Intelligent waste sorting structure based on cam linkage and mechanical coding

Abstract

The invention discloses an intelligent waste sorting structure based on cam linkage and mechanical coding. The intelligent waste sorting structure comprises a feeding hopper. The feeding hopper is arranged above the three layers of sheet type trays, and the three layers of sheet type trays are respectively an upper layer tray, a middle layer tray and a lower layer tray; a plurality of grooves, a plurality of trapezoidal grooves and a plurality of lower-layer trapezoidal grooves are respectively formed in the inner sides and the outer sides of the upper-layer tray, the middle-layer tray and the lower-layer tray; a plurality of convex teeth are fixedly connected to the periphery of the throwing hopper, the middle-layer tray and the lower-layer tray rotate clockwise and anticlockwise according to the type of garbage, then the grooves, the trapezoidal grooves and the lower-layer trapezoidal grooves are aligned, and after the grooves in the four directions are aligned, the convex teeth on the throwing hopper are naturally embedded into the aligned and opened grooves under the influence of gravity, so that the garbage can be thrown into the throwing hopper. At the moment, after the throwing hopper is ejected out by the connecting rod, the barrel in the corresponding direction is inclined, and the garbage in the throwing hopper is thrown into the barrel in the corresponding direction. According to the invention, classification decision-mechanism execution-directional locking-directional dumping are all converted into a programmable mechanical action sequence, and the method has significant advantages in the aspects of energy consumption level, service life and the like.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an intelligent waste sorting structure, specifically an intelligent waste sorting structure based on cam linkage and mechanical coding. Background Technology

[0002] With the widespread implementation of waste sorting policies, smart trash cans are gradually evolving towards automatic identification and disposal. Existing smart trash cans generally employ a traditional electronic control scheme of "camera recognition + multiple motor drives," using motors to drive flaps, baffles, or rotating trays for sorting and disposal. While this structure possesses a certain level of automation, it reveals significant shortcomings in practical applications. Because the disposal action relies entirely on motor execution, the machine generates high energy consumption during frequent opening, closing, and rotation, failing to meet the requirements for low-power operation or even operation off-grid. Furthermore, the stacking of multiple motors and linkages complicates the overall structure, leading to numerous potential failure points, high maintenance costs, and difficulty in guaranteeing reliability.

[0003] In terms of sorting execution structure, traditional smart trash cans rely heavily on electronic control logic to determine the disposal direction, such as controlling the opening and closing of baffles or the rotation angle of the tray through program control. However, this method requires high precision from sensors and motors. Once there is a positional error, load shift, or control delay, it is very easy to cause inaccurate disposal direction or malfunction. Existing devices lack a reliable mechanical interlock structure, making it difficult to ensure the determinism and non-conflictivity of sorting logic through purely mechanical means; and when the tray is subjected to uneven force or the center of gravity shifts, sorting failures or trash spillage are more likely to occur. This high dependence on electronic logic makes the overall system's anti-interference capability weak and unable to provide reliable service in scenarios with power outages, low power consumption, or unstable energy.

[0004] Existing smart trash cans mostly rely on electronic control and multiple motors for waste sorting. The selection of the disposal direction and the execution of the disposal action both require continuous power and complex sensor-motor closed-loop control. This not only leads to high power consumption and poor reliability but also to complex structure and difficult maintenance. During waste disposal, due to uneven weight distribution of waste and dynamic changes in tray force, relying solely on electronic positioning is prone to problems such as angle deviation, incorrect disposal direction, or decreased sorting consistency. Especially in public places, outdoor environments, or areas with unstable power supply, this high-energy-consuming, motor-dependent sorting mode is even more difficult to meet long-term usage requirements.

[0005] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a classification actuator that can still operate reliably under low energy consumption or even short-term power outage conditions. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To address the problem of trash cans failing to function under power outage or low power consumption conditions, this invention provides an intelligent waste sorting structure based on cam linkage and mechanical coding.

[0007] This invention provides the following technical solution: The purpose of this invention is to solve the aforementioned key technical difficulties by proposing a mechanical logic-based sorting and execution structure that is completely different from traditional electronic control logic. It replaces the traditional motor-driven directional disposal method with a purely mechanical convex point coding, convex platform linkage, groove trigger locking, and center-of-gravity orientation tilting mechanism. This constructs a waste disposal mechanism that does not rely on electronic positioning, does not require motor participation in the sorting action, and possesses self-orientation capabilities. Through the unique combination of a double-screw jack, a three-layer pallet structure, and a sleeve convex point mechanism, this invention can complete a series of coherent mechanical processes—"logic coding—mechanical linkage—disposal direction locking—center-of-gravity offset"—in a single rotation. This allows waste to naturally tilt into the correct waste chamber based on its own center of gravity after disposal, ensuring correct sorting direction even without continuous motor drive.

