The present invention relates generally to a portable trash compactor. More particularly, the present invention relates to a trash compactor that can be selectively engaged with existing trash receptacles to compact trash therein.
Trash compaction is the process of compacting trash and waste, thereby reducing it in size. For example, garbage compactors compress trash to allow more garbage storage in the same space. Such trash compaction is often beneficial, both for those disposing of the trash and for the company collecting it. Trash collection companies often bill according to volume, and compaction allows for more garbage to fit in the same space. Further, compacting trash allows more garbage to fit inside a collection vessel or vehicle, meaning fewer trips to a dump or fewer changes of a trash bag by personnel. By some estimates, uncompacted trash occupies up to twenty times more space than compacted waste. Trash pickup costs are thereby reduced, and fewer or smaller dumpsters may be used. Additionally, the use of up to 20 trash bags/liners can potentially be avoided.
Trash compactors are available for both residential and commercial use. However, commercial units are generally too large and TOO expensive for residential use and in public facilities, such as public bathrooms, sports arenas, restaurants, and other places where there is voluminous use of paper towels or the like. Residential compactors are often expensive stand-alone units. As nearly all homes, public restrooms, and office buildings, etc., already have multiple trash receptacles, it can be inefficient undesirable to buy a separate stand-alone trash compactor unit.
Thus, there is an ever increasing need for a universal compaction device that can convert any existing receptacle into a trash compactor.
In an example embodiment, a universal compacting mechanism can be selectively engaged with an existing trash receptacle. The universal compacting mechanism comprises a housing assembly, a motor, a power source, a plate assembly, and an attachment mechanism. The housing assembly includes a threaded rod extending along at least part of the longitudinal axis of the housing assembly. The motor engages with the threaded rod for rotating the threaded rod about the longitudinal axis of the threaded rod. The power source is electrically connected to the motor for providing power to the motor. The plate assembly includes a compaction plate (or “fin”) that is geometrically shaped to travel inside the trash receptacle. The plate assembly is engaged with the threaded rod such that rotation of the threaded rod causes a raising or lowering of the plate assembly. The attachment mechanism selectively engages the universal compacting mechanism to an existing trash receptacle of any shape or size. The plate assembly is designed to fit inside the receptacle in which the universal compacting mechanism is to be used. The compaction fin of the plate assembly may include a through-hole to allow trash to be thrown into the receptacle.
When the trash inside the receptacle reaches a certain point inside the receptacle, the plate assembly is automatically actuated to compress the contents of the receptacle.
For a better understanding of the various embodiments of the present invention, reference may be made to the accompanying drawings in which:
While the disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, a specific embodiment thereof is shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and detailed description presented herein are not intended to limit the disclosure to the particular embodiment disclosed, but to the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.
The invention will now be described with reference to the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout. For purposes of clarity in illustrating the characteristics of the present invention, proportional relationships of the elements have not necessarily been maintained in the drawing figures.
Referring to the drawings,
Positioned within the housing 205 may be a threaded rod 215. The threaded rod 215, like the housing 205, extends from a bottom end 220 to a top end 225. When structured with the motor assembly 120 at the bottom end 207 of the housing 205, the bottom end 220 of the threaded rod 215 is also engaged with the motor assembly 120. The motor assembly 120 includes a motor 230 for driving rotation of the threaded rod 215 at the bottom end 220 of the threaded rod 215. Other locations and configurations of the motor assembly 120 may drive rotation of the threaded rod 215 at other locations there-along. A power source 235 electrically connected with the motor 230 provides power to the motor 230. The power source 235 may be any known power sources, such as batteries, a standard plug for a wall outlet, or the like. A recharge port may be positioned on the motor assembly 120 for recharging the power source 235 where the power source 235 includes rechargeable batteries. The power source 235 may also provide electrical power to any sensors, discussed above.
The plate assembly 130 is connected to the threaded rod 215 via the guide mechanism 140, as will be discussed in detail below. The plate assembly 130 includes a compaction fin 240. As shown in
As can be seen, the plate assembly 130 is connected to the threaded rod 215 via the guide mechanism 140. The guide mechanism 140 includes a threaded hole 305 in a proximal portion 310 that engages with the threads of the threaded rod 215. The proximal portion 310 narrows in width at a notched portion 315, which then extends to a distal portion 320. The notched portion 315 is positioned in the gap 210 between the opposing edges 212 of the housing 205. The opposing edges 212 are preferably positioned such that the gap 210 is smaller than the width of either the distal portion 310 or the proximal portion 320. Thus, only the notched portion 315 is capable of fitting therethrough. This allows the opposing edges 212 to function as guide rails for the guide mechanism 140 up and down the length of the housing assembly 110. The proximal portion 310 may extend into the housing 110 past the threaded rod 215 to the back of the housing 110, and may be tapered to allow smooth travel and further stability as the guide mechanism 140 travels up and down the gap 210. The distal portion 320 extends past the opposing edges 212 where it connects to the plate assembly 130, either fixedly or hingedly as described earlier. In some embodiments, the proximal portion 310 may not include a through-hole 305, but may instead connect to a nut (not shown) engaged with the threaded rod 215. Such structure will be understood to be within the meaning of a threaded hole within the proximal portion.
