The present invention relates to a household appliance for the treatment and disposal of household waste. In particular, the present invention relates to a household appliance capable of shredding and disposing of organic waste and, at the same time, compacting non- organic waste.

The problem of urban waste management has been known for decades and there seems not to be a solution. Just think that, currently, around four billion tons of waste are produced in the world every year, half of which is urban waste (source: the latest report of the International Solid Waste Association). This creates obvious problems of landfill saturation and especially environmental contamination, with negative consequences for human health. Furthermore, according to the World Bank, the disposal of urban waste currently costs communities around 205 billion dollars each year. The World Bank estimates that this cost is set to double within ten years.

To overcome these significant problems, local, national and international policies have increasingly pushed towards separate waste collection, enabling waste materials to be reused, in an attempt to reduce their effects on human health and their impact on the environment.

Generally, solid urban waste is divided into the following categories: organic (also called humid waste), glass, paper, plastic, metal and undifferentiated waste. These categories may vary from country to country and between local administrative areas.

Normally, glass, paper, plastic and metal are conveyed recycling depots where they are processed and recycled. Organic waste, on the other hand, since it is subject to rapid decay, cannot be recycled. Indeed, waste management times are not sufficiently short to avoid hazards from the hygiene- sanitary point of view, or the emanation of bad smells, not to mention the problems that percolating organic residues could cause to water tables. Humid waste is therefore incinerated or dumped in landfill sites, with serious consequences from the point of view of emissions of polluting gases. To overcome this problem, numerous biological treatments have been developed in recent years for the disposal of organic waste. Using these treatments, biogas and/or compost can be recovered. They are extremely long processes, however, with a duration that can vary from around two months to nine months. Furthermore, these procedures release large quantities of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, with negative repercussions for human health.

Normally, household waste is collected door to door or by means of collection bins, and are then transported, by suitable means of transport, to recycling or treatment centres. Therefore, in addition to the aforementioned problems, we need to add the cost of waste transportation, both in economic terms and in terms of pollution.

Although Governors have shown great commitment, introducing specific policies involving strict standards, in addition to incentives aimed at encouraging the development of new waste disposal technologies, the problem seems not to have a solution.

The Applicant has therefore thought it necessary to look for solutions upstream of the process, in other words to treat urban waste and/or assist with the disposal of urban waste where it is produced, i.e. in a domestic environment.

At the moment, however, this is complicated for several reasons. In the first place, homes are increasingly smaller in size, meaning that the differentiated collection of waste at home is problematic. Indeed, differentiated waste collection involves placing a bin for collecting each type of waste (humid, paper, plastic, glass, metal, special waste), in an easily accessible position in the home, thereby requiring a considerable amount of dedicated space. Furthermore, the bins used, particularly the bins intended for the collection of organic waste, release bad smells, causing obvious problems. In addition, because of this, the user is obliged to dispose of the waste quickly, requiring the use of bags for the waste and an outlay for the user in terms of time and energy.

Based on these considerations, there clearly emerges a need to provide a household appliance for the treatment and disposal of waste that enables the aforementioned problems to be eliminated or minimised.

The aim of the present invention is therefore to provide a household appliance that helps to solve the problem of waste management in a broad sense.

In particular, given this aim, an objective of the present invention is to reduce the frequency of journeys by waste transportation vehicles from the bins (single or collective) to disposal and/or treatment points, thereby reducing the polluting emissions produced by the waste transportation vehicles.

Another object of the present invention is to reduce polluting emissions linked to the disposal processes.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a household appliance that reduces the space needed for differentiated waste collection within homes and that at the same time is simple and economical.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a household appliance capable of increasing user comfort by solving the problem associated with bad smells emanating from the waste contained in domestic-type collection containers and reducing the frequency of trips by the user to the collection bins.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a household appliance capable of reducing the number of waste bags used on average by a user every year.

