The present invention relates to a refuse collection truck, a system with such a refuse collection truck and at least one external installation, and a method, according to the preambles of claims 1, 12 and 16 respectively. Refuse collection trucks for instance drive to collection locations where containers are disposed for the purpose of emptying thereof, or to underground refuse dumps which have thereon a cover for opening and/or closing. Also known are: tanker trucks which travel on filling station routes for the purpose of filling the underground tanks of these stations. These may be unmanned filling stations with for instance a lighting system which only has to be energized when passenger cars or trucks come in to fill up, or when the tanker truck comes to the filling station to fill the underground tanks.
The refuse collection trucks herein often call in at very many different external installations, which are not necessarily located a great distance from each other but which may also be provided at very remote locations. In the case of for instance remote filling stations, a supply of electricity must be laid on to the remote location in order to light such a filling station and in any case to also feed the other components of an on- site electrical installation. Owing to the remoteness of such a filling station the laying of an electricity supply is costly and time-consuming, and unauthorized access to the electrical power supply provided on-site is difficult to prevent and/or control. For instance in the case of an underground or buried refuse dump having a cover thereon, a motor is provided in an external installation formed thereby for selective opening and/or closing of the cover. Such underground refuse dumps are becoming increasingly more common at relatively short distances from each other, and the covers of such external installations must be opened before an underground container can be emptied into for instance a refuse collection truck. The motor applied as actuator for this purpose is normally provided with its own hydraulic, pneumatic or more particularly electrical power supply. Particularly in such an environment as that of an underground refuse dump an electrical power supply, for instance a connection to the mains electricity, must comply with many of the usual requirements in respect of the safety and reliability of mains electricity. Because such underground refuse dumps are often located a distance from each other, these measures for the safety and reliability of mains electricity must be taken at many different locations a distance from each other, and the costs for such underground refuse dumps are therefore high.
It is known from
The refuse collection truck preferably comprises a drive and a control for extending the extendable arm of the external connection. Manual extension of the external connection and optional establishing of contact between the power source and the external installation can thus be rendered unnecessary.
The external connection can preferably be oriented toward a connection point of the external installation. The one-to-one relation between the connection point and the external connection increases convenience of use.
In an embodiment with a drive and a control for the external connection which can be oriented toward a connecting point of the external installation, it is advantageous when the control is adapted for automatic connection and/or contact of the external connection and the connection point. A manual intervention for the purpose of bringing about a power supply to the external installation can thus be unnecessary, although such manual operations may still be desirable in the case that the control and/or the drive for the external connection fails. In such a configuration it can be advantageous that the vehicle further comprises: an imaging system connected to the control for determining the position of the connection point relative to at least the mobile frame. Such imaging systems are also known as "vision". Use can herein be made of a digital camera in the imaging system to enable the external connection to be directed toward and to make contact with the connection point in fully automatic manner on the basis of position determination of the connection point of the external installation.
In a further embodiment the refuse collection truck can comprise cleaning means which act on the external connection for cleaning thereof. This can be particularly favourable in preventing dirt from impeding or preventing electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic or other contact.
A single non-limitative embodiment of the present invention will be described hereinbelow with reference to the accompanying figure. Shown in the figure is a refuse collection truck 1 which is intended and suitable for emptying a container 3 of an underground refuse dump 2. The underground refuse dump 2 comprises a cover 4 with a pillar 5 for throwing in refuse which then comes to lie in container 3. The refuse collection truck 1 itself comprises a mobile frame, at least one component on or at the mobile frame to be energized with a power supply, and a filling opening 6, wherein means are arranged for engaging container 3, lifting container 3 out of the underground refuse dump 2 and emptying container 3 into a loading space 7 of refuse collection truck 1.
Prior to emptying of container 3 the cover 4 of the underground refuse dump 2 must be swung open in the direction of arrow A. Provided for this purpose is a gear rack 8 on which acts an electric motor 9 in the underground refuse dump 2. This electric motor 9 is situated underground in, adjacently of or close to the underground refuse dump 2. No connection to the mains electricity is provided at the underground refuse dump 2, and the motor 9 is energized with power supply from a power source on or at the mobile frame of the refuse collection truck 1. This power source can be formed by the battery or the dynamo of the refuse collection truck 1 in the motor compartment 10 thereof.
Arranged on the side relative to the travel direction of refuse collection truck 1 is an external connection which comprises an extendable arm 11 having a coupling 12 on the distal outer end relative to the refuse collection truck 1 itself. Coupling 12 is designed and adapted to bring about contact with an upright 13 which is in stationary position in the vicinity of the underground refuse dump 2. Running between upright 13 and electric motor 9 are conductors 14 for providing power supply from refuse collection truck 1 to electric motor 9 when coupling 12 makes contact with upright 13. No battery or connection to the mains electricity need therefore be provided for electric motor 9.
The arm 11 shown in the figure is combined folding and swivel arm. It is noted that other types of arm can also be used, such as for instance a telescopic arm etc. What is important here is that an external connection is formed by the combination of arm 11 and coupling 12 for the purpose of providing power supply to an actuator formed for instance by electric motor 9 at the external installation in the form of an underground refuse dump. Lighting can likewise be placed at the underground refuse dump 2 which can also be fed from refuse collection truck 1.
In order to provide power supply to the external installation in the form of underground refuse dump 2 the external connection formed by arm 11 and coupling 12 is oriented toward a connection point in the form of upright 13. Use is preferably made for this purpose of a drive and a control for at least the arm, so that a driver of refuse collection truck 1 does not have to leave the cab, so that a fully automated system can be provided. Use can even be made herein of an imaging system, of which a preferably digital camera 15 is arranged on the side of refuse collection truck 1 and which is connected to a control (not shown) for transmitting image for the purpose of determining the position of upright 13 which forms the connection point for the external connection 11, 12. The location of upright 13 can be determined from the image from camera 15, whereafter the control (not shown) in co-action with a drive (not shown) of the external connection 11, 12 can realize power supply to external installation 2.
Cleaning means are also provided on the refuse collection truck 1 in the form of a sprayer 16 for cleaning at least the coupling 12 of external connection 11, 12. It is further noted that coupling 12 and upright 13 are adapted not only to provide power supply to the external installation 2 but also to exchange use data. Refuse collection truck 1 comprises for this purpose communication means which can exchange the use data with communication means of external installation 2. This is non-limitative and shown symbolically in that more than two conductors 14 are provided, wherein two conductors 14 are required for providing electrical power supply and a third conductor 14 can be used for exchange of the use data.
It will be apparent that after examination of the foregoing description of a very specific, but non-limitative embodiment, many alternative and additional embodiments will occur to the skilled person. These all lie within the scope of protection as defined in the appended claims. The actuator of the external installation can particularly also be pneumatic or hydraulic, and is thus not limited to an electrical power supply. A design of the coupling will be used for this purpose which differs from that described above and shown in the figure. In the case of an underground refuse dump such as that described above and shown in figure, a compensation, for instance a mechanical compensation, can be provided for the weight of the cover over the container, so that a very light electric motor 9 can be applied and a power supply in low-voltage form at for instance 24 V is possible. A sprayer is shown and described as cleaning means. This can spray liquid over the coupling, although precisely this can be disadvantageous in the case of an electrical power supply. The sprayer can then also be intended and adapted to generate an airflow in order to blow the coupling clean.
This list of references cited by the applicant is for the reader's convenience only. It does not form part of the European patent document. Even though great care has been taken in compiling the references, errors or omissions cannot be excluded and the EPO disclaims all liability in this regard.