In operation, the motor 230 turns the threaded rod 215. When the threaded rod 215 is rotated in a clockwise direction, the proximal portion 310 is prevented from rotating with the threaded rod 215 by the engagement of the notched portion 215 with one of the opposing edges 212. When the threaded rod 215 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction, the proximal portion 310 is again prevented from rotating with the threaded rod 215 by the engagement of the notched portion 215 with the other of the opposing edges 212. Thus, the proximal portion 310 is kept in a single orientation, which in turn causes the guide mechanism 140 (and thereby the plate assembly 150) to move up and down the threaded rod 215 through the threaded hole 305 as the threaded rod 215 turns. Movement of the guide mechanism 140 up and down the threaded rod 215 causes movement of the plate assembly 130 to compact trash in the trash receptacle.
In an alternative embodiment, the gap 210 may be sufficiently wide for a modified notched portion to have the same width as the proximal and distal portions 310, 320, such that it is not actually notched as shown in
Movement between the first and section positions may be permitted in many known ways. As shown in
It should be understood that the ability to move between the first and second positions is optional. In structures that include this functionality, the compaction fin 240 may or may not include a through-hole 250. The ability to move to the first position provides a method for user to deposit trash into the trash receptacle without the use of the through-hole 250. However, in structures that do not include this functionality, the compaction fin 240 preferably includes the through-hole 250. Without the ability to move from the second position to the first position, the through-hole 250 may be the best method for depositing trash into the trash receptacle, given that the plate assembly 130 would remain in the second position.
When viewed in its second position, the compaction fin 240 may slope downwardly as it extends radially inwardly toward its inner edge 245. This may allow trash or other materials to naturally slide down through the through-hole 250 and into the trash receptacle. Additionally, one or more sensors may be used to determine when trash has piled up within the trash receptacle sufficiently to warrant usage of the plate assembly 130. Such sensors may be infrared or the like, as would be known in the art. In an example embodiment, one or more such sensors may be positioned in a cap (not shown), and such cap may be engaged with the top end 209 of the housing 205, as well as top end 225 of the threaded rod 215. The cap may extend beyond housing 205 to position such a sensor for viewing downwardly into a receptacle. Similarly, as the motor 230 drives the plate assembly 130 to compact trash, the same sensor or a different sensor may determine when the trash has been sufficiently compacted. For example, a sensor may detect when more than a predetermined amount of torque is required to further compress the trash. At that point, the motor may be instructed to reverse. The compaction level may be stored in an onboard electronic memory, such that universal compacting mechanism 100 knows to stop future compactions at that point or earlier. This data can be reset when the trash receptacle is emptied.
Additionally, it will be understood that structures other than threaded rod 215 may be used for moving the plate assembly 130 vertically along the housing 205. For example, hydraulics could be used, or a chain drive assembly, or various types of gearing, or a track, or the like may all be used instead of or in addition to the threaded rod 215.
From the foregoing, it will be seen that the various embodiments of the present invention are well adapted to attain all the objectives and advantages hereinabove set forth together with still other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the present structures. It will be understood that certain features and sub-combinations of the present embodiments are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and sub-combinations. Since many possible embodiments of the present invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, it is also to be understood that all disclosures herein set forth or illustrated in the accompanying drawings are to be interpreted as illustrative only and not limiting. The various constructions described above and illustrated in the drawings are presented by way of example only and are not intended to limit the concepts, principles and scope of the present invention.
As is evident from the foregoing description, certain aspects of the present invention are not limited by the particular details of the examples illustrated herein, and it is therefore contemplated that other modifications and applications, or equivalents thereof, will occur to those skilled in the art. The terms “having” and “including” and similar terms as used in the foregoing specification are used in the sense of “optional” or “may include” and not as “required.”
Many changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications of the present constructions will, however, become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering the specification and the accompanying drawings. All such changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention are deemed to be covered by the invention which is limited only by the claims which follow.