Apparatus for separating and accumulating matters
There is provided an apparatus for separating and accumulating different matters, the apparatus comprising or being adapted to receive at least a first and a second receptacle, and comprising an opening and a movable element splitting the opening area into a plurality of areas to define a first inlet associated with the first receptacle and a second inlet associated with the second receptacle. The moving element can be moved in one direction to enlarge the first inlet while reducing the second inlet and moved in the opposite direction to enlarge the second inlet while reducing the first inlet.
The present invention claims priority of provisional patent application US 61/064,918 entirely incorporated herein by reference.
FIELDThe present invention generally relates to apparatuses for separating and accumulating objects or matters such as wastes discarded in a container such as a garbage can, and more specifically to an apparatus allowing different types of matters to be accumulated in separate receptacles, each receptacle having an adjustable size inlet in communication with a common opening. At least some of the receptacles may be integrally collapsible receptacles such as bags to enable different types of matters to be accumulated separately in variable proportions in a definite volume.
BACKGROUNDIt is well known that there is an increasing need for separating wastes by types for purposes of recuperation and valorization. For example, it is often required to separate matters to be recycled by types such as glass, plastic and paper, and/or to separate household wastes to be discarded from organic wastes that can be reduced to compost and from recyclable matters. Therefore, multiple containers or multiple compartment containers must be used to accumulate such matters separately until they are collected or used. However, grouping many receptacles into a definite space raises the problem of splitting the opening area into a plurality of definite smaller inlets thus complicating the task of inserting matters into a given receptacle. Moreover, since the relative proportions of the different matters being accumulated can hardly be predicted, using rigid fixed volume receptacles or compartments may not enable optimal use of the usually limited storage space available.
It would therefore be a significant advance in the art of partitioned storage containers to provide an apparatus wherein a plurality of receptacles are provided with adjustable size inlet and at least some of the receptacle may be collapsible to separately accumulate different matters in variable unknown proportions in a definite volume.
SUMMARYAs broadly claimed, the present invention provides an apparatus which enables separate accumulation of a plurality of different matters, the apparatus being adapted to receive a plurality of receptacles and comprising an opening for accessing to an inlet of each of said plurality of receptacles and at least one movable element for enlarging an inlet of a first receptacle while reducing an inlet of at least one second receptacle, whereby matters can be introduced into the first receptacle through the opening. According to an aspect of the invention, at least one of the receptacles may be collapsible. According to a further aspect of the invention, the at least one movable element is connected to at least two of the receptacles.
More specifically, in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for separate accumulation of different matters, the apparatus comprising at least a first and a second receptacle, an opening and a movable element splitting the opening area into a plurality of areas to define a first inlet associated with the first receptacle and a second inlet associated with the second receptacle, whereby the moving element is movable in one direction to enlarge the first inlet while reducing the second inlet and movable in the opposite direction to enlarge the second inlet while reducing the first inlet. According to an aspect of the invention, at least one of said first and second receptacles may comprise a collapsible receptacle.
According to another aspect of the invention, the movable element may be connected to the first and second receptacles.
According to a further aspect of the invention, the movable element may comprise a sliding member or may comprise a pivoting flap.
According to further aspects of the invention, the first and second receptacles may comprise at least one collapsible portion and the movable element may be connected to portions of both receptacles or to a collapsible portion of at least one of the first and second receptacles.
According to another aspect of the invention, the first receptacle and the second receptacle may comprise a removable flexible bag.
According to still another of the invention, at least one receptacle may be removable.
According to a further aspect of the invention, the moving element may be movable between a position wherein the first inlet is larger than the second inlet and a position wherein the second inlet is larger than the first inlet.
According to a still further aspect of the invention, the moving element may be mounted to and slidably movable on a guiding member at the periphery of the opening.
According to an aspect of the invention, the apparatus may further comprise a rigid enclosure defining the opening and containing the two flexible receptacles.
According to a further illustrative embodiment of the invention, there is provided an apparatus for separate accumulation of different matters and adapted to receive a first and a second collapsible receptacles, said apparatus comprising i) a ring defining a peripheral member and a center opening and ii) a movable element mounted to said peripheral member and movable thereabout, said movable element comprising connecting means to attach portions of the first and second receptacles thereto and being movable between a first position wherein an inlet of the first receptacle is larger than an inlet of the second receptacle and a second position wherein the inlet of the second receptacle is larger than the inlet of the first receptacle.
According to another aspect of the invention, the apparatus may further comprise a rigid enclosure for receiving the collapsible receptacles and the ring member may be mountable on top of said rigid enclosure.
According to still another aspect of the invention, the enclosure may comprise a top portion comprising the ring.
According to a further aspect of the invention, the connecting means may comprise a receptacle clamping device and the movable element may be slidebly movable along said peripheral member between the first position and the second position.
According to a still further aspect of the invention, the peripheral member and the opening may be generally rectangular, and the movable element may extend across the opening and be slidebly movable on opposite portions of said peripheral member between the first position and the second position.
According to a further illustrative embodiment of the invention, there is provided an apparatus for separate accumulation of different matters, said apparatus comprising a rigid enclosure defining an opening and adapted to receive a first and a second collapsible receptacles, a cover adapted to be mounted on the enclosure to close the opening, the cover defining a peripheral member and comprising a lid pivotally and slidebly connected to the peripheral member to provide access to the opening, the lid comprising means for attaching portions of the first and second receptacles thereto, whereby sliding the lid with respect to the peripheral member increases the size of an inlet of the first receptacle while decreasing the size of an inlet of the second receptacle.
