Patent Application
20110259210
Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to devices and methods for separating and removing liquid waste from mixed waste rubbish, and are particularly useful on-board passenger transport vehicles.
The catering process in a passenger transport vehicle, such as an aircraft, train, bus, RV, ship, or other water or air travel vessel often involves collecting mixed waste (i.e., waste that includes solid materials as well as liquid materials). For example, after beverage service, unused items are collected, and it is often the case that ice and other liquids may still be present in cups that are disposed of trash bags. In addition to liquids, solid-like materials are also collected, such as cups, napkins, tea bags, food wrappers, beverage cans, forks, and other packaging or non-consumable items, and food wastes such as leftover sandwiches, fruit cores, or any other type of disposable item that a passenger may consume or bring on-board. Typically, this mixed waste is not separated, but is collected in a single trash bag and disposed of in a single trash compactor. Even if the wastes are coarsely separated during collection (which takes extra time, can be messy, and cannot be completely thorough), it is still often the case that liquids and solids will be mixed together at some level.
During trash compaction cycle of refuse that contains both a solid waste aspect and a liquid aspect, it has traditionally been the case that the two mediums would simply be mixed, and any leakage that may occur has been dealt with as a necessary consequence. However, this can create a messy workspace, particularly on-board a passenger transport vehicle, where space and materials are at a premium in a galley.
One attempted solution has been to extract liquid through the bottom of the compacting compartment that contains the solid mixed waste trash. The problem with this attempted solution is that it is difficult to separate the liquid from the solid trash in a harsh environment. For example, the platen exerts a great deal of pressure on the waste, destroying any elastomeric seals below. If a screen, a metallic filter, or drain is used at the base of the compactor, it will be difficult to remove the compacted solid waste without leaking residual liquid.
Accordingly, it has been the standard to date to simply contain the liquid with the solids in the box or bin containing the trash to be compacted. However, in the event that the box or bin is penetrated or otherwise compromised, liquid can escape and leak onto the floor. Again, this is particularly undesirable in the tight confines of a galley, where safety concerns are heightened. Particularly in today's competitive airline market, cabin space is a valuable commodity. As the airlines compete to create more passenger space, the storage of trash becomes a critical concern, and new innovations and solutions are continually needed and expected.
Embodiments of the present relate generally to devices and methods for separating and removing liquid waste from mixed waste rubbish. One embodiment relates to a trash compactor having a suction line for removing collected liquid. A further embodiment relates to a trash compactor having a sloped platen for allowing liquid to collect for subsequent removal or drainage.
One embodiment provides a method for removing liquid from mixed waste collected in a trash compactor, comprising providing a platen for compacting the mixed waste, the platen having an upper surface; and providing a liquid removal system associated with the upper surface of the platen for removing liquid collected near platen edges or on or near the upper surface of the platen during the compacting process.
A further embodiment provides a trash compactor, comprising a waste receiving container configured to receive mixed waste comprised of solid waste and liquid waste; a platen for applying pressure to and compressing mixed waste contained in the waste receiving container; and a vacuum line associated with the platen, the vacuum line configured to suction liquid waste collected on or through at least a portion of the platen.
A further embodiment provides a trash compactor, comprising: a waste receiving container configured to receive mixed waste comprised of solid waste and liquid waste; a platen for applying pressure to and compressing waste contained in the waste receiving container, the platen comprising an upper surface having at least a slight downward slope.
The present inventors have determined that extracting the liquid out of mixed waste can help prevent liquid leakage and spillage that can be messy and unsafe, but also recognize that focusing removal efforts at the bottom of the waste receptacle are not optimal. The general concept developed is to remove excess liquid away from the top of the platen portion of the trash compactor. This may accomplished by either using suction or vacuum to drawn liquid away from areas on or around the platen, or by using a gravity drain path to direct liquid away from the top of the platen. In short, the excess liquid is extracted from the upper portion of the collected mixed waste.
As background, during a trash compaction cycle, collected waste contained in an appropriate waste receptacle is compressed. An example of compression in process is shown in
Accordingly, a first embodiment provides an apparatus and method for vacuuming or suctioning the liquid waste that bubbles up during the compaction process.
