EP0777620B1

EP0777620B1 - Waste container

Info

Publication number: EP0777620B1
Application number: EP95929259A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Bart Veldhuis
Original assignee: Samson Stadsbeeldverfraaiing BV
Current assignee: SAMSON STADSBEELDVERFRAAIING B.V.
Priority date: 1994-09-02
Filing date: 1995-08-31
Publication date: 1998-07-29
Anticipated expiration: 2015-08-31
Also published as: DE69503789D1; EP0777620A1; ATE168964T1; AU3266995A; CA2199038A1; NL9401434A; WO1996007605A1; DE69503789T2

Abstract

There is described a collecting container (1), comprising a supporting element (2) and a collecting chamber (10) with side walls (15), a front wall (16) and a rear wall (17), which collecting chamber (10) is pivotable relative to the supporting element (2) about a substantially horizontally directed pivot (6). The bottom (14) is fixedly mounted on that supporting element (2) and extends forwards and upwards from that location according to a portion of a circular arc, the center of that circular arc lying on that pivot (6). The walls (15, 16, 17) of the collecting chamber (10) define a tube whose outer ends (11, 13) are entirely open. At its lowest point, the bottom (14) can be connected to an outlet pipe (32).

Description

The invention relates to a collecting container comprising a supporting element intended to be fixedly arranged, and a collecting chamber having, adjacent its upper side, an insertion opening for introducing objects, and, adjacent its lower side, a bottom on which the objects introduced are caught and collected, which collecting chamber is pivotable relative to the supporting element about a substantially horizontally directed pivot.

Such a collecting container is usable for collecting various types of objects. A particularly useful application of such a collecting container is the collection of refuse in publicly accessible places, and the invention will hereinafter be specifically described for this use, while it is explicitly observed that the invention and the protective scope are not limited to this use.

During normal usage, such a litter container is in an operating condition wherein the collecting chamber is retained relative to the supporting element in a position which will be referred to as "upright". The litter container is then ready for receiving litter. The hinge mechanism is intended to bring the collecting chamber into an ejecting position wherein the collecting chamber can be emptied.

With known collecting containers, the ejecting position of the collecting chamber can be referred to as "inverted", i.e. the collecting chamber is rotated forwardly about the above-mentioned pivot over more than 90°, as a result of which the insertion opening is located at the lower side and the litter can leave the inverted collecting chamber through the insertion opening. The litter can then be caught in a mobile tank which is held under the collecting chamber.

In a first type of a known collecting container, the pivot is located adjacent the lower side of the collecting chamber. A first drawback with this construction is that in the inverted position, the insertion opening is at a lower level than the bottom of the collecting chamber in the upright position. Consequently, the mobile tank must be of a relatively low design, or the collecting chamber must be mounted at a relatively high position. As for the sake of an easy usage of the collecting container, it is desired that the insertion opening is not located at too high a level, this implies a limitation of the height of the collecting chamber and hence a limitation of the receiving capacity of the collecting container. In general, a result of this is that the collecting chamber is filled relatively sickly and hence has to be emptied relatively often, which increases the costs of operation, or that several collecting containers have to be installed, which increases the investment costs, or that the litter will be dumped next to the full collecting container, which is of course also undesirable.

In another known collecting container, the hinge is located approximately halfway up the collecting chamber. It is true that this collecting container does not have the height drawback described hereinabove, but this collecting container does have the drawback that during pivoting, the insertion opening moves forewards and the bottom moves backwards. This imposes restrictions on the installation possibilities of such a collecting container, because it cannot for instance be disposed directly in front of a wall or mounted on a lamppost. Installation of this known collecting container on the ground requires two vertical poles, generally interconnected at their upper ends to form an inverted U, with the collecting chamber disposed between those poles and pivotally mounted thereon. Moreover, this construction is relatively expensive.

A further drawback of this known construction is that when the collecting chamber is being pivoted, the bottom with the objects received thereon is to be moved upwards to above the pivoting point. Depending on the nature and the amount of the objects received, this requires relatively much effort.

As has already been mentioned, these known collecting containers have in common that the emptying of the collecting chambers takes place via the insertion opening, by inverting the collecting chambers. There are already some drawbacks attached to this operating principle. A first drawback is that it is not possible to separate fluids, such as leakage fluids that may leak from the litter (think of, for instance, lemonade, melting ice-cream, and the like) or penetrating rain water from the solid substances.

