Garbage compactor

Abstract

The invention proposes a waste compactor comprising a housing defining a chamber inside, the housing being provided with a waste inlet at the top of the chamber and with a waste outlet at the front end of the chamber; a pushing mechanism arranged inside the chamber, the pushing mechanism comprising a push plate and an extensible device configured to drive the push plate in a reciprocating motion between a first position close to the rear end of the chamber and a second position away from the rear end, wherein the push plate comprises a push plate body provided with an opening and a cover plate removably attached to the push plate body so as to cover the opening, the opening and the extensible device being both arranged obliquely so that the opening is adjacent to the extensible device when the push plate is in the first position.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of waste disposal, and more specifically, to a waste compressor. Background Technology

[0002] Waste collection and transportation equipment is a commonly used device for transferring waste between urban waste collection points and waste treatment sites outside the city. Waste collection and transportation equipment can collect waste and compress it using its pusher head. After the waste collection and transportation equipment is full, it can transport the waste to the waste treatment site and then use its pusher head to discharge the waste for subsequent treatment such as landfilling and incineration. Therefore, the pusher head is one of the important components of many waste collection and transportation equipment. It is installed in the waste bin and is mainly used to compress the collected waste or unload the waste in the bin. However, the pusher head of existing waste collection and transportation equipment often has the following defects: (1) Because the pusher head has a horizontally set hydraulic cylinder installed at the rear, it generally has a large installation volume, which seriously affects the effective volume of the bin; (2) During use, waste will leak out of the gap between the pusher head and the bin. As the frequency of operation increases, the amount of waste left behind the pusher head will inevitably increase and it will be difficult to clean; and (3) The hydraulic cylinder, slider and other moving parts at the rear of the pusher head are difficult to reach, making maintenance extremely inconvenient.

[0003] Therefore, there is an urgent need in this field for a waste collection and transportation equipment that has a high effective volume ratio, avoids waste accumulation, and is easy to maintain. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the problems in the prior art, the present invention provides a garbage compactor, comprising:

[0005] A housing that defines an internal chamber, the housing having a waste inlet at the top of the chamber and a waste outlet at the front end of the chamber;

[0006] A pushing mechanism disposed within the cavity includes a push plate and a telescopic device. The telescopic device is configured to drive the push plate to reciprocate between a first position near the rear end of the cavity and a second position away from the rear end.

[0007] The push plate includes a push plate body with an opening and a cover plate detachably attached to the push plate body to cover the opening. The opening and the telescopic device are both arranged at an angle such that when the push plate is in the first position, the opening is adjacent to the telescopic device.

[0008] According to an optional embodiment of the invention, the telescopic device has a first end hinged to the rear end and a second end hinged to the push plate, the first end being located above the second end.

[0009] According to an optional embodiment of the invention, the opening is arranged such that the upper edge of the opening is located above the first end of the telescopic device, and the lower edge of the opening is located in front of the second end of the telescopic device.

[0010] According to an optional embodiment of the invention, the opening is defined by a pair of side plates projecting forward from the push plate body, the pair of side plates also defining a receiving space between them leading to the opening, the receiving space being configured to receive the telescopic device when the push plate is in the first position.

[0011] According to an optional embodiment of the invention, at least a portion of the pusher body is arranged at an angle so as to extend downward while extending forward.

[0012] According to an optional embodiment of the present invention, the push plate further includes a movable door panel hinged to the lower end of the push plate body and a limiting structure fixed to the push plate body behind the movable door panel.

[0013] According to an optional embodiment of the invention, the pushing mechanism further includes a rubber plate arranged along the edge of the push plate, the edge of the push plate being spaced apart from the sidewall of the chamber, and the rubber plate abutting against the sidewall of the chamber.

[0014] According to an optional embodiment of the present invention, the sidewall of the chamber is provided with a guide rail, and the pushing mechanism further includes a slider fixed to the push plate, the slider being configured to slide along the guide rail.

[0015] According to an optional embodiment of the present invention, the slider is provided with a groove for receiving the guide rail and a pad located on the sidewall of the groove, the pad abutting against the guide rail.

