Abstract:
A waste comminuting system and method of use therefore is disclosed, including enhanced safety and water conserving features. The apparatus includes sensor and programming means for enabling coordinated, automated operation of the waste comminuting system based on a schedule of operating conditions, further enabling programmable scheduling of a safety shutter and a water supply common to fluid flow from an automated dishwasher, during concurrent operation of the dishwasher upon actuation by a common controller.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention is directed generally to comminuting devices such as garbage disposers, and more specifically to an improved garbage disposer with water-conserving and safety features for use therewith.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Many kitchens, including residential and commercial kitchens, are equipped with comminuting devices commonly referred to as garbage disposals for disposing food scraps and trimmings. More particularly, such comminuting devices are designed to grind waste such as food waste into a small enough particulate size to be picked up, readily carried by and flushed into a downstream waste disposal system such as a sewer system or septic tank by a water flow, typically provided as a stream of water. In common domestic use, a garbage disposal is attached to the drain of a kitchen sink adjacent to the food preparation area for convenient disposal of such food and biodegradable waste. It will be appreciated that the water stream for use with such garbage disposal systems is intended to flush the drain line before, during and following the comminuting procedure, as well as to assist in the complete evacuation of partially and fully ground refuse through the drain line during the grinding process, and failure to use a sufficient amount of water often results in clogs and backups of the drain lines, and even failure of the garbage disposal itself often due to overloading of the disposer motor caused by insufficient evacuation of the waste load from the grinding chamber.  
           [0003]    Garbage disposals are commonly actuated by a power switch located at an operationally convenient location remote from the garbage disposal, for example, on a counter or wall adjacent the sink, although within reasonable operating reach of the disposal operator. The commonly accepted practice of operating a garbage disposer includes introducing a stream of water into the disposer prior to actuating the comminuting apparatus of the disposer, to allow the water to serve as a lubricant within the disposer as well as a vehicle for easily carrying and flowing the comminuted waste and resulting effluent into the downstream plumbing system leading to the waste disposal system. It is also commonly advised to introduce the water stream to the disposer prior to and during disposer actuation, and to continue flowing that water stream for a period of time even after apparent completion of the grinding task to assure complete flushing of resulting comminuted waste into and through the drain system.  
           [0004]    However, it is a common mistake for disposer operators to halt the water stream immediately following the grinding task, resulting in the incomplete flushing and disposal of the water-borne waste product into the waste disposal system. Likewise, it is a common mistake to delay the initiation of the water stream into the disposer. These actions compromise the cooling and lubrication effects that the water stream provides to the comminuting apparatus and hence the garbage disposal motor operating under the load of the comminuting process apparatus during and shortly after actual activation of the disposer. It is known that some users provide an excessive amount of water preliminary to, or alternatively, following the grinding task. More particularly, in operation, a user initiates a flow of water into the garbage disposal, activates the disposal, waits while the disposal grinds the refuse, deactivates the disposal, and then discontinues the water flow (after making a subjective audible determination that the grinding operation is complete), in that order.  
           [0005]    As noted above, the desired initial water flow may be undesirably delayed, as this process requires the user to remember to turn on the water before activating the disposer, continue running it during the complete grinding and disposal cycle, and deactivating the disposer after the grinding cycle to allow a sufficient period of additional flushing time to assure complete discharge of the waste products of the grinding cycle to the downstream waste disposal system. Thus, important problems in the prior art include the failure to operate the water stream on-time or for a sufficiently long enough period of time necessary to fully flush the disposer and downstream waste disposal system, and failure to do that commonly causes overheating, seizing, and related problems to the disposer. It is further recognized that other kitchen appliances utilize excess water flows that have heretofore not been harnessed in a beneficial, water-conserving manner.  
           [0006]    In addition to the above-noted problems, exposure of high-speed rotating cutting/grinding elements of the disposer presents a well-known safety hazard to users in the immediate vicinity of the drain, as well as to any objects that inadvertently fall into the grinding chamber of the disposer. In particular, objects not intended to be comminuted and flushed by the disposer and waste disposal systems of the related art may be inadvertently dropped or deposited into the grinding chamber of the disposer. It is also known that disposer operators may attempt to retrieve such objects and thus place one or more fingers, hand or a makeshift retrieval tool in peril by attempting to locate and remove such objects from the grinding chamber.  
