Waste paper container

Abstract

A container with an automatically opening door comprises a case or body made of sheet material, a top part thereof having a valley-shaped, recessed portion, a photo-electric on device arranged on both ends of the recess and a door or shutter which can be open by interruption of the light of the photo-electronic device.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to containers, and more particularly to containers having a door or shutter to automatically open and close. More specifically it relates to a waste paper container whose shutter or door is mounted at the top thereof and can be opened by interrupting light of a photo-electronic device due to crumpled waste paper thrown into the recess.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

Waste paper containers, for example, a container into which waste paper, used to wipe washed hands, is thrown away, are widely used in toilet rooms etc. Various types have been used, for example, simple open-head containers or containers with a cover which is swingable around a horizontal axis passing through the center of gravity thereof. Much crumpled waste paper, however, is frequently seen to be scattered around such containers, in spite of being fitted with a cover, even the swingable cover. Such a scene is so unattractive and is also so unsanitary that a waste paper box having a cover or a shutter which can open and close automatically with a relatively simple and inexpensive device has now been developed.

It is understood that the present invention is not restricted to waste paper containers, such as the embodiments disclosed but can involve any hereinafter container as far as it falls within the scope of the generic concept.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is a primary object of the invention to provide a novel waste paper container comprising a shutter or door which can automatically open when waste paper is thrown thereupon and can automatically close, when the waste paper drops.

Another object of the invention is to provide on the top of the container a valley-shaped, recessed portion which is constructed substantially by a pair of slants or inclined surfaces and is convenient to accept thrown waste paper as well as to pass for a for photo-electronic device along the bottom of the valley.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel waste paper container having a shutter or door along one of the slants which can open automatically by interruption of the light of a photo-electronic device, which comprises a set of a projector and a receiver thereof arranged on both sides of the recessed part.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more clear from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a waste paper container, an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of an embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken along line III--III of FIG. 4.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of FIG. 3, partially in section.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a part of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is an electrical diagram of the ciruit used for the photoelectronic device of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic flow chart which illustrates a curve to show "current to time" relation when a curve of "light to time" for the corresponding time is given.

FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view corresponding to FIG. 3 of another embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view corresponding to FIG. 3 of a further different embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to FIGS. 1 - 4 there is shown a waste paper container, an embodiment of this invention. Reference numeral 1 denotes generally a container body or case which is substantially made of metal sheet or plastic sheet, comprising side walls 1a, a back wall 1b and a front door 2 to be opened arround a hinge 2b by pulling a handle 2a.

Reference numeral 3 denotes a space where crumpled waste paper is collected, above the space 3 is formed a valley-shaped recessed portion defined by a pair of slants 4, 5 oppositely inclined each other, another pair of side walls 14, 14 slightly inclined to the vertical and a shutter or door 6 which is normally closed by its own weight but slidingly opened by a motor 7. The shutter 6, similarly curved as the slant 4, has a rack 6a thereunder which is engaged with a gear 8 driven by the reduction-geared, electric motor 7, whose out-put shaft is connected by a key (not shown) mounted on the boss 8b of the gear 8. The gear 8 has a gear-less or recessed part 8a so that when the gear-less part 8a comes to be confronted with the rack 6a during the rotation of the gear 8, the part 8a can not engage the rack 6a, and therefore the shutter 6 will slide down to the closed position by its own weight.

Reference numeral 9 denotes a pendulum-type blind or screen for the purpose of blinding light of a photo-electronic device which comprises a projector 12 and a receiver 13. The blind 9 is fitted with a weight 10 carried by a lever 9c fixed thereon and supported like a pendulum by a pivot 11 fixed to the side wall 1a. The blind 9 incorporates a plate part 9a and, a flange 9b of which keeps in contact normally with a flanged part 6b the shutter, therefore when the shutter 6 moves to open, the blind 9 follows the shutter 6 to pivot clockwise about pivot 11 as shown in FIG. 3 and comes near to its vertical position where the blind 9 shuts-off or blinds the light from the projector 12.

