EP0708037B1 - Hopper blocking system in a refuse vehicle - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a system shutter of a dumpster hopper with an access opening to said hopper.

We know of the various prior art dump hopper closure systems like that described in patent GB-A 498,144, the goal is to ensure the safety of workers responsible for dumping garbage into the hopper against risks incurred during the compaction of waste due to the descent of the compaction shovel in front of the opening of access, and also against projection risks from certain wastes, such as the implosion of television sets for example.

The system described in the aforementioned English patent includes a screen sliding substantially along said opening under the action of motor means, between a position lower retracted with respect to said opening and a position in which said screen closes partially said hopper access opening. he also includes a means for partially closing off said access opening the hopper so complementary to the screen.

These known shutter systems are generally monobloc systems like curtains, often very heavy, therefore difficult to maneuver manually and preventing the bulk collection of waste, or folding hopper risers closing completely the access opening, also heavy, with a significant overhang in position turned down and forcing workers to stay away of the bucket, which is inconvenient for loading heavy or bulky bags and for manual emptying of trash cans.

Also, the technical problem to be solved by the object of the present invention is to provide a closure system of a dumpster hopper having an access opening to said hopper, system which would be much easier to implement works as the known devices, while ensuring the level of security sought.

The solution to the technical problem posed consists according to the present invention to provide a means partial filling able to take, on the one hand, a loading position of said refuse into the hopper and, on the other hand, a partially closed position, wherein said means partially blocks its lower part of said hopper access opening complementary to the screen, the screen closing said opening at its top.

According to a first embodiment of the device obturation according to the invention, said means partial shutter is a suitable hopper extension to manually rotate around a joint disposed in the vicinity of the lower edge of said opening, between said partially closed position and a manual loading position in which said hopper extension is folded outwards relative to said opening.

Thus, unlike existing systems, the shutter system of the invention is not realized in one piece, but is made up of two elements separate, namely the sliding screen and the lift pivoting hopper, the distribution of the total mass being about two-thirds for the screen and one-third for the hopper extension.

As a result, the hopper extension, many lighter, can be easily operated by workers. In addition, its size in the position of load folded back is very small and does not interfere with workers in their work.

Similarly, reducing the screen weight sliding allows the use of motor means, cylinders for example, of low power to bring said screen from one position to another on a path and to acceptable inertia.

According to a second embodiment of the sealing device according to the invention, said partial shutter means is a rolling curtain suspended in the lower part of the sliding screen, able to be in a partially closed position complementary when the screen is in position maximum shutter, and in that said system shutter has side rails curved towards the underside of the bucket, intended to receive said rolling shutter in loading position when the screen is in the retracted position under the opening access.

The following description next to the drawings attached, given by way of non-limiting examples, will understand what the invention is all about and how it can be done.

Figure 1 is a side view of a first sealing system according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a front view of the system shutter in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side view of a second sealing system according to the invention.

Figure 4 is a front view of the system shutter in Figure 3.

Figures 1 and 2 show side and side views facing a first closure system for a hopper 10 a dumpster.

The waste is discharged into said hopper at through an access opening 11 delimited by an edge lower 11a, defined by the beam of the bucket, a upper edge 11b and two lateral edges 11c, 11d.

As can be seen in Figures 1 and 2, the shutter system of the invention includes a screen 30 sliding substantially along the opening 11 under the action of motor means 31, hydraulic cylinders for example, between a retracted position (II ') in which said screen 30 is external relative to opening 11, here in the lower position, and a position (I ') maximum closure of the opening 11 for access to the hopper 10. By maximum obturation we mean the most large partial closure of the opening 11 that can get screen 30 given its own dimensions.

A closure means 20 is also provided. partial, here a hopper extension 20, suitable for manually rotated around a joint 21 disposed in the vicinity of the lower edge 11a of the opening 11 for access to the hopper 10. It is then possible to operate said hopper extension 20 between a manual loading position (II) in which the hopper extension 20 is folded towards the exterior of the bucket relative to said opening and a partially closed position (I) in which the hopper extension partially closes the opening 11 in addition to the screen 30 sliding in position (I ') maximum shutter. In in other words, the opening 11 is completely closed when, on the one hand, the screen 30 is in position (I ') maximum shutter, and, secondly, that the hopper extension 20 is in the closed position (I) partial additional.

The operation of the bucket in Figures 1 and 2 in manual loading is then the following.

