Patent Description:
The subject matter of the present invention is particularly aimed at the waste disposal sector, and in particular the separate collection of waste with the aid of roll-off containers equipped with a compacting system.

For the purpose of waste collection, the use of roll-off containers is known. These are placed at the recycling areas or other collection sites and are suitable for receiving waste delivered by citizens and/or collection personnel.

Such containers can be equipped with a compacting unit which, with the help of a pusher, acts on the waste accumulated at the bottom of a loading chamber to push it into a storage compartment where the waste is compacted in order to increase the loading capacity. Containers set up in this way are also commonly referred to as "roll-off compactors".

The pusher is moved alternately by hydraulic actuators or other movement mechanisms housed within a service chamber at the base of the compacting unit, between a rearward position within the service chamber, and an forward position in the direction of the storage chamber defined within the container. When the pusher is in the rear position, the waste poured into a feed hopper is free to fall into the loading chamber; when the pusher moves to the forward position, the waste accumulated in the loading chamber is transferred into the storage chamber through a transfer opening in a partition wall that delimits the storage chamber from the hopper and the loading chamber.

One problem typically encountered with the use of compacting units is that, due to the mechanical play inevitably present between the pusher and the surrounding fixed parts, the uncontrolled passage of some materials from the loading chamber to the service chamber occasionally occurs during the pusher's forward and return movements. After a certain period of operation, a considerable amount of material can accumulate in the service compartment, which could impair the smooth operation of the movement mechanism. It is therefore necessary to intervene periodically inside the service compartment to remove undesirable accumulated materials. Since, for safety reasons, the service compartment must be closed off from the outside environment, the only possibility of access is typically a front opening normally closed by at least one door that can only be opened by authorised maintenance personnel, equipped with a special key. By means of a control system supported by microswitches or equivalent sensors operating on the door, the opening of the door automatically disables the operation of the movement mechanism, thus allowing safe access to the service compartment to remove accumulated material. <CIT> discloses a compacting unit couplable to containers for the collection of materials according to the preamble of claim <NUM>.

However, the applicant found that this single access possibility makes the removal of materials rather difficult, as they often accumulate in cramped spaces behind and below the various parts of the movement mechanism or in other areas of the service compartment that are difficult to reach from the front opening.

The aim of the present invention is to overcome the limits of the prior art. In particular, the applicant has identified the possibility of significantly facilitating the removal of materials accumulated inside the service compartment, without penalising safety levels in relation to the accessibility of the latter, and without entailing significant increases in production costs, by arranging on the bottom surface of the compartment itself a shutter that can be opened after the opening of the door that closes the front opening.

More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a compacting unit couplable containers for the collection of materials, according to claim <NUM>.

In a further aspect, a compacting container, equipped with the aforementioned compacting device, forms the subject matter of the invention.

In at least one of the above aspects, a convenient embodiment of the invention also comprises one or more of the preferential features listed below:.

Further features and advantages will appear more clearly from the detailed description of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of a compacting unit that can be associated with containers for the collection of materials, and a compacting container equipped with said compacting unit, in accordance with the present invention. Such description will be set forth herein below with reference to the accompanying drawings, provided for merely indicative and therefore non-limiting purposes, wherein:.

With reference to the above-mentioned figures, a roll-off container <NUM> for the collection of materials, equipped with a compacting unit in accordance with the present invention, is collectively referred to as <NUM>.

The container <NUM> comprises a substantially parallelepiped-shaped containment box <NUM>, extending longitudinally between one of its front ends and one of its rear ends, and having internally at least one storage compartment <NUM> laterally bounded between a pair of vertical walls <NUM>, respectively right and left, and a pair of horizontal walls <NUM>, respectively upper and lower, extending parallel to a longitudinal direction.

The compacting unit <NUM> is suitable for installation at one of said front end 2a and rear end 2b, more precisely at the front end 2a in the example shown.

The compacting unit <NUM> has a loading hopper <NUM> into which the material to be treated is conveyed, e.g. waste delivered by citizens and/or collection service personnel, either manually and/or by tipping a container of a service vehicle.

In the example illustrated, the loading hopper <NUM>, which is accessible through one or more access doors <NUM>, is bounded at the bottom by an access sill <NUM> arranged at a front wall <NUM>. In addition or as an alternative, the loading hopper <NUM> can be accessed directly from above.

At the base of the loading hopper <NUM> there is a transfer chamber <NUM> (<FIG> and <FIG>) which, through a transfer opening <NUM> provided in a partition wall <NUM>, communicates with the storage compartment <NUM> or other storage environment.

A pusher <NUM> sliding in alternating motion along a bottom surface <NUM> of the transfer chamber <NUM> operates in the transfer chamber <NUM> to push and transfer through the transfer opening <NUM> the material coming from the loading hopper <NUM>.

The pusher <NUM> comprises a thrust bulkhead <NUM> perimetrically bounded by two horizontal edges, lower and upper respectively, extending between two vertical edges arranged at the respective inner side surfaces 11a of the transfer chamber <NUM>. The bottom horizontal edge slides on the bottom surface <NUM> of the transfer chamber <NUM>. From the upper horizontal edge of the thrust bulkhead <NUM>, parallel to the bottom surface <NUM> and away from the transfer opening <NUM>, at least one shielding bulkhead <NUM> extends sliding immediately under a lower edge 18a of a conveyor chute <NUM> forming part of the loading hopper <NUM> and converging towards the transfer chamber <NUM>. The internal lateral surfaces 11a of the transfer chamber <NUM> carry respective sliding guides <NUM> which guide the movement of the pusher <NUM> to and from the transfer opening <NUM>.

