USED ​​WINDOW RECYCLING SYSTEM

Abstract

The invention relates to a used window recycling system (10) comprising at least one conveyor configured to move the used windows between several successive stations: – a loading station (11) for the introduction of the used windows; – a glass breaking station (12) for collecting at least a portion of the glass from the used windows; – a frame extraction station (14); and – an analysis station (18) located between the loading station and the breaking station, said analysis station being equipped with at least one intelligent vision device (17) capable of detecting at least one break zone on the used window where a portion of the glass can be broken while limiting the risk of glass contamination; said breaking station comprising a hammer matrix capable of breaking only said at least one break zone. Figure 1.

Description

Title of the invention: USED WINDOW RECYCLING SYSTEM technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to a system for recycling the frame and glass of a used window, so as to recover the maximum amount of glass with a minimum of debris from the frame.

[0002] Thus, the invention finds a particularly advantageous application for improving the recyclability and reuse of glass from a window incorporating glazed parts.

[0003] The invention can be applied to single- or multi-pane windows, as well as to French doors or even bay windows. Furthermore, the invention can be implemented for windows with all types of frames, including frames made of wood, aluminum, or PVC. State of the art

[0004] The recyclability of the glazed parts of a window is now a particularly important issue, given the scarcity of good quality silica worldwide. This silica has been widely used to make glass panes, and reusing it would allow for the manufacture of a large number of components, including new windows made entirely from recycled materials.

[0005] To achieve this, it is necessary to recycle used window glass as efficiently as possible. However, the issue of reusing used window glass is far from simple, since automated window-breaking devices present a significant risk of damaging the frames and other structural elements within the windows that support the glass panes. When frame elements are embedded in the glass to be recycled, its quality is only average, thus limiting its potential uses.

[0006] To automatically recycle glass windows, the company SAINT-GOBAIN offers, for example, patents FR 3 083 144 and FR 3 083 148, which describe a fragmentation device adapted to separate the glass of a used window from its frame, for the purpose of their respective recycling.

[0007] The glass fragmentation is carried out by a drum arranged above a conveyor. This drum is connected to an impact assembly comprising several impact heads adapted to strike the conveyor with each revolution of the drum. When the drum is set in rotation, the impact heads are brought above the conveyor and strike the conveyor belt under the effect of the gravity, which causes the glass from the used window to shatter as it is transported on the conveyor.

[0008] However, the repeated impacts of the impact heads on the used window very often result in the fragmentation of non-glazed parts of the window, particularly when the window incorporates structural elements within the glazing. Consequently, the glass recycled by these devices is of low quality because it incorporates a large amount of debris from the frames of the recycled used windows.

[0009] Thus, given that the state of the art does not offer an efficient recycling system to guarantee glass quality while limiting frame debris, glass recycling is currently carried out primarily manually by handlers equipped with hammers. These handlers break the glass according to the specific position of the frames and other internal structural elements of the used windows. Naturally, this solution requires highly skilled handlers, who are subject to significant risks of musculoskeletal disorders due to the increasing thickness of current window glass, as well as risks of cuts from potential contact with broken glass.

[0010] The technical problem of the invention is therefore to provide an automated device for recycling the glazed parts of used windows, limiting the risk of contamination of the recycled glass by elements of the frames and other non-glazed structural elements of the window. Description of the invention

[0011] To address this technical problem, the invention proposes conveying each used window under an intelligent vision system that detects the different areas of the used window where a pane of glass can be broken, thus limiting the risk of glass contamination. The used window is then conveyed to a matrix of hammers that break only the specific areas where the vision system has determined that breaking the panes is necessary to ensure the quality of the recycled glass.

[0012] Thus, the invention relates to a used window recycling system comprising at least one conveyor configured to move the used windows between several successive stations: - a loading station for the introduction of used windows; - a glass breaking station for used windows allowing at least some of the glass from used windows to be collected; and - a frame extraction station.

