Article collection apparatus and carriage

Abstract

To provide an article collecting device and a carrying truck suitable for collecting articles, in particular, for efficiently carrying full collecting bags.SOLUTION: The object is achieved by an article collection device that is used together with a carriage that carries an article to be collected and that collects the article therein, the article collection device being configured such that the carriage can be inserted into a lower region of the article collection device, and a carriage that carries the article to be collected, the carriage including a loading platform, wheels, and a handle, the handle being capable of being raised or tilted, and the handle being capable of being stored in a handle storage region on a side facing a top surface of the loading platform in a tilted state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an article recovery device and a transport cart. [Background technology]

[0002] Various article recovery devices are known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The article recovery device described in Patent Document 1 is designed for empty containers, and empty containers are inserted into an insertion port, reduced in volume, and then stored. An empty container recovery box is stored inside the housing of the recovery device main body, and when the empty container recovery box becomes full, the reduced-volume empty containers are transported to a designated collection location, for example by carrying the empty container recovery box containing the empty containers. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-175789 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the method of Patent Document 1 has some difficulties in handling, such as the difficulty in disposing of collection boxes as the amount of collection increases, and a more efficient solution was sought.

[0005] The present invention addresses these problems, and one of its objectives is to provide an article recovery device that is suitable for efficiently recovering articles, particularly for efficiently processing full collection bags. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The article recovery device according to the present invention has at least the following configuration. An item recovery device for recovering items inside, which is used together with a transport cart for transporting recovered items, characterized in that the item recovery device is configured so that the transport cart can be inserted into a lower area of ​​the device.

[0007] The transport cart according to the present invention has at least the following configuration. The transport cart for transporting collected articles is characterized in that it comprises a loading platform, wheels, and a handle, and the handle can be erected or tilted, and when tilted, can be stored in a handle storage area on the opposite side of the top surface of the loading platform. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1A, 1B, and 1C are overall conceptual diagrams of an article recovery device according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1A is a front view, FIG. 1B is a left side view, and FIG. 1C is a top view. [Figure 2] 2(a) and 2(b) are overall conceptual diagrams of an article recovery device according to one embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 2(a) is a perspective view, FIG. 2(b) is a right side view, and FIG. 2(c) is an enlarged view of part A in FIG. 2(b). [Figure 3] 3A and 3B are diagrams showing a state in which the front left and right doors of an article recovery apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention are open, with FIG. 3A being a front view and FIG. 3B being a top view. [Figure 4] This figure shows the state in which the front left and right doors of an item recovery device according to one embodiment of the present invention are open, and further, the transport cart according to one embodiment of the present invention is pulled out, where Figure 4(a) is a front view and Figure 4(b) is a top view. [Figure 5] 5(a) is a front view, FIG. 5(b) is a left side view, FIG. 5(c) is a top view, FIG. 5(d) is a bottom view, and FIG. 5(e) is a perspective view. [Figure 6] 6(a) and 6(b) are overall conceptual diagrams of a transport cart according to one embodiment of the present invention, showing the state in which the handle is tilted and stored, where FIG. 6(a) is a front view, FIG. 6(b) is a left side view, FIG. 6(c) is a top view, FIG. 6(d) is a bottom view, and FIG. 6(e) is a perspective view. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams showing a procedure for storing the handle of the transport cart. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining how the transport cart is pulled out from the item recovery device. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the state when the transport cart is removed and the bags are collected at the same time. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a conventional article recovery device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The embodiment of the present invention includes, but is not limited to, the contents shown in the drawings. In the following description of each drawing, parts that are common to parts already described will be assigned the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

[0010] (Basic configuration of the item recovery device) Fig. 1 shows an example of an article recovery device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, with Fig. 1(a) being a front view, Fig. 1(b) being a left side view, and Fig. 1(c) being a top view. However, Fig. 1(b) shows a part of the interior as a perspective view.

[0011] When the item recovery device 100 is on standby, the outer door 111 of the item insertion section is closed, and the inner door 112, which is provided between the container insertion section 110 and the bag holding section 140 and can be opened and closed, is also closed. The bag holding section 140 holds item storage bags (plastic bags) used to recover empty containers. When recovering items, the outer door 111 of the container insertion section 110 is opened, and a determination section provided in the control means determines whether an item placed on the loading section of the container insertion section 110 is an empty PET bottle to be recovered. If it is determined to be an empty PET bottle, the outer door 111 is closed, and the inner door 112, which is provided between the container insertion section 110 and the bag holding section 140, is opened, and the PET bottle is recovered in the item storage bag held in the bag holding section 140. In this embodiment, the item recovery device is equipped with a volume reduction mechanism (also called a volume reduction section 120 or a container volume reduction section), and by reducing the volume of PET bottles using the volume reduction mechanism (volume reduction section 120), a large amount of reduced volume PET bottles can be recovered using an item storage bag (plastic bag) of a specified capacity.

[0012] 1, an item recovery device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention has a container insertion section 110 provided at the top of a main body 100B of the device, and an outer door 111 provided outside the opening of the container insertion section 110. The main body 100B of the device has a display operation section 3, a transmitter / receiver, and a reader / writer 17 (card reader / writer) provided on the front side near the top of the outer door 111.