[0008] This invention aims to replace electronic logic judgment with mechanical logic coding, replace electronic positioning with mechanical interlocking of trapezoidal grooves and bosses, and replace motor-driven dispensing actions with weight-triggered and center-of-gravity offset actions. This results in a waste sorting system that is simple in structure, highly deterministic in action, highly resistant to interference, and capable of long-term operation in a low-energy environment. This mechanical logic structure not only ensures the repeatability and accuracy of each dispensing direction but also achieves adaptive gravity-based orientation by automatically tilting the tray under weight, completely avoiding mis-dispensing phenomena caused by off-center loading, angle errors, and control delays in traditional multi-motor systems.

[0009] Therefore, the main objective of this invention is to create an intelligent waste sorting device based on mechanical logic, weight locking, and self-centering-of-gravity principles, which possesses the following advantages: low power consumption without requiring a motor to drive the sorting action, enabling long-term stable operation with extremely low energy consumption or a weak external power source; highly reliable sorting logic with mechanical interlocking, mechanical coding, and mechanical limiting, ensuring the uniqueness and non-conflictibility of the four types of waste directions without complex electrical control; a self-centering-of-gravity structure that utilizes center-of-gravity offset to complete automatic dumping, ensuring that the disposal action is unaffected by the weight distribution of waste and always guides it to the correct sorting chamber; and a simple structure, high fault tolerance, and strong anti-interference capabilities, making it suitable for public places, outdoor environments, and other application environments where a stable power supply cannot be guaranteed.

[0010] An intelligent waste sorting structure based on cam linkage and mechanical coding includes a tiltable feeding hopper mounted above the device. The lower end of the feeding hopper is connected to an integrated spring motor assembly via a connecting rod. The feeding hopper is placed above a three-layer thin-plate tray, which consists of an upper tray, a middle tray, and a lower tray. The connecting rod passes through the hollow part of the tray. The upper tray has grooves on its inner and outer sides. The middle tray has multiple trapezoidal grooves on its inner and outer sides. The lower tray has multiple lower trapezoidal grooves. Multiple protruding teeth are fixed to the outer periphery of the feeding hopper at positions aligned with the grooves in the upper tray. The middle and lower trays rotate clockwise and counterclockwise according to the type of waste, respectively, to align the grooves, trapezoidal grooves, and lower trapezoidal grooves. After the grooves in the four directions are aligned, the protruding teeth on the feeding hopper will naturally embed into the aligned and opened grooves due to gravity. At this time, the feeding hopper is pushed out by the connecting rod and tilts towards the corresponding bin, and the waste in the feeding hopper is fed into the corresponding bin.

[0011] Furthermore, the four grooves are defined as A, B, C, and D. Counterclockwise rotation is encoded as rotation "1", and clockwise rotation is encoded as "0". The groove alignment follows the following logic: When aligning the groove in direction A, the rotation directions of the middle tray and the lower tray are "11" respectively; When aligning the opening groove in direction B, the middle tray and the lower tray should be rotated in the direction of "10". When aligning the C-direction groove, the rotation directions of the middle tray and the lower tray are "01" respectively; When aligning the D-direction groove, the middle and lower trays should be rotated in the direction of "00".

[0012] Furthermore, a limiting sealing plate extending from the barrel body is provided below the lower tray. This limiting sealing plate is used to limit, fix, and reset the middle and lower trays after rotation.

[0013] Furthermore, the middle tray and the lower tray are respectively connected to levers on the left side, and the lower ends of the levers are respectively equipped with "||" shaped lower layer levers and middle layer levers. Moving the lower layer levers and the middle layer levers will drive the middle tray and the lower tray to rotate through the levers.

[0014] Furthermore, the lower tray is equipped with a first press-in steel ball roller and a second press-in steel ball roller, as well as a hollow area. The first press-in steel ball roller and the second press-in steel ball roller work with the limit sealing plate to achieve limit switching. The middle tray is equipped with a third press-in steel ball roller and a fourth press-in steel ball roller. The third press-in steel ball roller and the fourth press-in steel ball roller pass through the hollow area and work with the limit sealing plate to achieve limit switching.

[0015] Furthermore, a cylindrical cam quick-return mechanism is also provided inside the barrel. This mechanism is driven to rotate by a stepper motor gearbox assembly fixed on the barrel. The cylindrical cam quick-return mechanism and the stepper motor gearbox assembly are connected by a spring.

