Patent Application
20220040888
The present invention relates to a recycling device. The present invention further provides a recycling device for compressing empty bottles. Specifically, the present invention provides a heating element for ease of bottle compression.
Recycling is a vital tool in combatting the many environmental problems around the world. This practice primarily consists of disposing of paper, glass, and plastic products in a separate container than the trash. These products are then taken to a facility and sorted for reuse. However, the practice of recycling takes up a large amount of space. One of the most commonly recycled objects are bottles. Bottles are often comprised of a thin plastic material. When recycled, the insides of the bottles are emptied and rinsed, leaving a substantial volume of unused space. Because of this, recycling bins often fill up quickly, resulting in overflow or the need for multiple recycling bins.
There exists prior art for the compression devices for bottles. However, these devices fail to orient the bottles in a specified position via a gravity fed funnel in order to make heating and compressing the bottle more efficient. Further, these devices fail to provide a compression assembly having a pair of rotors adapted to cooperatively flatten the bottle therebetween and along a lateral axis thereof. Therefore, there exists a need in the prior art to provide a recycling device that is configured for orienting bottles horizontally or vertically through a gravity fed funnel system.
In light of the devices disclosed in the known art, it is submitted that the present invention substantially diverges in design elements and methods from the known art and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement for recycling devices. In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of recycling devices now present in the known art, the present invention provides a new recycling device wherein a plastic bottle is configured to be oriented horizontally in a chamber via a funnel system, wherein the bottle is heated and compressed by rotors.
It is an objective of the present invention to provide an embodiment of the recycling device comprising a housing having a chamber adapted to receive bottles therein, wherein the chamber includes a funnel section adapted to direct the bottle to a specific position directly adjacent from the heating element. The heating element is positioned annularly about the funnel section to provide thermal energy to the sidewalls of the bottle when they are oriented in the vertical or horizontal position. The heated bottle requires less force to compress or flatten than a bottle at normal atmospheric temperature as the molecules are farther apart. Positioned below the vertical section is a compression assembly, wherein the compression assembly is adapted to reduce the volume of the bottle by collapsing the sidewalls thereof. The compression assembly comprises a pair of rotors adapted to cooperatively receive the bottle therebetween in a gap. As the rotors rotate, the bottle is forced into the gap, wherein the gap is substantially narrower than the bottle. Thereby, causing the bottle to compress along a lateral axis. A collection bin is positioned beneath the compression assembly to capture the compressed bottle after it drops from the rotors.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide an embodiment of the recycling device wherein the rotors include teeth adapted for facilitating movement from the funnel to the narrow gap. In this embodiment, the teeth ensure passage through the compression assembly.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide an embodiment of the recycling device wherein a door removably covers an upper opening of the chamber. The door must be opened for the bottle to be inserted into the funnel. The door is operably connected to the heating element and the compression assembly such that upon closing of the door, the heating element and the compression assembly activate. The housing also includes motion sensors for detecting the presence of the bottle, and the position of the door. In the closed position, the door may be locked to prevent opening until a heating and compression cycle has completed for safety.
It is an objective of the present invention to provide a recycling device having versatile rotors to facilitate compression and locking mechanisms for prohibiting access during heating and compression.
It is yet another objective of the present invention to provide a recycling device that promotes beneficial environmental behavior. The plastic recycling system minimizes the volume of the bin needed for proper recycling and maximizes the number of plastic bottles that can be recycled at once.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved recycling device that has all of the advantages of the known art and none of the disadvantages.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout.
Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the recycling device. For the purposes of presenting a brief and clear description of the present invention, the preferred embodiment will be discussed as used for heating and compressing bottles and other containers. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect.
Reference will now be made in detail to the exemplary embodiment (s) of the invention. References to “one embodiment,” “at least one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “one example,” “an example,” “for example,” and so on indicate that the embodiment(s) or example(s) may include a feature, structure, characteristic, property, element, or limitation but that not every embodiment or example necessarily includes that feature, structure, characteristic, property, element, or limitation. Further, repeated use of the phrase “in an embodiment” does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. As used herein, “bottle”, “bottles”, “cans”, “containers”, and the like are used interchangeably. In one embodiment, the cans are twelve-ounce aluminum cans.
Referring now to
In the illustrated embodiment the chamber 1200 comprises a substantially quadrilateral shaped cross section with an open interior. However, in alternate embodiments, the chamber 1200 comprises any suitable shape wherein the housing is adapted to fit within a residential home such as beneath a kitchen countertop or cabinet. The open upper end 1220 is removably covered by a top section 1110 of the housing 1100. The top section 1110 of the housing 1100 comprises a door 1115 or similar mechanism that serves as a gate for allowing or preventing bottles to pass from the exterior into the interior of the chamber 1200. The door 1115 is adapted to selectively open and close for controlling access to the interior of the housing 1100. In some embodiments, the door 1115 opens to allow for depositing of the bottles within the chamber 1200 and closes to restrict access to the chamber 1200 during the actuation of the heating element 1300. In some embodiments, the door 1115 comprises a handle 1120. In the illustrated embodiment, the door 1115 is pivotally secured to the housing 1100 at a lower edge of the door and opens when the handle 1120 is pulled downwards. In other embodiments, the door 1115 is configured as a drawer and opens when the handle is pulled.
