1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to waste containers and, more particularly, relates to a safety locking device for waste containers.
2. Description of the Related Art
As is well known, waste containers, such as refuse dumpsters for use in residential and industrial applications, typically include a container supported on a base structure. With the advent of mechanized trash removal, there have been created a number of large sized trash bins or dumpster containers. These containers usually comprise a block-shaped or pyramid-shaped container with a hinged lid attached to one side thereof. The container further includes attachments for accommodating various forked lifting mechanisms of the trash removal vehicle. The containers are lifted by the lifting mechanism of the trash removal vehicle and pivoted in some fashion so that the hinged top of the container opens and the trash contained therein is emptied into the vehicle. The container is then returned to a position on the ground, and the hinged lid closes on top of the container. Many of these large trash receptacles are rented from a trash removal service. These receptacles are not provided free of charge, and consequently their frequent emptying and service can become a considerable expense. This expense is increased when unauthorized users of the receptacle freely deposit trash therein. This unauthorized use necessitates a more frequent emptying of the container, and of course the unauthorized user does not contribute to the increased expense.
In order to reduce the added expense that comes from unauthorized use, the dumpsters must be locked. While conventional chains and padlocks reduce unauthorized dumpster use, they also add to operating expenses because the driver of the truck emptying the dumpster must get out of the truck to unlock the padlock on the dumpster. In the early 1990's, companies began the development and marketing of dumpster locking mechanisms that open automatically when the dumpster is lifted and inverted to dump the trash into the truck. With such as automatic lock, the driver is not required to leave the truck which saves the trash company hundreds of dollars each year.
Conventional automatic locks are typically bulky, expensive and difficult to mount to multiple containers. Since container come in a variety of shapes and sizes, it is important that the locking device be sized and shaped to be retro fit onto a variety of existing containers. Moreover, the locking device must be able to withstand the rigors of everyday, outdoor use in the waste environment.
The need therefore exists for an automatic locking device that improves upon prior automatic locking devices and solves the problems inherent in known automatic locking devices.
According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a locking device for a container having a hinged lid. The locking device comprises a base unit including a base member adapted to be fixed to the container and a pinion member non-movably attached to the base member, and a pivoting unit pivotally mounted to the base unit. The pivoting unit includes a lock casing defining a cavity housing a locking mechanism for rotation about the base unit and the pinion member. The locking mechanism comprises a locking member pivotally mounted to the lock casing, a sliding member reciprocatingly and slidingly movable between the locking member and the pinion member within the cavity in the lock casing. The sliding member drivingly and positively engages the pinion member so that the rotational movement of the sliding member relative to the pinion member causes the linear displacement of the sliding member relative to the pinion member. The locking member is pivotally movable between a blocking position preventing the movement of the sliding member relative the pinion member so as to prevent relative movement between the pivoting unit and the base unit, and a release position permitting the movement of the sliding member relative the pinion member so as to permit relative movement between the pivoting unit and the base unit.
According to a second aspect of the invention, a locking device is provided for a container having a hinged lid and a locking bar preventing opening of the hinged lid. The locking device comprises a pinion member being adapted to be fixed to the container, and a locking mechanism disposed within a lock casing. The pinion member includes gear teeth along at least a portion of a perimeter thereof. The locking mechanism comprises a locking member pivotally mounted to the lock casing, a sliding member reciprocatingly and slidingly movable between the locking member and the pinion member within the cavity in the lock casing. The sliding member has a rack portion with gear teeth in mesh with the gear teeth of the pinion member so that the rotational movement of the sliding member relative to the pinion member causes the linear displacement of the sliding member relative to the pinion member. The locking member has an arcuate stop surface of a distal end of the locking member provided to engage and disengage an arcuate surface of the sliding member relative the pinion member. The locking member is pivotally movable relative to the sliding member between a blocking position in which the arcuate stop surface of the locking member engages the arcuate surface of the sliding member thereby preventing relative movement between the lock housing and the sliding member, and a release position when the container, and thus the locking member, is tilted, permitting relative movement between the lock housing and the sliding member as the arcuate stop surface of the locking member moves away from the arcuate surface of the sliding member.
Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification when viewed in light of the accompanying drawings, wherein:
The exemplary embodiment of the present invention will now be described with the reference to accompanying drawings. The following description of the preferred embodiment is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses.
For purposes of the following description, certain terminology is used in the following description for convenience only and is not limiting.
The characterizations of various components and orientations described herein as being “vertical”, “horizontal”, “upright”, “right”, “left”, “side”, “top”, or “bottom” designate directions in the drawings to which reference is made and are relative characterizations only based upon the particular position or orientation of a given component as illustrated. These terms shall not be regarded as limiting the invention. The words “downward” and “upward” refer to position in a vertical direction relative to a geometric center of the apparatus of the present invention and designated parts thereof. The terminology includes the words above specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof and words of similar import. Additionally, the words “a” or “an” as used in the claims mean “at least one.”
The locking device 10 is provided for locking and unlocking the waste container 2 to prevent the inadvertent dumping of its contents. The locking bar 6 extends between the locking device 10 at one end and a pivoting arm 8 at the other end thereof. The pivoting arm 8 is pivotally mounted to a support member 9 non-movably fastened to the right side wall 3a of the waste container 2 by any appropriate means known in the art, while the locking device 10 is mounted to a left side wall 3b thereof, as best shown in
The locking device 10 according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in detail in
Herein, the axial and radial orientations are considered with respect to the pivot axis X of the locking device 10. The relative terms such as “axially,” “radially,” and “circumferentially” are with respect to orientations parallel to, perpendicular to, and around the pivot axis X, respectively. The relative terms such as “inwardly” and “outwardly” and derivatives thereof are with respect to orientations toward or away from the pivot axis X, respectively.
The locking bar 6 is secured to the pivoting unit 14 at a distal end thereof so as to extend substantially across the length of the waste container 2, as illustrated in
The base unit 12, as illustrated in detail in
According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in
In the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the pinion member 18 is non-movably attached (i.e., fixed) to the base member 16 of the base unit 12. Moreover, the pinion member 18 is substantially coaxial with the pivot axis X. In the exemplary embodiment of the present invention best shown in
The pivoting unit 14 comprises an outer (or cover) plate 22 (shown in
As further illustrated in
As best shown in
The pivoting unit 14 further includes an automatic, pivoting locking mechanism 32 disposed in the cavity 29 of the lock casing 28. Thus, the locking mechanism 32 is adapted to rotate (pivot) with the pivoting unit 14 of the waste container 2. The locking mechanism comprises a locking member 34 pivotally mounted to the lock casing 28, a sliding member 36 reciprocatingly and slidingly movable between the locking member 34 and the pinion member 18 within the cavity 29 in the lock casing 28, one or more biasing springs 38, and a pivot (or hinged) lever 46 pivotally mounted within the lock casing 28. As best shown in
The locking member 34 is pivotally mounted to a pivot shaft 35, while the pivot lever 46 is non-rotatably mounted (or fixed) to a pivot shaft 47. The pivot shaft 35 and the pivot shaft 47 are spaced from each other and extend between the inner and outer plate 24 and 22, respectively.
The biasing springs 38 are configured for biasing the sliding member 36 in the direction away from the locking member 34 and toward the pinion member 18. Each of the biasing springs 38 is disposed between the intermediate member 26 of the lock casing 28 and the sliding member 36. The intermediate member 26 of the lock casing 28 includes two opposite support flanges 30 each axially extending into the cavity 29. Moreover, each of the support flanges 30 has a spring support surface 311 and a stop surface 312. Each of the biasing springs 38 is in the form of a coil spring disposed between the spring support surface 311 of the intermediate member 26 and a spring support surface 37 of the sliding member 36 disposed opposite to the spring support surface 311. As further illustrated, the stop surface 312 of one of the support flanges 30 of the intermediate member 26 of the lock casing 28 is configured to limit the sliding movement of the sliding member 36 toward the pinion member 18.
The sliding member 36 has a rack (i.e., straight) portion 40 having gear teeth 42, which are in mesh with the gear teeth 20 of the pinion member 18. Accordingly, when the pivoting unit 14 with the locking bar 6 pivotally rotate relative to the waste container 2, the sliding member 36, not only rotates relative to the pinion member 18, but also is slidingly displaced in the direction away from the pinion member 18 because the gear teeth 42 of the rack portion 40 of the sliding member 36 are engaged with and move relative to the gear teeth 20 of the pinion member 18.
