Liquid recovery device

Abstract

The present invention proposes a liquid recovery device that can increase the reuse rate of liquid recovered from paper containers. [Solution] The device includes a paper container input means for inserting a paper container filled with liquid into the device from a paper container input path with the top or bottom facing forward; a pair of burst rollers, formed by sandwiching multiple round rods between two spaced-apart opposing discs at approximately equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the discs, and arranged at predetermined intervals in the radial direction of the discs, which sandwich the side of the paper container inserted from the paper container input means and burst it; a liquid recovery and discharge means for recovering the liquid flowing out of the burst paper container; and a paper container discharge means for discharging the empty paper container after the liquid has flowed out to the outside of the device. As a result, the recovery rate of liquid from inside the paper container is improved and foreign matter contamination is extremely low, thus promoting the reuse of the recovered liquid.

Description

Technical Field

[0006] , , ,

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid recovery device for taking out and recovering a liquid from a paper container for liquids in which a liquid such as a beverage is enclosed.

Background Art

[0002] As this type of liquid recovery device, for example, those shown in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 are known.

[0003] The one shown in Patent Document 1 is a device for separating a liquid product from a container, having a rotating drum and rollers arranged on the rotating drum, and a container containing a liquid product is put into a capture space between the rotating drum and the rollers, and the space between the rotating drum and the rollers becomes narrower along the rotation direction of the rotary press, thereby crushing the container and taking out the liquid product inside.

[0004] On the other hand, the one shown in Cited Document 2 is for reusing a container and its contents beverage at low cost. The outer surface of a beverage-containing container put into a boiling tank is washed, this paper pack is supplied into a beverage extraction tank, a cut is made in the moving container with a blade, and this cut is opened with a processing duct, and beverage extraction, washing inside the container, and drying are performed while passing through the processing duct.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, the apparatus shown in Patent Document 1 has a structure that crushes the container filled with liquid from one end of its top, side, or bottom. Therefore, when a liquid paper container is used as the container, the container is ruptured, causing the liquid to spill out while relatively hard three-dimensional parts such as the folded top and bottom sections, where the sealed liquid tends to remain, remain intact. As a result, a large amount of liquid remains in the container, reducing the recovery rate and the reuse rate of the liquid.

[0007] Furthermore, in the method described in Patent Document 2, since the container containing the liquid is opened using a blade, there is a risk that container scraps or blade fragments may be mixed into the recovered liquid, which imposes many limitations, especially when the recovered beverage is to be reused as animal feed or fertilizer through secondary processing.

[0008] The present invention aims to propose a liquid recovery device that can increase the reuse rate of liquid recovered from paper containers. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The present invention employs the following configuration as a specific means to solve the aforementioned problems.

[0010] The liquid recovery device according to the first invention of the present application is characterized by comprising: a paper container input means for inputting a paper container filled with liquid into the device from a container input passage with the top or bottom surface facing forward; a pair of burst rollers, formed by sandwiching a plurality of round rods between two spaced-apart opposing discs at approximately equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the discs and arranging them at predetermined intervals in the radial direction of the discs, which sandwich the side surface of the paper container input from the paper container input means and burst it; a liquid recovery and discharge means for recovering the liquid flowing out from the burst paper container; and a paper container discharge means for discharging the empty paper container after the liquid has flowed out to the outside of the device.

[0011] The liquid recovery device according to the second invention of the present application is characterized in that, in the liquid recovery device according to the first invention, a pair of compression rollers are provided between the paper container bursting means and the paper container discharge means, which are arranged in parallel at a predetermined interval and rotate, and a compression means is provided to sandwich the paper container burst by the paper container bursting means with the pair of compression rollers and compress the residual liquid inside the paper container.

[0012] The liquid recovery device according to the third invention of the present application is characterized in that, in the liquid recovery device according to the second invention, a discharge conveyor is provided between the compression means and the container discharge means for moving empty paper containers toward the container discharge means, and the discharge conveyor is a round belt conveyor equipped with a round belt.

[0013] The liquid recovery device according to the fourth invention of this application is characterized in that, in the liquid recovery device according to the first, second, or third invention described above, a cleaning means for cleaning substantially the entire inside of the device is provided in the upper part of the device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] Each of the inventions in this application provides the following effects.

