Patent Publication Number: US-11045817-B2

Title: Portable rolling shredder unit

Description:
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This utility patent application is based on and claims the filing date benefit of Application No. 62/485,733 filed on Apr. 14, 2017, and application Ser. No. 15/954,013 filed on Apr. 16, 2018, both of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety. 
    
    
     Notice is given that this patent document contains original material subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile or digital download reproduction of all or part of the patent document, but otherwise reserves copyrights. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Retirement centers are housing complexes designed for older adults who can care for themselves but need assistance with meals, social activities and transportation. Tenants typically reside in their own 1 to 2-bedroom apartments and individually purchase telephone and cable television services. Other services, such as water, electricity gas, mail services and house cleaning services are usually provided by the retirement center employees. 
     Mail and packages sent to residents in the retirement center are delivered to a central post office, sorted and then placed into each resident&#39;s locked mailbox. Because the residents are older adults, the mail and packages they receive often contain retirement checks, bank statements, medical records, estate documents; or other confidential documents and must be disposed of properly. Unfortunately, older adults either do not have paper shredders or do not have the visual capabilities or memories to operate a shredder. Therefore, important confidential papers are inadvertently deposited in the trash. Shredding companies that pickup confidential papers and agree to destroy them later at a remote location are also unsatisfactory because the destruction of these papers cannot be verified by the resident. 
     Furthermore, there is an increased need to handle and shred polyethylene containers. Although the amount of polyethylene containers continues to increase, the demand for waste streams of recyclable containers has not, in part due to the bulk of the containers. More and more of the recyclable containers are ending up in ocean waters or landfills. Easy ways to collect and compact the containers would increase the value of the recyclable material by reducing transportation costs. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one aspect, the present invention includes a portable shredder unit includes a lightweight housing with an interior cavity divided into a battery storage cavity and a collection cavity, said housing includes a top opening, two opposite ends, two opposite side walls, and a floor; a removable lid attached to said top opening on said housing; a high capacity electric shredder component configured to shred paper, said shredder component includes at least one feeding slot opening, an electric shredding mechanism, and electric motor and an exit discharge opening said shredder component being oriented on said lid so that said feeding slot opening is exposed when the lid is placed over the top opening of said housing and said exit discharge opening is oriented above and over said collection cavity in said housing so that shredded material exiting the exit discharge opening is deposited into said collection cavity; at least one pair of wheels attached to said housing near one said end; a handle attached to said housing; a GFCI receptacle having a ground wire; a 110 VAC main cable with a male electrical plug attached to one end configured to manually plug into an external 110 VAC female plug, and an opposite end being connected to said GFCI receptacle; at least one 12 VDC rechargeable battery located inside said battery storage cavity; an inverter configured to convert 12 VDC into 110 VAC, said inverter connected to said rechargeable battery to convert 12 VDC current into 110 VAC, said inverter; a control panel or set of switches electrically connected to said shredder, to said inverter and to said GFCI receptacle, said control panel or set of switches are configured to allow an operator to select the source of electricity either from said GFCI receptacle when said main cable is connected to an external 110 VAC female plug or from said inverter when connected to said rechargeable battery; and a ground roller ball attached to the floor of the housing and configured to contact a surface under the housing when the portable shredding unit is placed onto the surface, said ground roller ball electrically connected to the ground wire of said GFCI receptacle. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and other features will become more apparent from the following description in which reference is made to the appended drawings, the drawings are for the purpose of illustration only and are not intended to be in any way limiting, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a top perspective view of a portable, rolling shredder unit. 
         FIG. 2  is a side elevational view of the shredder unit shown in  FIG. 1  showing the lid being removed from the housing and showing the elongated handle pivotally attached and rotated diagonally and used to pull the shredder unit over a flat surface. 
         FIG. 3  is a top plan view of the shredder unit shown in  FIG. 2  with the elongated handle vertically aligned in storage configuration. 
         FIG. 4  is a top plan view of the shredder unit shown in  FIG. 2  showing the lid removed so that shredded material may be removed from the collection cavity. 
         FIG. 5  is a top perspective view of a second aspect of the portable shredder unit that uses a larger housing configured to hold the inverter and includes a larger waste cavity. 
         FIG. 6  is a top plan view of the portable shredder unit shown in  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 7  is an end perspective view of the shredder unit shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 . 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view showing the opposite end of the shredder unit shown in  FIG. 7 . 
         FIG. 9  is a top plan view of the shredder shown in  FIG. 1  with the lid in an open position and showing the contents of the housing. 
