Waste treatment system

Abstract

To provide a waste treatment system which can suppress increase of a remaining sorting amount of a waste.SOLUTION: A waste treatment system 100 includes: a circulation type conveyance part 10 which includes a circulation part 11 for circulating and conveying a waste, and conveys a plurality of kinds of wastes; an imaging part 40 for imaging the waste conveyed by the circulation part 11 of the circulation type conveyance part 10; a robot 20 for sorting the waste conveyed by the circulation part 11 of the circulation type conveyance part 10, on the basis of the image of the waste imaged by the imaging part 40; and a residue removal part 60 including a brush 61 which moves in a horizontal direction of a width direction on the circulation type conveyance part 10, and removes a residue on the circulation type conveyance part 10.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 sorting system (waste treatment system) that includes a transport means for transporting multiple types of waste and a robot for sorting the waste transported by the transport means. In the waste sorting system of Patent Document 1, waste on the transport means that has not been sorted is discharged from the transport means at the end of the transport means. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5969685 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the waste sorting system (waste treatment system) of Patent Document 1 mentioned above, unsorted waste on the conveying means is discharged from the conveying means at the end of the conveying means, which has the problem that the amount of waste remaining unsorted may be large.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and one object of the present invention is to provide a waste treatment system that can prevent the amount of waste remaining unsorted from increasing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a waste treatment system according to one aspect includes a circulating transport unit that includes a circulating unit that transports waste by circulating it, and is equipped with a circulating transport unit that transports multiple types of waste, an imaging unit that images the waste transported by the circulating unit of the circulating transport unit, a robot that sorts the waste transported by the circulating unit of the circulating transport unit based on images of the waste captured by the imaging unit, and a residue removal unit that moves horizontally in the width direction on the circulating transport unit and includes a removal member that removes residue on the circulating transport unit.

[0008] In the waste disposal system according to one aspect, by configuring as described above, the waste is circulated in the circulating section, so that even if the robot misses waste being transported by the circulating section of the circulating transport section, the waste can be sorted again when the circulating section next circulates to the same position. This makes it possible to prevent the amount of waste remaining unsorted from increasing. In addition, a residue removal section is provided that includes a removal member that moves horizontally in the width direction on the circulating transport section to remove residue on the circulating transport section. This makes it possible to prevent waste residue from continuing to circulate around the circulating section in the configuration in which the waste is circulated, so that it is possible to prevent waste from becoming difficult to detect due to a large amount of residue being captured when the imaging section captures the image. Effect of the Invention

[0009] As described above, it is possible to prevent the amount of waste remaining unsorted from increasing. [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 residue removal section of a waste treatment system according to one embodiment. [Figure 6] 4A to 4C are diagrams for explaining the residue removal operation of the residue removal unit of the waste treatment system according to one embodiment. [Figure 7] 1 is a diagram for explaining movement in a circular transport section of a residue removal section of a waste treatment system according to one embodiment. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a front view showing a brush of a residue removal unit of a waste treatment system according to one embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a side view showing a brush of a residue removal unit of a waste treatment system according to one embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a removal member of a residue removal unit according to a first modified example of an embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a removal member of a residue removal unit according to a second 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 the waste (bottles) from a lower floor where the waste (bottles) (containers 201) are brought in to an upper floor where 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] In the waste disposal system 100, a worker W and a robot 20 work together to sort waste (bottles). As shown in FIG. 2, the waste disposal system 100 includes an orbital transport unit 10 and a robot 20. The orbital transport unit 10 transports multiple types of waste (bottles). The orbital transport unit 10 is configured with a conveyor. The robot 20 sorts the waste transported by the orbital unit 11 of the orbital transport unit 10. The robot 20 is also configured to be able to work together with the worker W.

[0019] The waste treatment system 100 also includes a system control unit 30, an imaging unit 40, a worker chute 50a, and chutes 50b and 50c.

[0020] In this embodiment, the waste treatment system 100 further includes a residue removal section 60.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 2, the circulating transfer section 10 includes a circulating section 11 and a loading section 12.

