Waste plastic transport system

Abstract

The present invention provides a waste plastic transport system with a simple structure that can suitably and efficiently transport uncrushed waste plastics and other materials over long distances. [Solution] The waste plastic transport system 10 comprises a transport material input section 3 to which a blower 1 is connected, a duct 5 with one end connected to the transport material input section 3, and a transport material discharge section 7 connected to the other end of the duct 5. The transport material discharge section 7 has a separation section for separating the transport material from the air, and a recovery section below the separation section for collecting the transport material. The duct 5 is connected to the front of the separation section, the sides, rear and top surfaces of the separation section are mesh-like, the bottom of the separation section opens to the recovery section, and an air blowing section is provided on at least a part of the rear or top surface of the separation section, which can blow air from outside the separation section, causing the transport material stuck to the inner surface of the rear or top surface of the separation section to fall into the recovery section.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a waste plastic conveying system.

Background Art

[0002] In order to preferably promote the recycling of waste plastics, it is desirable to be able to perform advanced sorting on waste plastics discharged as household waste. In recent years, more advanced sorting technologies utilizing near-infrared analyzers and the like have been gradually put into practical use, and even in conventional recycling plants, the number of cases where new devices are introduced is increasing.

[0003] However, when a new building for a new device is newly established in a conventional recycling plant, it may be necessary to install it at a location far from the place where waste plastics are received from the collection vehicle due to restrictions on the layout within the site. Therefore, it is necessary to separately prepare a truck or the like to transport the waste plastics from the receiving place to the building of the sorting device, which is a large burden and a problem.

[0004] Conventionally, in such a case, as a technology capable of conveying waste plastics with a simple configuration, there is one that crushes the waste plastics into a small pulverized state and then puts them into a pipe through which the air blown from a blower flows and transports them to a predetermined place (for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2).

Prior Art Documents

[0007] Furthermore, in the new sorting technology described above, sorting accuracy can be significantly improved if the waste plastic retains its original shape as much as possible without being finely crushed. For example, when using near-infrared analyzers or other optical detection methods, it is better to be able to perform optical measurements over as wide an area as possible, and if the waste plastic is in the form of finely crushed material, there is a greater risk of false detection.

[0008] Furthermore, waste plastics may include containers that were filled with liquid. In this case, crushing them exposes the liquid-soaked inner surface, which could lead to contamination of transport routes and aggregation of waste plastics, potentially hindering transport and sorting.

[0009] Therefore, there is a need for technology that can reliably transport waste plastics, which are accepted as household waste at treatment plants, over long distances in as little form as possible, without crushing or other processes.

[0010] This invention has been made in view of the aforementioned problems, and its objective is to provide a waste plastic transport system that has a simple structure and can suitably and efficiently transport uncrushed waste plastics and other materials over long distances. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] To achieve the aforementioned objectives, the present invention provides a waste plastic transport system for transporting waste plastics, comprising: a transport material input section connected to a blower; a duct connected to one end of the transport material input section; and a transport material discharge section connected to the other end of the duct, wherein the transport material discharge section has a separation section for separating the transport material from air, and a recovery section located below the separation section for recovering the transport material, wherein the duct is connected to the front of the separation section, the sides, rear and top surfaces of the separation section are mesh-like, the area below the separation section opens to the recovery section, and an air blowing section is provided on at least a part of the rear or top surface of the separation section, capable of blowing air from outside the separation section, thereby enabling the transport material adhering to the inner surface of the rear or top surface of the separation section to fall into the recovery section.

[0012] Preferably, at least a portion of the rear surface of the separation section is formed with an inclined section that slopes toward the recovery section, and the air blowing section blows air from the outside toward the inclined section.

[0013] It is desirable that a partition is provided below the separation section, within a predetermined range from the front of the separation section, separating it from the space of the recovery section, and that the area below the separation section opens to the recovery section in areas other than the partition.

[0014] The material loading section has a plurality of loading ports, each loading port having a shutter that shields the air from the blower and a lid that can close the loading port. It is desirable that when loading material into one loading port, the shutter of that port is closed and the lid of that port is opened, while the shutter of the other loading port is opened and the lid of the other loading port is closed.

[0015] The aforementioned air duct is preferably made of vinyl or cloth.

[0016] It is preferable that the aforementioned air duct is divided into multiple sections along its longitudinal direction.

[0017] The aforementioned air duct has a bent portion, and it is preferable that the bent portion is made of metal.

[0018] It is desirable that the control unit can acquire information on the quantity, size, shape, or wetness of the conveyed material from an image taken inside the air duct or in the conveyed material input section, and adjust the airflow rate of the blower according to the information.

[0019] It is desirable that the control unit acquires information on the airflow rate or air pressure at the material discharge section and adjusts the airflow rate of the blower according to the information.

[0020] According to the present invention, the waste plastic transport system has a simple configuration consisting of a blower, a transport material input section, a duct, and a transport material discharge section, yet it can stably transport relatively large transport materials such as waste plastics before crushing over long distances without problems such as clogging. In particular, in the present invention, a large volume of air is blown from the blower to transport relatively large transport materials, but since the separation section of the transport material discharge section is mesh-like on most of its surfaces, the air can pass through suitably, and the transported transport material adheres intensively to the rear or front inner surface of the separation section. The transport material that has adhered can be easily dropped into the collection section simply by blowing air from the outside at a predetermined timing, allowing for efficient collection of the transported material.

