Container recovery device

Abstract

The objective is to provide a container retrieval device that can continue operating without its components being damaged by forceful opening operations. [Solution] The above problem was solved by a container retrieval device characterized by comprising a mounting section for placing containers, an outer door that is driven to expose the mounting section, a receiving means for receiving an operation to open the outer door, an outer door state detection means for detecting an abnormal opening when the outer door is in an open state while the receiving means has not received an operation to open the outer door, and an abnormal opening response control means for executing an abnormal opening process when an abnormal opening is detected.

Description

Technical Field

[0004]

[0001] The present invention relates to a container recycling device.

Background Art

[0002] A container recycling device is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The container recycling device described in Patent Document 1 displaces an outer door to an open position, places a container on the outer door, displaces the outer door from the open position to a closed position, and moves the placed container to a compression mechanism inside the device body, and drives the compression mechanism to compress the container that has reached the compression mechanism.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The container recycling device described in Patent Document 1 includes a lock body for the outer door and a solenoid for driving the lock body, and is configured to prevent the outer door from being inadvertently opened. However, there is a problem that there are users who try to forcibly open the outer door of the container recycling device, so that the lock body, solenoid, etc. for maintaining the closed state of the outer door are damaged, and eventually the container recycling device cannot operate.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object thereof is to provide a container recycling device in which components of the device are not damaged by a forcible opening operation and the operation of the device can be continued. <​​​​​​The container retrieval device is characterized by comprising: a mounting section for placing a container; an outer door that is driven to expose the mounting section; a receiving means for receiving an operation to open the outer door; an outer door state detection means for detecting an abnormal opening when the outer door is in an open state while the receiving means has not received an operation to open the outer door; and an abnormal opening response control means for executing an abnormal opening process when an abnormal opening is detected. Here, the abnormal opening process can be any process that compensates for the lack of a locking function, and includes, for example, drive closing control and warning notification. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a container retrieval device that can continue to operate without its components being damaged by forceful opening operations. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example of the configuration of a recovery system having a container recovery device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is an overall conceptual diagram of a container recovery device according to one embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is a front view of the container recovery device and (b) is a side view of the container recovery device. [Figure 3] This is a side cross-sectional view showing an example of a container recovery device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is an electrical functional block diagram of a container recovery device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the container input section of a container recovery device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This is a conceptual side view showing an example of a container loading section with the outer door closed and the inner door closed. [Figure 7] This is a side view conceptual diagram showing an example of a container loading section with the outer door open and the inner door closed. [Figure 8] This is a side view conceptual diagram showing an example of a container loading section where the inner door is open after the outer door is closed. [Figure 9]This is a side view conceptual diagram showing an example of a container loading section where the inner door is left open after the outer door has closed to a predetermined extent. [Figure 10] This is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of a container recovery device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] An embodiment of the present invention provides a container recovery device that generally includes an input section for loading empty containers, a volume reduction section for reducing the volume of empty containers loaded into the input section, and a recovery section for recovering empty containers.

[0010] The embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the following drawings are for illustrative purposes only, and in order to make them easier to understand, some components that are not necessary for the explanation may be intentionally omitted. Also, for illustrative purposes, some components may be intentionally enlarged or reduced in size, and the drawings do not represent an accurate scale. Furthermore, the embodiments of the present invention include the contents shown in the drawings, but are not limited to these. In the following descriptions of each figure, parts that are common with parts already described will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and some redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0011] (System configuration of the collection system) Figure 1 shows an example of the configuration of a collection system having an empty container collection device according to one embodiment of the present invention. In the example shown in Figure 1, a container collection device 100 is installed at each of the multiple store CSs. The container collection device 100 may be installed inside the store CS building, or it may be installed in a location facing the outdoors, such as under the eaves, on the store CS premises. The store CSs are, for example, stores of the same chain. As a specific example, the store CSs are convenience stores of the same chain.

[0012] The container recycling device 100 functions as a facility for accumulating PET bottles as recyclable items. A customer C who visits a store CS, for example, puts into the container recycling device 100 a PET bottle (empty container) that he / she has used to drink beverages or the like and that is now empty. The container recycling device 100 of the present embodiment reduces the volume of the input PET bottle (empty container) and then stores it in the recycling device.

[0013] Also, the container recycling device 100 is communicably connected to a recycling management server 200 via a network NT. The container recycling device 100 may be configured to communicate with the recycling management server 200 via, for example, a mobile phone communication network or the like and the network NT. The container recycling device 100 can communicate wirelessly, eliminating the need to connect a network cable, which, for example, increases the degree of freedom in installation. Although an example in which one container recycling device 100 is installed in one store CS is shown, the number of container recycling devices 100 installed in one store CS is not particularly limited.

[0014] The recycling management server 200 is a server that performs information processing related to the recycling of PET bottles by the container recycling device 100. The recycling management server 200 is, for example, operated by a company that provides the container recycling device 100. Specifically, the recycling management server 200 manages recycling history information indicating the history of PET bottle recycling in the container recycling device 100 of each store CS. On top of that, the recycling management server 200 derives the record (recycling record) of customer C's cooperation in PET bottle recycling using the container recycling device 100 and notifies customer C of the derived recycling record. The notification of the recycling record to customer C is performed by displaying information related to the recycling record on the customer terminal device 300 of customer C. In addition, the collection management server 200 manages the detailed status of the container collection device 100. Specifically, for all collections, it collects, accumulates, and manages log information such as the submitter, submission time, number of submissions, presence or absence of errors, etc., the status of the container collection device 100 such as the operating status of each drive unit and detection of abnormal current, the status regarding whether it is full or not, maintenance information such as the cleaning location, cleaning time, cleaner, collection log of full bags, etc. by the store clerks of the installation store.

[0015] The customer terminal device 300 is a terminal device owned by customer C. The customer terminal device 300 may be, for example, a desktop or notebook personal computer, or a mobile terminal such as a smartphone, tablet terminal, or mobile phone. The customer terminal device 300 can communicate with the collection management server 200 via the network NT.

[0016] In addition, customer C shown in FIG. 1 is registered as a member of store CS. Customer C, who is a member of store CS, owns a membership card CD. The card information recorded on the membership card CD includes a member identifier. The member identifier is also a card identifier assigned to be unique for each membership card CD. Since one membership card CD is provided for each customer C as a member, the card identifier unique for each membership card CD is treated as a member identifier that uniquely indicates customer C as a member who is the owner of the membership card CD.

[0017] The membership card CD can be used as a prepaid card when making payments at store CS. Also, the membership card CD can be used as a point card. For example, when making a payment at store CS, the customer who is a member presents the membership card CD to the store clerk. Furthermore, when a member cooperates in the collection of PET bottles using the container collection device 100, points are added to their membership card CD based on the amount of PET bottles collected. Specifically, the container collection device 100 is equipped with a card reader / writer using a transmitting / receiving device and a code reader using an imaging device, and reads the information on the membership card CD to identify customers who have cooperated in the collection of PET bottles. Points are added to the membership card CD of the customer in question based on their collection cooperation record. Incidentally, some customers, out of curiosity, try to open the closed outer door. Traditionally, the outer door has been designed with a locking mechanism to prevent it from opening, but incidents have occurred where the locking mechanism has been damaged. This embodiment incorporates measures to address this issue. Let's continue the explanation of the collection system. When a store employee operates the POS register 400 installed in the store's CS to process a payment for the items purchased by a customer, they also read the card information recorded on the membership card CD using the card reader of the POS register 400. The membership card CD may be an IC card with wireless communication capabilities, or it may be a card with a barcode or 2D code printed on it that indicates the member identifier. The barcode or 2D code may indicate identification information associated with the member identifier.