[0022] The circulating unit 11 transports waste (bins) by rotating them. The circulating unit 11 is a flat-top chain conveyor type that includes multiple plate-shaped moving bodies that move in a line. Waste is carried into the circulating unit 11 through a carry-in unit 12 provided on one side of the linear structure. The circulating unit 11 then transports the waste in a predetermined rotational direction (counterclockwise in the example shown in FIG. 2).

[0023] The carry-in section 12 carries waste (bottles) into the circulating section 11. The carry-in section 12 is provided on the upstream side of the circulating section 11. The carry-in section 12 is also disposed above the circulating section 11, and drops the waste into the circulating section 11. The waste carried into the circulating section 11 by the carry-in section 12 is smoothed out by a baffle plate or the like. This prevents multiple waste items (bottles) from overlapping.

[0024] 2, the robot 20 includes a plurality of (two) robot arms 22 and 23. The robot 20 also includes a robot control unit 21.

[0025] The robot 20 is disposed inside the circulating part 11 of the circulating transfer section 10. In addition, a plurality of (two) robots 20 are provided. The robot 20 is disposed in a linear portion of the circulating part 11.

[0026] The robot control unit 21 controls the operations of the robot arms 22 and 23. 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 operations of the robot arms 22 and 23 by executing a program stored in the memory 21b by the CPU 21a.

[0027] The robot control unit 21 also controls the operation of the robot arms 22 and 23, which sort 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 robot arms 22 and 23 to move to positions to hold the bottles B based on the sorting command transmitted from the system control unit 30. The robot control unit 21 also controls the operation of the robot arm 22 by controlling the drive of the arm drive unit 22a. The robot control unit 21 also controls the operation of the robot arm 23 by controlling the drive of the arm drive unit 23a. The arm drive units 22a and 23a each include a motor and an encoder for detecting the drive amount (rotation angle) of the motor. The arm drive units 22a (23a), which include a motor and an encoder, are provided for each of the multiple joints of the robot arm 22 (23).

[0028] As shown in FIG. 4, the robot arm 22 has a link 221, a link 222, and a vertical movement unit 223. The hand 224 is attached to the vertical movement unit 223. In the robot arm 22, the link 221 rotates about a rotation axis A1 relative to the base 20a. In addition, in the robot arm 22, the link 222 rotates about a rotation axis A2 relative to the link 221. This allows the robot arm 22 to move the hand 224 to a desired horizontal position by rotating each link about the rotation axes A1 and A2. In the robot arm 22, the vertical movement unit 223 moves up and down in the A3 direction relative to the link 222. This allows the robot arm 22 to move the hand 224 to a desired height position (vertical position).

[0029] The robot arm 23 has a link 231, a link 232, and a vertical movement unit 233. The hand 234 is attached to the vertical movement unit 233. In the robot arm 23, the link 231 rotates about the rotation axis A1 relative to the base 20a. In addition, in the robot arm 23, the link 232 rotates about the rotation axis A4 relative to the link 231. This allows the robot arm 23 to move the hand 234 to a desired horizontal position by rotating each link about the rotation axes A1 and A4. In the robot arm 23, the vertical movement unit 233 moves up and down in the A5 direction relative to the link 232. This allows the robot arm 23 to move the hand 234 to a desired height position (vertical position).

[0030] Moreover, the robot arms 22 and 23 are driven so as not to interfere with each other.

[0031] The hands 224 and 234 suck and hold the waste (bottles). The hand 224 (234) sucks the waste (bottles) by generating negative pressure at the lower tip. Negative pressure is generated in the hand 224 of the robot arm 22 by the ejector 24 (see FIG. 3). Also, negative pressure is generated in the hand 234 of the robot arm 23 by the ejector 25 (see FIG. 3).

[0032] 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 bottle B, and causes the robot 20 to sort the bottles as waste according to their color.

[0033] 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.

[0034] 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.

[0035] 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 circulatory transport unit 10 at predetermined time intervals. The system control unit 30 also acquires the images of the waste captured by the imaging unit 40.