[0013] In addition, a space is provided below the container insertion section 110 to guide the containers to the bag holding section 140, and an inner door 112 is provided in the container insertion section 110 to send the PET bottles P toward that space.

[0014] In this embodiment, the item recovery device 100 recovers PET bottles P, which are empty beverage containers, and therefore has a volume reduction section 120 (volume reduction mechanism) provided between the inner door 112 and the bag holding section 140. When the inner door 112 is open, the volume reduction section 120 crushes and reduces the volume of the PET bottles P from the container input section 110, and sends the reduced volume PET bottles to the storage section.

[0015] The main body 100B of the item collection device 100 is larger than conventional devices. The increased height and depth are expected to increase the amount of items collected per collection bag change. In particular, the width is twice as large as conventional devices, allowing for the attachment of larger item storage bags, significantly increasing the number of PET bottles that can be collected. It is rare for a store clerk or other person in charge of managing an item collection device to be able to devote their time solely to managing the device. Generally, the device is managed during free time while performing various tasks in the store where the device is installed. However, the use of larger item storage bags would certainly reduce the frequency of bag changes, allowing the clerk or other person to focus on other tasks.

[0016] However, simply increasing the size of the item storage bag creates new problems. A significant increase in the number of collected PET bottles results in a significant increase in the weight of the full item storage bag. The item storage bag used in the item recovery device 100 of this embodiment can hold approximately 700 PET bottles, but when full, it weighs approximately 15 kg. Many supermarkets and other businesses employ female employees, and female employees are often responsible for changing the item storage bags. Therefore, removing a large 15 kg bag is extremely hard work and takes a long time. The bag holder, developed by the present applicant, can move back and forth between a storage position and a bag change position, eliminating the need to lift the item storage bag significantly when changing the bag. However, the item storage bag must still be lifted when transporting it to a storage location. Dragging the bag without lifting it can cause holes in the bag, which can cause the PET bottle residue and other waste generated during the volume reduction process to spill out and scatter. In the end, this means that customers waiting to put in their plastic bottles will have to wait longer, and the store will also be without an employee for a longer period of time. Therefore, the item recovery device 100 of this embodiment has various features that make it suitable for use with a transport cart.

[0017] As described above, the main body 100B of the item recovery device 100 can move the bag holding unit 140 back and forth between the storage position and the bag replacement position within the device, and has a slide rail (not shown) as a means for achieving this movement. The main body 100B has a front left door 100LD and a front right door 100RD. When the front left door 100LD and the front right door 100RD are closed and locked, the item recovery device 100 can operate normally. However, when the front left door 100LD or the front right door 100RD are unlocked or when they are opened, the item recovery device 100 enters maintenance mode, preventing normal operation. In maintenance mode, necessary tasks are performed, such as bag replacement in response to full or near-full detection of collection bags, bottle removal in response to a bottle that has fallen to the back of the device, and cleaning in response to a sensor abnormality. When the maintenance mode ends, the item recovery device 100 performs initialization operations, such as determining whether or not there are any items placed in the item input section, determining whether the sensors are normal, and initializing the volume reduction section to determine whether it is normal. In this embodiment, the initialization operation is automatically performed when the front left door 100LD and the front right door 100RD are closed and locked. As such, once the left and right doors are opened, the item recovery device 100 performs an initialization operation, which takes time to return to normal operation. The item recovery device 100 of this embodiment can store the transport cart without opening the left and right doors, so it does not cause downtime and is efficient. This will be described later.

[0018] A translucent window 100A is provided on the front side of each of the front left door 100LD and the front right door 100RD, allowing the PET bottles contained in the item storage bag (plastic bag) to be viewed from the outside. In the illustration, the support leg 191 depicted below the translucent window 100A can be extended and retracted up and down. While this function was previously used to adjust unevenness, in this embodiment, the extension length is increased, and when fully extended, the transport cart 200 in this embodiment can be stored under the bottom surface of the main body 100B. The transport cart 200 can be inserted into the space below the main body 100B from the front of the item recovery device 100, but once inserted, it cannot be removed unless the front left door 100LD and the front right door 100RD are opened. The specific structure for this will be described later.

[0019] The main body 100B of the device is provided with a cap insertion section 108 on the front side, and caps inserted into the cap insertion section 108 are stored in the cap storage section through a cap passage. In conventional models, the cap storage section had to be located at the expense of part of the PET bottle storage space, but in this embodiment, the width has been doubled, making it possible to place the cap storage section at a higher position than the PET bottle storage space with ample space. The cap passage may have a mechanism for separating caps from items smaller than caps. Specifically, the cap passage may be branched, and a mesh member at the branching point may be used to discharge and accumulate leftover cigarette butts, rainwater, etc., via a separate route, while only caps are stored in the cap storage section.

[0020] The volume reduction unit 120 shown in Figure 1 has a structure in which a pair of rotating shafts are rotatably supported. These rotating shafts are driven to rotate by a drive motor. On each of the pair of rotating shafts, a compression roller with blade surfaces on both axial sides and a spacer with a smaller diameter than the compression roller and a slightly thicker thickness than the compression roller are alternately arranged in parallel along the axial direction.

[0021] The outer periphery of one compression roller provided on one rotating shaft is arranged between other compression rollers provided on the other rotating shaft, and is positioned a predetermined distance away from the spacer provided between the other compression rollers provided on the other rotating shaft.

