Container capacity reduction device

Abstract

To solve the problem of a conventional container volume-reduction device in which a drinking port part of a PET bottle is separated from a body part and lost, and as a result, it is scattered and causes loss of recycling and the fragments enter into a machine to cause a failure.SOLUTION: A container volume-reduction device comprises a volume-reduction part for reducing volume of an empty container by sandwiching the same with a first rotary member and a second rotary member facing each other. The second rotary member is arranged at a rotary frame, in which a shaft of the second rotary member can move, so as to be separated from the first rotary member when a drinking port of a PET bottle as the empty container is sandwiched between the second rotary member and the first rotary member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 17

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a container volume reduction device. [Background technology]

[0002] A container volume reduction device that collects empty containers is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). As shown in Fig. 19, this container volume reduction device uses a pair of compression rollers with blade surfaces on the axial side to strongly crush the entire PET bottle, thereby reducing the volume of the PET bottle and storing it in a container. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-70130 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the above-mentioned container volume reduction device, unlike the soft and elastic main body of the PET bottle, the rigid mouth of the PET bottle is crushed by the strong force of the compression roller and may be lost from the main body. The mouth of the PET bottle contains a lot of PET material, but in the past, this part was often crushed and destroyed, resulting in recycling loss due to scattering, and the fragments getting into the machine and causing malfunctions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The container volume reduction device of the present invention has at least the following configuration. a volume reducing section that reduces the volume of a plastic bottle inserted into the insertion port by sandwiching the plastic bottle between a first rotating member and a second rotating member that face each other; A guide section that is upstream of the volume reducing section and guides the plastic bottle inserted into the insertion port to the volume reducing section; A push-in section for pushing the PET bottle into the volume reducing section, The volume reducing unit is configured such that the first rotating member and the second rotating member are obliquely opposed to each other by setting the installation heights of the respective rotating shafts to be different, The guide unit is a U-shaped chute arranged obliquely from the insertion port toward the volume reduction unit, and slides the inserted PET bottle and guides it to the center of the volume reduction unit in that position. The pushing portion is disposed in an opening portion facing a bottom plate of the guide portion, and pushes the plastic bottle that has reached the volume reducing portion between the first rotating member and the second rotating member. fruit, The insertion port has a concave opening / closing member that changes from a closed state to an open state when the drinking spout of the PET bottle is inserted, and a detection unit that detects when the PET bottle with the cap removed is inserted into the concave portion of the opening / closing member, When the detection unit detects that a plastic bottle with a cap removed is inserted, the opening / closing member is displaced to the open state. The container volume reduction device is characterized by the above. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of an empty container recovery device as a container volume reduction device according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the right front. [Diagram 2] This is an oblique view of an empty container recovery device as a container volume reduction device according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the right front with the panel removed. [Diagram 3] This is an oblique view of an empty container recovery device as a container volume reduction device according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the rear right with the panel removed. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a top view of an empty container recovery device as a container volume reduction device according to an embodiment of the present invention, with the panel removed. [Diagram 5] This is a rear view of an empty container recovery device as a container volume reduction device according to an embodiment of the present invention, with the panel removed. [Figure 6] This is a right side view of an empty container recovery device as a container volume reduction device according to an embodiment of the present invention, with the panel removed. [Figure 7] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional side view taken along line AA in FIG. 5. [Figure 8]FIG. [Figure 9] 9 is a sectional side view taken along line AA of FIG. 8, showing a side sectional view of the container insertion portion. [Figure 10] This is an enlarged view (photo) of the gate area. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the volume reduction section 3 as seen from the right front. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the volume reduction section 3 as seen from the right rear. [Figure 13] FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a right side view of the volume reduction section 3. [Figure 16] 15 is a side cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 14, showing a state in which the empty container A is not present. [Figure 17] 15 is a side cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 14, showing a state in which an empty container A is present. [Figure 18] This is a view (photograph) of the left side of the volume reduction section 3, viewed from slightly above. [Figure 19] 1 is a side cross-sectional view showing a volume reduction section 5 of a conventional container volume reduction device. [Figure 20] 13 is a front view showing the concept of an empty container recovery device as a container volume reduction device according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0007] A container volume reduction device according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a volume reduction section that reduces the volume of an empty container by clamping it between a first rotating member and a second rotating member that face each other, and is characterized in that the second rotating member is arranged on a rotating frame that allows the axis of the second rotating member to move away from the first rotating member when the drinking spout of a PET bottle as the empty container is clamped between the second rotating member and the first rotating member.

