Domestic waste treatment system

Abstract: A domestic waste treatment system, comprising: a compaction and disposal device (1,2); a curbside bin (43), which is adapted to receive the waste contained in a tray (13) provided with an openable bottom (20) and is divided according to type in the compartments of the tray (13); a truck (57) which is adapted to receive the waste contained in a bin (43) provided with an openable bottom (50) and divided according to type in the compartments of the bin (43); a final treatment plant, which is adapted to receive the waste contained in a container (58) provided with an openable bottom (61) and divided according to type in the compartments of the container (58).

Description: The invention relates to a domestic waste treatment system. The many problems linked to the presence of the waste generated daily in domestic environments are well-known. Among them, the volume of the waste, which is increasingly difficult to control, and the now compulsory need to provide for sorted collection by separating said waste according to types designed for different processes in final treatment plants, are particularly pressing issues. DE 40 01 768 discloses a rubbish disposal device for loose materials. Such device comprises transfer means for transferring at least one materials stream from a reception unit to a holding unit. The transfer means can be easily linked and separated. The aim of the present invention is to provide a domestic waste treatment system, which by using a global approach to deal with all the problems is capable of ensuring optimum functionality. The proposed aim is achieved by a domestic waste treatment system according to the invention, characterized in that it consists of a compaction and disposal device which comprises: a plurality of compaction chambers, which are arranged so as to receive different types of waste introduced through individual loading openings, and which are provided with at least one plate actuated by actuation means and adapted to act on said waste so as to reduce its volume: at least one additional compartment designed for disposal of organic waste; a pull-out tray arranged below the compaction chambers and provided with partitions which form a plurality of compartments which are adapted to receive, by gravity, the different types of waste contained at least in said compaction chambers so as to keep them separated, said tray being provided with an openable bottom and with means suitable to receive a lid; a lid which is associable with the pull-out tray; a pull-out divider which is arranged at the base of the plurality of compaction chambers for allowing or inhibiting communication between said chambers and said compartments. The domestic waste treatment system according to the invention further comprises a curbside bin which is suitable to receive said waste contained in a tray provided with an openable bottom, said waste being divided according to type in the several compartments of said tray, said bin comprising: resting means for resting on the road paving; gripping means for being gripped by a waste transport truck; an openable bottom; an opening formed in a wall in an elevated position proximate to the top of the bin, suitable to allow the complete insertion of said tray in said bin; a plurality of walls which are adapted to divide the internal space of the bin into compartments which extend from the bottom and end upward at openings which are arranged so that there is one of said openings below each one of the compartments provided in said tray when said tray is fully inserted in the bin. Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become better apparent from the following detailed description of a few preferred but not exclusive embodiments thereof, illustrated only by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view with parts, shown in phantom lines, of the basic module, and of an additional associated module shown in dot-and-dash lines; Figure 2 is a sectional view, taken along the plane II-II of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a view of the tray, pulled out of the basic module and provided with the corresponding lid; Figure 4 is a view of the removable divider; Figure 5 is a view of the compaction and disposal device according to a first embodiment; Figure 6 is a view showing a different form of a detail of the embodiment of Figure 5; Figures 7 and 8 are views of additional embodiments of the compaction and disposal device; Figure 9 is a view of a curbside bin; Figure 10 is a sectional view, taken along the plane X-X of Figure 9; Figure 11 is a view of a truck for transporting the waste from curbside bins to the final treatment plant; Figures 12, 13 and 14 are schematic views of different steps of the operation of the truck; Figure 15 is a view of the plant for the final treatment of the waste; Figure 16 is a view of a detail of Figure 15. With reference to the above Figures 1 to 4, 1 designates a basic module of the compaction and disposal device, and the reference numeral 2 designates the outline of a module which can be associated with said basic module and is described hereinafter. Said basic module 1 comprises a plurality of compaction chambers, designated by the reference numerals 3, 4, 5 and 6 respectively, which are delimited by