Sorting device, sorting and conveying device, and sorting method

Abstract

This design aims to prevent a decline in sorting function due to the aging of the rotating brush and mitigate the increased operating costs associated with replacing the rotating brush. [Solution] By blowing an airflow onto the object to be processed 3 to generate an upward current, lightweight foreign matter 30 contained in the object to be processed 3 is suspended and guided upward. The foreign matter 30 guided upward is taken into the bristles of the rotating brush 26, and the foreign matter 30 is released and discharged at a predetermined position in the rotational direction of the rotating brush 26.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a sorting device, a sorting conveyance device, and a sorting method. More specifically, it relates to a sorting device, a sorting conveyance device, and a sorting method for sorting workpieces according to their size, specific gravity, shape, etc.

Background Art

[0002] Generally, construction waste generated along with the removal of workpieces, etc. contains a mixture of "materials that can be reused as resources" and "materials that cannot be reused as resources and are disposed of by incineration or landfill". For example, "materials that can be reused as resources" include concrete, stones, sand, etc., and "materials that cannot be reused as resources and are disposed of by incineration or landfill" include wood chips, PVC pipes, vinyl, waste paper, plastics, papers, etc.

[0003] Therefore, it is necessary to sort these construction wastes. In recent years, mechanical sorting, which is safer and has higher processing capacity and efficiency than manual work by workers, has been widely carried out.

[0004] There are various methods for mechanical sorting. One of them is a method of separating foreign substances from the workpiece using a rotating brush for sorting. As a sorting device adopting such a method, for example, there is a "sorting conveyor" described in Patent Document 1.

[0005] The sorting conveyor described in Patent Document 1 includes a sorting device that sorts the workpiece placed and conveyed on the first conveyor belt with a rotating brush, and an inclined separation conveyor that places the workpiece sorted by the rotating brush on the second conveyor belt and conveys it in the upward direction. Further sorting of the workpiece is performed by the conveyance by this inclined separation conveyor and a second vibration roller that imparts vibration to the second conveyor belt.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2001-276745 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] The sorting conveyor described in Patent Document 1 is quite useful in that it allows for highly efficient sorting, separation, and recovery of materials to be processed, such as construction waste, while keeping the installation space and required power output of the drive source small. However, we have found room for improvement in the following areas.

[0008] In other words, in the sorting conveyor described in Patent Document 1, first, a rotating brush is driven to rotate while sliding against the workpiece on the first conveyor belt, thereby scraping up the lighter workpieces from the heavier workpieces. Furthermore, the rotating brush is structured to rotate relative to the scraping brush in sliding contact with it in the cross-section of the conveyor path downstream in the conveying direction.

[0009] As a result, the bristles of the rotating brush constantly rub against the material being processed and the scraping brush, repeatedly deforming and returning to their original shape. This causes wear and tear due to friction, bending and deformation, and thinning of the bristles due to abrasion, resulting in significant damage to the rotating brush.

[0010] As the rotating brush deteriorates over time, its original scraping ability for sorting materials decreases, leading to a lower recovery rate and reduced functionality. Furthermore, restoring this reduced functionality requires frequent replacement of the rotating brush, which increases operating costs (the cost of maintaining the equipment).

[0011] The present invention was conceived in view of the above points, and aims to provide a sorting device, a sorting conveying device, and a sorting method that can suppress the deterioration of sorting function caused by the aging of the rotating brush and mitigate the increase in operating costs due to the replacement of the rotating brush. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] [1] In order to achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a sorting device comprising: a sorting unit positioned above a conveying device for transporting a workpiece, with a predetermined gap between the workpiece and the sorting unit; and a blower that forms an airflow in the gap, wherein the blower blows air onto the workpiece being transported to form an airflow so as to generate an upward flow at a predetermined position, thereby guiding foreign matter contained in the workpiece; and the sorting unit has a rotating brush whose rotation axis is substantially parallel to the transport direction of the workpiece, and the sorting device dislodges and discharges the foreign matter taken in between the bristles of the rotating brush by the guidance of the airflow as the rotating brush rotates.

[0013] [2] In addition, in order to achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a sorting device comprising: a sorting unit positioned above a conveying device for transporting materials to be processed, with a predetermined gap between the materials to be processed and the sorting unit; and a blower that forms an airflow in the gap, wherein the blower blows air onto the materials being transported to form the airflow so as to generate an upward flow at a predetermined position, thereby guiding foreign matter contained in the materials to be processed; and the sorting unit has a rotating brush whose rotation axis is substantially parallel to the transport direction of the materials to be processed, and whose bristles are spaced apart from the materials to be processed, and the sorting device also detaches and discharges the foreign matter taken in between the bristles of the rotating brush by the guidance of the airflow as the rotating brush rotates.

