Background Art In order to reduce the volume of various wastes and to promote the biodegradation of the waste, preferably, the waste is first finely cut, and then disposed. Especially, in the case of medical waste, it requires a complete sterilization process normally performed using high-temperature steam. Where the sterilization process is carried out after finely cutting the waste, a sterilization effect thereof is considerably increased.

Currently, existing waste treatment apparatuses have too low cutting and crushing efficiencies of waste. Inter alia, most medical waste treatment apparatuses are structured to only stir and scatter medical waste therein in order to increase a permeability of steam into the medical waste. Namely, there is no medical waste treatment apparatus adapted to cut and crush the medical waste.

Disclosure of the Invention Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a waste treatment apparatus which achieves high cutting and crushing efficiencies of waste, and, especially, considerably enhances a sterilization-effect of medical waste.

In accordance with the present invention, the above and other objects can be accomplished by the provision of a waste treatment apparatus configured in such a fashion that a core shaft is installed inside a housing and adapted to rotate separately with a rotating drum, and a plurality of cutter blades are installed at a distal end of the core shaft positioned inside the rotating drum while being fixedly

supported by a holder and holder cover, the cutter blades being installed to rotate separately with the rotating drum.

Brief Description of the Drawings The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a partial cut-away view illustrating a waste treatment apparatus in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view illustrating an important portion of the present invention; Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a cutter blade according to the present invention; Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a cutter blade holder and holder cover according to the present invention; Fig. 5 is a plan view illustrating a state wherein four cutter blades are mounted in the cutter blade holder; Fig. 6 is a sectional view illustrating a state wherein the cutter blade is horizontally installed; and Fig. 7 is a sectional view illustrating a state wherein the cutter blade is diagonally installed.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention Fig. 1 is a partial cut-away view illustrating a waste treatment apparatus in accordance with the present invention. Referring to Fig. 1, a waste treatment apparatus of the present invention, designated as a reference numeral 1, comprises a housing 2, into which waste is poured, and a cover 4 installed at one end of the housing 2 and adapted to open and close the housing 2.

The housing 2 is provided therein with a rotating drum 6, which is rotatable in forward and reverse directions. The rotating drum 6 is fixedly attached at the inner wall 6a thereof with screw blades 5. The screw blades 5 serve to guide the movement of the waste.

The rotating drum 6 is installed with a driving shaft 10 at the opposite side of the cover 4 for causing the driving force of a motor 7, installed at the outside of the housing 2, to be transmitted to the rotating drum 6 through a chain 8 and chain gear 9. The driving shaft 10 penetrates the housing 2 to be extended out of the housing 2, and is formed into a hollow shape. Meanwhile, the rotating drum 6 is installed within the housing 2 while being supported by base rollers 11.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view illustrating an important portion of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 2, the driving shaft 10 is provided with a core shaft 20 in the hollow inner space thereof. The core shaft 20 is adapted to rotate in forward and reverse directions by receiving driving force through a transmission belt V and driving pulley 21. The rotation of the core shaft 20 is performed separately with the rotation of the rotating drum 6. The core shaft 20 is positioned within the rotating drum 6 at its one end portion. The one end portion of the core shaft 20 is formed with a cutter blade holder 22 at the distal end thereof.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a cutter blade according to the present invention. Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a cutter blade holder and holder cover. In order to install plural cutter blades, designated as a reference numeral 23, to the cutter blade holder 22, as shown in Fig. 4, the cutter blade holder 22 is formed with cutter blade coupling grooves 25A and 25B.

Each of the cutter blade coupling grooves 25A and 25B is formed with a fixing pin fitting slit 25'. The fitting slit 25'is used to fit a fixing pin 24, which is adapted to be installed in an insertion groove 23'of the respective cutter blades 23.

As shown in Fig. 3 in detail, each of the cutter blades 23 comprises an upwardly inclined portion 23A at its front end, and a body portion 23B, and a blade portion 23C. The blade portion 23C is inclined downwardly and extends from a part of the body portion 23B to the upwardly inclined portion 23A.

After the cutter blades 23 are mounted in the cutter blade holder 22, a holder cover, designated as a reference numeral 26, is fixed over the cutter blades 23, thereby preventing the separation or movements of the cutter blades 23.

Fig. 5 is a plan view illustrating a state wherein the cutter blades 23 are mounted in the cutter blade holder 22. Although the number of the cutter blades 23 is preferably four as shown in Fig. 5, it should be clearly understood that the number of the cutter blades may be changed as occasion demands.

Figs. 6 and 7 are sectional views illustrating different installation states of the cutter blade 23. Referring to Fig. 6, a pair of the cutter blades 23 are installed in the coupling grooves 25A so that the bottoms of the respective blade portions 23C thereof are horizontally positioned to the cutter blade holder 22. Referring to Fig. 7, a pair of the remaining cutter blades 23 are installed in the coupling grooves 25B so that the bottoms of the respective blade portions 23C thereof are inclined to the cutter blade holder 22 at a certain angle X.

Now, the operation of the waste treatment apparatus, constructed as stated above, is described. After an appropriate amount of waste is poured into the rotating drum 6 through the opened cover 4, the cover 4 is closed and the rotating drum 6 rotates by the driving force of the motor 7.

As the rotating drum 6 rotates, the waste is mixed while being guided and moved inwardly by the screw blades 5. The inwardly moved waste is cut and crushed by the cutter blades 23, which rotate by the core shaft 20, in the opposite direction with the rotating direction of the rotating drum 6. At this time, the upwardly inclined portion 23A formed at the front end of the respective cutter blades 23 cuts the waste while forming an eddy of waste at the front side thereof by rotating the solid-phase waste at a high-speed. As the waste collides against the cutter blades 23 rotating at the high-speed, there is a generation of high frictional heat therebetween.

In the case of any medical waste requiring a sterilization treatment, a separate known piping system is added to the waste treatment apparatus, in order to inject high-temperature steam or sterilizing agents into the rotating drum 6.

Meanwhile, as stated above, the cutter blades 23 rotate under a state wherein a pair of the cutter blades 23 are horizontally installed and a pair of the remaining cutter blades 23 are inclined at a certain angle. This configuration increases a cutting efficiency of the waste.

After a certain time has passed, the cut and crushed waste is guided and moved toward an exit of the waste treatment apparatus by the screw blades 5 according to the reverse rotation of the rotating drum 6. By opening the cover 4, the cut and crushed waste is discharged to the outside.

The discharged waste is appropriately disposed through a certain post- treatment, in accordance with the kind of the waste.

Industrial Applicability As apparent from the above description, the present invention provides a waste treatment apparatus having plural cutter blades, which are adapted to separately rotate within a rotating drum by a core shaft in the opposite direction with the rotating direction of the rotating drum, thereby achieving a high cutting and crushing efficiency of waste. Especially, in the case of medical waste requiring a sterilization treatment, it is possible to improve a sterilization effect of the medical waste using the waste treatment apparatus of the present invention.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.