Waste container with controlled entry hatch

Abstract

Waste container comprising a casing (1) surmounting the container in which is made an opening (2) for introducing waste which can be closed by a hatch (3) which can be operated by the user between an open position for introducing waste and a closed position and provided with a locking / unlocking system for said hatch (3) which comprises an electronically controlled actuator, capable of moving a locking member (15) of the hatch (3) between a position for blocking the hatch (3) in the closed position and a disengaged position allowing the hatch (3) to be opened. This container is characterized in that the actuator moves the locking member (15) by means of a mechanical connection (10) for transmitting the movement of the actuator to the locking member (15), at least one part (13) of which in contact with the actuator is elastically deformable to allow the actuator to move in the event of forced immobilization of the locking member (15).Fig. of the abstract: Fig. 1.

Description

Title of the invention: Waste container with controlled introduction hatch

[0001] The present invention is in the field of waste containers whose introduction hatches are controlled, that is to say that their access is not free but generally locked, the unlocking being dependent on an electromechanical device controlled after identification of the user and authorization if necessary. This type of operation responds to the progressive implementation, by the various public and private operators, of the polluter pays principle, which leads these operators to set up pricing systems based on the volume of waste deposited by a user. It is therefore necessary to first identify said user, who can then be billed according to the volume of waste dumped to be treated, if he has been authorized to use the container. The waste introduction hatch is in fact only manipulable when the user has been identified and authorized.

[0002] More specifically, when access control is implemented, the waste containers are equipped with locking devices such as electromechanical locks, which can be deactivated by using, for example, access codes or personal badges, and which therefore prevent unauthorized access to the containers. Unlocking is therefore based on the identification of users: those who are authorized (residents, businesses, etc.) are registered with local authorities or waste management service providers. Each registered user is in practice assigned a means of access, for example an access code or an electronic device (badge, etc.) which allows them to release the introduction device, for example a hatch, in order to open the container and dump their waste into it.These devices require an electronic processing unit and peripherals which successively allow the identification of users, the unlocking of an electro-mechanical system which organizes the accessibility of the waste introduction opening, then possibly the transmission of data for possible invoicing.

[0003] When there is billing, the corresponding operations are based on an evaluation of the use of the container made by each authorized user. This requires in principle the measurement of the quantity of waste. For this purpose, the locking devices record, for example, following identification, each time that access to the container is opened to deposit waste. For the most accurate billing, the containers are then preferably equipped with introduction means with calibration of the volume of waste, based on a movable compartment surmounting the container itself and which the user fills out as many times as necessary. In essence, the more waste a user generates, the more they pay for its subsequent processing.

[0004] The advantages of such a system are numerous, first and foremost the financial incentive to reduce waste. Users are also encouraged to sort their waste and recycle more to reduce costs. For the authorities, this allows for more efficient management of an overall quantity of waste that increases considerably from year to year. They can thus better plan their collection and treatment by collecting more precise data on the quantity of waste generated by each user in the area they manage. Finally, a welcome form of equity can be organized, the "polluter pays" principle effectively ensuring that those who generate more waste pay a greater share of the costs of its management.

[0005] One of the practical problems encountered during implementation is that the locking and unlocking of the waste introduction devices is generally carried out by a mechanical member actuated by an electronically controllable drive device of the servomotor, linear actuator, electric motor or even electromagnet type. Locking corresponds to an engagement position of the mechanical member and unlocking involves disengaging this member. However, it may happen that the mechanical member becomes blocked, for example if the system is or has been the subject of attempts to force it. In this case, the drive devices are not calibrated to actuate a movement of the blocked mechanical locking member and, during subsequent use normally authorized, they may malfunction and / or suffer permanent breakage.For example, in the case of a servomotor, if the mechanical locking device it operates is immobilized, the motor risks simply burning out in the absence of any protection system, requiring it to be replaced. This causes direct (material) and indirect (maintenance time) costs.

