Device for collecting refuse supplied in refuse containers and for cleaning emptied refuse containers

Abstract

 A device for collecting refuse supplied in refuse containers (2) and for cleaning emptied refuse containers, comprising a collecting container (4) in which the refuse can be collected, a loading device (24) for picking up and moving a refuse container (2) into various positions, and cleaning means for cleaning an emptied refuse container and its lid. The device is provided with a refuse container cleaning space (21) which is separated from the inside of the collecting container (4) and is open at the top side. The open top side of the cleaning space (21) can connect to an open refuse container (2) situated in the cleaning position. At the bottom side the cleaning space (21) is connected to the discharge means for used cleaning fluid. A spray head (25) for spraying cleaning fluid into the refuse container (2) to be cleaned is movable out of the cleaning space into a refuse container (2) situated in the cleaning position.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a device according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] Such a device is known from German Gebrauchsmuster G 92 01 203.5.

[0003] In the case of this known device the collecting container is provided with two filling openings at the top side. A refuse container is emptied through the first filling opening and cleaned through the second filling opening. The refuse container is therefore emptied and cleaned in the same space, which results in refuse and cleaning fluid being mixed. The collecting container is provided on the underside with a false bottom which allows through fluid, for the purpose of discharging the cleaning fluid.

[0004] The undesirable mixing of the cleaning fluid with the refuse has various disadvantages. The dumping costs of the refuse will be higher, due to the fact that the refuse is heavier as a result of the fluid. Furthermore, any additives in the cleaning fluid could make the refuse unsuitable for processing or re-use. Finally, if warm cleaning fluid is used, the temperature of the refuse can rise to such an extent that undesirable processes can be initiated in the refuse.

[0005] The object of the invention is to overcome the abovementioned disadvantages.

[0006] This object is achieved with a device having the features mentioned in the characterizing part of claim 1.

[0007] Due to the fact that the cleaning process takes place in a space which is completely separate from the inside of the collecting container, the cleaning process can be carried out in an optimum way, on the one hand, and there is no mixing of refuse and cleaning fluid, on the other.

[0008] Preferred embodiments of the device according to the invention are described in the sub-claims, which must also be considered part of the description.

[0009] The invention also relates to a refuse collection vehicle which is provided with a device according to the invention.

[0010] The invention will be explained in the following examplary embodiment with reference to the drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a side view of a refuse collection vehicle provided with a device according to the invention;

Figs. 2 to 9 inclusive show the rear loader of the vehicle of Fig. 1 in side view during the various stages of emptying and cleaning of a refuse container;

Fig. 10 shows the spray lance of the device according to the invention, partially in elevation and partially in longitudinal section; and

Fig. 11 shows a top view of the rear loader with refuse container cleaning space, in which a refuse container is being supplied to one container cradle for pick-up and the other container cradle is in the cleaning position.

[0011] Fig. 1 shows a refuse collection vehicle 1 which is provided with a device for the collection of refuse supplied in refuse containers 2 and for cleaning the empty refuse containers. A collecting container 4, in which the refuse can be collected, is fitted on the chassis 3 of the vehicle. A rear loader 5 is disposed at the rear side of the collecting container 4. The rear loader 5 is hingedly connected to the collecting container 4 at point 6. In addition, at least one piston-cylinder unit 7 is disposed between the rear loader 5 and the collecting container 4, in order to make the rear loader 5 swing up about the hinge point 6. A first receptacle 9 for clean cleaning fluid and a second receptacle 10 for used cleaning fluid are disposed between the collecting container 4 and the cab 8 of the vehicle, and a space 11 is provided for carrying out maintenance work. The position of the first receptacle 9 and the second receptacle 10 is such that the position of the centre of gravity of the vehicle in the horizontal direction is not influenced by the movement of fluid from the first receptacle 9 to the second receptacle 10.

[0012] A push-out blade 13, which can serve as a counterpressure blade if necessary, is disposed in the interior 12 of the collecting container 4.

[0013] The rear loader 5 is provided with a trough 14 and a tipping opening 15 situated at the top side thereof. The trough 14 is essentially the shape of a vertical semi-circular cylinder, as can be seen in Fig. 11.

[0014] The rear loader 5 contains a pressing mechanism, consisting of a packing blade 16 which is fixed to a vertically rotatable drive shaft 17. The packing blade 16 is moved to and fro by way of the drive shaft 17 like a rudder by means of two piston-cylinder units 18 which are placed below the bottom of the trough 14 and act by way of a lever 19 on the drive shaft 17. The lever 19 is detachably connected to the bottom end of the drive shaft 17.

