System and method for removing vacuum insulation material from discarded refrigerators

Abstract

To provide a vacuum heat insulation material take-out system from a waste refrigerator, enabling easier take-out works of vacuum heat insulation materials from various kinds of refrigerators.SOLUTION: A system comprises: a rear plate vacuum heat insulation material recovery part 20 for stripping a rear plate 5 from an outside plate pasted with a vacuum heat insulation material 11; and a side plate vacuum heat insulation material recovery part for stripping a side plate from an outside plate pasted with the vacuum heat insulation material 11, wherein after stripping the rear plate 5 by using the rear plate vacuum heat insulation material recovery part 20, the side plate is stripped by the side plate vacuum heat insulation material recovery part. The rear plate vacuum heat insulation material recovery part 20 clamps a bottom side of the rear plate 5 and strips it toward a top plate 2 of the outside plate.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a system and method for removing vacuum insulation material from an abandoned refrigerator. [Background technology]

[0002] There is a demand for recycling home appliances discarded from households and other places and for their effective use as resources. In recent years, an increasing number of refrigerators have been equipped with vacuum insulation as heat insulation. However, if a refrigerator containing vacuum insulation is crushed as is, the vacuum insulation will be mixed in with the subsequent materials as a foreign substance, hindering recycling. Therefore, it is necessary to remove the vacuum insulation from the refrigerator before crushing it. Patent Document 1 describes a technique for removing the vacuum insulation. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-130675 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the vacuum insulation removal method described in Patent Document 1 requires injecting gas into the vacuum insulation attached to the inner wall surface of the outer panel to inflate it, which requires checking the position of the gas injection. Furthermore, with the technology described in Patent Document 1, after the vacuum insulation material inflates, the outer panel around it needs to be cut. Furthermore, with the technology described in Patent Document 1, the position of the vacuum insulation material differs depending on the type of refrigerator, making the vacuum insulation material removal process complicated. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The present invention relates to a system for removing vacuum insulation material from a discarded refrigerator, which removes the vacuum insulation material from the discarded refrigerator provided with the vacuum insulation material, andaffixed to the outer panel Recover the vacuum insulation material The vacuum insulation material recovery section includes an opening forming section that is adjacent to the outer panel to be peeled off and forms an opening in another outer panel that is oriented in a different direction from the outer panel to be peeled off, a pressing section that clamps the end side of the outer panel to be peeled off together with the opening forming section inserted into the opening, and a shaft section that connects the opening forming section and the pressing section. . [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] 1 is an exploded perspective view showing an example of a refrigerator to which the vacuum insulation material removal system from a discarded refrigerator of the present embodiment is applied. FIG. [Figure 2] 2 is a perspective view showing the state in which an inner box and a bottom plate are attached to the side plate of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the boundary between the side panels and the rear panel. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a vacuum insulation material removal system from an abandoned refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the vacuum insulation material removal system from an abandoned refrigerator according to the present embodiment. [Figure 6] 10A to 10C are diagrams showing the state of the rear plate before, during, and after the rear plate is peeled off, illustrating the process of peeling off the rear plate. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the operation of the clamp device when peeling off the rear plate. [Figure 8] 1A to 1C show the process of peeling off the side panel, and are diagrams showing the state of the side panel before, during and after peeling off the side panel. [Figure 9] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a roll press device, illustrating states before and after pressing. [Figure 10] 1A and 1B show a core material recovery device, illustrating a state before and during core material recovery. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a core material recovery device using suction and sieving. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of a core material recovery device using a sieve. [Figure 13] FIG. 1 is a layout diagram showing a vacuum insulation material removal system from an abandoned refrigerator. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] Hereinafter, a mode for carrying out the present invention (the present embodiment) will be described. Note that the present invention is not limited to the following content in any way, and can be carried out with any modifications within the scope that does not detract from the gist of the present invention. Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing an example of a refrigerator to which a vacuum insulation material removal system for a discarded refrigerator according to the present embodiment is applied. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which an inner box and a bottom plate are attached to the side plate of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the boundary between the side plate and the rear plate. First, an example of the configuration of a discarded refrigerator from which vacuum insulation material is removed will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3. As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, a refrigerator (discarded refrigerator) includes a refrigerator body 10. When vacuum insulation material 11 (VIP) is removed and collected from refrigerator body 10, rotating or drawer doors, cooling mechanism parts such as a compressor in a machine compartment, and the like are removed.