[0022] A feeding mechanism is provided above the volume reduction section 120. The feeding mechanism has a rotating shaft with multiple blades acting as paddles. As the rotating shaft rotates, the blades of the feeding mechanism rotate around the rotating shaft as the center of rotation, guiding the PET bottle P to the volume reduction section 120.

[0023] The pair of rotating shafts are driven by a drive motor. When driven, the two rotating shafts rotate in opposite directions, and a plastic bottle P placed in the center is compressed by the two compression rollers, and the reduced volume plastic bottle is output downward.

[0024] Furthermore, the item recovery device 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention performs a process of notifying the user when the item storage bags (plastic bags) held in the bag holding unit 140 are full. For example, when the item recovery device 100 detects an operation by a manager or cleaner to open the bag holding unit 140, more specifically, an unlocking operation to pull out the bag holding unit 140 to the bag replacement position, the item recovery device 100 performs a process of notifying the user to clean the placement unit on which the items are placed.

[0025] (Configuration advantageous for replacing the item storage bag) Figure 2 is an overall conceptual diagram of an item recovery device according to one embodiment of the present invention, where Figure 2(a) is an oblique view, Figure 2(b) is a right side view, and Figure 2(c) is an enlarged view of part A in Figure 2(b).

[0026] The four support legs 191 on the front, back, left, and right sides that support the main body 100B can extend and retract up and down. When the support legs are extended to a certain extent, the entire transport cart 200, including the handle, can be stored under the bottom of the main body 100B. The transport cart 200 can be inserted into the space below the main body 100B from the front of the item recovery device 100. However, once inserted, the transport cart 200 cannot be removed unless the left and right doors are opened. To prevent this, flaps serving as swinging members 192 are provided on each of the front left door 100LD and the front right door 100RD. Naturally, the support legs must be high enough so that the flaps do not hit the ground. Setting the support legs so that the flaps do not hit the ground and the transport cart cannot be removed when they are fully extended makes it easy to adjust the extension of the support legs, which is preferable. The two flaps are regulated in their range of movement from a substantially vertical direction extending from the left and right doors to a substantially horizontal direction toward the bottom surface of the main body 100B, and are biased forward by spring members. Therefore, the flaps (swinging members 192) are normally in a state of hanging down vertically. However, when the transport cart 200 is pushed in to insert it into the lower space of the main body 100B, the flaps swing back as the loading platform of the transport cart 200 comes into contact with the flaps. Once the transport cart 200 is completely stored in the lower space of the main body 100B, the flaps (swinging members 192) return to a state of hanging down vertically. Figure 2(c) shows the state in which the transport cart 200 is completely stored and the flaps (swinging members 192) have returned to their basic position. The flaps may be provided on the doors or on the device body and configured to swing actively using electronic control and drive means. In this case, it is preferable that the flaps be driven when the left or right door is unlocked. In addition to the flap configuration, it is also possible to provide a mechanism or restraint unit to prevent the transport cart from being removed, such as a bar-shaped rod member that moves back and forth from the bottom of the device body.

[0027] The article recovery device 100 is ideally installed on a level ground or floor, but depending on the situation, it may be necessary to install it on a site with a slight slope. In an installation location with a downward slope facing forward, there is a possibility that the stored transport cart 200 may slide out, but the swinging member 192 can prevent this. However, if the left and right doors are opened, the flaps also move simultaneously, clearing the front and allowing the transport cart 200 to be pulled out. A stopper 193 is also provided at the rear of the bottom surface of the main body 100B to prevent the transport cart 200 from sliding out rearward. Because the transport cart 200 does not need to be loaded or unloaded from the rear, the stopper 193 is simply a fixing member that hangs down from the floor. In this way, the transport cart 200 can be stored stably regardless of whether the installation location of the article recovery device 100 has an upward or downward slope. The item recovery device 100 itself can be installed in a horizontal position because it can be adjusted for unevenness using the extendable support legs 191. Stoppers may also be provided on the left and right sides of the bottom surface of the item recovery device 100.

[0028] Fig. 3 is a diagram showing a state in which the left and right front doors of an article recovery apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention are open, with Fig. 3(a) being a front view and Fig. 3(b) being a top view. Here, the transport cart has its handle stored in the handle storage area. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a state in which the left and right front doors of an article recovery apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention are open and the transport cart according to one embodiment of the present invention is further pulled out, with Fig. 4(a) being a front view and Fig. 4(b) being a top view. Here, the transport cart is in an upright state after its handle is pulled out from the handle storage area.

[0029] The front left door 100LD and the front right door 100RD are normally locked and cannot be opened unless the administrator unlocks them using a key. Naturally, only the administrator can pull out the transport cart 200. The same configuration can be achieved in the above-mentioned mode in which a flap is provided on the device body or a mode in which a bar-shaped member is provided. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the bag holding unit 140 is primarily comprised of a frame and does not include side or bottom panels. Since bags can be removed and moved not only upward, which is the bag opening direction, but also forward and left / right, there is no need to lift heavy bags. Furthermore, since it does not include a bottom panel, the bag holding unit 140 can be pulled out while the transport cart 200 is pulled out from the item recovery device 100, making the bag replacement process less stressful. Alternatively, the transport cart 200 can be pulled out slightly from the item recovery device 100, the handle 203 raised, and the transport cart 200 and the bag holding unit 140 pulled out simultaneously, allowing the item storage bag to naturally be positioned on the transport cart 200. The specific configuration of the transport cart 200 will be described later.

