Front-loadable refuse container having side-loading robotic arm with motors and other mass mounted at rear of container and use of same with front-loading waste-hauling vehicle having hydraulic front forks or other retractably engageable lift means

摘要

A front-loading, refuse collecting vehicle is modularly provided with a combination of a low-profile, front-loadable waste bin (intermediate container) and one or more, side-loading robotic arms. To reduce mechanical stresses along couplings between the vehicle and the combination of the intermediate container and the robotic arm(s), a major portion of the mass of the robotic arm mechanism is situated to the rear of the intermediate container so that a mass and beam combination is defined where the mass-supporting beam has reduced length. More specifically, hydraulic and/or other relatively massive motor devices of the robotic arm mechanism are mounted to the rear of a refuse-containing wall of the intermediate container. Elastomeric and/or other dampening devices may be interposed between the vehicle and the bulk mass of the combination of the intermediate container and robotic arm mechanism for converting into heat some of the vibrational energy which may otherwise move between the vehicle and the combination of the intermediate container and robotic arm mechanism. A modular sled system may be provided for supporting different robotic arms in combination with refuse containers made of different materials as may be appropriate for different waste collection situations.

主权项

1. A fork-liftable combination of a refuse container and a side-loading robotic arm mechanism for operative use with a supplied front-loading, waste collecting vehicle, where the vehicle has frontwardly extending forks and where said fork-liftable combination is characterized by:
at least a first portion of the side-loading robotic arm mechanism attached to a rearmost refuse-containing wall of the refuse container rearward of the refuse container during collection of refuse, a slide mechanism enables movement of the first portion, the first portion and the slide mechanism are located between the refuse container and the vehicle when supported by the vehicle; the refuse container has fork-receiving pockets attached to the refuse container for receiving the forks of the vehicle, the fork-receiving pockets extend rearwardly past the rearmost refuse-containing wall of the refuse container.