[0021] Furthermore, if at least a portion of the rear surface of the separation section is formed with an inclined section that slopes toward the recovery section, the conveyed material blown through the air duct will stably and preferentially adhere to this inclined section. Then, by simply blowing air from the outside toward this inclined section at a predetermined timing, the conveyed material can be dropped into the recovery section efficiently and without problems.

[0022] Furthermore, if a partition is provided in a predetermined range from the front of the separation section, separating it from the space of the recovery section below the separation section, it is possible to prevent the transported material placed in the recovery section from being swept up into the separation section by unintended airflow, thereby enabling more efficient recovery of the transported material.

[0023] In addition, the conveyed material input section has a plurality of inlets. When the conveyed material is input into the interior of the conveyed material input section, on one inlet side, the shutter is closed and the lid is opened, and the conveyed material is input from the opened inlet. In this way, the carried-out material will not be ejected by the wind flowing through the conveyed material input section, and the conveyed material can be stably input. Also, in that case, on the other inlet side, the shutter is opened and the lid is closed, so that the conveyed material can be conveyed on the other inlet side, enabling efficient conveyance.

[0024] Also, if the air duct is made of vinyl or cloth, it can be formed from a material that is easy to obtain, inexpensive, lightweight, and easy to handle, which is convenient in terms of cost and installation. Furthermore, due to the amount of conveyed material and the air volume flowing through the air duct, the cross-section of the air duct can be freely deformed, providing a high degree of freedom. Also, when clogging of the conveyed material occurs inside the air duct, it becomes very easy to detect the clogged part.

[0025] Also, if the air duct is divided into a plurality of parts in the longitudinal direction and the plurality of divided bodies are connected, each divided body can be freely connected or divided as needed. Thereby, when the conveyed material becomes clogged inside the air duct, the clogged conveyed material can be easily removed by dividing the air duct in the vicinity, and the maintenance man-hours can be significantly reduced.

[0026] Also, if the bent part of the air duct is made of metal, it is made of a material that does not easily deform, so the shape of the bent part is stable, and the conveyed material can be conveyed without problems even at the bent part. Also, at the bent part, the conveyed material may strongly collide with the inner surface of the air duct, but making this part of metal can suppress damage to the air duct.

[0027] Furthermore, by acquiring information on the quantity, size, shape, or wetness of the conveyed material from images obtained inside the air duct or the conveyed material input section, and by having the control unit adjust the airflow rate of the blower according to this information, clogging of the conveyed material in the conveyed material input section or air duct can be effectively prevented. In addition, the blower will not be operated at an unnecessarily excessive airflow rate, and the load and energy consumption of the blower can be kept low.

[0028] Furthermore, by acquiring information on airflow or air pressure at the material discharge section, the transport status within the material input section and air duct can be easily understood with a simple configuration. In addition, by having the control unit adjust the airflow of the blower according to the information on airflow or air pressure, clogging of the transported material within the material input section and air duct can be effectively prevented. [Effects of the Invention]

[0029] According to the present invention, a waste plastic conveying system can be provided that has a simple structure and can suitably and efficiently convey uncrushed waste plastics and other materials over long distances. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0030] [Figure 1] Side view of the waste plastic transport system 10. [Figure 2] (a) is a side view of the straight section 51 of the air duct 5, and (b) is a cross-sectional view of the CC section of Figure 2(a). [Figure 3] A perspective view of the material discharge section 7. [Figure 4] In the DD cross-sectional view of Figure 3, (a) illustrates the state in which the conveyed material 41 is stuck to the inner surface of the separation section 71, and (b) illustrates the state in which the conveyed material 41 is dropped into the recovery section 73 by the air blowing section 9. [Figure 5] A diagram illustrating the material discharge section 7a. [Figure 6] Top view of the material input section 3. [Figure 7] Cross-sectional view of the material input section 3a. [Figure 8] Cross-sectional view of the material input section 3b. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0031] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0032] (Waste plastic transport system 10) Figure 1 is a side view of the waste plastic transport system 10 of this embodiment. The waste plastic transport system 10 comprises a blower 1, a transport material input section 3, a duct 5, and a transport material discharge section 7.

[0033] The blower 1 is a fan that blows air. In Figure 1, the blower 1 blows air to the right (towards the conveyed material input section 3). Hereafter, the windward side of the airflow may be referred to as the front, and the leeward side as the back. The blower 1 is also connected to an airflow adjustment unit 17. The airflow adjustment unit 17 can control the blower 1 and adjust the airflow of the blower 1. The airflow adjustment unit 17 will be described in detail later.

[0034] The material input section 3 is the part into which uncrushed waste plastics, etc. (including hard and soft plastics and vinyl, etc.; hereafter referred to as "materials") to be transported are input. The material input section 3 is connected to the blower 1 at a predetermined position, and one end of the air pipe 5 is connected to a predetermined position on the opposite side from the side connected to the blower 1. As a result, the materials input into the material input section 3 are blown by the air blown from the blower 1 and transported into the air pipe 5. The material input section 3 also includes a material information acquisition section 13 that acquires information about the materials to be transported. The material information acquisition section 13 will be described in detail later.

[0035] The air duct 5 is a hollow member through which air flows, with one end connected to the material input section 3 and the other end connected to the material output section 7. That is, within the air duct 5, the material is blown away by the airflow and transported from the material input section 3 to the material output section 7. The distance between the material input section 3 and the material output section 7 is relatively long, for example, about 100m to 1km. In the illustrated example, at least a part of the air duct 5 is suspended via a suspension jig 23 from a horizontal bar 21 appropriately placed above it. In this way, the air duct 5 is not placed over a long distance on the ground 90 between the material input section 3 and the material output section 7, allowing for a wide open space that can be used for other work. The layout of the air duct 5 is not particularly limited.