The present invention therefore relates to a household appliance for the treatment and disposal of household waste comprising a module for the treatment of organic waste and at least one module for the treatment of inorganic waste, wherein each module is provided with at least one shredding chamber, which in turn comprises corresponding shredding means. The household appliance is characterised in that the module for the treatment of organic waste comprises means for feeding water into the shredding chamber to create, following activation of said shredding means, a mixture of water/shredded organic waste inside the shredding chamber; this module for the treatment of organic waste also comprises discharge means for discharging said water/shredded organic waste mixture from the shredding chamber directly into a domestic sewage system. Furthermore, according to the invention, the module for the treatment of inorganic waste comprises a collection drawer for the shredded inorganic waste, downstream of the shredding chamber.

A household appliance with these characteristics is capable of reducing the volume of waste produced by families, thereby eliminating the problems created by waste in homes, both from the point of view of space and of smells. Indeed, thanks to the presence of the shredding means, of the water feed means and of the means for discharging the water/waste mixture from the organic waste shredding chamber, such a household appliance is capable of dissipating and fully disposing of the organic waste, thereby eliminating the volume of organic waste to be accumulated, collected and transported to landfill and/or treatment centres. Furthermore, thanks to the presence of the inorganic waste shredding means, this household appliance is capable of reducing the volumes of inorganic waste. In other words, the household appliance according to the present invention, enables organic waste to be disposed of in the domestic sewage system, thereby completely eliminating the accumulation of organic waste in homes, since the waste is dissipated when it is produced, and also enables the volumes occupied by inorganic waste to be considerably reduced, with all of the aforementioned advantages.

This reduction in waste volumes is thus made possible by the combination of the organic waste treatment module with the inorganic waste treatment module. In fact, each module individually partially reduces the total volume of waste, but it is the combination of the two modules that drastically reduces these volumes. A reduction in the volumes of waste also implies a reduction in the frequency of trips by the user to collection bins, a reduction in the frequency of journeys by waste transportation vehicles from the bins (single or collective) to disposal and/or treatment points (with a consequent reduction of contaminants) and a reduction in polluting emissions linked to the disposal processes.

Furthermore, a household appliance for disposing of and treating waste with the aforementioned characteristics enables the number of bags used by users to collect waste to be reduced, with advantages from the economic point of view, but above all from the ecological point of view.

Lastly, such a household appliance is simple and economical to manufacture and to use, and also occupies a smaller space.

According to preferred embodiments of the household appliance according to the invention, the module for the treatment of organic waste comprises a first shredding chamber, adapted to perform a first coarse shredding of the organic waste, by means of first shredding means, and a second shredding chamber, adapted to finely shred the organic waste shredded coarsely beforehand, by means of second shredding means, wherein said first shredding chamber and said second shredding chamber are communicating.

In this way it is possible to finely shred the organic waste and, thanks to the introduction of water into the shredding chamber, reduce it to mush and dissipate it in the sewage system.

Preferably, the first shredding chamber and the second shredding chamber are both provided with means for feeding water into shredding chambers, and with means for discharging the water/organic waste mixture therefrom. In this way it is simpler to dissipate the organic waste.

Alternatively, only the second shredding chamber, used for the fine shredding of waste, is provided with means for feeding water into it and with means for discharging the water/shredded organic waste mixture.

Preferably, the first shredding means and the second shredding means are driven by the same motor. This enables a further reduction in the size of the household appliance and a reduction in purchasing and running costs.

Even more preferably, the shredding means are all driven by a single motor to which they are connected directly or by movement transmission means. In this way, the household appliance is even simpler from the constructive point of view.

Advantageously, the module for the treatment of inorganic waste is a module for the treatment of plastics.

The latter preferably comprises a first unit intended for the treatment of PET waste and a second unit intended for the treatment of plastic waste other than PET, the same module being provided with a deflector, which can be operated by the user, adapted to select the first unit or the second unit. This enables PET to be collected and taken to machines that accept PET in exchange for money or other benefits.

In the preferred embodiments, shown in the figures, there are two modules for the treatment of inorganic waste and they are intended for the treatment of two corresponding materials of a different nature.

Advantageously, at least one module for the treatment of inorganic waste comprises means for compacting the shredded waste, downstream of the shredding chamber. This enables further compacting of the waste and thus a further reduction in the volumes of inorganic waste.

Preferably, said compacting means comprise a piston or equivalent means.