[0006] As mentioned, mechanical blocking can occur when a user attempts to open the waste disposal device while it is locked, by bypassing the recognition procedure and forcing the opening of the introduction means. The force exerted on the means of access to the container to force its opening is reflected on the mechanical locking device, which can then become stuck. If the user passes a badge to unlock the locking system at that moment, the automatic start-up of the actuator for unlocking drives the mechanism: if it is blocked, the risks of damaging the actuator are high.

[0007] This is the problem to which the present invention provides a solution. This solution is not electrical; for example, it does not consist of a measurement of the current drawn in the electric motor in order to stop the command, which would require adaptation to each actuator solution, but it is purely mechanical and placed downstream of the actuator. It does not depend on the type of actuator provided, and is on the contrary compatible with all actuator solutions, whether the latter are for example electrically or magnetically driven. The planned solution is also economically interesting, because it is inexpensive, and it is robust and reliable.

[0008] This solution for protecting the locking / unlocking devices of waste containers applies to conventional containers comprising a casing surmounting the container in which an opening for introducing waste is made, which can be closed by a hatch which can be operated by the user between an open position for introducing waste and a closed position. In the context of the invention, these containers are provided with a system for locking / unlocking said hatch which comprises an electronically controlled actuator, capable of moving a locking member of the hatch between a position for blocking the hatch in the closed position and a disengaged position allowing the hatch to be opened.

[0009] According to the invention, the configuration is such that the actuator moves the locking member by means of a mechanical connection for transmitting the movement of the actuator to the blocking member, at least one part of which in contact with the actuator is elastically deformable to allow the actuator to move in the event of forced immobilization of the locking member.

[0010] This is a protection solution that has no impact on the operation of the upstream actuator, in normal use as well as during a blockage. It is implemented in such a way that in the event of a blockage, the mechanical connection element in contact with the actuator does not oppose the movement of the actuator. The restoring force of the elastically deformable part is provided such that it does not prevent the movement of the actuator in the event of a blockage, and allows the mechanical connection to be driven for unlocking in normal operation.

[0011] More specifically, according to the invention, the actuator is provided integral with the casing and comprises, for example, a movable part capable of moving a mechanical linkage also connected to the casing and comprising the locking member, a portion of the linkage mechanically connected to the movable part of the actuator being elastically deformable, the locking member comprising a face provided to cooperate with an oppositely oriented face of the hatch when it is in the locking position in order to prevent the hatch from moving in the opening direction.

[0012] The locking / unlocking device for the container opening hatch, as well as its protection mechanism in the event of accidental blocking, are therefore attached to the casing which carries the movable hatch, and offer the possibility of locking this last to prevent free access to the container. A hatch is generally understood to mean a panel that closes an opening made in the casing and that can be raised or lowered at will, regardless of the type of mechanical relationship between the hatch and the casing. Thus, it is possible for this hatch to be a section of a drum rotatably mounted in the casing and for the hatch to be opened by rotating the drum, which brings a window in the casing into correspondence with an opening in the drum.

[0013] According to a possible configuration of the invention, the actuator may comprise a rotary shaft provided with a radial finger, and the linkage may consist of a rigid bent rod pivotally mounted on the casing by a rotary connection placed in the vicinity of the elbow, the arm of the proximal bent rod of the actuator being movable by the radial finger in order to pivot the bent rod, said arm being elastically flexible, the locking member being fixed to the free end of the other arm, the latter being rigid.

[0014] The rotary connection of the bent rod on the casing is free, so that when the radial finger moves one of the ends of said bent rod, in this case moving it by a predetermined angle, the locking member arranged at the other end of the rigid bent rod moves by an equivalent angle, and ceases to block the hatch.

[0015] According to a previously mentioned possibility, the hatch is in reality a wall of a rotating drum, and the locking member at the end of the rigid arm of the bent rod comprises a protrusion provided with a face of appearance perpendicular to said arm. At the same time, according to the invention, a side wall of the drum is also provided with a protrusion provided with a face of orientation opposite to that of the face of the locking member and of shape allowing an antagonistic correspondence with the shape of the face of the locking member when they come into contact with each other, in order to stop the opening movement of the hatch.