[0036] The air duct 5 has a straight section 51 in part. The straight section 51 is the portion of the air duct 5 that is arranged in a generally straight line. Details of the straight section 51 will be described later.

[0037] Furthermore, the air duct 5 has a bent portion 53 in a part thereof. The bent portion 53 is provided at a predetermined position on the air duct 5, is bent at a predetermined angle, and is made of a material that does not easily deform. For example, the air duct 5 may be made of metal such as lightweight tin. In this regard, if the bent portion 53 were made of a soft material that can be easily deformed, it would be difficult to stabilize the bent shape, and unintended irregularities and wrinkles would easily occur on the inner surface, making it very likely that the conveyed material would get caught and jammed inside. In addition, there is a risk that the conveyed material may strongly collide with the inner surface of the bent portion 53, which could cause damage such as tearing. In contrast, by making the bent portion 53 of a material that does not deform, such as metal, as described above, the conveyed material can pass through the bent portion 53 stably.

[0038] Furthermore, the inner diameter of the straight section 51 and the curved section 53 of the air duct 5 is preferably 70 cm or more, and more preferably 70 cm or more and 100 cm or less. If the inner diameter is smaller than 70 cm, depending on the size of the material being conveyed (uncrushed waste plastic), it may easily become clogged. Also, if the inner diameter is larger than 100 cm, it becomes difficult to secure sufficient air pressure inside the air duct 5, which may prevent proper conveying or cause an extremely large load on the blower 1.

[0039] The material discharge section 7 is the part that collects the material that has been transported while being blown around inside the air duct 5 and discharges it to the outside. Details of the material discharge section 7 will be described later.

[0040] Furthermore, cross-section AA near the connection point between the material discharge section 7 and the air duct 5 (within the dotted line in the figure) is shown as B in the figure. A connecting section 19 is fixed to the material discharge section 7. The connecting section 19 is, for example, a cylindrical metal member with a flange, and the straight section 51 of the air duct 5 is placed over the cylindrical part and fixed with a fixing jig 55. Near the rear end (downwind end) of the connecting section 19, that is, near the entrance of the material discharge section 7, an discharge information acquisition unit 15 is positioned. The discharge information acquisition unit 15 is an airflow meter or an anemometer. The discharge information acquisition unit 15 will be described in detail later. Note that the arrangement method and form of the discharge information acquisition unit 15 are not limited to this, and any arrangement is acceptable as long as information on airflow or air pressure near the entrance of the material discharge section 7 can be acquired. In addition, the form of the connecting section 19 and the fixing jig 55 are not limited to this and can be any type. Furthermore, the connection structure between the air duct 5 and the material input section 3 may also be a similar structure using the connection section 19 and the fixing jig 55.

[0041] (Straight section 51 of the air duct 5) Figure 2(a) is a side view of the straight section 51 of the air duct 5. The straight section 51 is divided into multiple sections along its longitudinal direction, and the multiple sections 511 are connected via connecting sections 513. The sections 511 make up the majority of the straight section 51 and are made of a soft, lightweight material that can be freely deformed. The sections 511 may be made of vinyl or cloth, for example. If made of cloth, it is even better to apply a well-known windproof treatment. This makes it possible to form the straight section 51 (see Figure 1), which makes up the majority of the air duct 5, from a readily available, inexpensive, lightweight, and easy-to-handle material, resulting in significant cost and installation advantages.

[0042] Furthermore, a general-purpose fastener can be used for the connecting section 513. This allows each segmented section 511 to be connected or separated with very simple work as needed. Therefore, if conveyed material becomes jammed inside a part of the straight section 51, the jammed material can be easily removed by opening the fastener of the connecting section 513 in the vicinity and releasing the connection, significantly reducing maintenance man-hours.

[0043] Figure 2(b) is a cross-sectional view of the CC of Figure 2(a). The left figure shows the case where a relatively large amount of conveyed material 41 is conveyed with a large airflow, and the right figure shows the case where a relatively small amount of conveyed material 41 is conveyed with a small airflow. Thus, since the straight section 51 (divided body 511) is made of a deformable material such as vinyl or cloth, the cross-section can be freely deformed according to the conveyed material 41 and the airflow, which is advantageous due to its high degree of flexibility. For example, even if the airflow is reduced, the reduction in air velocity can be suppressed by reducing the cross-sectional area of ​​the air pipe 5. In addition, if a blockage occurs in the conveyed material 41, it becomes very easy to find the affected part.

[0044] (Conveyed material unloading section 7) Figure 3 is a perspective view of the material unloading section 7. The material unloading section 7 has a separation section 71 and a recovery section 73. The recovery section 73 is located below the separation section 71 and is the part that recovers the material and carries it out. Details of the recovery section 73 will be described later.

[0045] The separation section 71 is generally in the shape of a rectangular box. A duct 5 is connected to the front of the separation section 71 (the side facing upwind), and the blown-away material flows into the interior of the separation section 71 along with the wind flowing through the duct 5. Mesh sections 713 are formed on the sides (the front and back sides in Figure 3), the rear (the side facing downwind), and the top of the separation section 71. The mesh sections 713 are mesh-like, allowing wind to pass through, and are provided to separate the material from the air inside the separation section 71. It is desirable that the mesh sections 713 be formed as large as possible on each of the forming surfaces.

