Targeted sorting of pulp bottles during recovery

Abstract

A method for sorting a material stream (2) of a sorting device (1) comprises: detecting at least one unique feature (10, 11, 12) of a material portion (3) transported in the material stream (2) of the sorting device (1) by means of a sensor system of the sorting device (1); identifying, by means of a control device of the sorting device (1), that the material portion (3) is a pulp container or a part of a pulp container on the basis of the at least one feature (10, 11, 12); and actuating a sorting device (6) of the sorting device (1) such that the material portion (3) is removed from the material stream (2).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a method for sorting a material flow of a sorting device, and a device for sorting a material flow of a sorting device. Background Art

[0002] As an alternative to PET bottles, free-formable containers made of paper pulp are known in the prior art as a packaging solution for beverages. The production process of such bottles is described, for example, in WO 2019 / 034707 A1, EP 3642 414 B1 or EP 1 285 994 A1. However, such bottles have not been widely distributed on the market so far.

[0003] The bottle is disposed of like any other packaging with other packaging waste or recyclables. In Germany, for example, bottles can be disposed of as part of the "green dot" or "yellow bag" at sorting stations or at recyclable material dumps or construction yards. Other countries have similar systems for sorting and collecting household waste, including deposit and non-deposit systems. However, it is also possible that bottles can be disposed of directly with the remaining waste.

[0004] In the prior art, no solution has been found for the recovery of pulp bottles, their reuse, their material separation or their sortability in the recycling process.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a method capable of efficiently recycling pulp material bottles.

[0006] Instruction Manual Summary

[0007] This object is achieved by a method according to claim 1. Embodiments are described in the dependent claims.

[0008] The method is a method for sorting a material flow of a sorting device, comprising:

[0009] detecting, by means of a sensor system of the sorting device, at least one unique feature of a material portion transported in a material flow of the sorting device;

[0010] identifying, by means of a control device of the sorting device, that the material portion is a pulp container or a part of a pulp container based on at least one feature; and

[0011] Operate the sorting device of the sorting equipment so that the material parts are removed from the material flow.

[0012] The sorting device can in particular be a sorting device for waste or recyclable materials. The sorting device can in particular be part of a recycling device for beverage containers. The material flow can in particular be a mixed material flow, which is understood to be a material flow comprising different types of materials. Thus, the mixed material flow can include, for example, a plastics fraction, a paper fraction, a pulp fraction, a metal fraction, etc.

[0013] The term "pulp container" refers here and below to a container made of pulp. However, the pulp container may include other materials, for example for coating. The pulp may contain fibers, in particular fibers of natural origin. The fibers may contain lignin and / or quinine. The fibers may, for example, include cellulose fibers, conifer fibers, leafy shrub fibers and / or sycamore fibers and / or grass fibers, reed fibers and / or bamboo fibers or similar fibers. The fibers may include silk threads, spider silk, algae, natural fibers (such as Danube Silfi fibers, corn, cotton), banana peels, banana leaves, orange peels, grass, straw, potato starch or processed cow dung. Cellulose fibers derived from artificial planting processes may also be provided. In the case of a shortage of materials in wood, as the base material of the fluid substance with fibers, these alternative materials may replace the base material in whole or in part. The fibers may include a fiber mixture consisting of non-wood materials, such as cotton, linen and / or textile fibers.

[0014] Through the targeted identification of material fractions based on unique characteristics and the subsequent removal of material fractions, it is possible to collect as pure a material as possible in order to subsequently recycle the material. In this context, recycling refers in particular to the reuse or further utilization of the material. On the other hand, thermal recovery should not be considered as recycling. In other words, recycling refers in particular to the reuse or further utilization of the material without thermal recovery.

[0015] The material portion removed from the material flow can be transferred, for example, to a corresponding collecting container. It is also possible to transfer the material portion to a pure material flow, for example to a corresponding conveyor belt.

[0016] The recognition that the material portion is a portion of a container made of paper pulp can in particular take place automatically.

[0017] The sensor system may comprise an optical sensor, such as a camera. Alternatively or additionally, the sensor system may comprise a receiver for electromagnetic waves in the long wave and / or short wave and / or ultra high frequency and / or microwave range. Furthermore, the sensor system may comprise an infrared and / or ultraviolet radiation source and / or an infrared and / or ultraviolet sensor. Furthermore, the sensor system may comprise a sensor for measuring magnetic and / or electric fields or for measuring changes in such fields. The sensor system may have a combination of different types of sensors.

[0018] With a sensor system having one or more such sensors, reliable detection of unique features can be achieved.

[0019] The sensors of the sensor system can be arranged above the material flow. Alternatively or additionally, the sensors of the sensor system can be arranged laterally of the material flow. Furthermore, the sensors of the sensor system can be arranged below a transport device, such as a conveyor belt, on which the material flow is transported.