[0015] The trough 14 connects to the inside 12 of the collecting container 4. The bottom of the trough 14 is placed higher up than the bottom of the collecting container 4, which prevents moisture, which commonly occurs in organic refuse, from flowing back from the collecting container to the trough of the rear loader.

[0016] The trough 14 connects by way of a tipping flap 20 to the tipping opening 15. By way of the tipping flap 20, waste is guided out of a refuse container 2 into the trough 14, and from there the to-and-fro rotating packing blade 16 pushes and presses it into the collecting container 4 (see also Fig. 2).

[0017] A cleaning space 21 for cleaning emptied refuse containers 2 is provided at the rear side of the rear loader 5. The cleaning space is separated from the trough by an essentially vertical partition 22. The tipping flap 20 is fixed at the top side of the partition 22 in such a way that it can swing about a horizontal axis 23.

[0018] The cleaning space 21 is open at the top side and is connected to an outlet for used cleaning fluid at the bottom side.

[0019] The device is also provided with an only partially shown loading device 24, for the accommodation and movement into various positions of a refuse container 2. The loading device 24 can assume at least one tipping position, in which a refuse container 2 picked up by the loading device 24 can be emptied into the trough 14 of the rear loader 5 (see Fig. 2), and a cleaning position which differs here from the tipping position, and in which a refuse container accommodated in the loading device 24 can be cleaned (see Fig. 3). In the tipping position of the loading device, and thus of a refuse container 2 accommodated in the loading device, the tipping flap 20 extends upwards at an angle from the pivot axis 23 to above the open top side of the cleaning space 21 (see Fig. 2). In the cleaning position of the loading device 24, and thus of a refuse container 2 accommodated in the loading device, the tipping flap 20 is rotated towards the trough 14, with the result that the open top side of the cleaning space 21 is cleared completely and the trough 14 is also screened off. The top side of the cleaning space 21 can then communicate with an open refuse container 2 which is in the cleaning position (see Fig. 3).

[0020] The device is also provided with a spray head 25 which is movable from the cleaning space 21 into a refuse container 2 which is in the cleaning position, for the purpose of spraying cleaning fluid into a refuse container 2 which is in the cleaning position. The spray head 25 is mounted on the end of a spray lance 26 (to be described in greater detail below) which can be slid in its lengthwise direction into and out of a refuse container which is in the cleaning position.

[0021] In the top of the cleaning space 21 there is a reservoir 27, the walls and the bottom of which are provided with holes of such dimensions that during the cleaning of a refuse container which is in the cleaning position the refuse sprayed off is collected and the cleaning fluid is allowed to pass through. The reservoir 27 thus serves as a collecting element for refuse sprayed out of a refuse container. The reservoir is tiltable about the pivot axis 23 of the tipping flap 20. This makes it possible for the refuse which has been collected in the reservoir 27 and has had cleaning fluid removed from it to be tipped into the trough 14 of the rear loader 5. In order to make this possible, the tipping flap 20 is provided with a hinged flap part 28 which when the tipping flap 20 is in the position turned towards the trough 14 during the tilting of the reservoir 27 can be turned, in order to release a passage opening 29 for refuse falling out of the reservoir 27.

[0022] The reservoir 27 is provided with an opening 30 on the underside, through which the spray lance 26 can project. The spray lance 26 is supported at point 31.

[0023] The spray lance 26 is shown in greater detail in Fig. 10. The spray lance 26 can be slid in and out by means of at least one piston-cylinder unit 32, the axis of which runs parallel to the lengthwise direction of the spray lance 26. Together with a number of supply channels 33 for cleaning fluid leading to the spray head 25, the piston-cylinder unit 32 is accommodated in a cylindrical housing 34, and is thereby protected against dirt. The spray head 25, which is provided with several spray nozzles 35 pointing in different directions, is situated at one end of the cylindrical housing 34. The spray nozzles 35 are connected by means of channels 36 in the spray head to several supply channels 33. This means that various spray patterns are possible, with the result that the minimum of cleaning fluid will suffice.

[0024] Each supply channel 33 consists of two concentric pipes 37, 38. The inner pipe 37 is fixed to a foot 39 of the spray lance 26, and the outer pipe 38 is fixed to the spray head 25. The two pipes can slide in the lengthwise direction relative to each other. This possibility for length change in the supply channel 33 is necessary for the spray lance 26 to be able to slide in and out. A seal 40, by means of which leakage of cleaning fluid from the supply channel is prevented, is disposed between the inner pipe 37 and the outer pipe 38.