           [0007]    Yet, the grinding chamber must be made available to receive waste matter in the manner described. Accordingly, there remains a need to address the related issues of preventing injury to the disposer operator resulting from uncontrolled access to the grinder chamber, as well as the need to provide a necessary stream of water, in a water-conservative manner, to the disposer during and after the actual grinding action, without negatively affecting access to and use of the disposer for its intended purpose, while providing measurably significant water-conserving methods.  
         OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    It is thus an object of the present invention to provide an improved garbage disposer that provides enhanced water stream control for optimizing disposer operation, utilizing water conservation measures.  
           [0009]    It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved garbage disposer that provides enhanced safety features during its operation.  
           [0010]    It is a further object of the present invention to further optimize and conserve the use of water during the operation of garbage disposers.  
           [0011]    It is yet a further object of the present invention to optimize and conserve the use of water during disposer operation by utilizing an available effluent or supplemental water flow generated and otherwise wasted by a counterpart appliance.  
           [0012]    These and other objects are met by the present invention which is directed to apparatus and methods of operating a waste comminuting system such as a common kitchen food disposer for providing enhanced water conserving and safety benefits. The apparatus includes a system controller, sensors and programming means for enabling coordinated, automated operation of the waste comminuting system based on a schedule of operating conditions, further enabling programmable scheduling of a water supply common to fluid flow from an automated dishwasher, during concurrent operation of the dishwasher upon actuation by the controller. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]    [0013]FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing of the waste disposer system of the present invention, showing a garbage disposer plumbed to a sink and water supply, and another water-using appliance such as an automatic dishwasher.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 2 is a top plan view of one embodiment of a portion of a safety shutter for use with the waste disposer system of the present invention shown in FIG. 1.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 3 is a top plan view of another embodiment of a portion of a safety shutter for use with the waste disposer system of the present invention shown in FIG. 1.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0016]    With reference now to the drawing figures, FIG. 1 shows the safety and water conserving flush system  10  of the present invention. The invention generally includes a comminuting device commonly known as a food disposer or garbage disposer  11 . Disposer  11  including a waste receiving and comminuting chamber  12  that is mounted to or located downstream of a sink  14  having a waste-receiving basin  15 , either by direct connection of an inlet of the disposer  11  affixed to an outlet of the sink  14 , or via duct  16  as shown in FIG. 1 for outputting an unprocessed effluent stream discharging from sink  14  to disposer  12 . Disposer  11  is operated by a house power supply, such as a 110 volt AC supply  17 , controlled by switch  19 . As will be more fully described below, and according to an important aspect of the present invention, a shutter  20  (a plurality of embodiments of which are shown in FIGS. 2 and 3) controls effluent flow into the disposer  12  discharged from the sink.  
         [0017]    As will be appreciated by the skilled artisan, a water flow may be introduced to the sink  14  having basin  15  from a faucet  22  supplied by water supply  24  carried by conduit or duct  26  extending therefrom. Although a single duct  26  is shown, it is to be understood that plural ducts may provide separate water flows from supplies of heated or unheated water to faucet  22 , which is provided with a cold water valve  28  and a hot water valve  30 . An air vent  32  plumbed to vent line  33 ,  35  is provided to vent pressure build-up in the disposer  12  during operation, and thereby prevent a back-pressure buildup in effluent duct  34  mounted to outlet  36  of disposer  12 , in conjunction with local building codes as may be applicable. Discharge or effluent duct  34  further extends to a downstream waste disposal system such as a sewer system, septic tank or holding tank (not shown) for disposal of the waste stream introduced to sink  14  and subsequently processed by operation of disposer  12 .  
         [0018]    According to the invention, a water flow such a an effluent flow from another water-using appliance, such as a dishwasher  50  is employed for use with the disposer  12 . The effluent flow outputted through conduit  52  is directed to the chamber  12  of disposer  11  via operation of solenoid  54  acting under control of system controller  56 , and may optionally be plumbed into a water supply line, preferably but not limited to the cold water supply line in that instance. The effluent flow downstream of solenoid  54  is directed through conduit  58 , subject to air pressure relief via check valve/air vent  32  plumbed to vent line  59 .  