         FIG. 10  is a partial top plan view of the two 12 DC volt batteries. 
         FIG. 11  is a side elevational view of the lid disposed in an open position over the housing showing the location of the electric shredder unit and the retractable windup spool that holds a long connector cord. 
         FIG. 12  is a partial top perspective showing the lid in an open configuration and showing the shredder component located inside the collection cavity formed in the housing with a slot formed on the lid that allows an operator to feed material into the feed slot opening on the shredder. 
         FIG. 13  is an illustration showing the electrical components connected together. 
         FIG. 14  illustrate an alternative configuration for the front end of the portable shredder. 
         FIG. 15  illustrates an alternative schematic or the portable shredder unit with different electrical connections. 
         FIG. 16  illustrates a bottle crusher. 
         FIG. 17  illustrates an optional ground roller ball. 
         FIG. 18  shows a portion of the  FIG. 13 , where the ground roller ball is electrically connected to ground. 
         FIG. 19  illustrates an alternate aspect of a small portion of  FIG. 13 , where the control panel is replaced with a set of switches 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     What is needed is a portable shredder that can be easily transported to each individual apartment and used to shred confidential materials immediately in front of the resident. What is needed is a portable shredder that operates on either a battery or on a 110 volt electrical outlet. Furthermore, the shredder should be robust enough for transport to outdoor locations where waste polyethylene containers are found, such as beaches and landfills, and be able to compact and shred the polyethylene containers to reduce the volume for ease of transportation. Lastly, the electrical system should minimize the risks to user of undesirable electrical charge buildup due to extended use away from properly grounded municipal electricity supply. 
     The portable rolling shredder unit includes a lightweight housing with a large interior cavity divided into a battery storage cavity and a collection cavity. Mounted on the housing lid or located inside the housing is a high capacity electric shredder. 
     Located inside the battery storage cavity is a rechargeable battery. The unit is designed so the shredder may run off an external 110 VAC power source or run off a rechargeable battery. An inverter is provided that inverts the 12 VDC electric current from the battery into a 110 VAC electric current for use by the shredder. A battery charger is also provided to recharge the rechargeable battery when desired. The unit also includes a control panel with a mode switch that operator uses to control the source of electricity to the shredder and to setup the unit for battery charging. 
     The unit includes a long extension cord stored in an automatic rewind reel. The end of the extension cord is connected to a GFCI electrical outlet mounted on the side of the housing or inside the housing. The GFCI electrical outlet is connected to power inlet connectors on a control panel that includes a three-position mode switch that the operates manually operates to run the shredder motor from a 110 VAC power source, a 12 VDC power source or activate a recharging unit to recharge the 12 VDC battery. The control panel also includes power outlet connectors are connected to a cable that connects to the shredder. 
     The inverter is configured to convert 12 VDC from the rechargeable battery into 110 VAC. The inverter includes at least one female electrical outlet, an external switch, and positive and negative charging cables configured to connect to a 12-volt VDC rechargeable battery. The inverter may be hardwired directly to the control panel or it may include a power cable that manually connects to a female outlet plug on the GFCI electrical outlet. 
     The battery charger includes a positive and negative charging cables that connect to the rechargeable battery. The battery charger includes a power cable that manually connects to a female outlet plug on the GFCI electrical outlet. 
     In a first aspect, the housing  12  is smaller than the housing used on the second aspect. In the first aspect, the inverter and the battery charger are mounted in an ancillary box that attaches to the outside surface of the housing. 
     Each housing is mounted on at least one pair of wheels that enable the housing to be manually moved over a flat surface. Each housing also includes an elongated handle that enables the housing to be manually lifted or tilted diagonally like a two-wheel hand truck. In one aspect, the handle may be pivotally attached at one end to the housing or it may be retractable and slide into the housing or lid. 
     In both aspects, an optional single or dual electrical power plugin may also be mounted on the side of the housing or the lid that connects to a standard male plug on an extension cord or a second electrical appliance, such as a vacuum cleaner. 
     In the preferred aspect, the shredder component is mounted in the lid with its discharge shoot located over the collection cavity. An optional transversely aligned partition may be placed inside the housing to separate the battery cavity from the collection cavity. The partition is configured to prevent shredded material from falling into the battery cavity. 
     In one aspect, a plastic collection bin may be placed in the collection cavity to collect shredded material, in another aspect, an optional plastic bag may be expanded and hung inside the collection cavity so shredded material falls directly therein, in another aspect, the shredder component is located inside the collection cavity formed, in, the housing. An optional slot may be formed on the lid directly over the feed opening on the shredder so that paper may be fed into the shredder when the lid is closed on the housing. 
