Garbage Separator

Abstract

A garbage separator system (500) is provided, the system configured to separate water from waste, garbage, and food particles as they flow down a sink drain. In some embodiments, the system includes a screw drive (508) configured to be mounted beneath the drain of a sink and to rotate to convey waste particles laterally away from the underside of the drain of the sink (e.g., toward a bin for collecting waste particles (518)) while allowing water to drain through a plurality of drainage holes in a tube encasing the screw drive.

1 . A garbage separator system for separating waste particles from water in a drain of a sink, comprising:
 a screw conveyor configured to be mounted beneath the drain of a sink, the screw conveyor comprising:   a screw drive configured to rotate to convey waste particles laterally away from the drain of the sink;   a tube encasing the screw drive, wherein the tube comprises a plurality of drainage holes configured to allow water to drain out of the screw conveyor and to retain waste particles inside the screw conveyor; and   a removable waste bin configured to receive waste particles conveyed by the screw conveyor.   
     
     
         2 . The garbage separator system of  claim 1 , wherein the screw drive of the screw conveyor is configured to rotate about an axis of rotation that intersects a central axis of the drain of the sink. 
     
     
         3 . The garbage separator system of  claim 2 , wherein the axis of rotation is perpendicular to the axis of the drain of the sink. 
     
     
         4 . The garbage separator system of  claim 2 , wherein the axis of rotation forms an acute upward angle with the axis of the drain of the sink. 
     
     
         5 . The garbage separator system of  claim 1 , wherein the screw conveyor comprises a proximal portion beneath the sink drain and a distal portion above the removable waste bin. 
     
     
         6 . The garbage separator system of  claim 5 , wherein the tube comprises a waste opening at the distal portion of the screw conveyor above the removable waste bin. 
     
     
         7 . The garbage separator system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the screw conveyor comprises a middle portion between the proximal portion and the distal portion; and some or all of the plurality of drainage holes in the tube are located at the middle portion.   
     
     
         8 . The garbage separator system of  claim 1 , further comprising a return manifold configured to catch water draining from some or all of the plurality of drainage holes. 
     
     
         9 . The garbage separator system of  claim 8 , wherein the return manifold is configured to be coupled to a drainage pipe such that the water caught by the return manifold drains into the drainage pipe. 
     
     
         10 . The garbage separator system of  claim 1 , further comprising a housing defining an opening above the screw conveyor configured to be mounted below the dram of the sink. 
     
     
         11 . The garbage separator of  claim 10 , wherein the housing defines an opening configured to allow the removable waste bin to slide into and out of the housing. 
     
     
         12 . The garbage separator of  claim 10 , wherein the housing is configured to direct falling waste particles toward the waste bin. 
     
     
         13 . The garbage separator of  claim 1 , wherein the tube comprises a removable end portion configured to be removed to allow removal of the screw drive from the screw conveyor. 
     
     
         14 . The garbage separator of  claim 1 , wherein the garbage separator is configured to be installed in an enclosure beneath a sink. 
     
     
         15 . The garbage separator of  claim 14 , wherein the garbage separator is configured such that, when installed, the removable waste bin faces in a direction toward an area in front of the sink, and is removable by sliding in the direction toward the area front of the sink. 
     
     
         16 . The garbage separator of  claim 1 , further comprising a movable seal configured to move between an open position in which waste particles may pass through an opening between the tube and the waste bin and a closed position in which the opening is sealed.