AU714280B2

AU714280B2 - A refuse bin operating device

Info

Publication number: AU714280B2
Application number: AU26128/97A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Christopher John Wright
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1996-06-21
Filing date: 1997-06-20
Publication date: 1999-12-23
Anticipated expiration: 2017-06-20
Also published as: AU2612897A

Description

_____AUSTRALIA K'ivsii~tiiiwmmp~j Patents Act 1990 Rglto Original Complete Specification Standard. Patent Invention Title A -REFU-SE- BLN--nPERATIN G-DE-V1CEI The following statemnt is a full djescription of this invention, including the best method of performing known to me:too

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-2- A REFUSE BIN OPERATING

DEVICE

This invention relates to a device for opening and closing the hinged lid of a bin and in particular a foot pedal operated lid lifting and closing device for a mobile garbage bin also known as a "wheelie bin', where the lid is hinged to the rear wall of the bin on the uppermost extreme of said rear wall.

.o ee o Mobile garbage bins are well known for the holding of waste materials and as containers for the recycling of waste products. Mobile garbage bins are used intensively in industry ranging from waste containers, for holding recyclable waste, the storage of solutions and solids, collection of launderable items and storage for dry goods.

15 Mobile garbage bins however have the disadvantage of the need for the user to open the hinged lid, which is situated on the top of the bin and attached to the rear wall of the bin at its uppermost point by a pair of hinges, by the use of the operator's hand. Within the food industry and health care fields it is deemed necessary for the operator to wash and disinfect the hands after touching any bin containing waste or non-sterile items.

-3- According to the present invention a foot pedal is provided at the lower front of the bin, which when the lid of the bin is in the "closed position", it is some cm. above the surface upon which the bin is situated.

When the foot pedal is actuated in a downward direction this causes the lid of the bin to lift and rotate around the axis of the lid hinge pivot points. The .i .lid can be made to lift to any desired height between the oo...i fully "closed position" ie., situated on the horizontal .o plane and the "open position" ie., at 90 deg. to the closed position situated on the vertical plane when the contact of the foot pedal on the surface upon which the bin is situated prevents the foot pedal from moving any "further in a downwards direction. Adjustment is also provided within the mechanism to enable the height of lift of the lid to be pre set to any position between the "closed" and "open" position ie., through a radius of deg. travel from "fully closed".

Further, by actuating the foot pedal in a swift downwards direction and releasing the pressure applied to same prior to the foot pedal making contact with the surface upon which the bin is situated, the lid will then continue to rotate about its axis passing the "open" Position and continuing to travel to the "fully open" position ie., coming to rest in a semi vertical position some 270 deg from the "closed" position.

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-4- The bin lid will nowbe lying approx. parallel with the rear wall of the bin and the foot pedal will now be in the "fully up" position ie., some 30 cm. above the surface upon which the bin is standing.

Further, by actuating the foot pedal in a swift downwards direction and releasing the pressure applied to same prior to the foot pedal making contact with the surface upon which the bin is situated, the lid will then return from the "fully open" position and continue to 10 1 rotate about its axis past the "open" position and return to rest at the "closed position" The foot pedal will now be in the "up" position.

In another form of the invention, the mechanism may by simplified by exclusion.of springs, rivets and 15 fastenings, lid brackets and adjusting devices so that the simplified form may be miniaturised to enable the device to be fitted to model or toy copies of the working commercial bin for use in promoting the full scale model or as a novelty, ie., child toy. The scale reduction being maximum 15 1.

The device may be made from any suitable material, such as metal or moulded plastic.

i A specific and preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings:in order that the invention can be more readily understood and be put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present invention and wherein:- Figure 1 is a side view of a first embodiment of bin lid operating device of the present invention. The figure illustrates the hinged lid in the closed position and the fully open position in dotted lines.

10 Figure 2 is an underview of the embodiment of the device of figure 1; Figure 3 is a skeleton diagram showing the positions of the first actuating V arm and the first lifting arm of the device of the present invention when the lid is in the closed position; Figure 4 is a skeleton diagram showing the positions of the first actuating arm, the first lifting arm and the spring of the device of the present invention when the lid is in the vertical position; Figure 5 is a skeleton diagram showing the positions of the first actuating armn and the first lifting arm of the device of the present invention when the. lid is in the fully open position; Figure 6 shows a side view of a second embodiment of t he bin lid operating device of the present invention; Figure 7 shows a back view of the device illustrated in Figure 6; -6- Figure 8 shows a side view of the third embodiment of the bin lid operating device of the present invention; Figure 9 shows the device illustrated in Figure 8, with the lid in an open position; Figure 10 shows the device illustrated in Figure 9 with the lid in the fully open position; Figure 11 shows the back view of the device illustrated in Figure 8; Figure 12 shows a pivoted attachment arrangement of the bin lid operating device of the present invention for connection to a wheel axle of a refuse bin; 10 Figure 13 shows a bushing and an adapter for mounting the bushing to different sized axles or wheel hubs; a Figure 14 shows a telescopic adjustment arrangement for the bin lid operating device of the present invention; and Figure 15 shows a flexible strip adapted for sealing the lid to the bin body.