[0015] (a) The first invention of the present application The liquid recovery device according to the first invention of this application includes a liquid paper container input means for introducing a paper container filled with liquid into the device from a container input path with the top or bottom facing forward; a pair of burst rollers formed by sandwiching a plurality of round rods between two spaced-apart opposing discs at approximately equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the discs, and arranging them at predetermined intervals in the radial direction of the discs, thereby bursting the side surface of the paper container introduced from the paper container input means by sandwiching it between the pair of burst rollers; a liquid recovery discharge means for recovering the liquid flowing out from the burst paper container; and a paper container discharge means for discharging the empty paper container after the liquid has flowed out to the outside of the device. (a-1) The amount of foreign matter mixed into the liquid recovered from the paper container is extremely small, promoting the reuse of the recovered liquid. (a-2) The paper container is pressed on its sides by a pair of rupture rollers of the paper container rupture means, increasing its internal pressure. The two triangular flap-shaped folded parts on the top and bottom surfaces peel off from the top or bottom of the paper container and stand up, causing the paper container to deform into a flat bag shape. Subsequently, the seal, which is a weak point of the paper container, ruptures, and the sealed liquid leaks out. In this way, by deforming the paper container into a flat bag shape without relatively hard three-dimensional parts such as the folded top and bottom sections where liquid tends to remain, and then rupturing it, the amount of liquid remaining inside the paper container can be reduced, and the liquid recovery rate can be improved. Furthermore, because the rupture point of the paper container is almost fixed, the liquid recovery action from the paper container is stable, which further improves the liquid recovery rate. (a-3) Furthermore, the empty paper container after the liquid has leaked out is discharged outside the device by the paper container discharge means, which allows the liquid recovery operation by the paper container bursting means to proceed smoothly and improves the efficiency of liquid recovery. These effects can be obtained.

[0016] (b) The second invention of the present application The liquid recovery device according to the second invention of this application is provided with a pair of compression rollers arranged in parallel at a predetermined interval between the paper container bursting means and the paper container discharge means, and a compression means that squeezes the paper container burst by the paper container bursting means with the pair of compression rollers to compress the residual liquid inside the paper container, thereby improving the liquid recovery rate from the paper container, Since the amount of liquid remaining in the empty paper containers after compression is extremely small, it is easy to shred them and use them as recycled material or to dispose of them as waste.

[0017] (c) The third invention of the present application In the liquid recovery device according to the third invention of the present application, a discharge conveyor for moving an empty paper container to the side of the container discharge means is provided between the pressing means and the container discharge means, and since the discharge conveyor is a round belt conveyor having a round belt, it is difficult for chips to be generated due to wear of the belt and it is easy to wash dirt, so that foreign matter contamination of the recovered liquid is prevented as much as possible.

[0018] (c) The fourth invention of the present application In the liquid recovery device according to the fourth invention of the present application, a cleaning means for cleaning substantially the entire interior of the device is provided at the upper part inside the device, so that the interior of the device can be easily cleaned. As a result, the interior of the device can be kept clean and foreign matter contamination of the recovered liquid can be prevented.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0019] [Figure 1] It is a structural explanatory diagram of a liquid recovery device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a plan view of the above liquid recovery device. [Figure 3] It is an explanatory diagram of the rupture state of a paper container in the paper container rupture means. [Figure 4] It is an overall external view of a paper container. [Figure 5] It is an explanatory diagram of the rupture state of a paper container. [Figure 6] It is a developed view of a paper container. [Figure 7] It is an explanatory diagram of the forming procedure of a paper container. [Figure 8] It is an explanatory diagram of the forming procedure of a paper container.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0020] Figures 1 and 2 show a liquid recovery device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. This liquid recovery device 1 is used to extract and recover liquids from paper containers 30 containing liquids such as beverages, soups, sake, shampoos, or detergents. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, it is equipped with a recovery tank 2 that has a liquid recovery port 2b at the bottom and a lid 17 at the top opening.

[0021] Furthermore, the liquid recovered in this liquid recovery device 1 is to be reused after secondary processing, and cleanliness free from foreign matter contamination is required. Therefore, the recovery tank 2 is made of resin or stainless steel to prevent rust, and a resin or stainless steel lid 17 is provided on the upper edge of the recovery tank 2 to prevent foreign matter contamination. In addition, a cleaning shower nozzle 14 is placed at the upper end of the recovery tank 2 to clean the inner surface of the recovery tank 2 and the equipment such as the bursting roller 4 of the paper container bursting means 3 described below, and the compression means 9, which are housed inside. Moreover, the discharge conveyor 10 described later is a round belt conveyor that generates very little wear debris.

