Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02899043 2015-07-31
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PATENT DESCRIPTION
The F.U.D.,(Flap Up/Down), awareness device, is an invention to be used
in conjunction with waste/recycling bins, to signify to the driver, when and
if, the waste/recycling bin, requires emptying or not.
The F.U.D. is created from polypropylene, a tough cheap plastic with a
slightly waxy feel. It consists of two rigid, rectangular mirror-image pieces,
connected by a "living hinge." All three parts are created in one operation
as a single piece, by injection molding.
"Injection molding," a process in which molten plastic or resin, under
pressure, is forced into a cavity formed by two or more mold halves,
cooled, and ejected in the form of a finished part/product.
"Living hinges," are manufactured in the injection molding operation. A
"living hinge," is a thin flexible hinge, made from the same material, as
the two rigid pieces it connects. It is typically thinned to allow the rigid
pieces to bend along the line of the hinge.The minimal friction and very
little wear in such a hinge, along with the low cost and ease of
manufacturing, makes them quite common in all types of plastic packaging.
There is printing on all of the four faces of the two rigid pieces connected
by the living hinge. The printing is raised polypropylene lettering and is
part of the general makeup of the piece.
Drawing#1, Fig.1, depicts the outside of a F.U.D., with the initial section on
top, (that attaches to the cart) and the adjacent flap section on the bottom,
(the moveable part of the unit). On the outside of the adjacent flap, the part
facing out, there are written instructions in raised polypropylene lettering,
to either lower/open, the flap when engaging for pickup of the cart, or to
raise/close the flap when no pickup is required. Because the unit is a solid
flourescent colour, both inside and out, in order to camouflage the bright
flourescent colour on the outside of the adjacent flap, so the unit won't get
accidentaly picked up, the raised lettering on the outside of the adjacent
flap is,"hot stamped," in a solid black color.
"Hot Stamping," is a dry printing method in which predried ink or foils are
transferred to a surface at high temperatures.
The adjacent flap was also created to a thickness of 1/8",(.030), twice as
thick as the initial section at 1/16",(.010). Reason being, is that the extra
thickness of this flap, adds to it's weight and this in turn aids in the
resetting feature, explained in detail later on in this description.
When the F.U.D. is engaged for pickup with the flap down, the weight of
this thicker heavier flap, also prevents it from accidentally blowing closed
in a gust of wind, which would then result in no pickup.
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Drawing #1, Fig.2, depicts the inside of the F.U.D. These are the surfaces
that are exposed that signify for pickup, when the adjacent flap is lowered.
The F.U.D., is designed to be firmly affixed to a waste/ recyling cart in one
of two ways. It can be affixed with the two strips of double backed tape as
shown on the initial section of the F.U.D., in Drawing #1, Fig.1, Number 2.
In between the strips of tape, are instructions in raised polypropylene
letters, on the proper mounting procedure of the F.U.D., to the bin.
The F.U.D can also be affixed to a bin with a pop rivet. The observed hole
in the center of the initial section, among the raised polypropylene
lettering,
is there to accomodate a pop rivet. Using this hole as a pilot guide for a
drill bit, a hole is drilled through the chosen surface, that the F.U.D. is to
be
mounted to and a pop rivet is then inserted through the pilot hole in the
F.U.D., on through the hole drilled into the chosen surface and the rivet is
then "popped," to complete the operation and secure the F.U.D. to the cart.
In Fig.2, both of these surfaces are the inside of the F.U.D., and are
only exposed when the flap is lowered. When exposed, the bright
flourescent colour, signifies to the waste truck driver, that the bin requires
emptying. Both of these inside surfaces, also contain the raised
polypropylene lettering, with printed information and instructions.
On the two inside surfaces, at the top center outer edge of the upper flap
that is affixed to the bin and at the bottom center outer edge of the lower
flap, which hangs down freely on the living hinge, are two snap-pole
magnets. When the lower flap is raised, these two magnets engage to
hold the flap closed until manually disengaging for pickup.