[0016] Furthermore, the cylindrical cam quick-return mechanism has an "N"-shaped concave guide rail groove, a first protrusion, and a second protrusion on its surface; a third protrusion is provided on the barrel body; when in standby mode without garbage disposal, the third protrusion is embedded in the "N"-shaped concave guide rail groove and is in its initial position; the top of the cylindrical cam quick-return mechanism has two fourth protrusions for resetting the middle tray and the lower tray.

[0017] Furthermore, when the middle and lower trays rotate to their limit positions, the first and second press-in ball bearing rollers slide into the first limit switch, and the third and fourth press-in ball bearing rollers slide through the hollow area into the second limit switch. The first and second limit switches can work with the fourth protrusion to reset the middle and lower trays.

[0018] By addressing the fundamental problems of traditional smart trash cans in terms of energy consumption, structural complexity, classification reliability, and resistance to environmental interference, this invention achieves a truly low-power, high-stability, mechanical logic-based smart waste disposal method, providing a completely new technological path for smart waste sorting equipment.

[0019] When waste is input into the intelligent waste sorting structure, the intelligent waste sorting structure performs the following operations: Step 1: The camera identifies the garbage in the collection bin and determines its classification type; Step 2: Select the corresponding logic. Based on the recognition result, the control system controls the middle and lower trays to rotate to the corresponding logic combination to align with the target groove. Step 3: Once the tray has rotated into position, the trapezoidal groove in the target direction will open after being aligned with the grooves of the middle and lower trays, while the other directions will remain closed. Step 4: The outer toothed edge of the disposal hopper is only allowed to slide into the aligned and opened target groove, causing a shift in the center of gravity, so that the center of gravity of the tray automatically shifts towards the corresponding waste direction; Step 5: The disposal hopper pops out, and the garbage is disposed of into the garbage collection compartment in the direction the groove opens; Step Six: Each mechanism returns to its initial position under the action of the reset spring, all grooves are restored to their closed state, the tray returns to a horizontal state, and it awaits the next delivery.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: First, the feeding hopper of this invention is placed above a three-layer thin-plate tray, which consists of an upper tray, a middle tray, and a lower tray. The middle and lower trays rotate clockwise and counterclockwise according to the type of waste, respectively, aligning the grooves, trapezoidal grooves, and the lower trapezoidal groove. This groove design and rotational logical combination accurately transforms a single rotation into four distinct tray spatial combinations ("11, 10, 01, 00"). This mechanical coding process inherently possesses physical interlocking properties, meaning different sorting directions are mutually exclusive, ensuring the uniqueness and determinism of each sorting action. This effectively avoids malfunctions caused by program errors, signal interference, or accumulated motor errors in traditional electronic control systems. Secondly, this invention utilizes the mechanical triggering of trapezoidal grooves and protrusions to construct a classification locking mechanism, ensuring that the tray only opens the grooves in the direction corresponding to the current classification logic, while remaining closed in other directions. This mechanical locking method not only has extremely high anti-interference capabilities but also can withstand gravitational impacts during waste disposal without misalignment, enabling the entire system to maintain accurate classification even under uneven loads, disturbances, or external vibrations.

[0021] Furthermore, this invention changes the sorting action from a high-energy-consuming motor drive to a lightweight drive + fully mechanical execution mode, so that the entire system requires almost no electrical energy input during the sorting stage. Only the cylindrical cam quick-return mechanism needs to run briefly, while the core actions are all achieved through mechanical logic transmission and gravity. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional front view of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a perspective view of the dispensing bucket of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a partially enlarged schematic diagram of the tray of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a diagram showing the upper, middle, and lower layered tray structure of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the logic encoding of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a front view of the cylindrical cam quick-return mechanism of the present invention; Figure 7 This is an unfolded view of the cylindrical cam quick-return mechanism of the present invention; Figure 8 This is a front view of the connecting tray lever of the present invention; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the triangular limiter of the present invention; Figure 10 This is a front view of the dial plate of the present invention; Figure 11 This is a left view of the dial of the present invention; Figure 12 This is a top view of the limiting sealing plate of the present invention; Figure 13 This is a front view of the limit switch on the limit sealing plate of the present invention; Figure 14 This is the logic diagram of the middle layer tray in this invention; Figure 15 This is a diagram showing the relationship between the baffle and the protruding post of the present invention; Figure 16 This is the logic diagram of the toggle switch of the present invention; Figure 17 This is a logic diagram of the rotation of the lower tray in this invention; Figure 18 This is a three-dimensional view of the groove in this invention; Figure 19 This is a schematic diagram of the waste dumping process according to the present invention; Figure 20 This is the reset logic diagram of the present invention.

