Trash handling and storage system

• US 5,148,739 A
• Filed: 02/27/1991
• Issued: 09/22/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Marcella M. Fox
• Original Assignee: Marcella M. Fox
• Inventors: Fox, Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Coe, Philip R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GERRITY, STEPHEN FRANCIS
• Application Number:
  US07/662,202
• Time in Patent Office: 573 Days
• Field of Search: 100/45, 100/92, 100/93 P, 100/99, 100/102, 100/215, 100/218, 100/229 A, 100/299, 62/341, 414/21, 414/398, 232/43.1, 232/14 43.5, 232/44, 220/908
• US Class Current: 100/45
• CPC Class Codes: B09B 3/20 Agglomeration, binding or encapsulation of solid waste
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 1/0093 specially adapted for collecting refuse from arrangements in buildings

Abstract

A unique automated and comprehensive through-the-wall waste handling and storage system for treating organic and inorganic waste generated in a building of interest is disclosed in which waste to be discarded is loaded into a through-the-wall system from one side of a wall of the building of interest, stored in a container, and removed from the container on the other side of the wall of the building of interest. The container of the invention includes space conditioning refrigeration system and contemplates embodiments of an integrated waste handling and storage system which accommodate all types of waste and many levels of automation and which also eliminate many prior art sanitation and sorting problems associated with the handling and the storage of waste prior to disposal.

Claims

1. An integrated through-the-wall waste handling and storage system for processing and holding waste pending disposal which utilizes an opening in an inner or outer building wall and is accessible from both sides of the associated building wall comprising:

an elongated enclosed holding container for receiving, storing and discharging waste, including;

a receiving end portion having a receiving opening therein for receiving waste, wherein the receiving end portion is adapted to address a wall and to communicate through a juxtaposed wall opening,

a storage volume section for storing trash prior to collection, and

a discharge end portion having a discharge opening therein for expelling waste, wherein the discharge opening is accessible from the other side of the wall from a loading means;

a limited access motorized door associated with and accessing the receiving opening;

storage volume power driven mechanical conveying means for supporting and moving the waste within the storage volume of the container;

trash discharging means for discharging the trash through the discharge opening capable of discharging trash directly into a hauling mechanism; and

limited access motorized door associated with the discharge opening;

trash loading means including mechanical conveying means for receiving and supporting trash and conveying trash into the receiving end portion of the holding container, wherein the loading means is capable of accessing the holding container receiving opening through the wall opening; and

control means for controlling the operation of the system.

2. The waste handling system of claim 1 further comprising space conditioning means including refrigeration means having a distribution plenum system for controlled distribution of cooled air for maintaining a desired temperature throughout the container.

5. The waste handling system of claim 1 herein the holding container is freestanding and fixed to the wall of the building at the receiving end thereof.

6. The waste handling system of claim 5 wherein the container comprises a plurality of substantially parallelepiped modular sections.

7. The waste handling system of claim 6 wherein each of the modular sections is self-contained and includes powered conveying means and requires only a source of power.

8. The waste handling system of claim 1 wherein the discharge end of the holding container is freely pivotally movable with respect to the receiving end which is fixed to the building wall and further comprising adjustable sealing means for maintaining the integrity between the building wall and the receiving end of the holding container throughout the pivotal travel of the discharge end of the holding container.

9. The waste handling system of claim 8 further comprising means for pivotally adjusting the container means with respect to the building wall.

10. The waste handling system of claim 9 wherein the means for pivotally adjusting the container means with respect to the building wall further comprises a mechanized wheel means supporting the discharge end portion of the container which includes mechanized means for adjusting the elevation of the discharge end portion of the container.

11. The waste handling system of claim 1 wherein the waste loading means for loading the container is selected from a series of spaced parallel rollers and a powered conveyor means.

12. The waste handling system of claim 1 wherein the means for discharging waste is selected from a series of spaced parallel rollers and a powered conveyor means.

13. The waste handling system of claim 1 wherein the container comprises at least one waste support level and wherein the mechanical conveying means for conveying the waste comprises a retractable pusher.

14. The waste handling system of claim 1 wherein the waste discharging means further comprises a generally rectangular hinged door pivoted about a horizontal axis to thereby open away from the discharge opening in the container and further comprising travel limiting means so as to be substantially horizontally disposed when fully opened, the inner surface thereof carrying a discharge conveyor means that forms a platform, such that waste received on the platform can be off loaded into a waste hauling means.

15. The waste handling system of claim 1 wherein the holding container further comprises at least one internal waste supporting platform including a series of spaced parallel rollers.

16. The waste handling system of claim 15 wherein the container contains a plurality of waste holding platforms.

17. The waste handling system of claim 1 wherein the holding container further includes at least one waste holding platform defined by a powered endless conveyor means.

18. The waste handling system of claim 17 wherein the conveyor means has at least one self-powered roller.

19. The waste handling system of claim 17 wherein the container contains a plurality of waste holding platforms.

20. The waste handling system of claim 1 wherein the means limiting access through the closure means of the input and discharge openings comprise automatically controlled doors.

