Patent ID: 7311276
Filing Date: 2007-12-25
Classification: B02C

Abstract:
1. A document shredder for shredding one or more data bearing documents selected from the group consisting of paper, optical discs, and floppy disks, comprising: a housing; a document shredder mechanism received in the housing and including an electrically powered motor and cutter elements, the document shredder mechanism enabling one or more data bearing documents selected from the group consisting of paper, optical discs, and floppy disks to be fed into the cutter elements and the motor being operable to drive the cutter elements so that the cutter elements shred the one or more documents fed therein; the housing having an opening enabling the one or more data bearing documents to be fed therethrough into the cutter elements of the document shredder mechanism for shredding; a waste bin disposed beneath the document shredder mechanism, the waste bin being configured to receive shredded documents from the document shredder mechanism, the waste bin being manually removable from beneath the document shredder mechanism for emptying of the shredded documents therein; a discriminating proximity sensor comprising an electroconductive sensor element at least in part adjacent the opening, the proximity sensor being configured to indicate a presence of a person or animal, but not a presence of the one or more data bearing documents, in proximity to the opening based on the detection via the sensor element of an inherent electrical characteristic of the person or animal; and a controller operable to disable the cutter elements responsive to the indicated presence of the person or animal.