Waste material supply monitor device

Abstract

To provide a waste material supply monitor device which can continue crushing process in a crushing plant to inhibit deterioration of a throughput.SOLUTION: A waste material supply monitor device (100) monitors supply of a waste material to a processing unit in an asphalt crushing plant and includes: a supply monitor unit (20) which monitors an amount of the waste material supplied to the processing unit; a supply adjustment unit (40) which adjusts the amount of the waste material supplied to the processing unit; and a control unit (30) which controls the supply adjustment unit (40) based on a monitor result of the supply monitor unit (20).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a waste material supply monitoring device, and more particularly to a waste material supply monitoring device for monitoring the supply of waste material in an asphalt crushing plant. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, waste asphalt mixture removed during paving work is crushed in a crushing plant and reused as recycled aggregate. In such crushing plants, the waste is transported by a conveyor such as a belt conveyor and fed into a crusher such as a jaw crusher, where it is crushed to a size usable as recycled aggregate. Furthermore, if the amount of waste fed into the crusher exceeds its processing capacity, the crusher will stop and the amount of waste processed per hour will decrease. Therefore, it has been proposed to take an image of the waste feed point with a camera and check it on a monitor so that problems such as clogging of the waste can be dealt with promptly (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-118681 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in a crushing plant, multiple crushers and belt conveyors are in operation, and crushing processing of waste materials is carried out continuously at multiple locations. Therefore, it is difficult for the manager to constantly monitor everything with cameras and monitors and prevent problems from occurring. Even if the manager discovers a problem, he or she must clear the blockage of waste materials and restart the crushers and belt conveyors, making it difficult to prevent a decrease in processing volume.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and aims to provide a waste material supply monitoring device that can continue the crushing process in a crushing plant and prevent a decrease in processing volume. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the waste material supply monitoring device of the present invention is a waste material supply monitoring device that monitors the supply of waste material to a processing unit in an asphalt crushing plant, and is characterized by comprising a supply monitoring unit that monitors the amount of waste material supplied to the processing unit, a supply adjustment unit that adjusts the amount of waste material supplied to the processing unit, and a control unit that controls the supply adjustment unit based on the monitoring results of the supply monitoring unit.

[0007] In the waste material supply monitoring device of the present invention, the supply monitoring unit monitors the amount of waste material supplied to the processing unit, and the supply adjustment unit adjusts the amount of waste material supplied to the processing unit, thereby stabilizing the amount of waste material input to the processing unit, allowing the crushing process in the crushing plant to continue and suppressing a decrease in processing volume.

[0008] In one aspect of the present invention, the processing section is a primary crusher or a secondary crusher.

[0009] In one aspect of the present invention, the control unit controls the operation of a first conveying unit that conveys the waste material to the primary crusher, or a second conveying unit that conveys the waste material to the secondary crusher.

[0010] In one aspect of the present invention, the control unit controls opening and closing of a blocking plate provided at an inlet of the primary crusher or the secondary crusher.

[0011] In one aspect of the present invention, the supply monitoring unit measures the load on the primary crusher or the secondary crusher.

[0012] In one aspect of the present invention, the supply monitoring unit is a camera that monitors the amount of waste material supplied to the primary crusher or the secondary crusher.

[0013] In one aspect of the present invention, the processing unit is a second conveying unit that conveys the waste material discharged from the primary crusher to a secondary crusher, and the supply monitoring unit is a camera that monitors the supply amount of the waste material supplied from the third conveying unit to a position midway through the second conveying unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] The present invention can provide a waste material supply monitoring device that can continue the crushing process in a crushing plant and prevent a decrease in the throughput. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of an asphalt crushing plant using a waste material supply monitoring device 100 according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a waste material supply monitoring device 100 according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the waste material supply monitoring device 100 according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a schematic side view showing an example of a waste material supply monitoring device 100 according to a second embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view showing an example of a waste material supply monitoring device 100 according to a second embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view showing an example of a waste material supply monitoring device 100 according to a third embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view showing an example of a waste material supply monitoring device 100 according to a fourth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] (First embodiment) An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The same or equivalent components, parts, and processes shown in each drawing are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted where appropriate. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example configuration of an asphalt crushing plant using a waste material supply monitoring device 100 according to this embodiment. The asphalt crushing plant of FIG. 1 includes a backhoe 1, an input hopper 2, a grizzly feeder 3, a primary crusher 4, a belt conveyor 5, a secondary crusher 6, a belt conveyor 7, a belt conveyor 9, a vibrating feeder 10, belt conveyors 12 and 13, an impact breaker 14, and supply monitoring units 20a to 20c, and produces recycled asphalt aggregate 8 and recycled roadbed material 11.