[0008] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The embodiment of the present invention includes the contents shown in the drawings, but is not limited thereto. In the following description of each drawing, parts common to parts already described will be given the same reference numerals and some duplicated description will be omitted. As an example of a container volume reducing device according to an embodiment of the present invention, an empty container recovery device (also called an article recovery device) will be described.

[0009] (Overall configuration of the item recovery device) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an empty container recovery device 1, which is an article recovery device according to an embodiment of the present invention and recovers empty containers (PET bottles, etc.) to be recovered, as viewed from the right front. In the empty container recovery device 1 of this embodiment, an empty container A is inserted from an insertion port 21 of a container insertion unit 2 provided on the upper part of the device main body 1B in a slightly inclined direction with the drinking spout facing downward. In the empty container recovery device 1, the rotary shutter 22 of the container insertion unit 2 is in a closed state during standby. 22 is disk-shaped, and a part of the disk is cut out as a small circular hole 221 centered at a position offset from the center of the disk. By rotating the disk, it is possible to create a state in which the hole 221 is located at the insertion port 21 of the container insertion unit 2 and a state in which it is not located, and the rotary shutter 22 is opened and closed by the rotation of the disk. As described above, during standby, the rotary shutter 22 is in a closed state, but in FIG. 1, for the purpose of explanation, a moment when the shutter is in the middle of opening (or closing) is depicted. Furthermore, although not shown in Figure 1, two gates 23 that open like a double door in the direction in which empty containers are inserted are arranged inside the rotary shutter 22. The rotary shutter 22 opens first, and then the gate 23 opens, allowing empty containers to be inserted.

[0010] A container storage section 4 is provided approximately at the bottom of the empty container recovery device 1. In this embodiment, the empty container recovery device 1 is provided with a volume reduction section 3 (volume reduction mechanism) between the container input section 2 and the container storage section 4 (not shown in FIG. 1). The volume reduction section 3 crushes the empty containers A from the container input section 2 to reduce their volume, and outputs the reduced containers to the container storage section 4 below. A light-transmitting section 1A (light-transmitting window) is provided below the front side of the device main body section 1B, and is configured to allow the empty containers stored in the container storage section 4 to be visually observed from the outside. A touch panel 1T and a printer 1P are provided on the upper front side of the device main body 1B. The touch panel 1T is configured to display various messages and perform various operations to receive additional services. The printer 1P can be used to print and issue coupons and the like as benefits in response to the collection of empty containers, as well as to print and issue status information and maintenance information of the empty container collection device 1 as an additional means for the display means or as a backup means. A control unit (not shown) is provided inside the device main body 1B, which receives and processes information from various sensors, controls various operating mechanisms, and generally controls the display function and input operation function of the touch panel 1T and the print output function of the printer 1P. Of course, the control unit, the touch panel 1T, and the printer 1P can also be configured as separate main control boards and sub control boards.

[0011] In the following, in order to facilitate a better understanding of the internal mechanism, a description will be given using a diagram of the empty container recovery device 1 in FIG. 1 with the front, side and top panels and the container storage section 4 removed. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the empty container recovery device 1 as seen from the right front. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the same as seen from the right rear. The rotary shutter 22 and gate 23 are also shown in an open state so that the internal mechanisms can be seen. From Figs. 2 and 3, it can be seen that the volume reduction section 3 (volume reduction mechanism) arranged between the container insertion section 2 and the container storage section 4 is located approximately in the center of the upper half area of ​​the device main body section 1B.

[0012] 4, 5 and 6 are a top view, a rear view and a right side view of the empty container recovery device 1. From Fig. 4, it can be seen that the above-mentioned rotary shutter 22 is a disk having a small circular hole 221 centered at a position offset from the center of the disk.

[0013] Fig. 7 is a side cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 5. Fig. 7(a) shows a side cross-sectional view of the entire device, and below the gate 23, a chute 24 is provided to guide the empty container A that has passed through the gate 23 to the volume reduction section 3. The chute 24 is disposed so that a slightly open U-shaped member is installed at an angle, with both left and right side panels at an obtuse angle relative to the bottom panel. Due to this shape, the empty container A is guided to the center of the left and right of the volume reduction section 3. Here, three empty containers A of different sizes are depicted for the sake of explanation, but in reality, this is not something that can happen, and only one empty container A is positioned in the chute 24.

[0014] Fig. 7(b) is a process diagram showing how gate 23, which is a part of part B in Fig. 7(a), opens like a double door in the direction of empty container insertion, and empty container A is inserted into the device. As will be described in detail later, an optical sensor 231 for detecting the presence or absence of an object is provided corresponding to gate 23. When optical sensor 231 detects the drinking spout of empty container A, gate 23 opens.