Behind the thrust bulkhead <NUM>, i.e. on the opposite side of the transfer opening <NUM> and below the conveyor chute <NUM>, a service chamber <NUM> is defined housing a movement mechanism <NUM> of the pusher <NUM>. In the example illustrated, the movement mechanism <NUM> comprises two hydraulic actuators (of which only one is visible in the drawings) arranged in a respectively crossed orientation.

Upon the action of the movement mechanism <NUM>, the pusher <NUM> is alternately moved between a backward or loading position (<FIG> and <FIG>) and a forward or transfer position (<FIG> and <FIG>). In the loading position, the pusher <NUM> is moved away from the transfer opening <NUM>, preferably with its upper horizontal edge positioned below the lower edge 18a of the conveyor chute <NUM>, so as to maximise the fall of material from the hopper to the transfer chamber <NUM>. In the transfer position, the pusher <NUM> is moved towards the loading chamber <NUM> or other accumulation environment, so that the material previously collected in the transfer chamber <NUM> is pushed through the transfer opening <NUM>. More specifically, it is preferable that in the transfer position the upper horizontal edge of the pusher <NUM> is placed at or slightly beyond the transfer opening <NUM> to maximise material transfer. In the transfer position, the shielding bulkhead <NUM> retains the material coming from the hopper, preventing it from falling behind the thrust bulkhead <NUM>.

To permit periodic maintenance and/or repair work, the service chamber <NUM> is accessible from the outside through a front opening <NUM> normally closed by at least one door <NUM>. In the example illustrated, the door <NUM> comprises two leaves 23a, hinged to the respectively opposite vertical sides of the front opening <NUM> and each movable with an angular rotation outwards from the service chamber <NUM>, between a closed position in which, as illustrated in <FIG>, it extends parallel to the front wall to close the access to the service chamber <NUM>, and an open position in which it enables access to the service chamber <NUM> through the front opening <NUM> as visible in <FIG> and <FIG>.

During operation, it may happen that some fragments of material, for example sheets of card or other layered or small material, get stuck between the perimeter edges of the thrust bulkhead <NUM> and the internal lateral surfaces 11a of the transfer chamber <NUM>, and/or between the lower edge 18a of the chute <NUM> and the pusher <NUM>, and/or below the latter, so as to invade the service chamber <NUM> and become trapped therein. Since the lowered positioning and the dimensions of the front opening <NUM> do not allow easy access to all the internal spaces of the service chamber <NUM>, especially when the container <NUM> is positioned on the ground, in order to facilitate the periodic removal of said fragments, the service chamber <NUM> is conveniently provided with at least one evacuation opening <NUM> at the bottom in communication with the external environment. The evacuation opening <NUM> is normally closed by a sliding shutter <NUM>, which can be positioned between a rest position in which, as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, it is inserted into the service chamber <NUM> to close the evacuation opening <NUM>, and an extracted position in which, as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, it protrudes through the front opening <NUM>. In the rest position, the sliding shutter <NUM> adequately isolates the service chamber <NUM> from the outside environment, so as to hinder the entry of animals and/or prevent access by unauthorised persons. In the extracted position, any fragments of material accumulated on the sliding shutter <NUM> are immediately exposed to the outside and/or near the front opening <NUM>, so that they can be easily collected. At the same time, the passage through the evacuation opening <NUM> is cleared to facilitate the extraction of foreign material accidentally accumulated inside the service chamber <NUM>. Such material may spontaneously fall to the ground following the movement of the sliding shutter <NUM> into the extracted position, or be easily reached and picked up at the same time as the container <NUM> is lifted off the ground, e.g. after or while loading it onto a transport vehicle.

When the leaves 23a of the door <NUM> are in the closed condition, the sliding shutter <NUM> is advantageously concealed within service chamber <NUM>, while the door <NUM> extends transversely to the movement path of the shutter itself so as to prevent it from sliding in the extracted position. Unauthorised access to the service chamber <NUM> is thus effectively prevented when the door <NUM> is in the closed condition. Movement of the sliding shutter <NUM> in the extracted position and access to the service chamber <NUM> can only be enabled after positioning the door <NUM> in the open condition, which can only be done with the aid of special keys supplied exclusively to authorised service personnel.

Suitable control devices, comprising, for example, one or more microswitches not illustrated, operatively arranged at the front opening <NUM> and interacting with the doors 23a, disable the operation of the movement mechanism <NUM> when the door <NUM> is not in the closed condition, so as to permit access to the service chamber <NUM> in safe conditions.

In the example illustrated, the mobility of the sliding shutter <NUM> is facilitated by small wheels, sliding rollers or similar sliders <NUM>, carried laterally by the shutter itself and sliding along respective guides <NUM> fixed to internal lateral walls of the service chamber <NUM>, arranged in continuation of the internal lateral surfaces 11a of the transfer chamber <NUM>.

Claim 1:
Compacting unit couplable to containers for the collection of materials, comprising:
a transfer chamber (<NUM>) placed underneath a loading hopper (<NUM>) and communicating with an accumulation environment (<NUM>) through a transfer opening (<NUM>);
a pusher (<NUM>) movable alternately in the transfer chamber (<NUM>) to transfer material from the loading hopper (<NUM>) through the transfer opening (<NUM>);
a movement mechanism (<NUM>) of the pusher (<NUM>), operationally housed in a service room (<NUM>) having a front opening (<NUM>) closable by at least one door (<NUM>);
wherein the service room (<NUM>) has at least one evacuation opening (<NUM>) at the bottom communicating with the outside, characterized by a sliding shutter (<NUM>) movable between a rest position in which it is inserted in the service room (<NUM>) to close the evacuation opening (<NUM>), and an extracted position in which it protrudes through the front opening (<NUM>) and frees a passage from the service chamber (<NUM>) through the evacuation opening (<NUM>).