Sink disposal and metal sensor
AssigneeSamelin Innovations, LLC
InventorsSamantha Erica Melin, Thomas Eric Melin, Juan Carlos Perez, Raeshon Lamont McNeil, Michael Starkey
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus includes: a disposal unit; a control unit configured to stop operation of the disposal unit; and a metal detector coil and associated circuitry, the metal detector coil located such that waste passing into the disposal unit for shredding passes through the metal detector coil. The control unit is triggered to stop operation of the disposal unit upon the detection of metal passing through the metal detector coil.
Claims20
An under-sink disposal system comprising an under-sink disposal unit, the under-sink disposal unit comprising:
- (a) a shredding mechanism for shredding waste that enters through an intake of the under-sink disposal unit into a shredding area of the under-sink disposal unit;
- and
- (b) a metal detector assembly integrated into a housing of the under-sink disposal unit and comprising a metal detector coil and associated circuitry;
- (c) wherein the under-sink disposal unit is configured to inhibit the shredding of waste by the shredding mechanism upon detection, by the metal detector assembly, of a metallic object passing toward the shredding area, including
- (i) stopping the shredding of waste by the shredding mechanism upon the detection, by the metal detector assembly, of a metallic object passing toward the shredding area, and
- (ii) preventing the shredding of waste by the shredding mechanism from starting after the detection, by the metal detector assembly, of a metallic object passing toward the shredding area.
An under-sink disposal unit, comprising:
- (a) an intake;
- (b) a disposal chamber having at a bottom thereof a waste area in which shredding is performed and into which waste that passes through the intake is received for shredding;
- and
- (c) a metal detector assembly located within a housing of the under-sink disposal unit and comprising a metal detector coil and associated circuitry configured to detect when a metallic object passes toward the bottom of the disposal chamber;
- (d) wherein the under-sink disposal unit is configured to inhibit shredding of waste upon detection, by the metal detector assembly, of a metallic object passing toward the shredding area, including
- (i) stopping the shredding of waste upon the detection, by the metal detector assembly, of a metallic object passing toward the shredding area, and
- (ii) preventing the shredding of waste from starting after the detection, by the metal detector assembly, of a metallic object passing toward the shredding area.
A method for operating an under-sink disposal so as to accommodate the accidental entry of a metallic object into the disposal, comprising:
- (a) a step for monitoring for a metallic object passing toward a shredding area of the under-sink disposal unit;
- and
- (b) a step for inhibiting shredding operation of the under-sink disposal upon detecting the passing of a metallic object toward the shredding area of the under-sink disposal, including
- (i) stopping shredding operation of the under-sink disposal unit, if running, upon the detection of the passing of the metallic object toward the shredding area of the under-sink disposal unit, and
- (ii) preventing shredding operation of the under-sink disposal unit from starting upon the detection of the passing of a metallic object toward the shredding area of the under-sink disposal unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.