15 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED

EMBODIMENTS

Referring to the drawings and initially to Figures 1 and 2 there is o. illustrated a refuse bin 1 assembled with a lid operating device 2 of the present invention. The bin has a pair of wheels 3 rotatably mounted on respective ends of an axle 4 adjacent the bottom wall 5 and the back wall 6 of the bin 1. Each end of the axle 4 protrudes outwardly beyond a side wall 7 of the bin 1. A wheel 3 is rotatably mounted on each end of the axle 4 and spaced, by means of the wheel hub which may be shortened and an axle mountable bushing 21 which is secured to the first actuating arm 9, from said side wall 7. The axle 4, the hub and the bushing 21 form a first pivotal joint indicated as C in Figure 5. The bin -7- 1 has a lid 8 hingedly joined to the bin 1 at a position 20 adjacent the top of the back wall 6. In use, the lid 8 is rotatable from a closed position as shown in full line in Figure 1 to a fully open position as shown in dotted line in Figure 1.

The lid operating device 2 of the first embodiment of the present invention as illustrated includes a pair of actuating arms 9 pivotally mounted on respective ends of the axle 4 in the spaces between the wheels 3 and the side walls 7. This pivotal arrangement may be in the form of the bushing 21 being mounted on the axle 4 and the shortened hub being secured to an actuating arm. The lifting device 2 also includes a pair of lifting arms 10 (only one is shown in Figure 1) connected between the actuating arm 9 and the lid 8. Each lifting arm 10 is pivotally joined at one end thereof to the end of the actuating arm 9 which extends rearward from the axle 4. The other end of the lifting arm 10 is provided with a bracket 11 which, in use, is secured to the lid 8 adjacent to where the lid o 8 is hinged to the back wall 6 of the bin 1. The bracket 11, being secured to the lid and pivotally joined to the free end of the lifting arm 10, provides a pivotal connection (B in Figure 5) between the lifting arm 10 and the lid 8. The bracket 11 provides a strong connection between the lifting arm 10 and the lid 8. In a o* preferred form the bracket 11 includes a pin for insertion into a hole of the lifting arm 10, thereby providing a pivotal joint. The pin may be a part of a rivet.

The device 2 is provided with a spring 12 which is secured between the actuating arm 9 and the lifting arm 10. Figure 1 shows one preferred locations where the respective ends of the spring 12 are secured to the actuating arm 9 and the lifting arm 10. Other securing locations of the spring 12 are shown in Figures 4, 7, 11 and 12. The spring 12 is arranged to provide a force pulling the lifting -8arm 10 in a downward direction. When the lid 8 is in a closed position as shown in full line in Figure 1, the spring 12 serves to provide a tight seal between the lid 8 and the body of the bin 1. In addition, the tension provided by the spring 12 is such that the lid 8 is maintained in the closed position even when the bin is accidentally or deliberately pushed over causing the bin to lie in a horizontal position. When the lid 8 is in the fully open position as shown in dotted line in Figure 1, the spring 12 exerts a force pulling the lifting arm in a downward direction. Preferably the spring 12 is adapted to transfer a force of up to 3 Kg measured at the front edge of the lid with the lid in the fully closed position.

10 The fully open position of the lid 8 may be adjustable. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, adjustment of said fully open position of the-lid 8 is provided by selecting appropriate holes of a series of holes at both ends of the lifting arm 10 to engage with the pin of the bracket 11. In Figure 1 the fully open position S• of the lid 8 is substantial 270 degrees from its the closed position. Where desired, the open position of the lid 8 may be adjustably set to any preferred angle within the arc of 90 degree from the closed position to the vertical open position as shown by D in Figure 1. The position of the pivotal joint A between the first a actuating arm 9 and the first lifting arm 10, and the position of the pivotal joint C between the first actuating arm 9 and the axle 4 may also be adjustable.