[0014] Here, by blowing air onto the material being processed to create an airflow so that an upward flow is generated at a predetermined position, foreign matter contained in the material can be guided by a blower, such as by being blown up and made to float, and foreign matter can be separated from the material being processed that is not guided.

[0015] Furthermore, air is blown in to create an upward flow at a predetermined position, guiding foreign matter separated from the material being processed upwards. Since the sorting unit is positioned above the conveying device, this means that the rotating brush is also positioned above the conveying device. Therefore, foreign matter separated from the material being processed and guided upwards is then guided to the rotating brush.

[0016] It should be noted that foreign objects are not necessarily guided upwards; other objects (those not subject to sorting) may also be guided upwards. Furthermore, not all foreign matter is guided upwards; some foreign matter may not be separated (not guided) from the processed material. Therefore, by taking into account the size, specific gravity, and shape of foreign matter (specifically, foreign matter that should be separated from the material being processed), and by creating an airflow that easily guides the foreign matter upwards, it becomes possible to separate the foreign matter from the material being processed more efficiently.

[0017] Furthermore, the device has a rotating brush whose axis of rotation is approximately parallel to the direction of transport of the workpiece, and a sorting unit that uses airflow to guide foreign matter between the bristles of the rotating brush and dislodges it as the rotating brush rotates, thereby capturing foreign matter guided by the airflow of a blower and separating it from the workpiece.

[0018] While the foreign matter is drawn into the rotating brush by utilizing the flexibility of the numerous brush heads, any foreign matter that is not drawn in (for example, foreign matter that falls downward due to its own weight) will return to the conveying device and become part of the processed material that was not guided in.

[0019] Incidentally, when the rotating brush rotates while making sufficient contact (sliding contact) with the workpiece (for example, rotating while making contact to the same extent as the technology described in Patent Document 1), the rotating brush directly scrapes off foreign matter from the workpiece, so a sufficient amount of foreign matter can be taken into the rotating brush. Furthermore, with the help of airflow, the recovery rate by induction can be improved compared to the technology described in Patent Document 1. Furthermore, even if the rotating brush deteriorates over time due to friction with the object to be processed, since there is induction by the air flow, compared with the technique described in Patent Document 1, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the sorting function.

[0020] Also, when the rotating brush rotates while slightly contacting the object to be processed (for example, when the degree of contact is smaller than the technique described in Patent Document 1), it is possible to suppress deterioration over time due to friction with the object to be processed. Compared with the technique described in Patent Document 1, the operation cost can be reduced by reducing the replacement frequency of the rotating brush. In addition, although the amount of foreign matter directly scraped off from the object to be processed by the rotating brush is less compared with the technique described in Patent Document 1, since the recovery rate is improved by induction caused by the air flow, a sorting function exceeding that of the technique described in Patent Document 1 can be expected.

[0021] Furthermore, when the rotating brush rotates without contacting the object to be processed (when the tip of the rotating brush rotates in a state separated from the object to be processed), it is possible to significantly suppress deterioration over time due to friction with the object to be processed. Compared with the technique described in Patent Document 1, the operation cost can be extremely reduced by extremely reducing the replacement frequency of the rotating brush. Also, although the rotating brush does not directly scrape off foreign matter from the object to be processed, since the recovery rate is improved by induction caused by the air flow, a sorting function comparable to that of the technique described in Patent Document 1 can be expected. In addition, since the rotating brush does not directly scrape off foreign matter from the object to be processed, it is possible to suppress taking in what should not be sorted (other than foreign matter), and an improvement in selectivity can also be expected.

[0022] 〔3〕 Further, in the sorting device of the present invention, in the sorting devices of 〔1〕 and 〔2〕, the sorting unit has a casing whose body is cylindrical, which houses the rotating brush, and has an air inlet for blowing air flow and foreign matter at a location facing the conveying device, and an outlet for discharging foreign matter separated from the rotating brush. The rotating brush can be configured to rotate with its tip contacting or close to the casing.

[0023] In this case, since the tips of the rotating brushes housed in the casing rotate while contacting or being close to the casing, foreign matter taken in between the tips of the rotating brushes is less likely to fall by its own weight (in other words, it becomes easier to rotate while holding foreign matter between the tips of the rotating brushes), and the selectivity is improved.

[0024] In addition, when something other than foreign matter is taken in between the tips of the rotating brushes (for example, when something with a specific gravity greater than that of foreign matter is taken in), it falls along the inner surface of the casing against the rotation of the rotating brushes, is discharged downward from the air inlet, and returns to the conveying device.

[0025] Also, the body of the casing is configured in a cylindrical shape. In other words, the area facing the conveying device is configured in an arc shape, and by the air from the blower moving along the outer peripheral surface of the body of the casing, it becomes easier to blow air onto the object to be processed, and an upward flow is also likely to occur.

