Lifting device for emptying a waste container
The lifting device with a secondary gripping mechanism addresses the issue of accommodating different container sizes by evenly distributing forces and preventing ground contact, ensuring safe inversion of both large and small waste containers.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- DE202024106658
- Authority / Receiving Office
- DE · DE
- Patent Type
- Utility models
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-11-19
- Publication Date
- 2025-01-09
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-11-30
AI Technical Summary
Existing lifting devices for waste containers face challenges in accommodating both large and small-sized containers without causing damage due to uneven force distribution during inversion, and the support placement for large containers prevents use with small containers.
A lifting device with a secondary gripping device positioned between the primary gripping device and support allows for grasping lifting fittings of both large and small containers, using a single support that avoids ground contact and reduces force concentration on the fittings.
Enables the use of a single support to safely invert both large and small waste containers without damaging the fittings, by distributing forces evenly and preventing ground contact during the inversion process.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to a lifting device for emptying a waste container. DESCRIPTION OF THE STATE OF THE ART
[0002] Previously, a lifting device for a refuse collection vehicle was known, where a gripping device grips a lifting fitting of the waste container. To ensure that the container is not damaged during inversion, a support is provided on the lifting device at a position below the gripping device. A challenge with the previously used lifting device is that the support must be mounted at a sufficient distance below the gripping device to ensure that the forces acting on the waste container remain at an acceptably low level to avoid damage to the material of the waste container during inversion.
[0003] If the support contacts the waste container at a position too close to the lifting fitting, the forces acting on the waste container during inversion will be concentrated on a very small area of the waste container. This can damage the waste container. Therefore, the support must contact the waste container at a sufficiently deep level compared to the lifting fitting.
[0004] However, there is a disadvantage to placing the support at a sufficiently low position in the lifting device, as this makes it impossible to use the same lifting device to empty small, low-profile waste containers. The low position of the support makes it impossible to position the lifting device low enough for the gripping device to grasp the lifting fitting of such a small-sized container, as the support or other parts of the lifting device will already hit the ground before the gripping device can reach the level of the lifting fitting. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] An object of the present invention is to remedy the above-mentioned disadvantage and to provide a lifting device that can be used for emptying waste containers of different heights. This object is achieved with a lifting device according to independent claim 1.
[0006] If a secondary gripping device is provided in the lifting device at a position between the gripping device and the support, it becomes possible to reach the lifting fitting of a small-sized, low-height waste container with the secondary gripping device. With such a solution, the same support can be used to empty both waste containers of a first size and waste containers of a second size that are lower in height than the waste containers of the first size. Consequently, only one support is required in the lifting device, and this support can be positioned so that the support or other parts of the lifting device do not impact the ground.
[0007] Preferred embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] In the following, the lifting device is described in more detail by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 shows a lifting device, Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 the lifting device Fig. 1 while capturing a waste container, Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 the lifting device of the Fig. 1 - 4 during the capture of a small-sized waste container, and Fig. 6 and Fig. 7 an enlargement of a detail of the lifting device of the Fig. Show 1 - 5. DESCRIPTION OF AT LEAST ONE EMBODIMENT
[0009] The lifting device 1 comprises a gripping device 2, which has a lower section 3 for gripping a waste container 5 (in the Fig. 2 and Fig. 3) from below, and includes an upper section 6 for gripping the lifting fitting 4 from above to clamp the lifting fitting between the lower section 3 and the upper section 6. In the example shown, this clamping is implemented by keeping the lower section 3 stationary while the upper section 6 is movable. For this purpose, the upper section is rotatably attached to the lifting device via joints 7. In other implementations, however, the movement may be linear.
[0010] A support 8 is arranged in the lifting device at a position below the gripping device 2 to support a waste container 5 while it is being turned over.
[0011] At a position between the gripping device 2 and the support 8, a secondary gripping device 9 is provided. The secondary gripping device 9 comprises a secondary lower portion 10 for gripping a lifting fitting 11 from below, which is attached to a small-sized waste container 12 (in the Fig. 4 and Fig. 5) is provided, which has a lower height than the normal-sized waste container 5 (in the Fig. 2 and Fig. 3). In addition, the secondary gripping device 9 is provided with a secondary upper section 13 for gripping the lifting fitting 11 of the small-sized waste container from above. One of the secondary lower sections 10 and the secondary upper sections 13 is movable, while the other is stationary. The movement is used to clamp the lifting fitting 11 of the small-sized waste container 12 between the secondary lower section 10 and the secondary upper section 11, while the lifting device 1 is used to lift and turn the small-sized waste container during emptying. During emptying, the support 8 supports the small-sized waste container. In practice, the movement can be carried out as a linear movement or, alternatively, as a rotation. In the example shown, it is assumed that the secondary lower section 10 is movable by rotation, while the secondary upper support 13 is stationary.For this purpose, the lower section 10 is rotatably attached to the lifting device 1 by joints 18.