[0016] Accidental blocking is however possible in this position of the locking member, when the two faces are opposite each other and prevent the drum from rotating since they then abut against each other. When the opening of the hatch is forced, the exertion of a significant force can produce a jamming at this level, and the authorized person (who has for example a badge) who comes next will control the actuator while the downstream linkage is blocked, risking damaging or breaking the actuator which is not sized to release such a mechanical blockage.

[0017] According to an advantageous possibility, the actuator is preferably an electric motor of the servo-motor type. This type of actuator allows the implementation of a rotary finger configuration such as that described above, the radial part pushing back by turning an arm of a linkage itself pivoting freely relative to the casing. The operation is done in the manner of a cam which travels through an angular sector to modify the positioning of a part in contact with it. In this case, the latter is the bent rod which is driven between two discrete positions, also causing the locking member secured to said rod to take two distinct positions, one in contact with an opposing surface linked to the movable hatch, consequently blocking it, and the other at a distance from this surface, releasing the movement of said hatch.

[0018] Other aims and advantages of the present invention will become apparent during the following description, which presents a preferred embodiment of the invention. This is, however, given only as an indicative and non-limiting example.

[0019] Understanding of this description will be facilitated by referring to the attached drawings in which:

[0020] [Fig.l] represents a partial perspective view of the upper casing surmounting a waste container (not shown), comprising an access opening obstructed by a hatch and provided with a locking device according to the invention;

[0021] [Fig.2] illustrates, using an enlarged detail of [Fig.l], the trapdoor locking / unlocking device, showing it in the locking position;

[0022] [Fig. 3] shows an elevational view of a side part of the hatch in connection with the locking / unlocking device in its unlocking position of said hatch; and

[0023] [Fig.4] still shows the same elevation view, the locking / unlocking device being blocked in its trapdoor locking position while the actuator is controlled for unlocking, causing the protection according to the invention to be implemented.

[0024] With reference to the figures, a window 2 made in the casing 1 surmounting the container (not shown) is obstructed by a hatch 3 which is in reality in this case a wall of a rotating drum 4 so that if the hatch 3 is manipulated via the handle 5, the drum 4 pivots around a horizontal axis and has an opening framing itself in the window 2 in order to allow it to be filled with waste. The reverse movement, still driven by the handle 5, closes the hatch 3 and places said opening above the container, in a position for gravity-loading the waste into said container.

[0025] The object of the invention appears on the left part of figures 1 and 2 and consists of a linkage, in this case a bent rod 10 (better visible in figures 3 and 4), actuated by a rotary finger 20. The latter is driven in rotation by an actuator fixed to the casing 1, an electric motor in the configuration shown, of which only the motor shaft 21 is visible in the figures, the motor being mounted on the rear face of the wall 25 of the casing 1 visible in the figures, wall 25 which is parallel in appearance to the axis of rotation of the drum 4. The bent rod 10 is mounted freely pivoting on said wall 25, the pivot 11 being placed in the vicinity of the elbow 12 (they are masked by a protective stirrup in Figures 1 and 2, and visible in Figures 3 and 4). The bent rod 10 has, on either side of the elbow 12, two substantially perpendicular arms 13, 14. The arm 13 is flexible, as shown in [Fig. 4], while the arm 14 is rigid. The arms 13 and 14 are then provided in different materials and rigidly assembled to each other, for example by bolting as shown in the figures.

[0026] The arm 14 is oriented substantially parallel to a side wall 41 of the drum 4, and is located in the immediate vicinity of this side wall 4L. The free end of the arm 14 is provided with a protuberance 15 provided with a face 16 perpendicular to said arm 14. The side wall 41 of the drum 4 is also provided with a protuberance 42 provided with a face 43 of orientation opposite to that of the face 16 and of shape allowing an antagonistic correspondence with the shape of the face 16 when they come into contact with each other. The two surfaces 16 and 43 are preferably of planar appearance, parallel and facing each other so that when they are opposite each other, they stop when they come into contact.

