Item recovery device

Abstract

To provide a simple-structured article recovery device that makes a notification prompting to clean a resting part when recovering an article stored in a device body or so.SOLUTION: An article recovery device for article recovery has a resting part on which an article can be rested, an article storage part that stores a recovered article, a detection part that detects an operation relating to opening of the article storage part, and a control section that makes a notification by notification means so as to carry out cleaning of the resting part in the case where an operation relating to opening of the article storage part is detected by the detection part. Also, the article recovery device further has an outer door covering the resting part so that in the case where opening of the outer door or exposure of the resting part is detected, a notification is made by the notification means.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an article retrieval device. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art An empty container recovery device that recovers empty containers is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2009-175789 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the container insertion port of the empty container recovery device is easily soiled, and regular cleaning is essential to prevent abnormal detection by optical sensors and to keep it clean.However, empty container recovery devices such as those of the prior art are designed in such a way that it is difficult to clean the container insertion port, and if regular cleaning is forgotten, it cannot be kept clean. Furthermore, in the case of an empty container recovery device in which the container insertion port is closed during normal standby mode, the inside of the container insertion port cannot be visually confirmed, and cleaning tends to be neglected. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The container volume reduction device of the present invention has at least the following configuration. A placement portion on which a container can be placed; An outer door covering the placement section; A volume reducing unit that reduces the volume of a container placed on the placement unit; an article storage section provided below the placement section and configured to store the container whose volume has been reduced by the volume reduction section; an imaging unit that captures an image of the placement unit to detect dirt; a notification means for notifying a user to clean the placement portion; A control unit, The control unit issues a notification by the notification means when the imaging unit detects dirt on the placement unit, and also issues a notification by the notification means when the imaging unit does not detect dirt on the placement unit and a certain time has elapsed since the previous cleaning. A container volume reduction device characterized by the above. Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to the present invention, a container volume reduction device can be provided that can issue a timely notification to encourage cleaning of the mounting section. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are overall conceptual diagrams of a container recovery device as an article recovery device according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is a front view of the container recovery device, and (b) is a side view of the container recovery device. [Diagram 2] 1 is a conceptual diagram of a container insertion section of an article recovery device (container recovery device) according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of an article recovery apparatus (container recovery apparatus) with an outer door and an inner door closed; [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic side view showing an example of an article recovery apparatus (container recovery apparatus) with an outer door and an inner door closed; [Diagram 5] 1 is a perspective view showing an example of an article recovery apparatus (container recovery apparatus) with an outer door in an open state and an inner door in a closed state. [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic side view showing an example of an article recovery device (container recovery device) with an outer door open and an inner door closed. [Figure 7] 1 is a front perspective view of an example of an article recovery apparatus (container recovery apparatus) with an outer door open and an inner door closed, viewed from above. [Figure 8] 1 is a schematic side view showing an example of an article recovery device (container recovery device) with an outer door closed and an inner door open. [Figure 9] 1 is a perspective view showing an example of an article recovery device (container recovery device) with an outer door (not shown) in a closed state and an inner door in an open state. [Figure 10] 1 is a schematic side view showing an example of a volume reducing section of an article recovery apparatus (container recovery apparatus) according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] 1 is a conceptual plan view showing an example of a volume reducing section of an article recovery apparatus (container recovery apparatus) according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] 1A is an electrical functional block diagram of the article recovery device (container recovery device), and FIG. 1B is a functional block diagram of the control unit shown in FIG. 1A. FIG. [Figure 13] A diagram for explaining an example of a container storage section of an item recovery device (container recovery device) according to an embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is an oblique view showing an example of a container storage section, and (b) is a diagram showing an example of a container storage section with a container storage bag and a cap storage bag attached. [Figure 14] 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the item recovery device (container recovery device) according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the item recovery device (container recovery device) according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing an example of an instruction unit (a close button, an open button, etc.) of an article recovery device (a container recovery device). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[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 the article recovery device according to the embodiment of the present invention, a container recovery device will be described.

[0009] An item recovery device according to an embodiment of the present invention has a loading section on which items can be placed, an item storage section for storing recovered items, a detection section for detecting an operation relating to opening the item storage section, and a control section for issuing an alert via an alert means to clean the loading section when the detection section detects an operation relating to opening the item storage section. The items are not limited to PET bottles, cans, and bottles, but may be any items that are subject to collection, such as milk cartons, trays, ink cartridges, items to be returned to libraries or rental stores (books, DVDs, etc.), cleaning supplies, batteries, light bulbs, etc. In other words, the container collection device is one embodiment of an item collection device.

[0010] In detail, in the article recovery device according to the embodiment of the present invention, when on standby, the outer door of the article input section is in a closed state, and the inner door provided between the article input section and the storage section so as to be freely opened and closed is in a closed state. When recovering articles, the outer door of the article input section is in an open state, and the discrimination section discriminates whether an article placed on the loading section of the article input section is an article to be recovered (e.g., an empty resin container such as a PET bottle) or not. If it is determined to be an article to be recovered (an empty container), the outer door is in a closed state, the inner door provided between the article input section and the storage section is in an open state, and the container is recovered by the storage section. In this embodiment, the container recovery device is provided with a volume reduction mechanism, and by reducing the volume of the container by the volume reduction mechanism, a large amount of reduced empty containers can be recovered in the recovery section with a specified capacity.

[0011] 1, an empty container recovery device 100 as an article recovery device according to an embodiment of the present invention has a container insertion section 110 provided at the top of a device main body 100B, and an outer door 111 provided outside the opening of the container insertion section 110. A display operation section 3 and a transmitting / receiving section 4 (communication section) are provided on the front side of the device main body 100B near the top of the outer door 111. A baggage hook 100f is also provided on the front side of the device main body 100B.

[0012] Further, below container insertion section 110, a passage communicating with container storage section 140 is provided, and an inner door 112 is provided in passage 71 from placement section 116 of container insertion section 110 to container storage section 140.

[0013] In this embodiment, the empty container recovery device 100 is provided with a volume reduction section 120 (volume reduction mechanism) between the inner door 112 and the container storage section 140. When the inner door 112 is in an open state, the volume reduction section 120 crushes the empty container A from the container input section 110 to reduce its volume, and outputs the reduced container RA to the container storage section 140 below. In addition, the main body 100B of the empty container recovery device 100 has a drawer 100C on which the container storage section 140 is placed, and is provided with a drawer handle 100e and a keyhole 100r on the front side, so that the drawer can be locked and unlocked by inserting a key into the keyhole 100r.

[0014] In addition, a translucent section 100A (translucent window) is provided on the front side of the device main body 100B, specifically, on the front side of the drawer 100C, so that the empty containers stored in the container storage section 140 can be viewed from the outside.

[0015] A handle 100g for carrying the device is provided on the side surface of the device main body 100B.

[0016] In addition, the device main body 100B has a cap insertion section 108 on the front side, and a cap passage 72 is provided from the cap insertion section 108 downward within the device main body, and the cap inserted into the cap insertion section 108 is configured to be stored in the cap storage section 145 via the cap passage 72. The cap passage 72 may have a mechanism for separating caps from items smaller than caps. Specifically, the cap passage 72 may be branched, and a mesh member may be provided at the branched portion to separate leftover cigarette butts, rainwater, etc., from the caps and store them in the cap storage section 145.

