Waste collection device

Abstract: A waste collection device which comprises a pit (1), a plate (7) inside a pit (1), for supporting at least one container (8); the pit (1) is provided with supports (3,4,5,6) adapted to limit the downward motion of the plate (7) to a minimum elevation which allows the container (8) to lie fully within the pit (1); a monolithic structure (9) with a base (10) and a lid (11) provided with waste insertion pillars (11a,11b), the base (10) and the lid (11) being spaced so that when the lid (11) is at the level of the paving (2) that surrounds the pit (1) the base (10) lies at a lower level than the supporting plate (7); the structure (9) is provided with a movement device (16).

Description: The invention relates to a waste collection device inside a pit. It is known that one of the systems currently used to collect waste, particularly municipal waste, provides for containers inserted in pits formed in the road paving and provided with means for moving from a position in which they are retracted into the pit to a position in which they protrude from said pit. When a container is inserted in the pit, the inlet of the pit is closed by means of a lid which lies above the container and is provided with at least one hollow pillar in which users place the bags of waste, which fall into the underlying container. Said container is periodically removed from the pit in order to be emptied. EP-A-0 480 326 discloses such a waste collection device comprising a structure having a base and a lid which are vertically spaced, the lid being provided with at least one pillar for introducing waste. The structure is provided with movement means which are adapted to produce a transferring motion between a lower stroke limit and an upper stroke limit. The aim of the present invention is to make devices of the above described type particularly effective. This aim is achieved by a waste collection device according to the invention, as defined in claim 1. Further characteristics and advantages will become apparent from the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of the invention, illustrated only by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a sectional plan view of the invention, taken along the plane I-I of Figure 2; Figures 2 and 3 are sectional views, taken along the plane II-II of Figure 1, in different steps of operation. With reference to the above Figures, the numeral 1 generally designates the pit formed in the road paving 2 to contain the device, and proximate to the bottom of said pit there is a weighing device; the Figures show the posts 3, 4, 5, 6 of said device, which support sensors, such as 3a, 4a for the posts 3 and 4, which are adapted to accommodate, so that it rests on them, the plate 7 for supporting the waste container 8 and are connected to means for detecting the weight of said container. As clearly shown in Figure 2, the sensors on the four posts are arranged so as to block the plate 7 at a minimum elevation which allows the container 8 to lie entirely within the pit 1 when the plate 7 rests thereon. The numeral 9 furthermore generally designates a structure which comprises the base 10 and the lid 11, which are connected by means of the posts 12, 13, 14 and 15, whose length is such that, as clearly shown in Figure 2, when the lid 11 is at the level of the paving 2 that surrounds the pit the base 10 is arranged at a level which is lower, by an extent which is specified in the operating description, than the minimum level of the plate 7 that supports the container 8 so that it rests on the sensors, such as 3a, 4a, of the weighing device. The base 10, which is provided with the holes 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d for the passage of the posts 3, 4, 5, 6, comprises the cross-members 10e and 10f, which allow it to make contact with the lower surface of the plate 7; the lid 11 is provided with the pillars 11a, 11b for inserting the waste; and finally, the structure 9 is provided with means which comprise the pantograph 16 and are adapted to produce its vertical movement between the position shown in solid lines in Figure 2 and the position shown in Figure 3, as will become apparent during the description of the operation. Finally, the reference numerals 17 and 18 designate elements of a safety device for preventing the accidental fall of the structure 9 inside the pit 1, which comprises abutments provided with means for moving from a position which lies within the base 10 to a position for insertion in seats 21 which are formed in the walls of the pit and shown in Figure 3. The operation of the invention is now described starting from the situation shown in solid lines in Figure 2, which is the situation of normal use: the plate 7 rests on the sensors, such as 3a, 4a, of the weighing device, with the waste container 8 arran ged within the pit 1, and the structure 9 is at its lower stroke limit, with the lid 11 at the level of the surrounding paving 2 and the base 10 at a lower level than the plate 7, which rests on the sensors; users gradually introduce the waste bags in the pillars 11a, 11b and the weight of the container 8 that receives said bags is recorded continuously by data acquisition means D (Figure 3) through the appropriately provided weighing device by virtue of the pulses that arrive from the sensors such as 3a, 4a. When it is necessary to empty the container 8, the means for moving the structure 9 are actuated, producing a first portion of the stroke, up to the condition shown in dot-and-dash lines in Figure 2, in which the base 10 has made contact with the lower surface of the plate 7 for supporting said container 8. The length of this portion of the stroke, during which only the structure 9 moves while the container 8 is static, is calculated so as to allow to completely empty into said container the pillars 11a, 11b, which, when the container is full, are clogged by the last bags to be introduced, by virtue of their rise with respect to said container 8, thus providing a functional condition which is absolutely essential for correct operation of the device. The upward stroke of the structure 9 then continues to the upper stroke limit, shown in Figure 3; this position allows handy extraction of the container 8 in order to empty it into a transport truck, optionally assisted by a roller platform 19 with which the plate 7 may be provided. Nothing changes, of course, if a plurality bins is present instead of the single container 8. The described invention is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims; thus, for example, the weighing device can be omitted and the plate 7 for supporting the at least one waste container can be provided with means of any kind for downward blocking at the minimum elevation; instead of the illustrated posts there may be fixed abutments A which are rigidly coupled to the pit and are provided in any manner, but there may also be cables C which optionally comprise sensors 2a,4a of a weighing device and are fixed to the walls of the pit at one end and to said plate 7 at the other end (see the schematic representation of Figure 3).