[0030] Now, in the case of the article recovery device described in Patent Document 1 presented above, the weight of the empty containers and recovery boxes combined is considerable. While it is possible to handle a device of the same size as the device described in that document, it is still more practical to use a mobile dolly or the like. It would be convenient if the article recovery device and the mobile dolly were combined into a set so that the articles could be moved around at all times. In addition, in recent years, with the spread of SDGs and recycling, an increase in collection volume is expected, and item collection devices have tended to become larger. The present applicant has developed an item collection device with approximately twice the storage capacity of conventional devices. Figure 10 shows the applicant's item collection device P100. In addition to its large size, it is also designed to efficiently collect full plastic bags. As shown in Figure 10, the item collection device P100 is configured so that two bag holders P140, which are framed without side or bottom panels, can be moved back and forth between a storage position within the device and a bag replacement position. Conventional item collection devices, such as those described in Patent Document 1, place bags (plastic bags) inside a box consisting of left and right side panels, a rear panel, and a front panel, and then pull the entire box out to the front to replace the bags. Therefore, even if there is no problem when placing the bags, removing a full bag for replacement requires lifting the heavy bag directly up from the box, which places a considerable burden on the worker. On the other hand, if the device does not have side panels or a front panel, the bag can be removed and moved not only upward, which is the bag opening direction, but also forward and left and right, eliminating the need to lift heavy bags. Removed bags can be dragged to a storage location without lifting. Furthermore, since the device does not have a bottom panel, if a mobile dolly can be used, the bag holder P140 can be pulled out while the mobile dolly is adjacent to the item recovery device P100, making the replacement process less stressful. However, since a space is required to store the mobile dolly, and the retractable bag holder P140 makes it impossible to store the mobile dolly inside the device, it is impossible. The item recovery device P100 is equipped with support legs that extend up and down, but these are for adjusting for unevenness. It is not possible to store the mobile dolly, or even to slide the platform of the mobile dolly under the bottom of the device.

[0031] As described above, the present applicant has previously developed a bag holding section that does not include side or front panels. However, this embodiment represents a further improvement. Conventionally, when a mobile cart is positioned below the bag holding section, an item storage bag is removed and placed on the mobile cart, and then the mobile cart is moved or the bag holding section is retracted, the front portion of the upper frame of the bag holding section may get caught on the top of the item storage bag, causing the item storage bag to fall off the mobile cart. This would result in wasting the effort to place the item storage bag on the mobile cart without lifting it up. Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , a portion of the bag holding section 140 is configured as a bag relief section 145 consisting of a curved section and a straight section, and the bag relief section 145 is positioned at a height that does not interfere with the top of the item storage bag removed from the bag holding section 140. When the bag holding section 140 is pulled out and the item storage bag is removed, and then the bag holding section 140 and the transport cart 200 are separated, the bag escape section 145, which is at a high position on the bag holding section 140, does not interfere with the removed item storage bag due to the height relationship between the bag escape section 145 and the hook section 142 for hooking the top of the item storage bag.

[0032] If the length of support leg 191 is appropriately extended, bag escape portion 145, which is disposed at a high position on bag holding portion 140, will come into contact with horizontal portion 2031 of handle 203, and therefore transport cart 200 will be pushed out naturally when bag holding portion 140 is pulled out. Even if bag escape portion 145 and horizontal portion 2031 do not come into contact, the bag filled with PET bottles will come into contact with vertical portion 2032 of handle 203 as it is pushed out from the rear by bag push-out portion 143, and therefore transport cart 200 will still be pushed out when bag holding portion 140 is pulled out.

[0033] As described above, in this embodiment, the bag holding unit 140 can be pulled out with the transport cart 200 positioned below the article recovery device 100. If the transport cart could not be positioned below the device when it was attached to the front of the device, the manager would be forced to stretch out his or her arms and pull out the bag holding unit, an awkward posture, while the transport cart is in front of the device. In this embodiment, with the loading platform of the transport cart 200 positioned below the device, the manager can pull out the bag holding unit 140 without difficulty, and the bag holding unit 140 and transport cart 200 move together, allowing the collection bags to be stably transferred onto the transport cart 200. The manner in which the transport cart 200 and bag holding unit 140 move together will be described later.

[0034] The left and right inner surfaces of the device's main body 100B are provided with slide rails (not shown) that function as moving parts for moving the bag holding part 140 between the storage position within the device and the bag replacement position. The bag holding part 140 is based on an upper frame and includes a bag pushing part 143 that functions as a structural body and pushes bags from the rear when the bag holding part 140 is advanced to the bag replacement position, multiple pillars 141 (two on each of the front left and right and one on each of the rear left and right, for a total of six, but it may also be four, one on each of the four corners), hooking parts 142 that correspond to each of the multiple pillars 141 and are provided at or near the top, and a bag escape part 145 consisting of a bent part with two handles 147 provided on the left and right sides of the front side and a straight part provided at a high position connecting the two bent parts. The two handles 147 are provided diagonally to form a V-shape. Although the diagonal configuration is advantageous in that it makes it less likely to get caught on a removed item storage bag, simply providing the straight section at a high position is effective in preventing interference with the item storage bag to a certain extent, so the location where handle section 147 is located may be bent at a right angle. Bag push-out section 143 is provided with bag retraction means 1431. More specifically, the plastic bag is held by hooking it onto the split packing.

