Waste reduction device

Abstract

The present invention provides a waste reduction device that can reduce the amount of collected waste by minimizing worker involvement, thereby reducing the burden on workers. [Solution] The sampling means is provided to obtain a waste sample by performing multiple extraction processes on the waste to be sampled. The sampling means includes a waste receiving section 11 for storing the waste to be sampled, a waste extraction section 12 for extracting a predetermined amount of waste from the waste in the waste receiving section 11, a leveling section 15 for agitating the predetermined amount of waste, and a dividing section 16 for performing a dividing process that leaves some of the mixed and agitated waste and discards the rest. The agitation process in the leveling section 15 and the dividing process in the dividing section 16 are performed at least once to reduce the waste to be sampled to a predetermined proportion and obtain a waste sample.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a garbage reduction device that can reduce collected garbage and prepare a garbage sample having an equivalent composition in order to analyze the composition of a large amount of collected garbage such as municipal waste.

Background Art

[0002] When disposing of a large amount of collected garbage such as municipal waste by incineration or the like, it is necessary to grasp the properties of the garbage and set combustion conditions and the like. However, it is difficult to analyze the composition of the entire amount of collected garbage at once because the amount of garbage is large. In addition, it may be difficult to accurately grasp the properties of the entire garbage by collecting only a part of the large amount of garbage. For this reason, it is necessary to prepare an analytical garbage sample having a composition equivalent to the average composition of the large amount of collected garbage. In this way, the operation of reducing the volume while leaving the properties of the garbage as much as possible is called "reduction".

[0003] Conventionally, the operation of reducing such garbage is performed using the quartering method as described in Patent Document 1. The quartering method evenly divides the collected garbage into four piles, collects the garbage from two of the piles, and discards the garbage from the remaining two piles. The collected garbage is again evenly divided into four piles, and the garbage from two of the piles is collected. Such division processing is repeated several times to prepare a garbage sample.

[0004] Using the garbage sample thus obtained, the average composition of the collected garbage is analyzed and investigated by performing biomass ratio analysis by the FIT method and No. 95 environmental improvement analysis.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, the current four-part method requires sorting large items and non-combustible metal waste such as pots and pans into four piles, which requires several people. Furthermore, in cases where food waste is sealed in garbage bags, the bags must be torn open to expose the waste before the sorting process can be carried out.

[0007] Thus, waste reduction work must be carried out manually in the vicinity of large amounts of exposed waste, making it heavy labor, and the odors emitted by food waste become particularly strong during the summer months. Furthermore, there is a risk of danger due to the presence of sharp metal objects. For these reasons, the work requires the wearing of airtight work clothes, thick gloves, goggles, and dust masks, placing a heavy burden on the workers.

[0008] This invention has been made in view of the above problems, and aims to provide a waste reduction device that can reduce the amount of collected waste by minimizing the involvement of workers, thereby reducing the burden on workers. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The characteristic configuration of the waste reduction apparatus according to the present invention, which solves the above problems, is as follows: The system is equipped with a sampling means that obtains waste samples by performing multiple extraction processes on the waste to be sampled.

[0010] With this waste reduction apparatus, the sampling means for obtaining a waste sample performs multiple extraction processes, and the waste is agitated during these extraction processes, making it easier to homogenize the composition. Therefore, compared to performing a single extraction process, performing multiple extraction processes allows for greater homogenization of the waste composition, resulting in the preparation of a better waste sample. In this way, since the waste extraction process is performed by the waste reduction apparatus, the amount of manual labor required for workers to extract waste near the waste is reduced. This significantly reduces the burden on workers. The multiple extraction processes can be performed repeatedly on the same target, such as by extracting a portion of the waste to be sampled, agitating it, and then extracting another portion and repeating the same process. It can also include performing multiple extraction processes, where a certain amount of waste is extracted from different locations on the waste to be sampled, and these are totaled to form a waste sample.

[0011] In the waste reduction apparatus according to the present invention, The sampling means, A waste receiving section for storing the waste to be sampled, A waste removal unit for removing a predetermined amount of waste from the waste receiving unit, A leveling section for agitating the predetermined amount of waste, A dividing unit that performs a dividing process in which some of the mixed and stirred waste is left behind and the rest is discarded, Equipped with, It is preferable to perform the agitation treatment of the waste in the leveling section and the division treatment in the division section at least once to reduce the waste to be sampled to a predetermined proportion and obtain the waste sample.

[0012] With this waste reduction device, after a predetermined amount of waste is extracted from a large amount of collected waste, it is stirred in the leveling section, and then separated in the dividing section. Since the waste becomes more homogenized after the stirring process, it approaches a similar composition regardless of the part from which it is separated and collected. Therefore, a good waste sample can be prepared by performing the stirring and separating processes at least once. In addition, the waste reduction process using this waste reduction device reduces the amount of manual waste removal work performed by the operator.

[0013] In the waste reduction apparatus according to the present invention, The leveling section includes a case with a bottom that receives the waste removed by the waste removal section, The system includes a stirring member that rotates in a manner that allows it to move closer to and further away from the bottom, Preferably, the divided section is composed of a plurality of windows in which the bottom is divided into a predetermined number of sections, and at least one of the windows is openable and closable, so that the waste placed on the opened window is removed to the outside of the case as part of the waste, and the waste placed on the window that does not open is discarded.

[0014] In this waste reduction device configuration, the leveling section is equipped with a stirring member that rotates in a manner that allows it to move closer to and further away from the bottom of the case. Therefore, the waste near the bottom of the case can be reliably stirred, so that the entire waste contained in the case is stirred and a more homogenized waste sample can be prepared. In addition, the bottom of the case is formed by a predetermined number of divided windows. Since the waste contained in the case is homogenized by the stirring process, the number of windows that open to discharge and remove the waste can be selected, and by leaving a desired ratio of waste, the sampled waste can be reduced and a waste sample can be prepared.