[0016] According to an optional embodiment of the invention, the pair of side plates are detachably attached to the push plate body.

[0017] The present invention may be embodied in the illustrative embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. However, it should be noted that the drawings are merely illustrative, and any variations contemplated under the teachings of this invention should be considered to be included within the scope of this invention. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The accompanying drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention. These drawings should not be construed as necessarily limiting the scope of the invention, wherein:

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of a garbage compressor according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein only the casing of the garbage compressor is cut out;

[0020] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The schematic perspective view of the drive mechanism of the garbage compressor shown shows that the cover of the push plate of the drive mechanism has not been removed;

[0021] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 The schematic perspective view of the drive mechanism of the garbage compressor shown shows that the cover plate of the push plate of the drive mechanism has been removed;

[0022] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 The diagram shows a schematic partial cross-sectional view of a garbage compactor, in which the compactor housing and the actuator are cut away; and

[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of a garbage compressor according to another embodiment of the present invention, wherein the housing and the drive mechanism of the garbage compressor are cut out. Detailed Implementation

[0024] Further features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings. Exemplary embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawings, and the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. However, the invention can be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as necessarily limited to the exemplary embodiments shown herein. Rather, these exemplary embodiments are provided merely to illustrate the invention and to convey its spirit and essence to those skilled in the art.

[0025] This invention aims to provide an improved garbage compactor that can collect and compress garbage. Specifically, this garbage compactor can be mounted on a vehicle to form a mobile garbage collection vehicle, which can travel to residential areas, commercial areas, industrial areas, etc., to collect household waste, kitchen waste, industrial waste, etc. The garbage compactor has a garbage inlet at the top of the housing for receiving garbage and a garbage outlet at the front of the housing for discharging garbage. Furthermore, the garbage compactor also has a pushing mechanism inside the housing for pushing garbage towards the garbage outlet. This mechanism prevents garbage from accumulating below the garbage inlet, thus promoting even distribution of garbage inside the housing and facilitating the discharge of garbage through the garbage outlet. Notably, the pushing mechanism of the garbage compactor according to this invention, due to its novel configuration, reduces its installation volume, thereby increasing the volume of the housing for accommodating garbage. It also prevents garbage from moving to the rear of the pushing mechanism, thus avoiding contamination and damage to the power unit at the rear of the pushing mechanism by garbage. This significantly simplifies the maintenance of the power unit at the rear of the pushing mechanism, reducing the burden on workers and lowering maintenance costs.

[0026] Various embodiments of the garbage compressor according to the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the vertical direction (also known as the height direction) is indicated by arrow VV', where arrow V points upward and arrow V' points downward; the horizontal direction (also known as the length direction) is indicated by arrow HH', where arrow H points forward and arrow H' points backward; and the transverse direction (also known as the width direction) is indicated by arrow TT', where arrow T points to the left and arrow T' points to the right. However, it should be noted that the above-mentioned directional terms are merely intended to describe the relative positions of the various components involved in the technical solution defined by the present invention more intuitively in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and are not the absolute positions of the various components, and should not be construed in any way as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0027] refer to Figure 1 The diagram shows a schematic partial cross-sectional view of a garbage compactor according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein only the casing of the garbage compactor is cut out. Figure 1As shown, the garbage compactor generally includes a housing 100 and a pushing mechanism 200. The housing 100 defines a chamber 110 within itself, and a garbage inlet 111 for receiving garbage is provided at the top of the chamber 110, while a garbage outlet (not shown) for discharging garbage is provided at the front end (not shown) of the chamber 110. In this configuration, when receiving garbage, a garbage can or other temporary garbage storage device can be lifted above the garbage compactor, and then the garbage can be poured into the housing 100 through the garbage inlet 111. When discharging garbage, the pushing mechanism 200 can be used to push the garbage within the housing 100 to the garbage outlet, and then the garbage can be discharged from the housing 100 through the garbage outlet. Alternatively, when receiving garbage, the pushing mechanism 200 can be activated to push the garbage towards the garbage outlet, which prevents garbage from accumulating below the garbage inlet 111 and thus prevents accumulated garbage from clogging the garbage inlet 111. Therefore, the presence of the pushing mechanism 200 ensures not only smooth garbage discharge but also smooth garbage reception.