[0013] The invention is characterized in that the system also includes an analysis station disposed between the loading station and the breaking station, said analysis station being equipped with at least one intelligent vision device enabling the detection of at least one break zone of the used window for which a glazed part can be broken while limiting the risk of contamination of the glass; said breaking station comprising a matrix of hammers enabling the breaking of only said at least one break zone.

[0014] Thus, the invention proposes to break only the glazed parts of the window that are identified and analyzed at the analysis station. Since the loading, analysis, breaking, and extraction stations are independent, it is possible to work sequentially and load a first used window while a second window is being analyzed to detect the parts to be broken, while a third window is being broken at the breaking station. Simultaneously, the remaining parts of a fourth window can be conveyed to a frame extraction station.

[0015] All these stations are preferably associated with conveyors so as to limit handling and optimize the automation of the system.

[0016] As regards the breaking, it is carried out by automated hammers.

[0017] According to one embodiment, each hammer of said breaking station is movable between two positions: a rest position and an activation position associated with an impact surface, each hammer being controlled by a dedicated activation device activated or not depending on the presence or absence of said at least one breaking zone at the level of said impact surface of said hammer. For example, said dedicated activation device is an electromagnet.

[0018] Preferably, the rest position of the hammer matrix is ​​arranged above the breaking station so that gravity causes the activated hammers to move from the rest position to the activation position. Thus, little energy is required to break the various detected parts.

[0019] Following the breaking phase, the activated hammers can be raised by a grid so as to raise all the hammers simultaneously with a small amount of energy. In this embodiment, the breaking station includes a grid configured to move the activated hammers to the rest position after a breaking step.

[0020] During the breaking process, the hammers can be activated simultaneously. Alternatively, the hammer activation devices are activated sequentially so as to successively strike said at least one breaking zone. For example, the sequential activation of the hammer activation devices is configured to activate the hammers according to a wave or a line of the matrix at said at least one breaking zone. This embodiment allows control of the different waves of shocks related to the breakage of a part of the used window in order to limit the risk of damage to the frame.

[0021] With regard to the intelligent vision device, it preferably comprises at least one camera and an artificial intelligence model capable of detecting said at least one break zone from the images acquired by said at least one camera and a training database. For example, the artificial intelligence model may correspond to a SAM model and preferably to a ViT type SAM model. Brief description of the figures

[0022] The present invention and its advantages will become more apparent from the following description of several embodiments given by way of non-limiting examples, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0023] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a used window recycling system according to one embodiment of the invention;

[0024] The [Fig.2] is a perspective view of the analysis station and the entry of the breaking station of the system of the [Fig.1];

[0025] The [Fig.3] is a schematic perspective representation of the analysis station and the breaking station of the [Fig.1];

[0026] The [Fig.4] is a top perspective view of the break station of the system of the [Fig.1];

[0027] Figure 5 is a time-domain representation of the actuation signals of the break station of the system in Figure 1; and

[0028] Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the extraction station of the system in Fig. 1. Detailed description of the invention

[0029] Figure 1 illustrates a used window recycling system 10 comprising a loading station 11, a glass breaking station 12, a glass extraction station 13, and a frame extraction station 14. Conveyors are used to move the used windows between these stations. As illustrated in Figure 1, a first inclined conveyor 15 is used to transport the used windows from the loading station 11 to the glass breaking station 12. More specifically, the loading station 11 may include a gantry with a cushioned conveyor belt, so that operators can drop the used window onto the belt, which then cushions the window's fall to prevent the glass from breaking during this phase. As illustrated in [Fig.1], the gantry can advantageously incorporate emergency stop buttons, so that operators can stop the operation of the recycling system 10 if it detects an anomaly or the blockage of a used window..

[0030] When the used windows arrive at the glass breaking station 12, they are moved by a second conveyor 16, preferably horizontal.

[0031] This conveyor 16 sequentially moves the used windows in front of an intelligent vision device 17. This intelligent vision device is placed in an analysis station 18 which aims to detect the breakage areas of the used window for which part of the glazing may be broken while limiting the risk of contaminating the glass obtained by frame elements internal or external to the used window.

