Item recovery device

Abstract

To provide an empty container collection device that improves empty container containment means for especially providing an efficient way of collecting more plastic bottles.SOLUTION: An article collection device for collecting articles includes a housing unit that holds the articles and a deflecting mechanism that provides orientation so that the articles are delivered in a plurality of directions within the housing unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 18

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an article collection device.

Background Art

[0002] Container collection devices are known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the container collection device described in Patent Document 1, an empty container such as a plastic bottle is inserted into the insertion port.

Prior Art Document

Patent Document

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the empty container collection device described in Patent Document 1, there is still room for improvement in the empty container storage means. In particular, there is a need to more efficiently collect more plastic bottles.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The article collection device according to the present invention includes at least the following configuration. An article collection device for collecting articles, A volume reduction section for reducing the volume of the article, and the volume reduced for storing articles multiple a storage unit, The volume reduction portion is provided below the volume reduction portion of the volume-reduced article and a deflection mechanism for imparting orientation, and is characterized by The deflection mechanism delivers the article to one of the plurality of storage sections, and ensures that the article is delivered in multiple directions to the single storage section. the above.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0006] [Figure 1] The overall conceptual diagram of the article collection device (empty container collection device) according to an embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is a front view of the article collection device, (b) is a left side view of the article collection device, and (c) is a top view of the article collection device. [Figure 2]These are perspective views (left perspective view, right perspective view) of an item collection device (empty container collection device). [Figure 3] This is a side cross-sectional view of the item recovery device (empty container recovery device), specifically a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Figure 1(a). [Figure 4] This diagram shows the front left door of the item recovery device (empty container recovery device) in an open state. (a) is a front view of the item recovery device, (b) is a left side view of the item recovery device, and (c) is a top view of the item recovery device. [Figure 5] This diagram shows the front left door of the item collection device (empty container collection device) in an open state, and is a perspective view (left perspective view, right perspective view) of the item collection device (empty container collection device). [Figure 6] This is a perspective view showing only the bag-holding section. [Figure 7] This is a perspective view showing the item collection device (empty container collection device) with both the front left door and the front right door open, and only the left bag holding section pulled out. [Figure 8] This diagram illustrates the item recovery device (empty container recovery device). (a) is an electrical functional block diagram of the item recovery device (empty container recovery device), and (b) is a functional block diagram of the control unit. [Figure 9] This is a conceptual diagram of the container input section of an item recovery device (empty container recovery device). [Figure 10] These diagrams illustrate the detection unit and other components of the item recovery device (empty container recovery device). Specifically, (a) is a left-side perspective view of the container input section, (b) is a right-side perspective view of the container input section, and (c) is a front view of the container input section. [Figure 11] This is a perspective view showing an example of an empty container collection device with the outer door closed and the inner door closed. [Figure 12] This is a side view conceptual diagram showing an example of an empty container recovery device with the outer door closed and the inner door closed. [Figure 13] This is a perspective view showing an example of an empty container collection device with the outer door open and the inner door closed. [Figure 14] This is a side view conceptual diagram showing an example of an empty container recovery device with the outer door open and the inner door closed. [Figure 15]It is a perspective view from the front side showing an example of an article collection device (empty container collection device) in which the outer door is in a closed state (not shown) and the inner door is in an open state. [Figure 16] It is a view in which the inner door is slightly open during the cleaning mode of the article collection device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] It is a bottom perspective view with a part of the right side of the article collection device (empty container collection device) cut away. [Figure 18] It is a perspective view with a part of the upper part of the article collection device (empty container collection device) cut away, where (a) shows the state in which the deflection mechanism faces the front left, and (b) shows the state in which the deflection mechanism faces the back left. [Figure 19] It is a perspective view with a part of the upper part cut away in a state where both the front left door and the front right door of the article collection device (empty container collection device) are open. [Figure 20] It is a view showing a state in which the bent disk of the deflection mechanism is inclined toward the front left, where (a) is a front view of FIG. 18(a) viewed from the front in the C direction, and (b) is a rear view of FIG. 18(a) viewed from the rear in the C direction. [Figure 21] It is a view showing a state in which the bent disk of the deflection mechanism is horizontal, where (a) is a front view of FIG. 19 viewed from the front in the D direction, and (b) is a rear view of FIG. 19 viewed from the rear in the D direction. [Figure 22] It is a perspective view of an article collection device (empty container collection device) according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 23] It is a perspective view of the drawer part of an article collection device (empty container collection device) according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0007] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The embodiments of the present invention include the illustrated contents, but are not limited thereto. In the description of each of the following figures, parts common to those already described are denoted by the same reference numerals, and some redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0008] (Basic Configuration of Article Collection Device) FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of an empty container recycling device 100 that recycles empty containers (such as PET bottles) to be recycled as an article recycling device according to an embodiment of the present invention. (a) is a front view of the article recycling device, (b) is a left side view of the article recycling device, and (c) is a top view of the article recycling device. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the article recycling device (empty container recycling device). FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 1(a).

