Waste treatment system

Abstract

To provide a waste treatment system which can suppress increase in the number of devices, and can suppress complication of a system configuration.SOLUTION: A waste treatment system 100 includes: a conveyance part 10 including a first conveyance part 11 for conveying a waste having a large size and a second conveyance part 12 for conveying a waste having a small size at a position different from the first conveyance part 11 in a width direction; an imaging part 40 for imaging the waste conveyed by the conveyance part 10; a robot 20 for sorting the waste having the large size conveyed by the conveyance part 10, on the basis of the image of the waste imaged by the imaging part 40; and a pre-sorting mechanism part 60 which is positioned on the upstream side of the imaging part 40, sorts the waste having the large size into the first conveyance part 11, and sorts the waste having the small size into the second conveyance part 12.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a waste treatment system, and more particularly to a waste treatment system equipped with a robot that sorts waste. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a waste treatment system equipped with a robot that sorts waste has been known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The above-mentioned Patent Document 1 discloses a waste treatment system including a transporting unit that transports waste, an imaging unit that captures images of the waste transported by the transporting unit, a robot that sorts the waste transported by the transporting unit based on images captured by the imaging unit, and a vibrating sieve device upstream of the imaging unit that sieves out waste below a predetermined size and supplies waste larger than the predetermined size to the transporting unit. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-109197 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the waste treatment system of Patent Document 1, the vibrating sieve device sifts out waste that is equal to or smaller than a predetermined size upstream of the imaging unit, and supplies waste that is larger than the predetermined size to a conveying unit. Therefore, a separate conveying unit is required to convey the waste that is equal to or smaller than the predetermined size sieved out by the vibrating sieve device to the sorting destination. This causes problems in that the number of devices in the waste treatment system increases and the system configuration becomes complicated.

[0006] The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and one object of the present invention is to provide a waste treatment system that can prevent an increase in the number of devices in the waste treatment system and can prevent the system configuration from becoming complicated. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a waste treatment system according to one aspect comprises a conveying section including a first conveying section for conveying large-sized waste and a second conveying section for conveying small-sized waste at a different position in the width direction from the first conveying section, an imaging section for capturing images of the waste conveyed by the conveying section, a robot for sorting the large-sized waste conveyed by the conveying section based on images of the waste captured by the imaging section, and a pre-sorting mechanism section located upstream of the imaging section for sorting large-sized waste to the first conveying section and small-sized waste to the second conveying section.

[0008] In one aspect of the waste treatment system, as described above, a transport section including a first transport section for transporting large-sized waste and a second transport section for transporting small-sized waste at a position different in the width direction from the first transport section, and a pre-sorting mechanism section located upstream of the imaging section and sorting large-sized waste to the first transport section and small-sized waste to the second transport section are provided. This allows the small-sized waste sorted by the pre-sorting mechanism section before sorting by the robot to be transported by a common transport section together with the large-sized waste to be sorted by the robot. As a result, there is no need to provide a separate transport section for transporting the small-sized waste sorted by the pre-sorting mechanism section. This makes it possible to prevent an increase in the number of devices in the waste treatment system and to prevent the system configuration from becoming complicated. Effect of the Invention

[0009] As described above, it is possible to prevent the number of devices in the waste treatment system from increasing, and also to prevent the system configuration from becoming complicated. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a waste treatment facility provided with a waste treatment system according to one embodiment. [Diagram 2] 1 is a plan view showing an outline of a waste treatment system according to one embodiment; [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control configuration of a waste treatment system according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a side view illustrating a robot of a waste treatment system according to one embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a pre-sorting mechanism of a waste treatment system according to one embodiment. [Figure 6] 2 is a side view showing a portion of a pre-sorting mechanism of a waste treatment system according to one embodiment. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a side view of the chains and bars of a pre-sorting mechanism of a waste treatment system according to one embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing an outline of a waste treatment system according to a modified example of an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, specific embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0012] The configuration of a waste treatment system 100 according to one embodiment will be described with reference to Figs.

[0013] (Overall configuration of waste treatment facility) As shown in Fig. 1, a waste treatment system 100 according to one embodiment is provided in a waste treatment facility 200. In the waste treatment facility 200, collected waste is sorted and processed. Specifically, in the waste treatment facility 200, bottles as waste are sorted and each sorted bottle is processed. The waste treatment facility 200 includes an unsuitable material removal section 210, a container inverting device 220, a container transport section 230a, a bottle transport section 230b, and a container cleaning section 240.