     A portable rolling shredder unit  10  that includes a six-sided, lightweight housing  12  with a large interior cavity  20  with an optional, transversely aligned, vertical partition  22  that divides the interior cavity  20  into a front battery storage cavity  24  and a rear collection cavity  30 . Mounted over the top opening  13  of the housing  12  is a short fixed lid  19  and a moveable long lid  40 . In the preferred aspect, a high capacity electric shredder component  50  with at least one exposed shredder feeding slot  54 . The shredder unit  10  is mounted in the lid  40  with its discharge shoot located over the collection cavity  30  so that shredded material falls from the shredder component  50  and into the collection cavity  30 . The vertical partition  22  is used to separate the battery storage cavity  24  from the collection cavity  30 . In the aspect shown in the Figs, the housing  12  includes two vertical end walls  14 ,  16 , two vertical side walls  15 ,  17 , a flat floor  18 . 
     Located inside the battery storage cavity  24  is a rechargeable 12 VDC battery  90 . In the first aspect, an ancillary housing  48  is attached to the housing  12  that contains a battery charger  94 , an inverter  100 , and a control panel  160 . Attached to the control panel  160  is a mode switch  162  discussed further below. Mounted on two side walls  15 ,  17  and near the first end  14  of the housing  12  is a pair of rear wheels  70 . The wheels  70  are attached to the ends of an axle  72  that extends transversely under the floor  18  of the housing  12 . U-shaped brackets  74  hold the axle  72  in place in the housing  12 . Extending downward from the floor  18  near the second end  16  are a pair of vertical legs  44 ,  46  that elevate and support the front portion of the housing  12  on a support surface. 
     Attached to the two ends  14 ,  16  on the housing  12  are two optional handles  80  thereby allowing the unit  10  to be easily lifted and then, pushed or pulled along a flat surface. Mounted on the second end  16  of the housing  12  is an optional pivoting elongated handle  80  that enables the second end  16  to be lifted so that the housing  12  is diagonally aligned and may be rolled across a flat support surface, similar to a hand truck or luggage carrier. 
     The shredder component  50  includes an internal shredder mechanism  60  with an electric motor  62  configured to operate when connected to a 110 AVC electric circuit. The shredder mechanism  60  includes a feeding slot  54 , a discharge opening  58 , an object sensor  61  that automatically operates the motor  62  for 3 to 5 seconds with an object is detected inside the slot  54 . Mounted on the top surface of the shredder component  50  is a power switch  66  and an optional power ON LED  67 . The shredders electric motor  62  is connected to a mode switch  162  that controls the source of the electricity delivered to the shredder component  50  and controls battery recharging. 
     The rechargeable battery  90  is a 12 VDC rechargeable battery with at least one positive post  92  and one negative post  93 . The positive and negative posts  92 ,  93  on the rechargeable battery  90  are connected to positive and negative cables  102 ,  103  that extend from a 12 VDC to 110 VAC power convert inverter  100 . During operation, the inverter  100  automatically inverts the 12 VDC circuit to a 110 VAC circuit. The inverter  100  includes a main power switch  104 , an optional LED power light  105 , an optional USB charging port  106  and at least one female outlet plug  108 . The inverter  100  is either directly connected (i.e. hardwired) to the control panel  160  via a direct cable  165  or is manually connected to a GFCI receptacle  140  via a dual male plug cable  150  that plugs into a female outlet plug on the GFCI electrical outlet  140 . 
     The shredder component  50  is mounted on the removable lid  40 . During use, the lid  40  is placed over the top opening  13  of the housing  12 . The lid  40  with the shredder mechanism  60  are configured to be manually lifted off the housing  12  thereby exposing the collection cavity  30 . Shredding material  6  deposited in the collection cavity  30  may be easily removed from the housing  12 . 
     The shredder mechanism  60  is connected to a control panel  110  that includes an electrical source switch  112  that controls which electric source is used to provide 110 VAC current to the shredder motor  62 . The control panel  110  may also include an optional battery charging switch  114  that connects to a secondary board  116  that connects the 110 VAC circuit to the control panel  110  or to a battery charger  94 . Battery charging switch  114  allows the user to selectively charge the battery  90 . 
     The housing  12  may include a standard, 110 VAC male electrical outlet  160  configured to connect to a 110 VAC standard female end plug connector on an extension cord  170  as shown in  FIG. 4 . The housing  12  may also include a GFCI breaker  156  for additional protection. 