[0036] The system control unit 30 acquires the conveying speed of the circulatory conveying unit 10 based on a signal from an encoder installed on the conveyor shaft of the circulatory conveying unit 10. The system control unit 30 also controls the movement of the robot arms 22 and 23 in the flow direction of the circulatory conveying unit 10 so as to synchronize with the conveying speed of the circulatory conveying unit 10. The system control unit 30 may control the conveying speed of the waste by the circulatory conveying unit 10 to a predetermined speed. The system control unit 30 also calculates position information (coordinate information) of the waste to be picked up by the robot arms 22 or 23 and information on the timing of holding (time information) based on the conveying speed of the circulatory conveying unit 10 and position information of the waste based on the image captured by the imaging unit 40, and transmits the calculated information to the robot control unit 21 as a sorting command.

[0037] The machine learning for identifying waste is performed in advance based on images of multiple types of bottles B and instruction information in which a person instructs the color of the bottles 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.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the imaging unit 40 images the waste transported by the circulating unit 11 of the circulating transport unit 10. The imaging unit 40 is provided above the circulating unit 11 of the circulating transport unit 10. The imaging unit 40 is provided upstream of the robot 20 in the transport direction of the circulating unit 11. The imaging unit 40 is disposed in the upstream part of the straight part of the circulating unit 11. That is, since the position and posture of the transported waste (bottles) are likely to change in the curved part (turning part) of the circulating unit 11, the state (position and posture) of the waste (bottles) is acquired at the entrance of the straight part of the circulating unit 11. The imaging unit 40 captures an image of the imaging range 40a by one imaging. The imaging unit 40 transmits the captured image to the system control unit 30. The imaging unit 40 is also configured of a single monocular camera. That is, the imaging unit 40 mainly captures monocular images of visible light. The imaging section 40 captures images at time intervals according to the conveying speed of the circulatory conveyor 10 .

[0039] Waste (bottles) sorted by worker W are inserted into the worker chute 50a. The worker chute 50a is connected to the corresponding storage section 50 (cullet storage section 51, 52 or 53) and guides the inserted waste to the corresponding storage section 50. The worker chute 50a is provided on the opposite side of the circulating conveying section 10 from the working position (standing position) of the worker W. In other words, the worker chute 50a is positioned inside the circulating section 11 of the circulating conveying section 10. The worker W performs work from the outside of the circulating section 11 of the circulating conveying section 10.

[0040] The chutes 50b and 50c are fed with waste (bottles) sorted by the robot 20. The chutes 50b and 50c are connected to the corresponding storage units 50 (cullet storage units 51, 52, or 53), respectively, and guide the waste fed thereinto the corresponding storage units 50. The chutes 50b and 50c are provided on the sides of the robot 20. The chute 50b is provided on the robot arm 22 side of the robot 20. The chute 50c is provided on the robot arm 23 side of the robot 20. The multiple robot arms 22 and 23 of the robot 20 sort the waste into the different chutes 50b and 50c. Specifically, the robot arm 22 sorts the waste into the chute 50b. The robot arm 23 sorts the waste into the chute 50c. The chutes 50b and 50c are provided corresponding to each of the multiple robots 20.

[0041] 5, the residue removal unit 60 removes residue on the circulating transfer unit 10. Specifically, the residue removal unit 60 includes a brush 61, a lifting unit 62, a brush support unit 63, a beam unit 64, a support unit 65, and a motor 66. The brush 61 is an example of a "removal member" in the claims.

[0042] Further, the brush 61 of the residue removal unit 60 moves on the circular transport unit 10 in the horizontal direction (X direction) of the width direction to remove residue on the circular transport unit 10.

[0043] The lifting unit 62 moves the brush 61 in the up-down direction. The lifting unit 62 includes, for example, an air cylinder. That is, as shown in FIG. 6, the lifting unit 62 moves the brush 61 between a residue removal position P1 where the brush 61 abuts against the circular transfer unit 10 and a retreat position P2 where the brush 61 retreats above the conveyor skirt 13.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 5, the brush support portion 63 supports the brush 61 above the brush 61 via the lift portion 62.

