Collection of recyclable or waste material
AssigneeRecresco Limited
InventorSteven Gent
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed herein are Apparatus for the collection of recyclable or waste material. The apparatus comprises a movable element for drawing ambient air into the apparatus through an inlet, in use, thereby creating a suction force that draws the recyclable or waste material into the apparatus through the inlet. The apparatus is arranged such that material drawn into the apparatus impacts the movable element, and the apparatus further comprises a compactor for reducing the volume occupied by the recyclable or waste material.
Claims17
A recyclable material collection apparatus comprising:
- a conduit having an inlet configured for engagement with a storage container of recyclable material and an exit opposite the inlet;
- a movable element configured to create a suction force to draw ambient air through the inlet, thereby drawing the recyclable material through the conduit, the movable element having a rotatable support plate with a plurality of blades mounted thereon, the movable element positioned in a housing in communication with the exit of the conduit, the movable element positioned in relation to the exit of the conduit so that the recyclable material contacts the plurality of blades which are configured to weaken the recyclable material upon impact, wherein the movable element is resiliently mounted within the housing with a resilient mounting configured so that the movable element is movable away from an at-rest position in the housing by impact with the recyclable material but is biased to return to the at-rest position by the resilient mounting;
- and
- a compactor for reducing a volume occupied by the recyclable material after weakening.
An apparatus adapted to be retro-fitted to a recyclable material collection vehicle having a compactor for reducing a volume occupied by the recyclable material within the collection vehicle, the retro-fitted apparatus comprising:
- a conduit having an inlet configured to be engaged with a storage container of recyclable material and an exit in communication with a housing;
- and
- a movable element resiliently mounted within the housing and configured to create a suction force to draw ambient air through the inlet, thereby drawing the recyclable material through the conduit, the movable element having a rotatable support plate with a plurality of blades mounted thereon and positioned in relation to the exit of the conduit so that the recyclable material contacts the plurality of blades configured to weaken the recyclable material upon impact, wherein the movable element is mounted to the housing with a resilient mounting configured so that the movable element is movable away from an at-rest position in the housing by impact with the recyclable material but is biased to return to the at-rest position by the resilient mounting.
A method of collecting recyclable material from a storage container comprising:
- (a) engaging an inlet of a conduit with a storage container for recyclable material;
- (b) creating a suction force with a movable element to draw the recyclable material through the conduit by drawing ambient air through the inlet, wherein an exit of the conduit is connected to a housing and positioned such that the recyclable material impacts the movable element;
- (c) weakening the recyclable material through impact with the movable element, wherein the movable element has a rotatable support plate with a plurality of blades mounted thereon and is mounted to the housing with a resilient mounting configured so that the movable element is movable away from an at-rest position in the housing by impact with the recyclable material but is biased to return to the at-rest position by the resilient mounting;
- and
- (d) operating a compactor to reduce a volume of the recyclable material after weakening.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.