[0023] In the diagram: 1. Feeding hopper; 2. Convex tooth; 3. Upper tray; 4. Middle tray; 5. Lower tray; 6. Connecting rod; 7. Fourth protruding post; 8. Lower baffle plate; 9. Middle baffle plate; 10. Third protruding post; 11. Cylindrical cam quick return mechanism; 12. Integrated spring motor assembly; 13. Bucket body; 14. Stepper motor gearbox assembly; 15. Spring; 16. Limiting plate; 17. Groove; 18. Trapezoidal groove; 19. Lower trapezoidal groove; 2 0. Lever; 21. First press-fit steel ball roller; 22. Second press-fit steel ball roller; 23. Hollowed-out area; 24. Third press-fit steel ball roller; 25. Fourth press-fit steel ball roller; 26. Concave guide rail groove; 27. First protruding post; 28. Second protruding post; 29. ​​Initial position; 30. First triangular limit switch; 31. Second triangular limit switch; 32. One-way door; 33. Rocker; 34. First limit switch; 35. Second limit switch. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0025] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3As shown, an intelligent waste sorting structure based on cam linkage and mechanical coding of the present invention includes a tiltable feeding hopper 1 disposed above the device; the lower end of the feeding hopper 1 is connected to an integrated spring motor assembly 12 via a connecting rod 6 for waste feeding and resetting; the feeding hopper 1 is placed above a three-layer thin-plate tray, the three layers being an upper tray 3, a middle tray 4, and a lower tray 5, and the connecting rod 6 passes through the hollow part of the tray, as shown. Figure 2 As shown; below the lower tray 5, a fan-shaped limiting sealing plate 16 is installed and extends from the barrel 13. The limiting sealing plate 16 is used to limit, fix and reset the middle tray 4 and the lower tray 5 after rotation.

[0026] like Figure 1 , Figure 3 As shown, the upper tray 3 has grooves 17 on both the inner and outer sides, with four on the inner side and four on the outer side; the middle tray 4 has eight trapezoidal grooves 18 on both the inner and outer sides; the lower tray 5 has eight lower trapezoidal grooves 19; four protruding teeth 2 are fixed to the outer periphery of the feeding hopper 1 at positions aligned with the grooves 17 in the upper tray 3. When no waste is being fed in, the upper tray 3, middle tray 4, and lower tray 5 are all in the same position as shown. Figure 2 In the initial position, at this time, all four grooves 17 in the upper tray 3 are sealed by the middle tray 4 and the lower tray 5, and all four protruding teeth 2 are sealed outside the grooves 17, as shown. Figure 2 As shown.

[0027] like Figure 4 As shown, the middle tray 4 and the lower tray 5 will rotate clockwise and counterclockwise respectively according to the type of waste (counterclockwise rotation is coded as rotation "1" and clockwise rotation as "0") to align the groove 17, trapezoidal groove 18, and lower trapezoidal groove 19; the grooves in the four directions are defined as A, B, C, and D, and the groove alignment follows the following logic: When aligning the groove in direction A, the middle tray 4 and the lower tray 5 should be rotated in the direction of "11" respectively. When aligning the opening groove in direction B, the middle tray 4 and the lower tray 5 should be rotated in the direction of "10" respectively. When aligning the C-direction groove, the rotation directions of the middle tray 4 and the lower tray 5 are "01" respectively; When aligning the D-direction groove, the middle tray 4 and the lower tray 5 should be rotated in the direction of "00". This groove design and rotating logic combination ensures that only one groove is aligned and opened at any given time. After the grooves are aligned, the protrusions 2 on the disposal hopper 1 will naturally embed themselves into the aligned grooves due to gravity. At this point, the disposal hopper 1 will be pushed out by the connecting rod 6 and tilt towards the corresponding trash can, allowing the trash in the disposal hopper 1 to be disposed of into the corresponding trash can.

[0028] like Figure 1 , Figure 4 As shown, the middle tray 4 and the lower tray 5 are respectively connected to levers 20 on the left side. The lower end of the levers 20 is equipped with a "||" shaped lower lever plate 8 and a middle lever plate 9. Moving the lower lever plate 8 and the middle lever plate 9 can drive the middle tray 4 and the lower tray 5 to rotate through the levers 20 respectively.

