Object collector

• US 5,667,136 A
• Filed: 10/10/1995
• Issued: 09/16/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Shirley Chen, Therese Chen
• Original Assignee: Shirley Chen, Therese Chen
• Inventors: Chen, Walter
• Primary Examiner(s): JOHNSON, BLAIR M
• Application Number:
  US08/541,465
• Time in Patent Office: 707 Days
• Field of Search: 232/47, 232/43.2, 232/50, 232/52, 232/1 R, 134/62, 220/23.4, 220/23.83, 220/909
• US Class Current: 232/43.2
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 1/10 with refuse filling means, e.g. air-locks
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 1/1426 Housings, cabinets or enclosures for refuse receptacles B65F1/006, B65F1/1452 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 1/16 Lids or covers B65F1/1421 takes precedence; pedal or hand-lever operated for containers in general B65D
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 220/909 Segregated

Abstract

The present invention relates to an object collector for collecting objects in a plurality of containers, which comprises a tank body, an inlet device, a guiding device, a receiving device, and a collecting device. The tank body has a top inlet opening. The inlet device comprises a swinging plate which is pivotally and rotatably mounted, above the top inlet opening, to the upper portion of the tank body by means of a mounting device. The container and the objects thereon, which are placed on the swinging plate, may fall down from the swung down swinging plate due to the weight of the container and the objects. The guiding device comprises at least two guide rails which are mounted and extended from one side of the upper portion of the tank body toward the opposing side of the lower portion of the tank body for guiding the falling down container to slide down and toss over. The receiving device is positioned under the guiding device in the tank device for receiving the objects fallen from the container while it is tossing over along the guiding device. The collecting device is placed adjacent to the guiding device for receiving and collecting the container fallen from the guiding device.

Claims

1. An object collector for collecting objects in a plurality of containers, comprising

a tank body having a top inlet opening, a front side wall, a back side wall, a right side wall, a left side wall, and a door installed to one of said side walls;

an inlet device, which comprises a swinging plate made of light material and a mounting device for pivotally mounting said swinging plate horizontally above said top inlet opening at an upper portion of said tank body, so that once a downward pushing force is applied to said swinging plate, said swinging plate is swung downwardly to open said inlet opening of said tank body, in which said swinging plate is composed of an entrance portion and a weight portion, said mounting device including two pivot pins protruding on a right and a left side of said swinging plate respectively and at an intersection position of said entrance portion and said weight portion, so that said swinging plate is installed to the top portion of said tank body by rotatably connecting said two pivot pins with two receiving sockets provided at two corresponding positions on said two opposing side walls respectively, so as to enable said swinging plate rotating about an axis between said two pivot pins, wherein said entrance portion has a length and a width at least equal to a length and a width of the containers, and an average thickness thinner than said weight portion, so that the weight of said entrance portion is equal to the weight of said weight portion;

a guiding device, which comprises at least two guide rails installed within said tank body without obstructing the swinging path of said swinging plate, wherein said two guide rails are downwardly extended from an upper portion of one side of said tank body toward a lower portion of the opposing side of said tank body below said swinging plate, and that the distance between said two guide rails is narrower than the width of the containers, two upper ends of said two guide rails being mounted beyond and adjacent to a down swinging edge of said swinging plate and two lower ends of said two guide rails being extended and mounted under another opposing edge of said swinging plate with a predetermined vertical distance;

whereby, the container and the objects thereon, which are sliding down from said swinging plate due to gravity, may fall down to said guiding device gradually while said swinging plate is swinging down due to the weight of the container and the objects, in which said two guide rails of said guiding device guide the falling of the container to slide toward the lower ends thereof, and that when the container and the objects thereon leave said swinging plate, said swinging plate may swing up back to a normal horizontal position thereof and push the failing container to toss over, so that the objects within the container throw down by means of the gravity;

a receiving device, which is positioned under said guiding device in said tank body for receiving all the objects fallen down from the container; and

a collecting device, which is placed in a predetermined position adjacent to the lower ends of said two guide rails for receiving and collecting the containers fallen from said guiding device.

2. An object collector as recited in claim 1, in which said inlet device further comprises a supporting board which is horizontally fixed to the top of said front side wall for supporting said weight portion of said swinging plate when said swinging plate being in horizontal position to cover said top inlet opening.

3. An object collector as recited in claim 2, further comprising a stop means which is installed to said tank body in a position located along the swinging path of said swinging plate for preventing said swinging plate from over swinging by stopping the swinging of said swinging plate.