Prior to this device, the waste/recycling truck driver, was responsible for
emptying the carts and he had no idea whether a cart was empty or full, so
he would empty all the carts, regardless.
The object of this invention, is to assist the state of awareness afforded a
driver, by now indicating if a cart needs emptying or not. This can now be
accomplished by a F.U.D., a device that is inexpensive to manufacture,
durable, easy to detect when engaged and resistant to vandalism and all
ranges in the weather.
Now, responsibility for the carts being emptied, will shift from the driver to
the homeowner. Now, the homeowner, must manually engage the device,
in order to have his cart emptied.
When opened for pickup, (flap is lowered), it exposes the two flourescent
surfaces. The information on these surfaces, tell/remind the homeowner,
what to or what not to put in the recycle carts, thus effectively preventing
contamination of a whole load of recyclables. It also tells where to place or
not to place the carts in relation to the alley, thus guaranteeing that the
cart
will be emptied because of proper placement, this, along with other
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pertinent information.
Because of the quick reference information on the flourescent surfaces,
the homeowner will also become more aware of what not to put in the carts
in regards to hazardous materials, thus preventing unforseen
consequences.
When engaged for pickup, the flourescent colour makeup of the
polypropylene unit, make it easy for the driver to see and acknowledge.
Now, environmentally conscious homeowners, would engage the device
periodically for a pickup, only when their carts are full, thus saving a city
money; in fuel, employee time loss and maintenance costs from lessening
the wear and tear on the vehicle, resulting in less down time.
Fewer pickups especially applies to seniors, who have considerably less
waste/recyclables, than whole family units.
One of the main features, is the fact that the unit can reset itself. The
initial
section is affixed to the bin with EITHER two strips of double-backed tape
OR a pop rivet and with the movable connection, the adjacent pocket is
free to open and close. When the adjacent flap is open,(down), signalling
to the driver that the cart requires emptying, the driver picks up the cart
and inverts it over the truck to dump it. At this point, the adjacent flap is
now on top and with the momentum of the bin being upside down and the
weight of the thicker, heavier adjacent flap, this causes the flap to close
and the snap-pole magnets to engage. So, when lowered back down to the
ground, the unit is reset and will remain like that till the adjacent flap is
physically disengaged for the next pickup.
In Drawing #2/2.. .shows a waste/recycle truck engaged in the dumping of
a cart with a F.U.D. attached to the front of the cart. The F.U.D. is
designed
to attach to any vertical surface on a cart and is limited only by the area
occupied by the pincer mechanism on the truck that lifts the cart for
dumping and the sightline required by the driver to readily spot the F.U.D.
and recognize whether it is engaged or not. In the case of this cart, the
F.U.D. has been engaged by lowering the adjacent flap, exposing the two
flourescent surfaces, which signalled to the driver that the cart required
emptying. The cart was then grasped by the lifting mechanism of the truck
and raised up and over the hopper of the truck, where the contents of the
cart were deposited.
In the transpiring of this action, the adjacent/moveable flap on the F.U.D.,
leaves the ground in the open,(hanging down), position and as the bin
proceeds on its arc from the ground to its final destination over the hopper,
the lower flap, due to a combination of it's weight, the effects of gravity
and
the momentum of the moving cart, causes the flap on the F.U.D., to swing
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shut and engage the snap-pole magnets. The cart is then lowered back
down to the ground, with the F.U.D. reset in the closed/no pickup mode
and now it must be physically engaged again, before the next pickup will
be performed.
The benefits of the F.U.D. being created from a polypropylene plastic are:
--Very economical to produce
--Excellent cold weather flexibility
--Excellent moisture resistance
--Ultraviolet resistance and stability--20 years exposed life
--Chemical resistant
--Durability to withstand impacts, (sanitation truck pincer).
--Resistant to fatigue
--Colourfast colours stay bright over time
--Environmentaly Friendly.... Polypropylene has the lowest carbon footprint
volume of all the thermoplastics and produces significantly less CO2
equivalents by weight, than any other plastic.
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