[0018] The POS register 400 performs accounting processes, including product registration, which registers the items purchased by the customer, and settlement processing, which is based on the registered items. When the POS register 400 reads card information from the member card CD during accounting, it sends the read card information to the store management server 500. This allows the store management server 500 to perform processes such as payment from the prepaid balance, addition of points based on the payment amount, conversion of points to the prepaid balance, and charging of prepaid amounts. Although Figure 1 shows an example where one POS register 400 is installed in one store CS, the number of POS registers 400 installed in one store CS is not particularly limited.

[0019] The store management server 500 is the server that centrally manages the store CS (Customer Service). The store management server 500 is operated by the store CS. Specifically, the store management server 500 manages prepaid balances, point balances, etc., for each member identifier. The store management server 500 may also be configured to manage product information for each store CS, for example.

[0020] (Overall configuration of the container recovery system) Figure 2 shows an example of a container collection device 100 that collects empty containers (such as PET bottles) to be collected, as an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] When the container retrieval device 100 is in standby mode, the outer door 111 of the container input section 110 is closed, and the inner door 112, which is provided between the container input section and the container storage section 140 so as to be openable and closable, is also closed. When the device accepts an operation to open the outer door, and the door position sensor 10 (not shown in Figure 2) detects that the outer door 111 of the container input section has been properly opened, the determination means determines whether the object placed on the placement section 116 of the container input section is a target object for retrieval (for example, an empty resin container such as a PET bottle). On the other hand, if the door position sensor 10 (not shown in Figure 2) detects that the outer door 111 of the container input section has been opened without accepting an operation to open the outer door, in this case the outer door is open due to an abnormal opening caused by forceful operation, so the determination means does not determine the target object for retrieval, and abnormal opening processing is performed. As abnormal opening processing, for example, outer door closing processing is performed. If the outer door 111 is properly opened, and then a container is inserted, and it is determined that the container is empty, the outer door 111 will close. Alternatively, if it is determined that the outer door will not close to a predetermined extent, the inner door 112, located between the container insertion section and the container storage section 140, will open. When the outer door 111 is completely closed, the empty container will quickly move to the volume reduction section 120. Even if the outer door will not close to a predetermined extent, the opening of the inner door 112 will create space inside, and the empty container will lose support from the inner door 112, allowing it to move to the volume reduction section 120. Although there may be a slight time difference, the empty container will be reduced in volume in the volume reduction section 120, and then collected by the container storage section 140.

[0022] More specifically, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the container collection device 100, as an embodiment of the present invention, has a container input section 110 at the top of the main body 100B of the device, and an outer door 111 is provided outside the opening of the container input section 110. The main body 100B of the device has a display operation section 3, a transmitting / receiving section 4 (communication section), and a reader / writer 17 (card reader / writer) on the front side near the top of the outer door 111. In addition, a luggage hook 100f is provided on the front side of the main body 100B of the device.

[0023] Furthermore, a passage communicating with the container storage section 140 is provided below the container input section 110, and an inner door 112 is provided in the passage 71 from the mounting section 116 of the container input section 110 to the container storage section 140.

[0024] In this embodiment, the container retrieval device 100 is provided with a volume reduction unit 120 (volume reduction mechanism) between the inner door 112 and the container storage unit 140. When the inner door 112 is open, the volume reduction unit 120 crushes and reduces the volume of empty containers A from the container input unit 110, and outputs the reduced-volume containers RA to the container storage unit 140 below. Furthermore, the main body 100B of the container collection device 100 has a drawer 100C (drawer member) on which the container storage section 140 is placed, and a drawer handle 100e and a keyhole 100r are provided on the front side, and it is configured so that the drawer can be locked and unlocked by inserting a key into the keyhole 100r. Furthermore, the main body 100B of the container retrieval device 100 has a lock / unlock detection unit 18, which detects whether the keyhole 100r of the drawer 100C is locked or unlocked.

[0025] Furthermore, a light-transmitting section 100A (light-transmitting window) is provided on the front side of the main body 100B of the device, and more specifically, on the front side of the drawer 100C, allowing the empty containers stored in the container storage section 140 to be seen from the outside.

[0026] Furthermore, a handle 100g for transport is provided on the side of the main body 100B of the device.

[0027] Furthermore, the main body 100B of the device is equipped with a cap insertion section 108 on its front side, and a cap passage 72 is provided extending downward from the cap insertion section 108 into the main body of the device, so that caps inserted into the cap insertion section 108 are stored in the cap storage section 145 via the cap passage 72. Furthermore, the cap passage 72 may have a mechanism for separating caps from items smaller than caps. Specifically, the cap passage 72 may be branched, and a mesh-like material may be used at the branching point to allow leftover cigarette butts, rainwater, etc., to be discharged and accumulated via a separate route, so that only caps are placed in the cap storage section 145.

[0028] The volume reduction section 120 has a structure in which, for example, a pair of rotating shafts 811 and 911 are rotatably supported. Furthermore, a feeding mechanism 50 is provided at the top of the volume reduction section 120, and the rotating shaft 51 of the feeding mechanism 50 is rotatably supported by the aforementioned roughly plate-shaped support member. The feeding mechanism 50 has a plurality of blade sections 52 (made of metal or resin, etc.) as paddles on the rotating shaft 51. As the rotating shaft 51 rotates, the blade sections 52 rotate around the rotating shaft 51 as the center of rotation, guiding the empty container A to the volume reduction section 120.

[0029] Furthermore, at the top of the volume reduction section 120, inclined plate-shaped restricting members 60, 61, and 62, which have an inverse slope relative to the restricting member 61, are provided to guide the empty container A to the center of the volume reduction section 120, thereby restricting the movement of the empty container A to other locations.

[0030] The rotating shafts 811, 911, and 51 are arranged parallel to each other at predetermined intervals. On each of the pair of rotating shafts 811 and 911, compression rollers 81 and 91, each having cutting surfaces on both sides in the axial direction, and spacers (not shown) with a smaller diameter than the compression rollers 81 and 91 and slightly thicker than the thickness of the compression rollers 81 and 91 are arranged alternately along the axial direction. The outer circumference of a compression roller provided on one rotating shaft is positioned between compression rollers provided on the other rotating shaft, and is positioned at a predetermined distance from a spacer provided between the compression rollers on the other rotating shaft.

[0031] A gear (not shown) is provided at one end of the rotating shaft 811, and is configured to mesh with a gear (not shown) provided at one end of the rotating shaft 911. These rotating shafts 811, 911, and 51 are rotationally driven by a drive motor (not shown). When driven, the rotating shafts 811 and 911 rotate in opposite directions, and the empty container A placed in the center is compressed by the compression rollers 81 and 91, and the reduced-volume empty container is output downwards. The peeling section 32 (peeling member 30) is configured to peel the container, whose volume has been reduced by the compression rollers 81 and 91 of the volume reduction section 120, away from the compression rollers 81 and 91.