Moreover, a distal end of the sliding member 36 adjacent to the locking member 34 has an arcuate (concave) surface 44. It will be appreciated that the arcuate surface 44 of the sliding member 36 is complementary to an arcuate (convex) stop surface 43 on a distal end of the locking member 34. In other words, a radius of curvature of the arcuate stop surface 43 of the locking member 34 is complementary to (matches) a radius of curvature of the arcuate surface 44 of the sliding member 36.
The sliding member 36 has opposite, substantially parallel side surfaces 39 slidingly engaging opposite inner surfaces 27 of the intermediate member 26. The inner surfaces 27 of the intermediate member 2639 are facing each other.
According to the present invention, the locking member 34 is adapted to translate from a first blocking position (shown in
The locking device 10 is mounted to the waste container 2 with the slanted lid 4 so that when the waste container 2 is in its upright storage position, locking member 34 is maintained in a far left position thereof (shown in
Consequently, in the far left position of the locking member 34, the arcuate surface 44 of the sliding member 36 engages the arcuate stop surface 43 of the locking member 34, as illustrated in
The pivot lever 46 of the locking mechanism 32 is disposed within the lock casing 28 and is pivotally mounted to the outer plate 22 of the pivoting unit 14 through the shaft 47 shown in
As further illustrated in
In order to prevent rotation of the manual release lever 50 relative to the 1 lock casing 28 by an unauthorized person, a padlock 52 (shown in
In order to bypass the locking mechanism 32, the padlock 52 is unlocked and removed from the lock casing 28 to unlock the manual release lever 50 from the lock casing 28, then the manual release lever 50 is rotated counterclockwise to a position shown in
In operation, when it is desirable to empty the refuse, the waste container 2 is grabbed by a lifting mechanism of a waste collection truck (not shown), and is moved from the upright storage position to the tilted or dumping position. Initially, the locking member 34 of the gravity operated locking mechanism 32 is in the first blocking position (as shown in
Sequentially, the lid 4 of the waste container 2 swings open by gravity permitting the content of the waste container 2 to be emptied (as best shown in
Moreover, the arcuate stop surface 43 of the locking member 34 (best shown in
Furthermore, when the locking member 34 is in the release position thereof and the pivoting unit 14 rotates to the open position thereof, the sliding member 36 is linearly displaced in the direction away from the pinion member 18 and toward the locking member 34 until the arcuate surface 44 of the sliding member 36 engages a stop notch 45 formed on the locking member 34 (as best shown in
It will be appreciated that the gravity operated locking mechanism 32 operates automatically and independently of locking condition of the manual release lever 50. In other words, when the waste container 2 is tilted, the locking mechanism 32 is open whether the manual release lever 50 is locked with the padlock 52 or not. As the waste container 2 is returned to its initial upright storage position, the lid 4 closes by gravity, then the pivoting unit 14 and the locking bar 6 move by gravity to the closed position, and the locking member 34 is returned to the blocking position.
Manual release of the locking member 34 by an authorized person can be achieved the pivot lever 46. When the padlock 52 is in place (i.e. the pivot lever 46 is in the locked position), the movement of the manual release lever 50 (thus the pivot lever 46) is restricted. When the padlock 52 is removed by an authorized person using a designated key, the manual release lever 50 is allowed to pivot counterclockwise (as best shown in
The foregoing description of the exemplary embodiment(s) of the present invention has been presented for the purpose of illustration in accordance with the provisions of the Patent Statutes. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. The embodiments disclosed hereinabove were chosen in order to best illustrate the principles of the present invention and its practical application to thereby enable those of ordinary skill in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as suited to the particular use contemplated, as long as the principles described herein are followed. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains. Thus, changes can be made in the above-described invention without departing from the intent and scope thereof. It is also intended that the scope of the present invention be defined by the claims appended thereto.
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Entry |
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Corresponding ISR for PCT/US2016/035667. |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20160355334 A1 | Dec 2016 | US |