[0014] In the unsuitable object removal section 210, waste other than bottles (unsuitable objects (for example, plastic waste such as PET bottles, metal waste, etc.)) is removed by an operator W from the waste contained in the container 201. Note that the unsuitable objects do not have to be completely removed in the unsuitable object removal section 210. In other words, the unsuitable object removal section 210 removes noticeable waste other than bottles. The container 201 from which the unsuitable objects have been removed is transported to the container inversion device 220 by the container transport section 230a.

[0015] The container inverting device 220 inverts the container 201 and transfers the waste (bottles) contained in the container 201 onto the bottle transport section 230b. The container 201 inverted by the container inverting device 220 is transported again by the container transport section 230a and moved to the container cleaning section 240. The container cleaning section 240 cleans the container 201.

[0016] The bottle transport unit 230b transports waste (bottles) toward the waste treatment system 100. The bottle transport unit 230b transports waste (bottles) from a lower floor where the container 201 is brought in to an upper floor where the sorting work of the waste treatment system 100 is carried out.

[0017] (Configuration of waste treatment system) In the waste disposal system 100, bottles B (see FIG. 2) as waste are sorted by glass color for disposal. That is, the waste includes bottles of multiple colors. The waste also includes bottles B of different sizes and shapes. In the waste disposal system 100, the bottles B are sorted by color regardless of their size and shape. For example, in the waste disposal system 100, the bottles B are sorted into storage sections 50 (see FIG. 1) by color, such as brown, colorless, and other colors (green, blue, etc.). In the waste disposal system 100, the bottles B may be sorted by color, such as brown, colorless, green, and other colors. The storage section 50 includes a cullet storage section 51 in which cullet (glass scraps) of other colors are sorted, a cullet storage section 52 in which brown cullet is sorted, a cullet storage section 53 in which colorless cullet is sorted, and a residue storage section 54 in which residue that has not been sorted due to cracks or the like is stored. The storage unit 50 (cullet storage units 51, 52, 53 and residue storage unit 54) is located on a lower floor relative to the upper floor where the sorting work is carried out. In other words, the sorted waste (bottles) are dropped to the lower floor and stored in the storage unit 50 (cullet storage units 51, 52, 53 or residue storage unit 54).

[0018] The waste disposal system 100 sorts waste (bottles) using a robot 20. As shown in FIG. 1, the waste disposal system 100 includes a transport unit 10 and the robot 20. The transport unit 10 transports multiple types of waste (bottles). The transport unit 10 is composed of a conveyor. The robot 20 sorts the waste transported by the transport unit 10.

[0019] 2, the waste treatment system 100 includes a system control unit 30, an imaging unit 40, a plurality of chutes 50a, and chutes 50b and 50c. The waste treatment system 100 also includes a pre-sorting mechanism 60.

[0020] The transport section 10 includes a first transport section 11 and a second transport section 12. The first transport section 11 transports relatively large-sized waste that has been pre-sorted by the pre-sorting mechanism 60. The second transport section 12 transports relatively small-sized waste that has been pre-sorted by the pre-sorting mechanism 60. The first transport section 11 and the second transport section 12 transport waste at different positions in the width direction (Y direction).

[0021] The conveying section 10 includes a partition member 13 that separates the first conveying section 11 and the second conveying section 12, and a pair of conveyor skirts 14 provided on both sides in the width direction (Y direction). The partition member 13 is disposed closer to the side where the second conveying section 12 is provided than the center of the conveyor of the conveying section 10 in the width direction. That is, the size of the first conveying section 11 in the width direction is larger than the size of the second conveying section 12 in the width direction. For example, the ratio of the size of the first conveying section 11 in the width direction to the size of the second conveying section 12 in the width direction is about 6:4 to 7:3. The height of the partition member 13 is about 100 mm. The partition member 13 includes a rubber plate extending along the conveying direction of the conveying section 10.

[0022] 5, the partition member 13 is supported from above by support portions 131. A plurality of support portions 131 are provided along the conveying direction of the conveyor of the conveying section 10.

