Patent Application
20230252492
The present disclosure relates to a recycling package unit, more specifically, but not by way of limitation, more particularly to a recycling package unit and system for storing, compacting and facilitating pickup and payment transactions for pickup and deposit.
Any discussion of the related art throughout the specification should in no way be considered as an admission that such related art is widely known or forms part of common general knowledge in the field.
C.N. Pub. No. 110,155,571 A (Xu) discloses a self-cleaning dustbin. Shortcomings include an inability to use in a small-scale, household setting, inability to compact recyclable materials, an inability to weigh compacted materials, an inability to expel liquid within the containment apparatus, an inability to coordinate pickup of the compacted recyclable materials between a user and a waste management service, an inability to facilitate payment of pickup of the compacted recyclable materials between a user and a waste management service, an inability to facilitate payment of deposit for the picked up compacted recyclable materials between a user and a waste management service and an inability to facilitate effortless and rapid maintenance to the collection apparatuses.
U.S. Pub. No. 2012/0029985 A1 (Wilson et al.) discloses a system and method for receiving and managing recyclable materials. Shortcomings include an inability to use in a small-scale, household setting, inability to compact recyclable materials, an inability to expel liquid within the containment apparatus, an inability to facilitate payment of pickup of the compacted recyclable materials between a user and a waste management service, an inability to facilitate payment of deposit for the picked up compacted recyclable materials between a user and a waste management service and an inability to facilitate effortless and rapid maintenance to the containment apparatus.
U.S. Pub. No. 2013/0024252 A1 (Sicklick et al.) discloses a system and method for monetizing recyclable plastics. Shortcomings include an inability to use in a small-scale, household setting, an inability to expel liquid within the containment apparatus and an inability to facilitate effortless and rapid maintenance to the containment apparatus.
U.S. Pub. No. 2013/0075468 A1 (Wadden et al.) discloses a system for receiving recyclable items. Shortcomings include an inability to use in a small-scale, household setting, inability to compact recyclable materials, an inability to weigh compacted materials, an inability to expel liquid within the containment apparatus and an inability to facilitate effortless and rapid maintenance to the containment apparatus.
U.S. Pub. No. 2017/0372272 A1 (Wadden et al.) discloses a repository for recyclable containers. Shortcomings include an inability to use in a small-scale, household setting, inability to compact recyclable materials, an inability to expel liquid within the repository, an inability to facilitate payment of pickup of the compacted recyclable materials between a user and a waste management service, an inability to facilitate payment of deposit for the picked up compacted recyclable materials between a user and a waste management service and an inability to facilitate effortless and rapid maintenance to the repository.
U.S. Pub. No. 2020/0189844 A1 (Sridhar) discloses a trash collection device and recycling system. Shortcomings include an inability to facilitate payment of deposit for the picked up compacted recyclable materials between a user and a waste management service and an inability to facilitate effortless and rapid maintenance to the trash collection device.
W.O. Pub. No. 2019/162710 A1 (Stengos) discloses a waste collection bin with advanced features. Shortcomings include an inability to compact recyclable materials, an inability to expel liquid within the containment apparatus, an inability to coordinate pickup of the compacted recyclable materials between a user and a waste management service, an inability to facilitate payment of pickup of the compacted recyclable materials between a user and a waste management service, an inability to facilitate payment of deposit for the picked up compacted recyclable materials between a user and a waste management service and an inability to facilitate effortless and rapid maintenance to the collection apparatuses.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,072,833 A (Hansen et al.) discloses a method of collecting recyclable materials and separating recyclable materials from household and commercial refuse for recycling at a recyclable material recovery facility. Shortcomings include an inability to expel liquid within the collection apparatus, an inability to facilitate payment of pickup of the compacted recyclable materials between a user and a waste management service, an inability to facilitate payment of deposit for the picked up compacted recyclable materials between a user and a waste management service and an inability to facilitate effortless and rapid maintenance to the collection apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,425,456 A (Erickson) discloses a waste collection and separation apparatus positioned for collecting recyclable and compostable waste materials. Shortcomings include an inability to use in a small-scale, household setting, inability to compact recyclable materials, an inability to weigh compacted materials, an inability to expel liquid within the containment apparatus, an inability to coordinate pickup of the compacted recyclable materials between a user and a waste management service, an inability to facilitate payment of pickup of the compacted recyclable materials between a user and a waste management service, an inability to facilitate payment of deposit for the picked up compacted recyclable materials between a user and a waste management service and an inability to facilitate effortless and rapid maintenance to the collection apparatuses.