[0009] When the empty container recycling device 100 is on standby, the outer door 111 of the article input section is in the closed state, and the inner door 112 provided between the container input section 110 and the bag holding section 140 so as to be openable and closable is in the closed state. The bag holding section 140 holds a bag (plastic bag) used for recycling empty containers. When recycling an article, the outer door 111 of the container input section 110 is opened, and it is determined by the discrimination section whether the object placed on the placement section of the container input section 110 is an article to be recycled (for example, an empty resin container such as a PET bottle). When it is determined that the article (empty container) is an object to be recycled, the outer door 111 is closed, and the inner door 112 provided between the container input section 110 and the bag holding section 140 (in this embodiment, two bag holding sections 140 are provided) is opened, and the container is recycled into the bag held by the bag holding section 140. In this embodiment, the empty container recycling device includes a volume reduction mechanism (also referred to as a volume reduction section 120 or a container volume reduction section), and by reducing the volume of the container by the volume reduction mechanism (volume reduction section 120), a large amount of volume-reduced empty containers can be recycled by two bags (plastic bags) of a specified capacity. Further, since the deflection mechanism 151 can vary the delivery direction of the empty container in various directions of front, rear, left, and right, it is possible to perform bag replacement with good recycling efficiency. This will be described in detail later.

[0010] Note that the articles are not limited to PET bottles, cans, and bottles. For example, milk cartons, trays, ink cartridges, items to be returned to libraries or rental stores (books, DVDs, etc.), cleaning items, batteries, light bulbs, etc. may be any articles that are targets for recycling. That is, the empty container recycling device is an example of the device or article recycling device according to the present invention.

[0011] More specifically, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, the empty container collection device 100, as an article collection device according to an embodiment of the present invention, has a container input section 110 at the top of the main body 100B of the device, and an outer door 111 is provided on the outside of the opening of the container input section 110. The main body 100B of the device has a display operation section 3, a transmitting / receiving section 4 (communication section), and a reader / writer 17 (card reader / writer) on the front side near the top of the outer door 111. In addition, a luggage hook 100f is provided on the front side of the main body 100B of the device.

[0012] Furthermore, a space is provided below the container input section 110 to guide the container to the bag holding section 140, and an inner door 112 is provided on the container input section 110 for sending the empty container P towards this space.

[0013] In this embodiment, the empty container collection device 100 is provided with a volume reduction section 120 (volume reduction mechanism) and a deflection mechanism 151 between the inner door 112 and the bag holding section 140. When the inner door 112 is open, the volume reduction section 120 crushes and reduces the volume of the empty container P from the container input section 110, and sends the reduced-volume container to the upper surface of the deflection mechanism 151. The deflection mechanism 151 causes the direction in which the empty container is sent to differ in various directions, such as front, back, left, and right.

[0014] The main body 100B of the empty container collection device 100 is larger than that of conventional devices. The increased height and depth dimensions are expected to increase the amount of containers collected per collection bag change. In particular, the width has been doubled to allow two bags (plastic bags) to be placed side by side. By switching to collecting empty containers from one bag when the other bag is full, for example, the number of empty containers that can be collected can be greatly increased with almost no downtime for the device.

[0015] The main body 100B of the empty container collection device 100 has a slide rail 144 (not shown in Figures 1-3) which functions as a movable part that moves the two bag holding parts 140 so that they can move back and forth between a storage position inside the device and a bag replacement position. The main body 100B has a front left door 100LD and a front right door 100RD corresponding to each of the two bag holding parts 140.

[0016] The front left door 100LD and the front right door 100RD are each provided with a light-transmitting section 100A (light-transmitting window) on their front sides, allowing the empty containers housed in bags (plastic bags) to be visible from the outside.