[0029] The lower tray 5 is equipped with a first press-in steel ball roller 21, a second press-in steel ball roller 22, and a hollow area 23. The first press-in steel ball roller 21 and the second press-in steel ball roller 22 work with the limiting plate 16 to achieve a limit switch. The middle tray 4 is equipped with a third press-in steel ball roller 24 and a fourth press-in steel ball roller 25. The third press-in steel ball roller 24 and the fourth press-in steel ball roller 25 pass through the hollow area 23 and work with the limiting plate 16 to achieve a limit switch.

[0030] like Figure 1 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, a cylindrical cam quick-return mechanism 11 is also provided inside the bin body 13. This mechanism is driven to rotate by a stepper motor gearbox assembly 14 fixed on the bin body 13. At the same time, the cylindrical cam quick-return mechanism 11 can move freely up and down. The cylindrical cam quick-return mechanism 11 and the stepper motor gearbox assembly 14 are connected by a spring. If the cylindrical cam quick-return mechanism 11 is pulled upward, it will be pulled downward. This combination of the cylindrical cam quick-return mechanism 11 and the stepper motor gearbox assembly 14 can realize the rotation of the middle tray 4 and the lower tray 5 driven by a single motor, thereby closing or opening the groove 17 to achieve the purpose of garbage sorting.

[0031] The cylindrical cam quick-return mechanism 11 has an "N"-shaped concave guide groove 26, a first protrusion 27, and a second protrusion 28 on its surface, which unfolds as follows: Figure 6 As shown; a third protrusion 10 is designed on the bin body 13; when in standby state without garbage disposal, the third protrusion 10 is embedded in the "N"-shaped concave guide rail groove 26 and is in the initial position 29; the top of the cylindrical cam quick return mechanism 11 is designed with two fourth protrusions 7, which are used to reset the middle tray 4 and the lower tray 5.

[0032] Specifically, Figure 8 This is a front view of the "||" shaped lower deflector plate 8 and deflector lever 20. On the right side of the deflector lever 20, a first triangular limiter 30 and a second triangular limiter 31 are installed on the barrel body 13. The top view and cross-sectional view of the limiters are shown below. Figure 9 As shown, the limiter will be pushed into the hole from right to left, but will not sink from left to right; the front view of the lower baffle 8 and the middle baffle 9 is shown below. Figure 9As shown, the one-way door 32 can only open inwards, not outwards; when the rocker 33 is tilted up on one side by the first triangular limiter 30 and the second triangular limiter 31, the other side is pressed down, as shown. Figure 11 As shown.

[0033] like Figure 3 , Figure 11 and Figure 13 As shown, when the middle tray 4 and the lower tray 5 rotate to the limit position, the first press-in steel ball roller 21 and the second press-in steel ball roller 22 slide into the first limit switch 34, and the third press-in steel ball roller 24 and the fourth press-in steel ball roller 25 slide through the hollow area 23 into the second limit switch 35. The first limit switch 34 and the second limit switch 35 can cooperate with the fourth protrusion 7 to reset the middle tray 4 and the lower tray 5.

[0034] The following are the specific implementation steps of the invention: Step 1: The garbage is put into the disposal bin 1. The camera above the disposal bin 1 takes an image of the garbage and uploads it to the cloud to identify the garbage type. The instruction of the determined garbage type (dry garbage, wet garbage, hazardous waste, recyclable garbage) is returned to the smart garbage bin control center. Step 2: The control center controls the stepper motor gearbox assembly 14 to rotate one revolution, driving the cylindrical cam quick-return mechanism 11 to rotate 60° in the positive direction. Because the third protrusion 10 is embedded in the "N"-shaped concave guide rail groove 26 and the third protrusion 10 is fixed, the cylindrical cam quick-return mechanism 11 can move up and down. After the cylindrical cam quick-return mechanism 11 rotates, it will rise along the "N"-shaped guide rail, as... Figure 14 As shown. In Figure 14 In the middle, the cylindrical cam quick-return mechanism 11 rotates 60° in the positive direction to position 1 (angle 60°, height 1). At this time, the first protrusion 27 on the cylindrical cam quick-return mechanism 11 has passed through the one-way gate 32 in the "||" shaped middle layer deflector 9 and arrived at the middle position, as shown. Figure 15 As shown in (a).

