COMPACTING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR COMPRESSING WASTE MATERIAL, AND USE OF THE COMPACTING APPARATUS AND THE METHOD FOR COMPRESSING HOUSEHOLD TRASH, GARBAGE AND WASTE MATERIAL

Abstract

 A compacting apparatus (1) for compressing waste material. It comprises a filling opening (3), a filling chamber (2), and a compression chamber (4), a compression plunger (7) for compressing the waste material, and a power supply (14) for moving the compression plunger. The compression chamber (4) comprises an arcuate front wall which in the direction of movement of the plunger is circular arc formed. The plunger (7) is connected to a rear wall (6) and the rear wall (6) is pivotally arranged about an axis of rotation (18). The plunger (7) is adapted to be moved on a circle arc and follow the curvature of the arcuate front wall (5).

Description

[0001] According to one aspect, the present invention relates to a compacting apparatus for compressing waste material the compacting apparatus comprising:

A filling opening for filling waste material into a filling chamber, and a compression chamber comprising a front wall, an opposite rear wall and side walls the compacting apparatus further comprising a compression plunger for compressing the waste material, the plunger comprises a first surface and

a second surface, said second surface is adapted to touch the waste material during the compression of the waste material the compacting apparatus further comprising

a power supply for moving the compression plunger and adapted to move the plunger by rotating an axes of rotation,

the compression chamber comprises an arcuate front wall, which in the direction of movement of the plunger is circular arc formed,

said plunger is connected to the rear wall and said rear wall is pivotally arranged about the axis of rotation and said plunger is adapted to be moved on a circle arc and follow the curvature of the arcuate front wall.

The invention also relates to a method for compressing waste material.

[0002] Finally, the invention relates to use of the compacting apparatus and the method for compressing household trash, garbage and waste material.

[0003] EP0686493 discloses a compression apparatus for handling waste material. It comprises a press plunger that is moved by a hydraulic piston-cylinder inside a compression channel and the press plunger is pivotal arranged about an axis placed inside the press channel. Due to the construction the movement of the press plunger is quite limited and a consequence of that is the size of compression chamber also is limited comprising a short arcuate channel and a straight part.

[0004] US5115735 discloses a compacting container for domestic solid waste. It includes a container and a cover therefor. The container is adapted to receive a plastic impermeable waste material bag, which is removable attached to the container. The devices further comprise a piston being movable in vertical direction to exert pressure onto the waste material for compression thereof in said bag. The compactor is very voluminous in relation to the amount of waste material it is able to handle during a compression.

[0005] US4155297 discloses a compacting apparatus comprising a plunger placed on an axis of rotation. The power supply comprises a motor connected to a torque arm. The plunger, which also is a door for the filling opening, is then moved around 90º in the compression chamber and 90º in the filling chamber. Further, the mechanism to move the press plunger takes much space in the machine.

[0006] It is desirable to minimize the size of the compression apparatus while ensuring a large volume of waste material may be handled during the process.

[0007] The present invention seeks generally to improve compacting apparatus for compressing waste material such that the abovementioned insufficiencies and drawbacks of today's compressions apparatus are overcome or at least the present invention provides a useful alternative.

[0008] Up to this day, prior art has failed to teach a simple and yet reliable and inexpensive compacting apparatus which in a safe and reliable manner, without substantially increasing the cost of the device, is able to satisfy the abovementioned much desired characteristics of the mentioned compacting apparatus.
There is a need in the industry for compact compressors and in house holding for small compactors, which should most desirably occupy a minimum total volume of space and yet provide a capacity for handling a large volume of waste material. In addition, the apparatus must be adaptable for convenient location and easy operation so as not to unduly complicate or add substantial additional time to the collection cycle.

[0009] According to the invention, a compacting apparatus is provided, as per the introductory part of this specification, and wherein the power supply is directly connected to the rotation axis or indirectly by a gear construction incorporated between the axis of rotation and the power supply,
and by rotating the axis of rotation the press plunger is adapted to be moved inside the compacting apparatus, by said arrangement the plunger is adapted to be moved in the interval 90º-360º.