The shredding means preferably comprise at least one from: rotating blades, rotating drums provided with perforation means, sharp teeth or sharp points and/or other functionally equivalent means. These are selected according to the type of waste to be treated (organic/inorganic and type of inorganic).

Preferably, each module is provided with a lid for hermetically closing the module, the opening of which is controlled by a pedal, a manual button or a presence sensor. This further reduces the problem associated with bad smells emanating from the waste.

In the preferred embodiments, there are also provided means for cleaning the shredding means inside the household appliance for disposing of and treating waste. In particular, they may comprise a hydraulic line adapted to convey a cleaning fluid to spray means positioned at least in the shredding chambers of the inorganic waste treatment modules. These make it possible to maximise hygiene and further reduce the problem of smells.

In the present context, the terms “urban waste” or “household waste” refer to waste produced within the home.

Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of several preferred, but not exclusive, embodiments of a household appliance for the treatment and disposal of waste according to the invention, illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, wherein: figure 1 shows a perspective schematic view of a first embodiment of the household appliance for treating and disposing of waste according to the present invention; figure 2 schematically shows a side view from the left of the household appliance shown in figure 1 ; figure 3 shows a partially transparent, schematic side view of a module for the treatment of inorganic waste of a household appliance for treating and disposing of waste according to a second embodiment of the present invention; and figure 4 shows a perspective schematic view of a third embodiment of the household appliance for treating and disposing of waste according to the present invention.

With reference to figures 1 to 4, the reference number 1 is used to indicate a household appliance for the treatment and disposal of household waste according to the present invention.

The household appliance 1 for the treatment and disposal of waste comprises a module for the treatment of organic waste 2 (hereafter also indicated by the expression first module 2) and at least one module for the treatment of inorganic waste 3’, 3”. Each of these modules 2, 3’, 3” is provided with at least one shredding chamber 4a, 4b, 4’, 4”, wherein the waste shredding/grinding process is performed by means of corresponding shredding means 5. In particular, in the embodiment shown in figure 2, the module for the treatment of organic waste 2 comprises a first shredding chamber 4a, adapted to perform a first coarse shredding of the organic waste, by means of first shredding means 5, and a second shredding chamber 4b, adapted to finely shred the organic waste - shredded coarsely beforehand - by means of second shredding means 5. The first shredding chamber 4a and the second shredding chamber 4b, are communicating to allow the organic waste to pass through both.

In the embodiments shown in the figures, the modules for the treatment of inorganic waste 3’, 3” are two and they are intended for the treatment of two corresponding materials of a different nature, such as, for example, paper and plastic or plastic and glass. However, a greater number of modules could also be provided for the treatment of inorganic waste.

According to the present invention, the module for the treatment of organic waste 2 comprises means 6 for feeding water into the shredding chamber 4a, 4b to generate, following activation of said shredding means 5, a water/shredded organic waste mixture inside said shredding chamber 4a, 4b. The first module 2 also comprises discharge means 10 for discharging the water/shredded organic waste mixture from the shredding chamber 4a, 4b out of said household appliance. More specifically, the discharge means 10 are configured to connect the shredding chamber 4a, 4b to a domestic sewage system so as to discharge directly into it the aforementioned water/organic waste mixture. The introduction of water into the shredding chamber 4a, 4b, during shredding, has the aim of reducing the shredded organic waste to a mush, so that it can then be dissipated in the domestic sewage system. More specifically, following the action of the shredding means, the organic waste is shredded and dispersed in the water. This enables the organic waste to be processed quickly and discharged immediately, through the discharge means 10, into the sewage system thereby avoiding an accumulation in the household appliance. Therefore, this type of module does not require a collection drawer for the organic waste. As a result, even the unwanted effects (such as the creation of bad smells, for example) that typically accompany the collection of organic waste in the home are eliminated.

Furthermore, according to the present invention, the modules for the treatment of inorganic waste 3’, 3” comprise respective collection drawers 7’, 7” for the shredded inorganic waste, downstream of the corresponding shredding chamber 4’, 4”.

These drawers 7’, 7” can be extracted preferably from the bottom so as to allow collection of the shredded inorganic waste.

