Patent Publication Number: US-10781042-B2

Title: Ejection blade for a compaction chamber of a waste collection vehicle

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a national phase of International Patent Application No. PCT/AU2017/050708 filed Jul. 10, 2017, and which claims the priority filing benefit of Australian Patent Application No. 2016902771 filed Jul. 14, 2016, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. 
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an ejection blade (or often called a compaction blade). The present invention has particular but not exclusive application for a waste collection vehicle ejection blade. Reference will be made in the specification to use of the invention with respect to waste and waste collection vehicles. This use is by way of example only and the invention is not limited to this use. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Waste from collected bins is emptied into a hopper of a waste collection vehicle. The hopper directs the waste into a compaction chamber of the vehicle. A hydraulically actuated ejection blade is positioned forward of the hopper during the loading process, allowing waste to enter through the hopper and into the compaction chamber. After the waste is received in the compaction chamber, the waste is moved towards the rear of the compaction chamber and compacted by the ejection blade. The ejection blade is shaped to fit closely to the profile of the compaction chamber. Compaction of the waste maximizes the amount of waste that can be collected by the waste collection vehicle 
     When the compaction chamber is full and the waste is ready to be discharged, a rear cover is opened and the ejection blade is actuated, travelling the length of the compaction chamber to eject the load. 
     During the compaction process and the ejection process, waste such as wood and board products can be forced between the ejection blade and the floor of the compaction chamber resulting in a blade jam. Blade jams can lead to lengthy down times as the waste and the stuck waste needs to be manually and physically removed from the compaction chamber. Also when the blade jams, the waste collection vehicle is unable to collect any more waste thereby delaying the process. 
     OBJECT OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to overcome or at least alleviate one or more of the above problems with waste collection vehicles and/or provide the consumer with a useful or commercial choice. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In one aspect the present invention broadly resides in an ejection blade for a compaction chamber with a hopper, the ejection blade including: 
     a blade body movable between a first position and a second position within the compaction chamber; and 
     a lip attached to a lower portion of the blade body, the lip is movable to a raised position with respect to a floor of the compaction chamber when the blade body is moving to the first position and is in a lowered position with respect to the floor of the compaction chamber when the blade body is moving to the second position, 
     wherein the first position is proximal to the hopper and the second position is distal to the hopper. 
     Preferably the lip is removably attached to the lower portion of the blade body. 
     Preferably the lip is movably attached to the lower portion of the blade body. 
     Preferably the lip is pivotably attached to the lower portion of the blade body. Preferably the lip is attached to the lower portion of the blade body by at least one hinge. Preferably the pivot axis of the lip is transverse to the direction of movement of the blade body between the first position and the second position. 
     Preferably the lip in the lowered position can pivot away from the direction of travel as the blade body moves towards the first position. Preferably the lip in the lowered position cannot pivot away from the direction of travel as the blade body moves towards the second position. 
     Preferably the lip has a brace portion. Preferably when the lip is in the lowered position the brace portion of the lip abuts a portion of the blade body and prevents the lip from pivoting away from the direction of travel as the ejection blade moves towards the second position. 
     Preferably, the ejection blade substantially conforms to an internal profile of the compaction chamber. 
     Preferably the ejection blade is adapted to compact waste or recyclable material against a cover located at an end of the compaction chamber proximal to the second position as the ejection blade moves from the first position towards the second position. 
     In another aspect the present invention broadly resides in a compaction chamber including: 
     a floor and opposed side walls defining an internal space of the compaction chamber; 
     a hopper; and 
     an ejection blade movable within the internal space between a first position and a second position, the ejection blade including: 
     a blade body; and 
     a lip attached to a lower portion of the blade body, the lip is movable to a raised position with respect to the floor of the compaction chamber when the blade body is moving to the first position and is in a lowered position with respect to the floor of the compaction chamber when the blade body is moving to the second position, 
     wherein the first position is proximal to the hopper and the second position is distal to the hopper. 
     Preferably, the compaction member further includes a top wall. Preferably the top wall, the floor and the opposed side walls define the internal space of the compaction chamber. The compaction chamber may be formed from a tubular member, with a lower portion of the tubular member defining the floor, side portions of the tubular member defining the opposed side walls and an upper portion of the tubular member defining the top wall. For example, the tubular member can be a cylindrical tube. 