[0010] The compacting apparatus occupies a very small total volume, but provides a highly efficient compaction of the waste materials. The construction may be usable for industry. However, the machine according to the invention is especially suitably for being used in a housekeeping especially in the kitchen where the household waste material may be compacted in an easy and effective manner.
As the front wall of the compression chamber is curved in its full extension the volume for pressing the waste material is maximized while the space the machine occupies is minimized. The press plunger has a moving angle which is much larger compared to known technology and which is performed in a curved manner. The moving angle of the press plunger is larger than 90º preferably more than 180º due to the construction of the machine, thereby making it possible to press large volumes of waste material by one stroke of the pressing plunger. This is possible to obtain, as the centre of rotating of the press plunger is the axis of rotation, placed outside the compression chamber. The axis of rotation is also the centre for the radius of the curved front wall.
The press plunger starts it movement above the filling opening - a first position - in a curved movement and then reaches the compression chamber where it follows the front wall and compresses the waste material and presses it out through an outlet opening of the compression chamber. Advantageously the compressed waste material is pressed into an exchangeable output module. The front and the rear walls are connected to each other by sidewalls or are integral with each other. The design of the sidewalls may be plan or rounded/part-circular. The press plunger is attached to the rear wall and the rear wall pivots around the axis of rotation whereby the press plunger is moved and is pressing towards the waste material. When the rear wall is the outer wall of a cylinder, the axis of rotation is also the centre for the radius of the circular arc of the front wall. When the rear wall is plan, the centre plane of the press plunger is to be placed next to the axis of rotation.
The gear act as a force reducing transmission means. The power supply may for instance be an electrical motor that is directly connected to the horizontal axis or there may be a gear incorporated between the two components. The power supply may also be a manually operated handle with or without a gear incorporated.

[0011] According to one embodiment, the plunger is adapted to be moved throughout the interval 90º- 360º.

[0012] The circle arc of the front wall may have an extension of 70-100º. The plunger is typically and preferably moved 270º when the filling opening and the outlet opening are placed in an optimal and largest distance from each other.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the plunger comprises a sheet/plate mounted on the rear wall and placed in such a way that an extension of the centre plane of the sheet/plate intersects the axis of rotation.
The axis of rotation is the centreline of a cylinder when the rear wall is the outer wall of said cylinder.
This is necessary in order to make the plunger follow the arcuate front wall during the rotation of the rotation axis. During the rotation of the press plunger, the press plunger always touches the front wall no matter what design is chosen. The press plunger also follows and substantially touches the sidewalls in order to ensure that all the waste material is moved in front of the second surface of the press plunger.

[0014] The arcuate front wall has a longitudinal sectional view being formed as a circular arc having a circle centre that is identical to the axis of rotation. The press plunger is substantially touching the entire inner surface of the compression chamber with a circumferential edge.

[0015] According to one embodiment the plunger comprises at least one sheet/plate attached immovable to the rear wall said second surface of the plunger is a substantially flat surface in order to optimize the pressure at the waste material.
The first surface may have any design and need not being flat.
The press plunger is arranged to move on a circular arc, the movement from a first to the second position have an extension of at least 90º of a circle periphery/circular arc more preferably at least 120º
The press plunger is moved from an upper/first position to a lower/second position during the pressing of the waste material. The press plunger starts in a position above the compression channel.

[0016] According to one embodiment, the compacting apparatus comprises an outlet opening different from the filling opening said outlet opening and the filling opening are placed in a distance from each other and are separate units.

[0017] This makes the device safer. In principal, the filling and outlet opening could be the same.

[0018] According to one embodiment, the compacting apparatus comprises an output module adapted to collect the compressed waste material said output module is connected to an outlet opening by releasable fastening means said output module thereby is releasable connected to the outlet opening.
The output module may be a container or it may be a sack placed in the compacting machine in such a way that the compressed material is collected into the sack. The sack is easy to remove when the sack is full. Advantageously, the output module is connected to the compression apparatus with fastening means that is specially designed for the apparatus and thereby not allowing illegal and dangerous copy-output modules to be connected to the compacting apparatus.

[0019] According to one embodiment, the rear wall comprises an outer wall of a cylinder and that the plunger is attached immovable to a region of the outer wall of the cylinder, said centreline of the cylinder is the axis of rotation. The outer wall of the cylinder is then delimiting a part of the compression chamber and forms the rear wall.
A side edge of the press plunger is attached to the outer wall of the cylinder and throughout the whole length of the cylinder and is placed parallel with the longitudinal axis/the axis of rotation.

[0020] According to one embodiment, the arcuate part of the front wall has an extension of at least 70º of a circle arc.