[0012] Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 illustrate the lifting device 1 of Fig. 1 during the capture of a waste container 5. In addition to the Fig. 1 illustrated lifting device 1 Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 additionally comprises a lifter 14, which is used to move the lifting device 1 and the waste container 5 while the waste container is being emptied. The exact structure of the lifter 14 may vary in different implementations. In the example shown, the lower right part of the lifter is attached to a refuse collection vehicle, so that the waste container 5 can be Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 can be lifted upwards and to the right until it is inverted over a container in the refuse collection vehicle into which the contents of the refuse container are emptied.
[0013] In Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, the waste container shown is a normal-sized container, in other words, it has a height suitable for gripping the upper gripping device 2 during emptying.
[0014] In Fig. 2, the lifting device 1 is shown in a position in which the lifting fitting 4 is immediately grasped by the gripping device 2. In Fig. 3, the lower section 3 of the gripping device 2 has gripped the lifting fitting 4 from below, allowing the container 5 to be raised slightly above the ground. At this stage, the upper section 6 rotates due to the joint 7 and the drive 16, as illustrated by arrow 15. The drive 16 that moves the upper section 6 can be, for example, a pneumatic cylinder. As a result of this rotational movement of the upper section 6, the lifting fitting 4 is firmly and reliably clamped by the gripping device 2, allowing the waste container 5 to be lifted and emptied by turning it over.
[0015] Out of Fig. 3 also shows that the support 8 contacts a portion 17 of the waste container 5 located at a position below the lifting fitting 4. In this position, the support 8 supports part of the weight of the waste container while it is being inverted. This reduces the forces acting on the lifting fitting 4, thus preventing damage to the material of the lifting fitting 4 of the waste container 5 during emptying.
[0016] Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 illustrate the lifting device 1 of the Fig. 1-3 during the detection of a small-sized waste container 12, in other words a waste container which, compared to the one in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 has a low height.
[0017] Out of Fig. 4, it can be seen that if the lifting device 1 were lowered to a height at which the gripping device 2 (intended for the standard-sized waste container) would be able to engage the lifting fitting 11, the support 8 (or other parts of the lifting device) would strike the ground before the gripping device 2 reaches the lifting fitting 11. Therefore, the lifting fitting 11 of the small-sized waste container is instead engaged with the secondary gripping device 9.
[0018] In Fig. 4, the lifting device 1 is shown in a position in which the lifting fitting 11 is immediately grasped by the secondary gripping device 9. In Fig. 5, the secondary lower section 10 of the secondary gripping device has engaged the lifting fitting 11 from below, so that the small-sized waste container 12 can be lifted slightly above the ground. At this stage, the secondary upper section 13 of the secondary gripping device has moved into the position shown in FIG. 1 due to the joint 18 and the secondary drive 19. Fig. 5. The secondary drive 19, which moves the secondary lower section 10, can be, for example, a pneumatic cylinder. As a result of this rotational movement of the secondary lower section 10, the lifting fitting 11 is firmly and reliably clamped between the movable secondary lower section 10 and the stationary secondary upper section 13 by the gripping device 9, so that the small-format waste container 12 can be lifted and emptied by moving the lifter 14.
[0019] Out of Fig. 5 it is also evident that the same support 8, which in Fig. 3 contacted the section 17 of the waste container 5, is arranged in the lifting device 1 such that it also supports a section 20 of the small-format waste container 12 during inversion. This section 20 is located at a position below the lifting fitting 11. In this position, the support 8 bears part of the weight of the small-format waste container 12 while it is being inverted. This reduces the forces acting on the lifting fitting 11, thus preventing damage to the material of the lifting fitting 11 or the waste container 12 during emptying.
[0020] Fig. 6 and Fig. 7 illustrate an enlarged side view of the lifting device 1 of the Fig. 1 - 5.
