Instrument for the collection of organic waste

Abstract

An instrument is described for collecting domestic organic waste comprising: an external container forming a cavity with an inner surface, a lid for hermetically closing the cavity of the container, a device for decreasing the pressure inside the container by extracting air from the cavity, an inner bag located inside the cavity to contain organic waste, a protruding element comprising a portion which is spaced and cantilevered from the inner surface and configured to support the bag inside the container suspending it inside the cavity in order to avoid pressure difference between inside and outside of the bag.

Claims

1. Instrument for collecting domestic organic waste comprising: an external container having an inner volume and forming a cavity with an inner surface, a lid for hermetically closing the cavity of the container, a device for decreasing the pressure inside the container by extracting air from the cavity, an internal bag located inside the cavity to contain organic waste, a protruding element comprising a portion which is spaced and immovably cantilevered from the inner surface and configured to support the bag inside the container, suspending it inside the cavity, the inner volume of the container that is above the protruding element being a first portion of the inner volume, and the inner volume of the container which is below the protruding element being a second portion of the inner volume, and means for putting said first portion into air communication with said second portion for avoiding a pressure difference between the inside and outside of the bag.

2. Instrument according to claim 1, wherein said means comprises a duct, placed inside or outside the container, which opens into said first and second portion of the inner volume of the container, and/or slots between the protruding element and the inner surface of the container, and/or pass-through openings that cross the thickness of the protruding element from side to side.

3. Instrument according to claim 1, wherein the protruding element comprises a ring with a shape complementary to the internal perimeter of the cavity.

4. Instrument according to claim 1, wherein the protruding element is formed by the combination of two or more concentric and radially decreasing sized parts configured to fit on each other.

5. Instrument according to claim 4, wherein said concentric and radially decreasing sized parts are rings.

6. Instrument according to claim 1, wherein said device is contained in the lid or in a compartment on the side or bottom of the container.

7. Instrument according to claim 1, wherein said protruding element forms a ring.

Description

(1) The advantages of the invention will be even clearer from the following description of a preferred example of instrument, referring to the attached drawing in which

(2) FIG. 1 shows a three-dimensional view of a waste bin;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a three-dimensional vertical cross-sectional view of a variant of the bin of FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a cut-away three-dimensional view of a variant of the bin of FIG. 1;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a three-dimensional view of an internal component of the bin of FIG. 3;

(6) FIG. 5 shows a sectional three-dimensional view of the component of FIG. 4;

(7) FIG. 6 shows a three-dimensional view of a variant of internal component for the bin with respect to FIG. 4;

(8) FIG. 7 shows a three-dimensional cross-sectional view of the component of FIG. 6 in assembled configuration;

(9) FIG. 8 shows a three-dimensional cross-sectional view of the component of FIG. 6 in disassembled configuration;

(10) FIG. 9 shows a cut-away three-dimensional view of a variant of the bin in FIG. 1;

(11) FIG. 10 shows a three-dimensional view of a variant of the bin of FIG. 1;

(12) FIG. 11 shows a three-dimensional cut-away view of the bin of FIG. 10;

(13) FIG. 12 shows a three-dimensional vertical cross-sectional view of a variant of the bin of FIG. 1.

(14) In the figures same numbers indicate identical or conceptually similar parts, and the elements are described as being in use. In order not to crowd the figures, some reference numbers are omitted.

(15) FIG. 1 shows a bin or receptacle 10 comprising

(16) an external circular-plan container 12 which delimits a cavity 14 with an inner surface 16,

(17) a lid 18 constructed to hermetically close the cavity 14 and

(18) an internal bag 20, placed inside the cavity 14 to contain organic waste.

(19) The bag 20 is supported withinand spaced fromthe cavity 14 by means of a support element protruding from the inner surface 16. The protruding element may be

(20) integrated withand integral withthe inner surface 16, or

(21) permanently fixed to the inner surface 16, or

(22) only laid on the inner surface 16 and maintaining the vertical position thanks to a preferred taper of the surface 16.