     Preferably, the compaction chamber has a discharge outlet at an end of the compaction chamber proximal to the second position. Preferably the compaction chamber further includes a cover. Preferably the cover is movable between a closed position in which the cover closes the discharge outlet and an open position in which the discharge outlet is accessible from outside of the compaction chamber. 
     Preferably the compaction chamber has an end wall proximal to the first position. 
     Preferably a movement means is operatively located at least partially between the ejection blade and the end wall. Preferably the movement means is adapted to move the ejection blade between the first position and the second position. Preferably the movement means is selectively movable. Preferably the movement means is or includes a hydraulic ram. 
     Preferably the hopper is located on an upper portion of the compaction chamber. More preferably the hopper is located on the top wall. Preferably the hopper provides access to the internal space of the compaction chamber. Preferably the hopper is adapted to receive waste or recyclable material and direct the waste or recycled material into the internal space of the compaction chamber. 
     Preferably, when the cover of the compaction chamber is in the closed position, the ejection blade is adapted to compact waste or recyclable material against the cover of the compaction chamber as the ejection blade moves towards the second position. Preferably, when the cover is in the open position, the ejection blade is adapted to eject at least a portion of the waste or recyclable material from the compaction chamber as the ejection blade moves from the first position towards the second position. 
     In a further aspect the present invention broadly resides in a waste collection vehicle, the waste collection vehicle including: 
     a compaction chamber, as described in this specification, including: 
     a floor and opposed side walls defining an internal space of the compaction chamber; 
     a hopper; and 
     an ejection blade, as described in this specification, movable within the internal space between a first position and a second position, the ejection blade including: 
     a blade body; and 
     a lip attached to a lower portion of the blade body, the lip is movable to a raised position with respect to the floor of the compaction chamber when the blade body is moving to the first position and is in a lowered position with respect to the floor of the compaction chamber when the blade body is moving to the second position, 
     wherein the first position is proximal to the hopper and the second position is distal to the hopper. 
     Preferably, the waste collection vehicle further includes a loading fork to load waste or recyclable material into the compaction chamber. Preferably the waste collection vehicle is a front load waste collection vehicle. Preferably the front load waste collection vehicle loads waste or recyclable material from a front portion of the vehicle into the compaction chamber. For example, the loading fork can move a bin holding waste or recyclable material from a front portion of the vehicle to above the compaction chamber, the bin is then rotated and the waste or recycled material falls out of the bin and enters the compaction chamber via a hopper. 
     In a further aspect the present invention broadly resides in a method of compacting waste or recyclable material using an ejection blade, compaction chamber, or a waste collection vehicle as described above, the method including the step of: 
     moving the ejection blade between a first position and a second position, the ejection blade compacting the waste or recyclable material as the blade moves to the second position, 
     wherein the lip is movable to a raised position with respect to the floor of the compaction chamber when the blade body is moving to the first position and is in a lowered position with respect to the floor of the compaction chamber when the blade body is moving to the second position, and wherein the first position is proximal to the hopper and the second position is distal to the hopper. 
     The features described with respect to one aspect also apply where applicable to all other aspects of the invention. Furthermore, different combinations of described features are herein described and claimed even when not expressly stated. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In order that the present invention can be more readily understood reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic side view of a compaction chamber according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic side view of the compaction chamber of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a detailed view of an ejection blade according to an embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 4  is a detailed view of the ejection blade of  FIG. 3 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , there is shown a schematic view of a compaction chamber  10  according to an embodiment of the present invention. The compaction chamber  10  is part of a waste collection vehicle (not shown). The compaction chamber  10  has a floor  12  and a roof portion  14 . Side walls  16  (only one shown) extend between the top wall  14  and the floor  12 . 
     The compaction chamber  10  also has a discharge outlet  18  at one end thereof and an end wall  20  at an opposed end. A cover  20  covers the discharge outlet  18 . The cover  20  is movable between a closed position (as shown) in which the cover  20  covers the discharge outlet  18  and an open position (not shown) in which the discharge outlet  18  is accessible from outside of the compaction chamber  10 . 