[0026] And an air inlet for blowing an air flow and foreign matter is provided at a location facing the conveying device (the lower surface of the casing). By blowing air onto the object to be processed so as to generate an upward flow at the position of this air inlet, foreign matter can be induced into the rotating brushes housed in the casing.

[0027] 〔4〕 Further, the sorting device of the present invention can also be configured such that, in the sorting device of 〔3〕, the discharge port is provided at a distance of at least half a turn or more from the air inlet in the rotating direction of the rotating brush.

[0028] In this case, when trying to discharge the objects (both foreign matter and other than foreign matter) taken in between the tips of the rotating brushes from the air inlet to the discharge port, at least the rotating brush needs to rotate by half a turn or more, and a distance for other than foreign matter (for example, something with a specific gravity greater than that of foreign matter) to fall can be ensured, and a further improvement in selectivity can be expected.

[0029] 〔5〕 Further, the sorting device of the present invention can also be configured such that, in the sorting device of 〔3〕, the sorting unit has a shutter capable of adjusting the size or opening shape of the air inlet.

[0030] In this case, by opening and closing the shutter to adjust the size and shape of the air inlet, flexible responses can be achieved to accommodate differences in the quantity and type of foreign matter to be sorted.

[0031] [6] In addition, the sorting apparatus of the present invention may be configured such that, in the sorting apparatus of [1] and [2], the blower generates an airflow by blowing air from both sides of the object to be processed.

[0032] In this case, an upward current is likely to be generated at the point where the airflow collides, allowing for efficient guidance of foreign objects.

[0033] [7] In addition, in order to achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a sorting and conveying device comprising: a conveying device for conveying a workpiece to be processed; a sorting unit positioned above the conveying device with a predetermined gap between it and the workpiece to be processed; and a blower that forms an airflow in the gap, wherein the blower blows air onto the workpiece being conveyed to form the airflow so as to generate an upward flow at a predetermined position, thereby guiding foreign matter contained in the workpiece to be processed; and the sorting unit has a rotating brush whose rotation axis is substantially parallel to the conveying direction of the workpiece to be processed, and the sorting and conveying device detaches and discharges the foreign matter taken in between the bristles of the rotating brush by the guidance of the airflow as the rotating brush rotates.

[0034] [8] In addition, in order to achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a sorting and conveying device comprising: a conveying device for conveying a workpiece to be processed; a sorting unit positioned above the conveying device with a predetermined gap between it and the workpiece to be processed; and a blower that forms an airflow in the gap, wherein the blower blows air onto the workpiece being conveyed to form the airflow so as to generate an upward flow at a predetermined position, thereby guiding foreign matter contained in the workpiece to be processed; and the sorting unit has a rotating brush whose rotation axis is substantially parallel to the conveying direction of the workpiece to be processed, and whose bristles are spaced apart from the workpiece to be processed, and the sorting and conveying device also detaches and discharges the foreign matter taken in between the bristles of the rotating brush by the guidance of the airflow as the rotating brush rotates.

[0035] Here, the "conveying device" is not particularly limited as long as it can transport the object to be processed. For example, any conveying device is acceptable, such as a trough-type conveyor belt, a flat conveyor belt, a conveyor belt with a vibration excitation means, or a portable type conveyor belt.

[0036] Furthermore, the effects of the sorting device are the same as those described in [1] to [6] above.

[0037] [9] In order to achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a sorting method comprising: a guidance step of blowing air onto a workpiece being transported by a predetermined conveying device to generate an upward flow, thereby guiding foreign matter contained in the workpiece upward; and a discharge step of taking the foreign matter guided upward in the guidance step into the bristles of a rotating brush, releasing it at a predetermined position in the rotational direction of the rotating brush, and discharging it.

[0038]

[10] In order to achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a sorting method comprising: a guidance step of blowing air onto a workpiece being transported by a predetermined conveying device to generate an upward flow, thereby guiding foreign matter contained in the workpiece upward; and a discharge step of taking the foreign matter guided upward in the guidance step into the bristles of a rotating brush whose bristles are spaced apart from the workpiece, and releasing and discharging it at a predetermined position in the rotational direction of the rotating brush.

[0039] In this process, air is blown onto the workpiece being transported by a predetermined conveying device to generate an upward flow, thereby guiding foreign matter contained in the workpiece upwards. This guides the foreign matter, causing it to be blown up and float, and separates it from the workpiece that is not guided.

[0040] Furthermore, in the guidance process, it is not always the case that only foreign objects are guided upwards; other objects (items not subject to sorting) may also be guided. Furthermore, not all foreign matter is guided upwards; some foreign matter may not be separated (not guided) from the processed material. Therefore, in the induction process, by taking into consideration the size, specific gravity, and shape of the foreign matter (specifically, the foreign matter that should be separated from the material being processed), an airflow (including an upward flow) that easily guides the foreign matter upward can be formed, thereby separating the foreign matter from the material being processed more efficiently.

