Abstract
A domestic organic waste composter is provided. The composter can include an inlet for receiving organic waste; a grinder for grinding the organic waste; a tank surmounted by the grinder and arranged to contain the organic waste ground by the grinder; a mixer arranged in the tank and configured to mix the ground organic waste contained in the tank; an outlet arranged at the level of a bottom of the tank to recover a potting soil produced by composting the organic waste contained in the tank; and an aeration system configured to generate a circulation of air in the tank from the air inlet towards the air outlet via orifices. The aeration system can include an air inlet containing a fan; the orifices for circulating air in the tank; and an air outlet fluidly coupled to the orifices.
Claims
1. A domestic organic waste composter, comprising: an inlet for receiving organic waste; a grinder for grinding the organic waste, the grinder coupled to a first actuator; a tank surmounted by the grinder and arranged to contain the organic waste ground by the grinder; a mixer arranged in the tank and configured to mix the ground organic waste contained in the tank, coupled to a second actuator; an outlet arranged at the level of a bottom of the tank and configured to recover a potting soil produced by composting the organic waste contained in the tank; an aeration system, including: an air inlet at least partially surmounting the tank and containing a fan; orifices for circulating air in the tank at the level of the bottom of the tank; and an air outlet fluidly coupled to the orifices; and the aeration system configured to generate a circulation of air in the tank from the air inlet towards the air outlet via the orifices.
2. The composter according to claim 1, wherein the first and second actuators are manual.
3. The composter according to claim 1, further comprising a set of one or more sensors, including: a temperature and/or humidity sensor for the air in the tank; a temperature and/or humidity sensor for the ground organic waste and/or the potting soil contained in the tank; and/or a sensor for a selection of composting gases in the tank, wherein the set of one or more sensors is configured to transmit data to a data processing logic unit.
4. The composter according to claim 3, wherein at least some of the set of one or more sensors are arranged at the level of the air outlet and surrounded by a lateral bulkhead adapted to guide the air circulation.
5. The composter according to claim 3, wherein the set of one or more sensors includes a sensor for the humidity of the ground organic waste and/or the potting soil contained in the tank, the humidity sensor being electronically coupled to the fan such that a power of the fan depends on an output data of the humidity sensor.
6. The composter according to claim 1, wherein the orifices are fitted in a side wall of the tank, and wherein the air outlet is adjacent to the side wall and arranged at the level of the bottom of the tank.
7. The composter according to claim 1, wherein the orifices are fitted in a lower portion of a tube passing through the tank, and wherein the air outlet is adjacent to the air inlet.
8. The composter according to claim 1, wherein the bottom of the tank includes a removable segment that is movable to allow the potting soil to be recovered from the tank into a container.
9. The composter according to claim 8, further comprising a sliding drawer surmounted and bordered by the bottom of the tank, the sliding drawer including the container.
10. The composter according to claim 1, further comprising: a cartridge having an upper support segment bearing on an upper wall of the composter and projecting out of the tank; a lower segment containing an insecticide composition; and an intermediate segment extending from the upper segment to the support segment, the intermediate segment being fluidly coupled to the tank and having at least one opening dimensioned to allow the passage of insects.
11. The composter according to claim 1, further comprising an enclosure surmounting the tank and housing and/or bordering the grinder, the inlet having a passage fitted in the enclosure so that the organic waste received via the inlet enters the enclosure prior to being ground by the grinder.
12. The composter according to claim 11, further comprising mixing means arranged in the enclosure surmounting the grinder, the mixing means configured to mix the organic waste contained in the enclosure.
13. The composter according to claim 1, wherein the first and second actuators are formed by a single mechanical part operably coupled to a mechanical axle capable of driving both the grinder and the mixer.
14. The composter according to claim 1, wherein the grinder comprises a plurality of blades arranged on partially superimposed toothed wheels and oriented towards the tank.
15. The composter according to claim 1, wherein the grinder comprises a rotating blade surmounting a grid bordering the tank.
16. The composter according to claim 1, wherein the mixer comprises a rigid helical wire extending about a helical axle and dimensioned to be moved in the tank in rotation about the helical axle and/or parallel to the helical axle by the second actuator.
17. The composter according to claim 1, wherein the mixer comprises a paddle carried by a rotating mechanical axle passing at least partially through the tank and directed from the outlet towards the inlet, the paddle extending orthogonally thereto.
18. The composter according to claim 17, wherein the paddle is equipped with at least one extension arranged transverse thereto.