[0021] In Fig. 6, the secondary lower section 10 of the secondary gripping device 10 is in a release position 21, and in Fig. 7, the secondary gripping device 10 is in a gripping position 22 relative to the stationary secondary upper section 13. In the gripping position 22, a secondary gap 23 between the secondary lower section 10 and the secondary upper section 13 is smaller than in the release position 21 to clamp the lifting fitting 11 of the small-format waste container 12.
[0022] The upper section 6 of the gripping device 2 is arranged to be moved by the drive 16 relative to the lower section 3 and relative to the support 8, and the secondary lower section 10 of the secondary gripping device 9 is arranged to be moved by the secondary drive 19 relative to the secondary upper section 13 and relative to the support 8. Consequently, in the example shown, it is not necessary to move the support 8 in the lifting device while the movable part of the gripping device 2 or the secondary gripping device 9 is moving. Instead, in many implementations, the support 8 can be a part that is stationary and attached to the lifting device 1, regardless of the size (height) of the waste container to be emptied.
[0023] It should be understood that the above description and the accompanying figures are intended only to illustrate the present invention. It will be obvious to one skilled in the art that the invention may be varied and modified without departing from the scope of the invention.
Claims
[1] Lifting device (1) for a refuse collection vehicle for turning over and emptying a refuse container (5) of a first size, the lifting device (1) comprising: a gripping device (2) for gripping a lifting fitting (4) provided in the waste container (5), wherein the gripping device (2) comprises a lower portion (3) for gripping the lifting fitting (4) from below, and an upper portion (6) for gripping the lifting fitting (4) from above in order to clamp the lifting fitting (4) between the lower portion (3) and the upper portion (6), and a support (8) arranged in the lifting device (1) at a position below the gripping device (2) to contact a portion (17) of the waste container (5) of the first size, the portion (17) being located below the lifting fitting (4), the support (8) supporting the waste container (5) when it is turned over, characterized bythat for emptying a small-sized waste container (12) which has a low height compared to the waste container (5) of the first size, the lifting device (1) additionally comprises: a secondary gripping device (9) arranged in the lifting device (1) at a position between the gripping device (2) and the support (8), the secondary gripping device (9) comprising a secondary lower portion (10) for gripping a lifting fitting (11) of the small-sized waste container (12) from below, and a secondary upper portion (13) for gripping the lifting fitting (11) of the small-sized waste container (12) from above in order to clamp the lifting fitting (11) of the small-sized waste container (12) between the secondary lower portion (10) and the secondary upper portion (13) in order to turn over and empty the small-sized waste container (12), wherein the secondary gripping device (9) is arranged in the lifting device (1) at a position at which the same support (8) that supports the container (5) during the turning over of a waste container (5) of the first size contacts a portion (20) of the small-sized waste container (12) at a position below the lifting fitting (11) of the small-sized waste container (12) and supports the small-sized waste container (12) during the turning over. [2] Lifting device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the device (1) is provided with a secondary drive (19) for moving the secondary lower portion (10) of the secondary gripping device (9) between a release position (21) and a detection position (22) with respect to the secondary upper portion (13), wherein in the detection position (22) a secondary gap (23) between the secondary lower section (10) and the secondary upper section (13) is smaller than in the release position (21) in order to clamp the lifting fitting (11) of the small-sized waste container (12) between the secondary lower section (10) and the secondary upper section (13). [3] Lifting device (1) according to claim 2, wherein the secondary lower section (10) is pivotally (18) articulated to the lifting device (1). [4] Lifting device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the lifting device (1) is provided with a drive (16) to move the upper portion (6) of the gripping device (2) between a release position and a detection position with respect to the lower portion (3), wherein in the detection position a gap between the lower portion (3) and the upper portion (6) is smaller than in the release position in order to clamp the lifting fitting (4) of the waste container (5) between the lower portion (3) and the upper portion (6). [5] Lifting device (1) according to claim 4, wherein the upper portion (6) is rotatably hinged (7) to the lifting device (1). [6] Lifting device (1) according to one of claims 4 to 5, wherein the upper portion (6) of the gripping device (2) is arranged to be moved by the drive (16) with respect to the lower portion (3) and with respect to the support (8), and the secondary lower portion (10) of the secondary gripping device (9) is arranged to be moved by the secondary drive (19) with respect to the secondary upper portion (13) and with respect to the support (8).
Citation Information
Cited By
Waste disposal vehicle with a lifting and tipping device for picking up and emptying waste containers into a collection chamber of the waste disposal vehicle.
DE202026101721U1