A second drawback is that the egressive litter, and in particular the fluid portion of the litter, causes the insertion opening to be fouled, which is undesirable from an aesthetic and hygienic point of view. The cleaning of the insertion opening, after the collecting chamber has been emptied, means an additional working operation with the costs involved. In itself, litter bins are known that do not have that problem, but a complicated construction is used therefor. Such a litter bin consists of three components, viz. an outer bin that is completely closed at its lower side, an inner bin or bag disposed therein, and a lid pivotally mounted on top of the outer bin, in which lid the insertion opening is located. At its lower side, the outer bin is pivotally connected to the supporting element, while the above-mentioned lid is also pivotally connected to the supporting element. For emptying this litter bin, the outer bin should be pivoted forwards and the lid should be pivoted backwards, the inner bin should be lifted from the outer bin, and the inner bin should be inverted above a collecting vehicle.

The object of the invention is to remove the above-mentioned drawbacks.

In particular, the object of the invention is to provide a collecting container which is easy to manufacture, requires no inner bin, and imposes few requirements on the location where the collecting container is to be installed.

More in particular, the object of the invention is to provide a collecting container whose insertion opening is not fouled when the collecting chamber is emptied.

A further object of the invention is to provide a collecting container which enables fluids to be discharged separately from solid substances.

In accordance with an important aspect, a collecting container of the above-mentioned type according to the invention is characterized in that the bottom is fixedly mounted on the supporting element, and extends forwards and upwards from that supporting element according to a portion of a circular arc, the center of that circular arc lying at least substantially on the above-mentioned pivot.

In a preferred embodiment, the bottom is at its deepest point provided with an outlet opening, connected to an outlet pipe.

Hereinafter, the invention will be further explained through a description of a preferred embodiment of the collecting container according to the invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings. In these drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an example of a collecting container according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the collecting container shown in Fig. 1 in the operating position;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation comparable with Fig. 2, of the collecting container in an emptying position;

Fig. 4 shows, on an enlarged scale, a detail of a preferred embodiment of the collecting container; and

Fig. 5 is a bottom view of the detail illustrated in Fig. 4 taken on the line V-V in Fig. 4.

The embodiment of a collecting container 1 illustrated in the Figures is intended for collecting litter, and can also be referred to by the term "waste basket". In the embodiment shown, the collecting container 1 comprises a supporting element 2 in the form of a pole with a foot 3, intended to be fixedly arranged by mounting the foot, by means of screws 4, on a base, for instance a concrete block to be anchored in the ground. Adjacent its upper end 5, the supporting element 2 comprises a hinge element 6 having a substantially horizontally directed pivot. The collecting container 1 further comprises a collecting chamber 10 having, adjacent its upper side 11, an insertion opening 12 for receiving litter and, adjacent its lower side 13, a bottom 14 on which the litter is caught and collected. Adjacent its upper side 11, the collecting chamber 10 is attached to the hinge element 6, permitting the collecting chamber 10 to pivot about the above-mentioned pivot relative to the supporting element 2.

Because the nature and construction of the hinge element do not constitute a subject of the present invention, and for a proper understanding of the present invention it is not necessary for anyone skilled in the art to have knowledge thereof, they will not be further described. It suffices to observe that standard hinge constructions known in the art, such as are known to skilled persons, can be employed for this purpose.

The collecting chamber 10 is laterally bounded by a wall construction comprising side walls 15, a front wall 16 and a rear wall 17. In the embodiment shown, these walls are straight, and are positioned against one another in such a manner that the cross section of the collecting chamber 10 has a trapezoidal shape. However, these walls can also have a bent shape. During the normal operating position of the collecting chamber 10, as illustrated in Fig. 2, the walls 15-17 are directed substantially vertically. If so desired, the walls 15-17 can be positioned slightly obliquely, so that the cross dimensions of the collecting chamber 10 at the lower side are larger than at the upper side.

Unlike conventional collecting containers, in the collecting container 1 according to the invention the bottom 14 is not fixedly connected to the walls 15-17 to form one container therewith, closed at the lower side. In accordance with an important aspect of the present invention, the bottom 14 of the collecting chamber 10 is fixedly attached to the supporting element 2, for instance through welding, while the walls 15-17 define a substantially vertical tube which is open at the lower side. In the normal operating position, the rear wall 17 of the collecting chamber 10 extends downwards to be in close proximity to the top side of the bottom 14, or , as in the embodiment shown, the rear wall 17 of the collecting chamber 10 has an elongated slot 18 adjacent its lower side, through which slot the bottom 14 extends with little or no play into the interior of the collecting chamber 10. The bottom 14 has a bent shape, which bent shape, in section, substantially corresponds to a portion of a circular arc, the center of that circle lying substantially at the above-mentioned pivot of the hinge 6. The bottom 14 is attached to the supporting element 2 so that at the location of the point of attachment 14A, i.e. at the rear wall 17 of the collecting chamber 10 in its normal operating position illustrated in Fig. 2, the bottom 14 is directed substantially horizontally. From that point of attachment 14A, the bottom 14 extends forwards up to the front wall 15, and reaches this front wall at a point higher than the point of attachment 14A. The dimensions of the bottom 14 are chosen so that in the normal operating position of the collecting chamber 10, illustrated in Fig. 2, the bottom 14 is always in contact with the front wall 16 and the side walls 15.