the outside walls of the module and by the partitions 7, 8 and 9, and are arranged so as to receive different materials which are introduced through individual loading openings located at the lid 1a of the module; merely by way of example, it is assumed that the chamber 3 receives glass objects, the chamber 4 receives objects made of metals other than aluminum, the chamber 5 receives aluminum objects such as ordinary beverage cans, and the chamber 6 receives plastic objects. Said chambers are provided with the plate 10, which has slots for the passage of the partitions 7, 8 and 9 and is actuated by the actuation cylinder 11 in order to act on the waste contained in the chambers 3, 4, 5, 6 so as to reduce its volume; moreover, said chambers are delimited at the bottom by the pull-out divider 12 provided with handles 12a, 12b. One or more of the compaction chambers may be provided with a cutter for breaking up the material that is introduced, comprising a blade and a contrast blade which are respectively fixed to the plate 10 and to the wall of the module that lies opposite thereto. At the base of the module 1 there is provided the pull-out tray, generally designated by the reference numeral 13, which is provided with a handle 13a and with partitions which first of all form compartments which are suitable to receive, by gravity, the waste contained in the compaction chambers so as to keep it sorted; accordingly, the compartment 14 is arranged so as to receive objects made of glass 14a from the chamber 3, the compartment 15 receives objects 15a made of metal except aluminum from the chamber 4, the compartment 16 receives objects 16a made of aluminum from the chamber 5, and the compartment 17 receives plastic objects 17a from the chamber 6. The tray 13 also comprises the compartment 18, which is designed to receive a material which does not require compaction, such as for example paper 18a, and which reaches it directly by gravity by means of the chute 19 with a loading opening which is located at the lid 1a of the module and is protected by the lid 19a. The tray is provided with a bottom 20 which can open by sliding and has a handle 20a, and with guides 21 suitable to receive the sliding lid 22 with a handle 22a. The basic module 1 is complete by the presence of the compartment 23 designed to dispose of organic waste, as explained in greater detail hereinafter; said compartment is not connected to the tray 13. Before ending the description of the basic module 1 of the compaction and disposal device, it should be observed that the number of compaction chambers comprised therein may be any, and that said chambers may obviously be designed for any material and may have one or more plates actuated in any manner; there may also be more than one chute such as 19 which is directly connected to a corresponding compartment formed in the underlying tray, but said chute may also be omitted. It is also possible to provide for additional portions of space which are open exclusively at the loading opening, also acting as discharge opening, for containing particular waste. It should also be observed that the bottom of the tray 13 may be openable in any manner, and that the lid of the tray may be associated therewith in any manner. A first embodiment of the compaction and disposal device according to the invention is shown in Figure 5 and is achieved by providing the basic module with the additions that are now described. First of all it, there is a drive 24 for the actuation cylinder 11, which is provided with an electric pump operated by means of the pushbuttons 24a, 24b, contiguous to the master switch 25. Moreover, the compartment 23 accommodates the conventional disposer 26, which reduces to pulp the organic residues, such as peel and kitchen waste, dropped into said compartment 23. The water required for the operation of the disposer is supplied by means of the duct 27 by the pump 28, drawing it from the reservoir 29 contained in the structure 30 which can be pulled out of the module 2 associated with the basic module converted as described. The pulp produced by the disposer is conveyed, by means of the duct 31, to the container 32, which is accommodated in the structure 30 so that it can be moved away for periodic emptying. The reference numeral 33 designates the pushbutton for actuating the disposer 26 and the pump 28, and the reference numeral 34 designates the luminous warning for indicating the presence of water in the reservoir 29. The operation of the device is evident. The user introduces the different types of waste as above-described in the compaction and disposal device in the active configuration, in which the divider 12 is inserted at the base of the compaction chambers 3, 4, 5, 6 and the tray 13 is inserted without the lid 22 and with the bottom 20; clearly, the disposer 26 is operated every time organic substances are introduced in the compartment 23, and water is periodically topped up in the reservoir 29 and the pulp container 32 is periodically emptied. When the waste introduced in the compaction chambers reaches a set level, the plate 10 is actuated, compressing said waste and considerably reducing its volume; at this point the divider 12 is pulled out, and the compacted waste accordingly falls into the several compartments of the tray 