[0032] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, a first splash prevention section 75 and a second splash prevention section 78 are located above the volume reduction section 120. A container recovery device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention has a first splash prevention section 75 between a volume reduction section 120 provided in the main body and an inner door 112. The first splash prevention section 75 may be, for example, a flexible plate-shaped member or a rigid plate-shaped member. In this embodiment, the first splash prevention section 75 is made of a flexible material such as PET canvas. In this embodiment, the first splash prevention section 75 is suspended in the middle of a passage 71 leading from a mounting section 116 to a volume reduction section 120. Preferably, the first splash prevention section 75 is configured to move in accordance with the opening and closing operation of the inner door 112.

[0033] The second splash-proof section 78 functions as a maintenance door for the container collection device 100. Specifically, the second splash-proof section 78 is pivotally supported by a hinge on a fixing member provided inside the empty container collection device, allowing its opening to be opened and closed. During maintenance, the operator can open the second splash-proof section 78 by grasping the gripping section 78d (handle) of the second splash-proof section 78 with the upper outer cover of the container collection device 100 open. The container collection device may also be configured to prevent the volume reduction section 120 or other operations from being performed when the second splash-proof section 78 is not in the closed state.

[0034] Furthermore, the container collection device 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention performs a process to notify when the container storage section 140 becomes full. There are two methods of notification: one in which the container collection device 100 itself directly notifies, and another in which notification is performed via peripheral equipment. In the former case, the container collection device 100 notifies that it is full from its display unit or speaker. In the latter case, the container collection device 100 notifies that it is full from an in-store terminal such as a tablet, POS device, or other speaker held by an employee in the store where the container collection device 100 is installed. The container collection device 100 and the in-store terminal are connected via a network, and the network connection may be via the collection management server 200. In addition, if the container collection device 100 detects an operation by an administrator or cleaner to open the container storage section 140, specifically an unlocking operation to pull out the drawer 100C containing the container storage section 140, it performs a process to notify the cleaning of the storage section where the containers are placed.

[0035] (Configuration around the input port of the container collection device) Figure 4 is a functional block diagram of the container recovery device 100 as an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 5 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the container input section 110 of the container recovery device 100. Using both figures, the configuration around the input port of the container recovery device will be described below.

[0036] As shown in Figure 4, the container retrieval device 100 includes a control unit 1 (CPU), a storage unit 2, a display operation unit 3, a transmitting / receiving unit 4, an outer door drive unit 5, an inner door drive unit 6, a weighing unit 7, a metal detection sensor 8, a PET sensor 901, a container detection sensor 902, a safety detection sensor 903, a door position sensor 10, a door lock unit 11, a human presence sensor 12, a volume reduction drive unit 15, a reader / writer 17, a lock / unlock detection unit 18, an imaging unit 19, and the like. Each component is electrically connected by signal lines or the like. In this embodiment, for example, the PET sensor 901, the container detection sensor 902, and the safety detection sensor 903 are composed of optical sensors 9. The imaging unit 19, as its name suggests, is composed mainly of a CCD camera and has the function of determining whether the placed PET bottle is subject to collection or not. Specifically, it distinguishes between suitable PET bottles subject to collection and non-collection items such as crushed PET bottles, PET bottles with caps still attached, PET bottles with labels still attached, PET bottles with leftover drinks, and other items. Furthermore, the weighing unit 7, metal detection sensor 8, PET sensor 901, container detection sensor 902, safety detection sensor 903, and imaging unit 19 are provided near the mounting unit 116 or on the mounting unit 116 itself, and also function as a detection unit 180 that detects whether cleaning has been performed on the mounting unit 116. Then, receiving detection information from the detection unit 180, the control unit 1 (CPU), described later, functions as a determination means to determine whether the item placed on the mounting unit is a target for collection and whether any item other than the target for collection has been put into the input opening. This will be explained in detail in the section "Opening and closing control of the container collection device according to the embodiment" described later.

[0037] The control unit 1 (CPU) comprehensively controls each component of the container recovery device 100. The control unit 1, for example, executes a control program to enable the computer to implement the functions according to the present invention.

[0038] Memory Unit 2 is a storage device such as RAM or ROM. Memory Unit 2 stores control programs and other information. It also stores the characteristics of empty containers of the items to be recovered. These characteristics include, for example, the range of container mass and whether or not the container is made of resin. Memory Unit 2 also stores member identifiers in association with attribute information. This attribute information includes, for example, information about the operator, such as age, whether they are a member or not, and the number of times the recovery device has been used.

[0039] The display operation unit 3 performs predetermined displays under the control of the control unit 1. For example, it is a touch panel display device and outputs signals to the control unit 1 in response to user operations. This display operation unit 3 also functions as a reception means to receive an operation to open the outer door and start the container collection process.

[0040] The transmitting / receiving unit 4, under the control of the control unit 1, performs predetermined communication with other terminal devices (computers) via a wireless or wired communication path.

[0041] The reader / writer 17 (card reader / writer) is a transceiver that communicates with contactless IC cards, IC tags, etc., and performs predetermined communication under the control of the control unit 1. Alternatively, the container collection device 100 may have a code reader that reads a barcode or 2D code indicating a card identifier (member identifier) ​​recorded on the member card CD instead of the reader / writer 17.

[0042] The outer door drive unit 5 is a motor or the like for opening and closing the outer door 111, and its drive is controlled by the control unit 1.

[0043] The inner door drive unit 6 is a motor or the like for opening and closing the inner door 112, and is controlled by the control unit 1 to drive the inner door to either the open or closed state.

[0044] The weighing unit 7 weighs the mass of the empty container or non-recoverable object placed on the placement section 116 of the container input section 110. The weighing unit 7 is a weighing device such as a load cell. Furthermore, the weighing unit 7 is used as a sensor to determine whether or not to recover containers by detecting any remaining liquid inside containers placed on the placement section 116 of the container input section 110. The weighing unit 7 is also configured to determine the total weight of containers stored in the container storage section 140 by accumulating the weight values ​​of the containers deemed recoverable. This function allows the total amount to be recovered to be calculated without installing a weighing unit in the container storage section 140, and by not installing a weighing unit in the container storage section 140, a large-capacity container storage section 140 can be secured. Moreover, since the weighing target can be limited to items that can be inserted into the input opening, the weighing unit 7 itself can be made smaller.

[0045] The metal detection sensor 8 detects whether an object placed on the placement section 116 of the container input section 110 is metallic or non-metallic. In this embodiment, if the metal detection sensor 8 detects that an object placed on the placement section 116 is metallic, the control unit 1 determines that the object placed on the placement section 116 is not subject to collection. In this embodiment, the metal detection sensor 8 is provided on the inner door 112. Alternatively, the metal detection sensor 8 may be provided on the mounting section 116.

[0046] In this embodiment, the PET sensor 901, container detection sensor 902, and safety detection sensor 903 are all optical sensors 9. The optical sensor 9 is configured to receive light from a light-emitting unit provided on one of the left or right sides of the mounting unit 116 with a light-receiving unit provided on the other side.

[0047] The PET sensor 901 is configured to receive light from a light-emitting part provided on one of the left or right side walls of the mounting part 116, with a light-receiving part provided on the other side. The PET sensor 901 also includes a polarizing plate and is configured to receive light through the polarizing plate, enabling it to detect empty containers to be collected by detecting polarized light that has passed through a translucent empty container such as a PET bottle. The control unit 1 detects the light received through the translucent empty container placed on the container loading area using the light receiving unit (optical sensor 9) of the PET sensor 901, and determines whether or not it is an empty container to be collected based on the detection signal from the optical sensor 9.