[0017] The backhoe 1 is a device that transports and dumps waste asphalt stored in an asphalt dump site to the dump hopper 2. A manager rides on the backhoe 1 to operate the backhoe 1, and may also use a control unit 30, which will be described later, to control the operation of each part of the asphalt crushing plant. Also, although an example of using the backhoe 1 to transport waste asphalt has been shown here, other transportation means may be used as long as they can transport and dump the waste asphalt to the dump hopper 2.

[0018] The input hopper 2 is an opening that receives the asphalt waste material input by the backhoe 1 and supplies the asphalt waste material to the grizzly feeder 3. There are no restrictions on the shape or structure of the input hopper 2, but it is preferable that the input hopper 2 be funnel-shaped with a large area at the top and a small area at the bottom so that the input asphalt waste material can be temporarily stored in the input hopper 2 and then supplied sequentially as it is transported by the grizzly feeder 3.

[0019] The grizzly feeder 3 is a part that transports the asphalt waste material supplied from the feeding hopper 2 to the primary crusher 4 and also drops small-sized asphalt waste material downward as grizzly under for sorting. The asphalt waste material transported by the grizzly feeder 3 is fed into the feed port of the primary crusher 4, and the asphalt waste material that drops as grizzly under is discharged onto the belt conveyor 9. The grizzly feeder 3 transports the asphalt waste material to the primary crusher 4 and corresponds to the first conveying section in the present invention.

[0020] The primary crusher 4 is a part that crushes the asphalt waste material supplied from the grizzly feeder 3, and for example, a jaw crusher device can be used. The asphalt waste material crushed by the primary crusher 4 falls downward and is discharged onto the belt conveyor 5.

[0021] The belt conveyor 5 is a section that transports the asphalt waste discharged from the primary crusher 4 to the secondary crusher 6. Along the transport route, the belt conveyor 5 is supplied with asphalt waste from the belt conveyor 12 and materials from the impact breaker 14, and transports these as well to the secondary crusher 6. The belt conveyor 5 transports the asphalt waste to the secondary crusher 6, and therefore corresponds to the second transport section in the present invention.

[0022] The secondary crusher 6 is a part that crushes the asphalt waste and materials supplied from the belt conveyor 5 to produce recycled asphalt aggregate 8, and can be, for example, a jaw crusher or impact crusher. The asphalt waste and materials crushed by the secondary crusher 6 fall downward and are discharged onto the belt conveyor 7.

[0023] The belt conveyor 7 is a part that transports the recycled asphalt aggregate 8, which includes waste asphalt and other materials discharged from the secondary crusher 6, to a collection point. If a collection point for recycled asphalt aggregate 8 is not provided separately from the secondary crusher 6, the belt conveyor 7 may be omitted. Alternatively, the recycled asphalt aggregate 8 may be transported to the collection point using other transport means such as a transport vehicle.

[0024] The recycled asphalt aggregate 8 is an aggregate containing asphalt waste and materials that have been mixed and crushed in the secondary crusher 6, and is temporarily stored in a collection point. The recycled asphalt aggregate 8 is reused as a raw material when producing recycled heated asphalt mixtures.

[0025] The belt conveyor 9 is a part that transports the grizzly under discharged from the grizzly feeder 3 to the vibrating feeder 10. The grizzly under transported by the belt conveyor 9 is fed into the inlet of the vibrating feeder 10.

[0026] The vibrating feeder 10 vibrates the grizzly underscraper fed from the belt conveyor 9 to separate it into recycled roadbed material 11 and waste asphalt to be reused. The recycled roadbed material 11 separated by the vibrating feeder 10 falls downward and is temporarily accumulated in a collection point. The waste asphalt to be reused separated by the vibrating feeder 10 is discharged onto the belt conveyor 12.

[0027] The recycled roadbed material 11 is roadbed material that has been sorted by the vibrating feeder 10, and is temporarily accumulated in a collection point. If the collection point for the recycled roadbed material 11 is located away from the vibrating feeder 10, a separate belt conveyor or the like may be used to transport the recycled roadbed material 11. The recycled roadbed material 11 is reused as a material that constitutes the roadbed of a paved road.

