Waste Collection Coupling Arm for Fast Bilateral Container Handling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing waste collection systems require excessive time and incur high costs due to inefficient bilateral handling and potential damage from telescopic arm stresses, especially when handling containers on both sides of a vehicle.

Innovation Solution

A system with a coupling device featuring a first arm rotating 360° about a parallel axis and a second arm rotating 360° about a parallel axis, eliminating the need for telescopic elements and allowing quick, damage-free handling of containers on both vehicle sides.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a rotary base is used to rotate the entire arm about a vertical axis for bilateral container handling, then containers on both sides of the motor vehicle can be handled, but the execution time increases due to the rotation time and the system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebilateral container handling capabilityVSAvoidexecution time for container handling
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The arm is divided into multiple segments (first arm, second arm, third arm) that can rotate independently about parallel horizontal axes. This segmentation allows each segment to contribute to the positioning of the gripping means, enabling bilateral container handling without requiring rotation of the entire arm about a vertical axis, thus reducing execution time while maintaining versatility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If a rotary base is used to rotate the entire arm about a vertical axis for bilateral container handling, then containers on both sides of the motor vehicle can be handled, but the device complexity and manufacturing costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebilateral container handling capabilityVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The arm is divided into multiple segments (first arm, second arm, third arm) that can rotate independently about parallel horizontal axes. This segmentation allows each segment to contribute to the positioning of the gripping means, enabling bilateral container handling without requiring rotation of the entire arm about a vertical axis, thus reducing execution time while maintaining versatility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Adaptability or versatility

If telescopic elements are used in the arm for bilateral container handling, then the arm can reach containers at different distances, but the telescopic elements are subject to high torsional stresses that may cause them to get stuck or damaged

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvereach capability for containers at different distancesVSAvoidstructural reliability of arm elements
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The arm segments are designed to rotate about parallel horizontal axes rather than using telescopic elements. The third arm can be extended or repositioned by rotation about its longitudinal axis, providing adaptability for reaching containers at different distances without subjecting structural elements to high torsional stresses, thus maintaining reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP4558422B1System for waste collection, in particular for differentiated waste collection, and method thereof
Publication Date: 2026.04.15 NORD ENG SRL
  • EP4558422B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4558422B1 patent drawingFigure 2a~2b
  • EP4558422B1 patent drawingFigure 3a~3b

AI summary

The present invention relates to a system (1) for waste collection, in particular for differentiated waste collection, comprising: - a waste container (10) equipped with hooking means (11) for moving it, - a motor vehicle (20) that defines a direction of advancement (DA) and two lateral portions or areas relative to said direction of advancement (DA), wherein said motor vehicle (20) comprises a coupling device (30) comprising gripping means (34) adapted to be coupled to the hooking means (11) of the container (10) for handling and/or emptying said container (10), and wherein said coupling device (30) comprises a first arm (31) connected to a vertical wall (23) of the motor vehicle (20) by means of a first articulation (31 A) and arranged substantially perpendicular to the direction of advancement (DA) of the motor vehicle (20), said first articulation (31 A) being adapted to allow the first arm (31) to rotate about a first axis of rotation (Al) that is parallel to the direction of advancement (DA) of the motor vehicle (20) and to allow the first arm (31) to move in a transversal plane that is substantially perpendicular to the direction of advancement (DA) of the motor vehicle (20). The invention is characterized in that said first articulation (31 A) is configured to allow the first arm (31) to rotate by approximately 360° about the first axis of rotation (Al), wherein the coupling device (30) further comprises: - a second arm (32) connected to the first arm (31) by means of a second articulation (32A), wherein said second arm (32) is arranged substantially perpendicular to the direction of advancement (DA) of the motor vehicle (20), said second articulation (32A) being adapted to allow the second arm (32) to rotate about a second axis of rotation (A2) that is parallel to the direction of advancement (DA) of the motor vehicle (20) and to allow the second arm (32) to move in a transversal plane that is substantially perpendicular to the direction of advancement (DA) of the motor vehicle (20); - a third arm (33) connected to the second arm (32) in such a way as to lie on a longitudinal axis (A3) arranged substantially parallel to the direction of advancement (DA) of the motor vehicle (20), wherein said gripping means (34) are connected to the third arm (33).