Compost Bin Sliding Plate Airlock for Odor and Insect Containment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional containers for organic waste composting at home often fail to prevent strong odors and insect diffusion due to their design, which cannot effectively isolate the interior from the exterior when adding new waste.
Innovation Solution
A container with a sliding plate that doubles as an airlock, allowing waste to be deposited without opening the main compartment, featuring a grasping extension for operation, a flexible lip for cleaning, and a semi-flexible hooking element for secure positioning, ensuring odor and insect containment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a classic bin with waste receiving body and lid is used, then the structure is simple, but odors escape when the lid is opened to deposit new waste
Solution Approach 1:
A sliding plate is introduced as an intermediary element between the waste receiving body and the external environment. This plate can be positioned to close off the waste receiving body while still allowing waste to be deposited through its upper surface, thereby preventing odor escape without requiring the main lid to be opened.
Solution Approach 2:
The container is segmented into functional zones by the sliding plate, which divides the waste receiving body into an accessible upper zone for waste deposition and a sealed lower zone for waste storage. This segmentation allows simultaneous access and sealing functions.
2Ease of operation
If the lid is opened to deposit new waste, then waste can be added easily, but odors and insects spread into the user's home
Solution Approach 1:
The sliding plate serves as a mediator that enables waste deposition without opening the main lid. Users can place waste on the upper surface of the sliding plate, which then slides into the waste receiving body, keeping the lid closed and preventing insect and odor escape.
Solution Approach 2:
The sliding plate's upper surface automatically serves as a waste deposition platform. When the plate is in its retracted position, its upper surface is accessible for direct waste placement, eliminating the need to open the lid for this purpose.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If a sliding plate mechanism is added to prevent odor escape, then odor containment improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sliding plate performs multiple functions: it acts as a seal to prevent odor escape, serves as a waste deposition platform when retracted, and functions as a sliding mechanism to transfer waste into the receiving body. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing function, waste deposition surface, and waste transfer mechanism are merged into a single sliding plate component. This consolidation simplifies the overall structure compared to having separate sealing mechanisms, deposition trays, and sliding components.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a container (1) for collecting organic waste, for the home production of compost, this container comprising a body (2) and a lid (3). According to the invention: - the body (2) has a slot (5) passing through the side wall of this body at a first lateral side (2a), set back from the upper end of the body (2); - the body (2) has elements (10) forming a slide at the slot (5); - the container includes a sliding plate (6) engaged through the slot (5) and in the slide, for closing or opening the body (2) of the container; the plate (6) includes an operating means (6a), allowing a user to manually operate this plate from outside the body (2) of the container.