[0028] like Figure 1 As shown, the pushing mechanism 200 is disposed at the rear end 112 of the chamber 110 and includes a pusher plate 210 for pushing waste and a telescopic device 220 for driving the pusher plate 210 to reciprocate along the horizontal direction HH'. More specifically, the telescopic device 220 is configured to drive the pusher plate 210 to reciprocate along the horizontal direction HH' between a first position P1 near the rear end 112 of the chamber 110 and a second position P2 away from the rear end 112 of the chamber 110. In particular, in the horizontal direction HH', the first position P1 is located behind the opening 111, while the second position P2 is located in front of the opening 111. Thus, when the telescopic device 220 drives the pusher plate 210 to move toward the second position P2 (i.e., forward), the pusher plate 210 pushes the garbage in front of it toward the garbage outlet. When the telescopic device 220 pulls the pusher plate 210 toward the first position P1 (i.e., backward), the pusher plate 210 will return to the rear of the garbage inlet 111, allowing the garbage that has entered the housing 100 through the garbage inlet 111 to fall to the front of the pusher plate 210, so that the garbage can be pushed toward the garbage outlet on the next forward movement.

[0029] Best place Figure 4 As shown, Figure 4 It shows Figure 1The schematic partial cross-sectional view of the garbage compressor shown is shown, in which the garbage compressor housing and the push mechanism are cut out, and the cover plate of the push plate described below has been removed. The telescopic device 220 has a first end 221 hinged to the rear end 112 of the chamber 110 and a second end 222 hinged to the rear part of the push plate 210 opposite to the first end 221, wherein the second end 222 is located below the first end 221. In this configuration, the telescopic device 220 is tilted (e.g., tilted relative to the bottom of the chamber 110) between the rear of the push plate 210 and the rear end 112 of the chamber 110. Compared to the case where the telescopic device 220 is horizontally positioned, the tilted telescopic device 220 can obviously pull the push plate 210 to a position closer to the rear end 112 of the chamber 110. That is, the first position P1 of the push plate 210 can be made closer to the rear end 112 of the chamber 110. This reduces the volume occupied by the push mechanism 200 (i.e., the installation volume), thereby allowing more volume for storing garbage to be left in the housing 100, thereby improving the effective volumetric efficiency of the garbage compactor.

[0030] Back Figure 1 As can be seen, the telescopic device 220 is located between the rear of the push plate 210 and the rear end 112 of the chamber 110. That is, the telescopic device 220 is actually located in a relatively enclosed space defined by the push plate 210 and the housing 100. In the prior art, to maintain the power unit located behind the push plate, it is often necessary to disassemble the push plate or the rear end of the housing to create an opening that allows operators to enter. Maintenance of the actuator can only be performed through this opening, which not only makes maintenance time-consuming but also places a heavy burden on the operators. To solve this problem, refer to... Figure 2 and Figure 3 ,in, Figure 2 A schematic perspective view of the actuating mechanism 200 is shown, and the cover plate 212 of the push plate 210 has not been removed. Figure 3 A schematic perspective view of the actuating mechanism 200 is shown, and the cover plate 212 of the push plate 210 has been removed. Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the push plate 210 includes a push plate body 211 and a cover plate 212 detachably attached to the push plate body 211, wherein the push plate body 211 has an opening 213, and the cover plate 212 is used to cover the opening 213. Figure 3As shown, the opening 213 is positioned to align (especially horizontally in the direction HH') with the telescopic device 220 located behind it, so that after the cover plate 212 is removed from the push plate body 211, the telescopic device 220 can be accessed through the opening 213, especially the lower, and therefore more susceptible to contamination, second end 222 of the telescopic device 220. With this configuration, only the cover plate 212 needs to be removed for maintenance of the telescopic device 220, without having to remove the entire push plate 210, which greatly simplifies the maintenance of the telescopic device 220.