[0041] Furthermore, the foreign matter guided upward in the guidance process is taken into the bristles of the rotating brush, and then released and discharged at a predetermined position in the direction of rotation of the rotating brush in the discharge process. This process allows the foreign matter guided in the guidance process to be taken into account and separated from the workpiece.

[0042] Here, the effects of the following cases in the discharge process are the same as those described in [1] and [2] above: "when the rotating brush rotates while making sufficient contact with the material being processed", "when the rotating brush rotates while making slight contact with the material being processed", and "when the rotating brush rotates without making contact with the material being processed".

[0043] By the way, in this context, "foreign matter" refers to the object that is separated from the object being processed. For example, when separating "wood scraps and other materials destined for disposal" from construction waste (which contains a mixture of "recyclable materials such as concrete, stone, and sand" and "materials that cannot be recycled as resources and are disposed of by incineration or landfill, such as wood scraps, PVC pipes, vinyl, rags, plastics, and paper"), "wood scraps and other materials destined for disposal" would be considered foreign matter.

[0044] Furthermore, "recovery rate" here refers to the ratio of the total weight of recovered foreign matter to the total weight of foreign matter contained in the processed material. For example, if construction waste contains 10 kg of foreign material, such as "wood chips and other materials that are to be disposed of," and 5 kg of these materials are recovered, the recovery rate would be 50%.

[0045] Furthermore, "selectivity" here refers to an indicator of how accurately foreign objects can be identified, and is used in the sense of the accuracy of the selection process. Therefore, if items that should be sorted as foreign objects are collected as non-foreign objects, or if items that should be collected as non-foreign objects are sorted as foreign objects, the sorting efficiency will be low. [Effects of the Invention]

[0046] This invention can suppress the decline in sorting function caused by the aging of the rotating brush and mitigate the increased operating costs associated with replacing the rotating brush. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0047] [Figure 1] This is a front view of a sorting and conveying device, which is an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a plan view of the sorting and conveying device. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a right side view of the sorting and conveying device. [Figure 4] Figure 1 is a left side view of the sorting and conveying device. [Figure 5] Figure 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional diagram of XX. [Figure 6] This is a front view diagram illustrating the casing that houses the rotating brush. [Figure 7] This is a plan view diagram of the lower casing of the casing. [Figure 8] This is a perspective view illustrating the positional relationship between the casing and the air outlet nozzle. [Figure 9] This is a plan view illustrating the positional relationship between the casing and the air outlet nozzle. [Figure 10] This is an explanatory diagram showing the flow direction in the airflow guide section of the airflow discharged from the air blowing nozzle. [Figure 11] This is an explanatory diagram of the sorting process performed by the sorting unit. [Figure 12] This diagram shows other examples of air blow nozzles, as well as an explanatory diagram illustrating the positional relationship between the casing and the air blow nozzle. [Figure 13] Figure 12 is a plan view illustrating the positional relationship between the air blow nozzle and the casing. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0048] The embodiments for carrying out the invention (hereinafter referred to as "embodiments") will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0049] Figure 1 is a front view of a sorting and conveying device according to an embodiment of the present invention, the sorting and conveying device S shown here comprises a conveying device, which is a belt conveyor 1, and a sorting device (sorting section 2 and blower device 4, which is a blower).

[0050] [Belt Conveyor 1] The belt conveyor 1 is equipped with a vibration excitation means, a beater roller 12 (see Figure 1), upstream of the sorting section 2 (left side in Figure 1), which will be described later. The belt conveyor 1 can apply vibration to the belt 10 via the beater roller 12, thereby beating the workpiece 3 (see Figure 5) that is carried on the belt 10.

[0051] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, the belt conveyor 1 has a structure in which the middle portion of the belt 10 in the width direction is supported by a horizontal roller 14a, and the sides in the width direction are supported by rollers 14b and 14c that are inclined so that both ends in the width direction are raised, so that the material to be processed 3 is collected in the middle portion of the belt 10 in the width direction and is less likely to leak out in the sides.

[0052] The belt conveyor 1 has a predetermined length from the rear end where the workpieces to be processed are transferred to the front end where the workpieces are discharged (in Figures 1 and 2, a portion of the rear end is omitted). The belt 10 is wrapped between the front pulley 11, which is the driving side, and the rear pulley (not shown), which is the driven side, driven by a motor (not shown), and rotates endlessly. The upper route of the belt 10, heading towards the front end (in the direction of arrow a in Figure 2), is the carrier side, and the lower route is the return side.