[0015] (Configuration of container insertion section) FIG. 8 is a top view showing only the mechanism part of the empty container A insertion part in FIG. 4. In standby, the rotary shutter 22 of the article insertion part is in a closed state, but here, for the sake of explanation, the rotary shutter 22 is in an open state and the gate 23 located at the back side is in a closed state. The rotary shutter 22 is a disk that rotates around a center part by a drive mechanism not shown. In addition, the rotary shutter 22 is provided with a small circular hole 221 whose center is a position where a part of the disk is biased from the center of the disk. When the hole 221 faces the insertion port 21, the rotary shutter 22 is in an open state, and when it does not face the insertion port, it is in a closed state. The reason for the two-stage door configuration by the rotary shutter 22 and the gate 23 is from the consideration of safety so that the operator does not insert his hand by mistake. However, it is quite possible to omit the rotary shutter 22 by taking other measures such as increasing the height position of the insertion port so that it is difficult to insert a hand. Incidentally, one of the major advantages of the container insertion unit of the embodiment of the present invention is that it is a contactless insertion method that does not require the user to touch the device with their hands. This is not only convenient, but also serves as a measure against various infectious diseases such as COVID-19.

[0016] Fig. 9 is a side cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 8. In the side cross-sectional view of Fig. 9, an empty container A is indicated by a dotted line. At the right position where the empty container A is not shown, a part of a disk as the rotary shutter 22 is shown, but at the left position where the empty container A is shown, the hole 221 of the rotary shutter 22 is located, so the disk of the rotary shutter 22 is not shown.

[0017] When the drinking spout is located at the gate 23 and the empty container A has a label still attached thereon, a transparent body sensor 222 is provided at a position facing the location of the label for detecting the empty container A. As the transparent body sensor 222, various types can be used, such as a recursive reflection type sensor with a small hysteresis distance, a photoelectric sensor for detecting PET bottles (hereinafter simply referred to as a "PET sensor") that detects birefringence, and an ultrasonic sensor. A PET sensor is convenient because it can effectively distinguish between glass bottles with low birefringence and PET bottles with high birefringence. Furthermore, a PET sensor will not detect an empty container A with a label still attached, but will detect an empty container A from which the label has been properly peeled off. For this reason, a PET sensor is used as the transparent body sensor 222 in this embodiment.

[0018] A gate 23 is disposed at the back side of the rotary shutter 22. The gate 23 is a pair of doors that open in the empty container insertion direction. When viewed from the front from the insertion direction, each door has a semicircular shape, but its three-dimensional shape is somewhat unique. That is, as can be seen from Figs. 8 and 9, while the center has a recess 233 shaped like a mortar or cup, the bottom of the recess 233 is not flat, and a triangular beak is inverted from the bottom toward the front side in the insertion direction, forming a protrusion 232 that protrudes toward the front side in the insertion direction. For this reason, an empty container A to be collected that has had its cap removed can be inserted to the back end of the recess 233 of the gate 23 with the protrusion 232 entering the drinking spout, but an empty container with a bottle cap still attached cannot be inserted to the back end of the recess 233 of the gate 23 because the protrusion 232 hits the cap. Furthermore, even if the empty container A has had its bottle cap removed, if the empty container is not of the appropriate size and is not eligible for collection, such as an aluminum bottle can, the diameter of the drinking spout is larger than that of a plastic bottle, and therefore the drinking spout cannot fit into the recess 233.

[0019] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 10, the bottom of the convex portion 232 and the concave portion 233 is cut out at the position where the two doors face each other, and the transmissive optical proximity sensor 231 is provided as the gate detection unit 231 so that the optical path is located at the cut-out position. The transmissive optical proximity sensor 231 is associated so as to trigger the opening and closing operation of the gate 23. As described above, only an empty container A that is a proper collection target and has a removed bottle cap can block the optical path of the transmissive optical proximity sensor 231. The embodiment of the present invention is not limited to this, but can clearly distinguish between a proper collection target and a non-collection target by such a special shape of the gate and a configuration of the sensor arrangement. Further conditions are set as conditions for opening the gate 23. That is, the control unit performs control so that the gate 23 does not open unless the transparent body sensor 222 (PET sensor) continues to detect a transparent body when the transmissive optical proximity sensor 231 detects an object. Even if the empty container A is a proper collection target, if the label is still attached to the side, the transparent body sensor 222 (PET sensor) cannot detect the transparent body due to the presence of the side label even if the drinking spout reaches the recess 233 of the gate 23. With this configuration, the gate 23 is opened and the collection operation is performed only when an empty container A that is a proper collection target, has its bottle cap removed, and its side label peeled off, is inserted. The transmission type optical proximity sensor 231 is advantageous in terms of arrangement structure because the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit can be provided at a position away from the gate 23. On the other hand, when a reflection type optical proximity sensor is used, it is advantageous in terms of electrical wiring because only one element is required to be provided on the gate 23 itself. Note that, when the transmission type optical proximity sensor 231 does not detect the drinking spout after the PET sensor detects the target once, the control unit controls the touch panel 1T to display a message such as "Is the cap still attached? Please remove the cap and insert it into the collection port." Also, when the transparent object sensor 222 (PET sensor) is no longer able to detect the transparent object even if the drinking spout reaches the recess 233 of the gate 23, the control unit sends a message saying, "Is there still a label on the bottle? Please remove the label before placing the bottle in the collection port.The system controls the display of messages such as " on Touch Panel 1T.