[0027] This is the case in Figures 1 and 2, in which the finger 20 is positioned such that the arm 14 of the bent rod 10 is parallel in appearance to the side wall 41 of the drum 4, and the surfaces 16 and 43 respectively of the protrusions 15, 42 are opposite and, if not in contact, very close to each other. If a user operates the handle 5 in the usual direction for opening the drum 4, said surfaces 16 and 43 come into contact and the drum 4 is locked. If the actuator is controlled - following a signal given by the processing electronics resulting from an authorization linked for example to the presentation of a badge in front of a reader - in such a way that the finger 20 is moved by a quarter of a circle, as mounted in [Fig.3], the bent rod 10 pivots around its pivot 11 due to the action of the finger 20 which lifts the arm 13.The arm 14 describes a corresponding angular sector, moving the protuberance 15 and its face 16 away from the protuberance 42 of the drum 4 and its face 43. The drum 4 is then free to rotate within the frame of the casing 1, and the hatch 3 can be opened by manipulating the handle 5.

[0028] When the system is forced, for example if someone exerts a very strong opening constraint on the handle 5 in the absence of authorization, the drum 4 can become blocked, with the surfaces 16 and 43 stuck and immobilized in contact with each other. In this case, a rotation of the finger 20 would not succeed in moving the arm 13, and consequently the bent rod 10, if the latter were entirely made of rigid material. The foreseeable outcome would be damage to the actuator, probably definitive. The current drawn by the electric motor to try to overcome the re mechanical assistance risks in fact, given the nominal power of the type of motor used, of burning it out since the mechanical blockage is generally not surmountable. Thanks to the mechanical protection system of the invention, namely the use of a flexible arm 13, nothing of the sort happens. The drum 4 cannot be opened despite authorization subsequently granted to another user, due to the persistent blockage, but the actuator is not damaged, and the entire locking / unlocking system is preserved.

[0029] The design methods illustrated by the figures are of course not exhaustive of the invention, which on the contrary encompasses variants of shape in particular likely to affect the locking member 15, which is not limited to the lines appearing in the figures but can for example take the form of a protrusion cooperating with a window in the side wall 41 of the drum etc.

Claims

Claims

1. Waste container comprising a casing (1) surmounting the container in which is made an opening (2) for introducing waste which can be closed by a hatch (3) which can be operated by the user between an open position for introducing waste and a closed position and provided with a system for locking / unlocking said hatch (3) which comprises an electronically controlled actuator, capable of moving a locking member (15) of the hatch (3) between a position for blocking the hatch (3) in the closed position and a disengaged position allowing the hatch (3) to be opened, characterized in that the actuator moves the locking member (15) by means of a mechanical connection (10) for transmitting the movement of the actuator to the locking member (15), at least one part (13) of which in contact with the actuator is elastically deformable to allow the actuator to move in the event of forced immobilization of the locking member (15).

2. Waste container according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the actuator is integral with the casing (1) and comprises a movable part (20, 21) capable of moving a mechanical linkage (10) also connected to the casing (1) and comprising the locking member (15), a portion (13) of the linkage (10) mechanically connected to the movable part (20, 21) of the actuator being elastically deformable, the locking member (15) comprising a face (16) intended to cooperate with a face (43) of opposite orientation of the hatch (3) when it is in the locking position in order to prevent the hatch from moving in the opening direction.

3. Waste container according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the actuator comprises a rotary shaft (21) provided with a radial finger (20), and the linkage (10) consists of a rigid bent rod pivotally mounted on the casing (1) by a rotary connection (11) placed in the vicinity of the elbow (12), the arm (13) of the proximal bent rod of the actuator being movable by the radial finger (20) in order to pivot the bent rod, said arm (13) being elastically flexible, the locking member (15) being fixed to the free end of the other arm (14), the latter being rigid.

4. Waste container according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the hatch (3) is a wall of a rotating drum (4), the ver- rusting (15) at the end of the rigid arm (14) of the bent rod (10) comprising a protuberance (15) provided with a face (16) of appearance perpendicular to said arm (14), and in that a side wall (41) of the drum (4) is also provided with a protuberance (42) provided with a face (43) of orientation opposite to that of the face (16) of the locking member and of shape allowing an antagonistic correspondence with the shape of the face (16) of the locking member when they come into contact with each other during an opening movement of the hatch (3).

5. Waste container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the actuator is an electric motor of the servomotor type.

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