[0015] In the waste reduction apparatus according to the present invention, The waste sample is obtained by performing the agitation process of the waste in the leveling section and the division process in the division section multiple times. It is preferable to provide a refeeding unit that returns the part of the garbage taken out by the dividing unit to the leveling unit.

[0016] According to the garbage compaction device of this configuration, by providing a refeeding unit, the sampling garbage remaining without being discarded after the division process can be returned to the leveling unit again. Thus, since the compaction process can be repeatedly performed on the same sampling garbage, a garbage sample that is small in volume and compactly compacted can be prepared.

[0017] In the garbage compaction device according to the present invention, It is preferable that the dividing unit includes a first belt conveyor that conveys the part of the garbage taken out to the refeeding unit and a second belt conveyor that conveys the other garbage to be discarded.

[0018] According to the garbage compaction device of this configuration, the first belt conveyor and the second belt conveyor can perform a stirring process on the respective belts as a leveling unit, and the sampling garbage is evenly dispersed and arranged on each belt. Therefore, in the dividing unit, by providing a first belt conveyor that conveys the sampling garbage back to the leveling unit again and a second belt conveyor that conveys and discards unnecessary garbage, the sampling garbage can be repeatedly put into the leveling unit and compacted. By changing the number of the first belt conveyor and the second belt conveyor, the ratio for compacting the garbage can be freely set. Thus, a garbage sample that is small in volume and compactly compacted can be prepared. Also, since it can be automatically compacted without manual intervention, the burden on the operator performing the compaction work can be reduced.

[0019] In the garbage compaction device according to the present invention, It is preferable that the dividing unit includes a hopper portion into which the garbage stirred in the leveling unit is introduced, and is connected to the hopper portion, and includes a first flow path that allows the part of the remaining garbage to flow down to the refeeding unit and a second flow path that allows the other garbage to be discarded to flow down.

[0020] According to the garbage reduction device of this configuration, since the dividing part includes a hopper part, it is easy to input garbage. Furthermore, since this hopper part is provided in connection with a first flow path for causing the input garbage to flow down to the re-input part and a second flow path for causing the garbage to be discarded to flow down, it is automatically divided into the first flow path and the second flow path. Thus, the sampled garbage input into the hopper part is reduced and taken out from the first flow path. In addition, the reduced sampled garbage that has flowed down into the first flow path is input into the hopper part again after being input into the leveling part again. By repeating the reduction in this way, a compact garbage sample can be prepared.

[0021] In the garbage reduction device according to the present invention, so as to obtain the garbage sample by performing the stirring process of the garbage in the leveling part and the dividing process in the dividing part once, it is preferable that the dividing part includes an inclined flow path for flowing the garbage stirred in the leveling part, and a storage container capable of storing the garbage at a desired reduction ratio is formed to open in the inclined flow path.

[0022] According to the garbage reduction device of this configuration, the dividing part includes an inclined flow path for flowing the garbage stirred in the leveling part, and also includes a garbage storage part capable of storing a predetermined ratio of the garbage in the inclined flow path. For this reason, the sampled garbage stirred in the leveling part slides down the inclined flow path when it is input into the dividing part. At this time, since a garbage storage part is provided in the inclined flow path, a part of the sliding garbage is stored in the garbage storage part. The volume of the garbage storage part corresponds to the amount necessary for preparing a desired garbage sample. Thus, by performing only the stirring process of the garbage in the leveling part and the dividing process in the dividing part once, a garbage sample reduced to the necessary amount can be taken out.

[0023] In the garbage reduction device according to the present invention, it is preferable that when the predetermined amount of garbage taken out by the garbage take-out part is packed in a bag, a bag-breaking part for performing a bag-breaking process on the bag is provided.

[0024] This waste reduction device includes a bag-breaking section for bag-breaking, thus reducing the need for workers to be present during the bag-breaking process. The odor from bag-breaking is particularly strong during the summer months. Therefore, automating the bag-breaking process eliminates the need for workers to break bags, thereby reducing their workload.

[0025] In the waste reduction apparatus according to the present invention, Preferably, a sieve section for sorting waste according to predetermined dimensions or materials is provided between the waste removal section and the leveling section.

[0026] This waste reduction device, with its sieving section, makes it easy to remove large waste items such as cardboard boxes, plastic bags, and boots. When large waste items are mixed in with the sampled waste, it becomes difficult to agitate the sampled waste, and if metal products such as frying pans, pots, and kettles are mixed in, there is a risk that the leveling and dividing sections will become jammed and damaged by these metal products. By removing large waste items with a sieving section as in this configuration, the agitation process can be reliably carried out, and a waste sample with a more homogeneous composition can be prepared. In addition, rubber products such as boots and large resin products can be subjected to separate cutting processes. Therefore, by putting the cut fragments back into the leveling section to prepare a waste sample, a good waste sample with a composition equivalent to that of typical collected waste can be prepared.

[0027] In the waste reduction apparatus according to the present invention, It is preferable that a crushing section for crushing waste is provided between the waste removal section and the leveling section.

[0028] This waste reduction device, with its built-in crushing section, can automatically shred large waste items such as cardboard boxes and plastic bags. Consequently, manual labor is not required during the agitation and division of the waste, reducing the burden on workers who do not need to be present near the waste processing area.

[0029] In the waste reduction apparatus according to the present invention, It is preferable that the other waste to be discarded is automatically transported to a waste pit where waste is stored before sampling.