The vacuum line 22 may have its suction end 24 secured to or otherwise attached to the platen, or suction end 24 may simply be positioned near enough to the platen that suction can be accomplished. For example, the body of the vacuum line may be secured within and extending from an inner surface of the compactor, and have its suction end 24 extending toward and close to the platen, but not necessarily touching the platen. The body 26 of the vacuum line 22 may be flexible, expandable or stretchable so that the suction end 24 can be maneuvered and directed close to the platen for suction when appropriate. Alternatively, the suction end 24 may directly touch the platen or otherwise be secured to the platen so that vacuum line 22 stays in place (i.e., secured to the platen) during movement of the platen. In this embodiment, the body 26 of the vacuum line 22 may be flexible or stretchable so that it moves with the platen 16, or it may simply be provided at a length such that the tubing can move up and down with the platen, with the excess tubing being maintained above the platen when the platen is at its highest position in the compactor system.
Optional deflectors 28 may also be associated with or attached to the upper surface 20 of the platen to prevent liquid from splashing above the platen. As shown in
In use, a vacuum source presents vacuum to extract liquid (and any other fluid-like materials, including combinations of liquid and paste-like trash) that surface during and after compression of the mixed waste. The suction end 24 of the vacuum line 22 either scavenges the liquid from the back, edges, or upper surface of the platen. One particularly effective method is to allow the platen to press or compact the mixed waste to a level lower than an original waste level, and when the platen dwells in the lower level position, apply vacuum to remove excess liquid that pools or collects on the sides, edges, or on or near the upper surface of platen. The removed liquid can either be collected in a container and removed between flights or trips, or transferred into the grey or black water systems already present on-board an aircraft or other vehicle.
In one particular embodiment, the platen may be provided with a screen or other porous medium through which liquid may be suctioned. The screen or porous medium may comprise a substantial part of the platen, a single screen or porous medium, or a plurality of screens or porous mediums selectively positioned throughout the platen surface.
An alternate embodiment is shown in
As shown in
Platen side wall 40 forms an edge of the platen 32. Side wall 40 may be provided with a drain path 42, which is essentially an opening through a lower portion of the side wall 40 that will allow collected liquid to drain. As shown, drain path 42 may also have a slight downward slope 44, which will allow pooled liquid to drain away from the platen 32 via gravity.
Drain path 42 may also be configured with a valve 46 that will operate to open and close in order to control the flow of collected liquid. The valve may be installed at the opening, end, or along any part of the drain path 42 in order to retain the liquid during the return stroke, then discharge the liquid once the platen is at the home (highest) position. Upon retraction (i.e., at the end of a compression cycle) at the home (or uppermost) position of the platen, the valve 46 is opened, which allows the collected liquid to flow by gravity into a drain location. The liquid may drain off directly through and into the grey water system, it may drain into the vacuum system via a grey water interface valve, it may be ejected into a drain mast, it may drain into any appropriate retention tank, or it may be collected in a container for later transfer to the grey or black water systems on-board the aircraft, or for any other type of appropriate disposal.
The valve 46 at the drain path could be as simple as a flex hose normally pointed at an angle upward that is defected downward at the home position. Alternatively, the valve 46 may be opened mechanically or electrically, as is known in the general valve art.
Although a single slope is shown in
Alternatively, instead of providing a central pooling area, the platen slope may still allow the liquid to pool off to one side, but instead of removing the liquid via a drain path, the liquid may be suctioned from the edges or back surface of the platen, as described in the above vacuum embodiment.
It is also possible to provide one of the above-described wells or depressions on the top of the platen that collect the liquid at the end of the compression cycle, but the liquid may then be suctioned away when the platen is at its upper position in the unit. For example, liquid pools on the upper surface of the platen, and when the platen is at its highest or an upper position (e.g., the home position) in the cycle, the pooled liquid comes in contact with a suction line. This prevents a suction line from having to extend all the way downward or to follow the platen during the whole cycle. Instead, the suction line can be mounted or otherwise positioned in an upper area of the compactor unit.
One of the benefits of the sloped platen embodiment is its simplicity. It does not require lines or tubes that could become plugged with debris or congealed liquid. The drain path 42 for the liquid to leave the platen could be designed to be any size, and in some embodiments, can be generally large enough to reduce fouling and offer ease of cleaning. It is also beneficial in that height will not be lost if the hydraulic system can “nest” down into the center rectangular portion of the platen. Moreover, if the drain feature fails for some reason, the unit will still perform exactly the same as a unit without the sloped platen, albeit with some liquid retained on top of the platen.
Changes and modifications, additions and deletions may be made to the structures and methods recited above and shown in the drawings without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention and the following claims.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/343,246, filed Apr. 26, 2010 titled “Water Extraction for Trash Compactor,” the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61343246 | Apr 2010 | US |