Whereby the distance between the pivotal joints A and C on the first actuating arm 9 may be adjusted so as to preset the height and the angle of the open position of the lid 8.

The lid operating device 2 of the embodiment of the present invention as shown in Figures 1 and 2 is provided with a foot pedal 13 arranged between free -9ends of the actuating arms 9 The pedal 13 may be in any desired shape and can be secured to the actuating arms 9 by any securing means. Figures 6 and 8 to show alternative foot pedals 13 for the device 2.

In use, assuming the refuse bin lid 8 is in the closed position and a user desires to open the lid 8, the user presses the foot pedal 13 in a downwardly direction as shown by the arrow signs in Figures 1 and 3. The actuating arms 9 are thereby rotated about the wheel axle 4. The rotational movement of the actuating arms 9 provides a consequential effect of lifting the lifting arms 10 as shown by the arrow signs in Figures 1 and 3 and resulting in the lid 8 being 10 rotated about its hinge joint. In Figure 4 the lid 8 has moved to a vertical position D at which it is in equilibrium. The spring 12 exerting a-pulling force on the lifting arm 10 serves to assist the lid 8 to rotate past said equilibrium position of the lid 8 and to the fully open position. With the lid 8 in this position the foot pedal 13 is in the up position as shown in Figure 15 In the embodiment of the present invention shown in Figures 3 to 5, the pedal 13 is at its lowest position when the lid 8 is in the vertical posion D. At Ssaid lowest position the user may remove the downward force on the pedal 13 and the force exerted by the spring 12 and/or the inertia of the lid 8 result in the lifting arm 10 moving in a downwardly direction. The lid 8 is thereby moved by the pulling action of the lifting arm 10 to its fully open position. The actuating arm 9 shown in Figures 1, 3, 4 and 5 rotates in an anticlockwise direction when the lid 8 moves from the closed position to the vertical position. Thereafter the actuating arm 9 rotates in the reverse direction when the lid 8 moves from the vertical direction D to the fully open position, and resulting in the pedal 13 moving upwardly to rest at a position corresponding to the fully open position of the lid 8.

To close the lid 8 again, the user applies a downward force to the pedal 13 as described in opening the lid 8. Again, such action rotates the actuating arms 9 about the axle 4 in a direction that lifts the lifting arms 10. Lifting said lifting arms 10 results in rotating the lid 8 about its hinged joint in a direction from the fully open position to the closed position.

Figures 6 and 7 show the second embodiment of the bin lid operating device 2 of the present invention. The device 2 in this embodiment is 10 substantially the same as the first embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2 with the exception of shape of the first lifting arms 10, the connection-position of the spring 12 and the pedal 13.

As shown in Figure 6, the foot pedal 13 has a substantially V-shaped extension part 14 thereon. The extension part 14 provides a larger surface for an :.CC 15 operator to operate the device 2. The lifting arms 10 are substantially shallow Vshaped, with the free ends of each arm 10 pivotally connected to an actuating bl* arm 9 and the bin lid 8. The arms 10 are also bent in a direction towards the bin 1. A spacer sleeve 15 is located between the first and second lifting arms 10 and is secured thereto by a nut and bolt arrangement. In this embodiment a spring 12 is connected to one of the bushes 21 and one of the lifting arms 10. A number of spaced eyelets 16 (2 shown in Figure 7) are provided on each lifting arm 10 so that the biasing force exerted on a lifting arm 10 and an actuating arm 9 can be adjusted.

The third embodiment of the present invention as shown in Figures 8 to -11- 11 has a substantially V-shaped foot pedal 13, rubber strip 17 provided on the periphery edge of the lid 8 and a bin lid lifting arrangement 30 which will be described below.

A rod 33 may be connected between the said free ends of the end section 32 for strengthening the structure of the device 2. Alternatively a bracket means (not shown) may be provided for strengthening each said free end. The bracket may be secured between said free ends. Said rod/bracket may be secured to the free ends by any means including welding, bolts and nuts and the like. Preferably the bracket is L-shaped. Ends of the L-shaped bracket may be secured to 10 respective free ends by welding.