According to another aspect of the invention, each receptacle may comprise a flexible bag, the means for attaching may comprise at least one clamping device for removably attaching a portion of each receptacle to the lid, and the lid may be slidable on opposite portions of the peripheral member between a first position wherein most of the opening area provides access to the inlet of the first receptacle and a second position wherein most of the opening area provides access to the inlet of the second receptacle.
It will be appreciated that the illustrative embodiments of the present invention generally advantageously provide controlled access to multiple receptacles accessible through a common opening by enabling modifying at will the area of the opening associated with an inlet of a receptacle. Thereby, matters dropped at a given location of the opening can be manually or automatically directed into a receptacle or an other, and the inlet of a given receptacle can temporarily be made larger than that of at least one other receptacle in order to facilitate access. Furthermore the invention may advantageously enable accumulation variable proportions of matters of different types in separate receptacles in a rigid enclosure with optimal use of the total accumulation volume available.
Further aspects and advantages of the illustrative embodiments of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the description in association with the following figures. Note that similar numerals represent similar parts throughout figures and that objects in phantom lines are for illustrative purpose only and are not part of the invention per se.
Although the present invention will be described with reference to illustrative embodiments thereof, persons skilled in the art will appreciate that the concepts may as well be implemented according to different geometric shapes or proportions or by replacing elements by technical substitutes with equivalent benefits, without departing from the spirit of the invention as broadly claimed.
Referring to
In use, portions of the opening edge of bag B1 is attached to clamping devices 6a and 8a and reciprocally portions of the opening edge of bag B2 is attached to clamping devices 6b and 8b, the rest of the bags being distributed inside the opening 3 and over the peripheral member 4 as illustrated. Proper installation of the bags B1 and B2 will enable configuring the apparatus 1 in the configuration shown in
Turning now to
As for the embodiment of
A still further embodiment of the invention will now be described in connection with
In this embodiment the apparatus 1 comprises a cover 30 to close an opening 33 of a rigid enclosure 31 adapted to receive a pair of collapsible receptacles such as front bag B1 and back bag B2 (see
In the embodiment of
It is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described hereinabove. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced in various ways. It is also to be understood that the phraseology or terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and not limitation. Hence, although the invention has been described herein by way of illustrative embodiments thereof, many modifications and applications may be contemplated without departing from the spirit of the invention.
One can thus appreciate from the foregoing description, that the apparatus of the present invention advantageously provide reliable and practical solutions for the separation and accumulation of matters in separate receptacles, thus providing significant space savings in a simple and cost effective manner.
Claims
1. An apparatus for separate accumulation of different matters, the apparatus comprising at least a first and a second receptacle, an opening and a movable element splitting the opening area into a plurality of areas to define a first inlet associated with the first receptacle and a second inlet associated with the second receptacle, whereby the moving element is movable in one direction to enlarge the first inlet while reducing the second inlet and movable in the opposite direction to enlarge the second inlet while reducing the first inlet.
2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said first and second receptacles comprises a collapsible receptacle.
3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the movable element is connected to the first and second receptacles.
4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said movable element comprises a sliding member.
5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said movable element comprises a pivoting flap.
6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first and the second receptacles each comprise at least one collapsible portion and the movable element is connectable to portions of both receptacles.
7. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the movable element in connectable to a collapsible portion of at least one of the first and second receptacles.
8. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the first receptacle and the second receptacle each comprise a removable flexible bag.
9. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one receptacle is removable.
10. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the moving element is movable between a position wherein the first inlet is larger than the second inlet and a position wherein the second inlet is larger than the first inlet.
11. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the moving element is mounted to and slidably movable on a guiding member at the periphery of the opening.
12. An apparatus for separate accumulation of different matters and adapted to receive a first and a second collapsible receptacles, said apparatus comprising i) a ring defining a peripheral member and a center opening and ii) a movable element mounted to said peripheral member and movable thereabout, said movable element comprising connecting means to attach portions of the first and second receptacles thereto and being movable between a first position wherein an inlet of the first receptacle is larger than an inlet of the second receptacle and a second position wherein the inlet of the second receptacle is larger than the inlet of the first receptacle.
13. An apparatus according to claim 12 further comprising a rigid enclosure for receiving the collapsible receptacles.
14. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said ring member is mountable on top of said rigid enclosure.
15. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the enclosure comprises a top portion comprising the ring.
16. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the connecting means comprise a receptacle clamping device and the movable element is slidebly movable along said peripheral member between the first position and the second position.
17. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the peripheral member and the opening are generally rectangular, and the movable element extends across the opening and is slidebly movable on opposite portions of said peripheral member between the first position and the second position.
18. An apparatus for separate accumulation of different matters, said apparatus comprising a rigid enclosure defining an opening and adapted to receive a first and a second collapsible receptacles, a cover adapted to be mounted on the enclosure to close the opening, the cover defining a peripheral member and comprising a lid pivotally and slidebly connected to the peripheral member to provide access to the opening, the lid comprising means for attaching portions of the first and second receptacles thereto, whereby sliding the lid with respect to the peripheral member increases the size of an inlet of the first receptacle while decreasing the size of an inlet of the second receptacle.
19. An apparatus according to claim 18, wherein each receptacle comprises a flexible bag, the means for attaching comprise at least one clamping device for removably attaching a portion of each receptacle to the lid, and the lid is slidable on opposite portions of the peripheral member between a first position wherein most of the opening area provides access to the inlet of the first receptacle and a second position wherein most of the opening area provides access to the inlet of the second receptacle.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 2, 2009
Publication Date: Jan 6, 2011
Inventor: Dominique Bazinet (Montreal)
Application Number: 12/385,221
International Classification: B65D 1/24 (20060101); B65D 90/00 (20060101);