The walls 15-17 and the bottom 14 can be made from any material that can be considered suitable, such as for instance synthetic material or steel plate. As is shown in the Figures, the edges of that plate may be flanged. If so desired, the edges of the bottom 14 and/or the inner side of the front wall 16 and the side walls 15 can be provided with means such as an elastic sealing strip, for instance made of rubber, to ensure, in the normal operating position of the collecting chamber 10, a proper sealing between the bottom 14 and the front wall 16 and the side walls 15. For the sake of simplicity, such sealing means are not shown separately in the Figures.

When it is desired to empty the collecting chamber 10, a receiving bag (refuse bag) or receiving bin is first placed under the collecting chamber 10. Then, the collecting chamber 10 is pivoted forwards about the pivot of the hinge 6, while it is the lower side of the collecting chamber 10 that moves forwards and upwards, as indicated by the arrow P1 in Fig. 2, until the emptying position illustrated in Fig. 3 is reached. In that emptying position, the bottom 14 is withdrawn from the collecting chamber 10, as a result of which the tubular collecting chamber 10 is entirely open at its lower side, so that the objects collected in the collecting chamber 10 fall from the collecting chamber 10 to be received by the above-mentioned receiving bag or receiving bin, as indicated by the arrow P2 in Fig. 3. During the pivotal movement of the collecting chamber 10, the lower edge 21 of the rear wall 17 moves across the bottom 14 so that all objects collected on the bottom 14 are taken along. If so desired, that lower edge 21 may be provided with stripping means such as a rubber edge, as will be apparent to a skilled person and is not shown for the sake of simplicity.

An important advantage is that the objects falling from the collecting chamber 10 do so at the lower side of the collecting chamber 10, i.e. not via the insertion opening 12, so that the edge of the insertion opening 12 is not fouled by egressive litter.

In principle, the collecting chamber 10 can pivot further than the emptying position illustrated in Fig. 3. If this is considered undesirable, and it is desired to limit the pivotal movement of the collecting chamber 10 to that emptying position, this can readily be effected by providing the bottom 14 at its free edge, directed to the front wall 16, with a downwardly extending edge portion 19, for instance by bending the edge of the bottom 14 downwards. In the embodiment illustrated, wherein the bottom 14 extends through a slot 18 in the rear wall 17, that downwardly extending edge portion 19 then acts as a stop for the lower edge 20 of the collecting chamber 10, as is clearly demonstrated in Fig. 3. In an embodiment wherein the rear wall 17 only extends to above the bottom 14, a pin or lip mounted on the lower edge 21 of the rear wall 17 or on the side walls 15 and embracing the bottom 14 can abut against this downwardly extending edge portion 19 of the bottom 14.

When the collecting chamber 10 has been emptied, it is returned into its normal operating position by pivoting it backwards again, as indicated by the arrow P3 in Fig. 3. If it is desired that the collecting chamber 10 is blocked in this operating position against pivoting, this can readily be established by providing the above-mentioned edge portion 19 of the bottom 14 with a lip 22 which extends forwards and upwards and fits in a recess 23 in the front wall 16, and which, in the operating position, embraces the front wall 16. When the collecting chamber 10 is to be emptied, that blocking can readily be removed by pressing this lip 22 downwards, as indicated by the arrow P4 in Fig. 2.

If it is desired that this blocking is locked, preventing unauthorized pivoting of the collecting chamber 10, that can readily be established by providing a padlock (not shown for the sake of simplicity) on this lip 22.

During the use of a collecting container, fluids may end up in the collecting chamber thereof. An important source therefor is rain water when used outdoors. But also when used in covered places or in buildings, fluid may leak from the disposed litter itself, for instance coffee from coffee cups or soft drink from cans. With known litter bins whose lower sides are provided with discharge openings, for the very purpose of offering an outlet for rain water, the fouling liquid ends up on the ground right away. Litter bins which are closed at the lower side are also known. For outdoor usage, those litter bins should always be provided with a roof construction to prevent raining in, which limits the dimension of the insertion opening and renders the insertion of in particular larger pieces of litter more difficult. At any rate, whether rain water can enter the collecting chamber or not, more often than not a muck will be formed at the bottom, consisting of dust and leakage fluids and/or rain water. When the litter bin is being emptied, this muck may end up on the ground, for instance because the refuse bags used for the receiving the litter may have a leak. If one is not prepared for this and no adequate measures are taken, the environment of the litter bin may become dirty, which is unacceptable in particular within buildings.

