COLLECTION DEVICE FOR WASTE OBJECTS

The present invention relates to a collection device for waste objects and, in particular, for used clothing of the type specified in the preamble of the first claim. In particular, the invention relates to a particular device by means of which to perform the collection of used clothing and/or waste and, specifically, municipal waste and, even more specifically, solid household waste.

As is known, currently the collection of solid household waste is carried out using bins consisting of a container defining a collection volume and open at the top so as to allow the insertion of objects inside them.

The prior art mentioned above has several significant drawbacks.

A first drawback, typical of collection devices of household waste is represented by the fact that the waste is not isolated from the external environment and, consequently, the odour thereof is spread into the environment creating bad smells.

Another drawback is represented by the fact that it is very easy to withdraw and, thus steal what has been deposited in the collection devices.

This drawback is particularly relevant in collection devices for used clothing subject to frequent attempts to thieve clothing by the homeless and/or the destitute.

To solve this problem for the collection of used clothes, collection devices have been introduced provided with a mobile drawer in which the clothing is deposited, generally closed in bags, through a mouth provided in the collection device. Said drawer is rotatable around a horizontal axis parallel to the mouth of the bin, from a loading position of the clothing through the mouth to an emptying position to fall within the collection device. The rotation of the drawer is obtained by acting manually on a handle provided on it.

These collection devices, despite the improvement represented by their adoption, still have a limited anti-intrusion capacity.

Indeed, it is possible to withdraw clothes from the device by placing the tray in an intermediate position placing in communication the mouth and the inside of the device and inserting an arm / body portion to extract the garments.

Another drawback is represented by the fact that, such through cross-section being narrow, this operation is often performed by children who, exploiting said intermediate position get into the device from which they can no longer get out. In this situation the technical task according to the present invention is to provide a collection device for waste objects and in particular for used clothing able to substantially overcome the drawbacks mentioned.

Within the sphere of said technical purpose one important aim of the invention is to provide a collection device which is difficult to access.

In particular, one object of the invention is to have a collection device for waste objects which prevents unauthorised persons from accessing its content and then withdrawing it.

A further object of the invention is to provide a collection device that makes it possible to isolate the waste from the outside environment and prevent the diffusion of bad smells.

The technical purpose and specified aims are achieved by a collection device as claimed in the appended Claim 1.

Preferred embodiments are evident from the dependent claims.

The characteristics and advantages of the invention are clearly evident from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows an axonometric view of the device according to the invention;

Fig. 2 shows a median cross-section of the device according to the invention; Fig. 3 shows a cut-away section of the device according to the invention;

Fig. 4 shows an axonometric view of a variant of the device according to the invention;

Fig. 5 illustrates a median cross-section of the variant in Fig. 4.

With reference to said drawings, reference numeral 1 globally denotes the collection device for waste objects according to the invention.

It is suitable to be used for the collection of municipal / small household waste such as corks, cigarettes, and / or medium-large waste such as, for example, bottles, used clothing and books. Preferably, the collection device 1 is suitable to be used for used clothing.

The collection device 1 comprises, in brief, a box-shaped body 2 defining an inner volume; and a movement member 3 suitable to move the waste objects inside the inner volume.

The box-shaped body 2 has at least one lower face 21 suitable to face the ground, an upper face 22 opposite the lower face 21 and having an input mouth 23a for said objects in said inner volume, a front face 23, a rear face 24 opposite the front 23 and having a door through which to extract the objects from the box-like body 2.

Advantageously, the mouth 23a is proximal to the upper face 22.

The box-shaped body 2 further comprises a partition wall 25 subdividing the inner volume into two distinct portions, a collection space 25a of the waste objects and an introduction compartment 25b suitable to receive the objects introduced through the input mouth 23a.

The partition wall 25 is substantially transversal to the gravitational gradient. In particular, the wall 25 is inclined with respect to the gravitational gradient by an angle substantially between 60° and 90°.

The wall 25 has a through cross-section 25c suitable to place the compartments 25a and 25b in communication with one another and, accordingly, to allow the passage of objects between the two compartments 25a and 25b, preferably by gravity.

The through cross-section 25c is made in the distal position from the mouth 23a and, more precisely, in the vicinity of the rear face 24 so as to be positioned substantially opposite said mouth 23a.

Arranged in the introduction compartment 25b, the collection device 1 comprises the movement member 3.

The member 3 includes a drum 31 housed in the introduction compartment 25b and hinged to the partition wall 25 so as to define, with respect to said wall 25, a vertical rotation axis 31a i.e. practically parallel to the gravitational gradient; rotation means 32 suitable to rotate the drum 31; and an actuator 33 suitable to control the movement means 32 and, thus the rotation of the drum 31 in relation to the partition wall 25.

The drum 31 , in order to permit the movement of the waste objects, has at least one housing 31b suitably substantially counter-shaped to the cross-section 25c and, preferably, two housings 31b arranged practically symmetrically to the rotation axis 31a.

It is identifiable in a cylinder axis coinciding with the rotation axis 31a, while the housing 31b substantially represents an angular portion of said cylinder having its extension substantially comprised between 60° and 180° and, in detail, substantially equal to 90°.