[0028] The belt conveyor 12 is a part that transports the recycled asphalt waste material discharged from the vibrating feeder 10 onto the transport path of the belt conveyor 5. Although shown simply in Figure 1, the end of the belt conveyor 12 is extended onto the transport path of the belt conveyor 5. The belt conveyor 12 transports the asphalt waste material to the belt conveyor 5, and therefore corresponds to the third transport section in the present invention.

[0029] The belt conveyor 13 is a part that transports materials to be mixed into the waste asphalt to the impact breaker 14. The materials transported by the belt conveyor 13 are fed into the inlet of the impact breaker 14. Materials to be mixed into the waste asphalt include aggregates that are not recycled aggregates.

[0030] The impact breaker 14 is a part that crushes the material supplied from the belt conveyor 13. The material crushed by the impact breaker 14 falls downward and is discharged onto the conveying path of the belt conveyor 5.

[0031] The supply monitoring unit 20a is a part that monitors the supply amount of waste asphalt supplied to the primary crusher 4. The supply monitoring unit 20b is a part that monitors the supply amount of waste asphalt supplied to the secondary crusher 6. The supply monitoring unit 20c is a part that monitors the supply amount of waste asphalt supplied from the belt conveyor 12 to the conveying path of the belt conveyor 5. The specific configuration of the supply monitoring units 20a to 20c is not limited, but image capture and image recognition by a camera, load measurement of the primary crusher 4 and the secondary crusher 6, etc. can be used.

[0032] The input hopper 2, grizzly feeder 3, primary crusher 4, belt conveyor 5, secondary crusher 6, belt conveyor 7, belt conveyor 9, vibrating feeder 10, and belt conveyor 12 shown in Fig. 1 are all parts that transport, crush, sort, and otherwise process waste asphalt, and correspond to processing parts in the present invention. The start and stop of operation, processing speed, etc. of each processing part are controlled by a control part 30, which will be described later.

[0033] In the asphalt crushing plant shown in Figure 1, waste asphalt stored in an asphalt waste storage area is dumped into a dump hopper 2 by a backhoe 1, and the grizzly under and waste asphalt are separated by a grizzly feeder 3, and the waste asphalt is fed to a primary crusher 4. The waste asphalt crushed by the primary crusher 4 is transported to a secondary crusher 6 by a belt conveyor 5 and fed there. The grizzly under is transported to a vibrating feeder 10 by a belt conveyor 9 and fed there, where recycled roadbed material 11 and waste asphalt are separated. The waste asphalt separated by the vibrating feeder 10 is transported by a belt conveyor 12 and fed onto the conveying path of the belt conveyor 5. The waste asphalt transported by the belt conveyor 5, together with materials supplied from an impact breaker 14, is dumped into the secondary crusher 6, where it is crushed, and then transported to a collection point by a belt conveyor 7 as recycled asphalt aggregate 8.

[0034] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a waste material supply monitoring device 100 according to this embodiment. The waste material supply monitoring device 100 includes a supply monitoring unit 20, a control unit 30, and a supply adjustment unit 40. In the waste material supply monitoring device 100, the supply monitoring unit 20, the control unit 30, and the supply adjustment unit 40 are each connected to each other via information communication means so as to be able to communicate information with each other.

[0035] The supply monitoring unit 20 is a unit that monitors the amount of waste material supplied to the above-mentioned waste asphalt processing unit. The specific configuration of the supply monitoring unit 20 is not limited, but image capture and image recognition by a camera, load measurement of the primary crusher 4 and the secondary crusher 6, etc. can be used. In addition, the placement of the supply monitoring unit 20 in the asphalt crushing plant is not limited, but it is preferable to monitor the supply amount of waste asphalt supplied from the primary crusher 4, the secondary crusher 6, and the belt conveyor 12 to the conveying path of the belt conveyor 5, as shown in Figure 1.

[0036] The control unit 30 is a part that acquires information regarding the supply amount of waste asphalt monitored by the supply monitoring unit 20, processes the acquired information, and sends a control signal to the supply adjustment unit 40. The configuration of the control unit 30 is not limited, but one example is one that includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) for information processing, a memory device, a recording medium, an information communication device, etc. The control unit 30 controls the processing unit to be controlled in accordance with a predetermined program based on the waste supply amount information acquired from the supply monitoring unit 20. Here, the control unit 30 is shown as a single part, but the control unit 30 may also be configured by connecting multiple information processing devices so that they can communicate with each other and working together.