[0008] The refrigerator body 10 is configured with an outer box 6 consisting of a top plate 2 that forms the upper surface, side plates 3 that form the left and right sides, a bottom plate 4 that forms the lower surface, and a rear plate 5 that forms the back surface, and an inner box 7 made of synthetic resin that is provided inside the outer box 6. The top plate 2, side plates 3, bottom plate 4, and rear plate 5 are made of steel plate. The top plate 2 and the left and right side plates 3 are configured by bending a single steel plate into a gate shape (U-shape) when viewed from the front.

[0009] Further, a gate-shaped cutout portion 2a is provided at the rear of the top panel 2, and a board case (not shown) for accommodating a control board (not shown) that performs various controls for the refrigerator is attached here.

[0010] Bottom plate 4 is a metal plate-like member that becomes the underside of outer box 6. Bottom plate 4 is composed of ceiling portion 4a that is placed on the ceiling of the machine room, bottom portion 4b that is placed on the bottom surface of refrigerator body 10, and upright portion 4c that rises in the height direction at an arbitrary angle from the rear end of bottom portion 4b and connects to the front end of ceiling portion 4a.

[0011] The rear plate 5 is a rectangular plate material, and has a length (height) from the height position of the top plate 2 to the ceiling portion 4a of the bottom plate 4. Vacuum insulation material 11 is attached to the inner wall surface of the rear plate 5. The vacuum insulation material 11 is also called a VIP (Vacuum Insulation Panel), and in the following description, the vacuum insulation material may be abbreviated as VIP.

[0012] The inner box 7 is slightly smaller than the outer box 6, and a heat insulating material (not shown) formed by injecting and foaming a foam insulating material made of, for example, rigid urethane foam is provided in the space between the inner box 7 and the inside of the outer box 6. Also, a partition wall (not shown) is provided inside the inner box 7, and a refrigerator compartment, a freezer compartment, and a vegetable compartment are optionally formed as storage compartments.

[0013] As shown in Fig. 3, the side panels 3 have bent portions 3a where the rear edge is bent inward, and fitting recesses 3b are formed in the bent portions 3a. The rear panel 5 has bent portions 5a where the left and right edges are bent forward. The bent portions 5a are inserted from the rear and fitted into the recesses 3b, thereby joining the side panels 3 and the rear panel 5. Note that Fig. 3 shows the rear panel 5 in the middle of being fitted into the side panels 3. A VIP 11 is attached to the inner wall surface of the rear panel 5.

[0014] Although not shown, the rear panel 5 is screwed to the side panels 3 at four locations, the top and bottom corners. Depending on the model, the rear panel 5 is screwed to the side panels 3 at six locations, including the top and bottom corners and two locations in the center of the left and right height directions.

[0015] 1 to 3 will be taken as an example for explanation, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the top plate 2 and the left and right side plates 3 are not limited to those formed by bending steel plates, and the side plates 3 may be formed by combining two plate materials forming the left and right side surfaces with opposite sides of a rectangular plate material forming the top plate 2 and fastening them by welding, spot welding, screwing, or the like.

[0016] Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing a system for removing vacuum insulation material from a discarded refrigerator according to the present embodiment. Note that Fig. 4 illustrates a centrally managed system, but the system is not limited to a centrally managed system and may be controlled separately in a plurality of systems. As shown in FIG. 4, vacuum insulation material removal system 1 from an abandoned refrigerator removes vacuum insulation material 11 from an abandoned refrigerator in which vacuum insulation material 11 is provided, and is configured to include a rear panel vacuum insulation material recovery section 20 (hereinafter referred to as rear panel VIP recovery section), a side panel vacuum insulation material recovery section 30 (hereinafter referred to as side panel VIP recovery section) 30, a press section 40, an inverted powder recovery section 50, a core material type determination section 60, a foreign matter removal section 70, and a control section 100.

[0017] Rear plate VIP recovery unit 20 is a mechanism that recovers rear plate 5 of refrigerator body 10, and has a mechanism that clamps rear plate 5 and peels rear plate 5 from refrigerator body 10. Here, rear plate 5 refers to a thin metal plate that is placed on the back surface of refrigerator body 10. A VIP 11 (see FIG. 1) is attached to the inner wall surface (back surface side) of rear plate 5, and by peeling rear plate 5 from refrigerator body 10, VIP 11 (see FIG. 1) is peeled off together with rear plate 5. In this way, rear plate 5 with VIP 11 attached thereto will be referred to as rear plate VIP 12 below.