U.S. Pat. No. 10,406,564 B1 (Al-Ateeq) discloses a storing waste receptacle for sorting and storing different types of waste items. Shortcomings include an inability to compact recyclable materials, an inability to weigh compacted materials, an inability to expel liquid within the storing waste receptacle, an inability to coordinate pickup of the compacted recyclable materials between a user and a waste management service, an inability to facilitate payment of pickup of the compacted recyclable materials between a user and a waste management service, an inability to facilitate payment of deposit for the picked up compacted recyclable materials between a user and a waste management service and an inability to facilitate effortless and rapid maintenance to the storing waste receptacle.
U.S. Pat. No. 10,564,029 B2 (Waite et al.) discloses a waste container with weight-measurement system for large-scale waste containers. Shortcomings include an inability to use in a small-scale, household setting, an inability to expel liquid within the waste container, inability to compact recyclable materials, an inability to facilitate payment of pickup of the compacted recyclable materials between a user and a waste management service, an inability to facilitate payment of deposit for the picked up compacted recyclable materials between a user and a waste management service and an inability to facilitate effortless and rapid maintenance to the waste container.
All documents cited herein are incorporated by reference.
It is clear that there exists a need for a recycling package unit for storing, compacting and facilitating pickup and payment transactions for pickup and deposit. More specifically, but not by way of limitation, more particularly there is a need for a recycling package unit and system that may be employed to store recyclable goods, compact recyclable goods, weigh the compacted recyclable goods and send this information to one or more waste management services, coordinate pickup of the compacted recyclable goods between a user and a waste management service, facilitate payment of pickup of the compacted recyclable goods between a user and a waste management service, facilitate payment of deposit for the picked up compacted recyclable goods between a user and a waste management service, expel liquid contained within the recycling package unit to reduce odors and facilitate effortless and rapid maintenance to the recycling package unit.
The disclosure proposes a recycling package unit and system for storing, compacting and facilitating pickup and payment transactions for pickup and deposit that overcomes disadvantages inherent in the existing devices and systems. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved a recycling package unit for storing, compacting and facilitating pickup and payment transactions for pickup and deposit, which provides the advantages and overcomes the aforementioned disadvantages.
It is an object of the invention to provide recycling package unit.
In accordance with an aspect of the invention, there is provided a recycling package unit, for compacting and storing one or more recyclable goods and communicating load metrics between a user and one or more waste management services, comprising: a lid coupled to a container; said lid consisting of a compactor partially contained within said lid that is optionally powered to extend downwards into said container to compact said one or more recyclable goods and retract back into said lid, an activation switch and a display on a front face of said lid and a power chord exiting from a rear face of said lid, said compactor comprising a telescopic member affixed to a top of a compactor plate and said compactor, said activation switch, said display and said power chord electrically coupled; and said container consisting of an input access door above an output access door coupled to a front face of an exterior wall of the container, an interior cavity surrounded by an interior wall having a base plate consisting of a plurality of holes affixed at the base of said interior cavity that is access by said input access door and said output access door, an interior lining enclosed between said interior walls and said exterior walls and a computing device and a drain spout coupled to a bottom of said exterior walls, said drain spout connected to said interior lining such that any liquid passed through said plurality of holes in said base plate and contained within said interior lining may be discharged via a release valve affixed to said drain spout and said computing device having a weight measurement device and being wirelessly coupled to said display and a database through a network server via Internet; wherein said computing device is capable of transmitting one or more scripts to said display to be visually presented to said user and transmitting one or more measurement data of said compacted recyclable goods obtained by said weight measurement device to said database.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a system for distribution of one or more compacted recyclable goods output from a recycling package unit, the system comprising: a network coupled to a database, said network further coupled to one or more smart devices from one or more users and one or more waste management services and a computing device from said recycling package unit via Internet, wherein one or more measurement data obtained by said computing device is transmitted and stored onto said database; and an application on said one or more smart devices capable of displaying and transmitting one or more measurement data and one or more programming instructions to said one or more smart devices, said application.
