Sorting processing device and sorting processing method

Abstract

The sorting processing device of the present disclosure includes a first collection unit that collects a first collected material that is part of the sorted mixture, a second collection unit that collects a second collected material that is part of the mixture, a first conveying unit that conveys the first collected material, a second conveying unit that conveys the second collected material, a sensor that irradiates light onto the first conveying unit and the second conveying unit and detects reflected light, and a processing unit that processes the detection results by the sensor and calculates the composition ratio of each type of plastic piece in the first collected material and the second collected material.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a sorting processing device and a sorting processing method. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a sorting and processing device for sorting and processing plastic pieces. The sorting and processing device has a section for collecting the plastic pieces after sorting. In the example of Patent Document 1, the collection container has three collection compartments. The sorted plastic pieces are collected in these collection compartments. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-65123 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In a sorting processing device, in order to improve sorting accuracy, information such as the composition ratio of the plastic pieces after sorting may be acquired. To acquire such information, a sensor is used. Here, for example, if three sensors are placed for the three collection sections shown in Patent Document 1 to acquire the composition ratio of each, there is a problem that costs and installation space increase.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a sorting processing device and a sorting processing method that can reduce the number of sensors. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the sorting processing device disclosed herein is a sorting processing device that sorts a mixture containing multiple types of plastic fragments by type of plastic fragment, and includes a first collection section that collects a first collected material that is a part of the sorted mixture, a second collection section that collects a second collected material that is a part of the sorted mixture, a first conveying section that transports the first collected material from the first collection section, a second conveying section that is arranged alongside the first conveying section and transports the second collected material from the second collection section, a sensor that is arranged outside the first collection section and the second collection section and irradiates light onto the first conveying section and the second conveying section and detects reflected light, and a processing section that processes the detection results by the sensor and calculates the composition ratio of each type of plastic fragment in the first collected material and the second collected material.

[0007] One aspect of the sorting method disclosed herein is a sorting method for sorting a mixture containing multiple types of plastic fragments by type of plastic fragment, in which a first collected material and a second collected material, which are part of the sorted mixture, are transported by a first conveying section and a second conveying section arranged side by side, a single sensor detects the first collected material on the first conveying section and the second collected material on the second conveying section, and the composition ratio of each type of plastic fragment in the first collected material and the second collected material is calculated based on the detection result of the sensor. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a sorting processing device and a sorting processing method that can reduce the number of sensors. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a sorting processing device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration around a detection unit in the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a method for calculating a composition ratio from HSI data. [Figure 4]FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example in which the method of FIG. 3 is applied to a detection unit in the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration around a detection unit in the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Embodiment 1 Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments and can be modified as desired within the scope of the technical concept of the present disclosure. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a sorting processing device 1 in embodiment 1. The sorting processing device 1 includes an input unit 121, a charging cylinder 122, a vibrating feeder 123, a first electrode 124, a second electrode 125, a DC power supply 126, a collection box 127, partition plates 128 and 129, a raw material detection unit 11, a detection unit 12, a calculation unit 13, and a control unit 14. However, the configuration of the sorting processing device 1 in FIG. 1 is merely an example and can be modified.

[0011] In the following, the positional relationship of each component may be explained using an XYZ Cartesian coordinate system. In Figure 1 etc., the X direction is the direction in which X partition plates 128, 129 are arranged. The Z direction is the up-down direction. The Y direction is the direction perpendicular to both the X direction and the Z direction. However, the arrangement of each component in Figure 1 etc. is an example and can be changed.

[0012] The sorting processing device 1 is configured to sort a mixture containing multiple types of objects by object type. In this embodiment, a plastic piece group P will be described as an example of a "mixture containing multiple types of objects." In the example of FIG. 1, the plastic piece group P contains two types of plastic pieces p1 and p2 that are made of different materials. In this specification, the plastic pieces p1 and p2 may be referred to as "flakes" without distinguishing between the materials. Three or more types of plastic pieces may be included in the plastic piece group P. In other words, the sorting processing device 1 may sort three or more types of plastic pieces.