[0018] The VIP 11 is made of a heat insulating material that has a core material such as glass wool placed in a laminated film (bag), vacuum-packed to reduce the pressure inside, and sealed, and has high heat insulating properties. The core material is made of glass wool made of short glass fibers or long glass fibers, for example.

[0019] Side panel VIP recovery unit 30 is a mechanism that recovers side panel 3 of refrigerator body 10, and has a mechanism that clamps side panel 3 and peels side panel 3 off from refrigerator body 10. Here, side panel 3 refers to a thin metal plate that is arranged on the left and right outer surfaces of refrigerator body 10. VIP 11 (see FIG. 1) is attached to the inner wall surface (back side) of side panel 3, and by peeling off side panel 3, VIP 11 (see FIG. 1) is peeled off together with side panel 3. In this way, side panel 3 with VIP 11 attached thereto will be referred to as side panel VIP 13 below.

[0020] The press unit 40 has a mechanism for compressing the VIP 11 by roll-pressing the peeled back panel VIP 12 and side panel VIP 13. By roll-pressing the VIP 11, the core material inside the bag body of the VIP 11 is crushed into powder.

[0021] The inverted powder recovery unit 50 has a mechanism for inverting (standing up) the VIP 11 compressed by the press unit 40 and removing the powdered core material from the VIP 11. The inverted powder recovery unit 50 has a mechanism for standing up the rear plate VIP 12 and the side plate VIP 13 to invert the VIP 11, and a mechanism for recovering the core material inside the inverted VIP 11.

[0022] The core material type discriminator 60 has a mechanism for discriminating the type of glass contained in the core material (powder) extracted by the inverted powder recovery unit 50. For example, an X-ray fluorescence device can be used as this discrimination mechanism. The bag of the VIP 11 is cut open and the type of glass wool inside is confirmed using the X-ray fluorescence device. The core material of the VIP 11 is made of E-glass, which is made of long, filamentous fibers, and C-glass, which is made of short, cotton-like fibers. C-glass and E-glass contain different amounts of alumina and have different melting points. E-glass contains more alumina than C-glass, making it more difficult to melt than C-glass (it also contains a different amount of alkali). Separating the glass by type in this way makes it easier to reuse the glass later.

[0023] The foreign matter removal unit 70 has a mechanism for removing foreign matter (adsorbent, getter material) contained in the core material of the VIP 11. The device for removing this foreign matter is composed of a sieve 55, which will be described later.

[0024] The control unit 100 is equipped with a CPU (Central Processing Unit), memory, interface circuit, etc., and controls the rear plate VIP recovery unit 20, side plate VIP recovery unit 30, press unit 40, inverted powder recovery unit 50, core material type discrimination unit 60, and foreign matter removal unit 70 according to a control program stored in memory (ROM).

[0025] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the vacuum insulation material removal system from a discarded refrigerator according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, in step S10, the control unit 100 controls the rear panel VIP recovery unit 20 to peel off the rear panel 5 and recover the rear panel VIP 12, which is the rear panel 5 to which the VIP 11 is attached. Then, in step S20, the control unit 100 peels off the side panel 3 and recovers the side panel VIP 13, which is the side panel 3 to which the VIP 11 is attached. Then, in step S30, the control unit 100 compresses the peeled rear panel VIP 12 and side panel VIP 13 with a roll press to powder the core material in the VIP 11. Then, in step S40, the control unit 100 determines the type of core material of the VIP 11 (short fiber glass or long fiber glass). Then, in step S50, the control unit 100 removes the core material, which has been powdered by the roll press, from the VIP bag. Then, in step S60, the control unit 100 sucks the powder and introduces it into a sieve to remove foreign matter contained in the core material.

[0026] In FIG. 5, the roll press (step S30) is followed by the core material type determination (step S40), but these steps may be reversed, and the roll press may be performed after the core material type determination.

[0027] FIG. 6 shows the process of peeling off the rear panel, and is a diagram of the rear panel before, during, and after peeling. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the clamp device when peeling off the rear panel. FIG. 6 shows a state in which refrigerator body 10 is laid down with the left side facing up (the viewer in the figure). That is, the back side of the paper in FIG. 6 is the contact surface of refrigerator body 10, and the figure shows this as viewed from above. Also, FIG. 6 shows VIP 11 provided on the inner wall surface of rear panel 5 with a dashed line. Also, in FIG. 6, the back side in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface is the contact surface, but the contact surface may be the upper side of the paper (the refrigerator door side) or the front side in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface (the opposite side).