[0020] As described above, the recess 233 and the protrusion 232 work together to distinguish between items that are to be properly recycled and items that are not to be recycled, but an embodiment in which only the recess 233 is provided on two flat doors without the protrusion 232 may also be used. If the diameter of the recess 233 is large enough that a cap cannot be fitted but a drinking spout can be fitted, the desired object can be achieved. In other words, this specification also discloses a technical idea in which the protrusion 232 is not essential.

[0021] Now, in the conventional article recovery device, a metal sensor or a weight sensor was required to detect non-recovery objects such as empty cans and bottles, but in the embodiment of the present invention, only two sensors, a PET sensor and an optical proximity sensor, are required to realize proper recovery work, so that the device can be made compact without increasing in size. Also, in the conventional article recovery device in which the empty container is laid horizontally, the empty container is often inserted with the beverage remaining in it. For this reason, it was necessary to provide a structure for drainage in the device. In the embodiment of the present invention, the empty container is inserted with the spout facing down, so that the empty container is almost never inserted with the beverage remaining in it. A special structure for drainage is not required, which also contributes to the compactness of the device. And, above all, inserting the empty container vertically instead of horizontally contributes to the compactness of the device. Each of the elements of the embodiments of the present invention is closely related to making the device more compact, but it is not the case that the effect will not be realized if all of the elements are not present. The highest concept is the technical idea of ​​inserting an empty container by pushing the spout against the recess in the gate, and the inventive and technical ideas are built up in stages from there.

[0022] (Configuration of volume reduction section) Figure 11 is a perspective view of the volume reduction section 3 as viewed from the front right, and Figure 12 is a perspective view of the volume reduction section 3 as viewed from the rear right. Figures 13, 14, and 15 are a top view, a rear view, and a right side view of the volume reduction section 3. Figures 16 and 17 are all side cross-sectional views taken along line AA in Figure 14, but each shows a different state. Figure 18 is a view (photograph) of the left side as viewed from slightly above.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 11, the volume reduction unit 3 has a structure in which a pair of rotating shafts 311 and 321 are rotatably supported, and this structure plays a main role in reducing the volume of the empty container A. The rotating shaft 311 is supported on two side surfaces of the casing 31. Meanwhile, the rotating shaft 321 is supported on two side surfaces of the auxiliary casing 32. The casing 31 is fixed to the bottom plate of the volume reduction unit 3 fixed to the frame of the device main body 1B, while the auxiliary casing 32 is not fixed to the bottom plate, but is supported on the casing 31 with the rotating shaft 331 located at the upper rear side of the casing 31 as a fulcrum. With this support structure, the auxiliary casing 32 is configured as a rotating frame that can swing backward so as to move away from the casing 31, and the rotating shaft 321 is configured to be movable so as to move away from the rotating shaft 311. However, as shown in Fig. 12, the auxiliary casing 32 and the bottom plate of the volume reducing unit 3 fixed to the frame of the device main body 1B are connected by six coil springs 35, so that the auxiliary casing 32 is always biased forward. The type and number of the coil springs 35 are arbitrary, and the type and number of the coil springs 35 are set so that the biasing force is a desired magnitude. The desired magnitude of the biasing force will be described later. The arrangement is also arbitrary. In Fig. 12, three coil springs are provided so as to be located on the left and right outer sides of the auxiliary casing 32, but they can also be provided so as to be located on the inside of the auxiliary casing 32.

