System and method for emptying a latched container

A method for unlatching a latch on a container includes providing a lifting arm for lifting a latched container. Moving the latched container from a first position to a second position with the lifting arm and unlatching the container by flexing the latch on the container by moving the container from the first position to the second position. The latch includes a first member which is pivotably mounted to a lid. A second member is adapted to selectively engage a projection on a body of the container. An arch member connects the first member to the second member and a handle extends in the direction opposite to the direction in which the arch member extends. The step of deflecting the handle is by movement of the moving member to the flex the latch.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a system for opening a latched container, and in particular, to a system and method for opening a plastic latch mounted on a cart.

Containers, such as garbage carts for homes, are known in the art. The carts have a container body. In some embodiments, wheels may be provided at a lower corner of the container body. A lid is rotatably affixed to the container to rotate between a first open position and a second closed position.

To prevent animals from gaining access to trash carts or prevent inadvertent spilling of the contents, it becomes necessary to lock the lid in the closed position. As is known in the art, latches are provided. These latches are usually metal pieces. In products such as those manufactured by Rehrig or Norseman, a metal piece formed as a rod is pivotally mounted to the lid. The rod forms a general U-shape in which a first end of the rod is mounted to the lid and the second opposed end of the wire is also mounted to an opposed position on the lid so that the U-shaped rod is pivotally mounted to the lid. The base of the U may be formed as a handle. The sections between the handle and the respective rod ends form, at least in part, an engaging portion for engaging a lip of the container body. In this way, as the latch is pivoted about its ends from a first open position to a second closed position, engaging portions of the latch engage a portion of the container body locking the lid against the container body. To release the lid, the handle is pulled to rotate the latch from the second position releasing the lid from the container body allowing the lid to be rotated into an open position.

It is also known in the art that trash removal has become automated. Waste disposal trucks now use robotic lifting arms to capture lift and empty the trash cart into the truck. However, a latch sufficiently strong to prevent animals such as a raccoon or bear from opening the lid will also prevent the lid from opening when the robotic arm attempts to empty the container. As a result, the driver of the truck must manually release each latch prior to use of the robotic arm; resulting in a waste of time and energy.

Accordingly, a system utilizing a robotic arm and latch which overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art is desired.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A container has a body and a lid rotatably affixed to the body so as to be selectively rotated between a first open position and a second closed position. A latch has a first end adapted to be rotatably affixed to the lid. A second end is adapted to engage the container body. The first end is connected to the second end by an arched member, the arched member capable of flexure when a force is applied at a concave surface of the arched member.

A robotic lifting arm has proximal end for attachment to a truck. Pincers are located on a distal end of the robotic lifting arm and are adapted to grab the cart. An unlocking member disposed at the distal end of the arm includes a sliding mechanism which moves between a first direction and second direction as a function of movement of the robotic lifting arm. The unlocking member includes a moving member which moves between the first direction and the second direction and a finger extending from the moving member so as to come in contact with the latch of a container by moving to the second position so as to unlatch the container. The second position is when the lid of the container is substantially in facing relationship with the truck; an upside down position so that gravity moves the moving member to unlock the lid of the container.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Reference is generally made toFIGS. 1,8, and10in which a container as a cart, generally indicated as10, constructed in accordance with the invention is provided. Cart10includes a container body12having a projection in the form of an upper rim22extending about a top, and the opening formed at the top of body12. Support members16extend from the rim22. A handle18is supported by support members16spaced away from housing12.

Wheels26are affixed to housing12as in a manner known in the art so that cart10is mobile.

As will be seen below, rim22is provided by way of exemplary, but nonlimiting embodiment. Any projection from body12is contemplated by the present invention. Rim22may merely be a ridge, a lip, a platform, or a projection capable of being engaged by a latch30. Support member16may also extend from body12, rather than rim22.

A lid14sized to cover an opening (not shown) of body12is rotatably disposed on body12. Lid14is formed with wings20for rotatably engaging handle18as known in the art. In this manner, lid14may be moved from a first closed position, as seen in the figures, about the pivot provided by handle18to an open position (not shown) to allow access to the cart body12. A pivot24is formed within lid14. In a preferred, nonlimiting embodiment, pivot24is at an edge of lid14opposed to an edge from which lid14is rotatably affixed to body12.