[0028] 6, the rear plate VIP recovery unit 20 has a clamping mechanism 21 that clamps the rear plate 5 of the rear plate VIP 12, and a peeling mechanism 22 that peels off the clamped rear plate 5. The clamping mechanism 21 clamps the edge of the rear plate 5 on the bottom plate 4 side, not the rear plate 5 on the top plate 2 side.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 7 , the clamping mechanism 21 has an opening forming portion 21a that drills an opening in the bottom plate 4 to clamp the rear plate 5, and a holding portion 21b that clamps the rear plate 5 together with the opening forming portion 21a. The opening forming portion 21a and the holding portion 21b are connected by a shaft 21c. Rotating the shaft 21c in one direction of the clamping mechanism 21 moves the holding portion 21b toward the opening forming portion 21a (downward in FIG. 7 ), and rotating the shaft 21c in the other direction moves the holding portion 21b away from the opening forming portion 21a (upward in FIG. 7 ). Note that while the present embodiment has been described using an example of a mechanism that clamps by rotating the shaft 21c, a mechanism that clamps by hydraulic pressure may also be used.

[0030] As shown in the state diagram of reference numeral 100 in FIG. 7 , opening forming portion 21a of clamping mechanism 21 is positioned so as to face bottom plate 4 at a position close to rear plate 5. Also, opening forming portion 21a and pressing portion 21b are spaced apart. Then, as shown in the state diagram of reference numeral 200 in FIG. 7 , opening forming portion 21a is thrust into bottom plate 4 to a position where it can be clamped with pressing portion 21b. Then, as shown in the state diagram of reference numeral 300 in FIG. 7 , shaft portion 21c is rotated to bring pressing portion 21b closer to opening forming portion 21a, thereby clamping rear plate 5 between opening forming portion 21a and pressing portion 21b. Then, as shown in the state diagram of reference numeral 400 in FIG. 7 , while rear plate 5 is clamped between opening forming portion 21a and pressing portion 21b, peeling mechanism 22 is controlled to operate clamping mechanism 21 in a direction away from the rear surface of refrigerator body 10 and in a direction toward top plate 2 (the direction of the arrow in state diagram 400).

[0031] As shown in the middle diagram of FIG. 6, rear panel VIP 12 is peeled off from foam insulation 31 (see FIG. 7) of refrigerator body 10. At this time, since VIP 11 is fixed to rear panel 5, VIP 11 is peeled off together with rear panel 5 without remaining on the foam insulation 31 (see FIG. 7) side. Note that, hereinafter, rear panel 5 to which VIP 11 is attached will be referred to as rear panel VIP 12. Also, refrigerator body 10 does not necessarily include foam insulation 31.

[0032] Then, as shown in the middle diagram of Fig. 6, clamp mechanism 21 is further operated in the direction of the arrow by peeling mechanism 22, whereby rear panel VIP 12 is completely peeled off from refrigerator body 10, as shown in the bottom diagram of Fig. 6. In this way, rear panel 5 is made of a single plate material (steel plate) and is a separate part from side panels 3. Therefore, by peeling rear panel 5 from the bottom panel 4 side toward top panel 2 side, rear panel 5 can be easily peeled off from top panel 2.

[0033] Furthermore, the bent portion 5a (see FIG. 3) of the back panel 5 is fitted into the recessed portion 3b (see FIG. 3) of the side panel 3. Because the back panel 5 is positioned outside the side panel 3 in this way, the back panel 5 can be easily peeled off from the side panel 3 by peeling off the back panel 5 before the side panel 3.

[0034] Furthermore, since refrigerators are generally formed so that their height is longer than their width, rear panel 5 is also formed so that its height H is longer than its width W (see FIG. 2). For this reason, when peeling off rear panel 5, by peeling it off from the bottom panel 4 side, which has a width W that is shorter than the height H, the area to be peeled off at one time can be reduced, the peeling time can be shortened, and the panel can be peeled off with a relatively small force.