[0045] The beam portion 64 supports the brush support portion 63 so as to be movable in the width direction (X direction) of the circulatory conveying portion 10. A pair of beam portions 64 are provided along the conveying direction (Y direction) of the circulatory conveying portion 10. The beam portion 64 engages with an engagement portion 63a of the brush support portion 63 to support the brush support portion 63.

[0046] The support portion 65 supports a pair of beam portions 64. The pair of support portions 65 are provided so as to sandwich the conveyor of the circulatory transfer portion 10. The support portion 65 also supports a motor 66.

[0047] The motor 66 drives the belt 66b to move the brush 61 along the width direction (X direction) of the circulatory transfer unit 10. Specifically, the belt 66b is wound around the motor 66 and the pulley 66a. The belt 66b is also connected to the brush support unit 63. As a result, when the belt 66b is driven, the brush support unit 63 moves along the X direction. As a result, the brush 61 supported by the brush support unit 63 moves along the X direction. The motor 66 includes, for example, a stepping motor.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 2, the residue remover 60 is disposed across the circular transfer unit 10 in a portion of the circular transfer unit 10 where the transfer direction is linear.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 5, the circular conveying unit 10 includes a conveyor skirt 13 arranged on both outer sides (X1 direction side and X2 direction side) of the width direction (X direction) of the circular conveying unit 10, and a skirt moving portion 13a that slides and moves a portion of the conveyor skirt 13 on both outer sides in the width direction in a horizontal direction.

[0050] The conveyor skirt 13 normally covers both sides of the conveyor in the width direction so that waste transported by the circular transport unit 10 does not fall from the width direction. When the residue remover 60 removes residue on the conveyor of the circular transport unit 10, the conveyor skirt 13 slides outward in the width direction of the conveyor.

[0051] The skirt moving section 13a horizontally moves the portion of the conveyor skirt 13 where the residue removing section 60 is provided. The skirt moving section 13a includes, for example, an air cylinder.

[0052] The brush 61 is rotatable about a horizontal (Y-direction) rotation axis. As shown in Fig. 6, the residue remover 60 rotates a lower portion of the brush 61 in the same direction as the movement direction of the brush 61 to remove residue on the circular transfer unit 10.

[0053] Moreover, while the brush 61 moves back and forth horizontally above the circulatory conveying section 10, it removes residue on the circulatory conveying section 10 by dropping it onto one side and the other side of the circulatory conveying section 10 in the width direction.

[0054] Specifically, when the brush 61 moves in one direction on the circulating conveying section 10, it rotates forward so that the lower part of the brush 61 moves in one direction, and when the brush 61 moves in the other direction on the circulating conveying section 10, it rotates backward so that the lower part of the brush 61 moves in the other direction.

[0055] In addition, the residue removal section 60 removes residue on the circular transport section 10 by dropping it into gaps on both sides in the width direction that are generated when the conveyor skirts 13 on both sides in the width direction slide horizontally.

[0056] The residue remover 60 moves the brush 61 in the width direction over the circular transport unit 10 in a transporting state driven in the transport direction, thereby removing residue on the circular transport unit 10 .

[0057] The process of removing residue on the conveyor of the circulatory transport unit 10 by the residue removal unit 60 is performed under the control of the system control unit 30. The system control unit 30 performs the residue removal process at predetermined time intervals, when it determines that there is an increased amount of residue based on the image captured by the image capture unit 40, or in response to an operation by the operator W. The system control unit 30 performs the residue removal process while the circulatory unit 11 of the circulatory transport unit 10 is rotating one or more times.

[0058] When the waste is sorted by rotating the circulating part 11 as shown in Fig. 6(A) and then the residue removal process is performed, the conveyor skirt 13 is moved outward relative to the conveyor of the circulating part 11 by the skirt moving part 13a as shown in Fig. 6(B). This creates a gap between the conveyor of the circulating part 11 and the conveyor skirt 13.