[0046] Furthermore, the separation section 71 has an inclined section 711 formed on at least a portion of its rear surface, which slopes toward the recovery section 73. A mesh-like section 713 is also formed on this inclined section 711. Note that the inclined section 711 is not essential, and the separation section 71 may be made into a rectangular box shape without the inclined section 711. In this case, the mesh-like section 713 is formed on the sides, rear, and top surfaces to be as large as possible.

[0047] Figure 4(a) is a cross-sectional view of the DD section of Figure 3. Inside the material discharge section 7, the area below the separation section 71 opens to the recovery section 73. The recovery section 73 is, for example, a container with an opening at the top. Alternatively, the recovery section 73 may be a belt conveyor or the like, with a portion of it positioned below the separation section 71.

[0048] Air flows continuously into the separation section 71 from the air duct 5 connected to the front (solid arrow in Figure 4(a)), and the conveyed material 41, which has been blown away with the air, also flows into the separation section 71. As mentioned above, when conveying uncrushed material, an extremely large volume of air (air pressure) is required. Therefore, due to the airflow inside the separation section 71, the conveyed material 41 first adheres to the inner surface of the inclined section 711, and then sequentially adheres to its vicinity. If the separation section 71 is not provided with an inclined section 711, the conveyed material 41 first adheres to the inner surface of the rear or top surface of the separation section 71, and then sequentially adheres to its vicinity.

[0049] In this case, as described above, since the mesh portion 713 is formed on many surfaces (sides, rear, top, and inclined portion 711) of the separation portion 71, even if a large amount of air and conveyed material 41 flows in from the air duct 5, the mesh portion 713 will not be immediately blocked by the conveyed material 41, and the air outlet will be secured for a relatively long time. Therefore, even if air and conveyed material 41 are continuously flowing in from the air duct 5, malfunctions are less likely to occur, and the conveyed material 41 can be efficiently received into the separation portion 71. Consequently, by continuously operating the blower device 1 in Figure 1, it is possible to steadily circulate air inside the conveyed material input section 3 and the air duct 5, and compared to operating the blower device 1 intermittently, the risk of conveyed material 41 unintentionally accumulating in the conveyed material input section 3 and the air duct 5 and causing blockages can be kept low.

[0050] On the other hand, if this condition persists for a predetermined time or longer, most of the mesh portion 713 will be blocked by the conveyed material 41, preventing air from escaping. This will increase the internal pressure of the conveyed material discharge portion 7, potentially leading to damage to the conveyed material discharge portion 7 or failure to convey the material due to reduced airflow. Therefore, when approximately a predetermined amount of the conveyed material 41 has adhered to the inner surface of the separation portion 71, air is blown from outside the separation portion 71 toward the inclined portion 711 using the air blowing portion 9 located outside the separation portion 71, as shown in Figure 4(b) (white arrow in Figure 4(b)). At this time, air continues to flow in continuously from the air pipe 5, but by blowing air from the air blowing portion 9 with an air pressure equal to or slightly stronger than the air pressure from the air pipe 5, the conveyed material 41 that had adhered to the inner surface of the inclined portion 711 and its vicinity can be separated from the inner surface of the separation portion 71 and dropped into the recovery portion 73.

[0051] Unlike the blower 1 in Figure 1, the air blowing unit 9 does not need to operate continuously. That is, the air blowing unit 9 may blow air from the outside for a predetermined time only when approximately a predetermined amount of conveyed material 41 has adhered to the inner surface of the separation unit 71. By minimizing the amount of air blown from the air blowing unit 9 in this way, the airflow within the separation unit 71 is not significantly disturbed, and problems such as the conveyed material 41 that has fallen into the recovery unit 73 being drawn back into the separation unit 71 can be suppressed. The air blowing unit 9 may also be operated continuously.

[0052] If the separation section 71 is not provided with an inclined section 711, the air blowing section 9 should be provided so that air can be blown from outside the separation section 71 onto at least a portion of the rear side (the side located downwind) or the top side of the separation section 71. This allows the air blowing section 9 to drop the conveyed material 41 that is stuck to the inner surface of the rear or top side of the separation section 71 into the recovery section 73 in the same manner as described above.

[0053] As described above, air is blown from the outside by the air blowing unit 9 multiple times as needed to dislodge the conveyed material 41 that is stuck to the inner surface of the separation unit 71. Once the amount of conveyed material 41 in the recovery unit 73 reaches a predetermined amount, the container in the recovery unit 73 is removed to the outside. At this time, the operation of the air blowing unit 9 is stopped, and another container is set up as a new recovery unit 73, allowing for efficient continuous operation. Alternatively, if the recovery unit 73 is a belt conveyor, the belt conveyor can be operated continuously or intermittently to remove the conveyed material 41 to the outside.

[0054] Next, we will explain the preferred airflow rate for the blower 1 shown in Figure 1. The airflow rate of blower 1 is 500 m³. 3 It is preferable that it be at least / min, and more preferably 500m 3 / min or more, 1000m 3It is preferable that the airflow rate be less than or equal to / min. If the airflow rate is too low, it becomes difficult to stably transport the conveyed material over the desired distance. On the other hand, if the airflow rate is too high, the force of the air flowing into the conveyed material discharge section 7 (separation section 71) becomes too strong, and the air blown out from the mesh section 713 of the separation section 71 (see Figures 3 and 4) becomes too strong, making it difficult to ensure safety around the conveyed material discharge section 7. In addition, as shown in Figure 4(b), it becomes difficult to dislodge the conveyed material 41 that has stuck to the inner surface of the separation section 71 with the air blowing section 9.