[0037] The supply adjustment unit 40 is a part that adjusts the amount of asphalt waste material supplied to the processing unit monitored by the supply monitoring unit 20 based on a control signal from the control unit 30. The specific configuration of the supply adjustment unit 40 is not limited, but when controlling the amount of asphalt waste material transported per hour by the grizzly feeder 3 or the belt conveyors 5, 12 that transport the asphalt waste material, the grizzly feeder 3 or the belt conveyors 5, 12 will also function as the supply adjustment unit 40.

[0038] Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the waste material supply monitoring device 100 according to this embodiment. When an administrator operates the asphalt crushing plant from a management office or backhoe 1, which are not shown in Figure 1, the waste material supply monitoring device 100 according to this embodiment starts the waste material supply monitoring method. When the control unit 30 starts the waste material supply monitoring method, it performs well-known initial setting operations such as an operation check and initial position detection, and then proceeds to step S1.

[0039] In the supply monitoring process of step S1, the supply monitoring unit 20 monitors the supply amount of waste asphalt supplied to the processing unit being monitored, and acquires supply amount information. As an example, the supply monitoring unit 20 can measure the load on the primary crusher 4 or the secondary crusher 6, and acquire the measured load as supply amount information. In the primary crusher 4 or the secondary crusher 6, the amount of energy consumed changes depending on the amount of waste asphalt being crushed, so the load can be measured by measuring the amount of energy consumed. The supply monitoring unit 20 transmits the acquired supply amount information to the control unit 30, and proceeds to step S2.

[0040] In the supply amount determination process of step S2, the control unit 30 sets the supply amount of waste asphalt to the processing unit to be monitored based on the supply amount information transmitted from the supply monitoring unit 20, and transmits a control signal to the supply adjustment unit 40. When the supply monitoring unit 20 measures the load of the primary crusher 4 or the secondary crusher 6, the control unit 30 sends a control signal to the supply adjustment unit 40 to reduce or stop the supply amount of waste asphalt based on the measured load value. After transmitting the control signal to the supply adjustment unit 40, the process proceeds to step S3.

[0041] In the supply adjustment process of step S3, the supply adjustment unit 40 adjusts the supply amount of waste asphalt supplied to the processing unit being monitored based on the control signal transmitted from the control unit 30. If the processing unit being monitored is the primary crusher 4 or the secondary crusher 6, the supply adjustment unit 40 stops or slows down the operation of the grizzly feeder 3 or the belt conveyor 5 to reduce the supply amount of waste asphalt input per hour. After the supply adjustment unit 40 adjusts the supply amount of waste asphalt, the process proceeds to step S4.

[0042] In the operation shutdown determination step of step S4, the control unit 30 determines whether to shut down the operation of the asphalt crushing plant, and if the operation is not shut down, proceeds to step S1. For example, when the control unit 30 detects that the manager has sent a signal to shut down the operation using an input device or the like, the control unit 30 determines that the operation of the asphalt crushing plant has been shut down. If the operation is shut down, the waste material supply monitoring method is terminated.

[0043] In the above-described waste material supply monitoring device 100 and waste material supply monitoring method, the supply monitoring unit 20 measures the load on the primary crusher 4 or secondary crusher 6, and the supply adjustment unit 40 adjusts the supply amount of waste asphalt based on the measured load. This allows the supply amount of waste asphalt to be reduced before the primary crusher 4 or secondary crusher 6 exceeds its asphalt waste crushing capacity and operation stops, and processing can be continued within the asphalt waste crushing capacity of the primary crusher 4 or secondary crusher 6.

[0044] The specific method for adjusting the load and supply amount by the control unit 30 is not limited. For example, the supply amount of waste asphalt may be reduced when the load exceeds a predetermined threshold. Alternatively, the relationship between the load of the primary crusher 4 or the secondary crusher 6 and the supply amount of waste asphalt may be predetermined, and the supply amount of waste asphalt may be set corresponding to the measured load. As an example, the supply amount of waste asphalt may be increased when the load is relatively low, and decreased when the load is relatively high. Furthermore, the control unit 30 may be provided with a machine learning function, and may perform machine learning on the relationship between the shutdown of the primary crusher 4 or the secondary crusher 6 and fluctuations in the load. If the load fluctuations resemble the machine-learned shutdown pattern, the supply amount of waste asphalt may be reduced or stopped.