The sliding screen 30 is brought into its position nominal loading, i.e. position retracted (II '), using cylinders 31. The workers manually rotate the hopper extension 20 to loading position (II) and pour the bags of waste in the hopper 10 over said extension of hopper.

When the hopper 10 is full and before performing the compacting operation, the workers bring, always manually, the hopper extension 20 in partially closed position (I) which is blocked by locks, not shown. Then, the cylinders 31 are actuated to bring the sliding screen 30 into position (I ') maximum shutter. 11 access opening being completely blocked by the entire screen 30 and hopper extension 20, the compaction of waste can then be produced without danger.

In the case of mechanized loading using a container lifter 50, the screen 30 is placed in a intermediate position, not shown, as said screen partially closes aperture 10 already partially closed by the hopper extension 20 in position (I).

The dumping of garbage is therefore done by tilting above the screen 30 in position intermediate through a relatively opening scaled down.

In the compaction phase, a device control synchronizes the movements of the container lifter 50, screen 30 and shovel compacting in such a way that if the container lifter 50 is in the lower position before the movement of descent of the compaction shovel has not started, the screen 30 is brought into its closed position (I ′) maximum, in order to completely close the aperture 11 during the start of the shovel movement compaction.

Note in Figure 1 the presence of a protective fabric 40 disposed between the lower edge 11a of the opening 11 of access to the hopper 10 and the edge free 22 of the hopper extension 20, so as to be tensioned when said hopper extension 20 is in position (I) of partial closure. This provision allows, when the articulation 21 is offset towards inside the hopper (figure 4), to prevent workers to engage their hands or arms beyond the edge 11a of opening 11 and thus avoid the effect of guillotine which could occur at the descent of the sliding screen 30.

Figures 3 and 4 show a second system shutter of the invention in which the means partial shutter is a rolling curtain 20 ' suspended in the lower part of the sliding screen 30. By way of example, said flexible curtain 20 ′ can be made of articulated horizontal slats.

As can be seen in Figures 3 and 4, the rolling shutter 20 'is in position (I) additional partial shutter when the screen (30) is in position (I ') maximum shutter. On the other hand, we can observe in Figure 3 the presence of side rails 23 curved downwards of the bucket, intended to receive said rolling curtain 20 'in the loading position (II) when the screen 30 is in position (II ') retracted under the opening 11 access.

How this second device works shutter is analogous to that previously described opposite Figures 1 and 2, except that the curtain rolling 20 'as a partial sealing means automatically comes to position (I) with screen 30, unlike the hopper extension 20 which requires manual intervention.

Claims (5)

1. A system for closing a hopper (10) of a refuse collection truck having an opening (11) providing access to said hopper of the type consisting of:

   - a screen (30) operated by motor means (31) which slides essentially across the length of said opening (11) between a bottom position (1) in which it is retracted from said opening and a position in which said screen (30) partially closes off said access opening to the hopper,

   - a means (20, 20') for partially closing off said access opening to the hopper in addition to the screen,

   characterised in that the partial closing means (20, 20'), which can assume a position (II) in which said refuse is loaded into the hopper (10) on the one hand and a partially closed position (I) on the other, partially closes off said access opening (11) to the hopper (10) at the bottom end thereof in addition to the screen, the screen closing off the top part of said opening.
2. A closing system as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that said partial closing means is a hopper flap (20) which can be manually pivoted about a hinge connection (21) arranged in the vicinity of the lower edge (11a) of said opening (11) between said partially closed position (I) and a position (II) used for manual loading in which said hopper flap (20) is folded down towards the exterior relative to said opening (11).
3. A closing system as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that a protective canvas (40) is arranged between the lower edge (11a) of the access opening (11) to the hopper (10) and the free edge (22) of the hopper flap (20) so that it is tautened when said hopper flap (20) is in the partially closed position (I).
4. A closing system as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that said partial closing means is a roller curtain (20') suspended at the lower part of the sliding screen (30) and located in a partially closed position (I) to complement the screen (30) when it is in its maximum closed position (I'), said closing system having side rails (23) curving towards the underneath of the refuse collection truck designed to receive the roller curtain (20') in the loading position (II) when the screen (30) is in the position (II') retracted underneath the access opening (11).
5. A closing system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the screen (30) can assume an intermediate partially closed position in which the opening (11) is partially closed by the partial closing means (20; 20').

Images