[0017] Next, the container insertion section 110 of the empty container recovery device 100 as an article recovery device will be described. Fig. 2 is a conceptual diagram of the container insertion section of the empty container recovery device. Figs. 3 and 4 are diagrams showing an example of an empty container recovery device with the outer door 111 closed and the inner door 112 closed. Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are diagrams showing an example of an empty container recovery device 100 with the outer door 111 open and the inner door 112 closed. Figs. 8 and 9 are conceptual diagrams showing an example of an empty container recovery device with the outer door 111 closed and the inner door 112 open. Note that the outer door is not shown in Fig. 9.

[0018] The container insertion section 110 of the empty container recovery device 100 of an embodiment of the present invention has a loading section 116, an outer door 111, an inner door 112, a base 118, a weighing section 7, an outer door support section S111, an inner door support section S112, an outer door drive section 5, an inner door drive section 6, a first restriction section K111, a second restriction section K112, etc.

[0019] The placement unit 116 is configured to be able to place objects to be collected, etc. In the placement unit 116, for example, on a side wall portion 116a of the placement unit 116, an optical sensor 9 such as a light receiving unit 9a and a light emitting unit 9b, a metal sensor, etc. are provided. In addition, a weighing unit 7 is provided below the placement unit 116.

[0020] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the placement surface of placement unit 116 is not horizontal, but is inclined so that the container storage unit 140 side is lower than the article insertion port side (the opening side when outer door 111 is open). In other words, placement unit 116 is configured to encourage inserted articles to fall to the container storage unit 140 side (or the volume reduction unit 120 side) due to their own weight. This makes it unnecessary to provide a transport mechanism for sending articles (input items) to container storage unit 140, and makes it possible to provide a small-sized article recovery device. In addition, the surface of the placement surface of the placement section 116 is surface-treated to form an uneven portion, and has a structure that prevents the inserted article from sticking to the placement section. When the article recovery device is a container recovery device, even if the container is wet, the contact area between the container surface and the uneven surface of the placement section is relatively small, so that the surface tension due to wetting is small, and the container easily moves toward the container storage section 140. In other words, it is possible to prevent the problem that a wet container does not fall into the container storage section.

[0021] The outer door 111 is provided on the outer side of the placement unit 116. The outer door drive unit 5 drives the outer door 111 so as to be freely opened and closed. The inner door 112 is provided in the passage 71 between the placement section 116 and the volume reduction section 120. The inner door drive section 6 drives the inner door 112 to open and close freely. As shown in Figs. 5 and 7, the inner door 112 is provided with a guide section 112D that guides the placement state of the empty container. The guide section 112D is provided at a position that is exposed and visible from the device main body. The guide section 112D displays information to guide the user to place the item (empty container such as a PET bottle) in a specified orientation and at a specified position (for example, 350 ml, 500 ml, 2000 ml, etc.). The guide section 112D may be a recess, a protrusion, a sticker, an LED display, an LCD, etc. provided on the surface of the inner door 112. The article recovery device may also include a determination unit that uses a detection sensor such as an imaging unit to determine whether an article is correctly placed at the placement position indicated by the guide unit 112D. Also, a detection unit such as an imaging process or an optical sensor can provide a notification when the placement orientation and position are incorrect.

[0022] In this embodiment, the empty container recovery apparatus 100 has a base 118, and this base 118 has outer door support parts S118, S111 that support the outer door 111 and the outer door drive unit 5. In detail, the outer door drive unit 5 and a rotation shaft C111 are provided at the upper end parts of the two outer door support parts S118, and a fan-shaped outer door support part S111 is rotatably provided on the rotation shaft C111, and the outer door 111 is supported by the fan-shaped outer door support part S111. One of the two rotation shafts C111 is connected to the rotation shaft of the motor of the outer door drive unit 5. The sector-shaped outer door support portion S111 is provided with a hole S111h through which the rotation shaft C112 of the inner door 112 passes.

[0023] The measuring unit 7 is disposed between the base 118 and the placement unit 116 and supports the placement unit 116 .

[0024] In addition, the inner door 112 is configured to guide an empty container placed on the placement unit 116 to the volume reducing unit 120 in an open state. In this embodiment, the inner door drive unit 6 and the inner door 112 are supported by an inner door support unit S112 that is disposed on the weighing unit 7 and extends from between the weighing unit 7 and the placement unit 116. The inner door drive unit 6 is provided with a rotation shaft C112 for the inner door 112, and the inner door 112 is provided on the rotation shaft C112. By opening the inner door 112, the collection target can be guided to the container storage unit 140 in the device main body. In addition, the inner door support unit S112 has a hole S112h through which the rotation shaft C111 passes.

[0025] That is, the outer door drive unit 5 and the outer door 111 are supported by the outer door support part S111 of the base 118, and the placement part 116 is provided on the upper part of the weighing part 7 arranged on the base 118, so that the weighing part 7 can measure the mass of the collection object and the like placed on the placement part 116 with high accuracy. In detail, since the outer door 111 and the outer door drive unit 5 are not supported on the weighing part 7, the weighing part 7 is structured to be less susceptible to the effects of vibrations of the outer door 111 and the outer door drive unit 5, and the mass of the collection object on the placement part 116 can be measured with high accuracy.

[0026] Furthermore, the outer door 111 of the empty container recovery device 100 as the article recovery device according to the embodiment of the present invention is configured to be movable between an open position exposing the mounting section 116 and a closed position covering the mounting section 116, and when the outer door 111 is closed, the outer door 111 is configured to be movable from the open position to a closed position toward the mounting section 116. That is, since the outer door 111 is configured to move from the open state toward the mounting section 116 to close, for example, when a user's hand, arm, or the like is caught between the outer door 111 and the mounting section 116, the weighing value by the weighing section fluctuates, and the control section detects the fluctuation, so that it is possible to easily detect that the user's hand, arm, foreign object, or the like is caught between the outer door 111 and the mounting section 116.

[0027] Moreover, in the empty container recovery device 100 as the article recovery device according to the embodiment of the present invention, the outer door 111 is provided with a first limiting portion K111 that limits the movement of the inner door 112. The inner door 112 is provided with a second limiting portion K112 that limits the movement of the outer door 111. The first limiting portion K111 and the second limiting portion K112 provide a mechanism for limiting both the outer door 111 and the inner door 112 from being in an open state. In other words, the empty container recovery device 100 has a first limiting section K111 provided on the outer door 111 and a second limiting section K112 provided on the inner door 112, so that with a simple mechanical structure, it is possible to limit the opening and closing operation of each door depending on the opening and closing state of the outer door 111 and the inner door 112, respectively.