[0059] 6(C), the brush 61 is moved from the retreated position P2 to the residue removal position P1 by the lifting unit 62. As a result, the brush 61 comes into contact with the conveyor of the circulating unit 11.

[0060] Next, as shown in Fig. 6(D), the brush 61 is moved in one direction (X2 direction) in the width direction (X direction) by driving the motor 66. At this time, the brush 61 is rotated forward so that the lower part of the brush 61 moves in one direction. As a result, the residue on the conveyor of the circulating part 11 is removed in one direction.

[0061] Next, as shown in Fig. 6(E), the brush 61 is moved in the other direction (X1 direction) of the width direction (X direction) by driving the motor 66. At this time, the brush 61 is rotated in the reverse direction so that the lower portion of the brush 61 moves in the other direction. As a result, the residue on the conveyor of the circulating part 11 is removed in the other direction.

[0062] Next, as shown in Fig. 6(F), the brush 61 is moved in one direction (X2 direction) in the width direction (X direction) by driving the motor 66. At this time, the brush 61 is rotated forward so that the lower portion of the brush 61 moves in one direction. As a result, the residue on the conveyor of the circulating unit 11 is removed in one direction.

[0063] Thereafter, the processes of FIG. 6(E) and FIG. 6(F) are repeated to remove residues on the conveyor of the rotating unit 11.

[0064] When the process of removing residues on the conveyor of the circulating part 11 is to be completed, the brush 61 is moved from the residue removal position P1 to the retreated position P2 by the lifting part 62, as shown in Fig. 6(G). This causes the brush 61 to move away from the conveyor of the circulating part 11. The brush 61 also retreats to a position where it does not interfere with the movement of the conveyor skirt 13.

[0065] 6(H), the skirt moving part 13a moves the conveyor skirt 13 from the outside to the inside of the conveyor of the circulating part 11. As a result, both outsides in the width direction of the conveyor of the circulating part 11 are covered by the conveyor skirt 13. This completes the process of removing residues on the conveyor of the circulating part 11.

[0066] 7, when the brush 61 moves in the width direction on the conveyor of the circulating part 11, the ends of the brush 61 overlap when moving in one direction and when moving in the other direction. This prevents residues on the conveyor of the circulating part 11 from being left unremoved.

[0067] 8, brush 61 includes a built-in DC motor 61a. DC motor 61a rotates brush 61. DC motor 61a rotates brush 61 forward or backward depending on the direction of current supplied thereto. Brush 61 rotates at a rotation speed of, for example, about 120 rpm to 240 rpm.

[0068] 9, the brush 61 has a diameter D1. The bristles 61b of the brush 61 have a length L1. The diameter D1 of the brush 61 is, for example, about 80 mm. The length of the bristles 61b of the brush 61 is, for example, 26 mm. The linear velocity V of the tips of the bristles 61b of the rotating brush 61 is V (m / sec) = π × diameter D1 (m) × rotation speed R ( / sec).

[0069] (Effects of this embodiment) In this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0070] In this embodiment, a circular transport unit 10 is provided that includes a circulating unit 11 that circulates and transports waste bottles B, and transports multiple types of waste. As a result, waste is circulated in the circulating unit 11, so even if the robot 20 misses waste transported by the circulating unit 11 of the circular transport unit 10, the waste can be sorted again when the circulating unit 11 next travels to the same position. This makes it possible to prevent the amount of waste left unsorted from increasing. In addition, by providing the circulating unit 11, it is not necessary to increase the number of robots 20 to prevent the amount of waste left unsorted from increasing, so the number of robots 20 that perform sorting can be minimized. In addition, by providing the circulating unit 11, waste that could not be sorted can be transported to the same position again, so there is no need to employ a robot with a high sorting speed, and a robot with a relatively slow sorting speed that can work in collaboration with humans can be employed. Also provided is a residue removal section 60 including a brush 61 that moves horizontally in the width direction on the circulating transport section 10 to remove residue on the circulating transport section 10. This makes it possible to prevent waste residue from continuing to circulate around the circulating section 11 in a configuration in which the waste is circulated, thereby making it possible to prevent the waste from becoming difficult to detect due to a large amount of residue being captured when the image is captured by the imaging section 40.