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The lifting arrangement has a substantially U-shaped or V-shaped end section 32 pivotally connected at its free ends to respective first and second actuating arms 9, a substantially U-shaped or V-shaped second end section 34 pivotally connected to at its free ends to the bin lid 8 at a position adjacent to the 15 pivotal connection between the lid 8 and the bin 1, an intermediate section 36 connected between the first and second end sections 32, 34. Rubber or foam oooo tubular impact absorbing members 38 are provided on the lifting arrangement for preventing the sections 32, 34 and 36 from impacting on the bin body during emptying by a refuse vehicle or when dropped or overturned. The members 38 also prevents the lid 8 from impacting on the arrangement Shown more clearly in Figure 14, the intermediate section 36 has an outer tubular member 40, an inner tubular member 42 telescopically displaceable within the outer tubular member 40 and a threaded rod 44 having a length therefor supported within the members 40 and 42. In the Figure 14 example, the -12rod 44 has an eyelet 46 at its unthreaded end. A rivet 48 extending transversely through the outer member 40 and the eyelet 46 is provided to support the rod 44.

The threaded end of the rod 44 extends through the first end section 32 and a nut is provided on the threaded end for adjusting the extend of the inner member 42 in the outer member 40 thereby effectively adjusting the length of the intermediate section 36. The length of the intermediate section 36 determines the open position of the lid 8 when the pedal 13 is pressed. A compression spring 52 is positioned between the eyelet 46 and the free end of the inner member 42.

The spring 52 maintains the bin lid 8 in a closed or open position. When in a 10 closed position, the spring 52 bias the lid 8 onto the bin body and effectively .o.o•i provides a tight real between the lid 9 and the bin body.

The rubber strip 17 shown in Figure 7 has a base 54 with a cavity 58 therein, and a neck portion 56 with a channel 60. The walls of the channel are ribbed for providing an effective frictional engagement with the peripheral 15 edge of the bin lid 8. The base serves as an air cushion between the lid 8 and the bin body for reducing wear on the lid 8 and the bin body. The rubber strip 17 also reduces noise generated when closing the lid 8.

Whilst the above has been given by way of illustrative example of the present invention, many variations and modifications thereto will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the broad ambit and scope of the invention as herein set forth.

Claims

1. A foot pedal operated mechanism for opening and closing the lid of a bin, a mobile garbage bin "wheelie bin" or other, which enables the lid of the bin to which the mechanism is attached, to be raised to any point in an arc of 90 deg. radius from the fully closed position ie., default position or normal position, whilst the limit of the downward travel of the foot pedal is maintained and by further adjustment of the mechanism or 10 by a specific action of the operators foot on the foot pedal the lid of the bin can be made to rotate through an arc of radius of approx 270 deg. from the fully closed position to and including the fully open position. Whilst the lid is in the fully open position then, by a specific 15 action of the operators foot on the foot pedal, the lid can be made the return to the fully closed position.

2. A foot pedal operated mechanism as claimed in claim 1. wherein the foot pedal traverses at least the full width of the bin at the point of attachment.

3. A foot pedal operated mechanism as claimed in claim 1. or claim 2. wherein an adjustment is provided to allow the lid of the bin to which the mechanism is attached for the purpose of opening and closing the lid of said bin, to be raised to any desired height from the fully closed position. -14- to and including the vertical open position ie., at the point of 90 deg. radial arc from the fully closed or horizontal position.

4. A foot pedal operated mechanism as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3 wherein a spring loaded, telescopic lifting arrangement protects the pivot points and structure of the mechanism from strain damage should the lid of the S".i bin to which the mechanism is attached, be restricted eooeo: *from opening in any way. a. a a Sa 10

5. A foot pedal operated mechanism as claimed in any previous claims, wherein a spring loaded telescopic arrangement automatically adjusts or compensates for any wear that may occur to the mechanism due to the normal wear and tear that may occur during the life of the 15 mechanism. a. a

6. A foot pedal operated mechanism as claimed in any preceding claim where a collar is provided for attachment of the mechanism to the wheel or wheel hubs or wheel axle of the bin or mobile garbage bin. This collar may be fitted with reduction bushing to allow wheel hubs of dissimilar diameters to fit the collar in a snug fashion.

7. A foot pedal operated mechanism as claimed in any preceding claim which incorporates within the mechanism expansion springs or spring designed to exert pressure via the mechanism upon the lid of the bin to which the mechanism is attached. This pressure is in a downwards direction when the lid is in the fully closed position and results in an appreciable increase in the seal property between the body of the bin and the bin lid.

8. A FOOT PEDAL operated mechanism as claimed in any preceding claim wherein a pair brackets are provided for attachment of the mechanism to the bin lid by means of bolts, rivets or other fastening devices at a point described as the lid hinge pivot arms.

9. A foot pedal operated mechanism for opening and closing the lid of a bin or mobile garbage bin or garbage cart substantially as herein described and illustrated within the accompanying drawings. WRIGHT

10 JUNE 1997