[0028] Moreover, the first limiting unit K111 of the empty container recovery device 100 as an article recovery device is configured to respond to the movement of the outer door 111. The second limiting unit K112 is configured to respond to the movement of the inner door 112. Moreover, the empty container recovery device 100 is configured such that when the outer door 111 is in an open state, the first limiting unit K111 limits the movement of the inner door 112, and when the inner door 112 is in an open state, the second limiting unit K112 limits the movement of the outer door 111. In detail, in this embodiment, the empty container recovery device 100 is configured so that when the outer door 111 is open, the inner door 112 remains in the closed state and is restricted from opening. That is, when the outer door 111 is open and an inserted object is placed on the placement section 116, the inner door 112 is in the closed state and does not open, and is configured so that the object placed on the placement section 116 is not stored in the container storage section 140 in the device main body 100B regardless of whether the object is a collection object or a non-collection object. That is, in this state, the object (a collection object or a non-collection object) is in contact with the inner door 112, and the inner door 112 is configured to also serve as a part of the placement section.

[0029] The first limiting part K111 and the second limiting part K112 are configured to have their movement paths overlapped. In the present embodiment, the empty container recovery device 100 has a structure in which, when one of the first limiting part K111 and the second limiting part K112 limits the movement of the other, the first limiting part K111 and the second limiting part K112 are adjacent to each other with a slight gap in an arc shape. In detail, in the present embodiment, the first limiting part K111 is formed in a substantially fan shape. The first limiting part K111 has a convex arc-shaped part K111a and a concave part K111b. The second limiting part K112 is formed in a substantially fan shape. In detail, the second limiting part K112 has a convex arc-shaped part K112a and a concave part K112b.

[0030] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, when the outer door 111 is open and the inner door 112 is closed, and the first limiting portion K111 limits the movement of the second limiting portion K112, the convex arc-shaped portion K111a of the first limiting portion K111 and the concave portion K112b of the second limiting portion K112 are adjacent to each other with a slight gap between them in an arc shape. That is, in an embodiment of the present invention, as described above, when the outer door 111 is in the open state, the inner door 112 is in the closed state, and the first limiting portion K111 restricts the movement of the second limiting portion K112, so that the inner door 112 remains in the closed state and does not open.

[0031] Also, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, when the inner door 112 is open and the outer door 111 is closed, and the second limiting portion K112 limits the movement of the first limiting portion K111, the convex arc-shaped portion K112a of the second limiting portion K112 and the concave portion K111b of the first limiting portion K111 are adjacent to each other with a slight gap between them in an arc shape.

[0032] In other words, in the empty container recovery device as an item recovery device of an embodiment of the present invention, when the outer door 111 is closed and the inner door 112 is open, the second limiting portion K112 restricts the movement of the first limiting portion K111, so that the outer door 111 remains closed and does not open.

[0033] In this embodiment, the empty container recovery device 100 may have a prohibiting means for prohibiting the movement of one or both of the first limiting part K111 and the second limiting part K112. In detail, the prohibiting means has, for example, a solenoid. This solenoid has, for example, a structure in which a metallic movable pin (plunger) is arranged in a coil, and when the coil is not energized, the movable pin (plunger) is arranged in a position protruding from the coil end by a biasing part, and is configured so that when the coil is energized, the movable pin moves into the coil. For example, as a prohibition means capable of prohibiting the movement of the outer door 111 from the closed state to the open state, a movable pin (plunger) of a solenoid for the outer door may be configured to be able to engage with a hole provided in the first limiting part K111, and the control part controls the movable pin to engage with the hole when the first limiting part K111 is to be maintained in the closed state and movement to the open state is to be prohibited, and to disengage the movable pin when movement is not to be prohibited. In other words, the prohibition means can prohibit the movement of the first limiting part K111 from the closed state to the open state with a simple structure. As a prohibition means capable of prohibiting the movement of the inner door 112 from the closed state to the open state, a movable pin (plunger) of the solenoid for the inner door may be configured to be engageable with a hole provided in the second limiting part K112, and the control part controls the movable pin to engage with the hole when the second limiting part K112 is to be maintained in the closed state and movement to the open state is to be prohibited, and to disengage the movable pin when the movement is not to be prohibited. In other words, the prohibition means can prohibit the movement of the second limiting part K112 from the closed state to the open state with a simple structure. Moreover, the empty container recovery device 100 as an article recovery device according to the embodiment of the present invention has a waiting section AA where the outer door 111 waits in the closed position, as shown in Figures 5 and 9. The waiting section AA is provided at a position where the outer door 111 does not touch the placement section 116, and functions as a stopper for the outer door 111.

[0034] Fig. 10 is a schematic side view showing an example of a volume reduction unit of an empty container recovery device as an article recovery device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 11 is a schematic plan view showing an example of a volume reduction unit of an empty container recovery device. The volume reducing section 120 has a structure in which a pair of rotating shafts 811, 911 are rotatably supported by two substantially plate-shaped supporting members.

[0035] Further, a feed mechanism 50 is provided above the volume reduction section 120, and a rotating shaft 51 of the feed mechanism 50 is rotatably supported by the above-mentioned substantially plate-shaped support member. The feed mechanism 50 has a plurality of blade portions 52 (made of metal, resin, etc.) as paddles on the rotating shaft 51. As the rotating shaft 51 rotates, the blade portions 52 of the feed mechanism 50 rotate around the rotating shaft 51 as the center of rotation, and guide the empty container A to the volume reduction section 120.

[0036] In addition, at the top of the volume reduction section 120, plate-shaped regulating members 61 and 62 are provided, inclined in opposite directions, so as to guide the empty container A toward the center of the volume reduction section 120, thereby regulating the empty container A from moving to other locations.

[0037] The rotating shafts 811, 911, 51 are arranged parallel to each other at a predetermined interval. On each of the pair of rotating shafts 811, 911, compression rollers 81, 91 each having a blade surface 81k or a blade surface 91k on both axial sides and spacers s each having a smaller diameter than the compression rollers 81, 91 and a slightly thicker thickness than the compression rollers 81, 91 are alternately arranged in parallel along the axial direction. The outer periphery of the compression roller provided on one rotating shaft is disposed between the compression rollers provided on the other rotating shaft, and is disposed at a predetermined distance LP from the spacer s provided between the compression rollers provided on the other rotating shaft. In addition, the distance LP between the spacer s provided on the rotating shaft 811 and the compression roller 91 provided on the rotating shaft 911 facing the spacer s is set to be smaller than the maximum outer diameter LAg of the body Ag of the empty container A.

[0038] 10 and 11, a gear 811m is provided at one end of the rotating shaft 811, and is configured to mesh with a gear 911m provided at one end of the rotating shaft 911. These rotating shafts 811, 911, 51 are rotated by a drive motor (not shown). When driven, the rotating shafts 811 and 911 rotate in opposite directions, and an empty container A placed in the center is compressed by the compression rollers 81 and 91, and the reduced-volume empty container is output downward.

[0039] The peeling unit 30 (31, 32) is configured to peel off the container, the volume of which has been reduced by the compression rollers 81, 91 of the volume reducing unit 120, from the compression rollers 81, 91.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 11, the length LAb (neck length) of the neck Ab of an empty container A such as a plastic bottle is the length from the tip Ac on the opening Ah side to the neck ring or the base of the neck.

[0041] An empty resin container A such as a PET bottle is formed with a neck Ab that is thicker than other parts, specifically, the shoulder and body Ag. For example, when the neck Ab of an empty container A is separated from other parts and becomes a lump smaller than a standard, the empty container may be deemed ineligible for recycling by a recycler. The volume reduction unit 120 reduces the volume of the relatively thick and heavy neck Ab to a flat shape larger than the above standard so that the empty container can be recycled without being separated from the shoulder and body Ag.

