Patent ID: 7118320

Claim:
A refuse collection system for mounting to a vehicle, comprising: a refuse storage container divided into multiple internal compartments for receiving separate waste streams, each of said internal compartments having an opening to receive refuse; a refuse-receiving trough having an opening into which a user may deposit refuse, said trough divided internally by at least one generally vertical barrier into a plurality of adjacent trough-shaped receptacles each communicating with a corresponding internal compartment, said trough having a floor and a front wall dividing said trough from said storage container, said front wall having an upper edge at the openings of said internal compartments; a packer to displace refuse from said receptacles into said internal compartments, said packer comprising a unitary upper blade substantially spanning the width of said trough and a plurality of lower blades independently hinged to said upper blade, each lower blade corresponding to one of said receptacles for scooping refuse from its respective receptacle upon rotation of said lower blade; and an actuation system comprising a plurality of actuators for independently rotating said lower blades to scoop refuse from said receptacle for elevation to the upper edge of said rear wall, and at least one actuator for driving said upper blade and said lower blades in a reciprocating movement for packing said refuse into said storage container.