[0048] The container detection sensor 902 is configured to receive light from a light-emitting unit provided on one of the left or right side walls of the mounting unit 116 with a light-receiving unit provided on the other side. When an empty container or the like is placed on the mounting unit 116 of the container loading unit, the control unit 1 determines whether or not an empty container is placed there based on the intensity of the light received by the light-receiving unit of the container detection sensor 902.

[0049] The safety detection sensor 903 has a light-emitting unit and a light-receiving unit located on the left and right sides of the opening, respectively, at a position appropriately set back from the opening. More specifically, it is positioned so that the outer door 111 closes to a predetermined amount (this predetermined amount will be described in detail later). The light-emitting unit on one side is configured to receive light from the light-receiving unit on the other side. The control unit 1 detects, for example, whether a person's hand or other object is in or near the opening, based on the intensity of the light received by the light-receiving unit of the safety detection sensor 903. If the light-emitting unit of the safety detection sensor 903 receives light from the light-emitting unit, the control unit 1 determines that there is no person's hand or other object in a position appropriately set back from the opening. If the light-receiving unit does not receive light, the control unit 1 determines that there is a person's hand or other object in a position appropriately set back from the opening, and for example, determines that the outer door 111 cannot be safely closed. In the container collection device described later as a prerequisite, a safety detection sensor 903 was provided near the input opening. However, in this embodiment, since it is anticipated that crushed empty containers may get caught in the outer door 111, the position of the safety detection sensor 903 is set to be slightly further back from the input opening than in the previous model. However, if the sensor accuracy is high and it is possible to distinguish between a human hand and a crushed PET bottle by setting a threshold, then there is no need to change the position of the safety detection sensor 903.

[0050] In this embodiment, in addition to the light sensor 9, an imaging unit 19 for imaging the mounting unit 116 is provided near the mounting unit 116. The imaging unit 19 is used, for example, to determine from the captured image information whether a container placed on the mounting unit 116 is to be collected or not. Specifically, it distinguishes between items to be collected, such as suitable PET bottles, and items not to be collected, such as crushed PET bottles, PET bottles with caps still attached, PET bottles with labels still attached, PET bottles with leftover drinks, and other items. The use of the light sensor 9 or the imaging unit 19 can be switched, but it may also be configured to automatically switch to complement the light sensor 9 if the light sensor 9 does not function properly due to the illumination conditions at the location where the collection device 100 is installed. Furthermore, the imaging unit 19 may be used in cleaning mode to determine whether or not the mounting unit 116 has been cleaned by a cleaner or the like. Of course, both detection results may be adopted.

[0051] Furthermore, the container recovery device is equipped with the aforementioned sensors around the mounting section to determine whether or not recovery is necessary. For example, in conventional recovery devices, a container is taken into the device, a determination is made as to whether or not it is a target for recovery, and non-target items are discharged from an outlet different from the input port. Since the device is equipped with a determination unit, an outlet is required. On the other hand, the container recovery device according to the embodiment of the present invention is configured such that it is not necessary to take the object to be recovered into the device, as sensors for determining whether recovery is necessary are provided on the mounting part which is the input port of the device. Therefore, there is no need to provide an outlet, and a compact container recovery device can be provided.

[0052] The door position sensor 10 detects the position (opening degree) of the outer door 111 and outputs a signal related to the position of the outer door 111 to the control unit 1. Note that the opening degree detection may be configured to output a detection signal for the open / closed state of the outer door 111 from image information obtained by the imaging unit. The control unit 1 controls the open / closed state of the outer door 111 based on the opening degree detection signal. Furthermore, the control unit 1 determines whether the outer door 111 is open correctly or abnormally open, based on whether the outer door 111 opened after the display operation unit 3 received an operation to open the outer door, or whether the outer door 111 opened without receiving an operation to open the outer door.

[0053] The door lock unit 11 has a locking device such as a solenoid and is provided around the outer door to prevent the outer door 111 from opening unintentionally under control from the control unit 1, thereby restricting the movement of the outer door 111 in the closed position. This is a feature found in conventional container retrieval devices. However, in this embodiment, the program has been modified so that the door lock unit 11 does not function at all. By adopting this configuration, it is possible to provide a container retrieval device in which the components of the device cannot be damaged by forceful opening operations, simply by updating the software without changing the hardware configuration of the existing container retrieval device. Furthermore, since the door locking mechanism 11 is not necessary for carrying out the present invention, a hardware configuration that eliminates the door locking mechanism may be used instead of requiring a program change. By adopting this configuration, the number of parts required when manufacturing a new container retrieval device can be reduced, thereby lowering costs.

[0054] The motion sensor 12 is installed, for example, on the main body 100B of the retrieval device 100, and can detect operators or other objects in the vicinity of the main body 100B. The motion sensor 12 is composed of, for example, an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a visible light sensor, or a combination thereof. The motion sensor 12 outputs a signal indicating the detection result to the control unit 1.

[0055] The lock / unlock detection unit 18 is located in the main body 100B of the container retrieval device 100, and the lock / unlock detection unit 18 detects whether the keyhole 100r of the drawer 100C is locked or unlocked.

[0056] As shown in Figure 5, the container input section 110 of the container recovery device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a mounting section 116, an outer door 111, an inner door 112, a front shelf section 113 (not shown in Figure 5, see Figure 2), a base 118, a weighing section 7, an outer door support section S111, an inner door support section S112, an outer door drive section 5, an inner door drive section 6, a first restriction section K111, a second restriction section K112, and the like.

[0057] The front shelf section 113 is positioned to be in close contact with the outer door 111 when it is closed (see Figure 2), and when the outer door 111 is open, it connects with the storage section 116. The storage section 116 is configured to allow the storage of items to be collected. For example, the side wall 116a of the storage section 116 is equipped with light sensors 9, such as a light receiving section 9a and a light emitting section 9b. A weighing section 7 is also provided at the bottom of the storage section 116.

[0058] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the mounting section 116 is not horizontal, but is inclined so that the container storage section 140 side is lower than the container input side (the opening side when the outer door 111 is open). In other words, the mounting section 116 is configured to encourage the inserted container to fall towards the container storage section 140 side (or the volume reduction section 120 side) due to its own weight. As a result, there is no need to provide a transport mechanism to send the inserted container to the container storage section 140, and a compact container retrieval device can be provided. Furthermore, the mounting section 116 has a surface treatment applied to its mounting surface, creating an uneven surface, which prevents the placed container from sticking to the mounting section. Even if the container is wet, the contact area between the container surface and the uneven surface of the mounting section is relatively small, so the surface tension due to wetness is reduced, and the container moves easily towards the container storage section 140. In other words, it is possible to prevent problems such as wet containers not falling into the container storage section.

[0059] The outer door 111 is located on the outside of the mounting section 116. The outer door drive unit 5 drives the outer door 111 so that it can be opened and closed. The inner door 112 is provided in the passage 71 between the placement section 116 and the volume reduction section 120. The inner door drive unit 6 drives the inner door 112 so that it can be opened and closed. The inner door 112 is provided with a guide section 112D that guides the placement of empty containers. The guide section 112D is exposed and positioned so that it can be seen from the main body of the device. The guide section 112D provides information to guide the placement of containers (empty containers such as PET bottles) in a specified orientation and position. This guide section 112D may be a recess, a protrusion, a sticker, an LED display, or an animation provided on the surface of the inner door 112. Furthermore, the container retrieval device may include a determination means that uses detection sensors, such as an imaging unit, to determine whether the container is correctly placed at the placement position indicated by the guide unit 112D. Additionally, if the placement orientation and position are incorrect, the device may provide notification or other alerts using imaging processing or detection units such as optical sensors.