[0024] In the axial direction of the rotating shaft 311, a compression roller 313, a sprocket 312, and another compression roller 313 are arranged in this order, forming a complex. This complex is the first rotating member. In the axial direction of the rotating shaft 321, a compression roller 323, a sprocket 322, and another compression roller 323 are arranged in this order, also forming a complex. This complex is the second rotating member. The empty container A is reduced in volume by being sandwiched between the first rotating member and the second rotating member. The reason why the central portion is configured as a sprocket is to obtain a propulsive force for reliably pushing the empty container A backward. On the other hand, the reason why both end portions are configured as rollers is that it is sufficient to grip the central portion to obtain a propulsive force, and it is desired to increase the effect of pressing in other ranges. In the empty container recovery device 1 of this embodiment, the sprocket 312 of the first rotating member has three rows of blades, and the sprocket of the second rotating member has two rows of blades arranged in a staggered nested manner, but the number of blade rows is not limited to this and can be set to an appropriate number. Also, in the empty container recovery device 1 of this embodiment, the compression roller 313 of the first rotating member is a truncated cone shape with a wider diameter on the inside, while the compression roller 323 of the second rotating member is a truncated cone shape with a wider diameter on the outside.

[0025] The rotating shaft 331, which is the fulcrum of the auxiliary casing 32 with respect to the casing 31, also serves as a drive shaft of the feed mechanism 33 for forcibly feeding the empty container A downward where the rotating shafts 311 and 321 are present. That is, the rotating shaft 331 of the feed mechanism 33 is fixed to both the casing 31 and the auxiliary casing 32 in a manner penetrating both cases. As shown in FIG. 16, the feed mechanism 33 has two blades 332 (made of metal or resin, etc.) as paddles on the rotating shaft 331. In addition, the tip of each blade 332 is formed in a V-shape. In the feed mechanism 33, the blades 332 rotate around the rotating shaft 331 as a rotation center by the rotation of the rotating shaft 331, and forcibly guide the empty container A downward. At that time, the V-shape of the blades 332 can properly guide the empty container A to the center of the volume reducing section 3.

[0026] A chute 24 is provided at the top of the volume reduction section 3 to guide empty containers A that have passed through the gate 23 to the volume reduction section 3 (not shown in Figs. 11-17, but shown in Figs. 6 and 7). The chute 24 is disposed so that a slightly open U-shaped member is installed at an angle, with both side panels at an obtuse angle to the bottom panel. This shape cooperates with the V-shaped blade section 332 described above to contribute to guiding empty containers A to the center of the volume reduction section 3.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 13, sprockets are provided near the left end of each of the rotating shafts 311, 321, and 331 (the shaft end is located at the top in FIG. 13). Although shown in a detached state in FIG. 13, a chain is stretched around these three sprockets, and the chain is also stretched around a sprocket near the shaft end of the driving motor 34. In this way, the driving force of the driving motor 34 is transmitted to the rotating shafts 311, 321, and 331. At that time, the chain is stretched around each sprocket so that the rotating shafts 311 and 321 rotate in opposite directions (see also FIG. 18). A sensor 36 is provided below the auxiliary casing 32, and is capable of directly or indirectly detecting the amount of rotation of the auxiliary casing 32 relative to the casing 31. The measurement results of the amount of rotation of the auxiliary casing 32 detected by the sensor 36 are transmitted to a control unit (not shown) and stored in chronological order in a memory unit in the control unit.

[0028] (Volume reduction process of empty containers) When the empty container A is judged to be an appropriate collection target and the gate 23 opens, the drive motor 34 starts operating, and the drive force is transmitted to the rotating shaft 311, the rotating shaft 321, and the rotating shaft 331. As shown in FIG. 7, the empty container A that has passed through the gate 23 is guided so that the tip of the empty container A comes to the center where the sprockets 312 and 322 are arranged, due to the overall shape of the shape in which the left and right side plates are at an obtuse angle with respect to the bottom plate of the chute 24 and the U-shape is slightly open. When the drinking spout portion, which is the tip of the empty container A, is pulled in while being caught between the sprockets 312 and 322 that rotate in opposite directions, the main body of the empty container A is also pulled in between the sprockets 312 and 322, but since the main body of the empty container A has a certain width, the left and right width ends are sandwiched between the compression rollers 313 and 323. At this time, to prevent the tip of the empty container A from being bounced off, the rotating action of the feed mechanism 33 causes the paddle blades 332 to push the empty container A from behind, reliably moving the empty container A downward. In addition, the V-shaped tip of the rotating paddle blades 332 keeps the empty container A in the center position, so the spout will not be bounced off and the empty container A will not move out of the center position.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 16, when the empty container A is not present, the axial distance between the rotating shaft 311 and the rotating shaft 321 is close to each other so that the blades of the sprockets 312 and 322 are staggered. However, when the drinking spout, which is the tip of the empty container A, is positioned, the force of the hard drinking spout pushing the sprocket 322 and the auxiliary casing 32 apart overcomes the biasing force of the coil spring 35, and the auxiliary casing 32 is swung backward as shown in FIG. 17. When the drinking spout passes between the sprockets, the soft main body of the empty container A cannot overcome the biasing force of the coil spring 35, and the main body is crushed without fail. However, since the bottom of the main body is difficult to crush and has a certain degree of hardness, the auxiliary casing 32 is swung slightly backward, although not as much as when the drinking spout is present. Since the hardness of the bottom varies depending on the type of empty container A, the degree of swing of the auxiliary casing 32 varies depending on the type of empty container A.

