Patent Publication Number: US-5897065-A

Title: Collecting container for paper shredders of similar comminuting devices

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a collecting container for collecting cut material of paper shredders or similar comminuting devices in which the cutting mechanism of the paper shredder rests with its housing on a box-like or frame-like base frame having a fixed bottom, and wherein the container can be pushed into the base frame from the front side of the paper shredder underneath the cutting mechanism housing. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     In constructions of the type described above, narrow tolerances are required between the collecting container and the walls of the base frame, in order to minimize the discharge of particles and dust resulting from cutting into the ambient air. On the other hand, the narrow space conditions, in turn, make it difficult, once the container has been emptied, to once again easily push the collecting container back into the base frame without jamming or tilting. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Therefore, it is the primary object of the present invention to eliminate the deficiencies described above by providing suitable measures primarily with respect to the container bottom and the base frame bottom. 
     In accordance with the present invention, the container and the base frame have at the bottom thereof positively engageable guide elements. 
     In accordance with a further development of the present invention, the positively engageable guide elements are a guide groove provided in the container bottom and a corresponding guide pin or the like provided on the bottom of the base frame. 
     The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of the disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages, specific objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the drawing and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     In the drawing: 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a paper shredder according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view, on a larger scale, of the bottom area of the container and base frame of the paper shredder of FIG. 1; and 
     FIG. 3 is top view of the collecting container bottom of FIG. 2. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 1 of the drawing is a schematic illustration of a collecting container 4 for cut material for a paper shredder or a similar comminuting device. The paper shredder includes a cutting mechanism mounted with its housing 2 on a box-like or frame-like base frame 3 with a fixed bottom 3b. The container 4 is pushed from the open front side of the paper shredder under the cutting mechanism housing 2 into the base frame 3. 
     In accordance with the present invention, as particularly shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, guide elements FN and FZ which can be placed into positive engagement with each other are arranged in the bottom areas 4a and 3b of container 4 and base frame 3, respectively. 
     In accordance with a specific structural feature of the present invention, the positively engageable guide elements are at least one guide groove FN provided in the container bottom 4a and a corresponding guide pin FZ or the like provided on the bottom 3b of the base frame 3. In practical use, however, it is advantageous to arrange the positively engageable elements FN and FZ horizontally spaced from each other on both sides of the container bottom 4a and the fixed bottom 3b of the base frame 3. 
     For achieving the object of easily inserting the collecting container without jamming into the base frame in an optimum manner, the present invention further provides that the guide groove FN, which is open toward the rear side 4b of the container, has a conically narrowing insertion zone EZ and a centering duct ZK with parallel walls adjacent the insertion zone EZ. Further toward the front side 4c of the container 4, the guide groove has another conically narrowing section KV serving as the actual fine centering zone FZZ. The fine centering zone FZZ, which is also constructed in the manner of a duct, has at its end an expanded section H extending upwardly from the container bottom 4a, wherein, in the end position of the container 4 shown in FIG. 1, the expanded section H is placed in the manner of a hood on the corresponding guide pin FZ of the base frame bottom 3b. By pulling at the recessed grip 5 of the container 4 toward the front in the direction of arrow P 1 , the container 4 can now be easily moved into a tilted position as indicated by K in FIG. 1, so that documents which are not confidential or other waste paper, etc., can be thrown directly into the container. 
     The container 4 can be moved out of the base frame 3 by slightly lifting the container 4 and pulling the container 4 also at the recessed grip 5 in the direction P2 shown in FIG. 1. 
     When the collecting container 4 is pushed into or pulled out of the base frame 3, the initial centering zone or centering duct ZK which has a channel-like cross-section, and which additionally has a slightly ascending extension AV relative to the container bottom 4a toward the rear side 4b, ensures that the container 4 sliding on the guide pin FZ is slightly raised and, thus, there is only little resistance to the movement of the container 4. 
     Finally, also important for the operation of the entire paper shredder is the fact that a so-called switching vane is mounted on one of the container sides in the upper forward portion thereof. By interacting with a limit switch, the switching vane causes the drive of the cutting mechanism 1 to be stopped when the collecting container 4 is moved in the direction of arrow P 2  shown in FIG. 1 out of the base frame 3 which is open toward the front 3a . The switching vane acts in the same manner if the container 4 is tilted forwardly in accordance with the direction of arrow P 1  from its end position shown in FIG. 1 in order to throw waste paper or other non-confidential documents into the container 4. During this tilting movement, the guide pins FZ serve as pivots and the rear container edge serves as a limiting stop for the tilting movement, so that, after the container 4 is released, it moves back by itself into its original position. 
     The invention is not limited by the embodiments described above which are presented as examples only but can be modified in various ways within the scope of protection defined by the appended patent claims.