[0035] The hooking portion 142 has, for example, elastomer properties, and more specifically is made of an elastic body or non-slip material made of resin such as rubber. The use of such a shape and material makes it safe and easy to hook and unhook the bag, and furthermore, by using an adhesive material such as rubber, the upper opening of the bag is hooked onto the hooking portion 142 without sagging. Also, two hooking portions 142 are provided at one location, and the end of the bag is sandwiched between them, making it easy to hook the bag.

[0036] In this embodiment of the present invention, a device is also implemented to prevent broken pieces of a plastic bottle from falling into the gap between the rear of the plastic bag and the rear portion of the device housing. The bag holding unit 140 is provided with a bag retraction mechanism 1431 on the rear side of the device. More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the bag pushing unit 143, which functions to push the bag from the rear when the bag holding unit 140 is advanced to the bag replacement position, is provided with two oval-shaped gaskets, and the plastic bag is hooked and held by the oval-shaped gaskets. Previously, when changing bags, workers had to push the rear of the plastic bag backward, but this task was often neglected or forgotten. By hooking the plastic bag on the bag retraction mechanism 1431, simply by retracting the bag holding unit 140 along the slide rail to the internal storage position, the plastic bag can be pulled sufficiently backward without creating an excessive gap between the rear of the plastic bag and the rear portion of the device housing.

[0037] (Configuration of transport cart) Next, a transport cart suitable for use with an article recovery device according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described. Fig. 5 is a general conceptual diagram of a transport cart according to one embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which the handle is upright, with Fig. 5(a) being a front view, Fig. 5(b) being a left side view, Fig. 5(c) being a top view, Fig. 5(d) being a bottom view, and Fig. 5(e) being a perspective view. Fig. 6 is a general conceptual diagram of a transport cart according to one embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which the handle is tilted and stored, with Fig. 6(a) being a front view, Fig. 6(b) being a left side view, Fig. 6(c) being a top view, Fig. 6(d) being a bottom view, and Fig. 6(e) being a perspective view.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 5 , a transport cart 200 according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a loading platform 201, four wheels 202, a handle 203, and a bracket 204 for loading the item recovery device 100 when the item is brought in and set up. The main body, which is composed of the loading platform 201 and the bracket 204, is used to load and transport an item storage bag full of PET bottles, as well as to load and transport the item recovery device 100 when the item is brought in and set up. All four wheels 202 are swivel wheels that can rotate around a vertical axis. In general carts, the rear wheel on the handle side is often a fixed wheel. However, when inserting the transport cart 200 into the storage space below the main body 100B of the item recovery device 100, it is often necessary to adjust the left-right position. For this reason, it is more convenient to have all four wheels be swivel wheels.

[0039] The handle 203 can be raised or tilted. It is not uncommon for ordinary carts to have tiltable handles, but these handles tilt down on the loading platform, and when the handle is tilted, the thickness of the cart increases, making it impossible to insert into the small space below the article recovery device 100. The transport cart 200 is configured so that when the handle 203 is tilted, the handle 203 can be stored in a handle storage area 2034 on the opposite side of the top surface of the loading platform 201. Because the thickness of the transport cart 200 when the handle is stored can be made the same as the thickness when the handle is raised, the entire transport cart 200 can be inserted without any problems into the limited storage space of the article recovery device 100.

[0040] The handle 203 consists of a horizontal portion 2031 and a vertical portion 2032. When the support legs 191 are adjusted so that the item recovery device 100 is at the appropriate height, the horizontal portion 2031 will abut against the bag escape portion 145, which is set at a high position in the bag holding unit 140 of the item recovery device 100. Note that if one and the other of the two abutting members are made of a magnet and a magnetic material so that the abutting state is maintained, this is preferable as it makes handling easier. When the bag holding unit 140 is pulled forward while the two members are abutting, the transport cart 200 will be pushed out by the bag holding unit 140 and will fly out of the item recovery device 100. Even if the height is not adjusted properly and the horizontal part 2031 does not come into contact with the bag escape part 145 of the bag holding part 140, the vertical part 2032 will come into contact with the item storage bag filled with PET bottles as it is pushed out from the back by the bag pushing part 143, and the transport cart 200 will still be pushed out.

[0041] A hook 2033 for hooking the knot of the bag is provided on the horizontal part 2031 of the handle 203. By hooking the knot on the hook 2033, the end of the bag will not droop during transport, and the weight of the bag will always apply a downward force to the handle 203, stabilizing the engagement state for maintaining an upright posture.

[0042] When the handle 203 of such a transport cart 200 is stored in the handle storage area 2034, as shown in Fig. 6, only the hook 2033 and the bracket 204 are present on the loading platform 201, and therefore the transport cart 200 has a slim size suitable for insertion into the space below the item recovery device 100. The bracket 204 is only needed when the item recovery device 100 is brought in and installed, or when it is subsequently taken out for repairs or the like, and is therefore removable. Once the device has been brought in, it is advisable to remove the bracket 204 before use. This makes the loading platform flat, and prevents problems such as collection bags getting caught and tearing the bags, which is convenient for operating the device.