[0053] Furthermore, the belt conveyor 1 is mounted on a base frame 19. The base frame 19 is constructed horizontally using angle materials so that the top is at a constant height. At the front end of the base frame 19, a sorting section 2 is provided for sorting the materials to be processed as they are transported by the belt conveyor 1. In addition, a blower 4 is provided on the rear side of the base frame 19 behind the sorting section 2 to supply airflow to the sorting section 2.

[0054] [Sorting section 2] The sorting section 2 has a casing 20. The casing 20 has a cylindrical body (not shown in numerals) with a predetermined inner diameter, and both ends of the body in the longitudinal direction are closed with end plates (not shown in numerals). The casing 20 is constructed by joining a lower component 21 and an upper component 22, which are cut in half vertically, vertically.

[0055] The lower component 21 of the casing 20 is fixed to the base frame 19 via a fixing base 18 (see Figures 1 and 3) above the belt 10, with a predetermined gap between the belt 10 and the lower part of the body, and with the length of the body parallel to the conveying direction of the belt conveyor 1.

[0056] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the lower component 21 has three air inlets 210 located at predetermined intervals along its length in the center of the width direction of the bottom. Each air inlet 210 is provided by cutting out a roughly rectangular shape with the same width, and the circumferential angle of the bottom is set to 60 degrees (see Figure 5).

[0057] Furthermore, on the underside of the bottom, six sets of shutter guides 211 and 211a are fixed to each bottom, with a gap between them and the underside, so as to follow the front-to-back (left-to-right in Figures 6 and 7) edges of each air inlet 210 and along the arc shape in the width direction. Two sets of shutter guides 211 and 211a, corresponding to each air inlet 210, are used to guide the shutters 212 and 212a in the opening and closing directions.

[0058] Furthermore, fixing bolts 213 are screwed into two locations on each of the shutter guides 211 and 211a, and by tightening the fixing bolts 213, the shutters 212 and 212a can be fixed in their predetermined positions (see Figures 10 and 11). This allows for adjustment of the size or opening shape of each air inlet 210.

[0059] In this embodiment, the air inlets 210 are provided in three separate locations. However, it is also possible to provide a single air inlet (not shown) that is the same width as each of the air inlets 210 and extends along the entire length of the lower component 21. The former has a structural advantage because there are connection points between each air inlet 210, but the latter has an advantage in efficiently blowing in airflow containing foreign matter.

[0060] In this case, it is desirable to use a discharge nozzle 46 that is approximately the same length as the lower component 21, as shown in Figures 12 and 13, which corresponds to the discharge nozzle 45 described later, in accordance with the air inlet provided along the entire length of the lower component 21. As shown in Figure 13, an airflow is supplied to the pipe-shaped body 461 of the discharge nozzle 46 from the longitudinal hose 44, and the airflow is discharged from the outlet 464 provided along approximately the entire length of the tip of the nozzle 462.

[0061] The direction of airflow from the outlet 464 may be perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the casing 20 (the conveying direction by the belt conveyor 1), as shown in Figure 13(a), or the front and rear airflow directions of the outlet 464 may be tilted in the longitudinal direction to concentrate the airflow towards the center, as shown in Figure 13(b). This concentrates the airflow pressure in a narrow area in the center, making it possible to increase the amount of foreign matter (for example, those with a low specific gravity) separated from the workpiece.

[0062] In order to change the direction of the airflow from the outlet 464 of the discharge nozzle 46, manually adjustable flaps 463 may be provided at regular intervals, as shown in Figure 13(c), or other structures such as automation may be adopted.

[0063] Furthermore, a semicircular recess 214 is provided in the middle of the end plates of the lower component 21, through which the central axis 261 of the rotating brush 26, which will be described later, passes. The rotating brush 26 is rotatably mounted by bearings 27 fixed to the fixing base 18 at its front and rear ends so that the height of the central axis 261 can be aligned with the recess 214 for pivot support (see Figures 1 to 3).

[0064] The rotating brush 26 has a large number of bristles 260 arranged radially and densely around a pipe-shaped central axis 261. The material of the bristles 260 is, for example, a synthetic resin of a predetermined thickness and suitable flexibility, but is not limited to this, and may also be made of, for example, steel wire. The density of the bristles 260 can be determined appropriately according to the material to be processed, and is not particularly limited. The arrangement of the bristles 260 is not limited to radial arrangement; for example, it can be arranged in a screw-like pattern, and is not particularly limited.

[0065] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the upper component 22 has three rectangular discharge ports 23, each with a width of 1 / 4 of the circumference, extending from the center of the top in the direction of rotation of the rotating brush 26 (counterclockwise in Figure 5), through the peripheral wall and at predetermined intervals along its length.