13, which when deemed appropriate is pulled out, provided with the lid 22, and carried for emptying to a curbside bin as described hereinafter. Figure 6 shows a different form of the elements contained in the structure 30 that can be pulled out of the module 2 associated with the basic module. According to this different form, means for compacting the pulp produced by the disposer 26 are associated with the reservoir 29 for the water that is sent to said disposer by the pump 28 by means of the duct 27; said means comprise the separator 35 for separating the liquid fraction that reaches the reservoir 36 from the solid fraction that reaches the dryer 37 and can be removed as powder or granules. Anyhow the solid fraction of the pulp may be compacted by virtue of any means. A different embodiment of the compaction and disposal device is shown in Figure 7: in this embodiment, the basic module has again been integrated with the drive 24, which is provided with an electric pump, and with the disposer 26; however, differently from what occurs in the previously described embodiment, said disposer receives the water required for operation from the tap 38 and discharges the resulting pulp into the domestic sewage system by means of the duct 39. In the further embodiment shown in Figure 8, the basic module has been integrated by simply adding the manual drive 40 for actuating the actuation cylinder 11 and the simple container 41, which is protected by the lid 42 and is suitable to contain organic substances which are periodically emptied. Other embodiments of the compaction and disposal device are of course possible, for example by combining the presence of the disposer 26 with a manual drive for actuating the actuation cylinder 11; all said embodiments are suitable to be inserted within kitchen units and the like or in any case in small spaces which are easily available in homes. A curbside bin 43 is now described with reference to Figures 9 and 10; said bin is suitable to receive the waste contained in the tray 13, shown in dot-and-dash lines in Figure 9, in a position which is suitable for insertion in the bin 43 through the opening 44 provided with a door 45. The partitions 46, 47, 48, 49 are provided inside said bin 43 and divide the space of the bin into compartments which extend from the bottom and end, in an upward region, at inlets which are arranged so that there is one inlet below each one of the compartments provided in the tray 13 when said tray is fully inserted in the bin. Thus, by removing the sliding bottom 20 of the tray 13 inserted in the bin 43, the glass 14a contained in the compartment 14 of the tray falls into the compartment delimited by the front wall 43a and the side wall 43b of the bin and by the partitions 46 and 49; the objects 15a made of metals other than aluminum contained in the compartment 15 of the tray fall into the compartment delimited by the front wall 43a of the bin and by the partitions 46, 49 and 47; the aluminum objects 16a contained in the compartment 16 of the tray fall into the compartment delimited by the front wall 43a of the bin and by the partitions 47, 49 and 48; the plastic objects 17a contained in the compartment 17 of the tray fall into the compartment delimited by the partition 48 and by the front wall 43a, the side wall 43c and the rear wall of the bin; and finally the paper 18a contained in the compartment 18 of the tray falls into the compartment delimited by the partitions 49 and 48 and by the side wall 43b and rear wall of the bin. The result of the above is that inside the bin 43 the waste is collected so as to be sorted according to the same types isolated in the tray 13, and this condition is maintained in the many embodiments that are of course possible. The bin 43 is provided with a bottom 50 which can open by sliding at right angles to the front wall 43a and is provided with a protrusion 51, with arms 52a and 52b which are rigidly coupled thereto, and with wheels 53 which are associated with the guides 54a and 54b which are rigidly coupled to the lower end of the side walls 43b, 43c of said bin, so as to allow complete opening of the bottom. Anyhow the bottom of the bin can be openable in any manner. Finally, the bin 43 is provided with rollers, as 55, for resting on the road paving, and with means for being gripped by a waste transport truck; said means are constituted by the recess 56 formed on the side wall 43c and by an identical recess formed on the wall 43b. A truck 57 suitable to receive the waste contained in the bin 43 is now described with reference to Figures 11 to 14. Said truck first of all comprises the container 58, which is removable from the position shown in the figure so that it can be handled as required and is associated with the truck by virtue of the fact that the longitudinal brackets 58a, 58b with which it is provided rest on longitudinal members such as 59 which are supported by posts 60a and 60b which protrude from the platform 57a of the truck. Said container is provided with a bottom 61 which can open by sliding transversely to the truck 57, and said bottom has, at the sides that lie parallel to the direction of motion, folds 62 provided with wheels 63 which are suitable to rest on guides 64 supported by the shaped plates 65, 66 which are rigidly coupled to the walls