19. The composter according to claim 18, wherein the extension extends a free end of the paddle and is oriented from the outlet towards the inlet from the paddle in a plane secant to the paddle forming a smallest angle therewith of between 130 and 160.
20. A method of using a composter according to claim 1 to produce a potting soil by composting organic waste.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0090] Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, for the understanding of which reference is made to the attached figures, among which:
[0091] FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate overall external side views of the top of a composter according to a first embodiment of the invention;
[0092] FIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C show top, superimposed and overall sectional views of a grinder of the composter illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B;
[0093] FIG. 3 shows a side view of a mixer of the composter illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B and the mechanical parts with which it is associated and coupled;
[0094] FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate external views of an outlet of the composter illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B, comprising a removable bottom of a tank and a drawer for recovering potting soil;
[0095] FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate overall external views, firstly of the side and top, and secondly of the side and bottom, of a composter according to a second embodiment of the invention;
[0096] FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate internal side views, with and without a wall of an enclosure, of the composter illustrated in FIGS. 5A and 5B;
[0097] FIG. 7 shows an interior view of a grinder of the composter illustrated in FIGS. 5A and 5B, and its surroundings;
[0098] FIG. 8 shows an interior side and bottom view of the composter illustrated in FIGS. 5A and 5B;
[0099] FIG. 9 illustrates an overall side view of a mixer for the composter according to the second embodiment described above;
[0100] FIGS. 10A and 10B show two side views of the top of a paddle of the mixer shown in FIG. 9.
[0101] The drawings in the figures are not to scale. Similar elements are generally denoted by similar references in the figures. In the scope of this document, the same or similar elements may have the same references. For example, the rigid helical wire of said first embodiment bears the same reference as the rotating paddles of said second embodiment, since they are portions of the respective mixers of the composters of these embodiments that perform the same function, even though these portions are structurally different.
[0102] In addition, the presence of reference numbers or letters in the drawings is not to be regarded as limiting, even when these numbers or letters are indicated in the claims.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
[0103] This section presents a description of two preferred embodiments of the invention on the basis of particular embodiments and numerical references to FIGS. 1A to 10B without being limited by them. In particular, the drawings in the figures described below are only schematic and are not limiting.
[0104] A first embodiment of the composter 1 according to the invention is described with reference to FIGS. 1A to 4B. A second embodiment of the composter 1 according to the invention is described with reference to FIGS. 5A to 10B. The inlet 11, the outlet 12, the grinder 2, the mixer 3 and the aeration system, for example, are at least partly separate according to these two embodiments. As will be obvious from the description of the invention to the person skilled in the art, in general, the specific embodiments of these technical elements of the composter 1 are completely interchangeable between these two embodiments.
[0105] The first embodiment is shown in FIGS. 1A to 1B. The composter 1 comprises an enclosure 13 in which is fitted a passage defining an inlet 11 through which organic waste can be introduced. The passage can be conical and/or adapted to accommodate a funnel. A cover (not shown) can be arranged in the passage to cover it, for aesthetic and hygienic reasons. The enclosure 13 houses a grinder 2 shown in FIG. 2 and coupled to a first actuator 21. The first actuator 21 takes the form of a turning crank, which is fitted laterally to the enclosure 13.
[0106] FIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C show the grinder 2 in more detail. It comprises five toothed wheels 22 carrying blades in the form of pointed ends of the toothed wheels 22. The number of toothed wheels 22 is of course not limited to five. They are assembled in a casing and mechanically coupled to said first actuator 21 via a mechanism 23 which can be implemented in various known ways (for example, via a gear and/or an axle). The toothed wheels 22 partially overlap as shown in FIG. 2B. The first actuator 21 is then used to drive them in rotation in opposite directions in pairs, so that the organic waste is grinded, cut up and driven downwards into a composting tank 4, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. The size of the toothed wheels 22 is such that the organic waste is cut to a thickness of approximately 1.5 cm. This figure is a compromise between the need to cut organic waste that is too large to be composted efficiently, and the fact of not having organic waste in the tank that is too small, which would create agglomerates and prevent the circulation of oxygen in the tank 4.
