Actively cooled waste receptacle
AssigneePetal Incorporated
InventorsBrian Petz, Primoz Cresnik
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An actively cooled waste receptacle comprises an insulated container including (i) an inner wall defining a chamber having an opening for receiving the waste, and (ii) an outer wall surrounding the inner wall and joined to the inner wall at the opening. The receptacle also includes a cover configured to prevent access to the chamber via the opening in a closed position, and to allow access to the chamber via the opening in an open position; and a heat pump including an interior heat exchanger exposed to the chamber, the heat pump configured to cool the chamber by absorbing heat from air within the chamber via the interior heat exchanger, and transferring the heat outside the insulated container.
Claims24
An actively cooled waste receptacle, comprising:
- an insulated container including (i) an inner wall defining a chamber having an opening for receiving the waste, and (ii) an outer wall surrounding the inner wall and joined to the inner wall at the opening;
- a cover configured to prevent access to the chamber via the opening in a closed position, and to allow access to the chamber via the opening in an open position;
- and
- a heat pump including an interior heat exchanger exposed to the chamber, the heat pump configured to cool the chamber by absorbing heat from air within the chamber via the interior heat exchanger, and transferring the heat outside the insulated container;
- a heating element affixed directly to a surface of the interior heat exchanger, the heating element configured to be selectively enabled for defrosting the interior heat exchanger;
- a controller connected to the heating element, and configured to automatically enable the heating element responsive to detecting that a defrost condition is satisfied;
- a drain extending from a drain inlet in the inner wall to a drain outlet in the outer wall, for directing defrost runoff fluid from the interior heat exchanger to the exterior of the insulated container;
- and
- a drainage trough defined in the inner wall and containing the drain inlet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.