[0060] As shown in Figure 5, in this embodiment, the container recovery device 100 has a base 118, which has outer door support parts S118, S111 that support the outer door 111 and the outer door drive unit 5. In detail, the outer door drive unit 5 and a rotating shaft C111 are provided at the upper ends of the two outer door support parts S118, and a fan-shaped outer door support part S111 is rotatably mounted on the rotating shaft C111, and the outer door 111 is supported by the fan-shaped outer door support part S111. One of the two rotating shafts C111 is connected to the rotating shaft of the motor of the outer door drive unit 5. The fan-shaped outer door support portion S111 is provided with a hole S111h through which the rotation axis C112 of the inner door 112 passes.

[0061] The weighing unit 7 is positioned between the base 118 and the mounting unit 116, and supports the mounting unit 116.

[0062] Furthermore, the inner door 112 is configured to guide empty containers placed on the mounting section 116 to the volume reduction section 120 when it is in the open state. In this embodiment, the inner door drive unit 6 and the inner door 112 are supported by an inner door support part S112, which is positioned on the weighing section 7 and extends from between the weighing section 7 and the mounting section 116. The inner door drive unit 6 is provided with a rotation shaft C112 for the inner door 112, and the inner door 112 is mounted on this rotation shaft C112. By opening the inner door 112, the items to be collected can be guided to the container storage section 140 inside the main body of the device. This can be achieved even if the protruding part of a crushed PET bottle is caught in the outer door 111. The inner door support part S112 has a hole S112h through which the rotation shaft C111 passes.

[0063] In other words, the outer door drive unit 5 and the outer door 111 are supported by the outer door support part S111 of the base 118, and the mounting part 116 is provided on top of the weighing unit 7 which is positioned on the base 118. Therefore, the weighing unit 7 can accurately weigh the mass of objects to be recovered that are placed on the mounting part 116. More specifically, since the outer door 111 and the outer door drive unit 5 are not supported on the weighing unit 7, the weighing unit 7 is less susceptible to vibrations from the outer door 111 and the outer door drive unit 5, and can accurately weigh the mass of objects to be recovered on the mounting part 116.

[0064] Furthermore, the outer door 111 is configured to move between an open position that exposes the mounting section 116 and a closed position that covers the mounting section 116. When the outer door 111 is closed, it is configured to move from the open position towards the mounting section 116. In other words, since the outer door 111 is configured to move from the open state towards the mounting section 116 and close, for example, if a user's hand or arm gets caught between the outer door 111 and the mounting section 116, the metering value measured by the metering unit will change, and the control unit will detect this change, making it easy to detect that a user's hand or arm, foreign object, etc., is caught between the outer door 111 and the mounting section 116.

[0065] (Structure of the container retrieval device's opening and closing operation restriction - Part 1) From here, we will explain the mechanism for restricting the opening of the inner door 112, and two configurations are available. One is a container retrieval device in which the inner door will not open unless the outer door is completely closed, and the other is a container retrieval device in which the inner door will open even if it is determined that the outer door has not closed to a predetermined extent. First, we will explain the container retrieval device in which the inner door will not open unless the outer door is completely closed. Figure 6 is a conceptual side view showing an example of the container input section 110 of the container retrieval device 100 in the state where the outer door 111 is closed and the inner door 112 is also closed. Figure 7 is a conceptual side view showing an example of the container input section 110 in the state where the outer door 111 is open and the inner door 112 is closed. Figure 8 is a conceptual side view showing an example of the container input section 110 in the state where the outer door 111 is closed and the inner door 112 is open.

[0066] In the state shown in Figure 6, the front end of the outer door 111 is in contact with the front shelf 113. That is, the outer door 111 is completely closed. As shown in the figure, the outer door 111 is equipped with a first restricting part K111 that restricts the movement of the inner door 112. The inner door 112 is equipped with a second restricting part K112 that restricts the movement of the outer door 111. The first restricting part K111 and the second restricting part K112 provide a mechanism that prevents both the outer door 111 and the inner door 112 from being in an open state. In other words, since the container retrieval device 100 has a first restricting section K111 provided on the outer door 111 and a second restricting section K112 provided on the inner door 112, it has a mechanically simple structure and can restrict the opening and closing operation of each door according to the open and closed state of the outer door 111 and the inner door 112, respectively.

[0067] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6, the first restricting part K111 is configured to respond to the movement of the outer door 111. The second restricting part K112 is configured to respond to the movement of the inner door 112. In addition, the container retrieval device 100 is configured such that when the outer door 111 is open, the first restricting part K111 restricts the movement of the inner door 112, and when the inner door 112 is open, the second restricting part K112 restricts the movement of the outer door 111. In detail, the container retrieval device 100 is configured such that when the outer door 111 is open, the inner door 112 remains closed, preventing it from opening. That is, when the outer door 111 is open and an object is placed on the loading section 116, the inner door 112 remains closed and does not open, preventing it from being placed in the container storage section 140 within the main body 100B of the retrieval device, regardless of whether the object placed on the loading section 116 is an object to be retrieved or not. In other words, in this state, the container (object to be retrieved or not) is in contact with the inner door 112, and the inner door 112 also functions as part of the loading section.

[0068] Furthermore, the first restricting section K111 and the second restricting section K112 are configured such that their movement paths overlap. In addition, when one of the first restricting section K111 and the second restricting section K112 restricts the movement of the other, the container retrieval device 100 is structured so that the first restricting section K111 and the second restricting section K112 are adjacent to each other with a slight gap in an arc shape. Specifically, the first restricting section K111 is formed in a substantially fan shape. The first restricting section K111 has a convex arc-shaped section K111a and a concave section K111b. Furthermore, the second restricting section K112 is formed in a substantially fan shape. Specifically, the second restricting section K112 has a convex arc-shaped section K112a and a concave section K112b.

[0069] As shown in Figure 7, when the outer door 111 is open and the inner door 112 is closed, and the first restricting part K111 restricts the movement of the second restricting part K112, the convex arc-shaped part K111a of the first restricting part K111 and the concave arc-shaped part K112b of the second restricting part K112 are adjacent to each other with a slight gap in the arc shape. In other words, when the outer door 111 is open, the inner door 112 is closed, and the movement of the second restricting part K112 is restricted by the first restricting part K111, so the inner door 112 remains closed and does not open.

[0070] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8, when the inner door 112 is open and the outer door 111 is closed, and the second restricting part K112 restricts the movement of the first restricting part K111, the convex arc-shaped part K112a of the second restricting part K112 and the concave arc-shaped part K111b of the first restricting part K111 are adjacent to each other with a slight gap in the arc shape. At this time, the front end of the outer door 111 is in contact with the front shelf part 113. In other words, the outer door 111 is in a completely closed state.

[0071] In other words, when the outer door 111 is closed and the inner door 112 is open, the movement of the first restricting part K111 is restricted by the second restricting part K112, so the outer door 111 remains closed and does not open.