of the container 58 and are mutually connected by longitudinal members 67. At the folds 62, the sliding bottom 61 is provided with means for engagement with handling means which comprise the pins 68 and 69, which protrude downward from brackets 69a which protrude with respect to said fold. It should be readily observed that the above-described sliding bottom can be replaced with different openable bottoms. On the lid of the container 58 there are engagement eyebolts 70 and there is an opening designated by the reference numeral 71. Inside said container 58 walls suitable to divide the internal space into compartments are provided which extend from the bottom and end upward in the opening 71, at openings 72, 73, 74, 75, 76 which are arranged so that there is one opening below each one of the compartments provided in the bin 43 when said bin is arranged above said opening 71: in this way, the opening 72 lies below the compartment of the tray 43 that contains plastic objects; the opening 73 lies below the compartment of the bin that contains aluminum objects; the opening 74 lies below the compartment of the bin that contains objects made of metals except aluminum; the opening 75 lies below the compartment of the bin that contains glass; and finally the opening 76 lies below the compartment of the bin that contains paper. It is immediately evident that when the waste contained in the bin 43 falls into the container 58 because the bottom has opened, the waste is divided, inside said container, according to type as it was in said bin 43 and earlier in the tray 13 of the compaction and disposal device. The means for handling the bin 43 that equip the truck 57 are now described in detail. Said means comprise the vertical guides 77 and 78, which rest on the platform 57a of the truck and have a portion which protrudes from the lid of the container which can be folded, in order to reduce the dimensions, by way of the action of hydraulic motors 78a for the guide 78. The slider 80 slides inside the guide 78, by way of the action of the actuation cylinder 79 which is fixed to the structure of the truck 57; said slider is provided with the arm 81 for supporting the combined cylinder 82, which is capable of causing the rotation of the multistage actuation cylinder 83 between the horizontal working position shown in the figure and a vertical position in contact with the arm 81 so as to minimize space occupation, and is also capable of producing the horizontal translatory motion of said cylinder 83 in order to move it away from, or closer to, the bin 43. The actuation cylinder 84 is provided at the end of the stem of the cylinder 83, acts in the opposite direction with respect to the cylinder 83 and has, at the end of its stem, the male element 85, which is suitable to enter the recess 56 provided on the side wall of the bin 43. Similar means are supported by the arm 86 which is rigidly coupled to the slider 87, which can slide in the guide 77 by way of the action of the cylinder 88. The truck 57 is also provided with means for handling the bottom 50 of the bin 43; said means comprise an abutment which is suitable to make contact with the protrusion 51 provided on said bottom, as will become apparent during the description of its operation; said abutment is constituted by the actuation cylinder 89, which is fixed to the longitudinal member 90 that connects the guides 77 and 78. Before proceeding with the description of the operation of all that has been described above, it should be observed that the partitions inside the container and the means for handling the bin 43 and the bottom 50 of said bin can have any configuration. The operation of the means for handling the bin 43 and the bottom 50 is now described starting from the situation shown in solid lines in Figure 11, in which the bin 43 is still resting on the road paving but is already engaged by said handling means thanks to the insertion of the male element 85 in the recess 56 and of the corresponding male element in the corresponding opposite recess: this situation has been achieved through obvious maneuvers on the cylinders 82 and 83 and on the corresponding cylinders supported by the arm 86. The sliders 80 and 87 begin to move upward, carrying the bin 43 to the position shown in dot-and-dash lines in Figures 11 and 12, directly above the lid of the container 58, and at this point the actuation cylinders 83 and 84 are activated together with the corresponding cylinders so as to produce the horizontal translatory motion, shown in Figures 12, 13 and 14, from the position shown in Figure 12 in dot-and-dash lines to the position shown in solid lines in Figures 13 and 14. Until the bin 43 reaches the position shown in solid lines in Figure 12, the bottom 50 of said bin is not actuated in any way and thus remains closed, but in this position the protrusion 51 of said bottom makes contact with the abutment 89 and thus locks, sliding out with respect to the bin 43, which instead continues its stroke until it reaches the position shown in Figures 13 and 14, in which it perfectly overlaps the opening 71 provided in the lid of the container 58. During the motion of the bin between the positions of Figures 12 and 13, which has occurred without activating the abutment actuation cylinder 89, the bottom has moved so as