[0023] A partition fence 15 is provided to surround the working area of ​​the robot 20. The partition fence 15 is provided to prevent the worker W from entering the working area of ​​the robot 20. Note that, without providing the partition fence 15, a sensor or the like may be used to detect that the worker W has entered the working area of ​​the robot 20 and stop the operation of the robot 20.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of (three) robots 20 are provided. The robot 20 is a delta-type parallel link robot in which three arms 22 are arranged in parallel. The robot 20 includes a main body 25, a hand attachment 26, and three arms 22 that connect the main body 25 to the hand attachment 26. A robot suction hand 23 is attached to the hand attachment 26 arranged on the tip side of the three arms 22. Each of the three arms 22 has a first link 221 and a second link 222. The first link 221 is connected to an arm drive 22a arranged on the main body 25, and rotates relative to the main body 25 by the drive force of the arm drive 22a. The second link 222 is connected to the first link 221 and the hand attachment 26, and rotates relative to the first link 221 in response to the rotation of the first link 221. By rotating the first link portion 221 and the second link portion 222 of each of the three arms 22, it is possible to move the robot suction hand 23 to a desired horizontal position and a desired vertical position.

[0025] The robot suction hand 23 picks up the bottle B as waste. The ejector 24 (see FIG. 3) generates a negative pressure in the robot suction hand 23 for picking up the bottle B as waste.

[0026] 3, the robot 20 includes a robot control unit 21. The robot 20 also sorts large-sized waste transported by the transport unit 10 based on images of the waste captured by the imaging unit 40.

[0027] The robot control unit 21 controls the operation of the arm 22. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 3, the robot control unit 21 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 21a and a non-volatile memory 21b. The robot control unit 21 controls the operation of the arm 22 by executing a program stored in the memory 21b by the CPU 21a.

[0028] Furthermore, the robot control unit 21 controls the operation of the arm 22, which sorts the waste bottles B according to color, based on a sorting command including position information transmitted from the system control unit 30. That is, the robot control unit 21 controls the arm 22 to move to a position to hold the bottles B, based on the sorting command transmitted from the system control unit 30. Furthermore, the robot control unit 21 controls the operation of the arm 22 by controlling the drive of the arm drive unit 22a. Each arm drive unit 22a includes a motor and an encoder for detecting the amount of drive (rotation angle) of the motor. Furthermore, the arm drive unit 22a including the motor and the encoder is provided for each of the multiple joints of the arm 22.

[0029] The system control unit 30 uses machine learning to identify the waste based on the image of the waste captured by the imaging unit 40, and causes the robot 20 to sort the waste. Specifically, the system control unit 30 uses machine learning to identify the color of the bottle B, and causes the robot 20 to sort the bottles as waste according to color. The system control unit 30 causes the three robots 20 to sort the bottles B by color. In other words, the system control unit 30 causes the upstream robot 20 to sort the bottles B into the chute 50c, the middle robot 20 to sort the bottles B into the chute 50b, and the downstream robot 20 to sort the bottles B into the chute 50a.

[0030] 3, the system control unit 30 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 31 and a non-volatile memory 32. The system control unit 30 executes a program stored in the memory 32 by the CPU 31 to perform processing.

[0031] The system control unit 30 uses machine learning to identify the waste and specify the location of the identified waste based on the image of the waste captured by the imaging unit 40. The system control unit 30 also transmits a sorting command including location information of the identified waste to the robot control unit 21.

[0032] The system control unit 30 controls the imaging process by the imaging unit 40. The system control unit 30 causes the imaging unit 40 to capture images of the waste on the transport unit 10 at predetermined time intervals. The system control unit 30 also acquires images of the waste captured by the imaging unit 40.

[0033] The system control unit 30 controls the transportation of waste by the transport unit 10. Specifically, the system control unit 30 controls the transport speed of the transport unit 10. Furthermore, based on the transport speed of the transport unit 10 and position information of the waste based on the image captured by the imaging unit 40, the system control unit 30 calculates position information (coordinate information) of the waste to be picked up by the arm 22 and information on the timing of holding (time information), and transmits the calculated information to the robot control unit 21 as a sorting command.

[0034] The machine learning for identifying waste is performed in advance based on images of multiple types of bins B and instruction information in which a person instructs the color of the bin B based on the images. This machine learning may be performed in advance by the system control unit 30, or may be performed by another control unit (computer), and the results of the machine learning may be reflected in the system control unit 30.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 2, the imaging unit 40 captures an image of the waste transported by the transport unit 10. The imaging unit 40 is provided above the transport unit 10. The imaging unit 40 is also provided upstream of the robot 20 in the transport direction of the transport unit 10. The imaging unit 40 captures an image of an imaging range 40a in one imaging session. The imaging unit 40 transmits the captured image to the system control unit 30. The imaging unit 40 is also configured with a single monocular camera. That is, the imaging unit 40 mainly captures monocular images using visible light. The imaging unit 40 captures images at time intervals depending on the transport speed of the transport unit 10.