[0043] The structure of the handle 203, which can be raised or tilted, and the procedure for storing the handle will now be described. Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the procedure for storing the handle of a transport cart, with Figure 7(a) being a perspective view of the transport cart 200 with the handle 203 raised, Figure 7(b) being a left side view showing the handle 203 being tilted, and Figure 7(c) being a top view showing the handle being stored. Figure 7(d) is an enlarged view of part B in Figure 7(b), showing the process from Figure 7(b) to Figure 7(c) as the handle passes through the engaged state, passing through the disengaged state, and finally beginning to be stored. Note that the bracket 204 is depicted as being removed.

[0044] A protrusion serving as an engaging portion 20321 is provided at the lower end of the vertical portion 2032 of the handle 203, while a hole serving as an engaged portion 20322 into which the engaging portion 20321 fits is provided on the underside of the platform 201. When the handle 203 is lifted upward to release the engagement between the engaging portion 20321 and the engaged portion 20322 and then rotated, the handle 203 assumes a horizontal position. Thereafter, by sliding the handle horizontally, the entire handle 203 is stored in the handle storage area 2034. To raise the stored handle, the above procedure is followed in reverse. Furthermore, a longitudinal groove (not shown) is provided on the front side surface of the vertical portion 2032 of the handle 203. Meanwhile, a protrusion (not shown) is provided on the underside of the handle storage area, which fits into the longitudinal groove when the handle 203 is in a horizontal position. This restricts left and right play when the handle 203 is slid horizontally, and the protrusion is caught on the engaging portion 20321, preventing the handle 203 from being pulled out. Furthermore, this caught state serves as a starting point for smoothly raising the handle 203.

[0045] 8A and 8B are diagrams illustrating how the transport cart is pulled out from the article recovery device. As shown in Fig. 8A, the flaps serving as swinging members 192 provided on the front left door 100LD and the front right door 100RD move in an arc together with the doors when the front left door 100LD and the front right door 100RD are opened, allowing the transport cart 200 to be pulled out forward without any problems. As shown in Fig. 8B, the handle 203 is first pulled out and raised, and then the handle is grasped and pulled toward oneself, allowing the transport cart 200 to be easily pulled out as shown in Fig. 8C.

[0046] Thereafter, the bag can be easily collected by pulling out the bag holding unit 140 and placing the item storage bag on the transport cart 200. Of course, it is also possible to simultaneously remove the transport cart 200 and collect the bag by pulling out both the bag holding unit 140 and the handle 203 from the state shown in Figure 8(b).

[0047] FIG. 9 shows the situation when the transport cart 200 is removed and bags are collected simultaneously. FIG. 9(a) is a perspective view showing the state in which the bag holding unit and transport cart are simultaneously pulled out from the container collection device, and FIG. 9(b) is a side view. FIG. 9(c) is an enlarged view of portion A in FIG. 9(a). As shown in FIGS. 9(a) and 9(c), the horizontal portion 2031 of the handle 203 abuts against the bag escape portion 145. Therefore, when the handle portion 147 is grasped and the bag holding unit 140 is pulled out, the transport cart 200 is naturally pushed out as well. As can be seen from FIG. 9(b), the collection bags are stably transferred onto the transport cart 200.

[0048] While the transport cart 200 is transporting collection bags, the front left door 100LD and front right door 100RD of the item recovery device 100 are closed and locked, and once the initialization operation is completed, operation of the item recovery device 100 can be started without waiting for the return of the transport cart 200. This is because the flaps of the item recovery device 100 allow the transport cart 200 to be inserted even when the left and right doors are not open. Furthermore, when the transport cart 200 is returned and there is a large number of customers waiting to use the article recovery device 100, it is convenient to provide a means for temporarily leaning the transport cart 200 against the wall. For example, an L-shaped metal plate can be provided on the side of the container recovery device so that the transport cart with the handle stored can be leaned against the wall. The metal plate can be fixed in an appropriate position on the back or side of the container recovery device. The L-shaped metal plate should have an appropriate opening to make it easy to insert the transport cart into a gap. Suitable transport carts for this purpose may have features such as rubber bumpers attached to the four corners of the platform to prevent slipping, and wheels whose diameter does not protrude beyond the platform so that the wheels do not hit the ground when leaned against the wall.

[0049] Next, we will explain the bracket 204 for loading the item recovery device 100 when it is being carried in. Conventional item recovery devices are equipped with casters for convenience when carrying in and setting up. The casters are located on the inside of the support legs, but if a transport cart is to be stored in the space below the item recovery device while maintaining this configuration, the cart must be stored inside the casters, which creates a new problem in that the size of the loading platform becomes smaller.

[0050] Therefore, in the article recovery device 100 of one embodiment of the present invention, the casters have been eliminated. While this allows the size of the platform portion of the cart to be sufficiently large, this makes it cumbersome to carry in and install the article recovery device. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5(b), the transport cart 200 of this embodiment is configured so that the article recovery device 100 can be transported by arranging four brackets 204 directly above the four wheels 202, and by retracting the support legs 191 and placing the bottom surface of the article recovery device 100 on the brackets 204. The reason for arranging the brackets 204 directly above the wheels 202 is to allow the wheels 202 to support the weight of the article recovery device 100. In other words, the load is prevented from being applied to the platform portion. If the load capacity of the transport cart 200 itself were increased, the cart itself would become too heavy, making it difficult to handle when transporting collection bags. According to this embodiment, the carriage itself is not so heavy and is easy to handle.