[0021] According to one embodiment, the press plunger is arranged to move on a circular arc, the movement from a first to a second position having an extension of at least 70º of a circle periphery/circular arc, preferably more than 90º and more preferably at least 270°.

[0022] According to one embodiment, the filling chamber and the compression chamber is one and the same chamber.

[0023] According to one embodiment, the filling opening comprises a door adapted to close the filling opening when the waste material has been placed in the filling chamber, the door comprises an inside door surface delimiting the filling chamber when the door is closed,
said inside surface is curved shaped said bending radius of the curved inside surface is the same as for the front wall of the compressing chamber.

[0024] According to one embodiment, it further comprises an inlet module for transporting the waste material through the filling opening into the filling chamber, said inlet module comprises an inlet part, a transport chamber and an outlet part said transport chamber comprises at least one pivotally arranged transport plunger for transporting the waste material.
This inlet module is an exchangeable part. The outlet part of the module is placed in connection with the filling opening. The inlet module then transports the waste material towards the filling chamber. The inlet module could for instance be placed with the opening of the inlet part in a kitchen worktop covered with a lid. During use, the lid is removed and the waste material poured down in the inlet module placed under the worktop. Then the inlet module is started activating a power moving the transport plunger and whereby the waste is transported to the compacting part of the machine and the waste material is compressed.

[0025] According to one embodiment, the transport chamber comprises an arcuate front wall and an opposite rear wall and side walls, a power supply for moving the transport plunger,
said transport plunger is connected to the rear wall and said rear wall is pivotally arranged about an axis of rotation, said plunger is adapted to be moved on a circle arc and follow the curvature of the arcuate front wall.

[0026] According to one embodiment, the transport plunger is adapted to be moved 360º * n, n being > 0.

[0027] According to one embodiment the invention relates to a method for compressing waste material by a compacting apparatus according to the invention, wherein the waste material is filled through a filling opening,
the waste material is further directed into a compression chamber comprising a front wall and a rear wall and sidewalls, a press plunger is then moved into the compression chamber for compressing the waste material, the press plunger comprises a first surface and an opposite second surface and a circumferential edge delimiting the surfaces,
said second surface is pressing towards the waste material placed in the compacting apparatus when the press plunger moves from a first position to a second position when compressing the waste material,
and by the activating of a power supply the press plunger pivots about an axis of rotation thereby being moved from a filling chamber to the compression chamber and is moved in a part circle motion on a circular arc, and following an arcuate front wall of the compression chamber whereby the waste material is compressed,
and the press plunger substantially touches the entire inner surface of the arcuate front wall when the press plunger is moved.
The axis of rotation is placed outside the compression chamber.

[0028] According to one embodiment, the press plunger moves in a part of a circular arc, the circular arc part having an extension of at least 70º preferably more than 90º advantageously more than 120º.
Preferably, the press plunger is able to be moved 270°.

[0029] According to one embodiment, the filling opening comprises a door adapted to close the filling opening when the waste material has been placed in the filling chamber.

[0030] According to one embodiment, the door comprises an inside door surface delimiting the filling chamber when the door is closed said inside surface is arcuate said bending radius for the inside surface is the same as for the front wall of the compressing chamber.

[0031] According to one embodiment, the power supply is an electrical motor or a manual handle.

[0032] According to one embodiment, the press plunger is adapted to be moved in a part circle movement.

[0033] According to one embodiment, it comprises force reducing transmission means such as a gear comprising at least one tooth wheel placed inside a cylinder comprising teeth at an inside circumferential region,
said teeth are adapted to interact with the tooth wheel, and that the power supply is an electrical motor or a manual driven unit, such as driven by a handle.

[0034] According to one embodiment the first position is the starting position and the press plunger is placed in the filling chamber, and the second position is the end position and in the region of an inlet of the outlet module.

[0035] According to one embodiment, a plate is attached to the second surface of the press plunger by moving means said moving means is adapted to move the plate fourth and back in relation to the second surface.
Thereby it is possible to compress and to move the compressed material further. This is an advantage when the compressed material has reached the outlet opening. Thereby the compressed material is moved further into the output module. The moving means may be a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder.

Brief description of the drawings

[0036] 

FIG. 1A is a perspective X-ray view of a first embodiment of a compacting apparatus according to the present invention where one sidewall is removed and with a power supply being manual and comprising a handle. A door at the front closes a filling opening.