[0035] Step 3: Based on the type of waste, set the middle tray 4 to rotate. At this point, there are two possibilities: 1) When the middle tray 4 needs to rotate counterclockwise (rotate "1"), the cylindrical cam quick-return mechanism 11 rotates 60° in the forward direction. The first convex post 27 drives the middle layer lever 9 to rotate counterclockwise. At the same time, the middle layer lever 9 drives the lever 20 to rotate the middle layer tray counterclockwise by an angle (e.g., Figure 16 (a) and causing the third press-fit steel ball roller 24 to slide through the hollow area 23 into the first limit switch 34 (as shown in the image). Figure 13 As shown), at this time the cylindrical cam quick-return mechanism 11 reaches... Figure 14Position 2 (angle 120°, height 2); and the first protruding post 27 also rotates out from the upper left side of the middle layer plate 9 (as shown). Figure 15 (b) shown).

[0036] 2) When the middle tray 4 needs to rotate clockwise (rotate "0"), the cylindrical cam quick-return mechanism 11 rotates 60° in the opposite direction. Because the one-way door 32 in the "||" shaped middle plate 9 can only go in and not out, the first protruding post 27 drives the middle plate (9) to rotate clockwise. At the same time, the middle plate 9 drives the lever 20 to drive the middle tray 4 to rotate clockwise by an angle (e.g., Figure 16 (b) and causes the fourth press-fit steel ball roller 25 to slide through the hollow area 23 into the first limit switch 34. At this time, the cylindrical cam quick return mechanism 11 returns to position 1 (angle 60°, height 1) (as shown in the image). Figure 14 Case 2), but the middle layer dial 9 was rotated clockwise by an angle (e.g. Figure 16 (b) causes the triangular limiter 30 to pass through the one-way door in the middle layer baffle 9, lifting the upper end of the left-side rocker 33 in the middle layer baffle 9, which causes a notch to be exposed at the lower end of the rocker (e.g. Figure 11 As shown), when the first protrusion (27) rotates to this position again, it can pass through the notch. After the middle tray 4 rotates clockwise to the limit switch, it rotates 120° in the positive direction again to position 2 (angle 120°, height 2) (as shown). Figure 14 As shown, case 2). Step 4: At this point, the middle tray 4 has been rotated counterclockwise or clockwise as needed. The cylindrical cam quick-return mechanism 11 continues to rotate 60° in the forward direction from position 2 (angle 120°, height 2) to position 3 (angle 180°, height 3). The second protrusion 28 on the cylindrical cam quick-return mechanism 11 is ready to enter the one-way door in the "||" shaped lower baffle 8 (e.g., Figure 15 (c) As shown); the cylindrical cam quick-return mechanism 11 continues to rotate 60° in the positive direction, reaching position 4 (angle 240°, height 4) (as shown). Figure 17 As shown), the second protrusion 28 on the cylindrical cam quick-return mechanism 11 has passed through the one-way gate in the "||" shaped lower dial plate 8 and arrived at the middle position, as shown. Figure 15 As shown. At this point, the situation is the same as with the middle tray 4 in "Step 3," and the lower tray 5 has two possible rotation options: 1) When the lower tray 5 needs to be rotated counterclockwise (rotation "1"), the cylindrical cam quick return mechanism 11 rotates 60° in the forward direction. The second protrusion 28 drives the lower plate 8 to rotate counterclockwise. At the same time, the lower plate 8 drives the lever to drive the lower tray (5) to rotate counterclockwise by an angle, and makes the first press-fit steel ball roller 21 slide into the second limit switch 35. At this time, the cylindrical cam quick return mechanism 11 reaches the target position. Figure 17Position 5 (angle 300°, height 5); while the second protruding post 28 also rotates out from the upper left side of the lower layer plate 8.

[0037] 2) When the lower tray 5 needs to rotate clockwise (rotate "0"), the cylindrical cam quick-return mechanism 11 rotates 60° in the opposite direction. Because the one-way door in the "||" shaped lower baffle 8 can only go in and not out, the second protruding post 28 drives the lower baffle 8 to rotate clockwise. The lower baffle 8 simultaneously drives the lever to rotate the lower tray 5 clockwise by an angle, causing the second press-fit steel ball roller 22 to slide into the second limit switch 35. At this time, the cylindrical cam quick-return mechanism 11 returns to position 3 (angle 180°, height 3) (e.g. Figure 17 (Scenario 2), but the lower lever 8 rotates clockwise by an angle, causing the triangular limiter 31 to pass through the one-way gate in the lower lever 8, lifting the upper part of the left rocker in the lower lever 8. This creates a gap at the lower end of the rocker, allowing the second protruding post 28 to pass through the gap when it rotates to this position again. After the lower tray 5 rotates clockwise to the limit switch, it rotates 120° in the positive direction again to position 5 (angle 300°, height 5) (e.g. Figure 17 Case 2); Step 5: At this point, both the middle tray 4 and the lower tray 5 have been rotated counterclockwise or clockwise as needed. Figure 2 After the grooves in the specified directions A, B, C, or D are aligned and opened, the protruding teeth 2 on the dispensing hopper 1 will naturally embed themselves into the aligned and opened grooves due to gravity (e.g., Figure 18 (As shown).