[0107] As can be seen in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the tank 4 is cylindrical. For example, it has a diameter of 30 cm, an axial height of 90 cm and a compost volume of around 50 litres. The shape, the dimensions and the capacity of the tank can be adjusted to suit domestic needs, without affecting the operation of the composter in any way. This information can also be applied to the second embodiment of the composter described below. The tank 4 in the context of the present invention is nevertheless preferably cylindrical in general so as to present a smooth and symmetrical shape around an axle facilitating both the design of the tank and the arrangement of technical elements within it, and offering a smooth side wall 41 to the compost in the tank 4, which allows it to slide progressively down the tank 4, without creating amalgams in any angular points thereof. In FIGS. 1A and 1B, the tank is shown as transparent, making it easier for a user to see the compost inside.
[0108] The grinded organic waste thus falls by gravity into the tank 4. The mature compost will form potting soil at the level of the bottom 42 of the tank 4, as this is where the oldest grinded organic waste is, and therefore at a more advanced stage of composting. As can be seen in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the bottom 42 of the tank 4 consists of a removable plate 61 equipped with a handle that can be slid. This removable plate 61 surmounts a container 6 consisting of a sliding drawer for recovering the potting soil. In this way, a user can easily and cleanly recover potting soil produced in the tank 4 by pulling the removable plate 61 to let drop the potting soil into the drawer, replacing the removable plate 61 to prevent the column of organic waste in the tank 4 from collapsing or escaping, and then opening the drawer to access the potting soil. For example, the drawer can be completely detached from the bottom of tank 4 to allow the potting soil to be moved easily before use. These technical means define an outlet 12 of the composter 1.
[0109] To allow to homogenise and aerate the grinded organic waste in the tank 4, a mixer 3 is arranged within it. It is mechanically coupled to a second actuator 31 in the form of a crank with double handles, to make it easier to handle the mixer 3 and any weight it may be carrying.
[0110] The mixer 3 is described in detail in FIG. 3. It comprises a rigid helical wire 36 made of stainless steel, the helical axle of which corresponds to an axis of revolution of the tank 4, defining an axle of the composter 1. The mixer 3 has a smaller diameter (or width) DH than that of the tank 4, symmetrically defining a space E between the mixer 3 and the side wall 41 of the tank 4. The diameter of the tank 4 is determined to have an acceptable height and a fairly large total volume, while the space E is determined to limit the quantity of organic waste that is not mixed (and avoid the formation of amalgams on the side wall 41), without inducing friction between the mixer 3 and the side wall 41 via the organic waste, as such friction would require the mixer to be handled with greater force. In addition, the diameter DH as such is chosen so as not to excessively increase the weight of the mixer, while still mixing a sufficient quantity of organic waste.
[0111] The rigid helical wire 36 defines, for example, from 3 to 6 turns, each having a constant turn height HS large enough not to induce too great a weight on the mixer or on the organic waste captured by these turns, but also small enough to limit the elastic spring effect of the rigid helical wire 36, so that the weight of the organic waste does not deform it when the mixer 3 is in action, the mixer 3 having to remain rigid. An upper end (top) of the rigid helical wire 36 terminates in a deformed turn 35 extending perpendicular to the helical axle, in order to stiffen the mechanical coupling to the second actuator 31. The other (lower) end 37 of the rigid helical wire 36 is preferably round and smooth. More generally, the rigid helical wire 36 and the deformed turn 35 are preferably made of a smooth round wire, the cross-sectional diameter of which is chosen to be large enough to induce sufficient stiffness to the mixer 3 to prevent it from deforming when it is in operation, without being too large in order to limit the weight of the mixer 3.
[0112] The rigid helical wire 36 does not extend throughout the tank 4, but over an axial height (i.e. along the helical axle) HH. The deformed turn 35 is extended by a straight rigid wire 34 of the same material extending along the helical axle partly into the tank 4, in order to allow the helical rigid wire 36 to move in the tank 4 along the helical axle. The portion of the straight rigid wire 34 extending into the tank 4 (when the mixer is at rest) is of height HC. It is precisely from this height that the rigid helical wire 36 can move parallel to the helical axle in the tank 4. The height HC therefore defines the stroke of the mixer 3. This is typically 50 to 70% of the diameter of the tank 4, to allow a sufficient mixing and an aeration of the compost in each layer. The overall height H of the rigid rectilinear wire 34 is chosen so that it can pass through the enclosure 13 and arranged the second actuator 31 at its end, for example, by screwing a threaded segment 33 of the rigid rectilinear wire 34 of a height HF into a threaded female rod 32 of the second actuator 31.