[0022] “Paper container rupture means 3” A paper container bursting mechanism 3 is positioned near the top of the recovery tank 2. This paper container bursting mechanism 3 bursts paper containers 30 that are sequentially introduced along a container input path 8 that extends from outside the device to inside the recovery tank 2, causing the liquid inside the paper containers 30 to flow into the recovery tank 2. It is equipped with a pair of bursting rollers 4.

[0023] As shown in Figure 4, the paper container 30 is formed as a rectangular cube having a top surface 30a and a bottom surface 30b (its molding process will be described later), and is transported to the paper container bursting means 3 with either the top surface 30a or the bottom surface 30b facing forward, and is drawn between the pair of bursting rollers 4 of the paper container bursting means 3.

[0024] The burst roller 4 of the paper container bursting means 3 described above is constructed by sandwiching a plurality of round rods 6 (five in this embodiment) that are arranged at equal pitches in the circumferential direction of the discs 5 between a pair of discs 5 that are arranged opposite each other at a predetermined distance apart. These pairs of burst rollers 4 are arranged in parallel at a predetermined distance apart in a direction substantially perpendicular to the input direction of the container input path 8.

[0025] As shown in Figure 2, the pair of burst rollers 4 of this paper container bursting mechanism 3 are supported by a rotating shaft 7 that rotates synchronously in the same direction by a motor (not shown) located in a mechanical unit 15 positioned to the side of the paper container bursting mechanism 3. The distance between the pair of burst rollers 4 is appropriately set so that the side of the paper container 30 is sandwiched between the round bars 6 of one burst roller 4 and the round bars 6 of the other burst roller 4, thereby generating the required internal pressure in the paper container 30.

[0026] Here, we will explain the mechanism of leakage of the internal liquid due to the rupture of the paper container 30. As shown in Figure 4, the paper container 30 is formed in the shape of a rectangular cube, and its top surface 30a has a top surface folded-over portion 33 with an end seal portion 37 formed in the shape of a triangular ear, and this top surface folded-over portion 33 is folded towards the side of the container body portion 32. This top surface folded-over portion 33 is then glued and fixed to the side of the container body portion 32.

[0027] Similarly, on the bottom surface 30b side of the paper container 30, the bottom surface 30b has a bottom-side folded portion 34 with an end seal portion 37 formed in a triangular ear shape, and this bottom-side folded portion 34 is bent toward the bottom surface of the container body 32. This bottom-side folded portion 34 is then glued and fixed to the bottom surface of the container body 32.

[0028] The liquid-filled paper container 30 formed in this manner is transported from the container input passage 8 towards the paper container rupture means 3. When it is drawn between the pair of rupture rollers 4 of the paper container rupture means 3, the round rod 6, which rotates in the same direction while in close proximity, presses and deforms the sides of the container body 32, causing its internal pressure to gradually increase. As a result of this internal pressure, the top folded portion 33 and the bottom folded portion 34 first peel off from the container body 32 and stand up, gradually deforming into a flat plate shape and rupturing from the weakest point. In this case, the weakest part of the paper container 30 is the end seal portion 37, and as shown in Figure 5, it ruptures from this end seal portion 37, creating a rupture opening 35. The liquid inside then flows out from this rupture opening 35 and is collected at the bottom of the recovery tank 2.

[0029] "Compression method 9" A compression means 9 is positioned downstream of the paper container bursting means 3. This compression means 9 is comprised of a pair of compression rollers 9a and 9b positioned substantially parallel to the pair of bursting rollers 4 of the paper container bursting means 3. The compression means 9 uses its pair of compression rollers 9a and 9b to compress the paper container 30, which has been discharged from the paper container bursting means 3, pressed and deformed into a flat shape, and from which the liquid has flowed out, in order to squeeze out any remaining liquid from inside the paper container 30. This compression action by the compression means 9 increases the liquid recovery rate from the paper container 30.

[0030] "Discharge Conveyor 10" The discharge conveyor 10 is installed downstream of the compression means 9 and transfers the empty paper containers 30 discharged from the compression means 9 to the container discharge path 13. It consists of a round belt conveyor 11. Of the two pulleys on this round belt conveyor 11, the upstream pulley is shared with the compression roller 9a of the compression roller 9, while the downstream pulley 12 is dedicated to this purpose. By adopting this pulley structure, cost reduction is achieved by reducing the number of parts.

