A system for recycling used clothing

Abstract

To provide a more user-friendly and efficient system for recycling clothing. A system for sorting and recycling used clothing as a first or second classification of material includes an identification unit and a recycling unit. The identification unit has a panel with an embedded processor and a spectrometer operably associated with the panel for identifying used clothing. The recycling unit has a first tank operably associated with the identification unit for containing used clothing of the first classification of material, the first tank comprising a first cover, a first body and a first bottom, the first body being slidably openable and / or closable relative to the first cover and the first bottom, and a first electronic lock disposed on the first cover. The first tank has the first electronic lock opened and / or closed in response to a command from the processor based on the material identified by the spectrometer.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to and the benefit of Taiwan Utility Model Patent Application No. 112211971, filed on November 3, 2023, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to recycling used clothing. More specifically, the disclosed invention relates to a system for automatically identifying and sorting used clothing based on its material. [Background technology]

[0003] According to a survey conducted by Greenpeace Foundation among Taiwanese people aged 20-45, more than 5.2 million pieces of clothing are discarded annually in Taiwan, which poses a great threat to the environment. Also, the solvents used in clothing manufacturing pose a threat to the environment as well as the health of garment workers. Therefore, the current trend is to provide environmentally friendly textile products by producing clothing from recycled materials.

[0004] Thus, there is a need in the related art for an improved system for recycling clothing in a more user-friendly and efficient manner. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The following presents a simplified summary of the disclosure in order to provide the reader with a basic understanding. This summary is not an exhaustive overview of the disclosure, nor does it identify key / critical elements of the invention or delineate the scope of the invention. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts disclosed herein in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.

[0006] In one aspect, the disclosure is directed to a system for recycling used clothing. The system includes an identification unit and a recycling unit coupled to the identification unit. The identification unit includes a panel having a processor built therein and a spectrometer operably associated with the panel for identifying used clothing made of a first or second classification of material. The recycling unit includes a first tank operably associated with the identification unit for containing used clothing made of the first classification of material, the first tank including a first cover, a first body, and a first bottom, the first body being slidably openable and / or closable relative to the first cover and the first bottom, and a first electronic lock disposed on the first cover.

[0007] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the identification unit is integrated into a first cover of the first tank.

[0008] According to a further embodiment of the present disclosure, the recycling unit further comprises a second tank operatively associated with the identification unit for storing used clothing of a second class of material, the second tank comprising a second cover, a second body and a second bottom, the second body being slidably openable and / or closable relative to the second cover and the second bottom, and a second electronic lock disposed on the second cover.

[0009] According to a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor of the panel issues a command to the first or second electronic lock to slide open and / or close the first or second body of the first or second tank based on the first and second classification materials of the used clothing identified by the spectrometer.

[0010] According to an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, the system further comprises a rear panel disposed on the rear of the system for displaying information. According to a specific embodiment of the present disclosure, a panel of the identification unit is disposed on the rear panel for inputting commands by a user to operate the system.

[0011] According to certain embodiments of the present disclosure, at least a portion of the first or second body of the first or second tank is made of a transparent material.

[0012] According to certain embodiments of the present disclosure, the first or second class of materials is polyester (PS) or non-polyester.

[0013] Examples of PS materials suitable for use in the present disclosure include, but are not limited to, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polypropylene terephthalate (PPT), and combinations thereof.

[0014] Examples of non-polyester materials suitable for use in the present disclosure include, but are not limited to, cotton, linen, silk, wool, leather, and combinations thereof.

[0015] According to certain embodiments of the present disclosure, the first and second tanks of the system are each made from recycled PET.

[0016] Many of the attendant features and advantages of the present disclosure will become better understood by reference to the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0017] The present disclosure will be better understood from the following detailed description read in light of the accompanying drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the present system 100 for recycling used clothing according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the present system 100 of FIG. 1 in operation. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the system 100 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, where the first and second tank bodies include transparent regions 1222a, 1262a, respectively. [Figure 4]FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the system 100 in which the tank body of the first tank 122 slides open to the first cover and the first bottom according to a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the system 200 according to an alternative embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] According to common practice, the various described features / elements are not drawn to scale but are drawn to best show the specific features / elements relevant to the present invention, and like numerals and designations in the various drawings are used to indicate like elements / portions.

[0020] The detailed description provided below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings is intended as an illustration of the example and is not intended to set forth the only manner in which the example may be constructed or utilized. The description sets forth the functions of the example and the sequence of steps for constructing and operating the example, although similar or equivalent functions and sequences may be accomplished by different examples.

[0021] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. The singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are used herein to include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Additionally, as used in this disclosure, the term "at least one" includes one, two, three, or more.