     In the first aspect, the main electric cable  112  extends through an opening formed on the side of the housing  12 . Attached to the end of the cable  112  is a standard three prong plug connector with ground wire  114  configure to plug into a standard 110 VAC electrical outlet  160 . The cable  112  is wound onto a built-in automatic rewind real  120  located inside the housing  12 . 
     As stated above, the first aspect of the shredder  10  is shown in  FIGS. 1-4  has a housing  12  with a battery cavity  24  configured to house the one rechargeable battery  90 . The battery charger, inverter and control panel are located in an ancillary housing.  FIGS. 5-11  show a second aspect of the shredder  10  that uses a larger housing  12  that has a larger battery cavity  24  configured to hold one or more rechargeable batteries, the battery charger, and the invertor. The control panel  160  may be mounted inside the housing  12 , on the partition, or mounted on, an external surface of the housing  12  or lid  40 . 
     In the second aspect, the fixed lid  19  is eliminated and a modified removable long lid  40  is used that extends the entire length of the housing  12  and is attached via hinges  41  to the top edge of the housing  12 . An optional adjustment rod  42  is provided that allows the user to set the lid  40  is a partial or full open position. 
     In the first aspect, a rewind reel  120  is mounted inside the housing  12 . In the second aspect, a rewind reel  120  is mounted on the lid  40 . The reel  120  is configured to allow the main cable  112  to be pulled from the housing and automatically rewinds main cable  112  into the housing  12  when desired. A wire hole  49  is formed on the end surface of housing  12  or the lid  40  that allows the main cable  112  to extend outside the lid  40 . 
     In the first aspect, the housing  12  is rectangular with an interior cavity  20  configured to hold approximately 30 gallons. In the second aspect, the housing  12  is also rectangular with an interior cavity  20  configured to hold approximately 50 gallons. 
     The batteries are 12 volt DC maintenance free, ventless batteries. The inverter  100  is a 750 watt inverter and has a two female plugins  108  connected via a solid wire or alligator clips and a USB port  106 . The battery charger  94  is a 12 volt DC battery charger connected to a GFCI receptacle  140  enclosed in a single gang electrical box. The shredder component  50  is a Compucessory Heavy Duty Cross-Cut shredder component (Model CCS60060) brand paper shredder component  50  designed to handle up to 30 sheets of paper, credit cards or CD/DVD discs. Other types of brands of shredder components may be used. The handle  80  is made of aluminum and extends approximately 15 to 20 inches from the end of the housing  12 . 
     In one aspect, a plastic collection bin (not shown) may be placed in the collection cavity  30  to collect shredded material  6 . In another aspect, an optional plastic bag  86  may be expanded and hung inside the collection cavity  30 , so shredded material  6  falls directly therein. Hooks  88  may be mounted on the inside surface of the lid  40  that attach the corners of the bag  86  to the lid  40  to keep the bag  86  expanded and vertically aligned. 
       FIG. 12  is a partial top perspective showing the lid  40  in an open configuration and showing the shredder component  50  located inside the collection cavity  30  formed in the housing  12  with a slot  41  formed on the lid  40  that allows an operator to feed material into the feed slot opening on the shredder component  50 . 
     The control panel  160  is connected to the shredder component  50  and to the GFCI electrical outlet and the inverter  100  as shown in  FIG. 13 . The positive and negative cables  98 ,  99  on the battery charger  94  are connected via a solid wire or alligator clips to the positive and negative battery posts  92 ,  93 , respectively. The positive and negative cables  102 ,  103  on the inverter  100  are also connected to the two battery posts  92 ,  93 . The power cable  95  for the battery charger  94  is plugged into a female outlet plug  142  or  144  on the GFCI electrical outlet  140 . 
     The unit  10  may have the inverter  100  directly connected to the control panel  160  via a direct cable  155  or it may be connected via the GFCI electrical outlet  140  via a first cable  147 . 
     The operator then moves the mode switch  162  on the control panel  160  to one or three modes of operation; ‘A’, ‘B’ or ‘C’ positions, for battery operation; external 110 VAC operation; or battery charging operation, respectively. 