21. The waste handling system of claim 20 wherein the access to operate the doors is key controlled.

22. The waste handling system of claim 1 wherein the loading means for the receiving end of the container further comprises a generally rectangular door hinged to pivot about a bottom horizontal axis to thereby tilt away from the input opening and including a travel limiting means such that the door is substantially horizontally disposed when fully opened, the inner surface thereof forming a loading platform, the door hinge height itself being further vertically adjustable such that waste parcels may be received on the loading platform of the door at any desired height and transferred to the receiving end of the container through the input opening at any desired height.

23. The waste handling system of claim 22 further including proximate compacting means for compacting parcels of waste for transfer onto the inner surface platform of the door for loading into the container.

24. The waste handling system of claim 22 wherein the limited access to the input opening includes an encrypted or keyed lock system.

25. The waste handling system of claim 22 wherein the door further comprises means for weighing the waste when received.

26. The waste handling system of claim 25 including means for totalling the weight in the container.

27. The waste handling system of claim 26 further comprising output means associated with the control means communicating the fact that the storage container is at or near capacity.

28. The waste handling system of claim 1 further comprising output means associated with the control means communicating that the storage container is at or near capacity.

3. The waste handling system of clam 1 wherein the container substantially defines a rectangular parallelepiped shape and wherein the receiving opening accessed by the waste loading means is located in one side of the container.

4. The waste handling system of claim 3 wherein the discharge end of the container is fully pivotally movable with respect to the receiving end which is fixed to the building wall.

29. An integrated through-the-wall waste handling and storage system for processing and holding organic and inorganic waste pending disposal which is accessible from both sides of an associated wall of a building of interest comprising:

an elongated enclosed holding container for receiving, storing and discharging waste, including;

a receiving end section having an input opening for receiving waste from a first side of the wall and adapted to address the building wall such that the input opening communicates through a juxtaposed opening in the wall of interest,

a storage volume section for holding waste, and

a discharge end section having a discharge opening for expelling waste and being accessible from the second side of the wall;

motorized limited access loading and discharge closure means, respectively associated with the input and discharge openings;

waste loading means for loading waste into the input opening of the holding container through the wall opening;

motorized main conveying means for supporting and moving the waste within the storage volume section of the container;

space conditioning means including refrigeration means for maintaining a desired temperature in the storage volume;

waste discharging means for off loading waste through the discharge closure means; and

control means for controlling the closure means and the conveying means.

30. The waste handling system of claim 29 wherein the waste loading means further comprises a powered lift rack.

31. The waste handling system of claim 30 wherein the lift rack is adapted to address the discharge outlet of a proximate waste compactor and the receiving portion of the holding container.

32. The waste handling system of claim 29 wherein the loading closure means is a vertically operating door.

33. The waste handling system of claim 32 wherein the vertically operating door is self-sealing.

34. The waste handling system of claim 29 wherein the limited access is key operated.

35. The waste handling system of claim 29 wherein the space conditioning means includes convection means providing relatively uniform convection circulation in the holding container.

36. The waste handling system of claim 35 wherein the convection means further comprises distribution plenum means having openings therein for providing relatively uniform distribution of air throughout the storage volume of the loading container and blower means for circulating the air.

37. The waste handling system of claim 36 wherein the openings are a series of spaced holes.

38. The waste handling system of claim 36 wherein the openings are a series of spaced louvers.

39. The waste handling system of claim 36 wherein the convection circulation system further includes return air opening means along the length of the holding container.

40. The waste handling system of claim 39 further comprising a series of spaced distribution plenum openings at the top of the holding container and spaced return air openings located toward the bottom.

41. The waste handling system of claim 29 wherein the waste discharging means further comprises a generally rectangular hinged door pivoted about a horizontal axis to thereby tilt away from the discharge opening and having tilt limiting means so that the door is substantially horizontally disposed when fully opened, the inner surface thereof carrying a discharge conveyor means forming a conveyor platform, such that waste may traverse the inner surface platform and be off loaded directly into a waste hauling means.

42. The waste handling system of claim 29 wherein the waste loading conveyor means comprises a series of spaced parallel rollers.

43. The waste handling system of claim 29 wherein the main conveying means comprises a series of unpowered spaced parallel rollers.

44. The waste handling system of claim 29 further including proximate compacting means for compacting parcels of waste for transfer into the container.

45. The waste handling system of claim 29 wherein the main conveying means is an endless belt conveyor having a forward located, self-powered drive roller.

46. The waste handling system of claim 45 wherein the conveyor is removable.

47. The waste handling system of claim 29 wherein the conveyor is removable.

48. The waste handling system of claim 47 wherein the main conveying means comprises a plurality of spaced parallel rollers spanning and spacing a pair of parallel side support members held together by containment between the walls of the storage container.