[0031] In particular, such as Figure 4 As shown, the opening 213 is also arranged at an angle (e.g., at an angle relative to the bottom of the chamber 110) such that when the push plate 210 is in a first position P1 near the rear end 112 of the chamber 110, the opening 213 is adjacent to the telescopic device 220. As shown, the upper edge 214 and the lower edge 215 of the opening 213 are both close to or adjacent to the telescopic device 220. In particular, the upper edge 214 of the opening 213 is adjacent to the first end 221 of the telescopic device 220, while the lower edge 215 of the opening 213 is adjacent to the second end 222 of the telescopic device 220. In this configuration, when maintenance of the telescopic device 220 is required, the push plate 210 can be moved to the first position P1, and then the cover plate 212 can be removed. At this time, the upper edge 214 and lower edge 215 of the opening 213 are close to the telescopic device 220. This allows operators to easily pass their hands and tools through the opening 213 to perform maintenance on the telescopic device 220, further simplifying the maintenance work. In particular, when the upper edge 214 and lower edge 215 of the opening 213 are adjacent to the first end 221 and the second end 222 of the telescopic device 220 respectively, it is possible to reach virtually any part of the telescopic device 220 through the opening 213, thus enabling maintenance on any part of the telescopic device 220. Therefore, by arranging the opening 213 and the telescopic device 220 at an angle, the installation volume of the pushing mechanism 200 can be reduced to increase the effective volumetric efficiency of the garbage compressor, while also allowing the opening 213 and the telescopic device 220 to be adjacent to each other for maintenance of the telescopic device 220. In addition, since the opening 213 is arranged at an angle, the cover plate 212 used to cover the opening 213 will also be arranged at an angle on the push plate body 211. This will cause the garbage that falls on the cover plate 212 to slide off automatically instead of accumulating on the cover plate 212. This can effectively prevent garbage from falling through the opening 213 to the rear of the push plate body 211 when the cover plate 212 is opened, especially preventing garbage from falling onto the second end 222 of the telescopic device 220.

[0032] In particular, such as Figures 3-5As shown, the opening 213 can be configured to be spaced apart from the edge of the push plate body 211. This ensures that the push plate body 211 has sufficient strength, thereby extending its service life.

[0033] In particular, such as Figures 1-3 As shown, at least a portion of the pusher plate body 211 is also arranged at an angle; more specifically, this at least portion of the pusher plate body 211 extends downward while extending forward. In particular, when the pusher plate 210 is in the first position P1, the waste inlet 111 is aligned with the angled portion of the pusher plate body 211. In this configuration, waste entering the chamber 110 from the waste inlet 111 will fall onto the angled portion of the pusher plate body 211, and then slide down in front of the pusher plate 210 guided by the angled portion, thus avoiding splashing caused by waste falling directly to the bottom of the chamber 110.

[0034] In another alternative embodiment of the invention, reference is made to Figure 5 The diagram shows a schematic partial cross-sectional view of a garbage compactor according to another embodiment of the invention, wherein the housing and the actuating mechanism of the garbage compactor are both cut out. Figure 5 As shown, the opening 213 is configured such that its upper edge 214 is located above the first end 221 of the telescopic device 220, while its lower edge 215 is located in front of the second end 222 of the telescopic device 220. In this configuration, when the push plate 210 is in the first position P1 near the rear end 112 of the chamber 110, after removing the cover plate 212, the operator can easily access the first end 221 of the telescopic device 220 and its hinge portion in the horizontal direction HH' without being obstructed by the push plate body 211, and can also easily access the second end 222 of the telescopic device 220 and its hinge portion in the vertical direction VV' without being obstructed by the push plate body 211. In this case, the operator can obviously also easily access any part of the telescopic device 220 between the first end 221 and the second end 222, which makes it easy for the operator (e.g., the operator's hand) to repair the telescopic device 220, whether any part of the telescopic device 220 or its hinge portion is damaged. Therefore, the above configuration further simplifies the maintenance of the telescopic device 220.