[0035] Fig. 8 shows the process of peeling off the side panel, and illustrates the state of the side panel before, during, and after peeling off. Fig. 8 shows a state in which side panel 3 is placed horizontally while refrigerator body 10 is laid down. In the following description, side panel 3 with VIP 11 attached thereto will be referred to as side panel VIP 13. As shown in the upper diagram of FIG. 8, side panel VIP recovery section 30 has clamp mechanism 21 that clamps side panel 3 and peeling mechanism 22 that peels off clamped side panel 3. Clamp mechanism 21 is configured similarly to clamp mechanism 21 of rear panel VIP recovery section 20, and clamps side panel 3 by clamping the central edge in the longitudinal direction (height direction of refrigerator body 10). Specifically, opening forming portion 21a (see FIG. 6) of clamp mechanism 21 is inserted into the foam insulation material inside side panel 3, and pressing portion 21b (see FIG. 6) is inserted into the foam insulation material to a position where it can be sandwiched between opening forming portion 21a (see FIG. 6). Then, shaft portion 21c (see FIG. 6) is rotated to bring pressing portion 21b close to opening forming portion 21a, and side panel 3 is clamped between opening forming portion 21a and pressing portion 21b. Before clamping and peeling off the side panel 3, the corners of the boundary between the side panel 3 and the top panel 2 are cut in advance.

[0036] 8, side panel VIP13 is peeled off from refrigerator body 10 by peeling mechanism 22. Because VIP11 is fixed to side panel 3, VIP11 is peeled off together with side panel 3 without remaining on the foam insulation side.

[0037] 8, clamp mechanism 21 is further operated in the direction of the arrow by peeling mechanism 22, whereby side panel VIP 13 is completely peeled off from refrigerator body 10 as shown in the bottom diagram of FIG.

[0038] In addition, when VIPs 11 are attached to the left and right side panels 3, it is preferable to further add a step of peeling off the other side panel VIP 13 from the refrigerator body 10.

[0039] In addition, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the case where the ground surface is the storage compartment opening side when peeling off the left side panel 3 has been described as an example. However, when peeling off the right side panel 3, the left side panel 3 may be grounded and peeled off. The peeling direction may be from the machine compartment side or the rear panel side. Furthermore, when the storage compartment opening is grounded, it becomes possible to peel off both the left and right side panels 3 at the same time. In this way, the ground surface can be changed as appropriate depending on the layout of the device, etc.

[0040] In addition, in this embodiment, the rear plate VIP recovery section 20 and the side plate VIP recovery section 30 are described as separate devices, but the clamp mechanism 21 of the rear plate VIP recovery section 20 and the clamp mechanism 21 of the side plate VIP recovery section 30 may be shared.

[0041] FIG. 9 shows a roll press device, illustrating the state before and after pressing. As shown in FIG. 9 , the press unit 40 compresses the core material of the VIP 11 into powder and has roll units 41, 41 that compress the rear panel VIP 12 (side panel VIP 13). Because the VIP 11 is evacuated, the creation of holes in the bag is prevented even when compressed by the press unit 40. In this case, by passing the rear panel VIP 12 (side panel VIP 13) with the VIP 11 still attached to the rear panel 5 (side panel 3) through the press unit 40 without removing the VIP 11 from the rear panel VIP 12 (side panel VIP 13), the shape of the VIP 11 is maintained by the rear panel 5 (side panel 3), making the VIP 11 easier to handle and improving processability. Furthermore, by compressing the rear panel VIP 12 (side panel VIP 13) with the press unit 40, the core material in the VIP 11 is finely crushed into powder. By converting the core material into powder in this way, the bulk of the core material is reduced, and the transportation efficiency of the recovered core material is improved.

[0042] FIG. 10 shows the core material recovery device, and is a diagram showing the state before and during core material recovery. As shown in the upper diagram of FIG. 10 , the inverted powder recovery unit 50 has a mechanism for recovering core material from the VIP 11, and includes a fixing portion 51 to which the rear panel VIP 12 (side panel VIP 13) is fixed, and a shaft portion 52 for rotating the fixing portion 51 between a horizontal position (see two-dot chain line) and an inverted position (see solid line). The inverted powder recovery unit 50 configured in this manner has the rear panel VIP 12 (side panel VIP 13) attached with the fixing portion 51 in a horizontal position. The fixing portion 51 is then raised using the shaft portion 53 as a fulcrum, thereby placing the rear panel VIP 12 (side panel VIP 13) in an inverted position. Before inverting the rear panel VIP 12 (side panel VIP 13), a slit 11a is made in the lower portion of the bag 11t of the VIP 11, which will be located at the bottom when the VIP 11 is inverted, and the bag 11t of the VIP 11 is opened.