[0025] The spray lance 26 is fixed on a rotary ring 41 (see Fig. 1) and, as already mentioned, is also supported at point 31. The spray lance 26 can be rotated about its longitudinal axis by means of a drive 42. The cleaning fluid and the pressure medium for the piston-cylinder unit to the lance are supplied through rotatable passages 43.

[0026] The clean cleaning fluid is supplied under pressure from the first receptacle 9 to the spray lance 26 by means of a pump unit 44, it being ensured by valves that each desired supply channel 33 can be provided with cleaning fluid. The cleaning fluid can be heated.

[0027] Known control techniques are used to enable the spray head 25 of the spray lance 26 to assume various positions or carry out various movements.

[0028] Due to the fact that the spray lance 26 can slide in and out, that several combinations of spray nozzles can be controlled and that the spray lance is rotatable about its longitudinal axis, the lance is suitable for cleaning different types of refuse containers, including a lid, while the minimum of cleaning fluid and possibly disinfectants will suffice. The spray lance is thus multi-functional, and the cleaning by means of the spray lance can be carried out economically and in an environmentally friendly way.

[0029] It is pointed out that the spray lance 26 described above can also be used as such in other cleaning devices.

[0030] For emptying and subsequent cleaning of refuse containers, the following procedure can be followed with the device according to the invention (see Figs. 2 to 9).

[0031] A refuse container 2 full of refuse is picked up by the loading device 24 and placed in the tipping position shown in Fig. 2. In this position the refuse in the refuse container 2 is tipped into the trough 14 of the rear loader and slides over the tipping flap 20. The packing blade 16 presses the refuse into the collecting container 4.

[0032] When the refuse container 2 is emptied, the loading device 24 containing the refuse container 2 is taken into the cleaning position shown in Fig. 3. In this position the tipping flap 20 has been rotated towards the trough 14 and connects the top side of the cleaning space 21 to the open refuse container 2. The spray lance 26 with the spray head 25 is pushed into the refuse container to be cleaned, and the refuse container is cleaned in various stages, as shown in Figs. 4 to 7. During the cleaning process the cleaning head 25 fitted on the spray lance 26 moves from the bottom of the refuse container to be cleaned to the lid of the refuse container and, depending on the position of the spray head, cleaning fluid is sprayed at high pressure through various spray nozzles 35 against the inside wall and the lid of the refuse container. Refuse left behind in the refuse container is sprayed off in this way. This refuse is collected in the reservoir 27, while the cleaning fluid used flows to the bottom of the cleaning space 21 and is collected there.

[0033] The cleaning fluid can be moved from there to the second receptacle 10 in various ways. It can he achieved by, for example, connecting the cleaning space 21 to the second receptacle 10 by way of a pipe, in which case, as a result of the principle of communicating vessels, the liquid level in the second receptacle 10 is at the same level as that in the cleaning space 21. If a non-return valve is placed at the position of the point 45 in Fig. 1, whenever the vehicle brakes the mass inertia will cause a quantity of cleaning fluid to be carried out of the cleaning space 21 and into the second receptacle 10, which fluid cannot then flow back through the non-return valve to the cleaning space 21. A pump unit can also be provided at the position of the point 45, in order to pump the cleaning fluid from the cleaning space 21 to the second receptacle 10.

[0034] When the reservoir 27 is full, it can be tilted so that the refuse which has collected in the reservoir and from which the cleaning fluid has been removed can be tipped back from the reservoir 27 into the trough 14 of the rear loader through the opening 29 in the tipping flap 20 which is cleared by the rotated flap part 28. The refuse from the reservoir is added to the refuse already present in the collecting container 4 by means of the packing blade 16.

[0035] If the openings in the reservoir 27 become blocked, they can be flushed clean again by means of cleaning fluid which is sprayed through the spray head 25 against the rear side of the reservoir (see Fig. 9).

[0036] In the top view of Fig. 11 it can be seen that the loading system of the device according to the invention comprises two container cradles by means of which refuse containers of 120-litre or 240-litre capacity (so-called mini-containers) are emptied or cleaned simultaneously and independently of each other. The two container cradles can be interconnected for the purpose of handling, i.e. emptying and cleaning, wide refuse containers with a capacity of 600 to 1,100 litres and larger. Both spray lances are used simultaneously for cleaning these refuse containers.