[0072] Furthermore, the container recovery device 100 may have a prohibition means for prohibiting the movement of one or both of the first limiting portion K111 and the second limiting portion K112. In detail, the prohibition means may include, for example, a solenoid. This solenoid has a structure in which, for example, a metal movable pin (plunger) is arranged inside a coil, and when the coil is not energized, the movable pin (plunger) is positioned to protrude from the end of the coil by a biasing portion, and is configured to move inside the coil when the coil is energized. For example, as a means of preventing movement of the outer door 111 from a closed state to an open state, the movable pin (plunger) of the solenoid for the outer door may be configured to engage with a hole provided in the first restricting part K111. The control unit controls the system so that when the closed state of the first restricting part K111 is maintained and movement to the open state is prohibited, the movable pin is engaged with the hole, and when movement is not prohibited, the movable pin is disengaged. In other words, the means of preventing movement of the first restricting part K111 from a closed state to an open state can be prevented with a simple structure. Furthermore, as a means of preventing the inner door 112 from moving from the closed state to the open state, the movable pin (plunger) of the solenoid for the inner door may be configured to engage with a hole provided in the second restricting part K112. The control unit controls the system so that when the closed state of the second restricting part K112 is maintained and movement to the open state is prohibited, the movable pin is engaged with the hole, and when movement is not prohibited, the movable pin is disengaged. In other words, the means of preventing movement of the second restricting part K112 from the closed state to the open state can be prevented with a simple structure.

[0073] Thus, a container collection device in which the inner door does not open until the outer door is completely closed is perfectly safe. However, some customers try to bring in crushed plastic bottles, which are not anticipated in the container collection device. This tendency is stronger among customers who bring in large quantities of plastic bottles. Also, children who do not fully understand the instructions on the guidance unit 112D may place plastic bottles vertically instead of horizontally. As explained above, in the container collection device with the opening and closing operation restriction structure described in 1, the inner door is opened only after the outer door is completely closed. Therefore, if a large, crushed plastic bottle is placed on the placement area, or if a smaller, uncrushed plastic bottle is placed vertically, the protruding part of the plastic bottle can get caught in the outer door, preventing the outer door from closing completely. Alternatively, the device may determine that the item is not to be collected and request its removal. As a result, this leads to a decrease in the collection speed.

[0074] (Structure of the container retrieval device's opening and closing operation restriction - Part 2) Therefore, in order to accommodate stores where a large number of PET bottles are expected to be brought in, a container collection device is also provided that, in addition to opening the inner door when it is determined that the outer door is closed, also opens the inner door when it is determined that the outer door has not closed to a predetermined extent. First, the structure of the opening and closing operation restriction will be explained using Figure 9. Figure 9 is a conceptual side view showing an example of a container input section in which the inner door is in the open state after the outer door has not closed to a predetermined extent.

[0075] In the state shown in Figure 9, the front end of the outer door 111 is only closed to a position separated by a distance G from the front shelf 113. Although not shown in the illustration, the outer door 111 is trapping the protruding parts of crushed PET bottles and the necks of vertically placed PET bottles. In other words, the outer door 111 is not completely closed. However, as shown in the illustration, the inner door 112 is open without any restriction on its movement. This is achieved by reducing the size of the fan-shaped portion of the roughly fan-shaped first limiting portion K111. Specifically, the concave portion K111b of the first limiting portion K111 is set to a position shifted toward the center of rotation. As can be seen by comparing Figures 8 and 9, in the first opening / closing operation restriction structure, the first restricting part K111 prevented the second restricting part K112 from rotating unless the outer door 111 was completely closed. However, in the second opening / closing operation restriction structure, even if the outer door 111 is not completely closed, the position of the concave part K111b of the first restricting part K111 is set such that the obstruction to the rotation of the second restricting part K112 is released if the outer door 111 is closed to the point where the distance between the outer door 111 and the front shelf part 113 is a predetermined distance G. The predetermined distance G can be determined by setting it appropriately based on the average thickness when a large PET bottle is crushed by hand, or the average thickness of the neck of a small PET bottle. Importantly, a distance where the outer door 111 is only partially closed with a wrist inserted all the way in should be eliminated. By setting the predetermined distance G in this way, reasonable safety is ensured.

[0076] (Opening and closing control of the container recovery device according to the embodiment) A suitable control for a container recovery device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. Figure 10 shows an example of the operation of a container recovery device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0077] In step ST1, the container retrieval device 100 is in standby mode. When the control unit 1 receives a signal from the transmitting / receiving unit 4 (communication unit) or the display operation unit 3, it processes the signal accordingly. The control unit 1 also processes the display on the display operation unit 3 to display a message, for example, "Please touch your card (membership card, etc.)." The card (membership card, etc.) is, for example, a membership card CD (see Figure 1), which is a contactless IC card for members.

[0078] In step ST2, the control unit 1 determines whether or not the reception means has received an operation to open the outer door, and proceeds to step ST5 if the condition is met. As an outer door opening condition, for example, when the empty container collection start button is operated on the display operation unit 3 such as a touch panel, the process proceeds to step ST5. Alternatively, the process may proceed to step ST5 if the user's membership card and the transmitting / receiving unit 4 communicate and the user is correctly authenticated (outer door opening condition). Examples of membership cards include contactless IC cards, magnetic cards, cards with barcodes or 2D codes printed on them, display devices that show barcodes or 2D codes, and smartphones or mobile phones with membership card functionality.

[0079] In step ST2, if the door position sensor 10 detects that the outer door is open in step ST3, even though no operation has been received, this indicates an abnormal opening where the outer door was forcibly opened. Therefore, in step ST4, the control unit 1 executes abnormal opening processing. In this embodiment, outer door closing processing is executed to close the outer door using drive control. In addition to this, various notification processes can be executed to enable more efficient responses. For example, for customers who are using the container collection device 100 incorrectly, guidance can be provided on how to start using it correctly, specifically by pressing the start button or reading the member code, thereby educating users who are unfamiliar with the correct usage. Users can also learn that incorrect use may cause the device to malfunction or that a store employee may be called. Furthermore, notification of the abnormal opening is also transmitted to other devices in the store and the collection management server, enabling more efficient responses.

[0080] When the outer door closing process in step ST4 is executed, the system transitions to a standby screen regardless of whether or not any items have been placed in the loading area, preparing for the next user. However, when an abnormal opening occurs, there are two possibilities: either the outer door is opened and items are forcibly loaded, or no items are loaded. In the former case, if no measures are taken, the next user may not be able to use the system smoothly. For example, the following two scenarios are possible. One configuration involves, upon receiving a normal opening notification, performing a determination of whether the item can be retrieved before controlling the outer door opening. Specifically, if a retrieveable container was placed in the door during an abnormal opening, and a normal opening notification is received, the system determines whether there is an item in the placement area and whether it can be retrieved. If it is determined to be retrieveable, the item is retrieved from the standby state without ever opening the outer door. In this case, the operation display shows that a retrieveable container was left behind and has been retrieved, and that points will be awarded for that container. If it is determined that the item cannot be retrieved, the system controls the opening of the outer door and displays a notification on the operation display that the previous user had placed a foreign object in the door, prompting the user to remove the foreign object before placing their own container. Another configuration involves completing the determination of whether the container can be recovered before accepting normal opening. In other words, the timing of the determination of whether the container can be recovered differs from the previous configuration; the determination of whether the container can be recovered is completed in advance after the outer door closing control is performed in the case of abnormal opening. In either case, the next user will be able to smoothly carry out the operation for recycling plastic bottles.