In a preferred embodiment as illustrated in Fig. 4, the invention disposes of this drawback of the conventional litter bins as well. For that purpose, efficient use is made of the fact that the bottom 14 is fixedly connected to the supporting element 2, while it is an additional advantage that owing to its bent shape, the bottom 14 has a lowest point adjacent the supporting element 2. Fig. 4 shows that at that lowest point, the bottom 14 is provided with an outlet opening 30, optionally provided with a sieve 31, to which an outlet pipe 32 is connected. At the location of that outlet pipe 32, the lower edge 20 of the collecting chamber 10 may have been broken away, as is clarified in the bottom view of Fig. 5, so that the pivotal movement of the collecting chamber 10 is not hindered by that outlet pipe 32. The outlet pipe 32 may be directed straight downwards, and/or be concealed in the supporting pole 2 for protection.

Owing to this discharge construction according to the invention, it is possible to collect and discharge fluids separately, so that fouling of the environment by fluids is avoided to a significant extent. Preferably, the outlet pipe 32 debouches directly into a sewage pipe. Alternatively, it is possible that the outlet pipe debouches into a receiving container disposed below the floor surface, which container can be emptied from time to time by a fluid suction apparatus known per se.

In the embodiment shown, the collecting container 1 has its foot 3 mounted on a grating 34, which may also provide access to the above-mentioned sewage pipe. This offers advantages for instance during the cleaning of the collecting container. When it is desired to clean the collecting chamber 10 internally, this may readily be carried out by rinsing out the inner sides of the walls 15-17, in the emptying position, with a jet of water from the upper side, the used rinsing water draining off directly at the lower side while entraining dirt residues and finding its way into the sewer via the grating 34.

It will be clear to anyone skilled in the art that it is possible to alter or modify the embodiment shown of the apparatus according to the invention without departing from the inventive concept or the protective scope. For instance, it is possible that instead of the trapezoidal shape shown, the cross section of the collecting chamber 10 has a different shape which is considered suitable for whatever reason, for instance the shape of a rectangle or a semicircle. In a particular design, the cross section of the collecting chamber 10 extends alongside the pole 2 on both sides. This enables two collecting chambers to be disposed against each other, back to back, on both sides of a suppport element such as a lamppost, the two collecting chambers tightly abutting against that lamppost while the combined outside contour of the two collecting chambers forms a cylinder.

It is further possible that the walls of the collecting chamber are provided with reinforcement ridges and/or ventilating openings of any form considered suitable, as is illustrated in Fig. 1.

Further, if desired, the collecting chamber may at its upper side be closed by a roof construction to prevent raining in, the insertion opening then being located in the upper side of the front wall and/or the side walls.

Further, it is possible that the collecting chamber has its lower side provided with a lock operable by a key, such as for instance a triangular or square key, with a lock catch engaging behind a fixed portion of the collecting container, for instance behind an edge portion of the bottom, which lock catch, in the opened position of the lock, being clear of the fixed portion of the collecting container.

Alternatively, it is possible that the collecting chamber is internally provided with resilient lips embracing the end edge of the bottom. It is also possible that the rear wall of the collecting chamber is provided with a backwardly extending eye, located, in the operating position, next to the supporting pole, while that support pole is provided with an opening at the location of that eye, permitting a locking pin to be fitted through that opening and the eye. In this case, too, instead of an eye and a locking pin, a lock can be used whose locking pin, in the locking position, engages with the opening in the supporting pole. Such locking constructions are known per se.

Claims

A collecting container (1), comprising a supporting element (2) intended to be fixedly arranged, and a collecting chamber (10) with side walls (15), a front wall (16) and a rear wall (17), having, adjacent the upper side (11) of the collecting chamber (10) an insertion opening (12) for introducing objects and, adjacent the lower side thereof, a bottom (14) on which the objects introduced are caught and collected, said collecting chamber (10) being pivotable relative to the supporting element (2) about a substantially horizontally directed pivot (6);
characterized in that:
the bottom (14) is fixedly mounted on the supporting element (2), and extends forwards and upwards from said supporting element (2) according to a portion of a circular arc, the center of said circular arc lying at least substantially on said pivot (6).
A collecting container according to claim 1, wherein said pivot (6) is located adjacent the upper side (11) of the collecting chamber (10).
A collecting container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the bottom (14) has a free edge portion (19) which extends downwards.
A collecting container according to claim 3, wherein said free edge portion (19) comprises a lip (22) extending forwards and upwards.
A collecting container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the bottom (14) extends forwards from the supporting element (2) through a slot (18) in the rear wall (17) of the collecting chamber (10).
A collecting container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the bottom (14) is at its lowest point provided with an outlet opening (30), optionally provided with a sieve (31).
A collecting container according to claim 6, wherein an outlet pipe (32) is connected to said outlet opening (30).
A collecting container according to claim 7, wherein said outlet pipe (32) debouches into a sewage pipe.
A collecting container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the walls (15, 16, 17) of the collecting chamber (10) define a tube whose outer ends (11, 13) are substantially entirely open.