit 30 is flashed by operating the controller 70, so the food waste 100 is sterilized and dehydrated.

When the sterilization and dehydration procedures are finished, the blocking plate 22 is ejected outwardly, and the lower side of the storing member

20 and the through hole 22a of the blocking plate 22 are allowed to communicate with each other, so that the food waste 100 stored in the interior of the storing member 20 falls down into the waste bag.

When the food waste 100 is all stored in the waste bag 40, the user ties the opening of the waste bag 40 using the wire 63 by operating the controller 70.

The user opens the opening and closing door 12 and widens the fixing tongs of the supporting member 50 and places the waste bag on the moving plate 13 and then the user ejects the waste bag 40 by sliding the moving plate 13 toward the outside.

As the present invention may be embodied in several forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof, it should also be understood that the above-described examples are not limited by any of the details of the foregoing description, unless otherwise specified, but rather should be construed broadly within its spirit and scope as defined in the appended claims, and therefore all changes and modifications that fall within the meets and bounds of the claims, or equivalences of such meets and bounds are therefore intended to be embraced by the appended claims.