FIG. 2A-H are longitudinal cross-sections through the embodiment shown in fig. 1A. The embodiment is especially suitable for compressing household waste material.

FIG. 3A-B are perspective views of a second embodiment. A door closing a filling opening is placed at the top.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of a gear being used in the first and the second embodiment.

Fig 5 is perspective x-ray view of a third embodiment of a compacting apparatus according to the present invention suitable for compressing household waste material and with a power supply being an electrical motor. The filling opening is placed in the front.

FIG. 6 is the third embodiment in a perspective view.

FIG. 7 is a gear construction suitable for a power supply being an electrical motor.

FIG. 8 is a fourth embodiment shown in perspective view and with a filling opening placed at the top.

FIG. 9 is the first embodiment placed on a bin.

FIG. 10A-C are a first embodiment of an inlet module.

FIG. 11 A-C is a second embodiment of an inlet module.

FIG: 12 is a perspective view of the first and second embodiment of the inlet module comprising an electrical power supply.

[0037] A first embodiment of the invention will be explained with reference to fig. 1 and fig. 2A-H showing a compacting apparatus 1. The compacting apparatus 1 comprises a filling opening 3 for filling waste material into a filling chamber 2 of the compacting machine 1. The filling opening 3 is closed with a door 40 which in the figures is a front hinged door. The door 40 could also be a sliding door or a drum, which empties into the filling chamber 2 by tilting the drum. Below the filling chamber 2 is the compression chamber 4 placed with an inner surface comprising a front wall 5 and an opposite rear wall 6 and side walls 38 which together with the front wall 5 and the rear wall 6 provides a closed space. The inner surface of the compression chamber 4 is formed as a uniformly arcuate/curved channel. The arcuate front wall 5 and the rear wall 6 form this; in this example, they are concentric formed with each other. The rear wall 6 could also be a plan wall but in this case, the front 5 and rear wall 6 are both curved formed as a cylinder 26 forms the rear wall 5. The front wall 5 is a segment of a circle arc. The arcuate front wall 5 is placed with a radius R from a centre and the rear wall 6 is placed with a distance r from the centre. R is larger than r. The centre coincides with the centreline of the cylinder 26.
The door 40 closing the filling opening 3 is at the inner side formed with the same arc angle as the front wall 5, thereby extending the compression chamber when the door is closed.

[0038] A press plunger 7 is adapted to follow the arcuate compression chamber 4 following and substantially touching the entire inner surface of the arcuate front wall 5 when the press plunger 7 is moved inside the compression chamber 4 from an upper position to a lower position (and conversely). The press plunger 7 is pivotally arranged around an axis of rotation 18 placed outside the compression chamber 4 in the middle of the compacting apparatus 1. The axis of rotation 18 is the centreline of the cylinder. The press plunger 7 is fastened immovably to an outside wall 28 of the cylinder 26. The axis of rotating 18 is the pivotal centre for the press plunger 7 and the centre C for the radius r and the radius R. The sidewalls 38 of the compression chamber 4 are advantageously plane.
The press plunger 7 is moved by a power supply 14. This could be a rotating electrical motor. In this example, it is a handle 52 to be moved manually. The press plunger 7 comprises a first surface 8 placed opposite a second surface 9. The second surface 9 is the surface pressing towards the waste material.

[0039] FIG. 2A shows the press plunger 7 in the upper position before the waste material has been compressed.
Fig 2B shows the press plunger 7 in the lower position where the waste material has been compressed. The plunger 7 presses the compressed material into an output module 31. The output module 31 is releasable attached to the compacting apparatus 1 at an outlet opening 13 of the compression chamber 4 by releasable fastening means (not shown). When the output module 31 is filled with compressed waste, the filling process is over. A sensor may detect this, and the output module 31 may now be released from the compacting apparatus 1. The press plunger 7 moves in a curved manner and has a large moving angle. This is due to the construction of the arcuate front wall 5 and the pivoting centre for the press plunger 7 placed outside the compression chamber 4 and the press plunger 7 being immovably attached to the rear wall 6 being a cylinder 26 or being any design such as squared in cross-section. The press plunger 7 moves on a circular arc. The movement in this example being more than 180º. It can move up to around 270º.
The door 40 that closes the filling chamber 2 may also be curved at the inside surface 41. The curving of the inside surface 41 is the same as for the front wall 5 of the compression chamber 4. Hereby the compression may be more effective as the compression chamber 4 in this way is extended. The device may be constructed with or without the output module 31. The output module 31 may be fastened to the compacting machine 1 by a snap lock device. The output module 31 is firmly and sealed connected to the compression apparatus 1. The output module may also be a bin as shown in fig 9.
The hinged door 40 - fig. 1-2B- closes the filling chamber 2 when the compacting apparatus is to be used. The handle 52 is moved and by the rotation of the horizontal axis 18, the press plunger 7 moves from the first position to the second position whereby the waste material is compressed. The compressed waste material is removed from the machine during an opening. In this opening, the replaceable output module 31 may be placed, or a closing door can simply close it.
The press plunger 7 in the lower position may be substantially parallel to the vertical plane or may have an angle of around 90º. In the upper position/first position, the angle between the second surface of the press plunger 7 and vertical plane is around zero or may have an angle of around 90º. The press plunger may have a moving angle of nearly 360º.