[0030] With this waste reduction device configuration, the process of transporting other waste to the waste pit is automated, eliminating the need for manual transport by workers and thus reducing the burden on workers. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0031] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the general configuration of a waste reduction apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing the general configuration of a waste reduction device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the general configuration of a waste reduction device according to the third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing the general configuration of a waste reduction device according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0032] The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments, we will describe a waste reduction device that can prepare waste samples useful for analysis by appropriately reducing the volume of a large amount of waste, such as municipal solid waste which contains a mixture of various materials including paper, cloth, synthetic resin, rubber, kitchen waste, and non-combustible materials, while maintaining the proportion of each material as much as possible. However, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments and configurations described below. In each figure, the actual scale and positional relationships of each component have been exaggerated or simplified as appropriate for the sake of clarity, and do not strictly reflect the relative sizes and arrangements of various devices in an actual waste reduction device.

[0033] [First Embodiment] <Overall Structure> Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the general configuration of a waste reduction device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 1, the waste reduction device 1 prepares a waste sample X by performing multiple extraction processes on the waste to be sampled using sampling means equipped with a waste receiving section 11, a waste extraction section 12, a bag breaking section 13, a sieving section 14, a leveling section 15, and a dividing section 16. These sampling means are arranged vertically from top to bottom and are fixed to a metal frame (not shown) to prevent misalignment between them.

[0034] Garbage collected by garbage trucks is randomly dumped into a garbage pit (not shown) and stored without any sorting. The garbage pit contains garbage before sampling, and the garbage stored in the garbage pit will be referred to as general garbage A below. The garbage receiving section 11 is a container that can hold approximately 200 kg of general garbage A, and the garbage used to prepare garbage sample X from general garbage A is transported from the garbage pit to the garbage receiving section 11 using a crane.

[0035] <Garbage collection area> The waste receiving section 11 is made of thin steel plate in the shape of a rectangular tube and has an opening that opens upward and a waste removal opening 17 that opens downward. The waste removal opening 17 is provided with a first slide gate 18 that controls the discharge of waste by sliding a partition member horizontally. In this example, the waste receiving section 11 is shown as a rectangular tube, but it is not limited to this and may be a roughly rectangular tube shape such as a rounded rectangular tube with rounded corners. It may also be a polygonal tube or a rounded polygonal tube other than a rectangular tube.

[0036] <Waste removal section> The waste removal section 12 is a container made of thin steel plate and has a roughly rectangular shape. It is installed vertically below the waste receiving section 11 and can remove the waste contained in the waste receiving section 11 in small portions (first removal process). The waste removal section 12 can hold about 20 kg of waste.

[0037] The waste removal section 12 is equipped with an upper opening 19 that opens upward. The upper opening 19 is positioned opposite the waste removal opening 17 of the waste receiving section 11, and when the first slide gate 18 opens, the waste in the waste receiving section 11 falls by its own weight and is collected in the waste removal section 12.

[0038] The waste removal section 12 has a waste discharge port 20 that opens downwards. The waste discharge port 20 is provided with a second slide gate 21 that controls the discharge of waste by sliding a partition member horizontally. When a predetermined amount of waste is contained in the waste removal section 12, the first slide gate 18 closes, and then the second slide gate 21 opens.

[0039] <Broken Bag Section> The bag-breaking section 13 and the sieving section 14 are located below the waste removal section 12. The collected municipal waste may be packed into garbage bags ranging from 1 liter to 45 liters. In the bag-breaking section 13, the garbage bags are split open before the reduction process to expose the waste inside. When performing the bag-breaking process, the bags can be split individually by hand or processed using the bag-breaking device 22. When processing by hand, the odor of the waste is strong, and hygiene precautions are necessary. Workers must wear sealed work clothes, gloves, masks, etc., when performing the bag-breaking process.

[0040] On the other hand, in the processing using the bag-breaking device 22, the garbage bags are individually fed into the bag-breaking device 22 while still packed in bags. The bag-breaking device 22 is configured, for example, to have multiple blades rotating inside a sealed device, and can automatically break open the garbage bags that are fed into it.

[0041] <Phloem> The sieve section 14 is constructed by combining metal rods in a grid pattern at intervals of approximately 30 cm. The sieve section 14 is located below the waste removal section 12 and is installed with a downward slope towards the direction in which the large waste is to be discharged, so that large waste that falls onto the sieve section 14 and does not pass through the grid can be removed using gravity without the need for any special mechanism. This allows for the sorting of large waste that does not pass through the grid. If the large waste removed by the sieve section 14 is a resin product such as a large case or a rubber product such as boots, it is crushed and cut into pieces of approximately 100 mm in size. The cut waste is mixed with the sample waste B discharged from the waste removal section 12. This makes the composition of waste sample X closer to the average composition of general waste A. If it is not possible to cut the waste into pieces of approximately 100 mm in size, the worker cuts it manually and then adds it to sample X, taking into account the reduction ratio.

[0042] Furthermore, if non-combustible waste such as pots, pans, and frying pans is mixed in, there is a risk of damaging the leveling section 15 and the dividing section 16, so it is sorted out in the sieving section 14 and removed from the sample waste B. The sample waste B that has passed through the sieving section 14 is collected in the leveling section 15. The removed non-combustible waste is then manually cut by an operator and added to sample X, taking into account the reduction ratio.

[0043] Furthermore, general waste A, which is collected from pyrolysis gasification facilities, biogas facilities, fluidized bed furnaces, etc., is collected in a coarsely crushed state, so bag breaking and sieving processes are not required. In this case, the bag breaking section 13 and the sieving section 14 may be omitted.