[0013] As an example, the sorting processing device 1 electrostatically sorts a plastic piece group P, which is a mixture of multiple types of plastic pieces p1 and p2 with different charging characteristics, into plastic pieces p1 and plastic pieces p2. The following describes an example in which the plastic pieces p1 are ABS and the plastic pieces p2 are PS. The plastic pieces p1 and p2 are obtained, for example, by crushing the housings of home appliances using a crusher and drying them. The plastic pieces p1 and p2 are formed into a size of, for example, about 10 mm square.

[0014] The input section 121 includes a hopper 121a and an input feeder 121b. Dried plastic piece groups P are supplied to the hopper 121a. The hopper 121a supplies a predetermined amount of the plastic piece groups P per unit time to the input feeder 121b. The input feeder 121b supplies the plastic piece groups P input from the hopper 121a into the charging cylinder 122.

[0015] The charging cylinder 122 and the vibrating feeder 123 constitute the charging unit 2. The charging unit 2 charges each of the plastic pieces p1 and p2 before sorting and then drops them. Specifically, the charging cylinder 122 agitates the plastic piece group P by rotating. Inside the charging cylinder 122, the multiple types of plastic pieces p1 and p2 mixed in the plastic piece group P rub against each other and become charged. Each of the charged plastic pieces p1 and p2 has a charge of a polarity (positive or negative) according to the triboelectric series. In this example, the plastic piece p1, which is ABS, is positively charged, and the plastic piece p2, which is PS, is negatively charged.

[0016] The electrically charged plastic pieces p1 and p2 are supplied to the rear end of the upper surface of the vibrating feeder 123. The positively charged plastic piece p1 and the negatively charged plastic piece p2 may attract each other due to electrostatic force and pair up. The vibrating feeder 123 pushes the plastic pieces p1 and p2 forward while vibrating them up and down. This breaks the pairing of the plastic pieces p1 and p2, and the plastic pieces p1 and p2 move forward in the X direction in the figure. The plastic pieces p1 and p2 also fall from the vibrating feeder 123.

[0017] The electrodes 124 and 125 and the DC power supply 126 constitute the electric field generation unit 3. The electric field generation unit 3 applies an electrostatic field to each of the charged plastic pieces p1 and p2. As a result, each of the plastic pieces p1 and p2 falls to a position corresponding to its respective charge state. Specifically, the electrodes 124 and 125 are formed in a flat plate shape. The electrodes 124 and 125 are arranged in the X direction in the figure, facing each other and sandwiching the path along which the plastic pieces p1 and p2 fall. A ground voltage GND is applied to the first electrode 124. The DC power supply 126 applies a predetermined DC voltage between the first electrode 124 and the second electrode 125, generating an electrostatic field between the first electrode 124 and the second electrode 125.

[0018] When plastic pieces p1 and p2, which have been unpaired by vibrating feeder 123, are dropped between electrodes 124 and 125, each plastic piece falls while being attracted to either electrode 124 or electrode 125 due to electrostatic force depending on its charge state (polarity, amount of charge). In other words, each plastic piece p1 and p2 follows a parabolic trajectory depending on its charge state and falls to a different position. In this example, plastic piece p1 is positively charged and therefore falls toward first electrode 124. On the other hand, plastic piece p2 is negatively charged and therefore falls toward second electrode 125.

[0019] Collection box 127 is provided below electrodes 124 and 125, and collects plastic pieces p1 and p2 that have fallen from vibrating feeder 123 after passing between electrodes 124 and 125. The top of collection box 127 is open. The opening of collection box 127 is formed, for example, in a rectangular shape, with its long side aligned along the X direction in the figure.

[0020] Each of the partition plates 128, 129 is also referred to as a partition member. The partition plates 128, 129 are arranged parallel to the YZ plane in the figure within the collection box 127 and are provided so as to be movable in the X direction in the figure. The position of each of the partition plates 128, 129 in the X direction is controlled by the control unit 14. In the X direction, the partition plate 128 is located on the first electrode 124 side, and the partition plate 129 is located on the second electrode 125 side. The collection box 127 is divided by the partition plates 128, 129 into a first collection section 127a on the first electrode 124 side, a second collection section 127b on the second electrode 125 side, and a third collection section 127c in the middle.

