Patent ID: 9694973
Date: 2017-07-04
CPC Classifications: B30B,B65F

Claim:
1. A collection apparatus weight and fullness level reporting system comprising: an inlet providing passage to the interior of the collection apparatus; a removable collection bin receiving material placed into the collection apparatus through the inlet; a compacting mechanism including a ram body, wherein the ram body travels along a compaction path between a home position located above the collection bin to a maximum travel position located inside the collection bin, wherein during each compaction cycle the ram body travels along a variable length of the compaction path; a fullness-reporting module including a height sensor that determines the height of the material in the collection bin; and a controller receiving input from the fullness reporting module and controlling the travel of the ram body, wherein the controller determines the length of the compaction path the ram body travels during each compaction cycle based on the input received from the fullness reporting module, wherein at the end of each compaction cycle in which the material height is below a maximum height, the controller receives a post-compaction height from the fullness-reporting module and brings the ram body to rest at a height below the home position and above the post-compaction height.