[0030] The desired magnitude of the biasing force will be described later. The magnitude of this biasing force is such that the main body of the empty container A overcomes the force that tries to swing the auxiliary casing 32, but the drinking spout of the empty container A cannot overcome the force that tries to swing the auxiliary casing 32. However, it does not matter if the drinking spout is deformed when the drinking spout passes through, as long as it is limited to a degree that does not break the drinking spout. The composite spring constant of the multiple coil springs is set so that the magnitude of the negative force is such. The characteristic of the volume reduction part of this embodiment can be expressed simply as a volume reduction mechanism that escapes backward. However, it can be easily understood that the same effect can be achieved even if the front and rear positions are reversed, that is, if the volume reduction mechanism is configured to escape forward. Naturally, such an embodiment is also included in the present invention.

[0031] In a conventional article recovery device that does not have a volume reduction mechanism that escapes backward, the drinking spout portion is severely damaged and sometimes even shattered. In addition, if the connection portion between the drinking spout and the main body is damaged, the drinking spout portion may be separated. In such a case, even if the drinking spout portion is included when the reduced bottles are bundled into a bale shape, only the drinking spout may fall and be lost during storage or transportation by truck. Although the drinking spout of a PET bottle contains a large amount of PET material, the value of the reduced container that is collected because most of the drinking spout is lost is treated as having decreased as a recyclable resource. In the article recovery device 1 of this embodiment, the volume reduction of the main body portion of the empty container A begins after the drinking spout portion has passed, so it is possible to recover the reduced container with the drinking spout still firmly connected to the main body without being damaged.

[0032] The compression roller 313 is a truncated cone shape with a wider diameter on the inside, while the compression roller 323 attached to the rotating shaft 321 is a truncated cone shape with a wider diameter on the outside, so the shape of the reduced container is a boat shape with the left and right ends rising higher than the center and extending in the longitudinal direction. If the reduced container is not shaped like this boat and is simply crushed flat, it may warp in the longitudinal direction. There was a problem of bulkiness when stacking a large number of reduced containers, but this can be solved by eliminating the warping.

[0033] In the article recovery device 1 of this embodiment, the amount of rotation of the auxiliary casing 32 toward the rear when the drinking spout portion passes through the sprocket portion is always approximately the same. This is because the size of the drinking spout portion is the same regardless of the capacity of the PET bottle container. On the other hand, the amount of rotation when the bottom portion of the empty container A passes through the sprocket portion varies depending on the size and type of the empty container A, but the amount of rotation is smaller than the amount of rotation when the drinking spout passes. The reason is that although the resistance force when the bottom portion passes through varies depending on the size and type of the empty container A, it is smaller than the resistance force when the drinking spout portion passes through. A sensor 36 is provided below the auxiliary casing 32 so that the empty container A that has passed and been recovered can be analyzed by utilizing this difference, and the information can be accumulated and used. The sensor 36 of this embodiment may be, for example, a distance sensor, or a line sensor that detects the angle. As long as the amount of rotation of the auxiliary casing 32 can be obtained directly or indirectly, any detection method is acceptable. The detected information is stored in a memory unit in a control unit (not shown) and can be used as information about the collected resources. For example, it is possible to determine the size and hardness of empty container A based on the difference in the amount of small rotations after a certain amount of rotation caused by the passage of the drinking spout, and calculate the total weight of the collected empty containers. Even for the same bottle size, hard bottles are generally heavier and soft bottles are lighter, so the harder the bottle, the greater the amount of rotation. Furthermore, the analysis will be more accurate if the amount of rotation for each empty container is not simply measured, but the time lag from when the mouth of the container passes until when the bottom of the container passes is measured and stored as time information. The time lag will naturally differ depending on the container capacity, such as 500 ml or 2 liters, so if the analysis is performed by combining this time difference with the amount of rotation, it will be possible to calculate the weight more accurately.