[0021] Each of the plastic pieces p1 and p2 that drop from the vibrating feeder 123 after passing between the electrodes 124 and 125 is collected in one of three collection sections 127a to 127c depending on its charge state. In this example, the plastic piece p1 is positively charged and is therefore collected in the first collection section 127a. On the other hand, the plastic piece p2 is negatively charged and is therefore collected in the second collection section 127b. The plastic pieces p1 and p2 that are not sufficiently charged are collected in the third collection section 127c.

[0022] The raw material detection unit 11, the detection unit 12, the calculation unit 13, and the control unit 14 are connected by wire or wirelessly so as to be able to communicate with each other. The raw material detection unit 11 inputs raw material information to the calculation unit 13. The detection unit 12 inputs collected material information to the calculation unit 13. In this specification, "raw material" refers to the mixture (plastic piece group P) before sorting. "Collected material" refers to the mixture that has been sorted by type of plastic piece and stored in the collection box 127. "Raw material information" refers to information related to the raw material. Examples of raw material information include the composition ratio, supply amount, and specific charge of the plastic pieces p1 and p2 contained in the raw material. "Collected material information" refers to information related to the collected material. The collected material information will be described later.

[0023] The "raw material information" may be, for example, the specific charge of the raw material after charging. Alternatively, the "raw material information" may be the composition ratio of the raw material. The raw material detection unit 11 is equipped with sensors and the like for acquiring raw material information. For example, when detecting the specific charge, the raw material detection unit 11 is equipped with a weight sensor and a charge amount sensor. For example, when detecting the composition ratio, the raw material detection unit 11 is equipped with a sensor capable of detecting the type of plastic piece.

[0024] The calculation unit 13 calculates setting values ​​for the sorting conditions based on the raw material information and the recovered material information. The calculation unit 13 outputs the setting values, which are the results of the calculation, to the control unit 14. The control unit 14 controls the sorting conditions of the sorting processing device 1 based on the setting values ​​input from the calculation unit 13. For example, the control unit 14 may control the position of the partition plates 128 and 129 in the X direction. Alternatively, the control unit 14 may control the rotation speed or tilt of the charging cylinder 122, the voltage applied by the DC power supply 126 to the second electrode 125, etc. In other words, the "setting values" are the positions of the partition plates 128 and 129 in the X direction, the rotation speed or tilt of the charging cylinder 122, the voltage of the DC power supply 126, etc. The "setting values" may include multiple of these parameters.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 2, the sorting and processing device 1 includes a conveyor 130. The conveyor 130 is, for example, a belt conveyor. The conveyor 130 conveys the collected materials collected in the collection sections 127a to 127c. In the example of FIG. 2, the conveying direction of the conveyor 130 coincides with the Y direction. Hereinafter, the plastic pieces collected in the first collection section 127a will be referred to as "first collected materials." Similarly, the plastic pieces collected in the second collection section 127b and the third collection section 127c will be referred to as "second collected materials" and "third collected materials," respectively.

[0026] In the example of FIG. 2, an opening 127d is formed at the bottom of the collection box 127. A portion of the conveyor 130 is located below the opening 127d. The collected items that drop through the opening 127d are placed on the conveyor 130. The conveyor 130 conveys the first, second, and third collected items so that they do not mix together. Specifically, the top surface of the conveyor 130 is divided into a first conveyor section X1, a second conveyor section X2, and a third conveyor section X3. The first collected items collected in the first collection section 127a are placed on the first conveyor section X1. The second collected items collected in the second collection section 127b are placed on the second conveyor section X2. The third collected items collected in the third collection section 127c are placed on the third conveyor section X3.

[0027] In this embodiment, the collected materials that drop from the collection units 127a to 127c through the opening 127d are placed on the conveyor 130 without changing their positions in the X direction. This prevents the first, second, and third collected materials from mixing on the conveyor 130. The conveyor 130 may be provided with partitions that separate the conveyor units X1 to X3. In this case, mixing of the first, second, and third collected materials is more reliably prevented. Alternatively, the sorting device 1 may be provided with three independent conveyors corresponding to the collection units 127a to 127c, respectively. In this case, the upper surfaces of the three conveyors become the independent conveyor units X1 to X3. In this case, the three conveyors are aligned in the X direction.