[0044] Furthermore, if the collected general waste A is in an uncrushed state, a crusher can be installed in place of the bag-breaking section 13 and the sieving section 14. Although not shown in the diagram, the crusher is a machine that, for example, rotates two rotating blades and finely shreds the waste using the shearing force between the blades. When using this crusher, the garbage bags can be broken at the same time as the large waste is crushed.

[0045] The leveling section 15 is a device that agitates and homogenizes the sampled waste B discharged from the waste removal section 12, and comprises a bottomed case 23 and a stirring member 24 that rotates inside the case 23.

[0046] <Case> Case 23 is a cylindrical container made of thin-walled steel plate with a bottom, opening upwards and having a bottom 25. The bottom 25 is a divided floor with multiple windows 26 that penetrate vertically. In this embodiment, the shape of the windows 26 is a sector with a central angle of approximately 90°, and four windows 26 are provided in the bottom 25. Each window 26 is equipped with a sliding lid member 27 that slides horizontally, forming a sliding gate. The shape and number of windows 26 are illustrative and not limited thereto. For example, half of the area of ​​the bottom 25 could be open in a crescent shape, or each window 26 could be circular in shape.

[0047] <Agitation component> The stirring member 24 comprises a rotating shaft 29 that rotates coaxially with the central axis of the case 23, and a plurality of stirring rods 28 fixed to the end of the rotating shaft 29 and extending radially. The rotating shaft 29 is driven by a motor (not shown). By assembling either or both of the rotating shaft 29 and the case 23 so as to be movable in the vertical direction, the stirring rods 28 are positioned so as to be able to move closer to and further away from the bottom 25. By fixing a displacement sensor to the case 23 and measuring the position of the stirring rods 28 relative to the case 23, the stirring rods 28 can be displaced to move closer to the bottom of the case 23.

[0048] In this way, by controlling the position of the stirring rod 28, it is possible to prevent unmixed waste from remaining at the bottom of the case 23 and to mix the entire sample waste B. In this manner, the leveling section 15 can homogenize the sample waste B that has been introduced into the case 23.

[0049] In the division section 16, in order to prepare the waste sample X, a division process (second extraction process) is performed in which a predetermined proportion of waste is separated and extracted from the sample waste B that has been agitated in the leveling section 15.

[0050] <window> The division section 16 is formed by a plurality of windows 26 and a lid member 27 formed in the bottom 25 of the case 23. In the division section 16, some of the windows 26 provided in the bottom 25 can be opened according to the target reduction ratio, allowing for the collection of waste in predetermined proportions. When a window 26 is opened, the sampled waste B, which is stacked above the lid member 27 that opens and closes the window 26, is discharged downwards from the case 23 by its own weight.

[0051] Since the sample waste B in case 23 is agitated and homogenized, the sample waste B stacked above each window 26 has the same composition regardless of the position of the window 26. Therefore, depending on the number of windows 26 to be opened, the ratio of the sample to be divided and collected can be changed, allowing a portion of the sample waste B in case 23 to be separated and removed.

[0052] For example, as shown in Figure 1, in this embodiment, four windows 26 are provided in the bottom 25. By opening one of the windows 26, the sampling waste B in the case 23, reduced to one-quarter of its original size, can be removed. A waste sample X, used for compositional analysis, is prepared from this sampling waste B. Although detailed illustrations are omitted, waste other than the sampling waste B removed from the case 23 (corresponding to "other waste to be discarded" in this invention) is automatically transported to the waste pit for disposal by means of a conveyor, an automated transport cart, or a transport means combining these as appropriate. In this way, the transport process of waste other than the sampling waste B to the waste pit is automated, eliminating the need for manual transport by workers and reducing the burden on workers.

[0053] As explained above, using the waste reduction device 1 makes it possible to automate the stirring process in the leveling section 15, the dividing process in the dividing section 16, and the disposal of waste other than the sampled waste B. Therefore, the burden on workers during the reduction work can be greatly reduced.

[0054] [Second Embodiment] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing the general configuration of a waste reduction device 2 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 2, the waste reduction device 2 reduces sampled waste B using a sampling means equipped with a waste receiving section 11, a waste removal section 12, a bag breaking section 13, a sieving section 14, a leveling section 31, and a dividing section 32. The waste reduction device 2 of the second embodiment differs from the waste reduction device 1 of the first embodiment in the shape of the leveling section 31 and the dividing section 32. The waste receiving section 11, waste removal section 12, bag breaking section 13, and sieving section 14 are common to the first embodiment and therefore their description is omitted, and in Figure 2, the configurations other than the waste removal section 12 are omitted.

[0055] <Leveling section> The leveling section 31 comprises four conveyors 34a, 34b, 34c, and 34d arranged parallel to each other, and a partition plate 33 that faces the conveying direction when viewed in the conveying direction of the conveyors 34a, 34b, 34c, and 34d, and extends in a direction intersecting (orthogonal in this example) the conveying direction. The conveyors 34a, 34b, 34c, and 34d are driven by motors on a belt 35, and sample waste B can be loaded onto the belt 35 and conveyed horizontally. As the belt 35, it is preferable to use a rubber (synthetic resin) belt that has corrosion resistance even with waste containing a lot of moisture, but it is not limited to this, and a metal belt may be used as long as it has corrosion resistance. In the following description, the side where the conveying of the loaded material begins may be called the upstream side, and the side where the conveying ends may be called the downstream side.

[0056] <First conveyor belt, second conveyor belt> The four conveyors 34a to 34d consist of a first conveyor 34a and a third conveyor 34c (first belt conveyor) with a relatively short transport distance, and a second conveyor 34b and a fourth conveyor 34d (second belt conveyor) with a relatively long transport distance. The first conveyor 34a and the third conveyor 34c, with their relatively short transport distances, and the second conveyor 34b and the fourth conveyor 34d, with their relatively long transport distances, are arranged alternately in a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of the belt 35 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the width direction).