Preferably, the first shredding chamber 4a and the second shredding chamber 4b are both provided with water feed means 6 and discharge means 10 for the water/shredded organic waste mixture. In other words, the water is passed through both shredding chambers 4a and 4b to process the organic waste. However, it is possible to envisage that only the second shredding chamber 4b, used for the fine shredding of waste, is provided with water feed means 6 and discharge means 10 for the water/shredded organic waste mixture. In other words, in this second case, the first shredding can be performed without adding water, which is added only during the second shredding.

As can be seen in figure 2, the second shredding chamber 4b is positioned under the first shredding chamber 4a, so as to use the force of gravity for the passage of the organic waste from the first shredding chamber 4a to the second shredding chamber 4b and then from the second shredding chamber 4b towards the drain. However, it is also possible to think of a different configuration.

The first shredding means 5 of the first shredding chamber 4a and the second shredding means 5 of the second shredding chamber 4b are driven by the same motor 8, positioned under the shredding chambers 4a and 4b of the organic waste treatment module 2.

In the case where the household appliance 1 is provided with a plurality of inorganic waste shredding chambers 3', 3", the inorganic waste shredding means 5 are all driven by a single motor 8 to which they are connected directly or by movement transmission means.

For example, one could envisage using a single drive shaft, passing through a plurality of shredding chambers 4’, 4”, to which different shredding means 5 are applied in the different modules and connected to the motor 8. In the configuration shown in figure 2, this single drive shaft could also pass through the first organic waste shredding chamber 4a, incorporating the relative shredding means 5.

Preferably, all the shredding means 5 are driven by the same motor 8.

In the case where one of the modules for the treatment of inorganic waste 3’, 3" is intended for the treatment of plastics, this could include two units: a first unit intended for the treatment of PET waste and a second unit intended for the treatment of plastic waste other than PET. In this case, one can also envisage providing the module 3’, 3” with a deflector, which can be operated by the user, adapted to select the first unit or the second unit. In other words, when the user selects PET mode, the deflector guides the waste into the first unit for PET treatment, and when the user selects another material, the waste is diverted into the second unit. The first unit of this module is provided with a first collection drawer 7a and the second unit with a second collection drawer 7b.

At least one module for the treatment of inorganic waste 3 comprises means for compacting the shredded waste, not shown in the drawings, downstream of the shredding chamber 4’, 4”.

Preferably, said compacting means comprise a piston, or equivalent means, adapted to push the waste against a contrasting wall, compacting it. These compacting means are known to an expert in the sector and will thus not be described further.

The shredding means 5 may comprise rotating blades, rotating drums provided with perforation means, rotating drums provided with sharp teeth or rotating drums provided with sharp points, like those shown in figure 3, or functionally equivalent means, depending on the type of waste to be treated (i.e. depending on the organic/inorganic module and the type of inorganic waste).

Preferably, each module is provided with a lid 9 for hermetically closing the module, the opening of which is controlled by a pedal, by a manual button or, automatically, by a presence sensor.

Should the inorganic waste treatment module 3 comprise the two aforementioned first unit and second unit, one could consider using a single lid 9, as shown in figure 4, or two separate lids.

In the preferred embodiments, there are also provided cleaning means for the shredding means 5 inside the household appliance 1 for disposing of and treating waste. With particular reference to figure 3, these means may comprise a hydraulic line 14 adapted to convey a cleaning fluid to spray devices 15 positioned at least in the shredding chambers 4’, 4” of the inorganic waste treatment modules 3’, 3”. Indeed, the shredding chambers 4a and 4b of the organic waste treatment module 2 do not require cleaning since during their use, a sufficient flow of water is made to flow inside them so as to transport all the shredded organic waste towards the drain and to leave shredding chambers 4a and 4b clean. However, if desired, a cleaning cycle could be provided involving the introduction of water also into the organic waste treatment module 2. The cleaning fluid preferably comprises water or a water/detergent mixture or other suitable solutions.

The cleaning means of the household appliance 1 also comprise a movable panel 13 at the base of each shredding chamber 4’, 4”. This is interposed automatically, once the cleaning cycle has been activated, between the shredding chamber 4’, 4” and the corresponding collection drawer 7’, 7”, so as to direct the cleaning fluid towards the discharge means 10 of the organic waste treatment module 2. In this way the fluid does not flow into the collection drawers 7’, 7”, but into the sewage system, together with the dissipated organic waste. Once the cleaning cycle has been completed, the panels 13 are removed automatically.