[0034] (Configuration of the volume reduction unit of a conventional article recovery device for reference) FIG. 19 is a side cross-sectional view showing the inside of a conventional article recovery device 5. In this article recovery device, an empty container is placed on a placement section in a horizontal state, and then taken into the article recovery device, where the empty container is sandwiched between compression rollers and crushed to become a container in a reduced state and stored. As shown in FIG. 19, the empty container taken in in a horizontal state is sent to a pair of compression rollers supported by a rotating shaft 511 and a rotating shaft 521 by the rotation of three paddles 53 of the feed mechanism. The compression roller has a blade surface on the axial side and has an uneven surface, but basically has a similar shape in the longitudinal direction (width direction in terms of the device) of the empty container that is laid horizontally. If a volume reduction mechanism that simply escapes backwards is applied to this compression roller, one of the compression rollers will retreat backwards due to the drinking spout, and the essential volume reduction effect of the PET bottle body will be insufficient.

[0035] (Configuration of the volume reducing section of the article recovery device according to another embodiment) Therefore, a volume reduction device as an article recovery device according to another embodiment of the present invention employs the following configuration. That is, as conceptually shown in Fig. 20, a plurality of volume reduction sections 6 (volume reduction mechanisms) that escape to the rear are provided across the width of the device, and the rear compression rollers of each volume reduction mechanism are configured to be able to independently retreat to the rear. When placing an empty container on the placement section, the location of the drinking spout in the left-right direction changes depending on whether the drinking spout is placed on the left or right side or the size of the empty container. However, according to the volume reduction device according to another embodiment, only one of the plurality of volume reduction mechanisms corresponding to the drinking spout retreats to the rear to prevent damage to the drinking spout, while the other volume reduction mechanisms are not retreated, so that the body of the PET bottle can be reliably reduced in volume. The front compression rollers may be provided in multiple positions corresponding to the rear compression rollers, or a single compression roller may be provided across the entire width of the device. It is essential that the rear compression rollers can be retracted individually, and it goes without saying that the desired effect can be achieved even with a single front compression roller.

[0036] <Overview of the embodiment> [Technical field] The present invention relates to an article retrieval device. [Background technology] A container volume reduction device that collects empty containers is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This container volume reduction device uses a pair of compression rollers with blade surfaces on the axial side to strongly crush the entire PET bottle, reducing the volume of the PET bottle and storing it in a container. [Prior art document] [Patent documents] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-70130 A [Summary of the invention] [Problem to be solved by the invention] However, in the above-mentioned container volume reduction device, unlike the soft and elastic main body of the PET bottle, the rigid mouth of the PET bottle is crushed by the strong force of the compression roller and may be lost from the main body. The mouth of the PET bottle contains a lot of PET material, but in the past, this part was often crushed and destroyed, resulting in recycling loss due to scattering, and the fragments getting into the machine and causing malfunctions. [Means for solving the problem] (1) As described above, one aspect of this embodiment is a container volume reduction device (empty container recovery device 1) comprising: a volume reduction section 3 that reduces the volume of an empty container by clamping it between opposing first rotating member (sprocket 312, compression roller 313) and second rotating member (sprocket 322, compression roller 323), and the second rotating member (sprocket 322, compression roller 323) is arranged on a rotating frame (auxiliary casing 32) that allows the axis of the second rotating member (sprocket 322, compression roller 323) to move away from the first rotating member (sprocket 312, compression roller 313) when the drinking spout of a PET bottle as the empty container is clamped between the second rotating member (sprocket 322, compression roller 323) and the first rotating member (sprocket 312, compression roller 313).

[0037] According to the above configuration, reduction in volume of the main body of the empty container A begins after the drinking spout portion has passed, so that the reduced volume container can be collected with the drinking spout still firmly connected to the main body without being damaged.

[0038] (2) One aspect of this embodiment is that in the container volume reduction device (empty container recovery device 1) described in (1), the rotating frame (auxiliary casing 32) is provided with a biasing member (coil spring 35) that biases the second rotating member (sprocket 322, compression roller 323) toward the first rotating member (sprocket 312, compression roller 313). According to the above configuration, the backward comparison of the second rotating member when it passes through the drinking spout portion can be realized with a simple configuration without using a separate dedicated sensor.

[0039] (3) One aspect of this embodiment is that in the container volume reduction device (empty container recovery device 1) described in (1) or (2), the biasing force of the biasing member (coil spring 35) is set based on the hardness of the drinking spout of the PET bottle serving as the empty container. According to the above configuration, the second rotating member can be appropriately retracted rearward when passing the drinking spout portion, and can be appropriately returned to the front after passing the drinking spout portion.