[0113] For a tank 4 with a diameter of 30 cm, the purely exemplary and totally non-limiting values of the above-mentioned parameters are given: HC=17 cm, or generally between 15 and 20 cm; HH=50 cm; HS=13.5 cm; DH=22 cm, or generally between 20 and 25 cm; E=4 cm, or generally between 2.5 and 5 cm; number of turns=3.7, or generally between 3 and 6; section diameter of the rigid helical wire 36=1 cm; mixer weight<3 kg. A person skilled in the art will understand that these numerical data are to be adapted in proportion (%) with respect to the diameter of the tank 4, for other diameters of the tank 4, for example, 25 cm, 35 cm, 40 cm, 45 cm, with the exception of the space E which can either be constant or be adapted in proportion. The HF and H values are less dependent on the size of the tank 4, and more on the size of the enclosure 13. Non-limiting examples of numerical values are given by HF=4.7 cm and H=41.3 cm.
[0114] A cartridge 8 containing an insecticide composition can be arranged above the tank 4, as shown in FIG. 1B and as described in the description of the invention.
[0115] As illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the composter 1 is also provided with an aeration system 5 comprising a fan 51 arranged in an air inlet in the side wall 41 of the tank, at the top of the tank, so that it at least partly surmounts the tank. The fan 51 allows to draw outside ambient air into the tank 4 and oxygenates the compost to speed up composting. Once the air has entered the tank 4, it can leave through air circulation orifices 52 pierced in a circumference of the side wall 41 of the tank 4, at the bottom of the tank 4, at the level of the bottom 42 of it. The air thus passes through the entire tank 4, from top to bottom, before leaving it. A specific air outlet 53 can be arranged on the side wall 41 and coupled in a fluidic manner to some of the orifices 52 shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. The air outlet 53 comprises a lateral bulkhead adapted to guide the circulation of air specifically out of the tank, and enclosing parameter sensors 7 for assessing composting conditions in the tank 4. In this way, the sensors 7 are specifically arranged at the air outlet 53 to capture only air leaving the tank 4, so that the measurement of the sensors 7 is not disturbed by the external ambient air. The air outlet 53 comprises an air filter as explained in the description of the invention. The air filter is then preferably arranged at the outlet of the sensors 7.
[0116] The second embodiment is shown in FIGS. 5A to 10B. The composter 1 comprises an enclosure 13 in which is fitted a passage defining an inlet 11 through which organic waste can be introduced. For aesthetic and hygienic reasons, a cover 15 is placed in the passage to cover it. As can be seen in FIG. 8, the inlet 11 surmounts a deflector 16 facing away from a cartridge 8 (visible in FIGS. 5A, 6B and 8) containing an insecticide composition as introduced in the first embodiment. The purpose of the deflector 16 is to prevent flies attracted by the cartridge 8 from passing through the inlet 11 to leave the composter 1. It plays an aesthetic and safety role by concealing the mechanical elements and organic waste in the enclosure 13 from the user's view.
[0117] The enclosure partially houses and surrounds a grinder 2 visible in FIG. 7. Once grinded, the organic waste is driven downwards into a composting tank 4, as shown in FIGS. 5A to 6B. One difference with the first embodiment is that the enclosure houses mixing means 24, 25, similar to a mixer 3 arranged in the tank for mixing the organic waste. Another difference is that a hollow rotary mechanical axle 34 passes through the enclosure 13 and the tank 4, from the level of the inlet 11 (at the top), to the level of a bottom 42 of the tank 4 (at the bottom), without touching this bottom 42, and that this mechanical axle 34 drives in rotation the grinder 2, the mixing means 24, 25 and the mixer 3, via a single manual actuator 21, 31 (corresponding to the previous first and second actuators) in the form of a crank to be turned by a user. This actuator 21, 31 is arranged on an upper wall of the composter, at the same level as the inlet 11, for ease of use.
[0118] The enclosure 13 comprises a wall having a conical lower segment extending from a side edge of the grinder 2 as shown in FIG. 6A, so as to completely separate the space of the enclosure 13 from that of the tank 4 hereafter introduced, the latter being bordered by the grinder 2.
[0119] FIGS. 6B, 7 and 8 show in more detail the grinder 2 and the interior of the enclosure 13. The mixing means 24, 25 are preferably similar to the mixer 3 and comprise a paddle 24 extending along a diameter of the enclosure 13, but keeping a distance similar to E separating it from the wall of the enclosure 13. The paddle 24 comprises transverse extensions 25 to improve the aeration of the organic waste in the enclosure 13. The purpose of these mixing means (24, 25) is also to force the waste down through the grinder 2 into the tank 4 by gravity.
