Apparatus and method of separating small rubbish and organic matters from garbage for collection

An apparatus and method of separating small rubbish and organic matters from garbage for collection by means of water by considering specific weight, buoyancy, and flow rate of water is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a plurality of conveyor screens incorporating injection nozzles, a less inclined channel, a conveyor, and an organic matter screen for effectively separating floated rubbish, organic matters, and sunk rubbish from garbage for collection.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to garbage disposal and more particularly to an apparatus and method of rapidly, effectively separating small rubbish and organic matters from garbage for collection.

2. Description of Related Art

As to garbage disposal, typically there are techniques, i.e., landfill and burning, widely used throughout the world. Many precious lands are used for landfill as more garbage is generated everyday. Underground water and soil may be polluted by buried garbage if an appropriate disposal is not done. As to burning, it can cause severe air pollution if smoke generated during burning is not well processed prior to discharge. As to generated ashes, they are buried after being generated. Hence, the problem of polluting underground water and soil still exists. Further, it is often that residents violently protest a garbage disposal site to be established in their neighborhood because they think it may degrade their living quality once established. Furthermore, the cost of disposing garbage is increased significantly as less land being available for landfill.

Resources on earth begin to deplete in recent years. Hence, more and more people are aware of the importance of resource recycling by actively cooperating with the resource recycling policy. It is desired that amount of garbage can be reduced significantly in a near future by successfully recycling resources in order to prolong a useful time of land for burying garbage and preserve limited resources on earth. However, the typical resource recycling (i.e., garbage recycling) techniques are unsatisfactory now. For example, a satisfactory garbage classification is not possible by the typical resource recycling techniques mainly because a wide variety of different materials are contained in garbage. The materials comprise toxic, nontoxic, large, small, dry, wet, soft, hard, light, and heavy ones. Hence, an effective classification among such materials is impossible by a known mechanical device. More often that a manual garbage classification is done. For example, encourage people to classify garbage or require cleaning employees to do the garbage classification after collection. In view of the above, the conventional garbage classification technique is tedious and low in efficiency. Moreover, the cleaning employees are susceptible of contracting diseases or being poisoned by contaminants or toxic materials contained in garbage. Hence, a need for improvement exists.

Thus, it is desirable to provide a novel apparatus and method of effectively separating small rubbish and organic matters from garbage for collection by means of water in order to overcome the above drawbacks of the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method of automatically, effectively separating floated rubbish, organic matters, and sunk rubbish from garbage for collection.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method of separating small rubbish and organic matters from garbage for collection while performing an initial cleaning.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method of separating small rubbish and organic matters from garbage for collection while diluting toxic materials in garbage.

To attain the above mentioned objects and advantages, the method of comprising the steps of:

sifting out small rubbish and organic matters by pouring the garbage mixed with water into screen means, passing organic matters and small rubbish through the screen means to direct to a less inclined channel, and pushing the garbage not sifted and stayed on the screen means to a next stage for processing by spraying water from injection nozzle means under the screen means;

directing the sifted small rubbish and organic matters mixed with water to a less inclined channel;

collecting sunk small rubbish by directing sand and the sunk small rubbish to a V-shaped trough in a bottom of the less inclined channel and discharging sand and the sunk small rubbish out of the less inclined channel for collection via a drain pipe;

collecting floated rubbish on the less inclined channel by transporting the floated rubbish on the less inclined channel to a floated rubbish collection container for collection by an inclined conveyor having a lower portion sunk in water in the less inclined channel; and

sifting out the organic matters in water by directing water contained organic matters in the less inclined channel to an organic matter screen for sifting out the organic matters and passing water through the organic matter screen for purification.

Preferably, the step of sifting out small rubbish and organic matters comprises the sub-steps of:

fine sifting by pouring the garbage mixed with water into a first conveyor screen having a plurality of meshed openings of about 4 cm to about 6 cm, passing fine organic matters and tiny rubbish in the garbage through the first conveyor screen to direct to the less inclined channel, and pushing the garbage not sifted out of the first conveyor screen by spraying water from the injection nozzle means under the first conveyor screen; and

coarse sifting by pushing the garbage mixed with water from the first conveyor screen to fall on a conveyor second conveyor screen having a plurality of meshed openings of about 6 cm to about 8 cm and passing coarse organic matters and small rubbish having a size less than about 6 cm to about 8 cm in the garbage through the second conveyor screen to direct to the less inclined channel.