[0042] Further, the distance LT between the spacer s provided on the rotating shaft 911 and the spacer ws(s) provided on the rotating shaft 811 is longer than the outer diameter of the neck portion Ab of the empty container. Further, the distance LC from the inner surface of the support member 871 to the compression roller 81 arranged on the side surface of the rotating shaft 811 is configured to be longer than the length LAb of the neck portion Ab of the empty container A. In this embodiment, the distance LC is set to be longer than the axial length of the spacer ws(s) arranged on the side of the rotating shaft 811. The axial length (thickness) of the spacer ws(s) is set to be approximately twice as long as the axial length Ls of the other spacers. That is, in order to prevent the neck portion Ab of the empty container A from being separated from the shoulder portion and the body portion Ag, the compression roller on the support member 871 side provided on the rotating shaft 811 is positioned at a predetermined distance from the side surface of the support member 871. That is, the volume reduction unit 120 is structured so that, when reducing the volume of a container, the neck portion Ab of the empty container A is reduced in volume while remaining connected to the shoulder portion and the body portion Ag.

[0043] In this embodiment, the axial thickness L1 of the compression rollers 81, 91 is shorter than the length LAb of the neck portion Ab of the empty container A. For example, even if an empty resin container A such as a PET bottle is placed upside down, specifically, even if the tip portion Ac of the empty container A where the opening Ah is formed is positioned on the side of the substantially plate-shaped support member 871, the neck portion Ab of the empty container A is not separated from the shoulder portion or body portion Ag when the container is reduced in volume.

[0044] Next, an example of the electrical configuration of the empty container recovery device 100 as an article recovery device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. 12, the article recovery device (empty container recovery device 100) has a control unit 1 (CPU), a memory unit 2, a display operation unit 3, a transmission / reception unit 4, an outer door drive unit 5, an inner door drive unit 6, a weighing unit 7, a metal sensor 8, an optical sensor 9, a door position sensor 10, a door lock unit 11, a volume reduction drive unit 15, a storage unit opening / closing sensor 16 (a detection unit for the article storage unit), a dirt sensor 17, etc. Each component is electrically connected by a signal line or the like.

[0045] The control unit 1 (CPU) comprehensively controls each component of the article recovery device (empty container recovery device 100). The control unit 1, for example, executes a control program to realize the functions according to the present invention in a computer.

[0046] The storage unit 2 is a storage device such as a RAM or a ROM. The storage unit 2 stores control programs and the like. The storage unit 2 also stores characteristics of empty containers to be collected. The characteristics of the empty containers include, for example, the range of container mass and whether or not the container is made of resin material.

[0047] The display operation unit 3 performs a predetermined display under the control of the control unit 1. The display operation unit 3 also outputs a signal corresponding to an operation by a user or the like to the control unit 1. The display operation unit 3 is, for example, a touch panel display device.

[0048] The transmitting / receiving unit 4 is a transmitting / receiving device that communicates with non-contact IC cards, IC tags, etc., and performs predetermined communication under the control of the control unit 1. Also, under the control of the control unit 1, the transmitting / receiving unit 4 performs predetermined communication with other terminal devices (computers) via a wireless communication path or a wired communication path.

[0049] The outer door drive unit 5 is a motor or the like for opening and closing the outer door 111, and is drive-controlled by the control unit 1.

[0050] The inner door driving unit 6 is a motor or the like for opening and closing the inner door 112, and is controlled by the control unit 1 to drive the inner door in an open or closed state.

[0051] The weighing unit 7 weighs the mass of an empty container or an object not to be collected placed on the placement unit 116 of the container insertion unit 110. The weighing unit 7 is a weighing device such as a load cell. The weighing unit 7 is also used as a sensor that detects remaining drink in a container placed on the placement unit 116 of the container insertion unit 110, thereby determining whether or not the container can be collected. The weighing unit 7 is also configured to be able to determine the total weight of the containers stored in the container storage unit 140 by accumulating the weight values ​​of the containers that have been determined to be collectable. This function eliminates the need to provide a weighing unit in the container storage unit 140, making it possible to ensure a container storage unit 140 with a large capacity, and allowing the weighing unit 7 itself to be made small. Since the object to be weighed is relatively small, there is no need to provide a large weighing unit 7.

[0052] The metal sensor 8 detects whether an object placed on the placement unit 116 of the container input unit 110 is metallic or non-metallic. In this embodiment, when the metal sensor 8 detects that the object placed on the placement unit 116 is metallic, the control unit 1 determines that the object placed on the placement unit 116 is a non-collection target object.

[0053] The optical sensor 9 also has a light receiving unit 9a that receives light from a light emitting unit 9b provided in the container insertion unit 110. The optical sensor 9 is configured to include, for example, a polarizing plate and receive light through the polarizing plate, and is configured to be able to detect empty containers to be collected by detecting polarized light that has passed through translucent empty containers such as PET bottles. The control unit 1 detects light received through a translucent empty container placed on the loading section of the container insertion section using an optical sensor 9, and determines whether or not the empty container is a collection target based on the detection signal from the optical sensor 9.

[0054] The article recovery device is provided with the above-mentioned sensors around the placement unit for determining whether or not recovery is required. For example, in a conventional recovery device, an article is taken into the device, and it is determined whether or not it is a recovery target, and non-recoverable objects are discharged from a discharge port different from the input port. Since a determination unit is provided in the device, it is necessary to provide a discharge port. On the other hand, the article recovery device according to the embodiment of the present invention is configured such that it is not necessary to take in the objects to be recovered because the loading section, which corresponds to the inlet of the device, is provided with sensors that determine whether or not recovery is necessary. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide an outlet, and a small-sized article recovery device can be provided.

[0055] The door position sensor 10 detects the positions of the outer door 111 and the inner door 112, and outputs a signal related to the positions of the outer door 111 and the inner door 112 to the control unit 1. The control unit 1 controls the open / closed state of the outer door 111 and the inner door 112 based on the signal.

[0056] The door lock unit 11 has a locking device such as a solenoid, and under the control of the control unit 1, locks the movement of the outer door 111 and the inner door 112 as necessary.

[0057] The volume reduction drive unit 15 controls the drive of the volume reduction unit 120 under the control of the control unit 1.

[0058] In this embodiment, the article recovery device is provided with a container storage section 140 (article storage section) for storing containers as recovered articles at the bottom of the device main body. The container storage section 140 has a structure that allows it to be pulled out from the device main body.

[0059] The storage unit opening / closing sensor 16 (a detection unit for the article storage unit) detects an operation relating to opening of the article storage unit (container storage unit 140). In detail, the storage unit opening / closing sensor 16 (detection unit for the article storage unit) detects the open (open state) or closed state of the container storage unit 140, and outputs the detection result to the control unit 1. In this embodiment, the open (open state) of the container storage unit 140 corresponds to a state in which the container storage unit 140 is pulled out from the main body of the article recovery device. Specifically, the storage unit opening / closing sensor 16 is a switch or an optical sensor provided in the device main body or in the container storage unit 140, which detects the open (open state) or closed state of the container storage unit 140. Further, the storage section open / close sensor 16 is provided in the main body of the article recovery device or in the container storage section 140 (article storage section). In addition, the detection unit may detect an operation related to opening the item storage section (container storage section 140) by, for example, detecting that the key in the keyhole 100r provided in the drawer 100C of the empty container recovery device 100 has been operated in the direction to unlock it, or may detect that the drawer 100C has been opened, or may detect that the container storage section 140 has been pulled out, or may detect an operation to open the container storage section 140 by, for example, an open button 502 button displayed on the screen of the display unit of the display operation unit 3, which instructs the outer door 111 to be opened, or a switch (not shown) that instructs a similar operation.