[0032] The intelligent vision device 17 may include one or more cameras with artificial intelligence models associated with the processing of images received by at least one camera.

[0033] Preferably, the artificial intelligence associated with at least one camera is a SAM (Segment Anything Model) type model. This model is based on a ViT (Vision Transformer) architecture. Following a training phase for this artificial intelligence model, in which window images are provided with labels corresponding to the suitable areas where the breakage should be performed, the artificial intelligence is able to identify the areas to be broken for a new, used window.

[0034] Regardless of the artificial intelligence model used, for example an RBF model, the ResNet model or a VGG model, the learning process is similar and requires labeled training data so that the analysis station 18 can determine the surfaces of the used window to be broken.

[0035] Preferably, instead of using a large number of labeled datasets, the model can be pre-trained on a generic dataset, for example, the JFT-300M dataset, which contains 300 million images. Then, the model can be specialized for a specific segmentation task using the SA-1B dataset, which comprises 11 million images and 1 billion masks. With these two phases of specialization, the model has a high generalization capacity. Finally, this model can be specialized for the application of break zone detection, using the LoRA (Low-Rank Adaptation) method, which allows a model to be specialized for a given task using a small dataset, for example, fewer than 1000 labeled training data points.

[0036] At the end of this learning phase, the model is therefore able to detect the areas of glass to be broken according to the specific window arranged under the analysis station 18.

[0037] After passing through this analysis station 18, the used window is then conveyed to the breaking station 12, as illustrated in [Fig. 3]. This breaking station incorporates a matrix of hammers 9 which are used to break only the areas of breakage detected by analysis station 18. Each hammer can have a cylindrical body with an electromagnet at one end, so that each hammer can be independently controlled to break only a part of the window according to the parts detected by analysis station 18.

[0038] More specifically, each hammer 19 is therefore mobile between two positions, a rest position and an activation position, which is controlled by a dedicated activation device. This activation device is preferably an electromagnet, but other activation means could be implemented, such as a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder. In the example of [Fig. 3], the electromagnet is naturally activated to hold the hammer 19 above the worn window, and only the activated hammers 19 are released by deactivating the magnetic field supplied to the electromagnet, so that it falls by gravity onto the detected parts of the worn window.

[0039] When the hammers 19 to be activated have been moved into the activation position, they can be returned to their rest position by any means; for example, when the hammers 19 are associated with jacks, the jacks can be moved back into the rest position. Preferably, in the embodiment illustrated in [Fig. 3], the breaking station 12 has a grid configured to move the activated hammers into the rest position after the breaking step, i.e., after the hammers 19 to be activated have been moved according to the topology of the window.

[0040] As illustrated in [Fig.4], the breaking station 12 may include a maintenance access with a device allowing the hammer matrix 19 to be raised in order to possibly change one of the hammers 19.

[0041] Furthermore, when the window is moved under the breaking station 12, all the hammers 19 intended to be activated can be activated simultaneously, but it is also possible to activate the different hammers 19 sequentially.

[0042] As illustrated in [Fig. 5], a wave or line of the matrix is ​​activated sequentially, so as to break the different glazed parts of the window to be broken sequentially. In the example of [Fig. 5], the cycle begins for 120 seconds by moving the window to be broken to the analysis station 18. The intelligent vision device 17 is then used and controlled by setting the Camera Read signal to a low state for a predetermined duration, for example, 20 seconds. During this time, the conveyor 16 is moved by activating the Mount Carriage signal. After this analysis phase, the Camera Read signal is returned to a high state and the electromagnets are activated to hold the hammers 19.

[0043] In this phase, the tooth cycle represents the activation of the grid which raises all the hammers. After the hammers 19 have been raised and secured by the electromagnets, the horizontal movement of the carriage is activated for a duration for 40 seconds, so as to place the used window under the hammers 19 and sequentially activate all the hammers 19 necessary to effectively break the window. At the end of this phase, the horizontal movement signal D for the carriage is activated again to extract the remainder of the used window from the breaking station 12. It should be noted that the camera reading signal L is also activated when the hammers 19 are used to break parts of the previous window, so that several windows can be analyzed and then broken sequentially.