[0022] 1. This system for recycling used clothing Please refer to FIG. 1, which is a perspective view of a system 100 for recycling used clothing illustrated according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. In its structure, the system 100 comprises an identification unit 110 and a recycling unit 120 coupled to the identification unit 110. The identification unit 110 comprises a panel 112 having a processor built therein and a spectrometer 114 operably associated with the panel 112 for identifying used clothing made of a first or second classification of material. The recycling unit 120 comprises a first tank 122 and a first electronic lock 124. The first tank 122 comprises a first cover 1221, a first body 1222 and a first bottom 1224, and the first body 1222 can be slidably opened and / or closed relative to the first cover 1221 and the first bottom 1224. The first tank 122 is operably associated with the identification unit 110 for containing used clothing made of a first or second classification of material. The first electronic lock 124 is disposed on the first cover 1221 .

[0023] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the system 100 is in operation, a user first places the garment to be recycled on the spectrometer 114 of the identification unit 110, and then operates the panel 112 to command the spectrometer 114 to start scanning the garment to generate a spectrum, which is used to identify the type of raw material of the garment. If the type of material identified by the spectrum is the same as the type of material to be recycled in the first tank 122 (e.g., polyester, etc.), the built-in processor of the panel 112 of the identification unit 110 will send a command to open the first electronic lock 124, so that the user can open the first top cover 1221a of the first cover 1221 to place the garment into the first tank 122, as shown in FIG. 2. If the type of material identified by the spectrum is different from the type of material to be recycled in the first tank 122, for example, if the material to be recycled in the first tank 122 is polyester and the identified material is cotton, the built-in processor of the panel 112 of the identification unit 110 will not send a command to open the first electronic lock 124, and the first upper cover 1221a will remain locked to prevent the user from putting the used clothes into the first tank 122. In this case, the user needs to find a suitable tank to recycle the clothes, or take them home without recycling. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the light source of the spectrometer 114 may emit light in the near UV to near infrared range. Specifically, the light source of the spectrometer 114 may emit light with a wavelength ranging from about 350 nm to 2500 nm.

[0024] Please refer to FIG. 3, which is a perspective view of a system 100 for recycling used clothes, illustrated according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, the recycling unit 120 includes not one but two recycling tanks, which are first and second recycling tanks 122, 126, respectively for recycling clothes made of different types of materials, and two electronic locks (i.e., first and second electronic locks 124, 128) arranged on two covers 1221, 1261, respectively. The second recycling tank 126 is structurally similar to the first recycling tank 122, and is composed of a second cover 1261, a second body 1262 and a second bottom 1264, and the second body 1262 can be slidably opened and / or closed relative to the second cover 1261 and the second bottom 1264. The second tank 126 is operatively associated with the identification unit 110 to accommodate used clothes made of the first or second classification of materials. The second electronic lock 128 is disposed in the second cover 1261 .

[0025] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the system 100 is in operation, the user first places the garment to be recycled on the spectrometer 114 of the identification unit 110, and then operates the panel 112 to command the spectrometer 114 to start scanning the garment to generate a spectrum, which is used to identify the type of raw material of the garment. If the type of material identified by the spectrum is the same as the type of material to be recycled in the second tank 126 (e.g., cotton, etc.), the built-in processor of the panel 112 of the identification unit 110 sends a command to open the second electronic lock 128, so that the user can open the second top cover 1261a of the second cover 1261 to place the garment into the second tank 126. Also, since the type of material identified by the spectrum is different from the type of material to be recycled in the first tank 122, for example, the material to be recycled in the first tank 122 is polyester while the identified material is cotton, the built-in processor of the panel 112 of the identification unit 110 will not send a command to open the first electronic lock 124, and the first upper cover 1221a will remain in a locked state to prevent the user from putting the used clothes into the first tank 122. With this configuration, the system 100 can ensure that each recycling tank accepts clothes made of a pre-designated type of material.

[0026] The material of the garments suitable for sorting or recycling by the present system 100 may be polyester or non-polyester fibers. Examples of polyester fibers suitable for recycling by the present system include, but are not limited to, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT), and combinations thereof. Examples of non-polyester fibers suitable for recycling by the present system include, but are not limited to, cotton, linen, silk, wool, leather, and combinations thereof. According to a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, the first tank 122 is for recycling garments made of polyester fibers, and the second tank 126 is for recycling garments made of non-polyester fibers.

[0027] Optionally or alternatively, the system 100 may further comprise a rear panel 130 located on the rear side of the system for displaying information (e.g., instructions on how to operate the system, advertisements, etc.) or for mounting an identification unit 110 thereon, which panel allows a user to input commands to operate the system.