In the embodiment shown in figure 3, the panel 13 is a plane fastened on one side by a pin or hinge so as to be able to rotate from a rest position (as shown in figure 3) to a working position, where it assumes a substantially horizontal position so as to close the collection drawer 7’. The panel 13 may be non-horizontal in the working position, but inclined so as to convey the cleaning fluid towards a drainage channel, not shown in the figure, connected to the discharge means 10.

The spray devices 15 schematized in figure 3, are placed above the shredding chamber 4’, however, alternatively or additionally, it is possible to provide spray devices 15 also in a position lateral to said chamber.

In the embodiment shown in figure 3, the inlet 11 to the inorganic waste treatment module 3 has a truncated cone shape, i.e. its diameter increases upwardly to simplify insertion of waste.

The household appliance 1 is designed to be positioned preferably next to a sink, for example in the kitchen, so as simply to connect the water feed means 6 to the water feed and the discharge means 10 of the sink to the drain of the sink. However, it is possible to position it wherever there is a water intake and a drain (for example in a laundry room or garage). It is advantageously positioned so that the organic waste treatment module 2 is next to the wall and the inorganic waste treatment modules 3’, 3” are in a medial and distal position respectively with respect to the walls, but other configurations are also possible.

The collection drawers 7’, 7” are configured so as to be removable laterally, as can be seen in figure 1, or frontally, as can be seen in figure 4. In that regard, the Applicant has found that the configuration illustrated in figure 4 is the one that best optimizes the available space. This configuration is more versatile when it comes to the water intake and drainage pipe, especially if they are those of the sink. Indeed, in this configuration, the device can be placed on either the right-hand side or left-hand side of the sink since the drawers are positioned parallel to the long side. The user can thus choose where to position it and change its position if necessary, in the event of structural changes.

The shredding means 5, water feed means 6 and discharge means 10, cleaning means and/or the deflector are preferably coordinated by a CPU.

There will now be described a preferred operating mode of the household appliance 1 according to the present invention.

When organic waste is inserted into the organic waste treatment module 2 through a corresponding inlet 11, and the lid 9 is closed, the shredding means 5 of this module are activated and, simultaneously and/or subsequently, water is introduced into the first shredding chamber 4a and into the second shredding chamber 4b, by opening respective valves connected to water feed means 6. The shredded organic waste diluted in the water is then discharged by the discharge means 10 to be dissipated in the domestic sewage system.

When an item of inorganic waste is inserted into the inorganic waste treatment module 3, through a corresponding inlet 11, and the lid 9 is closed, the shredding means 5 of this module are activated and subsequently also the compacting means are activated.

It is possible to use the organic waste treatment module 2 and the inorganic waste treatment module 3 simultaneously, if necessary.

When desired, it is possible to activate a cleaning cycle by means of a specific button connected to the CPU of the household appliance 1. At this point, the panel 13 is in the working position and the spray devices 15 spray the cleaning liquid onto the shredding means 5. At the end of the cycle, the panel 13 is returned to the standby position and the household appliance 1 can be used once again.

When the collection drawer 7’, 7” reaches a predetermined level, the household appliance 1 emits a luminous signal indicating that the contents need to be removed. At this point the user can extract the collection drawer 7’, 7”, remove the contents and return it to its position.

At any moment, the user can extract the collection drawer 7’, 7” to inspect it or to remove the content and return it to its position simply.

As can be derived from the description given, the technical solutions adopted for the household appliance 1 according to the present invention enable the pre-set aims and objects to be fully achieved. Indeed, by considerably reducing the volume of waste produced on a daily basis by families, it can reduce polluting emissions associated with the transport and disposal of the waste, reduce the space needed to collect waste in the home, and eliminate bad smells, in addition to reducing the number of bags used by families for waste collection.

The household appliance for the treatment and disposal of household waste thus conceived lends itself to numerous possible variants, all falling within the scope of the present invention. The materials used, as well as the associated sizes and shapes, may be any according to requirements and the state of the art.