[0040] FIG. 2C-H shows different situations for the first embodiment of the compacting apparatus. In fig. 2C the door 40 is open into the filling chamber 2, In fig. 2D the door 40 is closed and the press plunger 7 in the first position ready for pressing towards the waste material placed in the filling chamber 2. In fig. 2E the press plunger 7 has compressed the waste material and is moving it towards an outlet and output module 31. Fig, 2F and G show the first embodiment placed on a tabletop making it easier to remove the compressed waste material. Fig 2H is a perspective view of the first embodiment.

[0041] FIG. 3A-B differs from fig. 1 and 2A-H by placing the filling opening 3 at the top of the device. In fig 2A-H, the filling opening 3 is placed in the front. The reference numbers of the figures represent the same technical elements, as is the case in fig 1 and fig. 2A-H.

[0042] The power supply 14 will now be explained with further reference to fig. 4 The power supply 14 in fig. 1-3B is a manually operated handle 52.
The handle 52 drives the cylinder 26. Inside the cylinder 26 a tooth wheel 36 is advantageously placed interacting with teeth 37 placed at an inside surface of the cylinder 26. Hereby the needed manual force for compressing the waste material is reduced due to this gear construction 34. The outside surface 28 of the cylinder 26 comprises the rear wall 6 of the compression chamber 4. The inner surface of the compression chamber 4 is shaped as a uniformly arcuate channel. It comprises the arcuate front wall 5 and the rear wall 6. The arcuate front wall 5 is placed with a radius R from the centre 18 and the arcuate rear wall 6 is placed with a radius r from the centre. R is typically 240 mm. and r is typically 75 mm. The centre is the axis of rotation 18.
The press plunger 7 is immovably attached to the outside surface 28 of the cylinder 26 and follows the arcuate front wall 5 when moved. It substantially touches the entire inner surface of the front wall 5 and the sidewalls of the compression chamber 4 with a circumferential edge when the press plunger 7 is moved inside the compression chamber 4.

[0043] Fig 5 is perspective x-ray view of a second embodiment of a compacting apparatus 1 according to the present invention suitable for compressing household waste material. The power supply 14 is an electrical motor 54.

[0044] FIG. 6 shows the second embodiment in perspective view. The filling opening is placed in the front. The difference between the first and the second embodiment is that the power supply for the second embodiment is an electrical motor 54. Fig 7 is a gear 34 construction suitable for the power supply being an electrical motor 54. The gear construction 34 is in principle the same as explained with reference to fig. 4.
FIG. 8 is a third embodiment shown in perspective view and with a filling opening and closing door 40 placed at the top. The placement of the filling opening is the main difference between this embodiment and the embodiment shown in fig. 5 and 6.

[0045] FIG. 9 is the same embodiment of the compacting apparatus 1 shown in fig. 5-6 but placed on the top of a bin 53.