[0028] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first and second bodies 1222, 1262 of the first and second recycling tanks 122, 126 are provided with first and second transparent areas 1222a, 1262a made of transparent material, respectively (FIG. 3), so that a user or staff of the system can visually inspect the contents of each recycling tank without opening the tank. For example, when the first recycling tank 122 is full, the staff can operate the panel 112 by commanding the system to unlock the first electronic lock 124, which allows the staff to slide open the first tank body 1222 to separate at least a portion of the first tank body 1222 from the first cover 1221 and the first bottom 1224 (FIG. 4) and collect the used clothes therein.

[0029] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, both the first and second recycling tanks of the system are made from recycled plastic (eg, recycled PET).

[0030] 2. Alternative Forms of the System In the embodiment described herein above under "1. The present system for recycling used clothing", the identification unit exists separately from the recycling unit. In this embodiment, the system differs from the above-mentioned embodiment in that the identification unit is integrated into the recycling tank.

[0031] 5, which is a perspective view of a system 200 for recycling used clothing, as illustrated in accordance with this alternative embodiment. System 200 comprises the same components as described above for system 100, except for the location of an identification unit 210. In this particular embodiment, identification unit 210 comprises a panel 212 having a processor (not shown) built therein and a spectrometer 214 operatively associated with panel 212 for identifying used clothing made of first or second classifications of material, and is integrated into cover 2221 of first tank 222.

[0032] Similar to the operation of the system 100 described in “1. The present system for recycling used clothing” herein, to operate the system 200, the user first places the garment to be recycled on the spectrometer 214 of the identification unit 210, and then operates the panel 212 to command the spectrometer 214 to start scanning the garment and generating a spectrum. If the type of material identified by the spectrum is the same as the type of material to be recycled in the first tank 222 (e.g., cotton, etc.), the built-in processor of the panel 212 of the identification unit 210 sends a command to open the electronic lock (not visible from FIG. 5 ), so that the user can open the entrance of the first cover 2221 and place the garment into the first tank 222, which is composed of the first cover 2221, the first body 2222, and the first bottom 2224. Furthermore, since the type of material identified by the spectrum is different from the type of material to be recycled in the first tank 222 but is the same as the type of material to be recycled in the second tank 226, the built-in processor of the panel 212 of the identification unit 210 sends a command to open only the second electronic lock (not visible in FIG. 5), and the entrance of the second cover 2261 opens, allowing the user to deposit the used clothes into the second tank 226. With this configuration, the system 200 can ensure that each recycling tank accepts clothes made of a pre-specified type of material.

[0033] It should be understood that the above description of the embodiments is given by way of example only, and that various modifications may be made by those skilled in the art. The above specification, examples and data provide a complete description of the structure and use of the exemplary embodiments of the invention. Although various embodiments of the invention have been described with a certain degree of specificity or with reference to one or more specific embodiments, those skilled in the art may make numerous modifications to the disclosed embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A system for recycling used clothing, comprising: An identification unit, a panel having an embedded processor; a spectrometer operatively associated with the panel for identifying the used clothing as being made of a first or second material classification; An identification unit comprising: A recycling unit, comprising: a first tank operably associated with the identification unit for containing the used clothes made of the first classification of material, the first tank comprising a first cover, a first body and a first bottom, the first body being slidably openable and / or closable relative to the first cover and the first bottom; a first electronic lock disposed on the first cover; A recycling unit comprising: Equipped with The first tank is opened and / or closed by the first electronic lock upon command of the processor based on the first or second classification of material identified by the spectrometer.

2. The recycling unit comprises: a second tank operatively associated with the identification unit for containing the second classification of used clothing, the second tank comprising a second cover, a second body and a second bottom, the second body being slidably openable and / or closable relative to the second cover and the second bottom; a second electronic lock disposed on the second cover; Further equipped with 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the second tank is opened or closed by the second electronic lock in response to the command of the processor based on the first or second classification of material identified by the spectrometer.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the identification unit is integrated into the first cover of the first tank.

4. The system of claim 2 , further comprising a back panel disposed on a back side of the system.

5. The system of claim 2 , wherein the first or second class of material is polyester (PS) or non-polyester.

6. 6. The system of claim 5, wherein the PS is any one of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polypropylene terephthalate (PPT), or a combination thereof.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the non-polyester is any one of cotton, linen, silk, wool, leather, or combinations thereof.

8. 3. The system of claim 2, wherein the first and second tanks are independently made from recycled PET.

9. The system of claim 2 , wherein the first and second bodies each include a transparent window made of a transparent material.

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