[0120] As can be seen in FIG. 7, the grinder 2 comprises a rotating blade 22 extending perpendicularly to the mechanical axle 34 and coupled thereto via a mechanism 23 which can be realised in various known ways (for example, via an eyelet). The blade 22 is axially enclosed between, above, two circular sectors 26 of a circular plate perpendicular to the mechanical axle 34 constituting a waste division structure, and below, a grid 27 bordering the tank 4 and being perpendicular to the mechanical axle 24. A grid 27 with holes 1.5 to 2 cm in diameter is suitable for calibrating the size of the organic waste in the tank 4 as detailed in the description of the invention. Although the two sectors 26 are shown as flat, almost without thickness, in FIGS. 6A to 8, an embodiment in which they were much thicker, for example 1.0 to 2.0 cm, in a direction corresponding to the mechanical axle 34, for reasons of strength and resistance, would not depart from the scope of the invention. Preferably, although not shown in FIG. 7, the blade 22 is bi-directional and has a rounded end edge to increase the shearing effect of the cut.
[0121] The tank 4 is mainly cylindrical, but its bottom 42 is partially spherical, or more precisely it has the shape of a crushed sphere, giving it a particularly aesthetic and practical design to handle. For example, it has a diameter of 30 cm. The total axial height of the composter 1 is around 90 cm, with a compost volume of around 50 litres. The shape, the dimensions and the capacity of the tank can be adjusted to suit the domestic needs, without affecting the operation of the composter 1 in any way. The case of a cylindrical or partially cylindrical tank 4, in all cases with a smooth side wall 41 and a bottom 42, is preferred for the same reasons as set out in relation to the first embodiment, this applying generally within the framework of the invention.
[0122] The grinded organic waste thus falls by gravity through the grid 27 into the tank 4. The mature compost will form potting soil at the bottom 42 of the tank 4, as this is where the oldest grinded organic waste is, and therefore at a more advanced stage of composting. As can be seen in FIGS. 5B and 6A, the bottom 42 of the tank 4 comprises a removable segment 61 which can be moved by means of a handle 63. A gasket 62 provides the sealing at the level of the bottom 42 of the tank 4 opposite the removable segment 61. Once the removable segment 61 has been moved, simply collect the potting soil in a manual container and replace the removable segment 61. These technical means define an outlet 12 of the composter 1.
[0123] To allow to homogenise and aerate the grinded organic waste in the tank 4, a mixer 3 is arranged within it. As can be seen in FIGS. 6A and 6B, it comprises two rotating paddles 36 carried by the mechanical axle 34 and extending perpendicularly thereto, as far as opposite sides of the side wall 41 of the tank 4, while leaving a space between the paddles and the side wall 41, comparable in terms of use and size to the space E introduced for the first embodiment. The paddles 36 are located in the upper (top) half of the tank 4 so as not to affect the potting soil at the bottom 42 of the tank 4. They comprise transverse extensions 38 oriented to efficiently aerate and mix the compost in layers as described in the description of the invention.
[0124] FIG. 9 illustrates an alternative mixer to that shown in FIGS. 6A to 7 for the composter 1 according to the second embodiment. As in the previous embodiment of the mixer 3, a plurality of paddles 36 extend from the mechanical axle 34, some paddles 36 comprising an extension 38 at their free end (that opposite to that attached to the mechanical axle 34). In this embodiment, the paddles 36 do not extend on either side of the mechanical axle 34, but only on one side. Preferably, four paddles 36 are provided on the mechanical axle 34 in the tank 4. Each paddle 36 is offset by 90 with respect to the other, the paddles 36 thus being arranged in a rotating staircase as seen in FIG. 9 where three paddles are shown. The paddle 36 closest to the bottom 42 may or may not have an extension at its free end; in FIG. 9, it has no extension to limit the movement within the more maturated compost.
[0125] The paddles 36 of the mixer 3 shown in FIG. 9 can also be seen separately in FIGS. 10A and 10B. Each paddle 36 shown in FIG. 9 comprises a segment 39 adapted to at least partly conform to the shape of the mechanical axle 34 so as to be firmly and resiliently attached thereto. A main portion of the paddle 36 is essentially flat and extends from the segment 39 perpendicular to the mechanical axle 34. The extension 38 of the paddle 36 is arranged from a folded rim of the main portion and extends in a plane intersecting that of the paddle 36, forming a smaller angle of approximately 145 between them. The way in which the extension 38 is formed from its folded rim, and the thickness of the paddle 36 (i.e. preferably from 2.0 to 5.0 mm) make it particularly resistant to the forces exerted on it. The extension 38 is oriented to lift waste upwards and ensure a good aeration, as described in the description of the invention. The extensions 38 extend relatively little upwards (and are, for example, about 1.5 to 2.0 cm high when projected onto the mechanical axle 34), so as not to cause the compost and waste to mix too much either, and therefore to maintain layer-by-layer composting. This limited height also allows to reduce the effort required to operate the mixer 3.