The drum 31 comprises lastly, at each housing 31b, a seal 31c integral with the drum 31 and suitable to ensure that the objects remain in the housing 31 b during the rotation of the drum 31.

The seal 31 c comprises a vertical partition delimiting the housing 31 b of a height practically 30% lower than the height of the mouth 23a so as not to obstruct the introduction of objects into the housing 31 b.

The rotation means 32 are suitable to rotate the drum 31 around the axis 31 a defining an introduction position in which the housing 31b faces exclusively the mouth 23a permitting the arrangement of the objects in the housing 31 b through the input mouth 23a and a release position wherein the housing 31 b is overlapping solely the cross-section 25c and, therefore, the objects pass, by gravity, from the housing 31 b to the collection compartment 21a through the cross-section 25c.

Appropriately, the rotation means 32 perform the transition between the introduction and release positions by means of a rotation of the drum 31 of an amplitude practically equal to 180°.

They are identifiable in a mechanical transmission and comprise a driven pulley 32a integral with the drum 31 ; a drive pulley 32b suitable to control the rotation of the driven pulley 32a; an additional pulley 32c; and a belt 32d suitable to transmit the movement between the pulleys 32a, 32b and 32c and having its ends integral and wrapped around the drive pulley 32b and the supplementary pulley 32c.

Preferably, the drive pulley 32b and supplementary pulley 32c are suitable to rotate around a substantially horizontal axis and, therefore, the means 32 comprise an idle pulley 32e interposed between the driven pulley 32a and the additional pulley 32c and having an axis substantially parallel to the axis 31a.

Alternatively, the rotation means 32 identify a coupling and comprise a driven body 32f integral with the drum 31 ; a drive shaft 32g having a helical profile which engages the driven body 32f so as to transform its deviation along the axis 31a in a rotation of the driven body 32f, and therefore, of the drum 31 around said axis 31a.

In order to control the rotation of the drum 31 , the movement member 3 comprises an actuator 33.

The actuator 33 is of the manual type, i.e. suitable to actuate the means 32 and thus rotate the drum 31 using a force applied by the user.

It includes a control element 33a by means of which the user applies force to the means 32 and consequently controls the transition from the introduction to the release position; and a return element 33b, for example a spring, suitable to work in opposition to the control element 32a causing the passage from the release to the introduction position.

In the case of rotation means 32 comprising a mechanical transmission, the control element comprises a lever 33a engaged to the drive wheel 32b and protruding from a slit 32a of the front face 23, while the return element 33b includes a torsion spring applied to the drive wheel 32b.

Conversely, in the case of means 32 identifying a coupling, the control element 33a includes a push-button by means of which to control the translation of the drive shaft 32g along the axis 31a, while the return element 33b has a compression spring applied to the drive shaft 32g.

Alternatively, the actuator 33 is of the automatic type and comprises an electric motor suitable to control the rotation of the drive pulley 32b or the translation of the drive shaft 32g; a battery suitable to power the electric motor; and one or more push-buttons by means of which to command the actuation of the motor.

The functioning of a collection device for waste objects, described above in a structural sense, is as follows.

Initially, the collection device is in the introduction position, i.e. with a housing 31 b overlapping the input mouth 23a.

The user introduces, through the input mouth 23a, used clothing or other items of waste in the housing 31 b and, via the control element 33a, places the drum 31 in the release position.

In particular, in the case of rotation means 32 identifying a mechanical transmission, the control element 33a rotates the drive pulley 32b which, using the belt 32d, controls the rotation of the driven pulley 32a and of the drum 31. Consequently, the housing 31b overlaps the through cross-section 25c so that the objects fall by gravity into the collection compartment 21a.

In the case of rotation means 32 identifying a coupling, the control element 33a moves the drive shaft 32g which, thanks to the engagement of the helical profile to the driven body 32f, controls the rotation and, thus, the transition into the release position of the drum 31.

At the same time, the action of the user on the control element 33a charges the return element 33b which, once the action of the user on the control element 33a ceases, returns the drum 31 into the load position.

The invention achieves important advantages.

A first advantage is represented by the fact that the device 1 makes it possible to isolate the waste, i.e. the objects discarded, from the external environment preventing the diffusion of bad smells.

One important advantage is the fact that the collection device 1 makes it impossible to extract and thus steal the contents thereof.

This advantage has been achieved thanks to the introduction of the partition 25 and, above all, by the innovative rotation of the drum 3 .

In fact, the rotation of the drum along a substantially vertical axis prevents the definition of an intermediate position between the loading and the release position in which the housing 31b connects the through cross-section 25c and the input mouth 23a and thus allows the removal of clothes or other waste objects from the collection compartment 25a.

This aspect is further guaranteed by the arrangement of the through cross-section 25c on the side substantially opposite the input mouth 23a with respect to the axis 31b; by the particular shape of the housing 31 b; and, moreover, by the fact that the transition from the loading to the release position occurs with a rotation of about 180° of the drum 31.

Another advantage is given by the presence of the seal 31c which ensures that the waste objects are moved practically integrally with the drum 31 and arranged on the through cross-section 25c when the drum is in the release position.

The invention is susceptible to variations within the inventive concept. All the elements as described and claimed herein may be replaced with equivalent elements and the scope of the invention includes all other details, materials, shapes and dimensions.