[0036] The chutes 50a, 50b, and 50c receive waste (bottles) sorted by the robot 20. The chutes 50a, 50b, and 50c are connected to the corresponding storage units 50 (cullet storage units 51, 52, or 53), and guide the waste to the corresponding storage units 50. The chutes 50a, 50b, and 50c are provided on the Y1 direction side of the robot 20.

[0037] The worker W is positioned upstream of the robot 20 and separates foreign objects other than the bottles, such as caps.

[0038] In this embodiment, the pre-sorting mechanism 60 pre-sorts waste into large-sized waste that will be sorted by the robot 20 and small-sized waste that will not be sorted by the robot 20, and supplies the waste to the transport unit 10. The pre-sorting mechanism 60 is located upstream of the imaging unit 40. When there is a large amount of small-sized waste (residue), the accuracy of determining the type and location of the waste based on the imaging results of the imaging unit 40 decreases. Therefore, by pre-sorting and removing small-sized waste before imaging by the imaging unit 40, it is possible to capture an image by the imaging unit 40 with the relatively large-sized waste included.

[0039] The pre-sorting mechanism 60 sorts large-sized waste into the first conveying section 11 and small-sized waste into the second conveying section 12. Specifically, the pre-sorting mechanism 60 includes a movable sieve having gaps through which small-sized waste can pass. In other words, the pre-sorting mechanism 60 conveys large-sized waste to the first conveying section 11 while sieving out small-sized waste and sorting it into the second conveying section 12.

[0040] 2, the transport unit 10 transports residue B1, which is the remainder of the waste that has not been sorted by the robot 20, to the residue storage unit 54 by the first transport section 11, and transports residue B1, which is small-sized waste sorted by the pre-sorting mechanism 60, to the residue storage unit 54 by the second transport section 12. In other words, the transport unit 10 transports residue B1, which is small-sized waste that has been sorted in advance by the pre-sorting mechanism 60, and residue B1, which is the remainder of the waste that has not been sorted by the robot 20, to the common residue storage unit 54.

[0041] 2, the imaging unit 40 captures an image of large-sized waste transported by the first transport section 11. In other words, the imaging unit 40 captures an image by including the first transport section 11 in its angle of view, but not the second transport section 12.

[0042] As shown in Fig. 5, the pre-sorting mechanism 60 includes a bar conveyor. Specifically, the pre-sorting mechanism 60 includes a plurality of bars 61, a bar drive unit 62 that drives the plurality of bars 61 in a circular motion, a slope 63 that guides small waste to the second transport section 12, a plate-like member 64 provided on the inside downstream of the bar conveyor, a conveyor skirt 65 that covers the width direction of the bar conveyor, a slope 66 (see Fig. 6) that guides large waste to the first transport section 11, and a hood member 67 that suppresses the scattering of the small waste guided by the slope 63.

[0043] The multiple bars 61 are arranged at a predetermined gap along the circumferential direction in which waste is sorted into the first transport section 11. The spacing between the multiple bars 61 is set according to the size of the waste to be sorted. Small waste less than the spacing between the multiple bars 61 falls through the gaps between the multiple bars 61. The spacing between the multiple bars 61 is, for example, about 30 mm. The bars 61 are made of metal. The bars 61 are made of stainless steel, for example. Each of the multiple bars 61 is arranged to extend in the width direction (Y direction) of the bar conveyor. In other words, the width direction (Y direction) of the bar conveyor is the longitudinal direction of the bars.

[0044] The bar driving unit 62 moves the multiple bars 61 in the conveying direction (X2 direction), and also moves the multiple bars 61 in the direction opposite to the conveying direction (X1 direction) below a portion where the multiple bars 61 are moved in the conveying direction, thereby driving the multiple bars 61 to rotate. Specifically, the bar driving unit 62 has a chain 621, a motor 622, a sprocket 623, and a sprocket 624, as shown in FIG.

[0045] A pair of chains 621 are provided to support both ends of the multiple bars 61. The chain 621 is engaged with sprockets 623 and 624 and wound endlessly. As shown in Fig. 7, the chain 621 is provided with through holes 621a that support the bars 61. Also, as shown in Fig. 6, the portions of the pair of chains 621 that support the multiple bars 61 and move in the transport direction (X2 direction) can bend downward.

[0046] Also, the chain 621 supports the multiple bars 61 with some play so that the multiple bars 61 can move in the conveying direction and the up-down direction (Z direction). Specifically, as shown in Fig. 7, the outer diameter D1 of the bar 61 is smaller than the inner diameter D2 of the through hole 621a of the chain 621. For example, the outer diameter D1 of the bar 61 is about 80% of the inner diameter D2 of the through hole 621a. As an example, the outer diameter D1 of the bar 61 is 8 mm, and the inner diameter D2 of the through hole 621a is 10 mm.