[0071] In this embodiment, the residue removal unit 60 includes a brush 61 that is rotatable about a horizontal axis of rotation, and a lower portion of the brush 61 rotates in the same direction as the movement direction of the brush 61 to remove residue on the circulatory transfer unit 10. This allows the bristles 61b of the brush 61 to hit the same position on the circulatory transfer unit 10 multiple times as the brush 61 rotates, thereby further reducing the risk of residue being left unremoved.

[0072] In this embodiment, the brush 61 moves back and forth horizontally on the circulatory conveying section 10, removing the residue on the circulatory conveying section 10 by dropping it onto one side and the other side in the width direction of the circulatory conveying section 10. This allows the residue on the circulatory conveying section 10 to be removed by moving it to the outside of both one side and the other side in the width direction of the circulatory conveying section 10, making it possible to prevent the distance traveled to remove the residue from becoming too large. As a result, the residue can be removed efficiently from the circulatory conveying section 10.

[0073] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the brush 61 moves in one direction on the circulatory transfer unit 10, it rotates forward so that a lower portion of the brush 61 moves in one direction, and when the brush 61 moves in the other direction on the circulatory transfer unit 10, it rotates backward so that a lower portion of the brush 61 moves in the other direction. As a result, when the brush 61 is moved in one direction to remove residue, the residue can be efficiently moved in one direction by the movement of the brush 61 in one direction and the forward rotation of the brush 61. Also, when the brush 61 is moved in the other direction to remove residue, the residue can be efficiently moved in the other direction by the movement of the brush 61 in the other direction and the reverse rotation of the brush 61.

[0074] In this embodiment, the skirt moving section 13a slides parts of the conveyor skirt 13 on both outer sides in the width direction in the horizontal direction, and the residue removing section 60 removes the residue on the circular conveying section 10 by dropping it into gaps on both sides in the width direction that are generated when the conveyor skirts 13 on both sides in the width direction slide in the horizontal direction. This allows the residue to be discharged to the outside of both sides in the width direction of the circular conveying section 10, so that the residue can be more efficiently removed from the circular conveying section 10 by moving the brush 61 back and forth.

[0075] In this embodiment, the residue removal unit 60 includes an elevation unit 62 that moves the brush 61 between a residue removal position P1 where the brush 61 abuts against the circular transfer unit 10 and a retracted position P2 where the brush 61 retracts above the conveyor skirt 13. This prevents the brush 61 from interfering with the horizontal sliding movement of the conveyor skirt 13, allowing the conveyor skirt 13 to be easily moved in the horizontal direction.

[0076] In this embodiment, the residue removal unit 60 moves the brush 61 in the width direction over the orbital conveying unit 10 in a conveying state driven in the conveying direction to remove residue on the orbital conveying unit 10. This allows the residue to be sequentially removed from each portion of the orbital conveying unit 10 in the conveying direction, effectively preventing the residue from accumulating on the orbital conveying unit 10.

[0077] In this embodiment, the residue removal unit 60 is disposed in a portion of the circulatory conveying unit 10 where the conveying direction is linear, so as to straddle the circulatory conveying unit 10. This makes it possible to easily ensure the arrangement space for the residue removal unit 60, unlike the case where the residue removal unit 60 is disposed in a bent portion of the circulatory conveying unit 10.

[0078] In this embodiment, 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.

[0079] (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.

[0080] For example, in the above embodiment, the robot is configured to include two robot arms, but is not limited to this. The robot may include one robot arm or three or more robot arms. The robot arm may be a vertical articulated robot. The robot may be a parallel link type robot.

[0081] In addition, in the above embodiment, an example of a configuration in which two robots are arranged is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this, and one robot or three or more robots may be arranged.

[0082] 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.

[0083] In the above embodiment, the skirt moving part horizontally slides a part of the conveyor skirt 13 on both sides of the width direction, but the present invention is not limited to this. The skirt moving part may horizontally slide a part of at least one of the conveyor skirts on both sides of the width direction.

