Patent Application
20210271954
The present invention relates to recycling of empty recyclable containers, and more particularly to a counter for counting empty recyclable containers.
In order to encourage recycling, it is becoming more and more commonplace that a cash deposit is imposed on beverage containers purchased by consumers. Typically, after a consumer consumes the beverage stored in the container, the consumer collects the empty recyclable container and returns the collected containers to a return centre, for example, at a supermarket or a designated redemption centre, for a return of the deposit. Typically, the recyclable containers are made in various sizes, for example, as small cans or large bottles, and are made of various materials, for example, glass, metal, or plastic.
Unfortunately, since commercially available container counting machines are large in size, complex, and expensive, the process of counting the containers at most return centres is performed manually, thus requiring a considerable amount of time for staff to spend for counting while customers are waiting. Furthermore, when manually counting larger numbers of containers there is an increased risk of counting errors.
It is desirable to provide a counter for counting empty recyclable containers that is simple and cost effective for residential and small business use.
It is also desirable to provide a counter for counting empty recyclable containers that is easy to use.
It is also desirable to provide a counter for counting empty recyclable containers that is easy to install and fits commercially available bins.
It is also desirable to provide a counter for counting empty recyclable containers that is capable of counting containers having different sizes.
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a counter for counting empty recyclable containers that is simple and cost effective for residential and small business use.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a counter for counting empty recyclable containers that is easy to use.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a counter for counting empty recyclable containers that is easy to install and fits commercially available bins.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a counter for counting empty recyclable containers that is capable of counting containers having different sizes.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a counter for counting objects placed therethrough into a collecting device. The counter comprises a holding structure having an opening disposed therein. The opening is adapted for enabling placement of the objects therethrough into the collecting device. A counting device is mounted to the holding structure in proximity to the opening such that the counting device advances a count of the objects by one when one of the objects is moved through the opening.
According to the aspect of the present invention, there is provided a counter for counting objects placed therethrough into a collecting device. The counter comprises a holding structure having an opening disposed therein. The opening is adapted for enabling placement of the objects therethrough into the collecting device. A counting device is mounted to the holding structure in proximity to the opening such that the counting device advances a count of the objects by one when one of the objects is moved through the opening. The counting device is a mechanical counting device having a first end of a lever pivotally movable mounted thereto is adapted for advancing the count for each stroke of the lever.
According the aspect of the present invention, there is provided a counter for counting objects placed therethrough into a collecting device. The counter comprises a holding structure having an opening disposed therein. The opening is adapted for enabling placement of the objects therethrough into the collecting device. A counting device is mounted to the holding structure in proximity to the opening such that the counting device advances a count of the objects by one when one of the objects is moved through the opening. The counting device is a mechanical counting device having a first end of a lever pivotally movable mounted thereto is adapted for advancing the count for each stroke of the lever. A guiding structure extends from the holding structure into the opening such that the objects when moved through the opening are guided towards a second end of the lever.
The advantage of the present invention is that it provides a counter for counting empty recyclable containers that is simple and cost effective for residential and small business use.
A further advantage of the present invention is that it provides a counter for counting empty recyclable containers that is easy to use.
A further advantage of the present invention is that it provides a counter for counting empty recyclable containers that is easy to install and fits commercially available bins.
A further advantage of the present invention is that it provides a counter for counting empty recyclable containers that is capable of counting containers having different sizes.
A preferred embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention belongs. Although any methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the present invention, the preferred methods and materials are now described.
While the description of the preferred embodiments hereinbelow is with reference to counting empty recyclable containers such as, for example, empty cans and bottles, it will become evident to those skilled in the art that the embodiments of the invention are not limited thereto, but are also adaptable for counting various other objects having different shapes in a residential or small business environment.
Referring to
Typically, the lever 106 is returned to its original position using a spring. The count is easily reset via reset button 104C, for example, by pressing or turning the same after emptying the bin 10. Preferably, the mechanical counter is commercially available such as, for example, a GOGO Desktop Mechanical Tally Counter model KDCJ-AL0011.
The counter 100 is adapted for counting objects 20 having different size, for example, from small cans to large plastic bottles, as illustrated in
Preferably, the guiding structure 108A, 108B comprises a plurality of flexible guiding elements extending from the holding structure 102 in proximity to the opening 102B. A first portion 108A of each of the guiding elements extends from the holding structure 102 having an orientation approximately opposite a direction of movement of the objects 20, indicated by a block arrow in
The counter 100 further comprises securing structure 102A adapted, for example, for securing the same to a top rim 10A of the bin 10 and, optionally, securing pins 110 for engaging the inside walls of the bin 10, as illustrated in
The holding structure 102, the securing structure 102A, the guiding elements 108A, 108B, and the securing pins 110, are made of, for example, a plastic material such as Polyethylene (PE) using a conventional plastic moulding process. Furthermore, the holding structure 102, the securing structure 102A, and the guiding elements 108A, 108B may be made as a single unit. The counting device 104 is mounted to the holding structure 102 using conventional fasteners such as, for example, pop rivets, screw fasteners, or an adhesive. The lever 106 is made of, for example, sheet metal or sheet plastic material such as PE.
Alternatively, the first portion 108A of the guiding elements may be provided as a ring type structure extending from the holding structure and surrounding the opening 102B. An opening disposed in the ring type structure enables placement and movement of the lever 106 therethrough.
Further alternatively, the orientation in the direction of movement of the objects 20 of the second portion 108B may be omitted.
Further alternatively, if the opening 102B of the counter 100 is used for counting objects 20 having similar size, the guiding structure may be omitted.
Referring to
Referring to
Optionally, the mechanical counting device 104 is replaced with a battery operated digital counting device capable of printing the count onto a label. Further optionally, the lever mechanism is replaced with a sensor such as, for example, an electro-optical sensor for detecting the presence of an object moved through the opening. Yet further optionally, the digital counting device is adapted for wirelessly communicating with, for example, a mobile device such as a smart phone, or tablet computer, to provide information related to the recyclable containers such as, for example, the number of containers presently collected.
The counters 100, 200, and 300 are simple and cost effective to manufacture for residential and small business use, for example, by providing a single unit made of plastic material in a conventional manner and attaching a commercially available mechanical counting device.
Furthermore, the counters 100, 200, and 300 are easy to install by, for example, placing them on top of a rim of a bin, and easy to use, for example, by simply pushing a button to reset the counting device.
Furthermore, the counters 100, 200, and 300 are easily adapted to fit various sizes and shapes of commercially available bins.
Furthermore, the counters 100, 200, and 300 are capable of counting containers having different sizes.
It is noted, that while the description of the preferred embodiments hereinabove is with reference to circular openings 102B, 202B, and 302B, it is evident to those skilled in the art that the embodiments of the invention are not limited thereto, but are also adaptable for employing different shaped openings such as, for example, rectangular or square shaped openings, depending on the shapes of the objects to be counted. Furthermore, while the description of the preferred embodiments hereinabove is with reference to a horizontal orientation of the plane of the openings 102B, 202B, and 302B, it is evident to those skilled in the art that the embodiments of the invention are not limited thereto, but are also adaptable for orienting the plane of the openings 102B, 202B, and 302B, vertically or at any angle therebetween.
The present invention has been described herein with regard to preferred embodiments. However, it will be obvious to persons skilled in the art that a number of variations and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as described herein.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA3073885 | Feb 2020 | CA | national |