Claims: A waste collection device inside a pit (1) comprising: a plate (7) for supporting at least one waste container (8), limit means (3,4,5,6) inside the pit (1) adapted to limit a downward motion of the plate (7) to a minimum elevation which allows the container (8) to lie fully within the pit (1); and a structure (9) having a base (10) adapted to make contact with the lower surface of the plate (7) and a vertically spaced lid (11) provided with at least one pillar (11a,11b) for introducing waste and, movement means (16) adapted to produce a vertical transferring motion between a lower stroke limit, at which the lid (11) is at the level of the paving (2) that surrounds the pit (1) and the plate (7) rests on the limit means (3,4,5,6) at its minimum elevation, and an upper stroke limit, at which the plate (7), resting on the base (10), is at said level of the paving (2). The device according to claim 1, characterized in that at the lower stroke limit, the base (10) is arranged at a lower level, with respect to the plate (7) by an extent which allows complete emptying of the waste insertion pillars (11a,11b) during the upward movement of the structure (9) from the lower stroke limit before the base (10) of the structure makes contact with the lower surface of the plate (7). The device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the limit means comprise fixed abutments (3,4,5,6) which are rigidly coupled to the pit (1). The device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the limit means comprise cables (C) which are fixed to the walls of the pit (1) at one end and to the plate (7) at the other end. The device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a device for weighing (3a,4a) the at least one waste container (8). The device according to claim 5 when depending on claim 3, characterized in that the weighing device comprises sensors (3a,4a) associated with the fixed abutments (3,4,5,6) and connected to data acquisition means (D). The device according to claim 5 when depending on claim 4, characterized in that the weighing device comprises sensors (3a,4a) associated with the cables (C) and connected to data acquisition means (D). The device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the plate (7) is provided with a roller platform (19). The device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a safety device which comprises abutments (17,18) which are supported by the base (10) of the structure (9) or by the plate (7), the abutments (17,18) being provided with lock means (20) for moving between a position which lies within the base (10) or the plate (7) and a position for insertion in seats (21) formed in the walls of the pit (1).

Inventors: GALEAZZI CARLO, GALEAZZI GIANPIETRO, GALEAZZI, CARLO, GALEAZZI, GIANPIETRO
Applicants: GALEAZZI CARLO, GALEAZZI GIANPIETRO, GALEAZZI, CARLO, GALEAZZI, GIANPIETRO
Application year: 2000
Main classification: B65F1
IPC codes: B65F1