Patent Grant
10011423
Technical Field
This disclosure relates generally to a cutting devices, and more particularly to mechanical cutting devices.
Background Art
In many types of facilities, from health care facilities to hotels to offices, the trash is emptied at least once a day. Frequently, this activity includes removing a trash bag or liner from a waste receptacle, placing it in a large bin, and then lining the waste receptacle with a new bag or liner. While there may be a requirement to empty the trash on a daily basis, it is often the case that this requirement is predicated on a desire to have a clean wastebasket rather than the amount of waste generated. In many instances, only a modicum of waste will be deposited in a particular receptacle. Despite this being the case, the trash bag is removed nightly and replaced with another trash bag.
Illustrating by example, in a hospital a patient might place a tissue or two in a wastebasket during the day. Despite the fact that there are only a couple of tissues in the wastebasket, hygiene and other best practices require that the trash be emptied each day. Accordingly, a trash bag having only two tissues therein is removed and replaced with another. This “small amount of trash per bag” results in a tremendous amount of waste. Unfilled bag after unfilled bag is sent to the landfill. It would be advantageous to have an improved apparatus, system, and method to cut down on the amount of unfilled bags being discarded on a daily basis.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure.
Embodiments of the disclosure are now described in detail. Referring to the drawings, like numbers indicate like parts throughout the views. As used in the description herein and throughout the claims, the following terms take the meanings explicitly associated herein, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise: the meaning of “a,” “an,” and “the” includes plural reference, the meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on.” Relational terms such as first and second, top and bottom, and the like may be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. Also, reference designators shown herein in parenthesis indicate components shown in a figure other than the one in discussion. For example, talking about a device (10) while discussing figure A would refer to an element, 10, shown in figure other than figure A.
As noted above, a large amount of waste is generated in small trash receptacles, such as trash cans and wastebaskets, due to the premature disposal of a partially-filled trash bag. This is especially true in healthcare and hospitality settings where hygiene practices require the removal of waste between patients or guests regardless of whether the trash bag is full. In many instances, trash bags are discarded with minimal amounts of waste. This results in many bags being discarded for the same amount of waste that would have filled only a single bag under other circumstances. In these instances, disposal of the bag itself becomes the leading cause of waste. Analysis of this situation suggests that in a moderately sized hospital, the excess cost of bags alone can exceed $90,000 annually.
Compounding matters is the fact that people frequently line a wastebasket with a trash bag that is not properly sized. This can happen for a variety if reasons. For example, some purchasing managers simply prefer to order trash bags in a single size to reduce the number of different items in inventory. Other times, a person may inadvertently grab the wrong bag or improperly measure the wastebasket. Regardless of cause, if the trash bag is too large the partially-filled bag results in discarding even more empty bags.
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a cutting apparatus, associated systems, and methods that reduce the amount of waste generated by unfilled bags. Embodiments of the disclosure do this by providing a tool that will gather, seal, and cut a cylindrical material, such as that forming a trash bag, at any location. Accordingly, rather than discarding a partially filled bag, a user of embodiments of the disclosure can simply place a portion of the bag within a channel and rotate a lever to gather the bag, seal the bag in two places, and cut the bag between the seals. Accordingly, once the device is used, only a small portion of the overall bag needs to be discarded when the bag contains a minimal amount of waste. The remainder of the bag can then be left—with a new seal at the bottom—for future use with no waste whatsoever left in side.
In one embodiment, a cutting device includes a receiver and a translating head. In one embodiment, the translating head is coupled by an arm to a lever that is rotatable about an axis. In such an embodiment, the translating head can be configured to translate toward the receiver when the lever is rotated in a first direction about the axis. In other embodiments, the cutting device can be power operated such that the translating head translates toward the receiver when a user presses a switch, control button or other control mechanism.
In one embodiment, the receiver includes a mounting plate. Attached to the mounting plate can be one or more gathering, cutting, and fastening components. For example, in one embodiment a first fastener delivery device and a second fastener delivery device are coupled to the mounting plate. Between the first fastener delivery device and the second fastener delivery device, a first gatherer and a second gatherer can be mounted to the mounting plate. In one embodiment, each of the first gatherer and the second gatherer extends distally from the mounting plate between the first fastener delivery device and the second fastener delivery device. In one embodiment, a cutter the extends distally from the mounting plate between the first gatherer and the second gatherer.