[0020] The at least one unique feature may comprise a signal output by a transponder, in particular an RFID transponder, which is part of the material portion. A suitable transponder can be constructed to be very small and can be arranged at different locations in the pulp container. For example, it can also be located inside the container or even in the container wall. Thus, the transponder can be mounted in an unobtrusive manner, i.e. it does not interfere with the design of the pulp container and the pulp container can still be clearly identified. Furthermore, the transponder signal can be reliably detected even if the view of the material portion is obstructed, for example by other trash.

[0021] The at least one unique feature may also comprise an engraving present on the material portion.Alternatively or additionally, the at least one unique feature may comprise a three-dimensional structure on the material portion.

[0022] Alternatively or additionally, the at least one unique feature may comprise an imprint on the material portion, in particular an imprint applied directly to the surface of the material portion, whereby the imprint may be applied to any desired portion of the surface. Here, in particular the imprint may be applied at least partially to the material portion with an ink that is not visible to the human eye. This may also allow unambiguous identification of the material portion without impairing the design of the pulp container.

[0023] Alternatively or additionally, the at least one unique feature may comprise a mark on the material portion, in particular a holographic mark. Alternatively or additionally, the at least one unique feature may comprise a code applied to the material portion, in particular a QR code and / or a barcode. Furthermore, the at least one unique feature may comprise a digital watermark on the material portion. In this case, a digital watermark is particularly understood as a mark that is intertwined with another pattern, such as an imprint, but is not directly perceptible to humans. For example, a pixel pattern may be hidden in the imprint, which pixel pattern can only be recognized by digital analysis of the imprint and can be recognized as a watermark.

[0024] One of the at least one unique feature may be arranged on a side of the material portion that corresponds to the outside of a pulp container, in particular a bottle. In addition, one of the at least one unique feature may be arranged on a side of the material portion that corresponds to the inside of a pulp container, in particular a bottle.

[0025] The pulp container may have several of the above-mentioned unique features. In this case, the pulp container may have different types of unique features, but the pulp container may also have different types of features in several locations. Combinations of these variants are also possible. Furthermore, the sensor system may be configured to detect several of the above-mentioned unique features. Since the pulp container has multiple unique features and the sensor system is configured to detect these multiple unique features, the material portion can be uniquely identified as belonging to the pulp container even when the material portion is partially obscured or the material portion only represents a part of the pulp container, for example when the pulp container is broken.

[0026] For example, a print may be applied to the pulp container which fluoresces when illuminated with ultraviolet light. At the same time, one or more RFID transponders may be arranged on or in the pulp container, in particular at locations not covered by the print. The sensor system may comprise an ultraviolet lamp which excites the print to fluoresce, a camera which detects the fluorescence, and an RFID receiver. In this case, the portion of the pulp container where the print is present may be identified by the detected fluorescent radiation, while other portions of the pulp container may be identified by recognizing the signal of the RFID transponder.

[0027] Furthermore, the control device may be configured to recognize that the material portion is part of a pulp container based only on a portion of the at least one unique feature. For example, the at least one unique feature may include a printed pattern and / or a three-dimensional structure, and the control device is configured to recognize the pattern or structure even if the sensor system only partially detects the pattern or structure. To this end, the control device may be configured to use an appropriate pattern recognition system. Furthermore, the control device may be configured to use artificial intelligence or machine learning methods in this case.

[0028] In this way, a reliable recognition of the material portion can be ensured even in the case of a material portion which the sensor system cannot detect completely or only partially obscured.

[0029] The control device can be configured to identify certain characteristics of the pulp container based on the unique feature. Certain characteristics may in particular relate to the material composition of the pulp. In particular, the control device can be configured to detect whether the pulp has one or more of the above-mentioned fibers. Alternatively or additionally, certain characteristics may relate to a minimum shelf life of the pulp container and / or a size of the pulp container and / or a closure type of the pulp container and / or a calorific value of the pulp container and / or a color of the pulp container. Certain characteristics may be encoded in the unique feature. By identifying certain characteristics of the pulp container based on the unique feature, the collection of material that is as pure as possible can be further improved for subsequent recycling of the material.

[0030] The control device may be configured to identify the size of the material portion based on the data of the sensor system. For example, the control device may be configured to process the image data to determine the size of the material portion. For example, the size may be determined based on a comparison of the size of the imprint or a portion of the imprint with a detected contour of the material portion. In order to save computing resources, the size may only be determined after the material portion has been identified based on the at least one unique feature.

[0031] The control of the sorting device may include the control of a compressed air device to remove material portions from the material flow. With the aid of a suitable compressed air device, relatively light pulp material portions can simply be blown out of the material flow. The compressed air device may also be controlled based on a determined size of the material portions. Thus, in the case of a small portion, the strength of the compressed air flow may be selected to be smaller than in the case of a large portion. Alternatively or additionally, the control of the sorting device may include the control of another conveying element, such as a pusher.