[0047] 6, the motor 622 rotates the sprocket 623 to rotate the chain 621. As a result, the multiple bars 61 are driven to rotate.

[0048] Sprocket 623 is rotated by the drive of motor 622. Sprocket 624 rotates along with chain 621 which is moved by the drive of rotation of sprocket 623. The positions of sprockets 623 and 624 are each adjustable in the X direction, thereby making it possible to adjust the tension of chain 621.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 5, the slope 63 is disposed below a portion that moves the multiple bars 61 in the conveying direction. The slope 63 is inclined so as to guide small-sized waste that falls through the gaps between the multiple bars 61 to the second conveying section 12. In other words, the slope 63 is disposed inside the rotating bar conveyor. The slope 63 is formed of a plate-shaped metal. For example, the slope 63 is formed of stainless steel. The slope 63 is inclined along the width direction (Y direction) of the conveyor of the conveying section 10. The slope 63 has an inclination angle of 30 degrees or more.

[0050] As shown in Fig. 6, the plate-shaped member 64 is disposed on the inner periphery side of the multiple bars 61 that are driven to rotate downstream of the portion that moves the multiple bars 61 in the conveying direction (X2 direction). The plate-shaped member 64 has a plate shape that curves along the moving direction of the multiple bars 61. The plate-shaped member 64 has a shape in which the distance between the multiple bars 61 and the plate-shaped member 64 decreases toward the downstream of the portion that moves the multiple bars 61 in the conveying direction. The plate-shaped member 64 is made of metal. For example, the plate-shaped member 64 is made of stainless steel.

[0051] 5, the conveyor skirt 65 is disposed on both outer sides of the bars in the horizontal longitudinal direction (Y direction) perpendicular to the conveying direction. The conveyor skirt 65 covers both ends of the bars 61 in the longitudinal direction. The conveyor skirt 65 includes a rubber plate extending along the conveying direction (X direction) of the bar conveyor.

[0052] As shown in Fig. 6, the slope 66 guides large waste transported by the bar conveyor to the first transport section 11. The slope 66 is made of a plate-like metal. For example, the slope 66 is made of stainless steel. The slope 66 is inclined along the transport direction (X direction) of the conveyor of the transport section 10. The slope 66 has an inclination angle of 30 degrees or more.

[0053] The hood member 67 prevents small waste particles guided by the slope 63 from scattering. The hood member 67 is disposed so as to surround the slope 63. The hood member 67 is formed of a metal plate. For example, the hood member 67 includes a steel material and a rubber plate attached to the inside of the steel material. In other words, the small waste particles guided by the slope 63 hit the rubber plate and fall into the second conveying section 12 below. In other words, the rubber plate prevents the generation of noise caused by the collision of the waste particles and the rebound of the waste particles.

[0054] (Effects of this embodiment) In this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0055] In this embodiment, as described above, the transport unit 10 includes the first transport section 11 for transporting large-sized waste and the second transport section 12 for transporting small-sized waste at a different position in the width direction (Y direction) from the first transport section 11, and a pre-sorting mechanism 60 is provided, which is located upstream of the imaging section 40 and sorts large-sized waste into the first transport section 11 and small-sized waste into the second transport section 12. This allows small-sized waste sorted by the pre-sorting mechanism 60 before sorting by the robot 20 to be transported by the transport unit 10 common to the large-sized waste to be sorted by the robot 20. As a result, there is no need to provide a separate transport unit 10 for transporting small-sized waste sorted by the pre-sorting mechanism 60. This makes it possible to prevent the number of devices in the waste treatment system 100 from increasing and to prevent the system configuration from becoming complicated.

[0056] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the partition member 13 is provided to separate the first transport portion 11 and the second transport portion 12 of the transport section 10. This makes it possible to prevent small-sized waste transported by the second transport portion 12 from entering the first transport portion 11, thereby preventing a decrease in efficiency when the waste on the first transport portion 11 is sorted by the robot 20. In addition, it is possible to prevent large-sized waste transported by the first transport portion 11 from moving to the second transport portion 12, thereby preventing large-sized waste from being transported without being sorted.