[0031] Furthermore, by adopting a round belt conveyor 11 as the discharge conveyor 10, the generation of wear debris is suppressed compared to, for example, a general flat belt conveyor, and consequently, the contamination of the recovered liquid with foreign matter is prevented as much as possible.

[0032] "Method for forming a paper container 30" The paper container 30 is made using flat paper 29 as shown in Figure 6, which is folded and heat-sealed as appropriate. Specifically, the flat paper 29 has fold lines L1 to L4 that correspond to the vertical edges of the paper container 30, and fold lines L5 to L6 that correspond to the top and bottom edges of the paper container 30 are also hypothesized. Furthermore, a heat-seal line L9 is hypothesized near one edge of the flat paper 29. In addition, heat-seal lines L7 to L8 are hypothesized at the edges of the flat paper 29 on the side of each fold line L5 to L6.

[0033] The flat paper 29 is generally a blank made by laminating paper with a resin film such as polyethylene (resin film / paper / resin film), or a blank made by further laminating aluminum foil (resin film / paper / resin film / aluminum foil / resin film).

[0034] The flat paper 29 is folded along each of the fold lines L1 to L4. Furthermore, the ends of the flat paper 29 in the width direction are bonded together by heat sealing along the heat sealing line L9. This forms a rectangular box-shaped body 31 as shown in Figure 7. Subsequently, by bonding and fixing the portions of the rectangular box-shaped body 31 along the heat sealing lines L7 to L8, end seal portions 37 are formed at both the upper and lower ends of the rectangular box-shaped body 31, as shown in Figure 8, and triangular ear-shaped top-side folded portions 33 and bottom-side folded portions 34 are formed. Since these top-side folded portions 33 and bottom-side folded portions 34 extend laterally, the top-side folded portion 33 is folded downwards and the bottom-side folded portion 34 is folded inwards, and then bonded and fixed to the main body, a paper container 30 as shown in Figure 4 is obtained. [Industrial applicability]

[0035] The liquid recovery device according to the present invention can be widely used in the business field of recovering sealed liquid from products in which liquid is sealed in a paper container for liquids. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0036] 1. Liquid recovery device 2 ·· Recovery Tank 2a ··Inside the recovery tank 2b ··Collection port 3 · Paper container rupture means 4 ·· Burst Roller 5 ··Disc 6 ·· Round bar 7 ·· Rotation axis 8 ·Container input path 9. Compression methods 10 ··Discharge conveyor 11 ··Round belt conveyor 12 ·· Pulley 13 ·Container discharge path 14 ·· Washing shower nozzle 15 ··Machinery Department 16 ·· Stand 30 ··Paper container 30a ··Top surface 30b...bottom 31 · Rectangular box 32 ··Container body 33 ··Top side folded section 34 ··Folded-over section on the bottom side 35 · Rupture aperture 37 ··End seal section

Claims

1. A paper container loading means for loading a paper container filled with liquid into the device from a container loading channel with the top or bottom facing forward, A pair of burst rollers are formed by sandwiching multiple round rods between two spaced-apart, opposing discs, with the rods arranged in parallel at approximately equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the discs, and these are arranged at predetermined intervals in the radial direction of the discs. Between these pair of burst rollers is a paper container bursting means that sandwiches and bursts the side surface of a paper container inserted from the paper container input means. A liquid recovery and dispensing means for recovering liquid leaking from a ruptured paper container, A paper container discharge means for discharging the empty paper container after the above liquid has been discharged from the device, A liquid recovery device characterized by being equipped with the following features.

2. In the liquid recovery apparatus of claim 1, A liquid recovery device characterized by comprising a pair of compression rollers arranged parallel to each other at a predetermined interval and rotating between the paper container bursting means and the paper container discharge means, wherein a compression means is provided to sandwich the paper container burst by the paper container bursting means between the pair of compression rollers and compress the residual liquid inside the paper container.

3. In the liquid recovery apparatus of claim 2, A liquid recovery device characterized in that a paper container transfer means is provided between the above-mentioned compression means and the above-mentioned paper container discharge means for moving empty paper containers toward the paper container discharge means, and the paper container transfer means is a round belt conveyor equipped with a round belt.

4. In the liquid recovery apparatus of claim 1, 2, or 3, A liquid recovery device characterized in that a cleaning means for cleaning substantially the entire inside of the device is provided at the top of the device.

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