[0046] FIG. 10 A-C shows an inlet module 60 that may be releasable coupled to the filling opening 3. The waste material is put into the inlet module 60. The inlet module 60 transports the waste material to the filling opening 3. The inlet module 60 comprises an inlet part 61, a transport chamber 62 and an outlet part 63. The transport chamber 62 comprises at least one pivotally arranged transport plunger 64 for transporting the waste material.
The transport chamber 62 comprises an arcuate front wall 68 and an opposite rear wall 67 and sidewalls. It further comprises a power supply for moving the transport plunger 64. The transport plunger 64 is connected to the rear wall 67 and the rear wall 67 is pivotally arranged about an axis of rotation 66. The rear wall 67 is the outside of a cylinder arranged rotatable around the axis of rotation 66. The plunger 64 is adapted to be moved on a circle arc, and follows and touches the curvature of the arcuate front wall 68. The input module 60 is in principle built and designed as the compacting machine 1. However, the transport plunger 64 may comprise several plates 65 arranged around the axis of rotation 66. This is shown in fig 11A-B comprising 4 transport plates 65. The power for driving the transport plunger is typically an electrical motor 54 as shown in fig 12. The

54 is typically engaged with the transport plunger 64 in the same way as explained with reference to fig. 1-9. The transport plunger is

to be moved 360º * n, n > 0.

[0047] Generally, the compacting apparatus - no matter which embodiment - presses waste material in a curved movement. The press plunger 7 starts above the filling opening and moves down when the filling opening is closed safely. Through the downward movement of the press plunger 7, the material is pressed into the output module 31 on the backside of the machine. If there is no output module 31 the waste material is just pressed into an output part of the compressing machine 1 where it may be emptied. This output part may be lined inside with a plastic bag in which the compacted waste material is collected
Depending on the size and use of the machine, there are different types of power supply. Small machines are driven manual by a handle and the power is transmitted through gear wheels. The power may also be supplied by an electric motor. The transmission can be either direct by a linear motor or indirect by a rotating motor with a gearbox.

[0048] The compression apparatus 1 will be available in different sizes and follows a concept of modularity; especially the output module 31 is designed to be changed easily. Therefore fastening means are formed after the same concept no matter which output module 31 is chosen in order to fasten the output module 31 easy to the compacting apparatus 1.
Unlike other waste compactors, this machine does not need a separate sheet to cover the piston during its movement. This function is realized by the filling part. When the filling part is closed, it is flush with the arcuate front wall and forms an arcuate front wall. Together the filling part and the compression chamber form a large pressing channel. Further, the compactor has a large filling chamber due to the piston's moving angle. The waste material can be filled directly into the compaction chamber, because the piston moves up above the filling opening. Therefore, the filling chamber and the compaction chamber are practically the same and the whole space between the output module and the upper position of the piston can be seen as a large filling chamber.

[0049] Smaller machines especially these for being used in a kitchen comprises a power transmission such as:

• Gears in the handle
• Rotating electric motor, which would replace the handle for more power.

[0050] The door 40 may be constructed in different ways
Through a top hinged door.
Through a sliding door.
A drum, which empties into the pressing chamber through tilting it.
A tipping device, which lifts bins or boxes and empties them into the opening. Through a conveyor belt. It has to stop while the piston is not in upper position or there has to be a separate pre-filling chamber.
The door 40 may also be excluded if the filling opening is directly connected to an input module.

[0051] Filling is only possible while the press plunger 7 remains in the upper position and the press plunger 7 can only move down when the filling process is over. Sensors maintain this.
The output modules 31 may be designed in different ways:

Small compactors for household waste material can be put on top of bins, so the output module will be a chamber, which can be emptied at the bottom after the material, is pressed. Instead of a bin, there can also be sacks, boxes.

The compacting apparatus 1 can be combined with other machines e.g. as a pre-compaction part for underground compactors or containers
It may also be constructed with a drainage part, where fluids are transported away from the solid waste.

Claims

1. A compacting apparatus (1) for compressing waste material the compacting apparatus (1) comprising:

A filling opening (3) for filling waste material into a filling chamber (2), and a compression chamber (4) comprising a front wall (5), an opposite rear wall (6) and side walls (38), the compacting apparatus (1) further comprising a compression plunger (7) for compressing the waste material,

the plunger (7) comprises a first surface (8) and a second surface (9), said second surface (9) is adapted to touch the waste material during the compression of the waste material,

the compacting apparatus (1) further comprising a power supply (14) for moving the compression plunger (7) and adapted to move the plunger by rotating an axes of rotation (18),

the compression chamber (4) comprises an arcuate front wall (5), which in the direction of movement of the plunger (7) is circular arc formed,

said plunger (7) is connected to the rear wall (6) and said rear wall (6) is pivotally arranged about the axis of rotation (18) and said plunger (7) is adapted to be moved on a circle arc and follow the curvature of the arcuate front wall (5),

characterized in the power supply (14) is directly connected to the rotation axis (18) or indirectly by a gear construction (34) incorporated between the axis of rotation and the power supply,

and by rotating the axis of rotation (18) the press plunger (7) is adapted to be moved inside the compacting apparatus (1), by said arrangement the plunger (7) is adapted to be moved in the interval 90º-360º.