[0057] The first to fourth conveyors 34a to 34d have their upstream ends installed at the same position, and the second conveyor 34b and fourth conveyor 34d are designed to transport loads to a position further away than the first conveyor 34a and third conveyor 34c. In addition, the belts 35 of the first to fourth conveyors 34a to 34d are arranged at the same height and close to each other, and the loading surfaces of each belt 35 form a single plane as a whole.

[0058] The first to fourth conveyors 34a to 34d are driven by a common drive mechanism located on the upstream side, and each belt 35 is configured to transport the load in the same direction at the same speed. In Figure 2, the load is transported from left to right. The belt 35 of each conveyor transports the load in the direction of the thick black arrows shown in the figure.

[0059] The partition plate 33 is a flat plate of a predetermined thickness and is made of a hard material such as synthetic resin or metal. The partition plate 33 is installed upstream of the downstream ends of the first conveyor 34a and the third conveyor 34c, with its thickness direction coinciding with the direction of travel (conveying direction) of each conveyor, and its width is large enough to span the four belts 35.

[0060] The partition plate 33 is designed so that the size of the gap s between the lower end of the partition plate 33 and the loading surface of the belt 35 can be adjusted by a lifting mechanism (not shown). For example, by adjusting the gap s in the range of 5 to 20 cm, and setting s to approximately 20 cm when garbage falls onto the loading surface of the belt 35 (at the time of the first splitting operation), and then gradually lowering the partition plate 33 over several minutes to s to 5 cm in accordance with repeated splitting operations, even if the loading height of the garbage on the loading surface of the belt 35 gradually decreases due to the leveling effect of the partition plate 33, the partition plate 33 can still be brought into contact with the garbage to level it, and the leveling effect of the partition plate 33 can be stably exerted.

[0061] The stirring process in the leveling section 31 will now be described. The sampled waste B that has passed through the bag-breaking section 13 and the sieving section 14 is piled up in the center of the width direction of the four belts 35 upstream of the partition plate 33. The leveling section 31 consists of the area upstream of the partition plate 33 of the first conveyor 34a to the fourth conveyor 34d. In the following description, the planar area formed on the loading surface of the four belts 35 upstream of the partition plate 33 will be referred to as the stirring area E.

[0062] In this agitation area E, the four belts 35 are arranged close together in the width direction, so that the loaded sampling waste B can be prevented from falling out through the gaps between adjacent belts 35. Furthermore, although not shown in the figure, side walls are installed on the outside of the first conveyor 34a and the fourth conveyor 34d in the width direction, close to each belt 35, so that the sampling waste B can be prevented from falling out from the outside of the agitation area E in the width direction. The sampling waste B is transported downstream.

[0063] If the sample waste B is piled higher than the gap s below the partition plate 33, when it is transported downstream, it will come into contact with the partition plate 33 and collapse, causing the loaded sample waste B to be dispersed upstream and in the width direction from the loading position. In this way, the sampling waste B is randomly dispersed in the leveling section 31, and agitation is performed, so that the sample waste B loaded on the four first conveyors 34a to the fourth conveyors 34d is homogenized.

[0064] The partition plate 33 is supported so that its position can be adjusted as needed. In the leveling section 31, in order to assist in the stirring state, the partition plate 33 may be displaced in the direction indicated by the white arrow M in Figure 2, and the sample waste B piled up in the stirring area E may be manually dispersed.

[0065] Thus, the sample waste B loaded onto each conveyor 34 will have a similar composition to that of the other, regardless of which conveyor 34 they are on.

[0066] Next, the configuration of the dividing section 32 and the dividing process in the dividing section 32 will be described. The dividing section 32 performs a dividing process (second extraction process) to divide and extract the sampled waste B that has been agitated in the leveling section 31, and then returns the divided sampled waste B to the leveling section 31 for further reduction processing.

[0067] <Dividing section, reloading section> The division section 32 includes the first conveyor 34a to the fourth conveyor 34d, and the fifth conveyor 34e to the seventh conveyor 34g, which return the sampled waste B collected by the first conveyor 34a and the third conveyor 34c back to the leveling section 31. The fifth conveyor 34e to the seventh conveyor 34g consist of belt conveyors similar to the first conveyor 34a to the fourth conveyor 34d and constitute the re-input section. Of the first conveyor 34a to the fourth conveyor 34d, the upstream area from the partition plate 33 becomes the leveling section 31, and the downstream area from the partition plate 33 becomes the division section 32.

[0068] The fifth conveyor 34e is positioned vertically below the downstream ends of the first conveyor 34a and the third conveyor 34c, and receives the sample waste B that has fallen from the first conveyor 34a and the third conveyor 34c, and transports it horizontally in the width direction from the third conveyor 34c towards the first conveyor 34a.

[0069] The sixth conveyor 34f is positioned along the first conveyor 34a in a plan view from above, and is configured to receive the sample waste B transported by the fifth conveyor 34e and transport it to a higher position toward the seventh conveyor 34g. The sixth conveyor 34f is equipped with partitions several centimeters high at regular intervals to prevent moisture from flowing downwards (upstream in the transport direction).

[0070] The seventh conveyor 34g is positioned vertically below the downstream end of the sixth conveyor 34f and can receive the sample waste B transported by the sixth conveyor 34f and transport it horizontally toward the agitation area E. The sample waste B transported by the seventh conveyor 34g falls at the downstream end and is loaded into the center of the agitation area E.