[0055] In this regard, if it is absolutely necessary to increase the airflow of the blower 1 in order to stably transport the material in the material input section 3 and the air duct 5 (see Figure 1), then it is advisable to make the opening into the air duct formed on the front of the separation section 71 (see Figure 1B and Figure 4) larger than the inner diameter of the air duct 5, and to make the shape of the inner diameter of the connection section 19 between the front of the separation section 71 and the air duct 5 such that the diameter gradually increases as it approaches the air duct 5. By increasing the inner diameter of the part through which the air passes just before the separation section 71 in this way, the wind speed and wind pressure of the air flowing into the separation section 71 can be effectively reduced, and the above-mentioned problems can be prevented.

[0056] (Conveyed material unloading section 7a) Here, we will describe another example of the material discharge section 7, which is the material discharge section 7a. The material discharge section 7a is almost the same as the material discharge section 7, but differs in that it has a partition section 11.

[0057] Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating the material discharge section 7a, and is a cross-sectional view similar to that of Figure 4. Below the separation section 71 of the material discharge section 7a, a partition section 11 is provided. The partition section 11 is for separating the space within the separation section 71 from the space of the recovery section 73, and is formed in a predetermined range from the front of the separation section 71 downwind. Note that the partition section 11 is not formed completely continuously from the front to the rear of the separation section 71. For example, as shown in Figure 5, the partition section 11 is not formed near the rear of the separation section 71, and in areas other than the partition section 11, the area below the separation section 71 opens to the recovery section 73.

[0058] By providing such partition sections 11, even if the airflow within the separation section 71 is unintentionally disturbed and an airflow like the dashed line in the figure is generated, it can be prevented from flowing into the separation section 71. This prevents the conveyed material 41 that has been dropped into the recovery section 73 from being swept back into the separation section 71, making it possible to recover the conveyed material 41 more efficiently. The location and number of areas where partition sections 11 are not formed are not limited to the example in Figure 5 and can be arbitrarily set considering the airflow within the conveyed material discharge section 7a. For example, two or more areas where partition sections 11 are not formed may be provided. The partition sections 11 may also be made of mesh.

[0059] (Material input section 3) Next, the material input section 3 will be described. Figure 6 is a top view showing the material input section 3 as seen from above, and the blower 1 in the figure is assumed to blow air to the right. The material input section 3 is divided into two branches between the blower 1 and the air pipe 5, and has two airflow paths.

[0060] Each path has an input port 31. That is, the conveyed material input section 3 has multiple input ports 31. Each input port 31 opens into the interior of each path, allowing conveyed materials to be inserted into the interior of each path.

[0061] Each input port 31 has a shutter 33 and a cover 35 nearby. The shutter 33 is, for example, a sliding metal plate that can be opened and closed arbitrarily at each path, and when closed it blocks the air (wind) from the blower 1. Figure 6 shows an example in which shutters 33 are provided on both the upwind and downwind sides of one input port 31, but the downwind shutter 33 may be omitted and only placed on the upwind side. The cover 35 is, for example, a horizontally sliding metal plate positioned directly above the input port 31, and when closed it can completely seal the input port 31.

[0062] In such a material loading section 3, if the shutter 33 is opened and air is allowed to flow through the interior at each path of the material loading section 3, and an attempt is made to open the lid 35 and load the material into the loading port 31, the force of the air will cause the material to be pushed out of the loading port 31, making it impossible to load the material into the material loading section 3 stably. Furthermore, air leaking from the open loading port 31 will significantly reduce the air pressure in the subsequent paths and within the air duct 5, making it impossible to transport the material effectively.

[0063] Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in the upper part of Figure 6, when the lid 35 of the lower path in the figure is opened and the material is fed in through the input port 31, the shutter 33 of the lower path in the figure is closed to block the airflow. As a result, the fed material is left to rest on the bottom surface of the material input section 3. On the other hand, the shutter 33 of the upper path in the figure is left open, and the lid 35 of the upper path in the figure is kept closed, so that air flows favorably through the upper path as shown by the dashed line in the figure.

[0064] Subsequently, as shown in the lower diagram of Figure 6, the shutter 33 is closed in the upper path shown in the diagram. Then, in the lower path shown in the diagram, the lid 35 is closed and the shutter 33 is opened. As a result, air now flows in the lower path shown in the diagram, and the transported material that was stationary in that path is transported into the air duct 5. In the upper path shown in the diagram, the front and rear shutters 33 are closed and the lid 35 is opened to load the transported material through the input port 31. That is, when loading transported material into one input port 31, the shutter 33 of that input port 31 is closed and the lid 35 of that input port 31 is opened, while the shutter 33 of the other input port 31 is opened and the lid 35 of the other input port 31 is closed.

[0065] By repeating the above steps, the material can be efficiently and without problems fed into the material input section 3 and transported into the air duct 5. Although Figure 6 shows an example where the material input section 3 is divided into two, it may be divided into three or more sections. In this case as well, when feeding material into any input port 31, the shutter 33 of that input port 31 should be closed and the lid 35 should be opened, while the lids 35 of the other input ports 31 should be closed and the shutters 33 should be open.

[0066] (Conveyed object information acquisition unit 13 and airflow adjustment unit 17) Here, the conveyed object information acquisition unit 13 and the airflow adjustment unit 17 (see Figures 6 and 1) will be described. The conveyed object information acquisition unit 13 and the airflow adjustment unit 17 are connected to a control unit (not shown) and controlled by the said control unit.