[0051] <Summary of the embodiment> [Technical field] The present invention relates to an article recovery device and a transport cart. [Background technology] Various article recovery devices are known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The article recovery device described in Patent Document 1 is designed for empty containers, and empty containers are inserted into an insertion port, reduced in volume, and then stored. An empty container recovery box is stored inside the housing of the recovery device main body, and when the empty container recovery box becomes full, the reduced-volume empty containers are transported to a designated collection location, for example by carrying the empty container recovery box containing the empty containers. [Prior art document] [Patent documents] [Patent Document 1] JP 2009-175789 A [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be solved by the invention] However, the method of Patent Document 1 has some difficulties in handling, such as the difficulty in disposing of collection boxes as the amount of collection increases, and a more efficient solution was sought. The present invention addresses these problems, and one of its objectives is to provide an article recovery device that is suitable for efficiently recovering articles, particularly for efficiently processing full collection bags. [Means for solving the problem] (1) As described above, one aspect of this embodiment is an item recovery device 100 that recovers items inside and is used together with a transport cart 200 that transports recovered items, The article recovery device 100 is characterized in that it is configured so that a transport cart 200 can be inserted into the lower area of ​​the device. According to the above configuration, it is possible to provide an article collection device that is suitable for efficient transport of full collection bags.

[0052] (2) One aspect of this embodiment is an item recovery device 100 as described in (1), which is provided with support legs 191 vertically attached to the bottom surface of the item recovery device 100, and which is characterized in that the loading platform portion of a transport cart 200 for transporting item storage bags can be inserted into the space below the device created by the support legs 191. According to the above configuration, the limited space of the article storage device can be effectively utilized to store the transport cart.

[0053] (3) One aspect of this embodiment is the item recovery device 100 described in (2), which is equipped with a bag holding portion that supports an item recovery bag that contains recovered items, and the bag holding portion is removable and has a hook portion that hooks onto the upper opening of the item storage bag, thereby supporting the item storage bag so that it can slide.The bag holding portion 140 can be removed by abutting a part of the bag holding portion 140 or the item storage bag against the handle 203 of the transport cart, and when the bag holding portion 140 is removed, the loading platform portion of the transport cart 200 inserted into the space below the device is removed from the space below the device as the bag holding portion 140 moves. According to the above configuration, the article storage bag can be smoothly loaded onto the transport cart.

[0054] (4) One aspect of this embodiment is the item recovery device 100 described in (3), in which a portion of the bag holding portion is configured as a bag escape portion consisting of a curved portion and a straight portion, and the bag escape portion is set at a height position that does not interfere with an item storage bag that has been released from its latch. According to the above configuration, when the transport cart and the bag holder are moved toward or away from each other, the article storage bag can be prevented from falling off the transport cart.

[0055] (5) One aspect of this embodiment is the article recovery device 100 according to any one of (1) to (4), further comprising a suppression section that prevents the transport cart inserted into the lower area from being removed. According to the above configuration, even if the article recovery device is installed on a sloping floor, the transport cart can be effectively prevented from flying out.

[0056] (6) One aspect of this embodiment is the item recovery device 100 described in (5), which is provided with a door, the door having a swinging member on its lower surface, the swinging member having a range of movement restricted from an approximately vertical direction extending from the door to an approximately horizontal direction toward the bottom surface of the item recovery device, and when the door is closed, the swinging member constitutes the inhibiting part that allows the loading platform portion of a transport cart to be inserted into the lower area, while preventing the loading platform portion of the inserted transport cart from being removed from the lower area. According to the above configuration, the transport cart can be effectively prevented from flying out with a simple structure.

[0057] (7) One aspect of this embodiment is a transport cart 200 for transporting collected items, characterized in that the transport cart 200 comprises a loading platform 201, wheels 202, and a handle 203, the handle 203 being capable of standing up or tilting, and in the tilted position being capable of being stored in a handle storage area 2034 on the opposite side of the top surface of the loading platform 201. According to the above configuration, full collection bags can be transported efficiently.

[0058] (8) One aspect of this embodiment is a transport cart 200 for transporting collected items, which is used in conjunction with an item recovery device 100 having a storage area for the transport cart 200 in the lower area, and which comprises a loading platform 201, wheels 202, and a handle 203, and the handle 203 is capable of standing up or tilting, and when tilted, can be stored in a handle storage area 2034 on the opposite side of the top surface of the loading platform 201, and the transport cart 200 can be stored in its entirety in the item recovery device 100 with the handle 203 stored. According to the above configuration, the limited space of the article storage device can be effectively utilized to store the transport cart.

