Waste disposal apparatus
View Patent ↗The present invention discloses a waste disposal apparatus including a container having a first end and a second end. A tubing cassette for supplying tubing is mounted proximate the first end of the container. A first sealing member and a second sealing member are moveable between an open position, wherein tubing from the tubing cassette can pass between the first and second sealing members, and a closed position, wherein the first and second sealing members can be activated to create a seal in the tubing. The first and second sealing members are guided by guide pins that travel along stepped channels for moving the first and second sealing members between the open and closed positions, and for pulling the tubing and waste packages through the waste disposal apparatus.
1. A waste disposal apparatus, comprising:
a container having a first end and a second end;
a tubing cassette for supplying tubing, the tubing cassette mounted proximate the first end of the containers;
a first sealing member having ends and a second sealing member having ends, the first and second sealing members being mounted to the container with their lengths in parallel relationship, being positioned between the tubing cassette and the second end of the container, and being in biased in an open position, wherein the tubing is dispensed from the tubing cassette extending through the first and second sealing members into the second and of the container, and
operationally moveable to a closed position, wherein the first and second sealing members can be activated to create a seal in the tubing;
a first pair of guide pins each mounted to an end of the first sealing member and biased to move away from each other;
a second pair of guide pins each mounted to an end of the second sealing member and biased to move away from each other;
a first pair of channels between which the first sealing member is positioned and in each of which one of the first pair of guide pins travels as the first sealing member is operationally moveable between the open position and the closed position; and
a second pair of channels between which the second scaling member is positioned and in each of which one of the second pair of guide pins travels as the second sealing member is moved between the open position and the closed position.
2. The waste disposal apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the sealing member includes a heating element and the second sealing member includes a backing element.
3. The waste disposal apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first and the second pair of channels are stepped channels.
4. The waste disposal apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first and second channels are configured to cause the first and second sealing members to move between a position relatively close to the tubing cassette and a position relatively further away from the tubing cassette.
5. The waste disposal apparatus as recited in claim 4 , wherein the first and second sealing members are in the closed position as they move from the position relatively close to the tubing cassette to the position relatively further away from the tubing cassette.
6. The waste disposal apparatus as recited in claim 4 , wherein the first and second sealing members are in the open position as they move from the position relatively further away from the tubing cassette to the position relatively close to the tubing cassette.
7. The waste disposal apparatus as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a proximity switch to energize one of the first and second sealing members to seal the tubing.
8. A waste disposal apparatus, comprising:
a container having a first end and a second end;
a tubing cassette for storing and dispensing tubing, the tubing cassette mounted proximate the first end of the container and rotatable in relation to the container, said dispensed tubing being operationally positioned with respect to the container such that a twist can be formed in the tubing to form a receptacle closed on a first end, into which waste material may be placed;
a retention means positioned between the tubing cassette and the second end of the container for preventing rotation of a tubing receptacle filled with waste material when the tubing cassette is rotated; and
a first sealing member and a second sealing member pivotally mounted to the container between the tubing cassette and the second end of the container and operatively moveable between an open position, wherein tubing from the tubing cassette can pass between the first and second sealing members, and a closed position, wherein a twist formed in the tubing can be sealed; and
wherein the first sealing member comprises a heating element and the second sealing member comprises a backing element: the backing element being tension-biased toward the heating element.
9. The waste disposal apparatus as recited in claim 8 , further comprising a set of channels mounted to the container that are configured to guide the first and second sealing members to move between the open position and the closed position.
10. The waste disposal apparatus as recited in claim 8 , further comprising a set of channels mounted to the container that are configured to guide the first and second sealing members to move between a position relatively close to the tubing cassette to a position relatively further away from the tubing cassette.
11. The waste disposal apparatus as recited in claim 10 , further comprising a first link having its first end pivotally attached to a first end of the first sealing member, a second link having its first end pivotally attached to a first end of the second sealing member, and the second ends of the first and second links are pivotally attached, and further including a third link having its first end pivotally attached to a second end of the first sealing member, a fourth link having its first end pivotally attached to a second end of the second sealing member, and the second ends of the third and fourth links are pivotally attached.
12. The waste disposal apparatus as recited in claim 8 , wherein the retention means is positioned between the first and second sealing members and the second end of the container.
13. The waste disposal apparatus as recited in claim 8 , wherein the backing element is spring biased toward the heating element.
14. The waste disposal apparatus as recited in claim 8 , wherein the waste material is a soiled diaper.
15. A waste disposal apparatus, comprising:
a container having a first end and a second end;
a tubing cassette for dispensing tubing, the tubing cassette mounted proximate the first end of the container and rotatable in relation to the container, said dispensed tubing being operationally positioned with respect to the container such that a twist can be formed in the tubing to form a receptacle closed on a first end, into which waste material may be placed;
a retention means positioned between the tubing cassette and the second end of the container for preventing rotation of a tubing receptacle filled with waste material when the tubing cassette is rotated; and
a first scaling member and a second sealing member mounted to the container between the tubing cassette and the second end of the container and movable between an open position, wherein tubing front the tubing cassette can pass between the first and second sealing members, and a closed position, wherein a twist formed in the tubing can be sealed; and
a first link having its first end pivotally attached to a first end of the first sealing member, a second link having its first end pivotally attached to a first end of the second scaling member, and the second ends of the first and second links are pivotally attached, and further including a third link having its first end pivotally attached to a second end of the first scaling member, a fourth link having its first end pivotally attached to a second end of the second sealing member, and the second ends of the third and fourth links are pivotally attached.