[0040] (4) One aspect of this embodiment is a container volume reduction device (empty container recovery device) described in any one of (1) to (3), further comprising an input section for inputting empty containers sideways, and the second rotating members are provided in multiple units across the width of the device to correspond to the full width of the empty containers input sideways, and each of the multiple second rotating members is configured to be able to move away from the first rotating member independently. According to the above configuration, in a container recovery device in which an empty container is placed on a loading section in a horizontal position and then taken into the item recovery device, the reduced volume container can be recovered with the drinking spout still firmly connected to the main body without being damaged.

[0041] (5) One aspect of this embodiment is a container volume reduction device (empty container recovery device 1) described in any one of (1) to (4), which is equipped with a measurement unit (sensor 36) that measures the amount of movement of the second rotating member (sprocket 322, compression roller 323) or the amount of rotation of the rotating frame (auxiliary casing 32), and a memory unit that stores the measurement results by the measurement unit (sensor 36). According to the above configuration, the measurement result of the amount of rotation can be recorded and used for later analysis.

[0042] (6) One aspect of this embodiment is that, in the container volume reduction device (empty container recovery device 1) described in (5), it has a weight calculation unit that calculates the weight of the empty container inserted based on the amount of movement of the second member or the amount of rotation of the rotating frame measured by the measurement unit, which is stored in the memory unit. According to the above-mentioned configuration, the total weight of the collected materials can be grasped, which is convenient for managing the collected resources.

[0043] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configurations are not limited to these embodiments, and the present invention also includes design changes and the like that do not deviate from the gist of the present invention. In addition, the embodiments shown in the above-mentioned drawings can be combined with each other as long as there is no particular contradiction or problem in the purpose, configuration, etc. Furthermore, the contents of each drawing may be independent embodiments, and the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to one embodiment obtained by combining the drawings.

[0044] In the above embodiment, the empty container is configured to be inserted in a direction close to vertical, but if the depth direction of the place where the device is placed can be secured, and the empty container is inserted in a front-back direction rather than a left-right direction, it may be configured to be inserted in a direction closer to horizontal, lying down. In other words, the technical idea is to open the gate when the mouth of the empty container becomes stuck in the recess, and an insertion direction close to vertical is not required. However, if the insertion direction is close to horizontal, a shutter of a different type other than a rotating shutter would be more suitable, and the feed mechanism to the volume reduction section would need to be a conveyor other than a paddle.

[0045] The layout of the details of the entire device can be changed as appropriate. In the empty container recovery device according to the embodiment of the present invention described above, the touch panel and printer unit are disposed on the front panel, but when the insertion direction is laid down, a space is created in the upper space, so that the touch panel and printer unit can be disposed on the upper part. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 1 Empty container recovery device 2 Container input section 21 Inlet 22 Rotating Shutter 221 Hole 222 Transparent object sensor Gate 23 231 Transmissive optical proximity sensor 232 Convex 233 Recess 24 Shooter 3 Volume reduction section 31 Casing 311 Rotation shaft (rotation shaft of the first rotation member) 312 Sprocket (first rotating member) 313 Compression roller (first rotating member) 32 Auxiliary casing (rotating frame) 321 Rotation axis (rotation axis of the second rotating member) 322 Sprocket (second rotating member) 323 Compression roller (second rotating member) 33 Feeding mechanism 331 Rotational Axis 332 Wing 34 Drive motor 35 Coil spring (biasing member) 36 Sensor (measuring part) 4 Container storage section

Claims

1. a volume reducing section that reduces the volume of a plastic bottle inserted into the insertion port by sandwiching the plastic bottle between a first rotating member and a second rotating member that face each other; A guide section that is upstream of the volume reducing section and guides the plastic bottle inserted into the insertion port to the volume reducing section; A push-in section for pushing the PET bottle into the volume reducing section, The volume reducing unit is configured such that the first rotating member and the second rotating member are obliquely opposed to each other by setting the installation heights of the respective rotating shafts to different heights, The guide unit is a U-shaped chute arranged obliquely from the insertion port toward the volume reduction unit, and slides the inserted PET bottle and guides it to the center of the volume reduction unit in that position. the pushing portion is disposed in an opening portion facing a bottom plate of the guide portion, and pushes the plastic bottle that has reached the volume reducing portion between the first rotating member and the second rotating member; The insertion port has a concave opening / closing member that changes from a closed state to an open state when the drinking spout of the PET bottle is inserted, and a detection unit that detects when the PET bottle with the cap removed is inserted into the concave portion of the opening / closing member, When the detection unit detects that a plastic bottle with a cap removed is inserted, the opening / closing member is displaced to the open state. A container volume reduction device characterized by the above.

2. The insertion port is opened so that the PET bottle is inserted at an angle, The guide portion is disposed so as to be continuous with and oblique to the insertion opening.

2. A container volume reduction device according to claim 1.

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