[0057] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the transport section 10 transports the remaining waste that was not sorted by the robot 20 to the residue storage section 54 by the first transport section 11, and transports the small-sized waste sorted by the pre-sorting mechanism section 60 to the residue storage section 54 by the second transport section 12. This allows the residue, which is the small-sized waste sorted by the pre-sorting mechanism section 60, and the remaining residue that was not sorted by the robot 20 to be transported to the common residue storage section 54, making it easy to carry out post-processing of the residue collected in the common residue storage section 54.

[0058] In addition, in this embodiment, as described above, the imaging unit 40 images the large-sized waste transported by the first transport section 11. This allows the imaging unit 40 to image the waste transported by the first transport section 11 from which the small-sized waste has been removed, thereby preventing the large-sized waste from being difficult to detect due to the small-sized waste residue being captured. In addition, since the second transport section 12, to which the small-sized waste that does not need to be sorted is transported, is not imaged, it is not necessary to perform the imaging process and the image processing of the captured image over a large imaging range. As a result, it is possible to prevent the imaging process and the image processing from becoming complicated.

[0059] In this embodiment, as described above, the pre-sorting mechanism 60 includes a movable sieve having gaps through which small-sized waste can pass. This allows small-sized waste to fall through the gaps in the sieve while large-sized waste is transported by the movable sieve, making it easy to separate small-sized waste from large-sized waste.

[0060] In the present embodiment, as described above, the pre-sorting mechanism 60 includes a plurality of bars 61 arranged at a predetermined gap along the conveying direction (X2 direction) in which waste is sorted to the first conveying section 11, a bar drive section 62 that moves the plurality of bars 61 in the conveying direction and moves the plurality of bars 61 in the opposite direction (X1 direction) to the conveying direction below the portion where the plurality of bars 61 are moved in the conveying direction to orbit the plurality of bars 61, and a slope 63 that is arranged below the portion where the plurality of bars 61 are moved in the conveying direction and is inclined so as to guide small-sized waste that has fallen through the gaps between the plurality of bars 61 to the second conveying section 12. This allows large-sized waste to be transported to the first conveying section 11 by the plurality of bars 61 and sorted. Also, small-sized waste can be dropped onto the slope 63 from the gaps between the plurality of bars 61 and transported to the second conveying section by the inclination of the slope 63 and sorted. As a result, small-sized waste and large-sized waste can be more easily sorted.

[0061] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the bar drive unit 62 of the pre-sorting mechanism 60 has a pair of chains 621 that support both ends of the multiple bars 61, and the pair of chains 621 can bend downward at the portion that supports the multiple bars 61 and moves in the conveying direction (X2 direction). As a result, when waste is supplied onto the multiple bars 61 of the pre-sorting mechanism 60, the chains 621 that support the multiple bars 61 bend, and the shock of the falling waste can be absorbed. As a result, it is possible to prevent waste such as bottles from breaking when waste is supplied to the pre-sorting mechanism 60.

[0062] In this embodiment, as described above, the chain 621 supports the multiple bars 61 with some play so that the multiple bars 61 can move in the conveying direction and the up-down direction (Z direction). This allows the multiple bars 61 to move in the conveying direction and the up-down direction (Z direction) relative to the chain 621, which prevents waste from getting stuck between two adjacent bars 61 and becoming unable to get out.

[0063] In this embodiment, as described above, the pre-sorting mechanism 60 includes a plate-like member 64 that is disposed on the inner periphery of the multiple bars 61 that are driven to rotate downstream of the portion that moves the multiple bars 61 in the conveying direction (X2 direction) and curves along the moving direction of the multiple bars 61, and the plate-like member 64 has a shape in which the distance between the multiple bars 61 decreases toward the downstream of the portion that moves the multiple bars 61 in the conveying direction. This allows the waste to be lifted as it is conveyed downstream by the plate-like member 64, even if a large piece of waste falls between the multiple bars 61. This makes it possible to prevent the conveyor from stopping due to overload caused by waste getting stuck between the multiple bars 61.

[0064] In this embodiment, as described above, the pre-sorting mechanism 60 is disposed on both outer sides of the horizontal bar longitudinal direction (Y direction) perpendicular to the conveying direction, and includes the conveyor skirt 65 that covers the bar longitudinal direction of the multiple bars 61. This makes it possible to prevent waste from falling from the pre-sorting mechanism 60 in the bar longitudinal direction.

[0065] In this embodiment, as described above, the waste includes bottles B of multiple colors, and the robot 20 sorts the bottles B as waste according to their colors. This allows the robot 20 to identify and sort the bottles B of multiple colors as waste by color.