[0066] The longitudinal position of each outlet 23 on the upper component 22 roughly corresponds to each air inlet 210 on the lower component 21. The base of the exhaust duct 24 is connected to each outlet 23 tangentially (horizontally) from the center of the top, and the end of the duct is bent and then positioned to hang down roughly.

[0067] The outer diameter of the bristles 260 of the rotating brush 26 (the outer diameter of the rotational trajectory of the bristles) is such that it fits inside the casing 20 when the rotating brush 26 is supported by each bearing 27 and the upper component 22 is placed over the lower component 21 with the recesses facing each other. More specifically, the outer diameter of the rotational trajectory of the bristles is slightly smaller than the fall prevention surface 200, which is the circumferential inner surface of the casing 20 (see Figure 10).

[0068] As a result, a small gap 202 is created between the tip of the rotating brush 26 and the fall-preventing surface 200. This gap 202 is formed along almost the entire circumference of the fall-preventing surface 200 and also serves as a guide space that helps foreign objects that cannot be held in place, such as those with excessively high specific gravity, fall even when sandwiched between the brush tip 260 and the fall-preventing surface 200. The width of the gap 202 is not particularly limited and can be adjusted, for example, by replacing it with a rotating brush 26 of a different outer diameter.

[0069] Furthermore, the central axis 261 of the rotating brush 26 is connected to a flexible joint 28 located at its rear (see Figures 1 and 2). The flexible joint 28 is rotationally driven by a drive motor 29. The flexible joint 28 can absorb or cancel out any misalignment that occurs between the rotation axis of the drive motor 29 and the central axis 261 of the rotating brush 26 during sorting operations, thereby transmitting rotational force without any problems.

[0070] The gap between the belt 10 of the belt conveyor 1 and the lower component 21 of the casing 20 forms an airflow guide section 201, which is a space formed by the upper surface of the belt 10 and the lower surface of the lower component 21. The airflow guide section 201 has approximately the same vertical width along the lower surface of the lower component 21 (see Figure 10). The airflow guide section 201 communicates with the air inlet 210 at the bottom of the casing 20.

[0071] Furthermore, although not shown in the illustration, wind-stopping plates are provided at the front and rear ends of the lower component member 21 corresponding to the airflow guide section 201, for the purpose of reducing air pressure leakage within the airflow guide section 201. The wind-stopping plates block a portion of the openings on the front and rear sides of the airflow guide section 201, and are provided by cutting out a portion through which the transported workpiece 3 is expected to pass.

[0072] Discharge nozzles 45 of the blower 4 are positioned at both ends in the width direction of the airflow guide section 201. The discharge nozzles 45 are positioned in a total of six locations, three on each side, along the length direction of the casing 20, corresponding to each air inlet 210 (see Figures 1, 6, 7, etc.).

[0073] [Blower 4] The blower 4 is equipped with a blower 400. A main hose 40, which is a blower duct hose, is horizontally connected to the air discharge section of the blower 400, and a branch hose 41 is connected to the main hose 40. Transverse hoses 42 and 43 are connected to both ends of the branch hose 41, respectively. The transverse hoses 42 and 43 are extended to the sorting section 2, and three longitudinal hoses 44 are connected to each of them, with a blow nozzle 45 connected to each longitudinal hose 44.

[0074] As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the tip of each discharge nozzle 45 is angled downward to match the shape of the airflow guide section 201, and the discharge outlet 450 opens toward the center of the airflow guide section 201. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9(a), the direction of airflow discharged from the discharge outlet 450 of each discharge nozzle 45 is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the casing 20 (the conveying direction by the belt conveyor 1).

[0075] Furthermore, the direction of airflow discharged from each discharge nozzle 45 is not limited to this embodiment. As shown in the modified example in Figure 9(b), the discharge nozzles 45 on both the front and rear sides can be tilted toward the intermediate discharge nozzle 45 to collect the airflow from each discharge nozzle 45. This concentrates the airflow pressure over a narrow area, making it possible to increase the amount of foreign matter (for example, those with a low specific gravity) separated from the workpiece.

[0076] [Effect] The operation of the sorting and conveying device S of this embodiment will be described below. (1) First, the belt conveyor 1, the rotating brush 26, and the blower 4 are activated, causing the beater roller 12 to vibrate the belt 10 and the rotating brush 26 to rotate at a predetermined speed. In addition, air is sent from the blower 4 to each discharge nozzle 45, and an airflow is blown out from each outlet 450 with a predetermined wind force and volume.

[0077] (2) The materials to be processed 3, such as construction waste, are sequentially transferred in appropriate amounts onto the belt 10 at the rear of the operating belt conveyor 1. The materials to be processed 3 are, for example, a mixture of heavy concrete, stone, or lightweight foreign materials such as wood chips or plastic pieces.