[0060] The dirt sensor 17 is provided on or near the mounting portion 116, detects dirt on the mounting portion 116, and outputs a signal indicating the detection result to the control unit 1. Examples of the dirt sensor 17 include an odor sensor that detects odors generated from dirt on the mounting portion, an imaging device that images the dirt on the mounting portion, and a liquid detection sensor that detects liquid on the mounting portion.

[0061] When the detection unit (storage unit opening / closing sensor 16) detects an operation to open the article storage unit (container storage unit 140), the control unit 1 issues a notification by a notification means to request that the placement unit 116 be cleaned.

[0062] In addition, when the detection unit (storage unit opening / closing sensor 16) detects that the article storage unit (container storage unit 140) is open, the control unit 1 performs control to open the outer door 111 or to expose the placement unit 116.

[0063] Furthermore, when the article storage section (container storage section 140) is in an open state, the control section 1 performs permission processing to close the outer door 111 in response to a release instruction from the instruction section that issues an instruction to release the outer door 111 from its open state.

[0064] Furthermore, when the control unit 1 detects an operation of the article storage unit (container storage unit 140) from an open state to a closed state, the control unit 1 performs control to close the outer door 111.

[0065] The control unit 1 also has a first drive control unit 101, a second drive control unit 102, a third drive control unit 103, a fourth drive control unit 104, and a notification processing unit 105. The control unit 1, for example, executes a control program to realize the functions of each drive control unit in the article recovery device (empty container recovery device) as a computer.

[0066] When collecting a container, the first drive control unit 101 controls the outer door 111 to be in an open state by the outer door drive unit 5. The control to open the outer door 111 includes not only automatically opening the outer door 111 but also, for example, simply releasing the lock and opening the door itself by the user (=manually) (following a notification / display requesting that the door be opened).

[0067] When an item to be collected is placed on the placement section 116, the second drive control section 102 controls the outer door drive section 5 and the inner door drive section 6 to close the outer door 111 and open the inner door 112, thereby collecting the container in the container storage section 140.

[0068] When the detection unit detects that the item is not to be collected, and the non-collection item is not removed for a predetermined period of time or more, the third drive control unit 103 controls the outer door drive unit 5 and the inner door drive unit 6 to maintain the inner door 112 in a closed state and to close the outer door 111.

[0069] When the outer door 111 is moved from the open position to the closed position by the outer door drive unit 5, the fourth drive control unit 104 controls to stop the movement of the outer door 111 from the open position to the closed position when the weighing unit 7 detects a change in the measurement value. That is, when the outer door 111 is moved from the open position to the closed position, the control unit 1 controls to stop the movement of the outer door 111 from the open position to the closed position when the weighing unit 7 detects a change in the measurement value, thereby making it possible to prevent the user's hand, arm, foreign object, etc. from being caught between the outer door 111 and the placement unit 116, reducing the load on the outer door drive unit 5 and preventing breakdowns.

[0070] The notification processor 105 issues a notification via the display unit, sound unit, etc., to request cleaning of the placement unit. Furthermore, when the detector detects that the outer door 111 has been opened or the placement unit 116 has been exposed, the notification processor 105 issues the notification. Furthermore, the notification processor 105 notifies the display unit of the display / operation unit 3 to open the outer door 111 and perform cleaning. Furthermore, when a non-collection target object is detected by the detection unit, the notification processing unit 105 performs notification processing to remove the non-collection target object. As the notification processing, for example, a screen is displayed on the display unit to prompt the user to remove the non-collection target object.

[0071] <Empty container storage section> Next, an example of the container storage section 140 of the empty container recovery device according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 13. In detail, Fig. 13(a) is a perspective view showing an example of the container storage section, and Fig. 13(b) is a view showing an example of the container storage section to which a container storage bag and a cap storage bag are attached.

[0072] The container storage section 140, which is removably attached to the lower part of the device main body 100B of the empty container recovery device 100, is an approximately rectangular container with an opening at the top and a bottom at the bottom, as shown in Figure 14(a), and is provided with a translucent section 140a or a semi-translucent section on the front side, so that the inside of the container storage section 140 can be easily viewed from the outside.

[0073] 13, a large container storage bag is removably mounted on container storage section 140 having an opening at the top. In this embodiment, container storage section 140 having a substantially rectangular opening at the top is provided with an insertion port 140b for fixing container storage bag BB near the top end of the side surface. In this embodiment, slit-shaped insertion port 140b is formed in the center of an oval elastic member.

[0074] When attaching the container storage bag BB to the container housing part 140, the container storage bag BB is stored in the center of the container housing part 140, and the upper end of the container storage bag BB is folded outward and inserted into the insertion opening 140b. In other words, by inserting the container storage bag BB into the slit-shaped insertion opening 140b of the elastic member, the bag is engaged with the slit, and the container storage bag BB is fixed to the container housing part 140.

[0075] For example, when removing the container storage bag BB from the container storage section 140 after collecting multiple containers in the container storage bag BB, the container storage bag BB can be pulled from the insertion port 140b with a force greater than or equal to a predetermined force, thereby disengaging the bag and allowing it to be easily removed.

[0076] In this embodiment, a cap storage portion is provided in a portion of the container storage portion 140. In detail, a cap storage bag BS is disposed in one corner of the container storage portion 140. The cap storage bag BS preferably has, for example, two handle portions. The container storage unit 140 has an engagement portion such as a hook near the upper part of the side of the corner. The container storage unit 140 can easily store caps with a simple structure by engaging the handle portion of the cap storage bag BS with this engagement portion and locating the opening of the bag near the exit of the cap passage.

[0077] 13, the cap storage part is supported within the container storage part 140. The above configuration can be easily achieved by engaging the handle part BSa of the cap storage bag BS serving as the cap storage part with an engaging part 140f such as a hook near the upper part of the outer surface of the container storage part 140. Also, since the cap storage part is provided within the container storage part 140, space saving can be achieved.

[0078] Next, an example of the operation of the article recovery device (empty container recovery device 100) according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 14, FIG. 15, etc.

[0079] In step ST1, the empty container recovery device 100 is in a standby state. When the control unit 1 receives a signal from the transmitting / receiving unit 4 (communication unit) or the display operation unit 3, it performs processing according to the signal. In addition, the control unit 1 performs processing to display, for example, "Please touch your card (membership card, etc.)" on the display unit of the display operation unit 3. The card (membership card, etc.) is, for example, a contactless IC card for members.

[0080] In step ST2, the control unit 1 of the empty container recovery apparatus 100 performs processing according to the open / closed state, etc., of the container storage part 140. An example of the operation of step ST2 will be described in detail in steps ST201 to ST207.