Latch30is pivotally disposed about pivot24and is adapted to engage a projection such as that formed by rim22to lock lid14in the closed position. Accordingly, latch30is rotatable between a first open position, as shown inFIG. 8, which allows rotation of lid14and a closed position, as shown inFIG. 9, which locks the lid14to body12in the closed position.

Reference is now also made toFIGS. 2-7in which latch30is shown with greater particularity. Latch30includes a first member32which is a pivot member. First member32is formed with a receiving portion, in an exemplary but nonlimiting embodiment, an opening34therein, adapted to receive pivot24of lid14. Latch30includes a second member36acting as a handle. An arch member40connects first member32with second member36. Handle portion36is formed with a catch38. Catch38is a projection adapted to engage a projection of housing body12such as rim22.

In a preferred nonlimiting embodiment, pivot member32, handle36, and arch member40are formed as a unitary construction; preferably formed of a plastic material. Arch member40is flexible such that a force applied at a convex surface48of latch30will deflect arch member40flattening arch member40to lengthen latch30. Arch40has sufficient resiliency that it will substantially return to its original shape upon removal of the force at convex surface48of arch portion40.

In a preferred but nonlimiting embodiment, to reduce the amount of material required for latch30, without sacrificing strength, flexibility, and resiliency, various structures are incorporated into latch30. A plurality of support arches44extend along convex surface48between arch member40and pivot member32. Additionally, a second set of support members46comprised of one or more support arches, in a nonlimiting exemplary embodiment, extend along a concave surface of arched member40, and may extend from the handle portion of second member36to the pivot portion of second member32. An opening42may be provided in second member36adjacent catch38. Catch38may be any shape capable of engaging a projection from housing12, such as rim22while also being dimensioned to allow for disengagement by flexure of handle36as will be discussed below.

During use, latch30is pivotally mounted to lid14. Pivot24is received within opening34of pivot32of latch30. To lock cart10, latch30is pivoted from a first open position (FIG. 8) in a direction of arrow C to an intermediate position (FIG. 10).

In the intermediate position, it becomes apparent that latch30is dimensioned so that catch38is positioned along latch30so that when no force is applied to latch30, catch38is disposed at a position in which it does not engage rim22, in this instance the position is above a bottom surface23of the projection provided by rim22. However, as seen inFIG. 9, when a force is applied to the convex surface48of arched member40, latch30is lengthened so that catch38moves below bottom surface23of rim22to engage rim22. Latch30is resilient such that once the force in the direction of arrow A is removed, latch30will substantially return to its original position. However, catch38engaging rim22prevents complete return, and therefore the restorative force of latch30keeps latch30in the closed position by the force applied by catch38against lip22. It should be noted that a force in the direction of arrow A not only extends the length of latch30, but also continues to move handle30in the direction of arrow C so that it is the action of pressing against latch30at arch member40which closes and locks the cart as shown inFIGS. 1 and 9.

To open the cart, it should be noted that handle portion36is slightly curved in that portion of second member36, which extends from catch38. Handle36is curved in a direction opposed to the curve of arch member40, and in a preferred embodiment, to a lesser extent (more obtuse curve) than the curve of arched member40. This facilitates applying a force in direction of arrow B to latch30at handle portion36. Applying a force at handle portion36pulls catch38away from rim22releasing latch30allowing rotation into the open position shown inFIG. 8. It should be known that the surface of catch38may be rounded or cammed to allow catch38to slide along rim22as it is released rather than requiring movement of handle portion36sufficient to rotate catch38to clear rim22or to flatten catch40.

In a preferred nonlimiting embodiment, latch30must be sufficiently rigid so as to maintain a grip about pivot24and sufficiently rigid along its length to maintain catch38in position to prevent opening of lid14. However, latch30must be sufficiently flexible to allow flattening of latch30without the need for excessive force, i.e. not beyond a manual force easily applied by an ordinary person and to allow handle36sufficient movement to allow catch38to either be deflected by rim22or disengaged by rim22. Latch30also exhibits restorative properties so that once released, latch30returns to its original shape. In the most preferred embodiment, latch30must maintain these properties across a temperature range from −30° C. to 30° C. In a preferred, but nonlimiting embodiment, latch30is unitary nylon construct.