[0071] The seventh conveyor 34g comprises an upstream conveyor 37 located on the upstream side in the conveying direction and a downstream conveyor 38 located on the downstream side in the conveying direction. The upstream conveyor 37 receives the sampling waste B conveyed by the sixth conveyor 34f, passes the received sampling waste B to the downstream conveyor 38, and loads the sampling waste B from the downstream conveyor 38 into the center of the agitation area E. The upstream conveyor 37 and the downstream conveyor 38 are combined so as to be continuous in the conveying direction. The downstream conveyor 38 is fixed in a position (conveying position) in which the loading surface of the belt extends horizontally in the conveying direction. On the other hand, the upstream conveyor 37 is configured to be switchable between a conveying position and an inclined position. In the upstream conveyor 37, the conveying position is a position in which the loading surface of the belt of the upstream conveyor 37 extends horizontally so that the loading surface of the belt of the upstream conveyor 37 is flush with the loading surface of the belt of the downstream conveyor 38. In the upstream conveyor 37, the inclined position is a position in which the loading surface of the belt of the upstream conveyor 37 is inclined downward in the direction of transport. Switching from the transport position to the inclined position is performed by a tilting mechanism (not shown) attached to the upstream conveyor 37.

[0072] Thus, the sample waste B transported by the first conveyor 34a and the third conveyor 34c is collected and used to prepare the waste sample X. Meanwhile, the sample waste B transported by the second conveyor 34b and the fourth conveyor 34d is transported beyond the fifth conveyor 34e to a further distance, where it is placed into a waste disposal container 36 installed below the second conveyor 34b and the fourth conveyor 34d, and automatically transported to a waste pit by a transport means (not shown) for disposal.

[0073] Since the sample waste B supplied from the leveling section 31 to the dividing section 32 is homogenized, the composition of the sample waste B transported by the first conveyor 34a and the third conveyor 34c is the same as that of the sample waste B transported by the second conveyor 34b and the fourth conveyor 34d.

[0074] Furthermore, generally, when sampling waste B is discharged from the waste removal section 12 or the like and piled up in the agitation area E, the amount of waste tends to be greater in the center of the pile. When sampling waste B is transported in this state with the center raised, the amount of waste loaded on the second conveyor 34b and third conveyor 34c, which are located in the center in the width direction, becomes greater than the amount of waste loaded on the first conveyor 34a to fourth conveyor 34d, which are located on the outside in the width direction. For this reason, in this embodiment, the first conveyor 34a and third conveyor 34c, which transport waste used for preparing waste sample X, and the second conveyor 34b and fourth conveyor 34d, which transport waste to be discarded, are arranged alternately, and sampling is carried out evenly from the center and the periphery, so that sampling waste B can be divided evenly.

[0075] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the sampled waste B collected by the first conveyor 34a and the third conveyor 34c is reintroduced into the agitation area E using the fifth conveyor 34e to the seventh conveyor 34g. Since the seventh conveyor 34g is installed at a position higher than the loading surface of the belt 35 in the agitation area E, the sampled waste B that falls onto the loading surface of the belt 35 is randomly dispersed throughout the agitation area E.

[0076] Therefore, even after being reintroduced, the material is agitated again in the leveling section 31, and can be divided between two collection conveyors, the first conveyor 34a and the third conveyor 34c, and two waste conveyors, the second conveyor 34b and the fourth conveyor 34d, thus allowing the sampled waste B to be evenly divided into two.

[0077] By repeating this re-input process multiple times (four times in this embodiment), the approximately 20 kg of sample waste B removed in the waste removal section 12 can be reduced to about 600 g. The reduced sample waste B is then collected by switching the upstream conveyor 37 to an inclined position and placing it into a sample waste collection container (not shown) located below the downstream end of the upstream conveyor 37 in the transport direction. In this way, the division section 32 can reduce the sample waste B, which has been agitated in the leveling section 31, to a predetermined ratio. Note that the seventh conveyor 34g is not limited to a configuration that combines two belt conveyors, the upstream conveyor 37 and the downstream conveyor 38, but may also be configured with a single belt conveyor. In this case, the sample waste B can be collected by reversing the seventh conveyor 34g and receiving it on the opposite side of the agitation area E.

[0078] Similarly, by taking approximately 20 kg of sampled waste B from the waste receiving section 11 and performing the same reduction process, the general waste A collected in the waste receiving section 11 can be reduced to approximately 600 g. By repeating this reduction process, the general waste A taken out into the waste receiving section 11 can be reduced to prepare the final waste sample X for analysis. In this embodiment, by repeating the cycle of reducing approximately 20 kg of sampled waste B to approximately 600 g 10 times, 200 kg of general waste A can be reduced to approximately 6 kg.

[0079] As explained above, in the waste reduction device 2 of the second embodiment, the sampled waste B is automatically divided on each conveyor 34, thus reducing the amount of work that workers have to do directly to handle the sampled waste B. Therefore, the burden on workers performing the reduction work can be reduced.

[0080] [Third Embodiment] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the general configuration of a waste reduction device 3 according to the third embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 3, the waste reduction device 3 prepares a waste sample X by performing multiple extraction processes on the waste to be sampled, using a sampling means equipped with a waste receiving section 11, a waste removal section 12, a bag breaking section 13, a sieving section 14, a leveling section 41, and a dividing section 42.

[0081] The waste reduction device 3 of the third embodiment differs from the waste reduction device 1 of the first embodiment in the shape of the leveling section 41 and the dividing section 42. The waste receiving section 11, waste removal section 12, bag breaking section 13, and sieving section 14 are the same as in the first embodiment, so their description is omitted. In Figure 3, these components are not described, and only the components below the leveling section 41 are shown.