[0081] As shown in FIG. 15, in step ST201, the control unit 1 determines whether or not the container storage section is open (open state) based on a signal from the storage section opening / closing sensor 16, and if it determines that it is in the open state, proceeds to processing of step ST202, and otherwise proceeds to processing of step ST3.

[0082] In step ST202, if the control unit 1 detects dirt on the mounting unit 116 based on a signal from the dirt sensor 17, the process proceeds to step ST204, otherwise the process proceeds to step ST203.

[0083] In step ST203, the control unit 1 determines whether a predetermined period of time, for example, several hours to several tens of hours, has elapsed since the cleaning of the mounting unit 116, and if it determines that the period has elapsed, proceeds to processing of step ST204, otherwise proceeds to processing of step ST3.

[0084] In step ST204, the control unit 1 performs an outer door opening process. Alternatively, the control unit 1 performs control to expose the placement unit 116. In detail, the control unit 1 releases the door lock unit of the outer door 111, and performs drive control to move the outer door 111 to an open state by the outer door drive unit 5. That is, when the container storage unit 140 is in the open state (pulled out from the device main body), the outer door 111 is in the open state. The operator (user) can visually confirm the placement unit 116 and can clean the placement unit 116 without forgetting to clean the placement unit 116.

[0085] In step ST205, the control unit 1 determines whether or not the close button has been operated, and if it determines that the close button has been operated, performs the outer door close process (step ST206) and proceeds to the processing of step ST1, otherwise proceeds to the processing of step ST207. Fig. 16 is a diagram showing an example of a display operation unit of an article recovery device. As shown in Fig. 16, when the container storage unit is open (open state), the control unit performs processing to display an image 501 and characters indicating that the container storage unit is open on the display operation unit, and also performs processing to operably display an open button 502 for instructing the outer door to be in an open state and a close button 503 for instructing the outer door to be in a closed state. When the close button 503 is operated, the control unit performs drive control to close the outer door.

[0086] In step ST207, the control unit 1 determines whether the container storage unit is closed or not based on a signal from the storage unit opening / closing sensor 16, and if it determines that the container storage unit is closed, proceeds to processing of step ST206, and otherwise proceeds to processing of step ST205.

[0087] As shown in Fig. 14, in step ST3, the control unit 1 determines whether the outer door opening condition is satisfied, and if the outer door opening condition is satisfied, the process proceeds to step ST4. For example, when the empty container collection start button or the like is operated on the display operation unit 3 such as a touch panel as the outer door opening condition, the process proceeds to step ST4. Note that the process may proceed to step ST4 on the condition that the membership card held by the user communicates with the transmission / reception unit 4 and the personal authentication is correctly performed (outer door opening condition). Examples of the membership card include a contactless IC card, a magnetic card, a card with a barcode or a two-dimensional code printed thereon, a display device with a barcode or a two-dimensional code displayed thereon, a smartphone or a mobile phone with a membership card function, and the like. Furthermore, in step ST3, the control unit 1 performs a process of displaying, for example, "Please insert a container" on the display unit of the display operation unit 3.

[0088] In step ST4, the control unit 1 performs an outer door opening process. In detail, the control unit 1 releases the door lock unit of the outer door 111, and performs drive control to move the outer door 111 to an open state by the outer door drive unit 5.

[0089] In step ST5, various detection processes are performed by the weighing unit 7, metal sensor 8, optical sensor 9, etc. to detect the mass, material, presence or absence of contents, etc. of the object placed on the placement unit 116, and a signal indicating the detection result is output to the control unit 1.

[0090] In step ST6, the control unit 1 determines whether the outer door closing condition is satisfied. In detail, if it is determined that the object placed on the placement unit 116 is a collection target object, the process proceeds to step ST7, and otherwise (if it is a non-collection target object such as a foreign object), the process proceeds to step ST61. In addition, even if the control unit 1 determines as a result of the detection process that the item placed on the placement unit 116 is an empty container, it may determine that the container contains a foreign object, for example, when it detects that there is a predetermined amount of leftover liquid in the container.

[0091] In step ST7, the control unit 1 performs an outer door closing process. In detail, the control unit 1 controls the driving of the outer door driving unit 5 so as to close the outer door.

[0092] In step ST8, the control unit 1 determines whether or not a change in the weighing value has been detected by the weighing unit 7, and if a change in the weighing value has been detected, proceeds to processing of step ST9; otherwise, it continues the detection processing of step ST8 until the change in the weighing value subsides.

[0093] In step ST9, the control unit 1 determines whether the inner door opening condition is satisfied, and if the inner door opening condition is not satisfied as a result of the determination, the process proceeds to step ST14, and if the inner door opening condition is satisfied, the process proceeds to step ST10. The inner door opening condition is, for example, that the object placed on the placement unit 116 is a collection target object.

[0094] In step ST10, the control unit 1 performs an inner door opening process. In detail, the control unit 1 controls the inner door driving unit 6 to drive the inner door 112 to the open state. In step ST10, the control unit 1 performs a process to display, for example, "Recycling in progress, xx containers" on the display unit of the display operation unit 3. As will be described later, in the case of continuous container insertion, the control unit 1 performs a process to count up the number of containers and display it on the display unit. In addition, in the case of non-continuous insertion, the control unit performs a process to display "1 container" on the display unit.

[0095] In step ST11, the control unit 1 performs an inner door closing process. In detail, the control unit 1 controls the inner door drive unit 6 to close the inner door 112. The inner door 112 is in the closed state, and the placement unit and the volume reduction unit are separated (partitioned). Then, the process proceeds to step ST12.

[0096] In step ST13, the control unit 1 performs an outer door opening process. In detail, the control unit 1 controls the outer door drive unit 5 to open the outer door 111. The outer door 111 is in the open state, and the next container can be inserted. In step ST14, the control unit 1 performs a process of displaying, for example, "Please insert the next container. If not, touch the screen" on the display unit of the display operation unit 3. As will be described later, when the operator (user, etc.) touches the screen of the display operation unit 3, this is regarded as a declaration of termination.

[0097] In step ST15, the control unit 1 performs a volume reduction process. In detail, the control unit 1 performs a process of reducing the volume of the empty container A by the volume reduction unit 120. Note that the volume reduction process in step ST13 does not have to be performed. Also, it is possible to select whether or not to reduce the volume of the container as necessary.

[0098] In step ST14, the control unit 1 determines whether or not a new article has been placed on the placement unit based on signals from the sensors. If an article is detected, the process proceeds to step ST5, and if an article is not detected, the process proceeds to step ST15. As described above, by proceeding to step ST5, it is possible to perform continuous container insertion processing. Specifically, since a new container can be inserted into the placement section while the volume reduction section is performing volume reduction processing on an empty container, the detection processing by the sensor (detection section) of the placement section and the volume reduction processing by the volume reduction section can be performed in parallel. In other words, the item recovery device can efficiently reduce the volume of empty containers. Furthermore, even if continuous loading processing is not performed, the inner door 112 is closed during volume reduction processing, and the placement section and the volume reduction section 120 are separated (partitioned), so even if fragments of containers, etc. are scattered due to the volume reduction processing by the volume reduction section, the fragments will not reach the placement section.