     When battery power operation is desired, the power switch  104  on the inverter  100  is moved to the ‘ON’ and the mode switch  162  is moved to the ‘A’ position  166 . If the ancillary plug-in cable  150  is used, one male plug  153  is plugged into the female outlet receptacle on the GFCI electrical outlet  148  and the opposite male plug  154  is plugged into the female outlet receptacle  106  on the inverter  100 . If the direct cable  155  is used, then electricity from the inverter  100  is delivered directly to the control panel  160 . The external power switch  66  on the shredder component  50  is then activated and ready to shred paper, credit cards, or disc deposited into the feeding slot  54 . When the plug-in cable  150  is used, electricity from the GFCI electrical outlet  140  is delivered to the control panel  160  via a first cable  147 . When the mode switch  162  is moved to the ‘A’ position  164 , electricity from the second cable  148 , discussed further below is disconnected. 
     When external 110 VAC operation is desired, then the mode switch  162  is moved to the ‘ON’ position  166  and the male plug  114  is plugged into the external 110 VAC electrical outlet  160 . The power switch  66  on the shredder component  50  is then activated and ready to shred paper, credit cards, or disc deposited into the feeding slot  54 . When the mode switch  162  is moved to the ‘B’ position  166 , electricity from the inverter  100  is automatically discontinued. Electricity flows from the GFCI electrical outlet  140  through the second cable  148  to the control panel  160   
     When battery charging is desired, the mode switch  162  is moved to the ‘C’ position  168 . The power switch  96  on the battery charger  94  is then moved to the ‘ON’ position. Electricity from the inverter  100  and from the GFCI electrical outlet  140  are disconnected. 
     Cables  147 ,  148  and  170  and power cords  95  may include separate fuses. 
       FIG. 14  illustrate an additional aspect, showing an alternative configuration for the front end of the portable shredder. As shown in  FIG. 14  the pair of vertical legs that elevate and support the front portion of the housing have been replaced with wheels, a first wheel  202  together with a second wheel (hidden from view, not illustrated). 
       FIG. 15  illustrates an alternative schematic for the portable shredder unit. 
       FIG. 16  illustrates an optional bottle crusher,  204 . The bottle crusher may be connected via an electrical wire to the ground of the portable shredder to discharge any static electricity. The bottle crusher may also be stored within the housing. The bottle crusher includes a bottom leaf  210  opposite a top leaf  212 , which are attached via hinges  206  and  208 . Preferably, the bottom and top leaves are made of a hard plastic material, such as polycarbonate, and the hinges are preferably metal. As illustrated, a plastic bottle  214 , preferably a polyethylene bottle, may be placed between bottom and top leaves and then crushed flat by application of pressure, such as by a user&#39;s foot or hand. The flattened bottle may then be shredded, because it will now fit into the feed slot. In this way, a large number of plastic bottles may be shredded with the portable shredder unit, greatly reducing the volume of the plastic, such as polyethylene, and reducing the cost of transport for recycling. Any static electricity which could build up from the shredding of the plastic bottle or handling of the shredded polyethylene is discharged by an electrical connection to the electrical ground. Such charge may build up on the shredder component, storage bin, or other parts which come into contact with the plastic of the bottles or the shredded polyethylene. 
       FIG. 17  illustrates an optional ground roller ball,  216 . The ground roller ball is attached to the underside  218  of the housing. The ground roller ball includes a metal roller ball  220 , which is preferably made from stainless steel, a ball housing  222  and an attachment collar  224  for attaching the housing to the underside of the housing. The ground roller ball is used as an electrical ground, and is electrically connected the ground of the various GFCI electrical outlets. In use, the ground roller ball is in contact with the surface under the portable shredder unit, allowing any accumulated charge to discharge to soil.  FIG. 18  shows a portion of the  FIG. 13 , with the ground roller ball illustrated as being electrically connected to ground. Also illustrated in  FIG. 18  is an optional cover  226  for the rewind reel  120 , which is preferably made of metal and grounded. Furthermore, a plug cover  232 , which prevents any person or object from hitting or damaging the plug  114 , may also be included and is preferably made from a soft material, such as neoprene. The ground roller ball may be used alone, or also with the ground connected to the axle. 
       FIG. 19  illustrates a small portion of  FIG. 13 , where the control panel shown in  FIG. 13  is replaced with a set of switches  230 . In this alterative aspect, the set of switches allows replacement of the control panel, which may be delicate and not sufficiently robust for extended use outdoors, with simple switches which are much more durable. By turning different switches on or off, the user may select powering the device from municipal power via a wall outlet, the internal batteries or choose to recharge the internal batteries. 
     In compliance with the statute, the invention described has been described in language more or less specific on structural features. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the specific features shown, since the means and construction shown comprises the preferred aspects for putting the invention into effect. The invention is therefore claimed in its forms or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the amended claims, appropriately interpreted the doctrine of equivalents.