[0066] (Modification) It should be noted that the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present disclosure is indicated by the claims, not by the description of the embodiments above, and further includes all modifications (variations) within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0067] For example, in the above embodiment, the robot is configured to include parallel links, but is not limited to this. The robot may include vertical multiple joints or horizontal multiple joints.

[0068] In addition, in the above embodiment, an example of a configuration in which three robots are arranged is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this, and one, two, or four or more robots may be arranged.

[0069] In the above embodiment, an example of a configuration in which bottles as waste are sorted by color has been shown, but this is not limited to the above. The waste may be something other than bottles. For example, the waste may be plastic, metal, or non-burnable garbage. The waste may also be sorted by material or size.

[0070] In the above embodiment, an example of a configuration in which the pre-sorting mechanism includes a movable sieve has been shown, but this is not limiting. The pre-sorting mechanism may include a fixed sieve. In this case, as in the modified example shown in FIG. 8, the waste disposal system 300 includes a pre-sorting mechanism 360. The pre-sorting mechanism 360 includes a sieve that is inclined in the width direction (Y direction) of the conveying section 10. The pre-sorting mechanism 360 also guides larger-sized waste from the input waste along the sieve to the first conveying section 11. The pre-sorting mechanism 60 also causes smaller-sized waste from the input waste to fall through the sieve and guide it to the second conveying section 12.

[0071] In the above embodiment, an example of a configuration in which a system control unit that distinguishes waste and a robot control unit that controls the operation of the robot are provided separately has been shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. The system control unit and the robot control unit may be a common unit, and the system control unit that distinguishes waste may control the operation of the robot.

[0072] In the above embodiment, an example of a configuration in which a single monocular camera is provided as the imaging unit has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. A plurality of cameras may be provided as the imaging unit, or a stereo camera may be provided as the imaging unit.

[0073] In the above embodiment, an example of a configuration in which waste is sorted by a robot is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. A worker may work together with the robot to sort the waste. Also, the worker may remotely monitor the sorting work of the robot. In this case, the worker may perform an operation to correct the waste determination process based on the image of the waste captured by the imaging unit.

[0074] In the above embodiment, an example of a configuration in which waste is put into a container and collected at a waste treatment facility in which a waste treatment system is installed is shown, but this is not limited to the above. Waste may be collected in something other than a container. For example, waste may be collected in a bag, or directly loaded onto a truck or the like. In this case, the configuration of the previous stage for feeding waste into the transport section of the waste treatment system may be appropriately changed according to the waste collection form.

[0075] [Aspects] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the exemplary embodiments described above are examples of the following aspects.

[0076] (Aspect 1) A conveying section including a first conveying section for conveying large-sized waste and a second conveying section for conveying small-sized waste at a position different in the width direction from the first conveying section; an imaging unit that images the waste transported by the transport unit; a robot that sorts the large-sized waste transported by the transport unit based on an image of the waste captured by the imaging unit; A waste treatment system comprising: a pre-sorting mechanism located upstream of the imaging unit, which sorts the large-sized waste into the first transport section and the small-sized waste into the second transport section.

[0077] (Aspect 2) 2. The waste treatment system of claim 1, further comprising a partition member that separates the first transport portion and the second transport portion of the transport section.

[0078] (Aspect 3) A waste treatment system as described in aspect 1 or 2, wherein the transport section transports the remaining waste that was not sorted by the robot to a residue storage section via the first transport section, and transports small-sized waste sorted by the pre-sorting mechanism to the residue storage section via the second transport section.

[0079] (Aspect 4) A waste treatment system according to any one of Aspects 1 to 3, wherein the imaging section images the large-sized waste transported by the first transport part.

[0080] (Aspect 5) The waste treatment system according to any one of aspects 1 to 4, wherein the pre-sorting mechanism includes a movable or fixed sieve having gaps through which the small-sized waste passes.

[0081] (Aspect 6) The waste treatment system of aspect 5, wherein the pre-sorting mechanism includes a plurality of bars arranged at a predetermined gap along a conveying direction for sorting waste into the first conveying section, a bar drive unit that moves the plurality of bars in the conveying direction and moves the plurality of bars in the opposite direction to the conveying direction below the portion that moves the plurality of bars in the conveying direction, thereby driving the plurality of bars in an orbit, and a slope that is arranged below the portion that moves the plurality of bars in the conveying direction and is inclined so as to guide the small-sized waste that falls through the gaps between the plurality of bars to the second conveying section.

[0082] (Aspect 7) A waste treatment system as described in aspect 6, wherein the bar drive unit of the pre-sorting mechanism unit has a pair of chains that support both ends of the multiple bars, and the portion of the pair of chains that supports the multiple bars and moves in the conveying direction is capable of bending downward.

