FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention may be included in the technical area of the glass collection devices. In particular, the object of the invention is a glass collection bin comprising a spring mechanism which allows a bottom plate to be displaced so as to crush glass waste. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

As the worldwide population have increased, communities have featured a greater urbanistic development, with increased solid waste production. This situation has caused certain chaos in several cities in the world which are not provided with an appropriate solid waste management.

In many cities of the world we find trash cans located in strategic places for people to deposit their wastes and thus keeping the city cleaner. However, streets, parks, pavements, etc., are found to keep on being dirty due to lack of cleaning culture from society and/or due to bad garbage collection system.

Separation of wastes according to their composition, together with reduction and recycling thereof, is an alternative which allows municipalities to obtain capital for developing a solid waste management plan. Nevertheless, this is not put into practice in most cases, generally due to cultural problems and low budget.

Currently, private and public enterprises are focused on social responsibility and have created massive campaigns for obtaining recyclable materials. Creation of systems for the separation and reduction of paper, plastic, organic wastes located in common use areas have been broadly accepted in society, allowing in many cases an adequate disposal and classification of litter.

Glass collection bins are known in the state of the art which store glass until the bin gets full. These bins have to be subsequently collected by means of a lorry for them to be transported to a recycling site, thereby increasing the cost associated to these recycling operations. The glass collection bin of the present invention solves all the previous problems, by increasing the collecting capacity of the bin and reducing the costs associated to the recycling operations.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention refers to a glass collection bin comprising a spring mechanism which allows a bottom plate to be displaced so as to crush glass waste.

The first object of the present invention is to produce a glass collection bin which allows crushing glass waste in a safe manner, without the use of electric power being required.

The second object is to reduce the size of the glass wastes so as to increase the capacity of the collection bin for the crushed glass which is inside the mechanism.

The third object of this invention is to make it possible for the glass collection bin to be placed anywhere, without the use of electric power to be required in order to perform the crushing operation.

The fourth object of this invention is to produce a glass collection bin featuring a small size allowing it to be taken to different locations.

The glass collection bin comprises:

a spring mechanism which in turn comprises:

a bottom plate;

a rotating shaft;

a cam for rotation of the rotating shaft;

a filament winding in the rotating shaft and being tensed due to actuation of the rotating crank;

a grid for glass being deposited thereon; and

a container for crushed glass collection;

wherein the bottom plate can be displaced upwards due to actuation of the rotating crank which winds the filament in the rotating shaft and which can move downward due to tension of the winding filament being released, such that the bottom plate compresses glass, crushing it and making it go through the glass depositing grid into the container for crushed glass collection. Optionally, the glass collection bin comprises a hatch for glass to be introduced into the bin, wherein said hatch is actuated by means of the rotating crank actuation, such that glass can only be introduced in the bin once the bottom plate has moved upwards, leaving enough space over the grid for inserting the glass which is to be crushed into the bin.

Thus, it is possible to crush the collected glass in the bin itself, so the capacity thereof is increased by eliminating the space which was previously occupied by the air inside the glass containers, also without being required to perform the crushing operation a posteriori in a recycling site.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

To implement the present description being made and in order to provide a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, according to a preferred practical embodiment thereof, a set of drawings is attached as part of this description, with an illustrative but not limitative purpose, which represents the following:

Figure 1. it shows a perspective view of the design and location of the elements of the glass collection bin of the present invention.

Figure 2. It shows a schematic view of the spring mechanism of the glass collection bin of the present invention in a relaxed position.

Figure 3. It shows a schematic view of the spring mechanism of the glass collection bin of the present invention in a state wherein the spring is compressed.

Figure 4. It shows a schematic view of the spring mechanism of the glass collection bin of the present invention when tension is released in the spring. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

There follows a detailed description of the glass collection bin (1) of the present invention.

As it is shown in Figure 1 , the glass collection bin (1) comprises a spring mechanism which in turn comprises:

a bottom plate (8), preferably made of metal;

a rotating shaft (1 1);

a crank (9) for rotation of the rotating shaft (1 1), being preferably accessible for a user;

a filament (12) which winds in the rotating shaft (9) and is attached to the bottom plate (8), wherein the filament (12) is tensed due to the rotating crank (9) actuation;

a glass depositing grid (10) being arranged underneath the bottom plate (8); and a container (2) for crushed glass collection being arranged underneath the glass depositing grid (10).

As it can be seen in Figures 2 and 3, the bottom plate (8) can move upwards due to the rotating crank (9) actuation which winds the filament (12) in the rotating shaft (1 1).

Once tension in the winding filament (12) is released, preferably by the user releasing the rotating crank (9) from being held, the bottom plate (8) moves downwards, compressing the glass, crushing it and making it go through the glass depositing grid (10) into the container (2) for crushed glass collection, as it can be seen in Figure 4.

The glass collection bin (1) comprises a hatch (3) for glass to be introduced into the bin (1), where said hatch (3) can be actuated be means of the rotating crank (9) actuation, the hatch (3) being attached to the bottom plate (8) by means of a first support (6), such that glass can only be introduced in the bin (1) once the bottom plate (8) has moved upwards, leaving enough space over the grid (10) for introducing the glass which is to be crushed into the bin (1).

In this exemplary embodiment, the spring mechanism also comprises: a fixed upper plate (4),

a spring (5) which is attached to the fixed upper plate (4) at the upper side

thereof, and to the bottom plate (8) at the lower side thereof, such that it can be

compressed due to actuation of the rotating crank (9), and which cooperates

with the winding filament (12) for supporting the weight of the bottom plate (8).

Preferably, the spring mechanism also comprises:

a second support (7) for fastening the rotating shaft (11) to the bin (1).

Preferably, the glass collection bin (1) also comprises:

a door (13) for granting access to the inner area of the bin (1) and a lock (14) for opening the access door (13).