     A hopper  22  is located on an upper portion of the compaction chamber  10 . The hopper  22  provides access to the internal space of the compaction chamber  10 . The compaction chamber  10  has loading forks  24  at a forward portion of the compaction chamber  10 . The loading forks  24  are used to lift a waste container (not shown) containing waste or recyclable material over the hopper  22  and flip the waste container upside down to empty the waste or recyclable material into the hopper  22 . 
     The compaction chamber  10  has an ejection blade  26 . The ejection blade  26  is movable between a first position (as shown in  FIG. 1 ) and a second position (as shown in  FIG. 2 ). The compaction chamber has a movement means in the form of a hydraulic ram (not shown) which selectively moves the ejection blade  26  between the first and second positions. When the ejection blade  26  is in the first position (as shown in  FIG. 1 ), waste or recyclable material can be dumped into the compaction chamber  10 . After the waste or recyclable material is in the compaction chamber, the ejection blade  26  moves from the first position towards the second position (as shown in  FIG. 2 ) to move and/or compact the waste or recyclable material towards the discharge outlet  18  and cover  20 , arrow  28  (in  FIG. 1 ) shows the direction of movement of the ejection blade  26  relative to the compaction chamber  10 . The ejection blade  26  may also be referred to as a compaction blade. 
     After the ejection blade  26  moves back to the first position (as shown in  FIG. 1 ), more waste or recyclable material can be dumped into the compaction chamber  10 , arrow  30  (in  FIG. 2 ) shows the direction of movement of the ejection blade  26  relative to the compaction chamber  10 . 
     After the mobile compaction vehicle (not shown) has arrived at a waste or recycled material depot, the cover  20  is moved to the open position (not shown) and the ejection blade  26  moves from the first position (as shown in  FIG. 1 ), towards the second position (as shown in  FIG. 2 ), ejecting at least a portion of the waste or recyclable material in the compaction chamber  10 . 
     The ejection blade  26  has an ejection blade body  32  and a lip  34 . The lip  34  is rotatably attached to the ejection blade body  32  by a hinge  36 . The lip  34  is prevented from rotating away from the direction of movement  28  (as seen in  FIG. 1 ) of the ejection blade  26  as the ejection blade  26  moves from the first position (as seen in  FIG. 1 ) towards the second position (as seen in  FIG. 2 ). The lip  34  can rotate away from the direction of movement  30  (as seen in  FIG. 2 ) as the ejection blade  26  moves from the second position (as shown in  FIG. 2 ) towards the first position (as seen in  FIG. 1 ). This ensures that as the ejection blade  26  moves from the first position (as seen in  FIG. 1 ) towards the second position (as seen in  FIG. 2 ), the lip  34  can move and/or compact waste or recyclable material towards the cover  20 . This also ensures that as the ejection blade  26  moves from the second position (as seen in  FIG. 2 ) towards the first position (as seen in  FIG. 1 ), the lip  34  can rotate away from the direction of movement  30  (as seen in  FIG. 2 ) to release any waste or recyclable material that may have become stuck between the lip  34  and the floor  12  of the compaction chamber  10 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , there is shown detailed views of an ejection blade  26  according to an embodiment of the present invention. The ejection blade  26  has an ejection blade body  32  and a lip  34 . The lip  34  is rotatably attached to the ejection blade body  32  by a hinge  36 . The lip  34  includes a brace portion  38 . When the lip  34  is in a lower position (as seen in  FIG. 3 ), the brace portion  38  abuts a portion of the blade body  32 . 
     When the ejection blade  26  moves in a first direction (as seen in  FIG. 3 ), the brace portion  38  abutting a portion of the blade body  32  prevents the lip  34  from rotating from the lower position away from the direction of movement  40  (as seen in  FIG. 3 ). When the ejection blade  26  is moving in a second direction (as seen in  FIG. 4 ), the lip  34  is able to rotate from the lower position away from the direction of movement  42  (as seen in  FIG. 4 ). 
     Advantages 
     An advantage of the preferred embodiment of the ejection blade includes an efficient compaction process where there is less downtime due to blade jams compared to conventional ejection blades. 
     Variations 
     While the foregoing has been given by way of illustrative example of this invention, all such and other modifications and variations thereto as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of this invention as is herein set forth. 
     Throughout the description and claims of this specification the word “comprise” and variations of that word such as “comprises” and “comprising”, are not intended to exclude other additives, components, integers or steps.