[0067] The transported object information acquisition unit 13 includes, for example, a camera positioned near the input opening 31 of the transported object input unit 3, and photographs the transported object that has been (or is about to be) inserted into the transported object input unit 3. The photography is performed continuously or intermittently. Then, using a known method, the unit acquires information about the quantity, size, shape, or wetness of the transported object from the obtained images of the transported object input unit 3 and transmits it to the control unit.

[0068] Next, the control unit controls the airflow adjustment unit 17 and adjusts the airflow of the blower 1 according to the information about the conveyed object obtained from the conveyed object information acquisition unit 13 (information such as the quantity, size, shape, or wetness of the conveyed object).

[0069] The information about the transported material described above is an important indicator for transporting the material without problems. For example, the wetness of the transported material indicates how wet the outer surface and interior of the transported material are. Uncrushed waste plastic, which is the main transported material in this embodiment, is generally collected in a state where it has been washed with water at each household. However, if the outer surface is significantly wet, the surface tension of the water makes it easier for the pieces to stick together, so it is necessary to transport them with a stronger airflow. Also, if a lot of moisture remains on the outer surface and interior of the transported material, the inside of the transported material input section 3 and the air duct 5 are more likely to get wet, so it is desirable to increase the airflow. Doing so reduces the risk of clogging of the air duct 5 due to wetness and is also effective in drying the transported material and the inner surface of the air duct 5. Note that the information about the transported material acquired by the transported material information acquisition unit 13 is not limited to the above, and may include other items.

[0070] In this way, when the conveyed material is fed into the conveyed material input section 3, information about the condition of the conveyed material is obtained, and the airflow rate of the blower 1 is appropriately adjusted, thereby effectively preventing clogging of the conveyed material in the conveyed material input section 3 and the air duct 5. Furthermore, the blower 1 is not kept running at an unnecessarily excessive airflow rate, and the load and energy consumption of the blower 1 can be kept low.

[0071] The transported object information acquisition unit 13 may also include a camera positioned at any location in the air duct 5 to obtain images inside the air duct 5. In this case, it acquires information about the state of the transported object inside the air duct 5 and adjusts the airflow rate of the blower 1. Furthermore, multiple transported object information acquisition units 13 may be provided in the transported object input unit 3 and the air duct 5. The functions performed by the control unit, the transported object information acquisition unit 13, and the airflow adjustment unit 17 are not limited to the above examples and are flexible. For example, the control unit may be incorporated into the airflow adjustment unit 17, and the airflow adjustment unit 17 may directly acquire information about the transported object from the transported object information acquisition unit 13 and adjust the airflow rate of the blower 1.

[0072] (Discharge information acquisition unit 15 and airflow adjustment unit 17) Next, the aforementioned discharge information acquisition unit 15 (see B in Figure 1) will be described. As described above, the discharge information acquisition unit 15 is located near the entrance of the transported material discharge unit 7 (separation unit 71) and acquires information on airflow rate or air pressure at that location. The discharge information acquisition unit 15 is, for example, an airflow meter or an air pressure meter and is connected to the control unit, which is not shown in the figures above.

[0073] The airflow rate or air pressure information obtained by the discharge information acquisition unit 15 can be used as an indicator to detect whether or not there is an abnormality in the transport condition within the transport material input unit 3 and the air duct 5. For example, if either part of the transport material input unit 3 or the air duct 5 becomes partially blocked by the transport material, the airflow rate or air pressure blown into the vicinity of the entrance of the transport material discharge unit 7 will decrease rapidly.

[0074] In other words, in a normal state where there is no blockage in the air duct 5, an appropriate airflow rate or pressure is preset according to the airflow rate from the blower 1. If the airflow rate or pressure information obtained from the discharge information acquisition unit 15 falls below a predetermined level relative to the set airflow rate or pressure for a predetermined period of time, the control unit controls the airflow rate adjustment unit 17 according to the airflow rate or pressure information obtained from the discharge information acquisition unit 15 and adjusts the airflow rate of the blower 1. For example, if there is concern about blockage in the conveyed material input unit 3 or the air duct 5, the airflow rate of the blower 1 is temporarily increased to clear the blockage. Alternatively, if the blockage is serious and it is determined that worker work is necessary to clear it, the airflow rate of the blower 1 may be reduced to prevent the conveyed material from becoming severely clogged, and a warning may be issued to the worker.

[0075] In this way, by acquiring information on the airflow rate or air pressure near the entrance of the material discharge section 7, the transport status within the material input section 3 and the air duct 5 can be easily grasped with a simple configuration. Furthermore, since the control unit can adjust the airflow rate of the blower 1 according to the information on the airflow rate or air pressure, clogging of the transported material within the material input section 3 and the air duct 5 can be effectively prevented.

[0076] As described above, the waste plastic transport system 10 of this embodiment has a very simple configuration consisting of a blower 1, a transport material input section 3, a duct 5, and a transport material discharge section 7, and can stably transport relatively large transport materials 41 such as waste plastics before crushing over long distances without problems such as clogging. In particular, in this embodiment, a large volume of air is blown from the blower 1 to transport relatively large transport materials 41, and since the separation section 71 of the transport material discharge section 7 has a mesh-like section 713 on most of each of its surfaces, the air can be discharged effectively. On the other hand, the transported transport materials 41 tend to stick to and accumulate on the inner surface of the rear or front of the separation section 71, but by blowing air from the outside with the air blowing section 9, the transport materials 41 stuck to the separation section 71 can be easily dropped into the collection section 73, and the transport materials 41 can be efficiently collected and transported to the outside.