to allow the waste to fall into the openings 73, 74 and 75 and into the initial region of the opening 72. In order to open the bottom completely, at this point the cylinder 89 is activated, as shown in Figure 14, and the waste can thus also fall into the opening 76 and into the final region of the opening 72. As mentioned earlier, the waste has been transferred from the bin 43 to the container 58 so as to keep it divided according to type, as it was in said bin 49 and earlier still in the tray 13 of the compaction and disposal device. The plant for final waste treatment is now described with reference to Figures 15 and 16; said plant is suitable to receive said waste contained in the container 58, provided with a sliding bottom 61 and with an opening 71 in its lid, which is carried by the truck 57. The container 58 is engaged by the carriage 91 of the bridge crane 92 by means of the insertion of the stems of the actuation cylinders of said carriage in the eyebolts such as 70 which are provided on the lid of the container, is raised from the position shown in dot-and-dash lines on the platform of the truck 57, and then lowered into the position shown in the figure, so that the longitudinal brackets 58a and 58b rest on the crossmembers 93, 94 of the structure of the plant. During the final steps of the lowering of the container 58 toward the described position, the pins 68 and 69 that protrude from the folds of the sliding bottom 61 are inserted in eyelets which are provided at the end of the stems of the actuation cylinders 95 and 96, which are elastically supported by the longitudinal member 97, as shown by the detail of Figure 16. Said figure clearly shows the eyelet that is located at the end of the stem of the cylinder 95, is designated by the reference numeral 95a, and is crossed by the pin 68; and it can also be observed that said cylinder 95 is supported elastically, so as to facilitate the insertion of said pin in said eyelet, since it is pivoted at 95b to the bracket 98, which is fixed to the longitudinal member 97 and is rested on the cross-member 98a with an interposed spring such as 99. In the final position shown in Figure 15, the container 58 lies above inlets of channels, not shown in the figure, which convey the different types of waste received by gravity from the container to the various treatment points. Said inlets are of course arranged so that there is one inlet below each one of the compartments provided in the container 58; therefore, below the compartment of the container that corresponds to the opening 72, which as mentioned contains plastic objects, there is provided the inlet of the channel that leads to the plastic press 100; below the compartment of the container that corresponds to the opening 73 and contains aluminum objects there is provided the inlet of the channel that leads to the container 101; below the compartment of the container that corresponds to the opening 74 and contains non-aluminum metallic objects there is provided the inlet of the channel that leads to the container 102; below the compartment of the container that corresponds to the opening 75 and contains glass objects there is provided the inlet of the channel that leads to the container 103; and finally, below the compartment of the container that corresponds to the opening 76 and contains paper there is provided the inlet of the channel that leads to the paper press 104. The described waste treatment system is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the invention as defined in the claims. Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly, such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims: A domestic waste treatment system, characterized in that it consists of a compaction and disposal device which comprises: a plurality of compaction chambers (3,4,5,6), which are arranged so as to receive different types of waste introduced through individual loading openings and are provided with at least one plate (10) actuated by actuation means (11) and adapted to act on said waste so as to reduce its volume: at least one additional compartment (23) for disposal of organic waste; a pull-out tray (13) arranged below the compaction chambers (3,4,5,6) and provided with partitions which form a plurality of compartments (14,15,16,17,18) which are adapted to receive, by gravity, the different types of waste contained at least in said compaction chambers (3,4,5,6) so as to keep them separated, said tray (13) being provided with an openable bottom (20) and with means (21) adapted to receive a lid (22); a lid (22) which is associable with the pull-out tray (13); a pull-out divider (12) which is arranged at the base of the plurality of compaction chambers (3,4,5,6) for allowing or inhibiting communication between said chambers and said compartments. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the loading inlets of the compaction chambers (3,4,5,6) are located at the lid (1a)of the device. The system according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the actuation means for actuating the at least one plate comprise a hydraulic cylinder (11). The system according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the tray (13) comprised within the device is provided with said bottom (20) which can open by sliding and with a lid (22) which can be associated by sliding. The system according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the device comprises a single plate (10) which is adapted to process the waste contained in the individual aligned compaction chambers (3,4,5,6). The system according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one of said compaction chambers (3,4,5,6) is provided with a cutter with a blade and the contrast blade which are fixed respectively to said plate (10) and to the wall that lies opposite said plate. The system according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that within the device at least one chute (19) for connection to a loading opening is provided which is located at the lid (1a) of said device with a suitable compartment (18) formed in the pull-out tray (13) in order to introduce in said tray (13) at least one type of waste (18a) which does not require compaction. The system according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that within the device at least one additional portion of space is provided which is open exclusively at a loading and unloading opening. The system according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that all the mentioned units of the compaction and disposal device are comprised within a basic module (1) which is adapted to be integrated in various ways in order to provide different configurations of said device. The system according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the hydraulic cylinder (11) for actuating the at least one plate (10) is controlled by a drive (24) provided with an electric pump. The system according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the hydraulic cylinder (11) for actuating the at least one plate (10) is controlled by a drive (40) provided with a manual pump. The system according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the compartment (23) reserved for organic waste disposal which is included in the compaction and disposal device is adapted to accommodate a disposer (26) which converts to pulp said waste introduced in the compartment by way of a loading opening located at the lid (1a) of said device. The system according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the disposer (26) is supplied with water drawn, by way of a pump (28), from a reservoir (29) which is contained in a structure (30) which can be removed from a module (2) which is associated with the basic module (1) of the device. The system according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the disposer (26) is supplied with water drawn from a tap (38) located above the compartment (23) that contains said disposer (26). The system according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the disposer (26) discharges the resulting pulp into a container (32) accommodated in said structure (30) which can be removed from a module (2) which is associated with the basic module (1) of the device, so that it can be taken away for emptying. The system according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the disposer (26) discharges the resulting pulp into a set of compaction means (35) accommodated in said structure (30) which can be removed from the module (2) associated with the basic module (1) of the device. The system according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the disposer (26) discharges the resulting pulp into the domestic sewage system. The system according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the compartment (23) included in the compaction and disposal device designed for disposal of organic waste is adapted to accommodate the container (32) which is suitable to be periodically taken away for emptying. A domestic waste treatment system, characterized in that it comprises a curbside bin (43) which is adapted to receive said waste, which is contained in a tray (13) provided with an openable bottom (20) and is divided according to type in the several compartments (14,15,16,17,18) of said tray (13), said bin (43) comprising: resting means (55) for resting on the road paving; gripping means (56) for engagement by a waste transport truck; an openable bottom (50); an opening (44) provided in a wall in an elevated position proximate to the top of the bin suitable to allow the complete insertion of said tray (13) in said bin (43); a plurality of walls (43b,43c,46,47,48,49) suitable to divide the internal space of the bin (43) into compartments which extend from the bottom (50) and end upward at openings which are arranged so that there is one opening below each one of the compartments (14,15,16,17,18) provided in said tray (13) when said tray is fully inserted in the bin (43). The system according to claim 19, characterized in that the bin (43) comprises a bottom (50) which can open by sliding. The system according to claims 19 and 20, characterized in that said bottom (50) that can open by sliding is provided with a protrusion (51) at its lower surface. The system according to claim 19, characterized in that said gripping means for engagement by a truck comprise two recesses (56) formed on opposite walls (43b,43c).

Inventors: GAZZOLI RENZO, GAZZOLI, RENZO
Applicants: GAZZOLI RENZO, GAZZOLI, RENZO
Application year: 2000
Main classification: B65F1
IPC codes: B65F3, B65F1