[0082] <Leveling section, case> The case 43, which serves as the leveling section 41, is a rectangular, bottomed container made of thin steel plate with an opening at the top. The bottom is equipped with a discharge window 45 and a slide gate 44 that can be opened and closed. Here, by vibrating both the case 43 and the slide gate 44, the sampled waste B discharged from the waste removal section 12 is stirred to homogenize the composition of the sampled waste B. In addition to this configuration, the stirring member 24 shown in the first embodiment may also be provided inside the case 43.

[0083] <Divided part> The dividing section 42 is equipped with a hopper section 46 and a divider 47, and is installed below the leveling section 41. The dividing section 42 receives the sample waste B that has been agitated in the leveling section 41, and divides it into two equal portions for removal (second removal process).

[0084] <Hopper Club> The hopper section 46 is made of thin steel plate and has an opening sized to face the discharge window 45 of the case 43. The lower part of the hopper section 46 gradually narrows in diameter and is connected to the introduction passage 50.

[0085] The splitter 47 is made of thin steel plate and includes an introduction passage 50 through which the sampled waste B received in the hopper section 46 passes, a first channel 51 and a second channel 52 connected to the introduction passage 50, and a distribution section 54 disposed inside the introduction passage 50 so as to be located above the first channel 51 and the second channel 52. The introduction passage 50 is a cylindrical member and is installed with its central axis oriented vertically.

[0086] <First channel, second channel> The first channel 51 and the second channel 52 are both cylindrical members with equivalent inner diameters. The central axes of the first channel 51 and the second channel 52 are installed at an angle of approximately 45° to each other with respect to the central axis of the inlet passage 50. For this reason, a ridge portion 53 is formed at the connecting portion where the first channel 51 and the second channel 52 connect, projecting toward the inlet passage 50.

[0087] The distribution unit 54 comprises a plurality of partition plates arranged at predetermined intervals and a plurality of slits formed by the gaps between the plurality of partition plates, and is configured to alternately distribute these partition plates and slits evenly to the first flow path 51 and the second flow path 52.

[0088] The division process in the division section 42 will now be explained. When the sampled waste B, which has undergone stirring, is fed into the hopper section 46, it falls vertically down the introduction path 50 and is evenly distributed by the distribution section 54 to the side of the first flow path 51 and the side of the second flow path 52. In this way, the sampled waste B is evenly divided in the distribution section 54, and the waste distributed to the side of the first flow path 51 flows down through the first flow path 51, while the waste distributed to the side of the second flow path 52 flows down through the second flow path 52.

[0089] Therefore, the sampling waste B introduced into the hopper section 46 is divided into two by the splitter 47 and discharged from the respective channels 51 and 52 of the splitter 47. Since the sampling waste B discharged from the leveling section 41 is subjected to agitation and homogenized, the waste flowing down the first channel 51 and the waste flowing down the second channel 52 have the same composition.

[0090] In this way, the reduced sample waste B can be extracted from either the first channel 51 or the second channel 52. In this embodiment, the sample waste B collected from the first channel 51 is collected as waste for preparing the waste sample X, and the sample waste B collected from the second channel 52 is automatically transported to a waste pit by a transport means (not shown) for disposal.

[0091] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the sampled waste B collected by flowing down the first channel 51 is fed back into the hopper section 46 using the lift device 55. The re-introduced sampled waste B is divided by the divider 47. Therefore, when the re-introduction is performed once, the amount of sampled waste B is reduced to one-quarter (half x one-half) of the amount initially removed by the waste removal section 12. Thus, when the re-introduction is repeated four times, 20 kg of sampled waste B can be reduced to approximately 600 g.

[0092] For example, in the distribution unit 54, the ratio of the distribution arrangement of multiple partition plates and multiple slits to the first channel 51 and the second channel 52 can be changed to alter the ratio of the amount of waste flowing down the first channel 51 to the amount of waste flowing down the second channel 52. Therefore, by setting the distribution ratio of multiple partition plates and multiple slits to the first channel 51 and the second channel 52 to a desired reduction ratio in advance, the number of times waste is reintroduced during reduction can be reduced.

[0093] In the third embodiment as well, since the sampling waste B is automatically reduced in the splitter 47, there is no need for the operator to directly handle the sampling waste B. Therefore, the burden on the operator can be reduced.

[0094] [Fourth Embodiment] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing the general configuration of a waste reduction device 4 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 4, a waste sample X is prepared by performing multiple extraction processes on the waste to be sampled using a sampling means equipped with a waste receiving section 11, a waste extraction section 12, a bag breaking section 13, a sieving section 14, a leveling section 41, and a dividing section 61.

[0095] The waste reduction device 4 of the fourth embodiment differs from the waste reduction device 3 of the third embodiment in the shape of the dividing section 61. Therefore, only the dividing section 61 is shown in Figure 4. The shape of the dividing section 61 will be described below, and the other components will not be described.

[0096] <Divided part> The dividing section 61 is located vertically below the leveling section 41 (not shown) and divides the sample waste B that has been agitated in the leveling section 41 to extract waste for preparing waste sample X (second extraction process).

[0097] <Inclination channel> The divided section 61 is formed as a single unit by joining thin steel plates together by welding or the like, and includes a hopper section 63 that receives the sample waste B discharged from the leveling section 41, an introduction passage 64 through which the received sample waste B flows, and an inclined flow path 65.

[0098] <Storage container> Furthermore, a storage container 66 for storing a predetermined amount of sampled waste B is integrally formed in the inclined channel 65. The storage container 66 is installed below the inclined channel 65, opens to the inner surface of the inclined channel 65, and is recessed outward from the inner surface of the inclined channel 65, and has a volume capable of storing waste at a predetermined reduction ratio.