In one embodiment, the translating head can have complementary components to those found on the receiver. For example, the translating head can include fastener-closing devices that complement the fastener delivery devices. In one embodiment, the translating head includes a first bender and a second bender, aligned with the first fastener delivery device and the second fastener delivery device, respectively, to receive and bend legs of a fastener. Where the fastener is a staple, the benders can receive the legs of the staple to bend those legs about or through a portion of a bag.
Similarly, the translating head can include components that are complementary to the first gatherer and the second gatherer. In one embodiment, the translating head further comprises a third gatherer and a fourth gatherer, aligned with the first gatherer and the second gatherer, respectively. When the translating head translates toward the receiver, the third gatherer can engage the first gatherer by sliding across a major face of the first gatherer to impart a scissor pinching action to gather the bag into a small area so that the fastener can completely seal the bag.
In one embodiment, the third gatherer and the fourth gatherer extend more distally from the translating head toward the receiver than do other components. This results in the third gatherer engaging the first gatherer, and the fourth gatherer engaging the second gatherer before other components engage each other. This ensures that the pinching action to gather the bag into a small area occurs before any fastening or cutting of the bag. The third gatherer and the fourth gatherer can further be biased toward the receiver by a first spring and second spring, respectively. Preloading the third gatherer and the fourth gatherer toward the receiver with the first spring and the second spring allows the third gatherer and the fourth gatherer to compress as the translating head translates toward the receiver, and as the third gatherer engages the first gatherer and the fourth gatherer engages the second gatherer. The first spring and the second spring further 3 compress to gather any cylindrical material, e.g., a trash bag, that may be disposed between the first gatherer and the third gatherer, and the second gatherer and the fourth gatherer, respectively.
In one embodiment, the translating head comprises a cutter that is complementary to the cutter in the receiver. After the third gatherer engages the first gatherer and the fourth gatherer engages the second gatherer, and after the fasteners have been crimped about or through the bag by the benders, the cutter and the complementary cutter can cut the bag. The result is a portion of the bag that is empty remaining in the trash receptacle and a portion containing waste being removed. The portion containing waste is smaller than the bag itself, thereby reducing waste.
While one explanatory application for using embodiments of the disclosure is to gather, fasten, and cut a trash back to reduce overall waste, embodiments of the disclosure are not so limited. Embodiments of the disclosure can be used to gather, fasten, and cut any type of cylindrical material. Accordingly, they can be used in manufacturing processes, textile processes, or other applications. The waste receptacle example is used herein for illustrative purposes only as still other applications will be obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art.
Turning now to
In this illustrative embodiment, a disposal surface 104 resides beneath the lid 101. The disposal surface covers a trash bag (not shown in
In this illustrative embodiment, the body 102 includes a door 106 that opens so that the trash bag can be removed. Other waste receptacles may allow removal of the trash bag through the top 107 of the body 102. Still other configurations will be obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.
In one embodiment, the body 102 and lid 101 are manufactured from metal. In another embodiment, the body 102 and lid 101 are manufactured from a thermoplastic material. The components of the waste receptacle 100 can be manufactured from common materials, or from different materials. For example, in one embodiment the body 102 and lid 101 are manufactured from plastic, while the disposal surface 104 is manufactured from metal, and so forth. Other configurations will be obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.
Turning now to
As shown in
Where the cutting device 200 is attached to the interior surface 201 of the door 106, as is the case in the illustrative embodiment of
As with the materials of the can, the materials of the housing 202 of the cutting device 200 can take a variety of forms. In one embodiment, the housing 202 is manufactured from a thermoplastic material. In another embodiment, the housing 202 is manufactured from metal. Other materials can be used as well
The cutting device 200 is shown in a magnified view in
As shown in
Extending along the z-axis 306 from the housing 202 are two fastener delivery devices 307,308. In one or more embodiments, these fastener delivery devices 307,308 are selectively removable from the housing 202. Each fastener delivery device 307,308 houses one or more fasteners for delivery to the cutting device 200. As will be described below, in one embodiment the fasteners are staples. However, other fasteners, including clamps, zip ties, compression rings, and the like can be used as well. Still other fasteners will be obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure. For example, where the lever 203 was replaced with an electric motor, since electricity is being delivered to the cutting device 200, the fastener delivery devices 307,308 may be replaced with heat staking devices to heat seal a trash bag rather than staple it.
Turning now to
As shown in
The second end of the arm 431 terminates at a slide pin 505 disposed within a slot 506 on the translating head 403. When the lever 203 rotates about the axis (204) and the first end of the arm 431 pivots about the pivot pin 405, the slide pin 505 slides downward within the slot 506 to translate 406 the translating head 403 toward the receiver 404. As noted above, this lever 203—arm 431—pin assembly could be replaced with an electric motor, pneumatic motor, or other piston type device that drives the translating head 403 toward the receiver 404 in response to user actuation of a switch, button, or other control device. The mechanically driven embodiment is simply used herein for illustrative purposes and for brevity.