[0083] (Aspect 8) A waste treatment system as described in aspect 7, wherein the chain supports the multiple bars with play so that the multiple bars can move in the conveying direction and in the vertical direction.

[0084] (Aspect 9) the front sorting mechanism is disposed on an inner peripheral side of the plurality of bars that are driven to rotate downstream of a portion that moves the plurality of bars in the conveying direction, and includes a plate-like member that is curved along the movement direction of the plurality of bars, A waste treatment system described in any one of aspects 6 to 8, wherein the plate-like member has a shape such that the distance between the plate-like member and the multiple bars decreases toward the downstream of the portion that moves the multiple bars in the conveying direction.

[0085] (Aspect 10) A waste treatment system described in any one of aspects 6 to 9, wherein the pre-sorting mechanism is arranged on both outsides of a horizontal bar longitudinal direction perpendicular to the conveying direction and includes a conveyor skirt covering the bar longitudinal direction of the multiple bars.

[0086] (Aspect 11) The waste includes multiple colored bins, 11. The waste treatment system according to any one of Aspects 1 to 10, wherein the robot sorts bottles as waste according to color. [Explanation of symbols]

[0087] 10. Conveyor 11 First conveying section 12 Second conveying section 13 Partitioning material 20. Robot 40 Imaging unit 54 Residue storage section 60 Front sorting mechanism 61 Bar 62 Bar drive unit 63 Slope 64 Plate-shaped members 65 Conveyor Skirt 100, 300 Waste treatment system 621 Chain B Bottle (waste) W Worker

Claims

1. A conveying section including a first conveying section for conveying large-sized waste and a second conveying section for conveying small-sized waste at a position different in the width direction from the first conveying section; an imaging unit that images the waste transported by the transport unit; a robot that sorts the large-sized waste transported by the transport unit based on an image of the waste captured by the imaging unit; A waste treatment system comprising: a pre-sorting mechanism located upstream of the imaging unit, which sorts the large-sized waste into the first transport section and the small-sized waste into the second transport section.

2. The waste treatment system according to claim 1 , further comprising a partition member separating the first transport portion and the second transport portion of the transport section.

3. The waste treatment system described in claim 1, wherein the transport section transports the remaining waste that was not sorted by the robot to a residue storage section via the first transport section, and transports small-sized waste sorted by the pre-sorting mechanism to the residue storage section via the second transport section.

4. The waste treatment system according to claim 1 , wherein the imaging unit images the large-sized waste transported by the first transport section.

5. The waste treatment system of claim 1 , wherein the pre-sorting mechanism includes a movable or fixed sieve having gaps through which the small-sized waste passes.

6. The waste treatment system of claim 5, wherein the pre-sorting mechanism includes a plurality of bars arranged at a predetermined gap along a transport direction in which waste is sorted into the first transport section, a bar drive unit that moves the plurality of bars in the transport direction and moves the plurality of bars in the opposite direction to the transport direction below a portion that moves the plurality of bars in the transport direction, thereby driving the plurality of bars in an orbit, and a slope that is arranged below the portion that moves the plurality of bars in the transport direction and is inclined so as to guide the small-sized waste that falls through the gaps between the plurality of bars into the second transport section.

7. The waste treatment system of claim 6, wherein the bar drive unit of the front sorting mechanism unit has a pair of chains supporting both ends of the plurality of bars, and the portion of the pair of chains that supports the plurality of bars and moves in the conveying direction is capable of bending downward.

8. 8. The waste treatment system according to claim 7, wherein the chain supports the plurality of bars with play such that the plurality of bars can move in the conveying direction and in the up-down direction.

9. the front sorting mechanism is disposed on an inner peripheral side of the plurality of bars that are driven to rotate downstream of a portion that moves the plurality of bars in the conveying direction, and includes a plate-like member that is curved along the movement direction of the plurality of bars, 7. The waste treatment system according to claim 6, wherein the plate-like member has a shape such that a distance between the plate-like member and the plurality of bars decreases downstream of a portion that moves the plurality of bars in the transport direction.

10. The waste treatment system according to claim 6 , wherein the pre-sorting mechanism includes a conveyor skirt arranged on both outer sides of a horizontal bar longitudinal direction perpendicular to the conveying direction and covering the bar longitudinal direction of the plurality of bars.

11. The waste includes multiple colored bins, 2. The waste treatment system of claim 1, wherein the robot sorts waste bottles according to color.

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