[0099] The hopper section 63 has the same configuration as the hopper section 46 of the third embodiment and can reliably receive the sampling waste B discharged from the leveling section 41.

[0100] The intake channel 64 is cylindrical and is installed vertically, communicating with the hopper section 63. The inclined channel 65 is cylindrical and is connected to the lower end of the intake channel 64, with its central axis tilted at approximately 45° relative to the central axis of the intake channel 64.

[0101] The sample waste B received in the hopper section 63 falls vertically through the introduction channel 64 and flows further downward along the inner surface of the inclined channel 65. As shown in Figure 4(a), the storage container 66 opens to the inner surface of the inclined channel 65, so when the flowing sample waste B passes through, a predetermined amount of sample waste B is collected in the storage container 66. The storage container 66 is formed with a volume capable of storing waste at a predetermined reduction ratio.

[0102] Furthermore, the sampling waste B flowing down the inclined channel 65 is homogenized by agitation in the leveling section 41. Therefore, when collecting the sampling waste B into the storage container 66, differences in properties depending on the collection location are not a problem. Accordingly, in this embodiment, by simply introducing the sampling waste B into the hopper section 63 once, a waste sample X reduced to a predetermined ratio can be collected.

[0103] The boundary between the inclined channel 65 and the storage container 66 is offset by a predetermined percentage relative to the center of the introduction channel 64, towards the storage container 66. This ensures that a predetermined percentage of the flowing sampled waste B is received by the storage container 66.

[0104] Furthermore, it is convenient to install an openable and closable lid member 67 at the bottom of the storage container 66 so that the collected sample waste B can be removed. Figure 4(b) shows the state in which the lid member 67 has been opened and the waste sample X has been removed. Although not shown in the illustration, by configuring the lid member 67 to be changeable in the vertical direction, the amount of waste that can be accepted by the storage container 66 can be set, and the reduction ratio for the sample waste B can be set arbitrarily.

[0105] Thus, when using the waste reduction device 4 of this embodiment, the sampled waste B is automatically reduced in the division section 61, eliminating the need for the worker to directly handle the sampled waste B. Therefore, the burden on the worker performing the reduction work can be reduced.

[0106] Although the waste reduction device of the present invention has been described above based on several embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the configurations described in the above embodiments, and its configuration can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention, such as by appropriately combining the configurations described in each embodiment. [Industrial applicability]

[0107] The waste reduction apparatus of the present invention can be used to analyze the composition of large quantities of waste, such as municipal solid waste, by reducing the collected waste and preparing waste samples having equivalent compositions. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0108] 1-4 Waste reduction device 11 Waste collection section 12. Waste removal section 13. Broken bag section 14 Phloem 15,31 Leveling section 16,32 Division 23,43 cases 24 Stirring member 25 Bottom 34a First conveyor (first belt conveyor) 34b Second conveyor (second belt conveyor) 34c Third conveyor (first belt conveyor) 34d Fourth conveyor (second belt conveyor) 41 Leveling section 42,61 Split part 46 Hoppers 51 First channel 52 Second flow path 54 Sorting section 63 Hoppers 65 Inclined channel 66 Storage containers X Garbage sample

Claims

1. A waste reduction apparatus equipped with a sampling means that obtains a waste sample by performing multiple extraction processes on the waste to be sampled.

2. The sampling means, A waste receiving section for storing the waste to be sampled, A waste removal unit for removing a predetermined amount of waste from the waste receiving unit, A leveling section for agitating the predetermined amount of waste, A dividing unit that performs a dividing process in which some of the mixed and stirred waste is left behind and the rest is discarded, Equipped with, The waste reduction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the waste is reduced to a predetermined proportion by performing the waste stirring process in the leveling section and the division process in the division section at least once, thereby obtaining the waste sample.

3. The leveling section includes a case with a bottom that receives the waste removed by the waste removal section, The system includes a stirring member that rotates in a manner that allows it to move closer to and further away from the bottom, The waste reduction device according to claim 2, wherein the dividing section is composed of a plurality of windows in which the bottom is divided into a predetermined number of parts, and at least one of the windows is openable and closable, and waste placed on the opened window is removed to the outside of the case as part of the waste, and waste placed on the window that is not opened is discarded.

4. The waste sample is obtained by performing the agitation process of the waste in the leveling section and the division process in the division section multiple times. The waste reduction apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a reinput unit that returns the portion of waste removed in the dividing unit back to the leveling unit.

5. The waste reduction apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the dividing section comprises a first belt conveyor for transporting the removed portion of waste to the re-input section and a second belt conveyor for transporting the remaining waste to be discarded.

6. The waste reduction apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the dividing section comprises a hopper section into which the waste agitated in the leveling section is fed, and connected to the hopper section is a first channel for allowing the remaining portion of the waste to flow down to the re-input section, and a second channel for allowing the remaining waste to flow down.

7. The waste sample is obtained by performing the waste stirring process in the leveling section and the division process in the division section once. The waste reduction device according to claim 2, wherein the dividing section is provided with an inclined channel for circulating the waste that has been agitated in the leveling section, and a storage container capable of storing waste at a predetermined reduction ratio is formed as an opening in the inclined channel.

8. The waste reduction device according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein a bag-breaking unit is provided for breaking open a bag when the predetermined amount of waste removed by the waste removal unit is packed into a bag.

9. A waste reduction device according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein a sieving section for sorting waste according to predetermined dimensions or predetermined material is provided between the waste removal section and the leveling section.

10. The waste reduction apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein a crushing section for crushing waste is provided between the waste removal section and the leveling section.

11. A waste reduction apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein the apparatus is configured to automatically transport the other waste to be discarded to a waste pit where waste before sampling is stored.

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