A slit35is formed within pivot member32. Slit35mates with a projection (not shown) formed on lid14. Slit35is off centered along the axis of second member32which prevents mistaken installation of latch30. Latch30will only fit about pivot24of lid14when slit35is aligned with the projection guaranteeing normal orientation.

Reference is now made toFIGS. 11-14wherein a system generally indicated as100for a latch and a robotic lifting arm, by way of nonlimiting example, capable of opening a latched crate is provided. System100includes a cart10having a latched lid in which a portion of the latch extends below or beyond the lid, such as latch30by way of nonlimiting example and a lifting arm constructed as robotic arm120; by way of nonlimiting example.

Robotic lifting arm120includes a proximal end122adapted to be affixed to a truck (not shown) as known in the art. Robotic arm120has a first section124extending from proximal end122and a second section126extending from first section124at an angle. A container manipulating assembly140is affixed to a distal end128of robotic lifting arm120.

Container manipulating assembly140includes a motor block141for housing a motor. A grabber assembly which in a preferred nonlimiting embodiment, includes grabber members142a,142bextending from opposed sides of motor block141and move between a first, open, position and a second, closed or pincing, position under the control of a motor (not shown) preferably housed in motor block141. It is understood that through gearing the motor may be housed anywhere along system100. Grabber members142a,142bwhen in the closed or second position surround and grab container body12of cart10and that any other structure which grabs to lift a container may be substituted for grabber members142a,142b. (SeeFIG. 12,FIG. 13). When grasped, in accordance with the invention, cart10is captured by grabber members142a,142bsuch that latch30is in substantial facing relationship with robot lifting arm120.

An unlatching member144includes a guide member146which, in a preferred exemplary, but nonlimiting embodiment, is a pathway or chute extending from grabber members142a,142btowards second arm section126. A moving member147is disposed within guide member146and is capable of moving within guide member146, under the control of gravity, from a first position away from latch30to second a position towards and/or beyond latch30. Moving member147includes wheels,148a,148bto facilitate movement within guide member146of moving member147. It should be noted, that wheels are used as an exemplary, nonlimiting embodiment and may be omitted by utilizing low friction elements such as Teflon or lubricant such as oil, grease or silicon spray, or any combination thereof so long as moving member147is capable of substantially consistent movement at a speed sufficient to dislodge latch40as moving member147moves from the first position to the second position as will be described below. A finger element149aextends from moving member147outside of the path formed by guide member146and is sufficiently sized so that to engage a latch, such as latch30as moving member147moves from the first position to the second position.

Operation of system100is illustrated byFIGS. 12 and 14, which have substantially the same frame of reference, and shows arm120as it moves through an arc generally defined by arrow G. Gravity, acting on moving member147causes moving member147to move substantially in the direction of arrow H as lifting arm120moves. It follows that finger element149moves in the direction of arrow H and engages latch30. In this nonlimiting example, finger149engages handle portion36to flex handle portion36and disengage latch30as described above. It should be well understood that the system may work with any lid and latch in which contacting a lower extremity of the latch causes disengagement of the latch.

By providing a system in which the standard motion for emptying a cart into a waste disposal truck unlatches a latched cart, a latch sufficiently strong to resist animal break in may be utilized without the need for the operator of the truck to manually open each cart prior to dumping. By providing a lifting arm which utilizes gravity to move an unlatching mechanism from a first position to a second position; the second position being at least an unlatching position, a simple mechanical structure is provided to consistently unlatch latched carts. By providing a plastic latch rotatably affixed to the lid of the cart and capable of flexure to engage the body of the cart and a disengaging handle, a simple structure capable of being mass produced at low cost is provided for latching the cart in a manner that prevents animal break in.

It is to be understood that while certain forms of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein, the present invention is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangement of parts described and shown.