[0077] Furthermore, since an inclined portion 711 is formed on at least a part of the rear surface of the separation portion 71, which slopes toward the recovery portion 73, the conveyed material 41 that has been blown through the air pipe 5 adheres stably and preferentially to this inclined portion 711. Then, by simply blowing air from the outside towards the inclined portion 711 with the air blowing portion 9 at a predetermined timing, the conveyed material 41 can be dropped into the recovery portion 73 efficiently and without problems.

[0078] Furthermore, since a partition section 11 is provided below the separation section 71 within a predetermined range from the front of the separation section 71, separating it from the space of the recovery section 73, it is possible to prevent the conveyed material 41 that has been dropped into the recovery section 73 from being blown up into the separation section 71 by unintended airflow, and the conveyed material 41 can be recovered more efficiently.

[0079] Furthermore, the material input section 3 has multiple input ports 31. When inputting material 41 into the material input section 3, the shutter 33 is closed and the lid 35 is opened on one input port 31 side, and the material 41 is input through the open input port 31. This prevents the material 41 from being thrown out by the airflow inside the material input section 3, allowing for stable input of the material 41. At the same time, the shutter 33 is opened and the lid 35 is closed on the other input port 31 side, allowing the material 41 to be transported on the other input port 31 side, resulting in efficient transport.

[0080] Furthermore, since the straight section 51 of the air duct 5 is made of vinyl or cloth, the majority of the air duct 5 can be made of readily available, inexpensive, lightweight, and easy-to-handle materials. In addition, the cross-section of the air duct 5 can be freely deformed depending on the amount of conveyed material 41 flowing through the air duct 5 and the airflow, providing a high degree of flexibility. Moreover, if a blockage of conveyed material 41 occurs inside the air duct 5, the affected area becomes very easy to find.

[0081] Furthermore, the air duct 5 is divided into multiple sections along its longitudinal direction, and the multiple sections 511 are connected together, so each section 511 can be freely connected or separated as needed. This allows the air duct 5 to be easily divided in the vicinity of any blockage caused by the conveyed material 41, thereby significantly reducing maintenance time.

[0082] Furthermore, since the bent portion 53 of the air duct 5 is made of metal and is made of a material that does not easily deform, its shape is stable, and the conveyed material 41 can be transported without any problems even at the bent portion 53.

[0083] Furthermore, the control unit acquires information on the quantity, size, shape, or wetness of the conveyed object 41 from images obtained by the conveyed object information acquisition unit 13 inside the air duct 5 or the conveyed object input section 3, and adjusts the airflow rate of the blower 1 according to this information, thereby effectively preventing clogging of the conveyed object 41 inside the conveyed object input section 3 or the air duct 5. In addition, the blower 1 is not kept running at an unnecessarily excessive airflow rate, and the load and energy consumption of the blower 1 can be kept low.

[0084] Furthermore, since the discharge information acquisition unit 15, located near the entrance of the conveyed material discharge unit 7, acquires information on airflow or air pressure, the conveying status within the conveyed material input unit 3 and air duct 5 can be easily grasped with a simple configuration. In addition, since the control unit adjusts the airflow of the blower 1 according to the information on airflow or air pressure, clogging of the conveyed material 41 within the conveyed material input unit 3 and air duct 5 can be effectively prevented.

[0085] (Material input section 3a) Next, we will describe another example of the material input section 3, which is the material input section 3a. The material input section 3a is almost the same as the material input section 3, but differs in that it is not divided into two branches and has only one airflow path, and the configuration of the input opening 31, the lid 35, and the shutter 33 are different.

[0086] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the material input section 3a, showing the interior of the material input section 3a viewed from the side. The material input section 3a is a single continuous space between the blower 1 connected to the front (windward side) and the air pipe 5 connected to the rear (leeward side), resulting in only one airflow path. In contrast, above the material input section 3a, the interior space is divided into two sections within a predetermined range from the upper end downwards.

[0087] As shown in Figure 7, the area near the upper end of the two divided spaces each has an input opening 31 for loading the transported material 41. In other words, the transported material loading section 3a has multiple input openings 31.

[0088] Furthermore, a lid 35 is provided directly above the two input ports 31, capable of closing off either one of the input ports 31. In the example shown in the left diagram of Figure 7, the lid 35 closes off only the input port 31 on the right side of the diagram. The lid 35 is slidable horizontally, allowing it to close off any one of the input ports 31.

[0089] Below the other input port 31 that is not blocked by the lid 35, the shutter 33 is positioned directly below the lower end of the portion where the space is divided into two. In the example shown on the left of Figure 7, the shutter 33 only shields the area below the input port 31 on the left side of the figure. The shutter 33 is not located below the input port 31 where the lid 35 is located, but is positioned only below the other input port 31. The shutter 33 is movable horizontally in conjunction with the lid 35 and is always positioned below the input port 31 that does not have a lid 35.

[0090] In the example shown in the left diagram of Figure 7, the shutter 33 corresponding to the left input port 31 in the diagram is closed, and the lid 35 is open, and the conveyed material 41 is fed into the left input port 31 in the diagram. The fed-in conveyed material 41 is then placed in a space where the airflow from the blower 1 is blocked. At the same time, in the space corresponding to the right input port 31 in the diagram, the shutter 33 is open and the lid 35 is closed.