[0028] The detection unit 12 detects information about the collected materials stored in each of the collection units 127a to 127c as the collected material information. In the following, a case will be described in which the "collected material information" is information about the composition ratio of the collected materials. As shown in FIG. 2, the detection unit 12 has a sensor 12a and a processing unit 12b. The sensor 12a and the processing unit 12b are connected by wire or wirelessly, and are capable of sending and receiving signals. The sensor 12a is, for example, a hyperspectral camera. The hyperspectral camera serving as the sensor 12a captures images of the collected materials flowing on the conveyor 130 using a line scan method. The sensor 12a is disposed outside the collection box 127. In this embodiment, the sensor 12a can simultaneously capture images of the three conveyor units X1 to X3. In other words, the detection range of the sensor 12a in the X direction spans the three conveyor units X1 to X3.

[0029] The hyperspectral camera serving as sensor 12a separates the light emitted from each point on the flakes contained in the first to third collected materials, which are the subject, and captures it on the sensor surface. Multiple pixels are arranged on the sensor surface, and each pixel captures light of a different wavelength. The hyperspectral camera outputs HSI data based on the intensity of light at each wavelength. HSI stands for hyperspectral imaging. The HSI data includes the infrared spectrum for each pixel. The infrared spectrum is information about the near-infrared spectrum.

[0030] Figures 3(A) to 3(C) show an example of calculating the composition ratio of plastic fragments using HSI data from a hyperspectral camera. As shown in Figure 3(A), the HSI data contains spectral information for each pixel associated with the shape of the flake. In Figure 3(A), points (i) and (ii) are parts of the flake, and point (iii) is a region where no flake is present. Figure 3(A1) shows the spectra for each pixel at points (i) to (iii). In each graph in Figure 3(A1), for example, the horizontal axis represents wavelength and the vertical axis represents intensity per wavelength.

[0031] Figure 3(B) is an example of an image generated by analyzing the HSI data of Figure 3(A). In the image of Figure 3(B), flakes containing point (i) are displayed in red, and flakes containing point (ii) are displayed in blue. In other words, Figure 3(B) is an image after color conversion based on the infrared spectrum for each pixel contained in the HSI data of Figure 3(A). In the image of Figure 3(B), for example, the red flake is plastic piece p1, and the blue flake is plastic piece p2.

[0032] Further image analysis of the image in Figure 3(B) determines the area ratio of each color. The composition ratio of each type of plastic fragment can be estimated from the area ratio of each color. In the example of Figure 3(B), the ratio of the area of ​​the red region to the area of ​​the blue region is 60:40. Therefore, for this plastic group, it can be determined that the composition ratio of plastic fragment p1 is 60% and the composition ratio of plastic fragment p2 is 40%.

[0033] As explained using FIG. 3, the composition ratio of the target plastic pieces can be obtained by performing a predetermined process on the HSI data. In this embodiment, the above-described acquisition method is applied to the detection unit 12 shown in FIG. 2. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 4(A) to 4(C), the composition ratio of the plastic pieces in the collected material can be calculated in correspondence with each of the transport units X1 to X3. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4(A), the HSI data obtained by the sensor 12a includes areas corresponding to each of the transport units X1 to X3.

[0034] The processing unit 12b performs infrared spectrum analysis on the HSI data shown in Fig. 4(A). As a result, as shown in Fig. 4(B), images are obtained in which the plastic pieces are color-coded by type for each of the regions corresponding to the conveying sections X1 to X3. In Fig. 4(B), flakes that do not fall into either plastic piece p1 or p2 are displayed as a third type of plastic piece p3.

[0035] The processing unit 12b performs image analysis on the image shown in FIG. 4(B), determines the area ratio of each color, and converts it into a composition ratio for each type of plastic piece. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4(C), the composition ratio of the plastic pieces for each region of the image, i.e., for each conveying unit X1 to X3, is obtained. In this way, the detection unit 12 sequentially measures the composition ratio of the collected materials collected in the collection units 127a to 127c using a line scan method. The obtained composition ratio is input to the calculation unit 13 as collected material information. The calculation unit 13 performs feedback control based on the collected material information to calculate setting values ​​for the sorting conditions so as to satisfy predetermined requirements. The predetermined requirements include, for example, sorting accuracy and collection efficiency.