4. An object collector as recited in claim 3, in which said stop means comprises at least a stopper protruded, vertically above said two receiving sockets, on an upper portion of an inner side of one of said right and left side walls for stopping said weight portion of said swinging plate while said swinging plate is swinging up.

5. An object collector for collecting objects in a plurality of containers, comprising

a tank body having a top inlet opening, a front side wall, a back side wall, a right side wall, a left side wall, and a door installed to one of said side walls;

an inlet device, which comprises a swinging plate made of light material and a mounting device for pivotally mounting said swinging plate horizontally above said top inlet opening at an upper portion of said tank body, so that once a downward pushing force is applied to said swinging plate, said swinging plate is swung downwardly to open said inlet opening of said tank body, in which said swinging plate is composed of an entrance portion and a weight portion, said mounting device including two pivot pins protruding on a right and a left side of said swinging plate respectively and at an intersection position of said entrance portion and said weight portion, so that said swinging plate is installed to the top portion of said tank body by rotatably connecting said two pivot pins with two receiving sockets provided at two corresponding positions on said two opposing side walls respectively, so as to enable said swinging plate rotating about an axis between said two pivot pins;

a guiding device, which comprises at least two guide rails installed within said tank body without obstructing the swinging path of said swinging plate, wherein said two guide rails are two guiding wires, two upper ends of said two guiding wires being firmly fixed to an upper portion of one side of said tank body and extended downwardly toward a lower portion of the opposing side of said tank body below said swinging plate, and that the distance between said two guide rails is narrower than the width of the containers, two upper ends of said two guide rails being mounted beyond and adjacent to a down swinging edge of said swinging plate and two lower ends of said two grade rails being extended and mounted under another opposing edge of said swinging plate with a predetermined vertical distance;

whereby, the container and the objects thereon, which are sliding down from said swinging plate due to gravity, may fall down to said guiding device gradually while said swinging plate is swinging down due to the weight of the container and the objects, in which said two guide rails of said guiding device guide the falling of the container to slide toward the lower ends thereof, and that when the container and the objects thereon leave said swinging plate, said swinging plate may swing up back to a normal horizontal position thereof and push the falling container to toss over, so that the objects within the container throw down by means of the gravity;

a receiving device, which is positioned under said guiding device in said tank body for receiving all the objects fallen down from the container; and

a collecting device, which is placed in a predetermined position adjacent to the lower ends of said two guide rails for receiving and collecting the containers fallen from said guiding device.

6. An object collector as recited in claim 5, in which said tank body further comprises a top board fixed to the top portion of said back side wall.

7. An object collector as recited in claim 6, in which said top board is a L-shape top board fixed to the top portion of said back side wall to form a storage groove.

8. An object collector as recited in claim 6, in which the two upper ends of said two guiding wires of said guiding device are firmly fixed to a bottom side of said top board, and are extended downwardly and forwardly toward said front side wall in order to form a curve bending shape respectively, wherein the lower ends of said two guiding wires are firmly fixed to a middle position of said front side wall which has a dispensing opening providing just above said two lower ends of said two guiding wires and having a width larger than the width of the container.

9. An object collector as recited in claim 8, in which said receiving device is positioned under said guiding device in said tank body and comprises a supporting stand and a receiving bag mounted on said supporting stand for receiving the objects fallen down from the containers.

10. An object collector as recited in claim 9, in which said supporting stand of said receiving device has a plurality of wheels mounted to its bottom corners.

11. An object collector as recited in claim 9, in which said collecting device comprises a collecting tank with an interior size larger than a length and a width of the containers, said collecting tank being parked adjacent to an outer side of said front side wall and just below said dispensing opening of said tank body for collecting the containers fallen down from said guiding device via said dispensing opening.

12. An object collector as recited in claim 11, in which said collecting device further comprises at least two rolling wheels spacedly mounted to a bottom of said collecting tank, a pushing handle mounted to an upper portion of said collecting tank, and a detachable locking means for locking said collecting tank to said tank body so as to ensure a parking position of said collecting tank.

13. An object collector as recited in claim 12, in which said locking means includes two O-ring receivers installed to said right and left side walls of said tank body respectively and two C-shape inserters mounted to the two sides of said collecting tank respectively, whereby said collecting tank is connected to said tank body firmly by hooking said two inserters to said two O-shape receivers respectively.