[0045] In the waste material supply monitoring device 100 of this embodiment, the supply monitoring unit 20 monitors the amount of asphalt waste material supplied to the processing unit, and the supply adjustment unit 40 adjusts the amount of asphalt waste material supplied to the processing unit, thereby stabilizing the amount of asphalt waste material fed into the processing unit, allowing the crushing process in the asphalt crushing plant to continue and suppressing a decrease in the processing volume. (Second embodiment)

[0046] Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 4 and 5. Description of content overlapping with the first embodiment will be omitted. Fig. 4 is a schematic side view showing an example of a waste material supply monitoring device 100 according to this embodiment. Fig. 5 is a schematic plan view showing an example of a waste material supply monitoring device 100 according to this embodiment. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the waste material supply monitoring device 100 includes an input hopper 2, a grizzly feeder 3, a primary crusher 4, a belt conveyor 5, a supply monitoring unit 20a, and a dam plate 21.

[0047] The supply monitoring unit 20a is a camera provided near the primary crusher 4, and captures an image of the waste asphalt fed into the feed port of the primary crusher 4. Therefore, the supply monitoring unit 20a captures an image of the waste asphalt fed from the grizzly feeder 3 to the primary crusher 4. By using a camera as the supply monitoring unit 20a, it is possible to capture an image of the waste asphalt fed into the primary crusher 4, which is the monitoring target, and use the captured image as supply amount information.

[0048] The dam plate 21 is disposed between the grizzly feeder 3 and the inlet of the primary crusher 4, and is a part that separates the two by moving up and down by a separately provided drive unit (not shown). When the dam plate 21 is raised to the highest position, it is fully open, and when it is lowered to the lowest position, it is fully closed, and the amount of asphalt waste material moving from the grizzly feeder 3 to the primary crusher 4 is limited by the height of the dam plate 21. Therefore, the dam plate 21 has the function of adjusting the amount of asphalt waste material supplied to the primary crusher 4, which is the processing unit, and functions as part of the supply adjustment unit 40 in the present invention.

[0049] In this embodiment, a camera is used as the supply monitoring unit 20a, and the image of the asphalt waste material fed into the primary crusher 4 becomes the supply amount information. The control unit 30 performs image recognition processing to recognize the asphalt waste material contained in the image and estimates the size and amount of the asphalt waste material. The control unit 30 also compares the estimated size and amount of asphalt waste material with the processing capacity of the primary crusher 4 being monitored, and if it determines that the processing capacity will be exceeded, it sends a control signal to the supply adjustment unit 40 to reduce or stop the supply amount. Upon receiving the control signal, the supply adjustment unit 40 stops or slows down the operation of the grizzly feeder 3, thereby reducing the amount of asphalt waste material fed per hour.

[0050] In the above-described waste material supply monitoring device 100, the supply monitoring unit 20a takes an image of the asphalt waste material fed into the primary crusher 4, and the supply adjustment unit 40 adjusts the supply amount of asphalt waste material based on the amount of asphalt waste material estimated from the image. This allows the supply amount of asphalt waste material to be reduced before the asphalt waste material crushing capacity of the primary crusher 4 is exceeded and operation is stopped, and processing can be continued within the asphalt waste material crushing capacity of the primary crusher 4.

[0051] The specific methods by which the control unit 30 estimates the amount of waste asphalt and adjusts the supply amount are not limited. For example, the relationship between the captured image and the amount of waste asphalt may be learned through machine learning, and the amount of waste asphalt may be estimated from the captured image using the machine-learned image pattern. Furthermore, the supply amount of waste asphalt may be adjusted when the estimated amount of waste asphalt exceeds a predetermined threshold. For example, the supply amount of waste asphalt may be increased when the amount of waste asphalt is relatively small, and decreased when the amount of waste asphalt is relatively large. Furthermore, the control unit 30 may be equipped with a machine learning function, and may be trained to learn the relationship between the shutdown of the primary crusher 4 and the captured image, and the supply amount of waste asphalt may be reduced or stopped when the captured image resembles the machine-learned shutdown pattern.