[0059] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and design changes within the scope of the present invention are also included. For example, even if a vehicle other than the transport cart of the present invention exists, if the height of the loading platform from the ground surface is low enough that the loading platform can be inserted into the space below the item recovery device, using such a vehicle with the item recovery device of the present invention would still provide the benefit of transferring item storage bags from the bag holder to the cart, and would not deviate from the technical concept of the present invention. The same is true for the transport cart. Even if the transport cart is not the item recovery device of the present invention, it would not deviate from the technical concept of the present invention even if it is used with, for example, a conventional container recovery device with half the container recovery capacity, or a container recovery device with two bag holders as shown in FIG. 10, without departing from the technical concept of the present invention. In this case, it is possible to accommodate the existing container recovery device with only minor modifications. In other words, it is sufficient to replace the support legs with ones that have a wide extension range and can create space below the device. Although it is true that the greatest benefits are realized when the present invention is applied to an item recovery device equipped with large item storage bags, the ease of transportation using a cart remains the same. It should be correctly understood that the great technical significance of the present invention lies in the idea or technical concept of inserting a transport cart into the space below the item recovery device, as the space below the item recovery device was not high enough and the casters got in the way, and no one had even considered inserting a transport cart there. Furthermore, in the embodiment of the transport cart, the handle transitions between an upright state and a reclined state by rotating. However, the two states may be transitioned by detaching the handle. Alternatively, the cart may be stored with the handle in the upright position and the door closed. In this case, it is preferable to use a sensor to detect whether the transport cart is stored. Regardless of the operation, a sensor can detect the absence of the transport cart for a predetermined period of time and notify the store terminal or a host server that the transport cart has not been stored in its designated location because it has been moved from another location or is left leaning against something. It is even better to provide a sensor on the leaning means, which allows for more detailed information to be obtained. Furthermore, the technical concept of the present invention also includes advancing the idea of ​​eliminating the bottom plate of the bag holding section, eliminating the bottom surface of the container recovery device as well, and configuring the recovery bags to be placed on the transport cart from the beginning. In the above-described embodiment, the item recovery device recovers empty containers such as PET bottles, but it may also be configured to recover aluminum cans, steel cans, etc., or may be a device that can recover PET bottles, aluminum cans, and steel cans. Furthermore, the items are not limited to PET bottles, cans, and bottles, and may be any items that are subject to recovery, such as milk cartons, trays, ink cartridges, cleaning supplies, batteries, and light bulbs. In other words, the container recovery device is one example of an item recovery device. Regardless of the type of item, the same problems arise when recovering large quantities of items. Furthermore, the embodiments shown in the above drawings can be combined with each other as long as there are no particular contradictions or problems in terms of purpose, configuration, etc. Conversely, it is also possible to extract some of the description contents and regard them as a single invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 3…Display operation section 17...Reader / writer 100...Item recovery device 100B...Main body (main body of the article recovery device) 110...Container input section 111...Outer door 112...inner door 120...Volume reduction section (volume reduction mechanism) 140...Bag holding section (storage section) 141...Column part 142...Latching part 143...Bag extrusion section 145...Bag escape section 1431...Bag retraction means 147...Holding section 191...Support leg 192...Swinging member 193...Stopper 200...Transport cart 201...cargo bed 202...Wheel 203...Handle 2031…Horizontal part 2032…Vertical part 20321...Engagement part 20322...Engaged part 2033…Hook 204…Bracket

Claims

1. An article recovery device for recovering articles therein, which is used together with a transport vehicle for transporting recovered articles, The article recovery device is configured so that a transport cart can be inserted into a lower area of ​​the device. An article recovery device characterized by:

2. a support leg provided on the bottom surface of the article recovery device; The article recovery device is capable of inserting a loading platform portion of a transport cart for transporting article storage bags into a space below the device created by the support legs.

2. The article recovery device according to claim 1.

3. a bag holding portion for supporting an article collection bag for containing collected articles; the bag holder is retractable and has a hook for hooking an upper opening of the bag, thereby supporting the bag so that it can slide; The bag holding portion can be pulled out while a part of the bag holding portion or the article storage bag is brought into contact with the handle of the transport cart, and when the bag holding portion is pulled out, the loading platform portion of the transport cart inserted in the lower space of the device is removed from the lower space of the device as the bag holding portion moves.

3. The article recovery device according to claim 2.

4. A part of the bag holding portion is configured as a bag escape portion consisting of a curved portion and a straight portion, and the bag escape portion is set at a height position that does not interfere with the article storage bag when the latch is released.

4. The article recovery device according to claim 3.

5. 5. An article recovery device according to claim 1, further comprising a restraining section that prevents the transport cart inserted in the lower area from being removed.

6. Equipped with doors, The door has a swing member on a lower surface thereof, The swinging member has a variable range restricted from a substantially vertical direction extending from the door to a substantially horizontal direction toward the bottom surface of the article recovery device, and constitutes the restraining portion that allows the loading platform portion of the transport cart to be inserted into the lower area when the door is closed, while making it impossible for the loaded platform portion of the inserted transport cart to be removed from the lower area.

6. The article recovery device according to claim 5.

7. A transport cart for transporting collected items, It has a carrier, wheels, and a handle, The handle can be erected or tilted, and when tilted, can be stored in a handle storage area on the opposite side of the top surface of the luggage compartment. A transport cart characterized by:

8. A transport cart for transporting collected articles, which is used with an article recovery device having a storage area for the transport cart in a lower area, It has a carrier, wheels, and a handle, The handle can be erected or tilted, and when tilted, can be stored in a handle storage area on the opposite side of the top surface of the luggage carrier, The transport cart can be stored in its entirety in the article recovery device with the handle stored. A transport cart characterized by:

Images