[0038] Step 6: The integrated spring motor assembly 12 is switched on, releasing the spring force of spring 15. Spring 15 is installed at the lower end of connecting rod (6), and the feeding hopper 1 is pushed out. The feeding hopper 1 pours the garbage into the garbage bin in the corresponding direction along the aligned groove direction, such as... Figure 19 As shown.

[0039] Step 7: After the garbage is dumped, the motor in the integrated spring motor assembly 12 rotates, slowly pulling the disposal hopper 1 back to its original position, while compressing the spring to store energy for the next garbage disposal.

[0040] Step 8: The cylindrical cam quick-return mechanism 11 rotates 60 degrees in the positive direction again, arriving at position 6 (angle 360°, height 6) (e.g. Figure 20 As shown), the two fourth protrusions 7 at the top of the cylindrical cam quick-return mechanism 11 simultaneously push out the press-in steel ball rollers in the first limit switch 34 and the second limit switch 35. The middle tray 4 and the lower tray 5 are equipped with spiral springs, and under the elastic force of the spiral springs, the mechanism returns to its original position. Figure 3The initial position is reached. A tension spring connects the cylindrical cam quick-return mechanism 11 to the stepper motor gearbox assembly 14. Under the combined action of spring tension and gravity, the third protrusion 10, embedded in the "N"-shaped concave guide groove 26, springs back to its initial position along the vertical groove of the "N" shape. Figure 20 (As shown).

[0041] Step 9: At this point, all devices return to their initial positions, and the smart trash can awaits the next trash disposal.

[0042] This invention constructs a mechanical logic-based waste sorting and disposal structure that is completely independent of traditional electronic control logic. It transforms the entire process of "sorting decision-making - mechanism execution - direction locking - directional dumping" into a programmable sequence of mechanical actions. Compared with existing smart trash cans that rely on multiple motors, sensors, and complex program control, this invention has significant advantages in terms of energy consumption and service life.

[0043] First, this invention establishes a discrete, repeatable, and conflict-free mechanical logic coding system through an automatic spring-loaded sorting mechanism. This system accurately transforms a single rotation into four distinct tray space combinations ("11, 10, 01, 00"). This mechanical coding process inherently possesses physical interlocking properties, meaning different sorting directions are mutually exclusive. This ensures the uniqueness and determinism of each sorting action, effectively avoiding malfunctions caused by program errors, signal interference, or accumulated motor errors in traditional electronic control systems. The introduction of mechanical logic eliminates the reliance on complex electronic systems for sorting decisions. Instead, it achieves sorting decisions through physical constraints of structural shape and relative position, maintaining a stable and consistent operational pattern over the long term.

[0044] Secondly, this invention utilizes the mechanical triggering of trapezoidal grooves and protruding pillars to construct a classification locking mechanism, ensuring that the tray only opens the grooves in the direction corresponding to the current classification logic, while remaining closed in other directions. This mechanical locking method not only has extremely high anti-interference capabilities but also can withstand gravitational impacts during waste disposal without misalignment, allowing the entire system to maintain accurate classification even under uneven loads, disturbances, or external vibrations. This structure significantly improves the stability of the disposal process.

[0045] Furthermore, this invention replaces the energy-intensive motor-driven sorting action with a lightweight drive and fully mechanical execution mode, making the entire system require almost no electrical energy input during the sorting phase. Only the cam quick-return mechanism needs to operate briefly, while the core actions are all achieved through mechanical logic transmission and gravity. Thanks to this, the invention boasts extremely low energy consumption, easily achieving battery or solar power, and can operate stably for extended periods outdoors, in public places, or in environments with limited energy resources. This low-power characteristic is a technological advantage that existing smart trash cans struggle to achieve.