[0052] In the waste material supply monitoring device 100 of this embodiment, the amount of asphalt waste material supplied to the primary crusher 4 is monitored by a camera, which is the supply monitoring unit 20a, and the amount of asphalt waste material supplied is adjusted by moving the dam plate 21, which is part of the supply adjustment unit 40, up and down, thereby stabilizing the amount of asphalt waste material fed into the primary crusher 4, allowing the crushing process in the asphalt crushing plant to continue and suppressing a decrease in processing volume. (Third embodiment)

[0053] Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 6. Description of content that overlaps with the first embodiment will be omitted. FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view showing an example of a waste material supply monitoring device 100 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, the waste material supply monitoring device 100 includes a belt conveyor 5, a secondary crusher 6, a belt conveyor 7, and a supply monitoring unit 20b.

[0054] The supply monitoring unit 20b is a camera provided near the secondary crusher 6, and captures an image of the asphalt waste material fed into the feed port of the secondary crusher 6. Therefore, the supply monitoring unit 20b captures an image of the asphalt waste material being fed from the belt conveyor 5 to the secondary crusher 6. By using a camera as the supply monitoring unit 20b, it is possible to capture an image of the asphalt waste material being fed into the secondary crusher 6, which is the monitoring target, and use the captured image as supply amount information.

[0055] 6, the amount of waste asphalt supplied to the secondary crusher 6 is adjusted by controlling the conveying speed of the belt conveyor 5, and the belt conveyor 5 also functions as the supply adjustment unit 40. In FIG. 6, the belt conveyor 5 is used as the supply adjustment unit 40, but a damming plate 21 may be placed between the inlet of the secondary crusher 6 and the belt conveyor 5, and the damming plate 21 may be used as part of the supply adjustment unit 40.

[0056] In the above-described waste material supply monitoring device 100, the supply monitoring unit 20b takes an image of the asphalt waste material fed into the secondary crusher 6, and the supply adjustment unit 40 adjusts the supply amount of asphalt waste material based on the amount of asphalt waste material estimated from the image. This allows the supply amount of asphalt waste material to be reduced before the secondary crusher 6 exceeds its asphalt waste material crushing capacity and operation stops, and processing can be continued within the asphalt waste material crushing capacity of the secondary crusher 6.

[0057] The specific methods by which the control unit 30 estimates the amount of waste asphalt and adjusts the supply amount are not limited. For example, the relationship between the captured image and the amount of waste asphalt may be learned through machine learning, and the amount of waste asphalt may be estimated from the captured image using the machine-learned image pattern. Furthermore, the supply amount of waste asphalt may be adjusted when the estimated amount of waste asphalt exceeds a predetermined threshold. For example, the supply amount of waste asphalt may be increased when the amount of waste asphalt is relatively small, and decreased when the amount of waste asphalt is relatively large. Furthermore, the control unit 30 may be provided with a machine learning function, and may be trained to learn the relationship between the shutdown of the secondary crusher 6 and the captured image, and the supply amount of waste asphalt may be reduced or stopped when the captured image resembles the machine-learned shutdown pattern.

[0058] In the waste material supply monitoring device 100 of this embodiment, the amount of asphalt waste material supplied to the secondary crusher 6 is monitored by a camera which is the supply monitoring unit 20b, and the conveying speed of the belt conveyor 5 which functions as the supply adjustment unit 40 is controlled to adjust the amount of asphalt waste material supplied, thereby stabilizing the amount of asphalt waste material fed into the secondary crusher 6, allowing the crushing process in the asphalt crushing plant to continue and suppressing a decrease in processing volume. (Fourth embodiment)

[0059] Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 7. Description of content that overlaps with the first embodiment will be omitted. FIG. 7 is a schematic plan view showing an example of a waste material supply monitoring device 100 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7, the waste material supply monitoring device 100 includes a belt conveyor 5, a belt conveyor 12, and a supply monitoring unit 20c.

[0060] The supply monitoring unit 20c is a camera provided near the end of the belt conveyor 12, and captures images of the waste asphalt being thrown from the belt conveyor 12 onto the transport path of the belt conveyor 5. Therefore, the supply monitoring unit 20c captures images of the waste asphalt being supplied from the belt conveyor 12 to the belt conveyor 5. By using a camera as the supply monitoring unit 20c, it is possible to capture images of the waste asphalt being thrown onto the belt conveyor 5, which is the monitoring target, and use the captured images as supply amount information.

