Automated cover

• US 9,611,685 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2016
• Issued: 04/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Heil Company (Dover Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Curotto-Can Inc. (Dover Corporation)
• Inventors: Curotto, John Domenic
• Primary Examiner(s): Dager, Jonathan M
• Application Number:
  US15/000,218
• Publication Number:
  US 20160130856A1
• Time in Patent Office: 441 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 1/1623 with means for assisting the opening or closing thereof, e.g. springs spring-actuated swinging wings E05F1/10
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 1/1638 Electromechanically operated lids
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 2210/184 Weighing means
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 3/12 Conjoint motion of lids, flaps, and shutters on vehicle and on receptacle; Operation of closures on vehicle conjointly with tipping of receptacle
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 65/005 Control arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 65/23 Devices for tilting and emptying of containers
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/53 for swinging wings
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/73 responsive to movement or presence of persons or objects
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/706 Shafts
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/445 Switches
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/604 for large containers

Abstract

A novel method for preventing material contained inside a collection bin from being blown out of the collection bin is provided. The collection bin includes an automated cover system. The automated cover system comprises an actuator system that is actuated in response to movement of a specific item, such as the fork assembly and/or the collection bin. Upon actuation, the actuator system of the automated cover system automatically moves a cover.

Claims

1. A method for preventing material contained inside a collection bin from being blown out of the collection bin, the method comprising:

monitoring movement of a fork assembly on a waste collection vehicle;

generating an actuation command based on the step of monitoring the movement of the fork assembly thereby sending the actuation command to an actuator system via at least one of a wired system or a wireless system; and

actuating the actuator system of an automated cover system based on the actuation command,

wherein the step of actuating the actuator system automatically moves a cover attached to the collection bin.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising actuating the actuator system based on a command received from an operator selected trigger in addition to the actuating of the actuator system based on the actuation command.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising manually moving the cover attached to the collection bin in addition to the actuating of the actuator system based on the actuation command.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of monitoring movement includes determining that the collection bin attached to the fork assembly has moved to a position for transport, and wherein the step of actuating the actuator system automatically moves the cover from an open position to a closed position.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of monitoring movement includes determining that the collection bin attached to the fork assembly has moved to a position for emptying into a hopper of the waste collection vehicle, and wherein the step of actuating the actuator system automatically moves the cover from a closed position to an open position.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of monitoring movement is performed by a switch.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of generating the actuation command is performed based on activation of the switch.

8. A method for preventing material contained inside a collection bin from being blown out of the collection bin, the method comprising:

monitoring movement of the collection bin on a waste collection vehicle;

generating an actuation command based on the step of monitoring the movement of the collection bin thereby sending the actuation command to an actuator system via at least one of a wired system or a wireless system; and

actuating the actuator system of an automated cover system based on the actuation command,

wherein the step of actuating the actuator system automatically moves a cover attached to the collection bin.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of monitoring movement includes determining that the collection bin has moved to a position for transport.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of monitoring movement includes determining that the collection bin has moved to a position for emptying into a hopper of the waste collection vehicle.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of monitoring movement is performed by a switch.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of generating the actuation command is performed based on activation of the switch.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising actuating the actuator system based on a command received from an operator selected trigger in addition to the actuating of the actuator system based on the actuation command.