         [0019]    As will be more fully described, the system  10  when actuated commands the system controller  56  to oversee the entire disposer cycle, operating either under control of one or more factory-set program functions including water and timing parameters, or under control of user-defined parameters, while preferably switching the shutter  20  to a closed position, the perforations  76 ,  86  (FIGS. 2, 3) allowing a water flow therethrough in the closed position. For exemplary purposes only, it will be appreciated by the skilled artisan that different water flow rates and start/stop timing settings may be programmed, in connection with one or more different timing cycles, to provide for sufficient water flow before, during and immediately after cycling of the disposer  11 . It will further be understood that one or more sensors  62  may detect flow and flow rates, based on measurements made by sensed flow characteristics that are compared with predetermined parameters including characteristics selected from the group including optical, electrical, electronic, and mass measurements. Sensors  62  may be positioned in line with duct  16 , duct  26 , duct  52 , within or in-line with dishwasher  50  or chamber  15 , or grinder chamber  12  to provide the necessary and desirable feed back to controller  56 . The system controller  56  further reads sensor information ascertaining that the shutter  20 ,  70 ,  80  is in the closed position via operation of solenoid  21  during operation of the disposer  11  to safeguard against operation of the disposer  21  in an unprotected condition when the shutter  20 ,  70 ,  80  is in the open position. Accordingly, in use, the operator need merely operate a master control switch, and the controller in turn actuates closure of the safety shutter, initiates a pre-grinding water flow, and then continues that water (or other fluid as is more fully described below) flow as necessary to assure complete grinding and flushing, with an appropriate after-flow to clear the effluent line and cool the disposer  11 .  
         [0020]    Concurrently, the controller  56  further utilizes effluent flow  52  from the dishwasher  50 , supplementing it as necessary with a water flow from water supply  24 . It will be appreciated that the system may be programmed to operate when a substantial effluent flow is known to become imminently available from the dishwasher  50  or other water-using appliance (not shown) or other water-based stream (also not shown) directed through valve  60  and discharging directly into receiving and comminuting chamber  12  via inlet  61 , thereby maximizing this water-conserving technique. Alternatively, the controller may be programmed to sense a sufficient waste load before operating. It will be further appreciated that a supplemental water flow may be provided by, and controlled by the present invention, from other kitchen or non-kitchen appliances that provide a quantifiable water outflow, including but not limited to condensate flow from refrigerators and freezers, water chillers and air conditioners, or other gray-water sources known in residential and commercial buildings and operations.  
         [0021]    In connection with the primary operation of the inventive system  10 , and now referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the controller  56  actuates shutters  20 ,  70 ,  80  as an important safety feature to prevent unintended deposits into the grinding chamber  12  during operation of the disposer  11 . Specifically, shutters  20 ,  70 ,  80  remain engaged under control of solenoid  21  during operation of the system  10 . With specific reference to FIG. 2, shutter  70  includes a plurality of overlapping leaves or paddles  72 , which act under centrifugal force in an iris-type arrangement to close the opening  74  to the grinder chamber  12  during operation of the disposer  11 . The leaves or paddles  72  may be perforated or otherwise slitted, slotted or meshed with perforations  76  to enable a water flow from water supply  24  venting though duct  26  and faucet  22 , or to allow for draining of another fluid discharged into sink  14 . Likewise, with reference to FIG. 3, shutter  80  includes a plurality of overlapping leaves or paddles  82 , which act under centrifugal force in an iris-type arrangement to close the opening  84  to the grinder chamber  12  during operation of the disposer  
         [0022]    The leaves or paddles  82  may be perforated or otherwise slitted, slotted or meshed with perforations  86  to enable a water flow from water supply  24  venting though duct  26  and faucet  22 . A manual override is provided to open the shutter  20 ,  70 ,  80  as may be necessary to clear or service the grinding chamber  12 . According to any of the disclosed embodiments, the shutter  20 ,  70 ,  80  is substantially or completely closed during the grinding operation (and optionally during the pre-grinding operation), and again returns to the open position after the system is cycled, subject to controller programming.  
         [0023]    Although the present invention has been described with respect to the several preferred embodiments, modifications and alterations can be made without departing from the invention. Accordingly, it is intended that all such modifications and alterations be considered as being within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the attached claims.