Preferably, the apparatus of the invention comprising:

a feed chute capable of moving in a vertical direction;

a screen assembly below an outlet of the feed chute, the screen assembly including a first waterway at a bottom side;

a less inclined channel outside the screen assembly, and coupled to the first waterway, a junction of the less inclined channel and the first waterway being at a highest position of the less inclined channel, the less inclined channel including an outlet at the other lowest end thereof, a much less inclined section at an intermediate portion thereof, a V-shaped trough in a bottom thereof, and a drain pipe at a bottom of the V-shaped trough for discharging sand and small rubbish sunk in the V-shaped trough;

an upward inclined conveyor above the much less inclined section between the V-shaped trough and the outlet of the less inclined channel, the conveyor having a lower portion sunk in water in the much less inclined section;

an organic matter screen below the outlet of the less inclined channel; and

a floated rubbish collection container for collecting floated rubbish sent from the floated rubbish collection container.

Preferably, the apparatus of the invention further comprises:

a first conveyor screen below and extended outward from the outlet of the feed chute, the first conveyor screen including a plurality of meshed openings and a bottom coupled to the first waterway;

a tray below and extended outward from the first conveyor screen;

a plurality of first injection nozzles under the first conveyor screen for obliquely spraying water toward surfaces of the first conveyor screen and the tray;

a second conveyor screen below and extended outward from the tray, the second conveyor screen having a plurality of meshed openings equal to or larger than that of the first conveyor screen; and

a second waterway at a bottom side of the second conveyor screen coupled to the less inclined channel.

Preferably, the tray is substantially shaped as a rectangle and comprises two side walls, an outlet between the side walls and distal from the first conveyor screen, and an upward inclined edge at the outlet thereof, the upward inclined edge being adapted to slow a flow of the garbage through the outlet of the tray.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

First mix garbage with water. Next, separate heavy garbage (i.e., garbage sunk in water) from garbage. A sequence of method steps are then performed by an apparatus of separating small rubbish and organic matters from garbage for collection in accordance with the invention as referring toFIG. 1.

In step1, sift out small rubbish and organic matters. In detail, pour garbage mixed with water into a first conveyor screen having a plurality of meshed openings of about 4 cm to about 6 cm. As such, fine organic matters and tiny rubbish are able to pass through the first conveyor screen to direct to a first waterway. The garbage not sifted is stayed on the first conveyor screen and is immediately pushed to a conveyor second conveyor screen having a plurality of meshed openings of about 6 cm to about 8 cm by water sprayed from a plurality of first injection nozzles under the first conveyor screen. The garbage mixed with water arrived at the second conveyor screen will cause coarse organic matters and small rubbish having a size less than about 6 cm to about 8 cm thereof to pass through the second conveyor screen to direct to a second waterway. The garbage not sifted is stayed on the second conveyor screen and is immediately pushed to a next stage for processing by water sprayed from a plurality of second injection nozzles under the second conveyor screen.

In step2, direct the sifted small rubbish, tiny rubbish, and organic matters mixed with water to a less inclined channel via the first and second waterways.

In step3, collect sunk small rubbish. In detail, direct sand and sunk small rubbish to a V-shaped trough in a bottom of the less inclined channel. The sand and sunk small rubbish are then discharged out of the less inclined channel for collection via a drain pipe.

In step4, collect floated rubbish on the less inclined channel. In detail, transport the floated rubbish on the less inclined channel to a floated rubbish collection container for collection by an inclined conveyor having a lower portion sunk in water in the much less inclined section.

In step5, sift out organic matters in water. In detail, direct water contained organic matters of garbage in the less inclined channel to an organic matter screen in which organic matters will be sifted out by the organic matter screen and water will pass through the organic matter screen for purification. This completes the process of separating small rubbish and organic matters from garbage for collection.

Referring toFIGS. 2,3, and4, the apparatus of separating small rubbish and organic matters from garbage for collection of the invention is shown. The apparatus comprises a feed chute10capable of moving in a vertical direction, the feed chute10having a section of U and a screen assembly20below an outlet of the feed chute10. The screen assembly20comprises a first conveyor screen21below and extended outward from the outlet of the feed chute10, the first conveyor screen21having a plurality of meshed openings of about 4 cm to about 6 cm so that fine organic matters and tiny rubbish in garbage are able to pass through to direct to a first waterway22, the garbage not sifted is stayed on the first conveyor screen21, a tray23below and extended outward from the first conveyor screen21, the tray23being rectangular and having two side walls, an outlet between the side walls and distal from the first conveyor screen21, and an upward inclined edge230at the outlet of the tray23, the upward inclined edge230being adapted to slow the flow of garbage through the outlet of the tray23, a plurality of first injection nozzles210under the first conveyor screen21for obliquely spraying water toward surfaces of the first conveyor screen21and the tray23, and a second conveyor screen24below and extended outward from the tray23, the second conveyor screen24having a plurality of meshed openings of about 6 cm to about 8 cm so as to cause coarse organic matters and small rubbish having a size less than about 6 cm to about 8 cm in garbage and water to pass through to direct to a second waterway25, the first and second waterways22,25being coupled to a less inclined channel30outside the screen assembly20, a junction of the less inclined channel30and the first waterway22being at a highest position of the less inclined channel30while an outlet31being located at the other lowest end of the less inclined channel30.