[0078] (3) The belt conveyor 1 is subjected to vibration upstream of the sorting section 2 equipped with rotating rollers 26. As the materials to be processed 3 on the belt 10 are transported by the belt 10, the vibration of the belt 10 causes the solids with a higher specific gravity or simply heavy solids (such as concrete and stone) to move to the lower layer of the mixture of solids, and as a result the solids with a lower specific gravity or simply light solids (such as wood chips and plastic pieces) move to the upper layer and float.

[0079] (4) Airflow is ejected from the blow nozzles 45 located on both sides of the airflow guide section 201 toward the material to be processed 3 that has been transported to the sorting section 2 equipped with the rotating brush 26. As a result, the airflow is blown inward through the airflow guide section 201 formed by the lower surface of the lower component member 21 and the belt 10. The ejected airflow then collides in the center, increasing in pressure, and penetrates the blow inlet 210 at the bottom of the casing 20 in the direction of arrow c, and is blown toward the outer circumference of the rotating brush 26 and between the brush heads.

[0080] (5) At this time, the airflow blown out from both sides of the object to be processed 3 in the direction of arrow b is strong, so sand, dirt, or other lightweight foreign matter 30 that is blown up on the object to be processed 3 by the vibration of the beater roller 12, or foreign matter 30 that is floating near the surface of the object to be processed 3 but is not floating, collides in the center, the pressure increases, and it rises with the air rising in the direction of arrow c, and is taken into the bristles of the rotating brush 26.

[0081] (6) The rotating brush 26 rotates counterclockwise at a predetermined speed in Figure 11, and sand, dirt, pebbles, or other lightweight foreign matter 30 that is caught between the bristles of the rotating brush 26 is held in place by the bristles 260 and the fall-preventing surface 200 due to the deformation of the densely packed bristles 260 of the rotating brush 26 caused by contact with the fall-preventing surface 200 of the casing 20, and is sent along the fall-preventing surface 200. However, some of the foreign matter 30 that is larger than the assumed limit or is heavy will not remain held in place and will fall along the fall-preventing surface 200 and mix with the workpiece 3 on the belt 10.

[0082] (7) The materials to be processed 3 remaining on the belt 10 are transported by the belt conveyor 1 and discharged from the end of the belt conveyor 1, and are mainly recovered as recyclable resources. Any materials that do not fall are held between the bristles of the rotating brush 26 and the fall prevention surface 200, and as they move along the fall prevention surface 200 and reach each discharge port 23, most of them detach from the bristles due to centrifugal force or collision with the rim of each discharge port 23, and are discharged to the outside through the discharge duct 24, and are mainly recovered as foreign matter to be disposed of by incineration or landfill.

[0083] In this way, lightweight foreign objects such as wood chips and plastic fragments contained in the material to be processed 3 are removed with a high recovery rate. By integrating the sorting and conveying device S online into the conveying line of the belt conveyor, the amount of lightweight foreign objects can be reduced, thereby suppressing the risks and costs associated with manual sorting of the material to be processed in the next process.

[0084] [Examples] To confirm the foreign matter recovery rate of the sorting and conveying device S of the above-described embodiment, a sorting test was conducted using the "sorting and conveying device S" and the "sorting conveyor described in Patent Document 1" under substantially the same conditions.

[0085] The test procedures and conditions in this embodiment are as follows: Furthermore, the test results in this embodiment are as follows. (Exam content) A 10-minute foreign matter removal test was conducted by forcibly introducing 10 kg of foreign matter (mainly wood chips). (Test conditions) ■ Sorting and conveying device S ■ Sorting conveyor described in Patent Document 1 Raw material: Concrete waste Raw material: Concrete waste Processing size: 40~0mm Processing size: 40~5mm Processing capacity: 40 t / h Processing capacity: 50 t / h Belt width: 600mm Belt width: 500mm (Test results) ■ Sorting and conveying device S ■ Sorting conveyor described in Patent Document 1 Amount recovered: 8.2kg Amount recovered: 6.6kg Recovery rate: 82% Recovery rate: 66%

[0086] (Consideration) In this embodiment, although the test conditions for the "sorting and conveying device S" and the "sorting conveyor described in Patent Document 1" differ slightly, it is not thought that this will have any substantial effect on the test results. As is clear from the above test results, the sorting and conveying device S differs from the conveyor described in Patent Document 1 in that the brush does not come into contact with the material to be processed, yet it achieves a recovery rate equal to or better than that of the conveyor described in Patent Document 1.