[0043] As shown in the lower diagram of Figure 10, the powder (core material) 11s containing glass wool in the VIP 11 falls downward due to the influence of gravity. A powder recovery box 54 for recovering the powder 11s is provided below the VIP 11, so the powder 11s is discharged toward the powder recovery box 54 and accumulates therein. If the powder 11s is difficult to discharge, the rear panel VIP 12 (side panel VIP 13) is struck and vibrated to discharge the powder 11s. By using powder 11s as the core material in this way, the core material (powder 11s) is easily discharged from the bag body 11t, making it easier to handle.

[0044] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the configuration of a core material recovery device using a suction sieve. As shown in FIG. 11, the powder 11s (see FIG. 10) collected in the powder collection box 54 is sucked and sent to a sieve 55 serving as a foreign matter removal unit 70. The powder collection box 54 and the sieve 55 are connected via a suction pipe 54a. The powder 11s collected in the powder collection box 54 is sucked by a pump P of the drive unit and fed into the sieve 55. In the sieve 55, the foreign matter 11c (getter material) adhering to the core material remains in the sieve 55, while the powder 11z (core material) not containing the foreign matter 11c is sieved out through the meshes on the bottom surface of the sieve 55. Note that by using the powder 11s as the core material, it becomes easier to select the getter material when the powder is passed through the sieve 55.

[0045] A flexible container bag 56 is placed below the sieve 55. The powder 11z sieved out of the sieve 55 is collected in the flexible container bag 56.

[0046] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the configuration of a core material recovery device using a sieve. As shown in FIG. 12, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 11, the powder 11s is sucked from the powder recovery box 54 into the sieve 55. However, a configuration without suction may be used. That is, the sieve 55 may be installed below the powder recovery box 54, and a flexible container bag 56 may be placed below the sieve 55. For example, the bottom of the powder recovery box 54 may be configured to be openable and closable, and after the powder 11s has accumulated, the bottom of the powder recovery box 54 may be opened, allowing the powder 11s to fall into the sieve 55 by gravity. In the sieve 55, foreign matter 11c is removed from the powder 11s, as described in FIG. 11, and the powder 11s is collected in the flexible container bag 56. In this way, the system can be simplified by not using suction.

[0047] Figure 13 shows a layout diagram of a vacuum insulation material removal system for discarded refrigerators. As shown in Figure 13, the vacuum insulation material removal system 1 (VIP removal system) from discarded refrigerators is configured by adding a VIP peeling line L10 that recovers VIP11 from refrigerators equipped with VIP11 to a normal line L1 that recycles refrigerators that do not have a VIP.

[0048] The VIP peeling line L10 includes a rear panel VIP recovery line L11 (rear panel VIP recovery section 20) and a side panel VIP recovery line L12 (side panel VIP recovery section 30). An input line L13 is connected to the VIP peeling line L10, and carries cabinets (refrigerator bodies 10) from which doors, compressors, and the like have been removed. In this input line L13, screws fastening the rear panel 5 and the side panels 3 to each other are removed in advance. The screws are provided at four locations on the four corners of the rear panel 5, or at four locations on the four corners of the rear panel 5 and two locations in the middle in the vertical direction, for a total of six locations. After the screws are removed, the cabinets (refrigerator bodies 10) are carried into the rear panel VIP recovery line L11 (rear panel VIP recovery section 20).

[0049] In the rear panel VIP recovery line L11, the rear panel 5 (rear panel VIP12) with the VIP 11 attached thereto is recovered from the cabinet and sent to the VIP recovery line L14. This VIP recovery line L14 is sent to another line that recovers the core material of the rear panel VIP12.

[0050] Then, the cabinet from which the back panel 5 has been removed is sent to a side panel VIP recovery line L12 (side panel VIP recovery section 30). This side panel VIP recovery line L12 recovers the side panel 3 (side panel VIP13) with the VIP11 attached from the cabinet, and sends it to a VIP recovery line L14. This VIP recovery line L14 sends it to another line that recovers the core material of the side panel VIP13.

[0051] The cabinet from which the rear panel VIP 12 and side panel VIP 13 have been removed is returned to the normal line L1. The cabinet returned to the normal line L1 is sent to a crusher and recovered as metal. The rear panel VIP 12 and side panel VIP 13 are also sent to the inverted powder recovery section 50, the core material type discrimination section 60, and the foreign matter removal section 70.

