Cigarette Bin Funnel and Waste Guide for Fire Suppression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cigarette disposal bins face a significant risk of fires due to partially lit waste being disposed without complete extinguishment, as they do not effectively restrict oxygen ingress or recirculate smoke to extinguish burning waste.
Innovation Solution
A bin design featuring a downwardly-extending funnel and a pivotally connected lower waste guide that restricts oxygen ingress and recirculates smoke within the bin, guiding waste into a container while allowing for easy emptying by moving the guide between restricted and less restricted positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional bin with a stubbing grille is used, then users can dispose of cigarette waste, but there remains a significant risk that partially lit waste can cause fires due to insufficient oxygen restriction and smoke recirculation
Solution Approach 1:
The bin is segmented into functional zones: an upper chamber with stubbing grille for waste disposal, a funnel for guiding waste, a container for waste retention, and a lower waste guide for controlled egress. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function in the fire prevention process, creating a systematic approach to oxygen restriction and smoke recirculation.
Solution Approach 2:
The funnel and lower waste guide act as intermediary structures between the waste disposal aperture and the container. These intermediaries control the flow of waste, oxygen, and smoke, mediating the interaction between external environment and internal container to achieve fire suppression while maintaining operational simplicity.
2Reliability
If the lower waste guide is fixed in a restricted position to maximize smoke recirculation, then fire prevention is improved, but waste emptying becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The lower waste guide is made movable rather than fixed, allowing it to transition between a first position for fire prevention (restricted opening) and a second position for waste emptying (less restricted opening). This dynamic adjustment enables the system to adapt its configuration based on operational requirements, resolving the contradiction between safety and ease of maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The lower waste guide operates periodically, switching between restricted and less restricted positions according to operational needs. During normal operation, it maintains a restricted position for smoke recirculation and fire prevention; during maintenance, it transitions to a less restricted position for easy waste emptying, creating a periodic cycle that satisfies both contradictory requirements.
3Reliability
If the lower waste guide is positioned above the container opening to restrict smoke egress, then fire prevention is improved, but waste may not be properly guided into the container
Solution Approach 1:
The lower waste guide is designed with adjustable positioning parameters, allowing it to be placed at optimal locations relative to the container opening. By changing its position and orientation parameters, the system achieves both effective smoke restriction and proper waste guidance, resolving the contradiction between fire prevention and manufacturing precision requirements.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The bin effectively extinguishes fires by restricting oxygen and recirculating smoke, ensuring that burning waste is smothered and preventing the egress of smoke, thereby reducing the risk of fires and facilitating waste retention and emptying.
Implementation Method 1
the funnel and lower waste guide being configured so as to restrict the ingress of oxygen via the aperture into the container and the egress of smoke from burning waste retained within the container to the aperture such that said smoke is recirculated within the bin chamber and thereby helps to extinguish said burning waste
Data Source
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AI summary
A bin for the disposal of cigarette waste or the like, comprising a housing (10) defining a chamber (11) and a container (14) received in said chamber (11) for retention of discarded waste, the housing (10) defining at least one aperture (28) through which waste can be discarded for receipt in said container (14). The bin further comprises a downwardly-extending funnel (30) disposed within the housing (10) below the aperture (28), said funnel (30) defining an opening (31) and being configured to guide waste via said opening (31) onto a lower downwardly-inclined waste guide (18) configured to guide waste into the container (14), said lower waste guide (18) being disposed in or adjacent to an opening (17) of the container (14). The funnel (30) and lower waste guide (18) are configured so as to restrict the ingress of oxygen via the aperture (28) into the container (14) and the egress of smoke from burning waste retained within the container (14) to the aperture (28) such that said smoke is recirculated within the bin chamber (11) and thereby helps to extinguish said burning waste.