[0099] In step ST15, the control unit 1 determines whether or not an end operation has been detected, and if an end operation has been detected, the process proceeds to step ST1, otherwise the process proceeds to step ST16. In detail, the control unit 1 performs a process of displaying, for example, "Please insert the next container. If not, please touch the screen" on the display unit of the display operation unit 3, and if the end of the operation is detected by touching the screen, the process proceeds to the above step ST1.

[0100] In step ST16, the control unit 1 determines whether the volume reduction process of the container by the volume reduction unit 120 has been completed, and if so, proceeds to the process of step ST1, and if not, proceeds to the process of step ST14. In detail, in step ST16, the control unit 1 starts timing from the outer door open state in ST12, and if a predetermined time has elapsed, it determines that there is no next container, and automatically proceeds to the process of step ST1, which is the standby state described above.

[0101] In step ST61, the control unit 1 determines whether the outer door closing condition is met in step ST6, and if it determines that the item placed on the placement unit 116 is not a collection target item, it determines whether a predetermined time, for example, about 30 seconds to 1 minute, has elapsed.If the result of the determination is that the predetermined time has elapsed, it proceeds to processing in step ST62, and if the predetermined time has not elapsed, it enters a standby state until the predetermined time has elapsed.

[0102] In steps ST62 and ST63, the control unit 1 performs an outer door closing process to close the outer door 111 while maintaining the closed state of the inner door 112. In detail, the control unit 1 controls the driving of the outer door driving unit 5 to bring the outer door 111 into the closed state.

[0103] In step ST64, the control unit 1 performs a notification process. In detail, when a non-recovery object is placed on the placement section 116 of the container input section 110 and the outer door 111 is in a closed state, the control unit 1 performs a process of notifying the user that the non-recovery object remains in the input section in the volume reduction section and has not been collected, and a process of notifying the user to remove the non-recovery object from the placement section 116. The notification process includes a process of displaying on the display section of the display operation section 3, a process of sounding a predetermined notification sound, and a process of illuminating a light-emitting element such as an LED. Then, the control unit 1 proceeds to the process of step ST1. The notification process of the control unit 1 may also include issuing the notification to an external terminal device (not shown). The external terminal device may be, for example, a POS terminal installed in a store, a portable terminal device carried by a store clerk or a system administrator, or a higher-level server. The control unit 1 may issue the notification (such as displaying a pop-up screen, turning on a lamp, or outputting a sound) to the external terminal device via a wireless or wired communication path using the transmission / reception unit 4. The control unit 1 may also output an error so that each terminal device can issue the notification directly, or may output an error to a higher-level server, and the POS terminal or the like may issue the notification via the server. The control unit 1 may also issue other error information (such as full detection, a sign to replace consumable parts, or other failure errors) in the same manner. The cases where a container collector is identified after the processing of step ST64 and where a container collector is not identified will be described in detail. When identifying the person who collects the items, when a store clerk who has received the notification holds up or touches (or brings close) an IC card with identification information for the administrator (the identification information for the administrator is stored in the memory section of the IC card) over or near the transmitter / receiver section 4, the control section performs control to open the outer door 111 after confirming that authentication processing for the administrator has been performed correctly. With the outer door 111 in the open state, the store clerk can remove the non-collectable items. In other words, by giving only a limited number of people the authority to open the outer door when an error occurs, it is possible to prevent further insertion of foreign objects or mischief. If the collector is not specified, even if the outer door 111 is closed in ST62 and ST63 and foreign objects cannot be inserted, when the transmitter / receiver 4 reads out the identification information from the IC card or the like, the control unit 1 may perform a process to open the outer door 111 regardless of whether the person is a manager or not. This allows a customer who wants to use the article recovery device to remove the non-recovery objects. In other words, it is possible to prevent a loss of opportunity, that is, the user cannot use the article recovery device until a store clerk or the like comes and removes the non-recovery objects.

[0104] As described above, the empty container recovery device 100 as an article recovery device according to an embodiment of the present invention has an apparatus main body 100B equipped with a storage section (container storage section 140) for storing articles, and a container input section 110. The container input section 110 has a placement section 116 on which articles can be placed, an outer door 111 provided on the outside of the placement section 116, and an inner door 112 provided in a passage 71 leading from the placement section 116 to the storage section (container storage section 140) in the apparatus main body 100B. In addition, the empty container recovery device 100 as an article recovery device has an outer door drive section 5 that drives the outer door 111 to open and close, and an inner door drive section 6 that drives the inner door 112 to open and close. In addition, the control unit 1 of the empty container recovery device 100 is provided on the loading section and has a detection means (such as a weighing unit 7) that detects items placed on the loading section, and a discrimination unit (control unit 1) that determines whether or not an item is eligible for recovery based on the detection result by the detection means. In other words, it is possible to provide a small-sized empty container recovery device with a simple structure that can determine whether an inserted item is a recovery target without having to take the item into the device main body 100B of the empty container recovery device 100.

[0105] Furthermore, the detection means of the empty container recovery device 100 as an article recovery device according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided on the placement section 116 of the container insertion section 110, and has a mass detection section (weighing section 7) that detects the mass of an object placed on the placement section 116. The discrimination section of the control section 1 discriminates whether or not the object placed on the placement section 116 is an object to be recovered, based on the mass of the object placed on the placement section 116 detected by the mass detection section (weighing section 7). In detail, for example, if the mass of an object placed on the mounting section 116 is within a predetermined range for the mass of empty containers of objects to be collected, the discrimination section determines that the object placed on the mounting section 116 is an object to be collected, closes the outer door, opens the inner door, and stores the empty container to be collected inside the main body of the device; if the mass is outside that range, the discrimination section determines that the object is not to be collected, and performs control to keep the inner door closed so as not to collect the object into the main body of the device, and to keep the outer door open. In other words, based on the mass of the object placed on the mounting section 116, if the object placed on the mounting section 116 is not to be collected, it is not stored in the device main body section 100B, and only the object to be collected can be stored in the container storage section 140 within the device main body section 100B, thereby providing a small-sized empty container collection device with a simple structure.

[0106] In addition, the control unit 1 of the empty container recovery device 100 as an item recovery device in an embodiment of the present invention controls the drive of the inner door drive unit 6 to maintain the inner door 112 in a closed state when the discrimination unit determines that the item is not a recovery item, and controls the drive of the inner door drive unit 6 to open the inner door 112 when the discrimination unit determines that the item is a recovery item. In other words, if the inserted item is not a collection item, it is not stored in the device main body 100B, and only the collection item can be stored in the container storage section 140 within the device main body 100B, making it possible to provide a small-sized empty container collection device with a simple structure.

[0107] As described above, the empty container recovery device 100 as an article recovery device according to an embodiment of the present invention recovers empty containers and the like as articles. The empty container recovery device 100 has a placement section 116 on which articles can be placed, an article storage section (container storage section 140) for storing the recovered articles, a detection section (storage section opening / closing sensor 16) for detecting an operation related to opening the article storage section (container storage section 140), and a control section 1 that issues a notification by a notification means (notification processing section 105) to clean the placement section 116 when the detection section (storage section opening / closing sensor 16) detects an operation related to opening the article storage section (container storage section 140). That is, it is possible to provide an article recovery device with a simple structure that issues a notification to encourage cleaning of the placement section 116, for example, when recovering articles stored in the main body of the empty container recovery device 100 (article recovery device).