[0087] The terms and expressions used in this specification and claims are for illustrative purposes only and are not limiting in any way, and there is no intention to exclude terms or expressions equivalent to the features and parts thereof described herein and in the claims. Furthermore, it goes without saying that various modifications are possible within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0088] S sorting and conveying device 1. Belt conveyor 10 belts 11 Pulley 12 Beater Roller 14a Laura 14b Laura 14c Laura 18 Fixed stand 19 frame units 2. Sorting Section 20 Casing 21 Lower component 22 Upper component 210 Inlet 211, 211a Shutter guide 212, 212a Shutter 213 Fixing bolts 214 recess 22 Upper component 200 Fall prevention surface 201 Airflow guide section 202 Gap 23 Outlet 24 Exhaust duct 26 Rotating Brushes 260 ears 261 Central axis 27 Bearings 28 Flexible Joint 29 Drive motor 3. Items to be processed 30 Foreign object 4. Blower 400 Blower 40 Main hose 41 Branch hose 42, 43 Traversing hoses 44 Vertical hoses 45 Discharge nozzles 450 Air outlet 46 Discharge nozzles 461 Torso 462 nozzles 463 Flap 464 Air outlet

Claims

1. A sorting unit is positioned above the conveying device that transports the materials to be processed, with a predetermined gap between it and the materials to be processed. A sorting apparatus comprising a blower that forms an airflow in the gap, The blower blows air onto the object being processed to be transported, thereby forming an airflow that generates an upward flow at a predetermined position, and guides any foreign matter contained in the object being processed. The sorting unit has a rotating brush whose rotation axis is substantially parallel to the conveying direction of the material to be processed, and the foreign matter taken in between the bristles of the rotating brush by the guidance of the airflow is detached and discharged as the rotating brush rotates. Sorting device.

2. A sorting unit is positioned above the conveying device that transports the materials to be processed, with a predetermined gap between it and the materials to be processed. A sorting apparatus comprising a blower that forms an airflow in the gap, The blower blows air onto the object being processed to be transported, thereby forming an airflow that generates an upward flow at a predetermined position, and guides any foreign matter contained in the object being processed. The sorting unit has a rotating brush whose rotation axis is substantially parallel to the conveying direction of the material to be processed, and whose brush head is spaced apart from the material to be processed, and the foreign matter that is taken in between the bristles of the rotating brush by the guidance of the airflow is detached and discharged as the rotating brush rotates. Sorting device.

3. The sorting unit has a cylindrical body and a casing that houses the rotating brush, and has an air inlet at a location facing the conveying device for blowing in the airflow and the foreign matter, and an outlet for discharging the foreign matter that has detached from the rotating brush. The rotating brush rotates with its bristles in contact with or close to the casing. The sorting apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The discharge port is provided at a distance of more than half a turn from the air inlet in the direction of rotation of the rotating brush. The sorting apparatus according to claim 3.

5. The sorting unit has a shutter that can adjust the size or shape of the air inlet. The sorting apparatus according to claim 3.

6. The blower generates the airflow by blowing air from both sides of the object to be processed. The sorting apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

7. A conveying device for transporting the materials to be processed, A sorting and conveying apparatus comprising a sorting unit positioned above the conveying device with a predetermined gap between it and the object to be processed, and a blower that forms an airflow in the gap, The blower blows air onto the object being processed to be transported, thereby forming an airflow that generates an upward flow at a predetermined position, and guides any foreign matter contained in the object being processed. The sorting unit has a rotating brush whose rotation axis is substantially parallel to the conveying direction of the material to be processed, and the foreign matter taken in between the bristles of the rotating brush by the guidance of the airflow is detached and discharged as the rotating brush rotates. Sorting and conveying device.

8. A conveying device for transporting the materials to be processed, A sorting and conveying apparatus comprising a sorting unit positioned above the conveying device with a predetermined gap between it and the object to be processed, and a blower that forms an airflow in the gap, The blower blows air onto the object being processed to be transported, thereby forming an airflow that generates an upward flow at a predetermined position, and guides any foreign matter contained in the object being processed. The sorting unit has a rotating brush whose rotation axis is substantially parallel to the conveying direction of the material to be processed, and whose brush head is spaced apart from the material to be processed, and the foreign matter that is taken in between the bristles of the rotating brush by the guidance of the airflow is detached and discharged as the rotating brush rotates. Sorting and conveying device.

9. A guidance step involves blowing air onto the object to be processed, which is being transported by a predetermined conveying device, to generate an upward flow, thereby guiding foreign matter contained in the object to be processed upwards. The method includes a discharge step in which the foreign matter guided upward in the guidance step is taken into the bristles of the rotating brush, and released and discharged at a predetermined position in the rotational direction of the rotating brush. Selection method.

10. A guidance step involves blowing air onto the object to be processed, which is being transported by a predetermined conveying device, to generate an upward flow, thereby guiding foreign matter contained in the object to be processed upwards. The method includes a discharge step in which the foreign matter guided upward in the guidance step is taken into the bristles of a rotating brush, the bristles of which are spaced apart from the object to be processed, and then released and discharged at a predetermined position in the rotational direction of the rotating brush. Selection method.

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