SHREDDER THROAT SAFETY SYSTEM

• US 20100102153A1
• Filed: 12/03/2009
• Published: 04/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fellowes Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Fellowes Incorporated
• Inventors: MATLIN, Tai Hoon Kim, Gach, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 7,946,515 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 241/37.500
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 18/0007 specially adapted for disintegrating documents
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 2018/0015 for disintegrating CDs, DVDs and/or credit cards
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 2018/164 Prevention of jamming and/or overload
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 2018/168 User safety devices or measures in shredders
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 23/04 Safety devices in general F16P ; for rotary mills B02C13/31
• CPC Class Codes: F16P 3/141 using sound propagation, e.g. sonar
• CPC Class Codes: F16P 3/145 using magnetic technology
• CPC Class Codes: F16P 3/147 using electro-magnetic technology, e.g. tags or radar
• CPC Class Codes: F16P 3/148 using capacitive technology

Abstract

The present invention relates to a shredder that includes a housing having a movable part that forms at least a part of an opening for the insertion of articles to be fed into the shredder. A detector detects motion of the movable part, and in response, a controller performs a predetermined operation, including, for example, stopping cutting elements of the shredder mechanism.

Claims

1. A shredder comprising:

a housing;

a shredder mechanism received in the housing and including an electrically powered motor and cutter elements, the shredder mechanism enabling articles to be shredded to be fed into the cutter elements and the motor being operable to drive the cutter elements so that the cutter elements shred the articles fed therein;

the housing having an opening enabling articles to be fed therethrough into the cutter elements of the shredder mechanism for shredding;

a resistive switch, at least in part located adjacent the opening and configured to indicate the presence of a person or animal in contact with the switch; and

a controller operable to perform a predetermined operation responsive to the indicated presence of the person or animal.

2. A shredder according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined operation is illuminating an indicator.

3. A shredder according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined operation is sounding an alarm indicator.

4. A shredder according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined operation is stopping the cutter elements.

5. A shredder according to claim 1, wherein the resistive switch further comprises a pair of electrically isolated conductive elements that, when simultaneously contacted by a part of the person or animal, are in electrical communication.

6. A shredder according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to monitor changes in signal strength from the switch over time, and to adjust a threshold value for performing the predetermined operation.

7. A shredder according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to perform the predetermined operation based at least in part on a rate of change of a monitored resistance of the resistive switch.

8. A shredder according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to perform the predetermined operation based at least in part on a monitored resistance of the resistive switch.

9. A shredder according to claim 1, wherein:

the opening comprises a narrow, elongated opening; and

said electroconductive sensor element is positioned between opposing longitudinal ends of the opening and extends in a longitudinal direction of the narrow, elongated opening to provide sensor coverage along essentially the entire length of the opening.