[0052] As described above, system 1 for removing vacuum insulation material from an abandoned refrigerator according to the present embodiment is a system for removing VIP 11 from an abandoned refrigerator provided with VIP 11, and recovers VIP 11 by peeling off outer panels (rear panel 5 and side panels 3) from refrigerator body 10. Furthermore, method for removing vacuum insulation material from an abandoned refrigerator according to the present embodiment is a method for removing vacuum insulation material 11 from an abandoned refrigerator provided with vacuum insulation material 11, and recovers vacuum insulation material 11 by peeling off outer panels (rear panel 5 and side panels 3) from refrigerator body 10. This allows vacuum insulation material (VIP) to be easily recovered from various models of refrigerators.

[0053] This embodiment also includes a rear panel VIP recovery section 20 that peels off the rear panel 5 from among the outer panels to which the VIP 11 is attached, and a side panel VIP recovery section 30 that peels off the side panel 3 from among the outer panels to which the VIP 11 is attached. After the rear panel 5 is peeled off by the rear panel VIP recovery section 20, the side panel 3 is peeled off by the side panel VIP recovery section 30. This allows the rear panel 5 to be easily peeled off.

[0054] In this embodiment, the rear plate VIP recovery unit 20 clamps the bottom side of the rear plate 5 and peels it off toward the top plate side of the outer plate. This makes it easier to insert the opening forming portion 21a of the clamp mechanism 21, since the bottom plate 4 is thinner than the top plate 2. Furthermore, since the VIP 11 is disposed closer to the top plate 2, peeling it off from the bottom plate 4 side will prevent the VIP 11 from being damaged.

[0055] This embodiment also includes a press unit 40 that roll-presses the rear panel 5 (side panels 3 with the VIP 11 still attached) to which the VIP 11 is attached, thereby pulverizing the core material within the bag body 11t of the VIP 11. By roll-pressing the VIP 11 while it is still attached to the outer panels (rear panel 5, side panels 3), the shape of the VIP 11 can be firmly maintained, making the pressing process easier. Furthermore, by pulverizing the core material of the VIP 11, the bulk of the core material can be reduced, improving transportation efficiency. Furthermore, pulverizing the core material facilitates the recovery of the core material in a subsequent process.

[0056] This embodiment also includes an inverted powder recovery unit 50 that cuts 11a in the lower part of the bag body 11t of the VIP 11 while the outer panels (rear panel 5, side panels 3) to which the VIP 11 is attached are inverted, allowing the powder to fall and be recovered. This allows the powder to fall due to gravity, making it easy to recover the powder.

[0057] This embodiment also includes a core material type determination unit 60 that determines the type of core material, which makes it easier to recycle the core material.

[0058] This embodiment also includes a foreign matter removal section 70 that removes foreign matter contained in the powder by feeding the powder into a sieve 55. This makes it easier to recycle the core material. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 1. Vacuum insulation removal system from discarded refrigerators 2. Top plate 3 Side panels (outer panels) 4 Bottom plate 5 Rear plate (outer plate) 10 Refrigerator body 11 Vacuum insulation material 11a Break 11c Foreign object 11s powder (core material) 11t bag body 12 Rear panel vacuum insulation material 13 Side panel vacuum insulation material 20 Rear panel vacuum insulation material recovery section 30 Side panel vacuum insulation material recovery section 40 Press Department 50 Inverted powder recovery section 51 Fixed part 52 Shaft 54 Powder collection box 54a Suction tube 55 Sieve 56 Flexible Container Bag 60 Core material type discrimination section 70 Foreign matter removal section 100 control section

Claims

1. A vacuum insulation material removal system for removing a vacuum insulation material from an abandoned refrigerator provided with the vacuum insulation material, a vacuum insulation material recovery unit that recovers the vacuum insulation material attached to the outer plate by peeling the outer plate from the refrigerator body; The vacuum insulation material recovery unit in the system for removing vacuum insulation material from a discarded refrigerator includes: an opening forming unit that is adjacent to the outer panel to be peeled off and forms an opening in another outer panel that is oriented in a different direction from the outer panel to be peeled off; a pressing unit that clamps an end of the outer panel to be peeled off together with the opening forming unit inserted into the opening; and an axis unit that connects the opening forming unit and the pressing unit.