[0084] In the above embodiment, the residue removal unit removes residue from the orbital conveying unit while moving back and forth horizontally in the width direction of the orbital conveying unit, but the present invention is not limited to this. The residue removal unit may be configured to remove residue when moving in one direction in the width direction of the orbital conveying unit, and to return without removing residue when moving in the other direction.

[0085] In the above embodiment, the residue removal unit moves the removal member in the width direction over the orbital transport unit in a transporting state driven in the transport direction to remove residue on the orbital transport unit, but is not limited to this. The residue removal unit may be configured to move the removal member in the width direction over the orbital transport unit in a stopped state to remove residue on the orbital transport unit. Also, the residue removal unit may be configured to remove residue on the orbital transport unit while driving the orbital transport unit intermittently.

[0086] In the above embodiment, a rotating brush is used as the removal member of the residue removal unit, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a non-rotating brush 611 may be used as the removal member of the residue removal unit, as in a first modified example shown in Fig. 10. Also, a plate-shaped scraper 612 may be used as the removal member, as in a second modified example shown in Fig. 11.

[0087] In the above embodiment, the brush serving as the removal member of the residue removal unit is reciprocated by driving a belt, but the present invention is not limited to this. The removal member of the residue removal unit may be reciprocated by driving a ball screw mechanism, a linear motor mechanism, or the like.

[0088] 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.

[0089] In the above embodiment, a single monocular camera is provided as the imaging unit, 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.

[0090] In the above embodiment, an example of a configuration in which a robot and a worker simultaneously perform waste sorting work has been shown, but this is not limited to this. The robot and the worker may perform waste sorting work at different times. For example, waste sorting work may be performed by only the worker or by both the worker and the robot during the day, and waste sorting work may be performed by only the robot at night (late night hours). This makes it possible to continue operation when waste sorting work is performed continuously 24 hours a day, or even when an emergency occurs and there is a shortage of workers.

[0091] In the above embodiment, an example of a configuration in which a worker cooperates with a robot to sort waste materials is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. The worker may remotely monitor the sorting work of the robot. In this case, the worker may perform an operation to correct the waste material determination process based on the image of the waste material captured by the imaging unit.

[0092] 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.

[0093] [Aspects] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the exemplary embodiments described above are examples of the following aspects.

[0094] (Aspect 1) a circulating transport unit that includes a circulating unit that circulates and transports waste and transports multiple types of waste; an imaging unit that images the waste transported by the circulating unit of the circulating transport unit; a robot that sorts the waste transported by the rotating part of the circular transport unit based on an image of the waste captured by the imaging part; a residue removal unit including a removal member that moves horizontally in the width direction on the circular transport unit to remove residue on the circular transport unit.

[0095] (Aspect 2) A waste treatment system as described in embodiment 1, wherein the removal member includes a brush rotatable about a horizontal axis of rotation, and a lower portion of the brush rotates in the same direction as the brush moves to remove debris on the orbital transport section.

[0096] (Aspect 3) A waste treatment system as described in aspect 2, wherein the brush moves back and forth horizontally over the circulating transport section, removing debris on the circulating transport section by dropping it onto one and the other sides of the width of the circulating transport section.

[0097] (Aspect 4) A waste treatment system as described in aspect 3, wherein when the brush moves in one direction on the circulating transport section, it rotates forward so that a lower portion of the brush moves in one direction, and when the brush moves in the other direction on the circulating transport section, it rotates backward so that a lower portion of the brush moves in the other direction.

[0098] (Aspect 5) The circular transport unit includes a conveyor skirt disposed on both outer sides of the circular transport unit in a width direction, and a skirt moving unit that horizontally slides and moves a part of the conveyor skirt on at least one of the conveyor skirts on both sides in the width direction, 5. The waste treatment system according to any one of aspects 1 to 4, wherein the residue removal unit removes residue on the circulating transfer unit by dropping it into a gap formed by horizontal sliding movement of the conveyor skirt.