As best seen in
In the illustrative embodiment of
In one embodiment, a first gatherer 410 and a second gatherer 411 are coupled to the mounting plate 407 between the fastener delivery devices 307,308. In one embodiment, the first gatherer 410 and the second gatherer 411 each extend distally from the mounting plate 407 toward the translating head 403 between the first fastener delivery device 307 and the second fastener delivery device 308. Each gatherer 410,411 is configured to catch and gather cylindrical material placed within the channel 304.
In this illustrative embodiment, each gatherer 410,411 is configured as a v-shaped translating wedge 412,413. The leading edge of the v-shaped wedge 412,413 in this embodiment is configured as a convex engagement surface 414,415. The convex engagement surface 414,415 gathers cylindrical material disposed within the channel 304 when the lever 203 rotates about the axis (204) and the first end of the arm 431 pivots about the pivot pin 405, thereby causing the slide pin 505 to slide downward within the slot 506 to translate 406 the translating head 403 toward the receiver 404 without tearing the cylindrical material. Rather than a v-shaped wedge 412,413, the gatherers 410,411 can take other shapes as well, including concave semicircles, concave free form shapes, and so forth.
In one embodiment, a cutter 416 is also coupled to the mounting plate 407. In this illustrative embodiment, the cutter 416 extends distally from the mounting plate 407 between the first gatherer 410 and the second gatherer 411. The cutter 416 can take various forms. For example, in one embodiment the cutter 416 can be configured as a simple straight blade. In one or more embodiments, the cutter 416 comprises a convex blade to add a gathering action while cutting. In this illustrative embodiment, the cutter 416 comprises a v-shaped, serrated blade 417, as it has been shown to provide a superior cut to thermoplastic materials such as trash bags.
Disposed opposite the channel 304 from the receiver 404 when the lever 203 is rotated 402 to the open position 430 is the translating head 403. As with the receiver 404, the translating head includes a mounting plate 420 to which various components can be attached. Each component performs a different function when the cutting device 200 is in operation. As with the receiver 404, while one illustrative arrangement of components, i.e., bender—gatherer—cutter—gatherer—bender, is described for illustrative purposes, the components attached to the mounting plate 420 could be rearranged. Additionally, more components than those described could be attached to the mounting plate 420, as could fewer in other embodiments. Different components could be attached to perform different functions as well.
In this illustrative embodiment the translating head 403 includes a first bender 421 and a second bender 422. The first bender 421 and the second bender 422 are aligned along the X-axis with the first fastener 408 delivered by the first fastener delivery device 307 and the second fastener 409 delivered by the second fastener delivery device 308, respectively. Each of the first fastener delivery device 307 and the second fastener delivery device 308 is to deliver a fastener 408,409 to the first bender 421 and the second bender 422, respectively. Here, each bender 421,422 is configured with a double-concave batwing surface 521,522 that is to receive, at the outer portions of the double-concave gullwing surface 521,522, legs of each fastener 408,409. As the translating head 403 moves toward the receiver 404, the contours of the double-concave gullwing surface 521,522 then bend legs of each fastener 408,409.
However, in one embodiment, before this bending of the fasteners 408,409 occurs, gatherers gather the material to be fastened. In this illustrative embodiment, the translating head 403 further includes a third gatherer 423 and a fourth gatherer 424. Here the third gatherer 423 and the fourth gatherer 424 are disposed between the first bender 421 and the second bender 422. In one embodiment, the third gatherer 423 and the fourth gatherer 424 are aligned along the x-axis with the first gatherer 410 and the second gatherer 411, respectively, with an offset equal to the thickness of a gatherer.