(23) The protruding element is configured to allow air circulation between the lower part and the upper part of the container 12, so as to avoid a pressure difference between the inside and outside of the bag 20. In particular, the protruding element is preferably provided with holes (not shown) to allow the passage of air between the upper part and the lower part of the cavity 16, in order to avoid pressure difference between the inside and the outside of the bag 20 when it is depressurized.

(24) A device (not shown, e.g. a pump or fan) is mounted inside the bin 10 to decrease the pressure inside the container 12 by extracting air from the cavity 14 when the latter is hermetically closed by the lid 18.

(25) The protruding element has as a preferred embodiment a ring 40 (see FIGS. 4 and 5) with different circular corrugations 42 to which bags of different sizes can be fixed, e.g. with hooks, pegs or clamps (not shown).

(26) Another preferred construction for the protruding element of FIG. 4 is shown in FIGS. 6-8. In this case the protruding element is formed by a ring 50 with different circular corrugations 52 (functionally identical to corrugations 42). The ring 50 is here altogether the combination or superposition of two or more concentric and decreasing-sized parts 54, 56 configured to fit together. The parts 54, 56 are e.g. rings or arches each having an annular portion complementary to an annular portion of the other, so that an annular portion of one part can be wedged on and within an annular portion of the other, so as to form an overall ring with a larger outer radius and smaller inner radius.

(27) The two parts 54, 56 may also be used to clamp the bag between the respective annular portions.

(28) The internal structure of the bin can be modified to increase its functionality. E.g. FIG. 9 shows a variant 60 of a bin that implements a double bottom or a lower compartment 62 in which to contain bags full of waste and/or internal functional components of the bin, e.g. the pump or electronics. FIG. 9 shows a variant of bin 60 which contains a bag 66 (as in FIG. 3). In general, one can implement a double bottom or a lower compartment 62 in any illustrated embodiment.

(29) The bin may have an internal and/or external container with a plan different from circular. In FIGS. 10-11 e.g. there are shown variants 70 of bin with an external container 72 which has an oval plan.

(30) FIGS. 10-11 show a variant of bin 70 which contains a bag 76 (as in FIG. 3).

(31) It is noted that the non-circular plan allows obtaining a second cavity 78 inside the container 72. The cavity 78 can be isolated from the cavity 14 and used for storing enclosed waste and/or functional components (like the compartment 62).

(32) In general, one can implement the non-circular plan in any illustrated embodiment.

(33) FIGS. 2 and 12 show an example of how the lid 18 can optionally be internally equipped to give additional functionality to the bin.

(34) In the variant of FIG. 2, in the lid 18 there is a tank 80 of enzymes from which a pump 82 can draw to spray enzymes into the container 12 via a nozzle 84 which opens in the bottom of the lid 18.

(35) In the variant of FIG. 12, on the bottom of the lid 18 there is a source 99 of UV rays, which can irradiate the cavity 14 to sanitize it.

(36) In general, the enzyme sprayer and/or the UV ray source may be implemented in each illustrated embodiment.

(37) FIG. 3 also shows an example of a variant for the lid 18, which can be equipped to give additional functionality to the bin.

(38) The lid 18 forms a recess in which to secure the edges of the outer container 12. On the edges of the recess there is a ring 90 which supports a membrane 92 arranged flat to occupy a flat surface contained between the edges of the recess. The membrane 92 is preferably made of flexible material, e.g. rubber.

(39) When depressurization is created inside the container 12, the membrane 92 is lightly sucked insider the container 12 pressing its external perimeter and/or the ring 90 against the edges of the container 12. In this way the air-tightness of the container 12 improves.

(40) The membrane-equipped bottom may be added toor removed fromthe bin's lid, regardless of the remaining structure of the bin or its components. E.g. note that the lid of FIG. 11 is not equipped with the membrane.

(41) All mechanical or electrical components inside the bin are preferably controlled by an electronic board and/or processor mounted inside the bin, e.g. inside the lid or in a lower compartment of the outer container.