[0044] Following this breaking phase, the glass is moved under the used window and can be extracted over time by a glass extraction station 13, visible in [Fig. 4], by means of a conveyor belt which preferentially fills a skip. Similarly, the remainder of the frame can be extracted by a conveyor 24 to the frame extraction station 14, which also fills a skip or any other desired storage element, as illustrated in [Fig. 6].

[0045] The invention thus makes it possible to efficiently break used windows, for example, windows up to 1,200 millimeters wide and 2,200 millimeters high, with a glazing thickness of up to 25 millimeters. With the hammers 19 illustrated in [Fig. 3], it is possible to achieve a gravity impact force of 30 joules per hammer, so that glazing thicknesses of 25 millimeters can be broken efficiently. To correctly target the breaking areas, the hammer matrix 19 comprises, for example, between 80 and 120 hammers 19, for example with a center-to-center distance between each hammer 19 of between 100 and 200 millimeters. The invention thus makes it possible to efficiently recycle between 60 and 90% of the glass from used windows without contamination.

[0046] Furthermore, the invention can be used to process all types of frames, including wooden or PVC frames. Preferably, the frame extraction station 14 is associated with a specific storage compartment depending on the frame material, so that recycling campaigns are implemented for a single specific frame material. After a single-material recycling campaign, the destination of the frame extraction station 14 can be changed to process a new single-material recycling campaign with a different material. This change of destination of the frame extraction station 14 can also be dynamic so that an operator can direct the frames to be recycled according to their materials, for example, by means of a control device.

[0047] Furthermore, the automation of the recycling system allows for the processing of between 6 and 7 tonnes of window and door frames per hour during operation. The invention therefore automates and improves the recyclability of used windows.

Claims

Demands

1. Used window recycling system (10) comprising at least one conveyor configured to move used windows between several successive stations: - a loading station (11) for the introduction of used windows; - a glass breaking station (12) for the glass of the used windows allowing at least a portion of the glass from the used windows to be collected; and - a frame extraction station (14); characterized in that the system also comprises an analysis station (18) disposed between the loading station (11) and the breaking station (12), said analysis station (18) being equipped with at least one intelligent vision device (17) allowing the detection of at least one break zone of the used window for which a glazed portion can be broken while limiting the risk of contamination of the glass; said breaking station (12) comprising a hammer matrix (19) allowing only said at least one break zone to be broken.

2. Used window recycling system according to claim 1, wherein each hammer (19) of said breaking station (12) is mobile between two positions: a rest position and an activation position associated with an impact surface, each hammer (19) being controlled by a dedicated activation device activated or not depending on the presence or absence of said at least one breaking zone at the level of said impact surface of said hammer (19).

3. Used window recycling system according to claim 2, wherein the dedicated activation device is an electromagnet.

4. Used window recycling system according to claim 2 or 3, wherein said rest position of said hammer die (19) is disposed above the breaking station (12) such that gravity causes the activated hammers (19) to move from the rest position to the activation position.

5. Used window recycling system according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein said breaking station (12) comprises a grid configured to move the activated hammers (19) into said rest position after a breaking step.

6. A used window recycling system according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the activation devices of the hammers (19) are activated sequentially so as to successively strike said at least one breaking zone.

7. Used window recycling system according to claim 6, wherein the sequential activation of the hammer activation devices (19) is configured to activate the hammers (19) according to a wave or line of the matrix at said at least one breakage zone.

8. Used window recycling system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, in which intelligent vision device (17) comprises at least one camera and an artificial intelligence model capable of detecting said at least one breakage area from images acquired by said at least one camera and a learning database.

9. Used window recycling system according to claim 8, wherein the artificial intelligence model corresponds to a SAM model.

10. Used window recycling system according to claim 9, wherein the artificial intelligence model corresponds to a ViT type SAM model.

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