[0035] In particular, such as Figures 1-3As shown, the push plate 210 is generally inclined in a U-shape, such that the cover plate 212 is positioned offset forward from the push plate body 211, or in other words, the push plate body 211 is positioned offset rearward from the cover plate 212. In this configuration, the push plate body 211 not only avoids interference with the telescopic device 220 located behind the cover plate 212, but also, because the push plate body 211 is offset rearward relative to the cover plate 212, more volume is left in the housing 100 for accommodating waste. Specifically, the cover plate 212 is detachably attached to a pair of side plates 216 projecting forward from the push plate body 211, and the opening 213 is defined by these side plates 216. Furthermore, the pair of side plates 216 define a receiving space 217 between them leading to the opening 213, in which the telescopic device 220 is at least partially received when the pusher plate 210 is in a first position P1 near the rear end 112 of the chamber 110 of the garbage compactor. In this configuration, after the cover plate 212 is removed from the side plates 216, the operator's hands and tools can pass through the opening 213 into the receiving space 217 to perform maintenance on the telescopic device 220 located within the receiving space 217, further simplifying maintenance work on the telescopic device 220. In particular, the side plates 216 can also be removed from the pusher plate body 211. In this configuration, after the side plate 216 is removed from the push plate body 211, the receiving space 217 is open not only at the opening 213 but also on its side, which allows the operator's hands and tools to enter from the side of the receiving space 217 to perform maintenance on the telescopic device 220 located in the receiving space 217, which further simplifies the maintenance of the telescopic device 220.

[0036] In particular, such as Figures 1-5As shown, the push plate 210 may further include a movable door plate 218 hinged to the lower end of the push plate body 211. The movable door plate 218 has a rotation axis extending in the lateral direction TT', thereby adapting the movable door plate 218 to swing back and forth relative to the push plate body 211. More specifically, the push plate 210 may further include a limiting structure 219 fixed to the push plate body 211 behind the movable door plate 218. The limiting structure 219 is configured to abut against the movable door plate 218 to prevent it from swinging behind the limiting structure 219. In this configuration, when the pusher plate 210 moves from the first position P1 to the second position P2, the limiting structure 219 abuts against the movable door plate 218 and pushes the movable door plate 218 forward. The movable door plate 218 pushes the garbage forward and prevents the garbage from moving to its rear. When the pusher plate 210 moves from the second position P2 to the first position P1, the movable door plate 218 can be pushed away from the limiting structure 219 by the garbage and / or gas behind it. This allows the garbage and gas behind the pusher plate 210 to move to its front, and so that this garbage is pushed towards the garbage outlet when the pusher plate 210 moves towards the second position P2 next. This facilitates the discharge of garbage and gas behind the pusher plate 210, preventing them from accumulating behind the pusher plate 210 and contaminating the power unit such as the telescopic device 220, and causing the container to expand. In addition, when cleaning the garbage compressor, the operator can open the movable door plate 218 and then insert a water pipe into the rear of the pusher plate 210 for rinsing.

[0037] In particular, such as Figures 1-3 As shown, the pushing mechanism 200 also includes a rubber plate 230 arranged along the edge of the push plate 210, wherein the edge of the push plate 210 is spaced apart from the inner wall of the housing 100 (i.e., the side wall of the chamber 110 surrounding the internal space of the chamber 110 between its rear and front ends), and the rubber plate 230 abuts against the inner wall of the housing 100. In this configuration, since the edge of the push plate 210 is spaced apart from the inner wall of the housing 100, mutual wear between the rigid structure of the push plate 210 and the inner wall of the housing 100 can be avoided, and the waste can be reliably pushed by the rubber plate 230, especially when the push plate 210 moves to the second position P2, the rubber plate 230 can reliably push the waste toward the waste outlet and isolate the front and rear of the push plate 210, thereby preventing the waste in front of the push plate 210 from moving to its rear, and thus protecting the power device such as the telescopic device 220 from being contaminated by the waste.