[0081] In step ST5, the control unit 1 performs the outer door opening process. Specifically, the control unit 1 releases the door lock of the outer door 111 and performs drive control to move the outer door 111 to the open position using the outer door drive unit 5. Although not shown in the flowchart, even if a container is forcibly inserted while in the state of step 3, that is, if the outer door 111 is forcibly opened and then the container is inserted, the outer door opening process in step ST5 will be executed if an operation is received afterward.

[0082] In step ST6, the mass, material, and presence or absence of contents of the object placed on the placement unit 116 are detected by various detection processes using the weighing unit 7, metal detection sensor 8, optical sensor 9, imaging unit 19, etc., and each detection system outputs a signal to the control unit 1 indicating the detected result. In the various detection processes, although not shown in the figures, a determination is also made as to whether or not the outer door closing condition is met. Specifically, if the object placed on the placement unit 116 is determined to be an object to be recovered, the process proceeds to the next step ST7. Otherwise (if a non-recoverable object such as a foreign object is detected), the process does not proceed to step ST7, and appropriate processing such as notification processing is performed (not shown).

[0083] In step ST7, the control unit 1 performs the outer door closing process. Specifically, the control unit 1 drives the outer door drive unit 5 to close the outer door 111.

[0084] In step ST8, the control unit 1 determines whether the closing operation of the outer door 111 has been completed. If it is determined that it has been completed, the process proceeds to step S9. However, even if it is determined that it has not been completed, the control unit 1 determines in step ST10 whether the door is not fully closed. Specifically, if the position information (opening degree information) from the door position sensor 10 determines that the outer door 111 has been closed to a predetermined distance G from the front shelf 113, and if this condition has continued for a certain period of time (for example, 1 second) using an appropriate timer means, it is determined that the door is not fully closed. However, if the distance is greater than the predetermined distance even if the door is not fully closed, that is, if the outer door 111 is not fully closed, the process proceeds to step ST11 and notification processing is performed.

[0085] If it is determined in step ST8 that the outer door 111 is completely closed, or if it is determined in step ST10 that the outer door 111 is not completely closed, the control unit 1 performs the inner door opening process in step ST9 or step ST12, respectively. Specifically, the control unit 1 drives the inner door drive unit 6 to open the inner door 112.

[0086] As shown in the diagram, in step ST9, when the inner door is opened, the PET bottle begins to fall toward the volume reduction section. In step ST14, a fall confirmation process is performed to confirm that the PET bottle has fallen into the volume reduction section 120. As a method for determining that the PET bottle has fallen into the volume reduction section 120, an appropriate method can be adopted, such as determination by the imaging unit 19, determination when the weighing becomes zero, or determination by the PET sensor or the like when the PET bottle has disappeared from the placement section 116. Once this confirmation is performed, the inner door is closed in step ST15, and then the volume reduction process is promptly executed in step ST16. At this time, almost simultaneously, in step ST17, the process corresponding to the next container, i.e., the outer door is opened. If a PET bottle is placed, it is treated as a continuous input, and the volume reduction and recovery processes are carried out. If no PET bottle is placed for a certain period of time, the outer door is closed as a termination process. On the other hand, in step ST12, even if the inner door is opened, the PET bottle may not fall into the volume reduction section depending on how well the outer door 111 is engaged with the PET bottle. Therefore, in step ST13, it is confirmed that the outer door 111 is completely closed, and after the drop confirmation process in step ST14, the process proceeds to step ST15, where the inner door is closed, and then the volume reduction process is executed in step ST16. If it is determined in step ST13 that the outer door will not close completely, the inner door closing process will be performed in step ST18, followed by the outer door opening process in step ST19, and notification processing (not shown) will also be performed as appropriate.

[0087] The control configuration shown here is merely an example. In the example described above, various detection processes for determining whether or not a non-recoverable object, such as a foreign object, has been placed are placed before step ST7. However, if the container recovery device 100 does not have an imaging unit 19 and only has an optical sensor 9, and therefore sufficient detection cannot be performed unless it is in the dark, the various detection processes may be placed between step ST8 and step ST9, or between step ST10 and step ST12. If it is determined that an object placed on the placement unit 116 is a recovery object, the outer door 111 is closed once. However, if it is determined that a non-recoverable object has been placed or entered before the outer door is completely closed, recovery will not be performed, i.e., the inner door opening process will not be performed, and the outer door 111 will be controlled to open immediately. Furthermore, in this configuration, the various detection processes may be configured to detect both recovery objects and non-recoverable objects simultaneously. At this time, the control unit 1 uses the detection results from the weighing unit 7, metal detection sensor 8, optical sensor 9, imaging unit 19, etc. to determine that the item placed on the placement unit 116 is a target for collection, and that no other items are placed on or entered the placement unit 116, i.e., no items are entered into the input opening (container input unit 110), and then executes the process of opening the inner door 112. Even if the outer door 111 is not completely closed, it is conceivable that a child who sees the PET bottle being sucked in and processed might try to play a prank by putting a sheet-like foreign object into the gap if there is a small opening. However, by accurately detecting that only the target items for collection are placed on the unit and no other items have entered, it is possible to eliminate the contamination of foreign objects to a near-complete degree.

[0088] In addition, in the decision-making process in step ST13, before making the final determination that the outer door 111 will not close completely, the system may be made to perform several attempts to drop the PET bottle into the volume reduction section 120. For example, it is effective to perform control that encourages the PET bottle to enter the volume reduction section by repeatedly opening and closing the inner door 112 and causing vibrations around the mounting section 116. Furthermore, non-standard PET bottles may get partially stuck on their way from the inner door 112 to the volume reduction section 120. The drop confirmation process shown in Figure 10 is just one example of a step in sequential processing, but if the drop confirmation process in step ST14 is treated as a drop determination process, and it is determined that the bottle will not fall, this means that the inner door 112 will not close, and therefore the outer door 111 will not open either. In this case, a corresponding process may be provided. Specifically, the system may be configured to provide appropriate error notifications to call a store employee or the like.

[0089] (Another embodiment of the handling of abnormal opening) Regarding abnormal opening processing, other methods such as drive-close control and warning notification are also conceivable, so two methods will be described. The first method involves taking the same actions as in a normal opening. However, it provides guidance for the user's convenience. Specifically, when an abnormal opening is detected, the outer door is controlled to open, and the operation display shows instructions on how to insert the container, such as that only PET bottles are eligible for collection (cans and glass bottles are not accepted), that the cap should be removed, and that the film should be peeled off. It also shows that the current opening operation was incorrect and provides instructions on the correct opening operation, taking the same actions as in a normal opening. If the item is not collectible, it will be notified to remove it, and if it is not removed within a certain period of time, the outer door will be controlled to close and the system will transition to a standby state. In addition, if the item is collectible, the outer door will be controlled to close and the inner door will be opened to process the collection; the outer door will be controlled to open in preparation for the next insertion to execute continuous insertion control; and when points are generated, the system will notify the reader of the member code, allowing points to be awarded even after collection. These are all the same processes as in a normal opening. The only difference from a normal opening is the timing of when the member code is read. The second approach is the same as for normal operation. However, a certain penalty is imposed on the user. Specifically, the container is collected, but no points are awarded regardless of the number of items inserted. The operation display also informs the user that the reason no points were awarded was due to abnormal operation. This encourages users to operate the machine correctly next time. A common feature of the two modes described above is that they perform opening control rather than closing control. The reason for this is that moving a motor-controlled drive structure by human force can cause malfunctions. Therefore, when an abnormal opening is detected, the outer door is opened, and the load on the drive structure is reduced by returning it to its original motor-controlled state rather than by human force. It can be said that this control is intended to encourage users who have performed an abnormal opening operation to stop trying to open the outer door once the opening control has started, and to leave it to the motor control.