[0037] The advantages of the device according to the invention can be summarized as follows:

• The emptying and cleaning of the refuse containers are completely separate processes, with the result that cleaning fluid is prevented from entering the refuse. During the cleaning, refuse flushed off can be added to the other refuse after the cleaning fluid has been removed from it.
• The device can handle different types of refuse containers, including their lids.
• Relatively little cleaning fluid is required, due to the directed use of a number of spray nozzles and their positioning.
• Smaller refuse containers can be handled simultaneously and independently of each other.

Claims

1. Device for collecting refuse supplied in refuse containers and for cleaning emptied refuse containers, comprising a collecting container in which the refuse can be collected, a loading device for picking up and moving a refuse container into various positions, and cleaning means for cleaning an emptied refuse container and its lid, the loading device being able to assume at least a tipping position, in which a refuse container picked up by the loading device can be emptied, and a cleaning position, in which a refuse container picked up in the loading device can be cleaned, and the cleaning means comprising a movable spray head for spraying cleaning fluid into or onto the refuse container, and also supply means for supplying cleaning fluid to the spray head, discharge means for discharging used cleaning fluid, and control means for controlling the cleaning process, characterized in that the device is provided with a refuse container cleaning space (21) which is separated from the inside of the collecting container and is open at the top, and which is designed to connect at the open top side to an open refuse container (2) which is in the cleaning position and which cleaning space is connected at the bottom side to the discharge means for used cleaning fluid, and in that the spray head (25) is movable from the cleaning space into a refuse container (2) which is in the cleaning position.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that a collecting element (27) which allows through fluid is disposed in the cleaning space (21), for the collection of refuse flushed out of a refuse container (2) situated in the cleaning position.

3. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the collecting element consists of a reservoir (27) which is disposed in the top of the cleaning space and the walls and bottom of which are provided with holes of such dimensions that during cleaning of a refuse container (2) situated in the cleaning position the refuse flushed off is retained and the cleaning fluid is allowed through.

4. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that the reservoir (27) is tiltable so that refuse from which the cleaning fluid has been removed and which has collected in the reservoir can be put into the collecting container (4).

5. Device according to one of claims 1 - 4, characterized in that the cleaning space (21) is disposed at the rear side of a rear loader (5) which is disposed at the back of the collecting container (4) and is also provided with a trough (14) and a tipping opening (15) situated at the top side thereof, the trough (14) and the cleaning space (21) being separated from each other by an essentially vertical partition (22).

6. Device according to claim 5, characterized in that the partition (22) is provided at the top side with a tipping flap (20) which can swing about a horizontal axis (23), which tipping flap extends upwards at an agle from the pivot axis (23) to above the open top side of the cleaning space (21) when the loading device (24) is in the tipping position, and which tipping flap is turned towards the trough (14) and clears the open top side of the cleaning space (21) completely when said loading device (24) is in the cleaning position.

7. Device according to claim 6, characterized in that the reservoir (27) is tiltable about the pivot axis (23) of the tipping flap (20), and in that the tipping flap (20) is provided with a hinged flap part (28) which when the tipping flap (20) is in the position turned towards the trough (14) can be turned during the tilting of the reservoir (27), in order to release a passage opening (29) for refuse falling out of the reservoir (27).

8. Device according to one of claims 1 - 7, characterized in that the spray head (25) is provided with several spray nozzles (35) pointing in different directions.

9. Device according to one of claims 1 - 7, characterized in that the spray head (25) is mounted on the end of a spray lance (26) which can be slid in its lengthwise direction into and out of a refuse container (2) situated in the cleaning position.

10. Device according to claim 9, characterized in that the spray lance (26) can be slid in and out by means of at least one piston-cylinder unit (32), the axis of which runs parallel to the lengthwise direction of the spray lance (26).

11. Device according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the spray lance (26) comprises a cylindrical housing (34) in which the piston-cylinder unit and a number of supply channels (33) for cleaning fluid leading to the spray head (25) are accommodated.

12. Device according to claim 11, characterized in that each supply channel (33) consists of two pipes (37, 38) which slide concentrically in one another, the end of one pipe (38) being connected to the spray head (25), and the opposite end of the other pipe (37) being connected to a foot (39) of the spray lance (26) lying at a distance from the spray head, and a sealing element (40) being provided between the concentric pipes.

13. Device according to one of claims 9 - 12, characterized in that the spray lance (26) is rotatable about its longitudinal axis.

14. Refuse collection vehicle provided with a device according to one of claims 1 - 13.

Drawing