As society and technology continue to advance, people's demand for convenience and intelligence in everyday household items has been steadily increasing. Traditional rubbish bins still have numerous design flaws, such as inconvenient lid openings, poorly designed lids, and difficulty in cleaning. These issues make rubbish bins unable to meet the efficient and hygienic usage requirements in modern life and public environments. As a crucial component of daily waste management, rubbish bins must not only collect waste but also be more intelligent and user-friendly in operation and maintenance to align with contemporary standards of hygiene and efficiency.

Waste management is an indispensable part of modern urban life, and the cleaning and maintenance of rubbish bins play a pivotal role in this process. If the interior of a rubbish bin remains uncleaned for extended periods, it can easily harbour bacteria, emit unpleasant odours, and attract pests, thereby compromising environmental hygiene and public health. Traditional manual cleaning methods are inefficient and unsanitary. Users often neglect bin maintenance due to inconvenience or reluctance to handle dirty waste, further exacerbating hygiene risks. Therefore, developing a bin capable of automatic cleaning is particularly necessary.

This invention proposes a self-cleaning rubbish bin designed to reduce manual intervention and enhance user experience through automation. The bin integrates a water pump and spray system, which evenly distributes soapy water onto the inner walls when the cleaning mode is activated, effectively removing stains and residues. Additionally, ultrasonic sensors are used to detect user proximity, enabling automatic lid opening to reduce direct contact between people and the rubbish bin, thereby enhancing hygiene safety. The rubbish bin is also equipped with a water level sensor and LED indicator lights, which alert users when cleaning fluid is low, ensuring the cleaning function remains effective. All hardware is managed by an Arduino control unit, ensuring coordinated and stable system operation.

This self-cleaning rubbish bin not only maintains a simple and compact structure with relatively low manufacturing costs but also offers high practicality and scalability. It can be widely applied in homes, offices, campuses, and public spaces, effectively improving environmental hygiene standards, reducing the burden of manual cleaning, and providing a practical solution for modern intelligent waste management.

Invention Technical Description

The self-cleaning rubbish bin of the present invention adopts a modular design, with an Arduino Uno as the core control unit. By uniformly managing sensors and actuators, it achieves automatic lid opening, internal spray cleaning, and water level monitoring functions. The system primarily consists of hardware and software components, which work together to ensure stable operation and functional implementation of the device.

In terms of hardware structure, the control unit uses an Arduino Uno as the main control chip, responsible for collecting sensor signals and driving various actuators. The sensing and input unit includes an ultrasonic sensor, a cleaning button, and a water level sensor. The ultrasonic sensor is installed on the top of the bin to detect user proximity and enable contactless lid opening; the cleaning button is manually triggered by the user to activate the cleaning function; the water level sensor monitors the remaining cleaning liquid and alerts the user via an LED light. The actuator unit consists of a servo motor, a small DC pump, and an LED indicator light. The servo motor controls the opening and closing of the bin lid; the pump is connected to a nozzle, spraying soapy water onto the inner walls of the bin to achieve automatic cleaning; the LED indicator lights provide operational status and water level alerts. The power supply uses a 5V DC power source, with the Arduino and pump sharing the same power supply and ground connection. If necessary, an independent power module can be used to supply power to the pump, ensuring system stability.

In terms of software and control logic, the system continuously monitors whether the user is approaching in standby mode. When the user enters the designated range, the Arduino drives the servo motor to open the bin lid, which automatically closes after a delay once the user leaves. The cleaning function is triggered by the user pressing a button. The controller first checks if the water level is normal; if sufficient, it drives the pump to start, spraying soapy water for cleaning; After cleaning is complete, the water pump automatically shuts off, and the system returns to standby mode. If the water level is insufficient, an LED light illuminates to prompt the user to add water, and the cleaning process will not start. The program also includes protective mechanisms, such as limiting the maximum runtime of the water pump to prevent overheating damage, and restricting the servo motor's rotation angle to avoid mechanical jamming.

Demostration/ Presentation Video

Poster/ Broucher/ Invention Photo