[0036] In FIG. 4(B), one image includes areas corresponding to the transport sections X1 to X3. As a modification, the processing section 12b may crop the image shown in FIG. 4(B) to generate three images corresponding to the transport sections X1 to X3, respectively. In this case, the processing section 12b can calculate the composition ratio by performing image analysis on each of the three images. Furthermore, although the composition ratios of three types of plastic pieces p1, p2, and p3 are calculated in FIGS. 4(A) to 4(C), the composition ratio of only two types of plastic pieces p1 and p2 may be calculated.

[0037] 2, the composition ratio can be detected for the entire amount of each of the collected materials in the collection units 127a to 127c. However, only a portion of the collected materials may be extracted from the collection units 127a to 127c and detected by the detection unit 12. In this case, the sorting processing device 1 may have a structure for extracting a portion of the collected materials from the collection units 127a to 127c and placing them on the conveyor 130.

[0038] The functions of the processing unit 12b, the calculation unit 13, the control unit 14, etc. are realized by a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program stored in a program memory. Some or all of these functions may be realized by hardware such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or may be realized by a combination of software and hardware. The functions of the processing unit 12b, the calculation unit 13, and the control unit 14 may be realized by the same hardware. Some of the functions of the processing unit 12b, the calculation unit 13, the control unit 14, etc. may be realized by a device such as the cloud.

[0039] As described above, the sorting processing device 1 according to the present disclosure sorts a mixture containing multiple types of plastic pieces by type of plastic piece. The sorting processing device 1 includes a first collection unit 127a, a second collection unit 127b, a first transport unit X1, a second transport unit X2, a sensor 12a, and a processing unit 12b. The first collection unit 127a collects a first collected material, which is a part of the sorted mixture. The second collection unit 127b collects a second collected material, which is a part of the sorted mixture. The first transport unit X1 transports the first collected material from the first collection unit 127a. The second transport unit X2 is arranged next to the first transport unit X1 and transports the second collected material from the second collection unit 127b. The sensor 12a is arranged outside the first collection unit 127a and the second collection unit 127b, irradiates light onto the first transport unit X1 and the second transport unit X2, and detects reflected light. The processing unit 12b processes the detection results from the sensor 12a and calculates the composition ratio of each type of plastic piece in the first collected material and the second collected material.

[0040] The sorting method according to the present disclosure includes a sorting step, a transporting step, a detection step, and a calculation step. In the sorting step, a mixture containing multiple types of plastic pieces is sorted by type of plastic piece. In the transporting step, a first collected material and a second collected material, which are part of the sorted mixture, are transported by a first transport section X1 and a second transport section X2 arranged side by side. In the detection step, a single sensor 12a detects the first collected material on the first transport section X1 and the second collected material on the second transport section X2. In the calculation step, the composition ratio of each type of plastic piece in the first collected material and the second collected material is calculated based on the detection result of the sensor 12a.

[0041] According to the sorting processing device 1 or sorting processing method of the present disclosure, the composition ratios of a plurality of collected materials can be calculated using the detection results of one sensor 12a, thereby reducing the number of sensors.

[0042] The sorting and processing device 1 further includes a third collection unit 127c and a third transport unit X3. The third collection unit 127c is disposed between the first collection unit 127a and the second collection unit 127b and collects a third collection item, which is a part of the sorted mixture. The third transport unit X3 is disposed between the first transport unit X1 and the second transport unit X2 and transports the third collection item from the third collection unit 127c. The sensor 12a irradiates the third transport unit X3 with light and detects the reflected light. The processing unit 12b processes the detection results by the sensor 12a and calculates the composition ratio of each type of plastic piece in the third collection item. This configuration allows the composition ratios of the three collection items to be obtained using a single sensor 12a. Therefore, the number of sensors can be further reduced.

[0043] The sensor 12a may also be a hyperspectral camera, which allows the composition ratio of the collected materials to be obtained efficiently using a line scan method. However, the sensor 12a is not limited to a hyperspectral camera as long as it can detect the type of plastic pieces.