[0032] The present invention also provides an apparatus for sorting a material flow of a sorting device, wherein the apparatus is configured to perform a method having one or more of the above-mentioned features.

[0033] Furthermore, the present invention provides a pulp container having at least one of the above-mentioned unique features. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] Other features and advantages of the present invention are explained below with reference to the exemplary drawings, in which:

[0035] Figure 1 A sorting device for a material flow is schematically shown;

[0036] Figure 2 The container is schematically shown; and

[0037] Figure 3 A flow chart of a method for sorting a material flow is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] Figure 1 Schematically, a sorting plant 1 for a material flow 2 is shown, which is a sorting plant in a waste, recyclable material or recycling plant. A pulp container 3 or a part of a pulp container 3 is located in the material flow 2. In addition, objects 4 made of other materials are located in the material flow 2.

[0039] The material flow 2 is transported on a conveyor belt 8 in the direction of the arrow T. In this case, the pulp container 3 or parts of the pulp container 3 and the objects 4 are guided past the sensors 5 of the sensor system. In the illustrated arrangement, the sensors 5 are arranged on both sides of the conveyor belt 8. However, other sensors can be located above and / or below the conveyor belt. A compressed air device 6 and a collecting container 7 are located downstream of the sensors 5. With the aid of the compressed air device 6, the pulp container 3 or parts of the pulp container 3 can be blown from the material flow 2 into the collecting container 7. Alternatively, the pulp container 3 or parts of the pulp container 3 can be transferred from the material flow 2 to the collecting container 7. Figure 1 On another conveyor belt not shown.

[0040] The sensor 5 and the compressed air device 6 are connected to a control device (not shown) for data exchange. The control device is configured to evaluate the sensor data of the sensor 5 and to control the compressed air device 6 based on the sensor data.

[0041] The sensor 5 is configured to detect a unique feature of the pulp container 3 or a part of the pulp container 3 .

[0042] Figure 2 Schematically a pulp container 3 is shown. The pulp container 3 has several unique features, namely an imprint 10, two transponders 11 and a QR code 12. The imprint 10 consists at least partially of ink which is imperceptible to the human eye. Each unique feature identifies the pulp container 3 as a container consisting of pulp.

[0043] Figure 3 A flow chart of a method for sorting a material flow of a sorting device is schematically shown.

[0044] In step 101, at least one unique feature of a material portion transported in a material flow of the sorting device is detected by means of a sensor system of the sorting device. In step 102, a control device of the sorting device performs a recognition that the material portion is part of a pulp container based on the at least one feature. In step 103, a sorting device of the sorting device is actuated such that the material portion is removed from the material flow.

Claims

1. A method for sorting a material flow (2) of a sorting device (1), comprising: detecting at least one unique feature (10, 11, 12) of a material portion (3) transported in the material flow (2) of the sorting device (1) by means of a sensor system of the sorting device (1); By means of a control device of the sorting device (1), identifying the material portion (3) as a pulp container or a part of a pulp container based on the at least one feature (10, 11, 12); as well as The sorting device (6) of the sorting apparatus (1) is actuated such that the material portion (3) is removed from the material flow (2).

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The sensor system includes an optical sensor.

3. The method according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein: The sensor system comprises a receiver for electromagnetic waves in the longwave and / or shortwave and / or ultrahigh frequency and / or microwave range.

4. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The sensor system comprises an infrared and / or ultraviolet radiation source, and / or wherein the sensor system comprises an infrared and / or ultraviolet sensor.

5. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The at least one unique characteristic (10, 11, 12) comprises a signal output from an RFID transponder of the material portion.

6. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The at least one unique feature (10, 11, 12) comprises an engraving present on the material portion.

7. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The at least one unique feature (10, 11, 12) comprises a three-dimensional structure on the material portion.

8. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The at least one unique feature (10, 11, 12) comprises an imprint on the material portion, in particular wherein the imprint is applied directly to a surface of the material portion.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein: The imprint comprises a portion applied to the material portion with ink which is invisible to the human eye.

10. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The at least one unique feature (10, 11, 12) comprises a marking, in particular a holographic marking, on the material portion.

11. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The at least one unique feature (10, 11, 12) comprises a code, in particular a QR code and / or a barcode.

12. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The at least one unique characteristic (10, 11, 12) comprises a digital watermark on the material portion.

13. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: Operating the sorting device (4) includes operating a compressed air device to remove the material portion (3) from the material flow (2).

14. A device for sorting a material flow of a sorting device, wherein: The apparatus is configured to perform a method according to any one of the preceding claims.

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