[0046] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An intelligent waste sorting structure based on cam linkage and mechanical encoding, characterized in that: The utility model provides a kind of garbage throwing device, including the tiltable throwing hopper (1) being arranged above the device;The lower end of throwing hopper (1) is connected with integrated spring motor assembly (12) by connecting rod (6);Throwing hopper (1) is placed above three-layer sheet tray, three-layer sheet tray is upper tray (3), middle tray (4) and lower tray (5) respectively, connecting rod (6) passes through the hollow part of tray;Upper tray (3) has recess (17) in inside and outside;Middle tray (4) is equipped with multiple trapezoidal recess (18) in inside and outside;Lower tray (5) is equipped with multiple lower trapezoidal recess (19);The outer periphery of throwing hopper (1) is fixedly connected with multiple tabs (2) in the position of aligning recess (17) in upper tray (3), middle tray (4) and lower tray (5) will be rotated clockwise and counterclockwise respectively according to the type of garbage, and recess (17), trapezoidal recess (18) and lower trapezoidal recess (19) are aligned, after the recess of four directions is aligned, the tab (2) on throwing hopper (1) will be naturally embedded in the recess opened in alignment under the influence of gravity, at this time, throwing hopper (1) is ejected by connecting rod (6), and is inclined to the corresponding direction barrel, the garbage in throwing hopper (1) is thrown into the corresponding direction barrel.

2. A smart waste sorting structure based on cam linkage and mechanical encoding as claimed in claim 1, wherein: The recess of four directions is defined as A, B, C and D, counterclockwise rotation is encoded as rotation "1", and clockwise rotation is "0", and the recess alignment has the following logic: To align and open the recess in A direction, the rotation directions of middle tray (4) and lower tray (5) are "11" respectively; To align and open the recess in B direction, the rotation directions of middle tray (4) and lower tray (5) are "10" respectively; To align and open the recess in C direction, the rotation directions of middle tray (4) and lower tray (5) are "01" respectively; To align and open the recess in D direction, the rotation directions of middle tray (4) and lower tray (5) are "00" respectively.

3. A smart waste sorting structure based on cam linkage and mechanical encoding as claimed in claim 1, wherein: The lower layer tray (5) is provided below the limiting sealing plate (16) installed and extended from the barrel body (13), which is used to realize the limiting fixing and resetting of the middle layer tray (4) and the lower layer tray (5) after rotation.

4. A smart waste sorting structure based on cam linkage and mechanical encoding as claimed in claim 3, wherein: The middle layer tray (4) and the lower layer tray (5) are respectively connected with the lever (20) on the left side, and the lower end of the lever (20) is respectively provided with the "||" type lower layer plate (8) and the middle layer plate (9), and the lower layer plate (8) and the middle layer plate (9) are respectively driven to rotate the middle layer tray (4) and the lower layer tray (5) through the lever (20).

5. A smart waste sorting structure based on cam linkage and mechanical encoding as claimed in claim 4, wherein: The lower layer tray (5) is provided with a first pressed-in steel ball roller (21), a second pressed-in steel ball roller (22) and a hollow area (23), and the first pressed-in steel ball roller (21) and the second pressed-in steel ball roller (22) realize the limiting switch with the limiting sealing plate (16); the middle layer tray (4) is provided with a third pressed-in steel ball roller (24) and a fourth pressed-in steel ball roller (25), and the third pressed-in steel ball roller (24) and the fourth pressed-in steel ball roller (25) pass through the hollow area (23) and realize the limiting switch with the limiting sealing plate (16).

6. A smart waste sorting structure based on cam linkage and mechanical encoding as claimed in claim 1, wherein: The barrel (13) is further provided with a cylindrical cam quick return mechanism (11), which is driven to rotate by a stepping motor gear box assembly (14) fixed on the barrel (13), and the cylindrical cam quick return mechanism (11) is connected to the stepping motor gear box assembly (14) by a spring.

7. A smart waste sorting structure based on cam linkage and mechanical encoding as claimed in claim 6, wherein: The surface of the cylindrical cam quick return mechanism (11) is provided with an "N" type concave guide rail groove (26), a first convex column (27) and a second convex column (28); the barrel (13) is provided with a third convex column (10); in the standby state without garbage disposal, the third convex column (10) is embedded in the "N" type concave guide rail groove (26) and is in an initial position (29); the top end of the cylindrical cam quick return mechanism (11) is provided with two fourth convex columns (7) for resetting the middle layer tray (4) and the lower layer tray (5).

8. A smart waste sorting structure based on cam linkage and mechanical encoding as claimed in claim 5, wherein: When the middle layer tray (4) and the lower layer tray (5) rotate to the limiting position, the first press-in type steel ball roller (21) and the second press-in type steel ball roller (22) slide into the first limit switch (34), the third press-in type steel ball roller (24) and the fourth press-in type steel ball roller (25) slide into the second limit switch (35) through the hollow area (23), and the first limit switch (34) and the second limit switch (35) can cooperate with the fourth convex column (7) to reset the middle layer tray (4) and the lower layer tray (5).

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