Abstract:
A compacting mechanism for fitting a surface over a refuse container comprising a support member ( 10 ) for fitting to the surface, the support member having an aperture ( 16 ) which in use is in register with an aperture in the surface. A compacting plate ( 12 ) is mounted under the support member, and is coupled to an actuator rod ( 14 ) through the aperture in the support member such that the rod may be manoeuvred from a storage position wherein the rod lies along the support member across the surface and the plate is drawn up under the surface to an operative position wherein the rod stands upright over the aperture in the support and may be pushed downwardly through the registering apertures to push the plate down into the container.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention. relates to a compacting mechanism for a refuse container. 
   Our prior published Patent Specification WO 01/46042 describes a lid for a refuse container, the lid containing an integral compacting mechanism. 
   It is an object of the invention to provide a compacting mechanism which can be retro-fitted or fitted as original equipment to the top surface of a refuse container or any surface above a bin fitted or placed below that surface, e.g. kitchen counter, kitchen cabinet, shelf, mobile service trolley or bin for garden or industrial compactable waste. Such a surface may be, but is not limited to, the non-opening roof of the type of refuse container used in “fast-food” establishments, which have a side opening for the insertion of refuse, or other containers used in restaurants, hospitals, domestic or industrial kitchens or airline style service trolleys with a removable inside bin fitted with a plastic removable refuse sack. However, the invention is not limited to retro-fitting, and it may be fitted to-new installations. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   According to the present invention there is provided a compacting mechanism for fitting to a surface over a refuse container, the compacting mechanism comprising a support member for fitting to the said surface, the support member having an aperture which in use is in register with an aperture in the said surface, a compacting plate mounted under the support member, an actuating rod, and means coupling the compacting plate to the actuating rod such that the rod may be manoeuvred from a storage position wherein the rod lies along the support member across the said surface and the plate is drawn up under the said surface to an operative position wherein the rod stands upright over the aperture in the support member and may be pushed downwardly through the registering apertures to push the plate down into the container. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     An embodiment of the inventions will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an embodiment of compacting mechanism according to the invention in a its operative position, although omitting the refuse container to which it is fitted in use. 
       FIGS. 2  ( a ) and  2  ( b ) are top perspective views respectively of the telescopic actuating rod of  FIG. 1  in its fully retracted and fully extended states. 
       FIG. 3  are perspective views from below of the two components making up the telescopic actuating rod. 
       FIG. 4  are perspective views from above of the two components making up the telescopic actuating rod. 
       FIGS. 5 to 7  show successive stages in the storage of the mechanism from the operative position shown in  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 8  shows the compacting mechanism fitted to a refuse container, the mechanism being in its storage position. 
       FIG. 9  shows the compacting mechanism fitted to a refuse container and deployed in its operative position. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   Referring to the drawings, the basic elements of the compacting mechanism are a channel-shaped support member  10  for fitting to a non-opening roof of a refuse container having a side opening for the insertion of refuse, a compacting plate  12 , an actuating rod  14  passing through an aperture  16  in the support member  10  and inwardly directed projections  18  on the plate slidably coupling the plate  12  to the rod  14  in a manner to be described. 
   The actuating rod  14  is adjustable in length, being formed in two parts,  FIGS. 2 to 4 , an inner part  14 A which is telescoped within an outer part  14 B formed as a shallow channel. In particular, the inner part  14 A has a relatively narrow rear portion  14 A′ ( FIG. 4 ) with grooves  20  along opposite edges which are slidably engaged by fixed projections  22  on the inside walls of the rear of the outer part  14 B. The inner part  14 A also has a relatively wider front portion  14 A″ having shallow recesses  24  along opposite edges which slide under overhanging ledges  26  along opposite edges of the front of the outer part  14 B. In this way the inner part  14 A is guided for sliding movement into and out of the outer part  14 B. 
   At the junction of its narrower and wider portions the inner part  14 A has two laterally outwardly biased ball members  28  which resiliently engage a first pair of holes  30  in the opposite sides of the part  14 B when the part  14 A is fully retracted into the part  14 B and which resiliently engage a second pair of holes  32  in the opposite sides of the part  14 B when the part  14 A is fully extended out of the part  14 B. Thus the inner part  14 A is resiliently retained at each of its fully retracted and fully extended positions. The inner part  14 A has a handgrip  34  at its free end by which it may be drawn out of and pushed into the part  14 B. 