To easily identify the discussion of any particular element or act, the most significant digit or digits in a reference number refer to the figure number in which that element is first introduced.
In the figures, embodiments are illustrated by way of example. It is to be expressly understood that the description and figures are only for the purpose of illustration and as an aid to understanding.
Embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the attached figures, wherein the figures:
The details of one or more embodiments of the subject matter of this specification are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the subject matter will become apparent from the description, the drawings, and the claims.
Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate like elements.
The present invention provides a recycling package unit and system that may be used with many alternative embodiments. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved a recycling package unit for storing, compacting and facilitating pickup and payment transactions for pickup and deposit, which provides the advantages and overcomes the aforementioned disadvantages.
A clean and straightforward solution to store, compact and dispose of recyclable goods such as, but not limited to, aluminum cans, plastic bottles and cardboard cartons. The recycling package unit may be employed to schedule pickups with a local waste management service to reduce effort for the user while encouraging the user to more efficiently recycle.
The container 104 is shown comprising an input access door 112 and an output access door 114 coupled to the face of the container 104, where the input access door 112 is oriented above the output access door 114. In some embodiments, the display 108 may be employed to display features such as, but not limited to power status, weight of the load contained within the recycling package unit and maintenance warnings for the user.
Furthermore, an interior lining 210 is shown between the interior walls 212 and the exterior walls 218 of the container 104. In some embodiments, the base plate 216 has a plurality of holes which allow for any liquid contained within the inserted recyclable goods to be expelled out from the interior cavity 116 and into the interior lining 210. At the base of the container 104 is a drain spout 204 next to the computing device 202. The drain spout 204 is connected to the interior lining 210 such that any liquid contained within the interior lining 210 may be discharged via a release valve 206 affixed to the drain spout 204.
Also shown in this embodiment, a liquid 306 is discharged from the recyclable good 302 during their compression and is drains through the plurality of holes within the base plate 216 into the interior lining 210 below. The liquid 306 is shown primarily contained within the drain spout 204 due to the release valve 206 being in a closed position. The drain spout 204 is coupled to the interior lining 210 such that the drain spout 204 is the lowest point of the container 104.
The network server 512 is further optionally coupled to one or more users 506 via their smart devices 510, as well as one or more waste management services 508 via their smart devices 510. These connections enable one or more users 506 to coordinate pickup of their recyclable goods 302, process payment from the user 506 to the waste management services 508 for pickup and process payment from the waste management services 508 to the user 506 for the recyclable goods 302 based on the weight of the recyclable goods 302.
In some embodiments, the computing device 202 is coupled to an application on the one or more smart devices 510 capable of displaying and transmitting programming instructions to one or more users 506 and waste management services 508. These instructions include but are not limited to one or more pre-scheduled maintenance reminder, one or more pickup date, time and location and one or more payment transactions. This application can be further programmable to adjust for customized requests from one or more users 506 and one or more waste management services 508. For example, a user 506 may include the type of recyclable goods 302, such as aluminum cans, plastic bottles, and cardboard cartons that are associated with a submitted recyclable goods 302 weight and pickup request. This allows for waste management services 508 to adequately price out what the user 506 is owed for the returned recyclable goods 302.
The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention and method of use to the precise forms disclosed. Obviously, many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. As can be understood, the examples described above are intended to be exemplary only.
The embodiments described were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, and to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is understood that various omissions or substitutions of equivalents are contemplated as circumstance may suggest or render expedient but is intended to cover the application or implementation without departing from the spirit or scope of the claims of the present invention.
The term “connected”, “attached”, “affixed” or “coupled to” may include both direct coupling (in which two elements that are coupled to each other contact each other) and indirect coupling (in which at least one additional element is located between the two elements).
As one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the disclosure, processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developed, that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps.