2. A compacting apparatus (1) according to claim 1 characterized in the plunger (7) is adapted to be moved throughout the interval 90º-360º.

3. A compacting apparatus (1) according to claim 1 or 2 characterized in that the plunger (7) comprises a sheet/plate mounted on the rear wall (6) and placed in such a way that an extension of the centre plane of the sheet/plate intersects the axis of rotation (18).

4. A compacting apparatus (1) according to claim 1,2 or 3 characterized in that the compacting apparatus (1) comprises an outlet opening (13) different from the filling opening (3) said outlet opening (13) and the filling opening (3) are placed in a distance from each other and are separate units.

5. A compacting apparatus (1) according to any of the previous claims characterized in that the compacting apparatus (1) comprises an output module (31) adapted to collect the compressed waste material said output module (31) is connected to an outlet opening (13) by releasable fastening means said output module (31) thereby is releasable connected to the outlet opening (13).

6. A compacting apparatus (1) according to any of the previous claims characterized in that the rear wall (6) comprises an outer wall (28) of a cylinder (26), and that the plunger (7) is attached to a region of the outer wall of the cylinder (26) said centreline of the cylinder is the axis of rotation (18).

7. A compacting apparatus (1) according to any of the previous claims characterized in that the arcuate part of the front wall (5) has an extension of at least 70º of a circle arc.

8. A compacting apparatus (1) according to any of the previous claims characterized in that the filling opening (3) comprises a door (40) adapted to close the filling opening (3) when the waste material has been placed in the filling chamber (2), the door (40) comprises an inside door surface delimiting the filling chamber (2) when the door (40) is closed,
said inside surface is curved shaped said bending radius of the curved inside surface is the same as for the front wall of the compressing chamber (4).

9. A compacting apparatus (1) according to any of the previous claims characterized in that the filling chamber (2) and the compression chamber (4) is one and the same chamber.

10. A compacting apparatus (1) according to any of the previous claims characterized in that it further comprises an inlet module (60) for transporting the waste material through the filling opening (3) into the filling chamber (4),
said inlet module (60) comprises an inlet part (61), a transport chamber (62) and an outlet part (63), said transport chamber (62) comprises at least one pivotally arranged transport plunger (64) for transporting the waste material.

11. A compacting apparatus (1) according to claim 10 characterized in that the transport chamber (62) comprises an arcuate front wall (68) and an opposite rear wall (67) and side walls, a power supply (14) for moving the transport plunger (62) said transport plunger (62) is connected to the rear wall (67), and said rear wall (67) is pivotally arranged about an axis of rotation (66),
said transport plunger (62) is adapted to be moved on a circle arc and follow the curvature of the arcuate front wall (68).

12. A compacting apparatus (1) according to claim 10 or 11 characterized in that the transport plunger (64) is adapted to be moved 360º * n, n > 0.

13. A method for compressing waste material by a compacting apparatus (1) according to claim 1-12 characterized in that the waste material is filled through a filling opening (3),
the waste material is further directed into a compression chamber (4) comprising a front wall (5) and a rear wall (6) and sidewalls (38),
a press plunger (7) is then moved into the compression chamber (4) for compressing the waste material,
the press plunger (7) comprises a first surface (8) and an opposite second surface (9) and a circumferential edge (10) delimiting the surfaces (8,9), said second surface (9) is pressing towards the waste material placed in the compacting apparatus (1) when the press plunger (7) moves from a first position to a second position when compressing the waste material,
and by the activating of a power supply (14) the press plunger (7) pivots about an axis of rotation (18) thereby being moved from a filling chamber (2) to the compression chamber (4) and is moved in a part circle motion on a circular arc and following an arcuate front wall (5) of the compression chamber (4),
whereby the waste material is compressed, and the press plunger (7) substantially touches the entire inner surface of the arcuate front wall (5) when the press plunger (7) is moved.

14. A method according to claim 13 characterized in the press plunger (7) moves in a part of a circular arc, the circular arc part having an extension of at least 70º preferably more than 90º and advantageously more than 120º.

15. Use of the compacting apparatus (1) according to claim 1-12 for compressing household trash, garbage and waste material.

Drawing