[0091] Next, the lid 35 is first slid to the left in the diagram as shown in E in the left diagram of Figure 7, and then the shutter 33 is slid to the right in the diagram as shown in F. As a result, the transported object 41 that was placed on the shutter 33 in the space on the left side of the diagram falls into the space below and is transported into the air pipe 5 by the air from the blower 1. Then, when the state is as shown in the right diagram of Figure 7, the transported object 41 is fed into the input port 31 on the right side of the diagram.

[0092] By repeating the above, the material can be efficiently and without problems loaded into the material loading section 3 and transported into the air duct 5. Note that the loading openings 31 of the material loading section 3a are not limited to two, but may be three or more. In that case, as described above, only the loading opening 31 into which the material 41 is loaded will not have a cover 35 and will have a shutter 33 positioned below it, while the other loading openings 31 will always have covers 35.

[0093] (Conveyed object input section 3b) Next, we will describe another example of the conveyed material input section 3, which is the conveyed material input section 3b. The conveyed material input section 3b is almost the same as the conveyed material input section 3, but differs in that it has a blower 1b instead of a blower 1, and does not have a shutter 33 or a lid 35.

[0094] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the material input section 3b, that is, a side view of the inside of the material input section 3b. The material input section 3b is connected to a blower 1b equipped with an induced draft fan 25. As a result, a high-speed, high-volume airflow (approximately straight arrow in the figure) is easily obtained toward the air duct 5, and an airflow (curved arrow in the figure) is formed that attempts to draw in the air inside the material input section 3b and merge it with the high-speed airflow.

[0095] As a result, the conveyed material introduced into the input port 31 is very preferably guided into the air duct 5, eliminating the need for shutters or covers to prevent backflow, allowing for a simpler configuration, and furthermore, enabling continuous introduction of conveyed material from the input port 31.

[0096] Furthermore, it is preferable that at least a portion of the material input section 3b has an inclined wall section 37. The inclined wall section 37 is a wall section at an angle other than horizontal and vertical, and is intended to more favorably draw air into the material input section 3b. The inclined wall section 37 may be formed, for example, on a part of the rear surface (leeward side) of the material input section 3b. It is even more preferable if it is near the connection point with the air duct 5. In addition, a rectifier plate or the like may be placed to straighten the airflow.

[0097] Preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the attached drawings, but the present invention is not limited to these examples. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications or alterations can be conceived within the scope of the technical idea disclosed herein, and these will naturally also fall within the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0098] 1, 1b……Blower device 3, 3a, 3b……Conveyed object input section 5……Wind pipe 7, 7a... Transport and unloading section 9. Air blowing section 10... Waste plastic transport system 11... Partition section 13… Transported Item Information Acquisition Unit 15……Export information acquisition department 17……Air volume adjustment section 19…Connection part 21... Horizontal bar 23... Lifting jig 25... Attracting fan 31……Inlet 33... Shutter 35……Lid part 37……Slanted wall part 41... Transported goods 51...Straight section 53... Curve 55... Fixing jig 71……Separation part 73... Recovery Department 90……ground 511……Divided body 513……Connection part 711……Slope part 713... Reticulated part

Claims

1. A waste plastic transport system for transporting waste plastics, A conveying material input section to which a blower is connected, A duct with one end connected to the material input section, A conveyed material discharge section connected to the other end of the aforementioned air duct, It is equipped with, The material discharge unit comprises a separation unit for separating the material from the air, and a recovery unit located below the separation unit for recovering the material. The air duct is connected to the front of the separation section, the sides, rear and top surfaces of the separation section are mesh-like, and the lower part of the separation section opens to the recovery section. A waste plastic transport system characterized in that an air blowing unit is provided on at least a portion of the rear or upper surface of the separation unit, which is capable of blowing air from outside the separation unit, and the transported material adhering to the inner surface of the rear or upper surface of the separation unit can be dropped into the collection unit by the air blowing unit.

2. The waste plastic transport system according to claim 1, characterized in that at least a portion of the rear surface of the separation section is formed inclined toward the recovery section, and the air blowing section is capable of blowing air from the outside toward the inclined section.

3. The waste plastic transport system according to claim 1, characterized in that a partition is provided below the separation section in a predetermined range from the front of the separation section, separating it from the space of the collection section, and the area below the separation section opens to the collection section in a portion other than the partition.

4. The conveyed material input section has a plurality of input ports, and each of the input ports has a shutter that shields the air from the blower and a lid that can close the input port. The waste plastic transport system according to claim 1, characterized in that when transporting material into one of the input ports, the shutter of the one input port is closed and the lid of the one input port is opened, while the shutter of the other input port is opened and the lid of the other input port is closed.

5. The waste plastic transport system according to claim 1, characterized in that the air duct is made of vinyl or cloth.

6. The waste plastic transport system according to claim 5, characterized in that the air duct is divided into multiple sections in the longitudinal direction.

7. The waste plastic transport system according to claim 5, characterized in that the air duct has a bent portion in part, and the bent portion is made of metal.

8. The waste plastic transport system according to claim 1, characterized in that information on the quantity, size, shape, or wetness of the transported material is obtained from an image taken inside the air duct or in the transported material input section, and the control unit can adjust the airflow rate of the blower according to the information.

9. The waste plastic transport system according to claim 1, characterized in that it acquires information on the airflow rate or air pressure at the transported material discharge section, and the control unit can adjust the airflow rate of the blower according to the information.

Images