[0099] (Aspect 6) The skirt moving section slides and moves a part of the conveyor skirt on both outer sides of the one side and the other side in the width direction in a horizontal direction, A waste treatment system as described in aspect 5, wherein the residue removal section removes residue on the circular transport section by dropping it into gaps on both sides of the width direction created by the conveyor skirts on both sides of the width direction sliding horizontally.

[0100] (Aspect 7) A waste treatment system as described in aspect 5 or 6, wherein the residue removal section includes a lifting section that moves the removal member between a residue removal position in contact with the circular transport section and a retracted position above the conveyor skirt.

[0101] (Aspect 8) The waste treatment system according to any one of aspects 1 to 7, wherein the residue removal section moves the removal member in a width direction over the circular transport section in a transporting state driven in the transporting direction to remove residue on the circular transport section.

[0102] (Aspect 9) 9. The waste treatment system according to any one of aspects 1 to 8, wherein the residue removal unit is disposed in a portion of the circulatory transport unit whose transport direction is linear so as to straddle the circulatory transport unit.

[0103] (Aspect 10) The waste includes multiple colored bins, 10. The waste treatment system according to any one of aspects 1 to 9, wherein the robot sorts bottles as waste according to color. [Explanation of symbols]

[0104] 10. Rotating conveyor section 11. Orbital Division 13 Conveyor Skirt 13a Skirt moving part 20. Robot 40 Imaging unit 60 Residue removal section 61 Brush (removal part) 62 Lifting section 100 Waste Treatment System 611 Brush (removal material) 612 Scraper (removal part) B Bottle (waste)

Claims

1. a circulating transport unit that includes a circulating unit that circulates and transports waste and transports multiple types of waste; an imaging unit that images the waste transported by the circulating unit of the circulating transport unit; a robot that sorts the waste transported by the rotating part of the circular transport unit based on an image of the waste captured by the imaging part; a residue removal unit including a removal member that moves horizontally in the width direction on the circular transport unit to remove residue on the circular transport unit.

2. 2. The waste treatment system of claim 1, wherein the removal member includes a brush rotatable about a horizontal axis of rotation, the lower portion of the brush rotating in the same direction as the brush moves to remove debris on the orbiting transport section.

3. 3. The waste treatment system according to claim 2, wherein the brush moves back and forth horizontally over the circulating transport section, removing debris on the circulating transport section by dropping it onto one side and the other side of the width of the circulating transport section.

4. 4. The waste treatment system of claim 3, wherein when the brush moves in one direction on the revolving transport section, it rotates forward so that a lower portion of the brush moves in one direction, and when the brush moves in the other direction on the revolving transport section, it rotates backward so that a lower portion of the brush moves in the other direction.

5. The circular transport unit includes a conveyor skirt disposed on both outer sides of the circular transport unit in a width direction, and a skirt moving unit that horizontally slides and moves a part of the conveyor skirt on at least one of the conveyor skirts on both sides in the width direction, 2. The waste treatment system according to claim 1, wherein the residue removal section removes the residue on the circulating transport section by dropping it into a gap formed by the horizontal sliding movement of the conveyor skirt.

6. The skirt moving section slides and moves a part of the conveyor skirt on both outer sides of the one side and the other side in the width direction in a horizontal direction, The waste treatment system according to claim 5 , wherein the residue removal section removes residue on the circular transport section by dropping it into gaps on both sides in the width direction that are created when the conveyor skirts on both sides in the width direction slide horizontally.

7. The waste treatment system of claim 5, wherein the residue removal section includes a lifting section that moves the removal member between a residue removal position in contact with the circular transport section and a retracted position above the conveyor skirt.

8. The waste treatment system according to claim 1 , wherein the residue removal section moves the removal member in a width direction over the circular transport section in a transporting state driven in the transport direction to remove residue on the circular transport section.

9. The waste treatment system according to claim 1 , wherein the residue removal unit is disposed in a portion of the circular transport unit whose transport direction is linear so as to straddle the circular transport unit.

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

Images