An organic matter screen40is formed below the outlet31of the less inclined channel30, the organic matter screen40is formed of a nylon net and has about 200 to about 400 meshed openings. That is, the organic matter screen40has very small meshed openings. A much less inclined section32is formed at an intermediate portion of the less inclined channel30. A V-shaped trough33is formed in a bottom of the less inclined channel30. The V-shaped trough33has a bottom drain pipe330(seeFIG. 3) for discharging sand and small rubbish sunk in the V-shaped trough33. An upward inclined conveyor34is formed above the much less inclined section32of the less inclined channel30between the V-shaped trough33and the outlet31. The conveyor34has a lower portion sunk in water in the much less inclined section32of the less inclined channel30and an upper portion right above a floated rubbish collection container340.

An operation of the invention will now be described in detail below. First, mix garbage with water. Next, remove heavy materials out of the garbage. Next, adjust a height difference between the feed chute10and the first conveyor screen21to an optimum based on amount of organic matters in the garbage. For example, the feed chute10can be adjusted to a higher place for increasing the speed of water flow and the downward momentum of water if the amount of organic matters in the garbage is larger. As a result, the organic matters and small rubbish in garbage will have increased force to pass through the first conveyor screen21. Next, pour the garbage mixed with water into the first conveyor screen21. As such, fine organic matters and tiny rubbish in garbage are able to pass through the first conveyor screen21to direct to the less inclined channel30via the first waterway22. The garbage not sifted is stayed on the first conveyor screen21and is immediately pushed to the tray23by water obliquely sprayed from the first injection nozzles210under the first conveyor screen21. The garbage on the tray23will be sequentially pushed to fall onto the second conveyor screen24due to the provision of the upward inclined edge230at the outlet of the tray23. This can avoid a garbage accumulation on the tray23. The garbage mixed with water arrived at the second conveyor screen24will cause coarse organic matters and small rubbish having a size less than about 6 cm to about 8 cm thereof to pass through the second conveyor screen24to direct to the less inclined channel30via the second waterway25. The garbage not sifted is stayed on the second conveyor screen24and is immediately pushed to a next stage for processing by water obliquely upward sprayed from a plurality of second injection nozzles240under the second conveyor screen24. Note that the processing of garbage fed from the second conveyor screen24at the next stage is not pertinent to the invention. Thus a detailed description thereof is omitted herein for the sake of brevity.

Subsequently, the sifted small rubbish, tiny rubbish, and organic matters mixed with water continue to flow to the much less inclined section32of the less inclined channel30after passing the first and second waterways22,25. At the much less inclined section32, sand and small articles such as cigarette lighters, absorbent cotton, etc. are deposited into the V-shaped trough33in the bottom of the less inclined channel30due to slow water flow. The sand and sunk small rubbish are then discharged out of the less inclined channel30for further processing via the drain pipe330(seeFIG. 3). Moreover, floated rubbish and other organic matters mixed in water at the less inclined channel30continue to flow toward the outlet31of the less inclined channel30. Also, the conveyor34is activated to transport the floated rubbish on the less inclined channel30to the floated rubbish collection container340for collection. At this time, materials in garbage remained at the less inclined channel30are organic matters mixed with water. The garbage flow containing organic matters continues to flow to the outlet31of the less inclined channel30prior to falling on the organic matter screen40. The organic matters in garbage will be sifted out by the organic matter screen40having about 200 to about 400 meshed openings. There will be no accumulation of garbage on the organic matter screen40since the organic matter screen40is formed of nylon having a smooth surface (i.e., not sticky). Hence, the apparatus of the invention can collect almost all visible articles in garbage except very tiny ones such as oily materials, starch, etc. Finally, oily materials, starch, water, etc. are discharged to a next stage for purification processing.

The benefits of the invention include (1) providing a novel and unique garbage disposal implementation of rapidly, effectively, conveniently, and precisely separating floated rubbish, organic matters, and sunk rubbish from garbage for collection by means of water without involving a manual operation; (2) performing an initial cleaning of garbage by means of water while classifying garbage for facilitating a subsequent garbage recycling; (3) diluting toxic materials in garbage by means of water while classifying garbage for reducing a possibility of contracting diseases; and (4) providing an apparatus capable of effectively, rapidly, and precisely separating small rubbish and organic matters from garbage for collection.