   The channel-like outer part  14 B of the actuating rod  14  has a groove  36  extending along each external edge about halfway along the part  14 B from its closed end  38 . Each groove  36  is slidably engaged by a respective inwardly directed projection  18  on the plate  12 . In the operative position of the mechanism,  FIG. 1 , the actuating rod  14  is orientated upright and extends through the aperture  16  in the support member  10  so that the projections  18  are at the closed ends  36 A,  FIG. 2  ( a ), of the grooves  36 . The projections  18  are formed at the top ends of respective arms  40  which extend upwardly from a bracket  42  moulded or otherwise attached to the plate  12 . The length of the arms  40  is such that, assuming no upward force is applied to the plate  12 , the closed end  38  of the actuating rod  14  is clear of the bracket  40 . In this situation the plate  12  hangs freely from the end  38  of the rod  14  and is capable of rotation about the axis of the projections  18  which rest on the closed ends  36 A of the grooves  36 . 
   In use, as will be described, the support member  10  is fitted to a non-opening roof of a refuse container with the aperture  16  in register with a like aperture in the container roof, so that the actuating rod  14  passes through both the aperture  16  and the corresponding aperture in the container roof. Thus, if the rod  14  is pushed downwardly using the handgrip  34  to compact refuse in the container, the upward force on the plate  12  will force the end  38  of the rod  14  into the bracket  42  so that the plate  12  is then locked against rotation relative to the rod  14 . However, after the refuse has been compacted, lifting the rod  14  removes the upward force on the plate  12  and allows the end  38  of the rod  14  to disengage from the bracket  42  so that the plate can once again rotate relative to the rod  14 . 
   In order to store the compacting mechanism, the rod  14  is drawn upwardly until the end  38  is above the aperture  16  in the support member  10 ,  FIG. 5 . This draws the top ends of the arms  40  through the aperture  16  since the projections  18  remain engaged in the grooves  36  at their closed ends  36 A, and hence the plate  12  is drawn up under the member  10 . 
   Now,  FIG. 6 , the entire rod  14  is rotated about the projections  18  so that it lies in the channel  10 A of the support member  10 , the channel  10 A being open at one end  10 B to allow this. Finally,  FIG. 7 , the handgrip  34  is pushed to collapse the two parts  14 A,  14 B and slide the entire collapsed rod  14  along its own axis fully into the-channel  10 A so that the end  38  of the part  14 B comes to rest against the closed end  10 C of the channel  10 A. During the sliding of the part  14 B along the channel  10 A the projections  18 , which are of course fixed longitudinally of the channel, slide along the grooves  36 . 
   To bring the mechanism from the storage position to the operative position these actions are reversed, i.e. first the rod  14  is slid along its own axis along the channel  10 A until the ends  36 A of the channels  36  come to engage the projections  18  ( FIG. 6 ), then the rod  14  is rotated upright over the aperture  16  ( FIG. 5 ), and finally the rod is pushed downwardly through the aperture  16  ( FIG. 1 ). 
     FIGS. 8 and 9  show the compacting mechanism fitted to the non-opening roof  50  of a refuse container  52  of the kind used in fast-food establishments, the support member  10  being recessed into the roof  50  with its channel  10 A extending transversely across the roof. 
   The roof  50  has an aperture in register with the aperture  16  in the member  10  to allow the actuating rod  14  to pass though both apertures. The container has a side opening which is covered by an inwardly opening flap  54  which is hinged (not shown) along its top edge to the roof  50  to allow refuse to be placed into a bin (also not shown) in the container  52 , the bin being lined with a removable sack. The container  52  has an outwardly opening door  56  to allow a bin containing a full refuse sack to be removed and replaced with an empty one. 
     FIG. 8  shows the compacting mechanism in the storage position wherein the rod  14  lies along the channel  10 A in the support member  10  and the plate  12  is drawn under the container roof  50 , while  FIG. 9  shows the mechanism in its operative position wherein the plate  12  is within the not-shown bin in the container  52 . To avoid over-compaction, the resilient retaining means  28 , 32  which cooperate to hold the two parts  14 A,  14 B of the actuating rod  14  in its fully extended position are overcome upon the compacting plate  12  meeting a given resistance in use so that the one part  14 A retracts into the other  14 B to substantially cease further compaction. 
   Alternatively, not shown, the two parts  14 A,  14 B can be releasably lockable in their extended position so that no such retraction under pressure occurs but rather they need to be manually released to effect retraction. If desired, a one piece non-extendible rod  14  can be used, particularly where a long reach is not required. 
   When the mechanism is in its operative position the plate  12  can be removed from the rod  14  for cleaning by tipping it sideways and sliding the projections  18  up the grooves  36 , i.e. away from their lower ends  36 A, to the gaps in the grooves next to the holes  30 ,  FIG. 2 . 
   Although the mechanism has been described in use with the type of refuse container used in “fast-food” establishments which have a side opening for the insertion of refuse, the invention can be used in any situation, commercial or domestic, where a surface which can receive the support member  10  overlies a refuse container which can receive the plate  12 , and the mechanism can be manufactured in various sizes to fit these various applications. 
   The invention is not limited to the embodiment described herein which may be modified or varied without departing from the scope of the invention.