[0108] Moreover, the empty container recovery device 100 as an article recovery device according to the embodiment of the present invention has an outer door 111 that covers the mounting section 116. The notification by the notification means to "prompt the user to clean the mounting section 116" may be, for example, by opening the outer door 111 using the outer door drive section 5 or by exposing the mounting section 116. That is, it is possible to provide an article recovery device with a simple structure that issues a notification urging cleaning of the placement section 116 by opening the outer door 111 or exposing the placement section 116.

[0109] Moreover, the empty container recovery device 100 as the article recovery device according to the embodiment of the present invention has a display unit (display unit of the display operation unit 3). As described above, when the detection unit (storage unit opening / closing sensor 16) detects an operation related to opening the article storage unit (container storage unit 140), the notification means (notification processing unit 105 of the control unit 1) performs processing to notify the display unit to open the outer door 111 and perform cleaning. That is, by displaying on the display unit characters and images instructing the user to open the outer door 111 for cleaning, it is possible to provide an article recovery device that reliably notifies store clerks, operators, etc. to that effect.

[0110] Moreover, the empty container recovery device 100 as the article recovery device according to the embodiment of the present invention has an instruction unit that instructs the release of the open state of the outer door 111. When the article storage unit (container storage unit 140) is in the open state, the control unit 1 performs a permission process to close the outer door 111 in response to a release instruction from the instruction unit. In detail, in this embodiment, a process is performed to display an operable close button on the display unit of the display operation unit 3 to release the open state of the outer door 111. When the close button is operated, the control unit 1 drives and controls the outer door drive unit 5 to close the outer door 111. Alternatively, when the article storage unit is in the open state and the outer door 111 is locked in the open state, the control unit 1 may perform a process to release the lock and make it possible to close it manually. That is, for example, when an operator (user) visually checks the placement unit and determines that cleaning of the placement unit is unnecessary, the operator can close the outer door 111 by operating the above-mentioned close button (instruction unit).

[0111] In addition, when the control unit 1 of the empty container recovery device 100, which is an item recovery device according to an embodiment of the present invention, detects an operation of changing the item storage section (container storage section 140) from an open state to a closed state, it controls the outer door 111 to be in a closed state. That is, for example, when the article storage section (container storage section 140) is changed from an open state to a closed state by an operation by an operator (user), the outer door 111 can be closed. This makes it possible to prevent the outer door 111 from being forgotten to be closed after cleaning. In addition, by turning off the power or going into a standby state (power saving state) on the condition that the outer door 111 is in the closed state, it is possible to provide an article recovery device with low power consumption.

[0112] 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.

[0113] The empty container recovery device according to the embodiment of the present invention described above is equipped with a volume reduction section (volume reduction mechanism) that reduces the volume of empty containers, but is not limited to this embodiment. For example, it may not be equipped with a volume reduction mechanism and the empty containers that are the recovery objects inserted may be recovered in their original state.

[0114] In the above-described embodiment, the empty container recovery device recovered empty containers such as PET bottles, but it may also be configured to recover aluminum cans, steel cans, etc., or it may be a device that can be used to recover PET bottles, aluminum cans, and steel cans.

[0115] In the above-described embodiment, the control unit performs a notification process when dirt is detected by the dirt sensor 17 (such as an odor sensor), but a notification to encourage cleaning may not be issued when dirt is not detected by the dirt sensor 17. The control unit may also not issue a notification that cleaning is not required for a certain period of time after the previous cleaning.

[0116] In the above-described embodiment, the control unit opens the outer door when the detection unit detects that the item storage unit is open; however, this is not limited to this embodiment, and for example, when the detection unit detects that the item storage unit is open, the control unit may perform an alarm process to notify the user to open the outer door or to expose the storage unit. In other words, the control unit allows an operator, such as a store clerk, to choose whether to open or close the outer door by displaying an instruction section (open button or close button) on the display operation unit that instructs the user to open the outer door in an operable state.

[0117] In addition, the control unit may perform a display process to guide the operator to clean the placement unit, as a notification process, while displaying the instruction unit in an operable manner. In other words, the item recovery device can guide an operator such as a store clerk to clean the placement unit with a simple configuration.

[0118] Furthermore, when the control unit detects an operation of the article storage unit to change from an open state to a closed state, the control unit may perform control to close the outer door.

[0119] In summary, the item recovery device according to the embodiment of the present invention can also be described as follows: [Appendix 1] An article recovery device for recovering an article, comprising: A placement section on which an article can be placed; an article storage section for storing collected articles; An outer door covering the placement section; A detection unit that detects the opening of the article storage unit; a notification means for notifying the user to open the outer door or to expose the placement section when the detection unit detects that the article storage section is open; An article recovery device comprising: [Appendix 2] A display unit is provided. The item recovery device according to claim 1, wherein the notification means displays an instruction section on a display section in an operable manner to instruct the user to release the outer door from its open state. [Appendix 3] The article recovery device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the notification means displays the instruction section in an operable manner and also displays a guidance to clean the placement section. [Appendix 4] An item recovery device described in any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 3, characterized in that it has a control unit that controls the outer door to be in a closed state when it detects an operation of the item storage unit to change from an open state to a closed state.

[0120] In addition, the item recovery device may have a mode switching means for switching between the first mode and the second mode as needed, with the above-mentioned steps ST201 to ST207 being a first mode and the processes of Supplementary Notes 1 to 4 being a second mode. [Explanation of symbols]

[0121] 1...Control unit 2...Storage section 3…Display operation section 4. Transmitter / receiver 5…Outer door drive unit 6…Inner door drive section 7...Measuring part 8...Metal sensor 9...Optical sensor 10...Door position sensor (door detection unit) 16... Storage unit opening / closing sensor (detection unit for empty container storage unit) 17...Dirt sensor (odor sensor, etc.) 71...Aisle 10...Door position sensor 11...Door lock section 100... Empty container recovery device (item recovery device (container volume reduction device)) 100B...Device main body 105...Notification processing unit (notification means) 110...Container input section (goods input section) 111...Outer door 112…Inner door 116...Placement section 120...Volume reduction section (volume reduction mechanism) 140...Container storage section (article storage section)

Claims

1. A placement portion on which a container can be placed; An outer door covering the placement section; A volume reducing unit that reduces the volume of a container placed on the placement unit; A container accommodating section that is provided below the placement section and accommodates the container that has been reduced in volume by the volume reducing section; an imaging unit that captures an image of the placement unit to detect dirt; a notification means for notifying a user to clean the placement portion; A control unit, The control unit issues a notification by the notification means when the imaging unit detects dirt on the placement unit, and also issues a notification by the notification means when the imaging unit does not detect dirt on the placement unit and a certain time has elapsed since the previous cleaning. A container volume reduction device characterized by the above.

2. The notification means issues a notification by opening the outer door or exposing the placement portion.

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

3. The notification means notifies by displaying on the display means that the outer door should be opened for cleaning.

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

4. Furthermore, an external device is also notified to clean the placement section.

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

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