[0044] Furthermore, processing unit 12b calculates the composition ratio of each type of plastic fragment in the first and second collected materials based on the area ratio of each type of plastic fragment contained in the first and second collected materials. This makes it possible to reduce the number of sensors for measuring weight compared to when the composition ratio is calculated based on the weight of the plastic fragments.

[0045] Embodiment 2 Next, a sorting processing device according to embodiment 2 will be described. The basic configuration of the sorting processing device according to this embodiment is the same as that of embodiment 1, so the following description will focus on the differences. As shown in Fig. 5, in this embodiment, the configuration of the detection unit 12 is different from that of embodiment 1.

[0046] In this embodiment, the conveyor 130 has a raw material conveying section X4 in addition to the conveying sections X1 to X3 similar to those in the first embodiment. The raw material conveying section X4 is a section that conveys a portion of the raw material. For example, a portion of the raw material flowing on the vibrating feeder 123 (see FIG. 1) may be extracted and placed on the raw material conveying section X4 of the conveyor 130. The raw material conveying section X4 is arranged alongside the conveying sections X1 to X3 in the X direction. The raw material conveying section X4 may be a conveyor independent of the first to third conveying sections X1.

[0047] 5, the detection range of sensor 12a in the X direction is smaller than the width of conveyor 130 in the X direction. In this embodiment, sensor 12a is movable in the X direction. Specifically, detection unit 12 includes rails 12c for moving sensor 12a. Rails 12c extend in the X direction. Sensor 12a moves along rails 12c, enabling it to sequentially detect flakes conveyed by each of conveyance units X1 to X4.

[0048] Position information in the X direction may be linked to the HSI data and passed from sensor 12a to processor 12b. In this case, processor 12b can determine which of conveyance sections X1 to X4 the HSI data corresponds to based on the position information in the X direction.

[0049] In this embodiment as well, processing unit 12b calculates the composition ratio of the flakes flowing on transport units X1 to X4 based on the detection results of sensor 12a. In other words, in this embodiment, detection unit 12 acquires collected material information and raw material information and inputs them to calculation unit 13. Since detection unit 12 detects the composition ratio of the raw material in this way, raw material detection unit 11 shown in FIG. 1 may be omitted. However, it is also possible to detect the specific charge of the raw material using raw material detection unit 11 in FIG. 1 and detect the composition ratio of the raw material using detection unit 12 in FIG. 5.

[0050] As described above, the sorting processing device 1 according to the second embodiment further includes a raw material conveying section X4 that conveys a portion of the raw material, which is a mixture before being sorted. The raw material conveying section X4 is arranged next to the first conveying section X1 and the second conveying section X2. The sensor 12a irradiates the raw material conveying section X4 with light and detects the reflected light. The processing section 12b processes the detection result of the sensor 12a and calculates the composition ratio of each type of plastic piece in the raw material.

[0051] According to this embodiment, the composition ratio of the raw material can be detected using the sensor 12a for detecting the composition ratio of the collected material. Therefore, the number of sensors can be reduced compared to when a sensor for detecting only the composition ratio of the raw material is installed.

[0052] Furthermore, sensor 12a is movable in the X direction in which first transport unit X1 and second transport unit X2 are arranged. Therefore, even if the detection range of sensor 12a is narrower than the arrangement range of first transport unit X1 and second transport unit X2 in the X direction, it is possible to detect the composition ratio of the first collected material and the second collected material. In particular, when detecting four transport units X1 to X4 as in this embodiment, the range to be detected is wide, so a configuration in which sensor 12a is movable is preferable.

[0053] The technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

[0054] For example, in the above embodiment, a case where plastic pieces are sorted by electrostatic sorting has been described. However, the sorting method is not limited to this, and may be, for example, gravity sorting or optical sorting. Gravity sorting is a sorting method that utilizes the fact that each type of plastic piece has a different specific gravity. For example, if a group of plastic pieces is vibrated or floated on a medium, plastic pieces with a higher specific gravity will descend and plastic pieces with a lower specific gravity will ascend. In this case, the descending plastic pieces can be placed on the first conveyor section X1, and the ascending plastic pieces can be placed on the second conveyor section X2.