[0126] The paddles 24, 36 and their extensions 25, 38, as illustrated in FIGS. 6A to 10B are preferentially representative of their exact positioning, their geometry and their orientation, so that such characteristics implicit in the view of these figures are fully part of the invention.
[0127] In order more specifically to aerate the potting soil at the bottom 42 of the tank, but also to handle it if necessary via the outlet 12, feet 93 attached to the mechanical axle 34 and extending transversely from the latter to the bottom 42 of the tank 4 may be provided. For example, two such feet 93 directed and oriented in the opposite direction to the mechanical axle 34 are provided, together having a partial triangular shape resting on the bottom 42. However, the feet 93 do not touch the bottom 42 for obvious reasons, in particular to ensure that the rotation of the mechanical axle 34 does not require too much effort and that no friction is generated between the portions of the composter 1, which would reduce the service life of the composter 1. The same reasons apply to justify a space E between the paddles 24, 36 (and/or the extensions 25, 38) and the side wall 41 of the tank 4. Alternatively, the mechanical axle 34 may be based below the level of the bottom 42 of the tank 4, without such feet 93 being present, and without the mechanical axle 34 being in contact or in friction with the bottom 42.
[0128] The composter 1 is provided with an aeration system 5, as shown in FIGS. 5A, 6B and 8. This aeration system 5 comprises a fan 51 arranged in an air inlet in the upper wall of the composter 1, at the top of the enclosure 13, so that it surmounts the enclosure 13 and the tank 4. The purpose of the fan 51 is to draw outside ambient air into the tank 4, and to oxygenate the compost in the enclosure 13 and in the tank 4 so as to speed up composting. Once the air has entered the tank 4, it can exit through air circulation orifices 52 pierced at the bottom of the mechanical axle 34, as well as through the open end of the mechanical axle 34, this end also constituting such an orifice 52. The orifices 52 are arranged at the level of the bottom 42 of the tank 4. The air thus passes through the entire tank 4, from top to bottom, before leaving it via the hollow mechanical axle 34. The air then travels up the mechanical axle 34 to an air outlet 53 fitted in the upper wall of the composter 1 (or, as shown, in the crank handle to make the composter 1 more compact). This air outlet comprises an air filter and is preceded by sensors 7 arranged in the mechanical axle 34. Advantageously, compared with the first embodiment, the lateral bulkhead which encloses the sensors 7 and guides the air circulation out of the tank is none other than the mechanical axle 34 itself, or rather its upper end (top). This has major advantages in terms of the design of the composter 1, because the fan 51, the sensors 7, the air filter and the cartridge 8 are all arranged on the upper wall of the composter 1, and because it is not necessary to provide a lateral bulkhead for the sensors 7. The industrialisation of these technical parts, their replacement and their repair are thus facilitated, while the dimensions of the enclosure 13 and of the tank 4 can also be adapted, for example, in height, to a larger composting volume without replacing all of these technical parts.
[0129] The composter 1 according to the present invention can be placed on a support or hung on a wall. The second embodiment shows a mechanical structure 9 for attaching the composter 1 to the wall, arranged straddling the side wall 41 of the tank 4 and that of the enclosure 13. This mechanical structure 9 comprises anchoring points 91 for the composter 1 as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B. As can be seen in FIGS. 6B and 8, two mechanical stiffness arms mechanically couple the mechanical structure 9 and the mechanical axle 34, so as to stabilise and increase the stiffness of the composter 1.
[0130] In summary, the invention relates to a domestic composter 1 for organic waste equipped with an aeration system 5 and a grinder 2 surmounting a tank 4 in which a mixer 3 is arranged. The invention has been described herein in relation to specific embodiments, which are purely illustrative and in no way intended to be limiting. The numerical values given for information purposes in this document are given with a margin of error of 5%. Generally speaking, it will be apparent to a person skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the examples illustrated and/or described above, and that its scope is defined by the claims hereinafter introduced.