[0038] In particular, such as Figure 1As shown, the sidewall of chamber 110 is provided with guide rails 113 located on both sides of the pushing mechanism 200. The guide rails 113 extend along the horizontal direction HH'. The pushing mechanism 200 may also include sliders 240 fixed on both sides of the push plate 210, wherein the sliders 240 are configured to slide along the guide rails 113. In particular, the sliders 240 may be provided with grooves 241 for receiving the guide rails 113 and pairs of pads 242 disposed on two opposite sidewalls of the grooves 241, wherein the pairs of pads 242 clamp the guide rails 113 between them, thereby preventing the guide rails 113 from dislodging from the grooves 241 due to shaking. In particular, the pads 242 may be detachably disposed on the sidewalls of the grooves 241. In this configuration, a nylon pad can be selected as the pad 242 to reduce wear on the groove 241 and the guide rail 113. When the pad 242 is damaged, it can be removed and replaced with a new pad, thereby extending the service life of the guide rail 113 and the slider 240. Alternatively, the pad 242 can be placed only above the guide rail 113. In this case, the pad 242 will abut against the guide rail 113 under the weight of the push plate 210 and thus slide along the guide rail 113.

[0039] It is worth mentioning that the telescopic device 220 described in the above embodiments can be any type of telescopic device that can change its length, such as a hydraulic cylinder, a pneumatic cylinder, a worm gear, a lead screw, etc. It can drive the push plate 210 to reciprocate along the horizontal direction HH' by telescopic movement. Using any type of telescopic device as the telescopic device 220 is obviously under the teaching of this invention and should therefore be considered to fall within the protection scope of this invention.

[0040] The optional but non-limiting embodiments of the garbage compressor according to the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. Modifications and additions to the technology and structure, as well as recombinations of features in the various embodiments, will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and essence of this disclosure and should be considered to be included within the scope of the invention. Therefore, such modifications and additions conceivable under the teachings of this invention should be considered part of the invention. The scope of the invention includes equivalent technologies known at the time of filing and equivalent technologies not yet foreseen.

Claims

1. A garbage compactor, comprising: A housing (100) defining an internal chamber (110) has a waste inlet (111) at the top of the chamber (110) and a waste outlet at the front end of the chamber (110); A pushing mechanism (200) is disposed within the chamber (110). The pushing mechanism (200) includes a push plate (210) and a telescopic device (220). The telescopic device (220) is configured to drive the push plate (210) to reciprocate between a first position (P1) near the rear end (112) of the chamber (110) and a second position (P2) away from the rear end (112). The push plate (210) includes a push plate body (211) with an opening (213) and a cover plate (212) detachably attached to the push plate body (211) to cover the opening (213). The opening (213) and the telescopic device (220) are both arranged at an angle so that when the push plate (210) is in the first position (P1), the opening (213) is adjacent to the telescopic device (220). The telescopic device (220) has a first end (221) hinged to the rear end (112) and a second end (222) hinged to the push plate (210), wherein the first end (221) is located above the second end (222). The opening (213) is arranged such that its upper edge (214) is located above the first end (221) of the telescopic device (220), and its lower edge (215) is located in front of the second end (222) of the telescopic device (220). The opening (213) is defined by a pair of side plates (216) protruding forward from the push plate body (211), the pair of side plates (216) also defining a receiving space (217) between each other leading to the opening (213), the receiving space (217) being configured to receive the telescopic device (220) when the push plate (210) is in the first position (P1).

2. The garbage compressor according to claim 1, wherein, At least a portion of the push plate body (211) is arranged at an angle so as to extend downward while extending forward.

3. The garbage compactor according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The push plate (210) also includes a movable door panel (218) hinged to the lower end of the push plate body (211) and a limiting structure (219) fixed to the push plate body (211) behind the movable door panel (218).

4. The garbage compressor according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The pushing mechanism (200) further includes a rubber plate (230) arranged along the edge of the push plate (210), the edge of the push plate (210) being spaced apart from the sidewall of the chamber (110), and the rubber plate (230) abutting against the sidewall of the chamber (110).

5. The garbage compressor according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The sidewall of the chamber (110) is provided with a guide rail (113), and the pushing mechanism (200) further includes a slider (240) fixed to the push plate (210), the slider (240) being configured to slide along the guide rail (113).

6. The garbage compactor according to claim 5, wherein, The slider (240) is provided with a groove (241) for receiving the guide rail (113) and a pad (242) located on the side wall of the groove (241), the pad (242) abutting against the guide rail (113).

7. The garbage compactor according to claim 1, wherein, The pair of side plates (216) are detachably attached to the push plate body (211).

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