[0055] Optical sorting is a sorting method that takes advantage of the fact that the light reflectivity differs depending on the type of plastic piece. In optical sorting, detection light is irradiated onto a group of plastic pieces, and the reflected light is detected. Light of various wavelength bands, such as infrared or X-rays, can be used as the detection light. By detecting the spectrum of reflected light or Raman scattered light, the plastic pieces can be distinguished by type. After distinguishing them in this way, the plastic pieces can be sorted by air blowing, etc.

[0056] In the first embodiment, the single sensor 12a is used to detect the collected objects in the three collection units 127a to 127c. However, the single sensor 12a may be used to detect only two of the three collected objects.

[0057] Alternatively, the number of sensors may be two or more, each detecting two or more collected items. For example, in the second embodiment, two sensors 12a may be provided. In this case, the first sensor 12a may target the transport sections X1 and X3, and the second sensor 12a may target the transport sections X2 and X4. In these modified examples, the number of sensors can be reduced compared to the conventional method.

[0058] In addition, the above-described embodiments and modifications may be combined as appropriate. For example, the movable sensor 12a shown in Fig. 5 of the second embodiment may be used to detect collected materials on the transport sections X1 to X3 shown in Fig. 2 of the first embodiment. Alternatively, the sensor 12a shown in Fig. 2 of the first embodiment may be used to simultaneously scan the four transport sections X1 to X4 shown in Fig. 5 of the second embodiment. In this case, the detection range of the sensor 12a in the X direction needs to span the transport sections X1 to X4. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 1...Sorting processing device 2...Charging section 3...Electric field generating section 12a...Sensor 12b...Processing section 127a...First recovery section 127a...Recovery section 127b...Second recovery section 127b...Recovery section 127c...Third recovery section p1 to p3...Plastic pieces X1...First conveying section X1...Conveying section X2...Second conveying section X4...Raw material conveying section

Claims

1. A sorting processing device that sorts a mixture containing multiple types of plastic pieces by type of the plastic pieces, a first recovery section that recovers a first recovered product that is a part of the sorted mixture; a second recovery section that recovers a second recovered product that is a part of the selected mixture; a first transport unit that transports the first recovered material from the first recovery unit; a second transport unit arranged next to the first transport unit and configured to transport the second collected material from the second collection unit; a sensor disposed outside the first recovery unit and the second recovery unit, irradiating the first transport unit and the second transport unit with light and detecting reflected light; a processing unit that processes the detection results from the sensor and calculates the composition ratio of each type of plastic piece in the first collected material and the second collected material.

2. a raw material conveying unit that conveys a portion of the raw material that is the mixture before being sorted; the raw material conveying unit is arranged next to the first conveying unit and the second conveying unit, The sensor irradiates the raw material conveying section with light and detects reflected light, The sorting processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the processing unit processes the detection results of the sensor and calculates a composition ratio of each type of the plastic pieces in the raw material.

3. a third collection section disposed between the first collection section and the second collection section, which collects a third collected product that is a part of the selected mixture; a third transport unit disposed between the first transport unit and the second transport unit and configured to transport the third collected material from the third transport unit; the sensor irradiates the third transport section with light and detects reflected light; The sorting and processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the processing unit processes the detection results from the sensor and calculates a composition ratio for each type of the plastic pieces in the third collection.

4. The sorting processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor is movable in a direction in which the first transport unit and the second transport unit are arranged.

5. The sorting and processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor is a hyperspectral camera.

6. The sorting processing device according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit calculates a composition ratio of each type of plastic fragment in the first collected material and the second collected material based on an area ratio of each type of plastic fragment contained in the first collected material and the second collected material.

7. a charging unit that charges the mixture before sorting; The sorting treatment device according to claim 1 , further comprising: an electric field generation unit that applies an electrostatic field to the charged mixture.

8. A sorting method for sorting a mixture containing multiple types of plastic pieces into each type of plastic piece, comprising: transporting a first recovered material and a second recovered material, which are parts of the sorted mixture, by a first transport unit and a second transport unit arranged side by side; detecting the first collected material on the first transport section and the second collected material on the second transport section by one sensor; A sorting method that calculates the composition ratio of each type of plastic piece in the first collected material and the second collected material based on the detection results of the sensor.

Images