The funnel section 1250 is positioned below the open upper end 1220 of the chamber 1200 and is configured to direct the bottles 2000 to a horizontal position directly adjacent to the heating element 1300. The funnel section 1250 comprises a pair of platforms 1255 having a first end 1260 and a second end 1265. The first end 1260 of each platform 1255 extends from an upper end of an opposing interior side of the sidewall 1210, wherein the second end 1265 of each platform 1255 terminate at a pair of vertical members 1275 such that a first gap 1270 is formed between each platform 1255 and vertical member 1275. The platforms are slanted wherein the second end 1265 of the platform 1255 is positioned at a lower elevation within the chamber 1200 than the first end 1260 such that as a bottle is tossed in the housing, the bottle will roll along the platform 1255 and be directed within the first gap. As the bottle travels into the funnel section, the narrowed width forces the bottle to lay flat or horizontally.
The first gap 1270 is configured to receive the bottles 2000 therein. In the illustrated embodiment, the first gap 1270 is between 2-3.5 inches wide, wherein the width is measured as the distance between the two second ends of the platform 1255. This width provides a first gap that is wide enough to receive most conventional plastic bottles configured to hold less than 2 liters of liquid therein. This also allows the dimension of the recycling device to remain compact so as to fit within a residential kitchen. In some embodiments, the first gap in less than 4.5 inches so as to be able to receive standard 2-liter soda bottles therein.
In the illustrated embodiment, the heating element 1300 is positioned about the funnel section 1250. In this way, as the bottle 2000 is disposed within the funnel section 1250, thermal energy is applied to the sidewalls of the bottle 2000 while in the horizontal position. In some embodiments, the heating element 1300 comprises a pair of heating plates 1310 embedded with or in replacement of the vertical members 1275 of the funnel section 1250, wherein the heating plates are disposed on opposing sides of the funnel section 1250. The benefit of the heating element 1300 is that a heated bottle requires less force to compress or flatten than a bottle at normal atmospheric temperature. In other embodiments, the heating element 1300 is a heating coil disposed within the vertical members. In alternate embodiments, the recycling device 1000 comprises any suitable heating element configured to apply heat to a bottle when positioned in a horizontal orientation within the gap.
The recycling device 1000 further comprises a compression assembly 1400 disposed below the funnel section 1250 and adapted to reduce a volume of the bottle 2000 by collapsing the sidewall thereof. In the illustrated embodiment, the compression assembly comprises a pair of rotors 1405 adapted to cooperatively receive the bottle 2000 therebetween in a second gap 1410 disposed below the first gap 1270. As the rotors 1405 rotate, the bottle 2000 is forced into the second gap 1410, wherein the second gap 1410 is substantially narrower than the first gap 1270 and the bottle 2000. Thereby, causing the bottle 2000 to compress along a lateral axis. In the illustrated embodiment, the recycling device 1000 includes two rotors 1405 at the posterior ends of the heating plates 1310. In the illustrated embodiment, the rotors 1405 are cylindrical with minimal distance between each face forming the second gap 1410. In one embodiment, the rotors 1405 include teeth 1420 adapted to assist with the movement of the bottle 2000 through the compression assembly 1400.
Referring now to
Referring now to
The motion sensor 1700 is configured to activate the heating element 1300 and the rotors of the compression assembly 1400 when the door is closed and a bottle is detected. The door is operably connected to the heating element 1300 and the compression assembly 1400 such that upon closing of the door, the heating element 1300 and the compression assembly 1400 activate. In some embodiments, the door comprises a locking element 1720 such that in the closed position, the door may be locked to prevent opening until a heating and compression cycle has completed for safety. Any suitable automated locking system is contemplated in this embodiment. In alternate embodiment, a latch or non-automated lock is used to prevent access to the chamber.
In the illustrated embodiment, a control panel 1600 is operably connected to the control circuit of the housing. In some embodiments, the housing comprises a display of the control panel, such as a touch screen. In alternate embodiments, the control panel 1600 is wirelessly connected 1800 to the housing 1100 to control and monitor the operation of the recycling device 1000. In the wireless embodiment, an application can be accessed through a smart device to control and monitor the recycling device 1000. In the illustrated embodiment, the control panel 1600 comprises a system activation actuator 1610 to turn on and off the recycling device, by deactivating the sensors, which causes the heating element and compression assembly to be deactivated. In alternate embodiments, the control panel 1600 comprises access to the locking element to remotely lock or unlock the door.
In the illustrated embodiment, the control panel 1600 comprises a temperature control 1620 that allows a user to control the temperature of the heating element 1300. In some embodiments, the temperature range of the heating element 1300 is approximately 70-100 degrees Celsius. The heating element 1300 is configured not to emit heat of greater than 120 degrees Celsius to prevent the bottles from emitting any toxins when heated. In some embodiments, the control panel 1600 further comprises a compression assembly speed control 1630 adapted to control the speed of the rotors. If a user has many bottles to compress in a short amount of time, the compression assembly speed can be increases.
In some embodiments, the heating element 1300 and the compression assembly are activated simultaneously and as the bottle passes through the first gap it is adequately heated and is subsequently crushed as it falls into the compression assembly via gravity. In other embodiments, the heating element 1300 is activated first for a predetermined period of time, wherein after the predetermined period of time has elapsed the compression assembly is activated. In some embodiments, the predetermined period of time is 1-10 seconds. The bottle rests atop the compression assembly until the compression assembly is activated after which the bottle is pulled into the rotors and crushed.
In some embodiments, the compression assembly of the recycling device can be activated without activating the heating element. In this way, the recycling device does not output additional energy to apply heat to the bottles prior to passing through the compression assembly.
Referring now to
It is therefore submitted that the instant invention has been shown and described in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/062,641 filed on Aug. 7, 2020. The above identified patent application is herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63062641 | Aug 2020 | US |