[0090] In the first structure for limiting opening and closing operations, for safety reasons, the inner door 112 was opened only after the outer door 111 was completely closed. However, if the predetermined interval G is set to an appropriate value, safety is not so critical. Nevertheless, in the past, if a crushed plastic bottle brought in got stuck in the outer door 111 and the processing could not proceed, the crushed plastic bottle would be flattened and put back in after being explained by a store employee. Customers who came in with a large number of plastic bottles were more likely to bring them in crushed, which further slowed down the overall processing and forced other customers to wait in long lines. According to the second structure for limiting opening and closing operations, even if the plastic bottles are crushed, as long as the outer door is closed to a predetermined interval G, processing can proceed without hindering continuous feeding, significantly improving customer satisfaction.

[0091] <Summary of Embodiments> [Technical field] This invention relates to a container recovery device. [Background technology] Container recovery devices are known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The container recovery device described in Patent Document 1 involves displacing the outer door to the open position to place a container on the outer door, displacing the outer door from the open position to the closed position to move the placed container to a compression mechanism inside the device body, and driving the compression mechanism to compress the container that has reached the compression mechanism. [Prior art document] [Patent] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-076974 [Overview of the prefecture] [Problems the invention aims to solve] The container retrieval device described in Patent Document 1 is equipped with a locking body for the outer door and a solenoid for driving the locking body, and is configured to prevent the outer door from opening unintentionally. However, some users would try to forcibly open the outer door of the container collection device, which would damage the locking mechanism and solenoids that maintain the door's closed position, ultimately rendering the container collection device inoperable. The present invention has been made in view of the above, and aims to provide a container retrieval device that can continue to operate without its components being damaged by forceful opening operations. [Means for solving the problem] (1) As described above, one aspect of this embodiment is a container retrieval device 100 characterized by comprising: a mounting section 116 on which a container is placed; an outer door 111 that is driven to expose the mounting section; a receiving means 3 that receives an operation to open the outer door; an outer door state detection means (control unit 1) that detects an abnormal opening when the outer door is in an open state while the receiving means has not received an operation to open the outer door; and an abnormal opening response control means (control unit 1) that executes abnormal opening processing when an abnormal opening is detected.

[0092] According to the above configuration, it is possible to provide a container retrieval device that can continue to operate without its components being damaged by forceful opening operations.

[0093] (2) In one aspect of this embodiment, in the container recovery device 100 described in (1), the abnormal opening process includes the closing control process for the outer door.

[0094] With the above configuration, the outer door will never remain open.

[0095] (3) One aspect of this embodiment is a container recovery device 100 described in (2), comprising: a recovery target determination means (control unit 1) that determines whether or not the container is a target for recovery; and a recovery control means (control unit 1) that executes a recovery process to take the container into the device when the determination means determines that the container is a target for recovery, wherein in the case of abnormal opening, the recovery control means does not execute the recovery process.

[0096] With the above configuration, container retrieval is not performed when the outer door is forcibly opened, thus allowing the user to recognize that they were using the device incorrectly.

[0097] (4) In one aspect of this embodiment, in the container collection device 100 described in (3), the outer door state detection means (control unit 1) detects that the outer door is in an open state when the receiving means has received an operation to open the outer door, and the collection target determination means (control unit 1) determines whether or not a container that was put in when the outer door was abnormally open is a collection target when the outer door state detection means detects that the outer door is in an abnormal state.

[0098] According to the above configuration, even in the event of abnormal opening, the container retrieval process can be carried out by performing appropriate operations afterward.

[0099] (5) In one aspect of this embodiment, in the container recovery device 100 described in (3), the abnormal opening response control means continues the closing control process of the outer door while the recovery process is being performed.

[0100] According to the above configuration, even if the locking mechanism is removed to temporarily bias the outer door in the closing direction while the recovery process is ongoing, the exposure of the volume reduction section can be reduced.

[0101] Although 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 any design changes, etc., that do not depart from the spirit of the present invention are also included. For example, while it was explained that the system may also perform an alarm in addition to closing the outer door, it may also be configured to perform only the alarm without closing the outer door. The outer door is opened not so much with malicious intent, but rather when someone curious about the inside of the device tries to open it as a prank, or when they do not know how to use the device. For this reason, even if the system only performs an alarm or notification without closing the outer door, sufficient deterrent effect can be achieved. Furthermore, while the closing process involves detecting that the outer door has been opened to a certain extent before closing it, it may also be configured to execute a braking process using the drive motor as soon as it detects that the outer door has been opened even slightly. Furthermore, although two embodiments of the mechanism for restricting the opening of the inner door 112 have been described in the embodiments of the present invention, it is also possible to configure the system without either of these restricting mechanisms. In that case, it is preferable that once an operation is received and the retrieval process is started, if the outer door is forcibly opened again while the retrieval process is in progress, the outer door closing process is executed. In particular, this invention focuses on the significant aspect of allowing the outer door to open initially, rather than preventing it from opening with a locking mechanism, and then performing appropriate control thereafter. This is the fundamental idea behind the invention. Therefore, this invention should not be limited to the structural or control features described in the embodiments, but should be broadly understood as an inventive concept. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0102] 1…………Control Unit 2…………Storage section 3. Display and operation unit (reception means) 4…………Transmitting and receiving unit 5…………Exterior door drive unit 6…………Inner door drive unit 7…………Measuring part 8…………Metal detection sensor 9…………Light sensor 10... Door position sensor 11... Door lock section 12… Human motion sensor 15…Volume reduction drive unit 17... Reader / Writer 18... Lock / unlock detection unit 100... Empty container collection device (container collection device) 100B...Main unit of the device 110...Container input section 111……Outer door 112...Inner door 113...Front shelf 116... Mounting section 118... Pedestal 120……Volume reduction section 140... Container housing section K111...First restriction section K112...Second restriction section

Claims

1. A mounting section for placing the container, An outer door that is driven to expose the mounting section, A reception mechanism that accepts the operation to open the outer door, An outer door state detection means for detecting an abnormal opening, where the outer door is in an open state, when the reception means has not received an operation to open the outer door, The system includes an abnormal opening response control means that executes abnormal opening processing when an abnormal opening is detected. A container recovery device characterized by the following features.

2. The abnormal opening process includes the closing control process for the outer door. The container recovery device according to feature 1.

3. A means for determining whether the container is subject to collection, The device includes a recovery control means that, when the determination means determines that the container is to be recovered, executes a recovery process to take the container into the device, In the event of abnormal opening, the recovery control means will not perform the recovery process. The container recovery device according to feature 2.

4. The outer door state detection means detects that the outer door is in an open state when the receiving means has received an operation to open the outer door, and this is considered a normal opening. The recovery target determination means determines whether or not a container that was inserted when the outer door state detection means detects that the door is normally open is a target for recovery. The container recovery device according to feature 3.

5. The abnormal opening response control means continues the closing control process of the outer door while the retrieval process is being executed. The container recovery device according to feature 3.

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