2. The vacuum insulation material removal system from a discarded refrigerator according to claim 1, The opening forming portion and the pressing portion are relatively movable in the axial direction of the shaft portion in response to rotation of the shaft portion, and each have a surface that is approximately perpendicular to the axial direction.

3. In the vacuum insulation material removal system from an abandoned refrigerator described in claim 1, a rear panel vacuum insulation material recovery unit that peels off a rear panel of the outer panel to which the vacuum insulation material is attached; and a side panel vacuum insulation material recovery unit that peels off a side panel of the outer panel to which the vacuum insulation material is attached, After the rear panel is peeled off by the rear panel vacuum insulation material recovery unit, the side panels are peeled off by the side panel vacuum insulation material recovery unit; The rear panel vacuum insulation material recovery unit clamps the bottom side of the rear panel and peels it off toward the top panel side of the outer panel, in a system for removing vacuum insulation material from an abandoned refrigerator.

4. A vacuum insulation material removal system for removing a vacuum insulation material from an abandoned refrigerator provided with the vacuum insulation material, The outer panel is peeled off from the refrigerator body to recover the vacuum insulation material. A system for removing vacuum insulation material from an abandoned refrigerator, comprising: a press unit that roll-presses the outer panel with the vacuum insulation material still attached to it to powder the core material inside the bag of the vacuum insulation material.

5. The vacuum insulation material removal system from a discarded refrigerator according to claim 4, The vacuum insulation material removal system for a discarded refrigerator includes an inverted powder recovery unit that cuts a slit in the lower part of the bag of the vacuum insulation material while the outer panel to which the vacuum insulation material is attached is inverted, and drops and recovers the powder.

6. The vacuum insulation material removal system from a discarded refrigerator according to claim 5, A vacuum insulation material removal system from an abandoned refrigerator, comprising a core material type determination unit that determines the type of core material.

7. The vacuum insulation material removal system from a discarded refrigerator according to claim 6, A vacuum insulation material removal system for an abandoned refrigerator, comprising a foreign matter removal unit that introduces the powder into a sieve to remove foreign matter contained in the powder.

8. A method for removing a vacuum insulation material from an abandoned refrigerator including a vacuum insulation material, the method comprising: When recovering the vacuum insulation material attached to the outer panel by peeling the outer panel off the refrigerator body, This method for removing vacuum insulation material from a discarded refrigerator includes forming an opening in another outer panel that is adjacent to the outer panel to be peeled off and that faces in a different direction from the outer panel to be peeled off using an opening forming part, and then sandwiching the outer panel to be peeled off using the opening forming part and a pressing part that is connected to the opening forming part by a shaft part, and peeling off the outer panel to be peeled off.

9. The method for removing vacuum insulation material from a discarded refrigerator according to claim 8, a method for removing vacuum insulation material from an abandoned refrigerator, the method including peeling off the outer panel to be peeled off using the opening forming portion and the pressing portion, each of which is movable relatively in the axial direction of the shaft portion in response to rotation of the shaft portion and has a surface approximately perpendicular to the axial direction.

10. The method for removing vacuum insulation material from a discarded refrigerator according to claim 8, After peeling off the rear panel of the outer panels together with the vacuum insulation material, peeling off the side panels of the outer panels together with the vacuum insulation material, A method for removing vacuum insulation material from a discarded refrigerator includes clamping the bottom side of the rear panel and peeling it off toward the top side of the outer panel.

11. A method for removing a vacuum insulation material from an abandoned refrigerator including a vacuum insulation material, the method comprising: The outer panel is peeled off from the refrigerator body to recover the vacuum insulation material; The method for removing vacuum insulation material from a discarded refrigerator includes roll-pressing the outer panel with the vacuum insulation material still attached to powder the core material of the vacuum insulation material.

12. The method for removing a vacuum insulation material from a discarded refrigerator according to claim 11, The method for removing vacuum insulation material from a discarded refrigerator includes inverting the outer panel to which the vacuum insulation material is attached, making a slit in the lower part of the bag of the vacuum insulation material, and allowing the powder to fall and be collected.

13. The method for removing a vacuum insulation material from a discarded refrigerator according to claim 12, A method for removing vacuum insulation material from an abandoned refrigerator, comprising: determining the type of core material after powdering the core material.

14. The method for removing a vacuum insulation material from a discarded refrigerator according to claim 13, A method for removing vacuum insulation material from a discarded refrigerator, comprising: putting the powder into a sieve to remove foreign matter contained in the powder.

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