Reference numeral 15 denotes a hole through which light 17 delivered from the projector 12 goes to the receiver 13 along the valley X -- X formed between slant wall 5 and shutter 6. Referring to FIG. 6 the numeral 16 denotes a relay box which incorporates in-put terminals of, for example, 100V, 50/60Hz, out-put terminals for the motor 7, a rectifier, an amplifier and relays. To get rid of disturbance due to other foreign light, it is desirable that the receiver 13 be energized only when the light modulated to a special frequency is delivered from the projector 12. Referring to FIG. 7 the relay is functioned in such a manner as that when the light is received (a) by the receiver 13 there is no out-put (d) and when the light 17 is shut-off (b) there is the out-put (c) regardless of time duration t.sub.1, t.sub.2 -- as illustrated in the figure.

The operation of this embodiment is disclosed hereinafter. When a block of crumpled waste paper A is thrown onto the top of the container 1, the block A comes down to the bottom of the valley X -- X where the block A will shut-off the light 17 from the projector 12 passing through the hole 15, running parallel to the valley X -- X or the cross line of the two slants 4 and 5, to the receiver 13. Then the motor 7 is energized by the relay (not shown) in the relay box 16 to rotate the gear 8 slowly, which pushes the door 6 upward by meshing in the rack 6a attached to the back thereof along the back side of the slant 4, and the door 6 opens enough to drop the block A into the container as illustrated as a block B and such blocks C accumulate in the body 1.

According to the opening motion of the door 6, the blind 9 follows the same distance, as the flange 6b of the door 6 keeps in contact with the flange 9b thereof and comes to shut-off the light 17.

When the door 6 opens enough to pass the block A, the light 17 is no longer shut-off by the block A and the motor would be expected to stop, but the blind 9 has already shut-off or blinded the light as mentioned above, and the motor 7 continues rotating. At last the gear-less part 8a comes to be confronted with the rack 6a, then the gear 8 can not drive the rack 6a anymore and the door 6 goes down to the initial position and pushes back the pendulum-type blind 9 to the initial position as shown in FIG. 3 to clear the passage of the light 17.

The function of the blind 9 is to shut-off the light before the falling block A ceases shutting the light 17. This accomplishes the same function as the well-known "self-holding" function on electric circuits. The novel combination of the pendulum-typed blind 9, a self-closing door 6 contacting with the blind, a disengageable driving means saves electric relays and moreover maintenance labor and cost.

A gear having a gear-less, recessed part thereon is disclosed as a means to drop the door by itself, but it will be understood that any other means which can disengage the driving means from the door can be utilized for the same purpose. But the gear having a gear-less part is very convenient because the next time another paper block A is thrown to shut-off the light the motor 7 starts rotating which immediately makes the gear again come to engage with the rack 6a automatically.

After a certain amount of waste paper C has been accumulated the front door 2 is opened to take out the accumulated waste paper blocks.

Another embodiment is shown in FIG. 8 where a hinged door 6' is provided to be open by a magnetic pull means comprising a solenoid 18 when the light of a photo-electronic device is shut-off.

A further embodiment is shown in FIG. 9 where a slidable door 6" is provided to be open by a magnetic pull means comprising a solenoid 18', when the light of a photo-electronic device is shut-off.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A waste material container comprising:

a body made of sheet material having a top portion and a hollow inner portion wherein crumpled waste material can be collected;

a valley shaped recessed portion defined by a pair of oppositely disposed slants in said top portion and a pair of oppositely disposed substantially vertical walls disposed adjacent said slants, said slants and said walls further defining a lower extremity of said recessed portion;

a photo electric element disposed in substantially said lower extremity of said recessed portion and including a light projector and a photo-electric receiver, said projector continuously projecting a beam of light at said receiver;

a door disposed in one of said slants, said door being normally closed;

a door operating means to open said door upon interruption of said beam of light by said waste material and to close the door after said waste material has entered said hollow inner portion; and

said door operating means including:

a blind, pivotally mounted on one of said substantially vertical walls, said blind being pivoted in conjunction with the opening of said door thereby interrupting said beam of light when said door opens, but before said waste material enters said hollow inner portion,

a driving means for opening said door in response to the interruption of said beam of light, said driving means being operative to open said door a predetermined amount as long as said beam of light is interrupted, and

releasing means releasing said door after said door is opened said predetermined amount thereby allowing said door to close under the weight thereof.

2. A waste material container as recited in claim 1 wherein said blind is a weighted pendulum.

3. A waste material container as recited in claim 2 wherein said driving means comprises:

a gear rack affixed to said door;

a gear having at least one portion thereof which contains no gear teeth, said gear being associated with said gear rack; and

motor means for rotating said gear.