In one embodiment, the offset for the third gatherer 423 is equivalent to the thickness of the first gatherer 410 in the negative direction along the Z-axis 306, while the offset for the fourth gatherer 424 is equivalent to the thickness of the second gatherer 411 in the positive direction along the Z-axis 306. This offset, as will be shown below with reference to
As the third gatherer 423 and the fourth gatherer 424 have a convex engagement surface 525,526 like the first gatherer 410 and the second gatherer 411, and as each of the third gatherer 423 and the fourth gatherer 424 is also configured as a v-shaped translating wedge 526,527, this sliding of major faces of oppositely facing gatherers together as the translating head 403 moved toward the receiver 404 results in a scissor pinching action. Note that a scissor pinching action is different from a scissor cutting action as the convex engagement surfaces 414,415,525,526 prevent the material from being cut. Said differently, the third gatherer 423 engages the first gatherer 410 to impart a scissor pinching action as the translating head 403 translates toward the receiver 404. Similarly, the fourth gatherer 411 engages the second gatherer 424 to impart another scissor pinching action as the translating head 403 translates toward the receiver 404 when the lever 203 rotates about the axis (204) and the first end of the arm 431 pivots about the pivot pin 405, thereby causing the slide pin 505 to slide downward within the slot 506 to translate 406 the translating head 403 toward the receiver 404 without tearing the cylindrical material. Rather than a v-shaped translating wedge 526,527, the third gatherer 423 and the fourth gatherer 424 can take other shapes as well, including concave semicircles, concave free form shapes, and so forth.
In one embodiment, disposed between the third gatherer 423 and the fourth gatherer 424 is a complementary cutter 425. The complementary cutter 425 is to engage the cutter 416 to impart a scissor cutting action as the translating head 403 translates toward the receiver 404. As with the cutter 416, the complementary cutter 425 can take various forms. For example, in one embodiment the complementary cutter 425 can be configured as a simple straight blade. In one or more embodiments, the complementary cutter 425 comprises a convex blade to add a gathering action while cutting. In this illustrative embodiment, the complementary cutter 425, like the cutter 416, comprises a v-shaped, serrated blade 527. Such a blade has been shown to provide a superior cut to thermoplastic materials such as trash bags.
As can be best seen in
In one embodiment, to allow the complementary cutter 425 to engage the cutter 416 despite the third gatherer 423 and the fourth gatherer 424 extend more distally from the translating head 403 toward the receiver 404 along the negative X-axis 423 than does the complementary cutter 425, one pair of gatherers is spring loaded. In this illustrative embodiment, the third gatherer 423 and the fourth gatherer 424 are biased toward the receiver 404 by a first spring 530 and second spring 531, respectively. In such a configuration, the first spring 530 and the second spring 531 compress as the translating head 403 translates toward the receiver 404 to engage the third gatherer 423 and the first gatherer 410, and the fourth gatherer 424 and the second gatherer 411 to allow the benders 421,422 to bend the fasteners 408,409 and the cutter 416 to engage the complementary cutter 425.
As shown in both
Turning now to
Turning now to
As shown and described above, a cutting device 200 gathers, seals, and cuts a trash bag 701 at any location. Different components, e.g., gatherers (410,411,423,424), cutters (416,425), benders (421,422), and fastener delivery devices (308,309) work together to gather portions of a trash bag 701 together, seal the bag shut above or below the gathering point, and cut the bag cleanly between seals. The gatherers (410,411,423,424) can be spring-loaded to allow them to engage the trash bag 701 before the cutters (416,425) and to increase the gathering force about the trash bag 701.
In one or more embodiments, the cutting device 200 can be operated by a single lever 203. At the end of the lever 203 is a sliding pin 505 that translates in a slot (506) disposed along a base plate 420 of a translating head 403. As the lever 203 rotates 601 about an axis 204, the translating head 403 moves toward a receiver so that the gatherers (410,411,423,424), cutters (416,425), benders (421,422), and fastener delivery devices (308,309) can perform the gather-fasten-cut process. Fastener deliver devices (308,309) can be spring loaded to deliver fasteners (408,409) into the cutting device 200. The fasteners (408,409) sit within a small overhang to be aligned along an X-axis (423) with the benders (421,422). Legs of the fasteners (408,409) can be fully exposed so that they can be bent by the gullwing surface (521,522) of the benders (421,422).
In the foregoing specification, specific embodiments of the present disclosure have been described. However, one of ordinary skill in the art appreciates that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as set forth in the claims below. Thus, while preferred embodiments of the disclosure have been illustrated and described, it is clear that the disclosure is not so limited. Numerous modifications, changes, variations, substitutions, and equivalents will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the following claims. For example, additional features could be included in the cutting device. For example, the cutters (416,425) could be configured as self-sharpening cutters for extended life. The fastener delivery devices (307,308) can allow loading of fasteners (408,409) with a spring loaded locking clip. Alternatively, portions of the fastener delivery devices (307,308) can pivot open like a children's candy dispenser to allow loading of the fasteners (408,409).
Accordingly, the specification and figures are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of present disclosure. The benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any element(s) that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as a critical, required, or essential features or elements of any or all the claims.
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