[0061] In the example shown in Fig. 7, the conveying speed of the belt conveyor 12 is controlled to adjust the amount of asphalt waste material conveyed per unit time, thereby adjusting the supply amount of asphalt waste material supplied to the belt conveyor 5, and the belt conveyor 12 also functions as the supply adjustment unit 40. In addition, the belt conveyor 5 corresponds to the processing unit monitored by the supply monitoring unit 20c.

[0062] In the above-described waste material supply monitoring device 100, the supply monitoring unit 20c takes an image of the waste asphalt being put onto the belt conveyor 5, and the supply adjustment unit 40 adjusts the supply amount of waste asphalt based on the amount of waste asphalt estimated from the image. This reduces the supply amount of waste asphalt before the belt conveyor 5 exceeds its asphalt waste material transport capacity and operation stops, and allows the belt conveyor 5 to continue transporting the waste asphalt within its transport capacity.

[0063] The specific methods by which the control unit 30 estimates the amount of waste asphalt and adjusts the supply amount are not limited. For example, the relationship between the captured image and the amount of waste asphalt may be learned through machine learning, and the amount of waste asphalt may be estimated from the captured image using the machine-learned image pattern. Furthermore, the supply amount of waste asphalt may be adjusted when the estimated amount of waste asphalt exceeds a predetermined threshold. For example, when the amount of waste asphalt is relatively small, the conveying speed of the belt conveyor 12 may be increased to increase the supply amount of waste asphalt, and when the amount of waste asphalt is relatively large, the conveying speed of the belt conveyor 12 may be decreased to decrease the supply amount of waste asphalt. Furthermore, the control unit 30 may be provided with a machine learning function, and may perform machine learning on the relationship between the stoppage of the belt conveyor 5 and the captured image, and the supply amount of waste asphalt may be reduced or stopped when the captured image resembles the machine-learned operation stoppage pattern.

[0064] In the waste material supply monitoring device 100 of this embodiment, the amount of asphalt waste material supplied to the belt conveyor 5 is monitored by a camera which is the supply monitoring unit 20c, and the conveying speed of the belt conveyor 12 which functions as the supply adjustment unit 40 is controlled to adjust the amount of asphalt waste material supplied, thereby stabilizing the amount of asphalt waste material fed into the belt conveyor 5, allowing the crushing process in the asphalt crushing plant to continue and suppressing a decrease in processing volume.

[0065] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 100...Waste material supply monitoring device 1. Backhoe 2...Feed hopper 3...Grizzly Feeder 4...Primary crusher 5,7,9,12,13...Belt conveyor 6...Secondary crusher 8...Recycled asphalt aggregate 11…Recycled roadbed material 14...Impact breaker 10...Vibration feeder 20,20a~20c…Supply monitoring department 21...Damboard 30...Control unit 40…Supply adjustment section

Claims

1. A waste material supply monitoring device for monitoring the supply of waste material to a processing section in an asphalt crushing plant, a supply monitoring unit that monitors the amount of the waste material supplied to the processing unit; a supply adjusting unit that adjusts the amount of the waste material supplied to the processing unit; a control unit that controls the supply adjustment unit based on the monitoring results of the supply monitoring unit;

2. 2. The waste material supply monitoring device according to claim 1, The waste material supply monitoring device is characterized in that the processing section is a primary crusher or a secondary crusher.

3. 3. The waste material supply monitoring device according to claim 2, A waste material supply monitoring device characterized in that the control unit controls the operation of a first conveying unit that transports the waste material to the primary crusher or a second conveying unit that transports the waste material to the secondary crusher.

4. 3. The waste material supply monitoring device according to claim 2, The waste material supply monitoring device is characterized in that the control unit controls the opening and closing of a stopper plate provided at an inlet of the primary crusher or the secondary crusher.

5. 5. The waste material supply monitoring device according to claim 2, wherein: The waste material supply monitoring device is characterized in that the supply monitoring unit measures the load on the primary crusher or the secondary crusher.

6. 5. The waste material supply monitoring device according to claim 2, wherein: The waste material supply monitoring device is characterized in that the supply monitoring unit is a camera that monitors the amount of waste material supplied to the primary crusher or the secondary crusher.

7. 2. The waste material supply monitoring device according to claim 1, The processing unit is a second conveying unit that conveys the waste material discharged from the primary crusher to a secondary crusher, The waste material supply monitoring device is characterized in that the supply monitoring unit is a camera that monitors the supply amount of the waste material supplied from the third conveying unit to the second conveying unit.

Images