[0017] Furthermore, the main body 100B of the device is equipped with a cap insertion section 108 on its front side, and is configured so that caps inserted into the cap insertion section 108 are stored in a cap storage section (not shown) via a cap passage (not shown). In conventional designs, the cap storage section had to be positioned at the expense of a portion of the empty container storage space, but in this embodiment, since the width dimension has been doubled, it is possible to position the cap storage section higher than the empty container storage space with ample clearance. Furthermore, the cap passage (not shown) may have a mechanism for separating caps from items smaller than caps. Specifically, the cap passage (not shown) may be branched, and a mesh-like material may be used at the branching point to allow leftover cigarette butts, rainwater, etc. to be discharged and accumulated via a separate route, so that only caps are placed in the cap storage section (not shown).

[0018] The volume reduction section 120 shown in Figure 1 has a structure in which a pair of rotating shafts 811 and 911 are rotatably supported, as shown in Figure 3, which is a side cross-sectional view (cross-sectional view along line AA in Figure 1(a)) of the article recovery device (empty container recovery device 100). A gear is provided at one end of the rotating shaft 811 and is configured to mesh with a gear provided at one end of the rotating shaft 911. These rotating shafts 811 and 911 are rotationally driven by a drive motor (not shown). In the space behind the area enclosed by the dashed circle B in Figure 3, compression rollers 81 and 91, each of the pair of rotating shafts 811 and 911, which have cutting surfaces on both axial sides, and spacers (not shown) with a smaller diameter than the compression rollers 81 and 91 and slightly thicker than the thickness of the compression rollers 81 and 91 are alternately arranged along the axial direction (see also Figure 17).

[0019] The outer circumference of a compression roller 81 provided on one rotating shaft 811 is positioned between compression rollers 91 provided on the other rotating shaft 911, and is positioned at a predetermined distance from a spacer provided between the compression rollers 91 on the other rotating shaft 911.

[0020] Furthermore, a feeding mechanism (not shown) is provided at the top of the volume reduction section 120. The feeding mechanism (not shown) has a rotating shaft with multiple blade sections (not shown) as paddles. As the rotating shaft rotates, the blade sections (not shown) rotate around the rotating shaft as the center of rotation, guiding the empty container P to the volume reduction section 120.

[0021] The rotating shafts 811 and 911 are driven by a drive motor (not shown). When driven, the rotating shafts 811 and 911 rotate in opposite directions, and the empty container P placed in the center is compressed by the compression rollers 81 and 91, and the reduced-volume empty container is output downwards.

[0022] Below the volume reduction section 120, a deflection mechanism 151 is positioned to change the direction in which the empty container is discharged in various directions, including front, back, left, and right. The deflection mechanism 151 consists of a disc with a notched circle in which at least a portion of the circle is cut out in a straight line. The disc is bent so that the left and right portions of both ends of the notch are slightly inclined, and by rotating the disc from side to side, the disc is tilted to the front right, front left, rear right, and rear left. When the notched portion is facing directly forward, the disc is in a horizontal position. Figure 3 shows this state.

[0023] Furthermore, the empty container collection device 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention performs a process to notify the user when the bag (plastic bag) held in the bag holding section 140 becomes full. When the empty container collection device 100 detects, for example, an operation by an administrator or cleaner to open the bag holding section 140, or more specifically, an unlocking operation to pull the bag holding section 140 to the bag replacement position, it performs a process to notify the user to clean the storage section on which the items are placed.

[0024] Figure 4 shows an item recovery device (empty container recovery device 100) according to one embodiment of the present invention with the front left door 100LD open and the bag holding section 140 pulled out, where (a) is a front view of the item recovery device, (b) is a left side view of the item recovery device, and (c) is a top view of the item recovery device. Figure 5 is a perspective view of the item recovery device (empty container recovery device 100) with the bag holding section 140 pulled out.

[0025] As shown in Figure 4, the bag holding section 140 is constructed around a frame and does not have side or bottom plates. Conventional item retrieval devices had a box-like structure consisting of left and right side plates, a rear plate, and a front plate, into which a bag (plastic bag) was placed, and the entire box-like structure was pulled out to the front to replace the bag. Therefore, although there were no problems when setting up the bag, when removing a bag full of empty containers for replacement, it was necessary to lift the heavy bag straight up from inside the box-like structure, which placed a considerable burden on the worker. On the other hand, in this embodiment, which does not have side or front plates, the bag can be removed and moved not only upwards, which is the direction in which the bag opens, but also forwards and to the left and right, so there is no need to lift a heavy bag. Furthermore, since there is no bottom plate, the replacement work can be performed with less burden by pulling out the bag holding section 140 with the trolley adjacent to the empty container retrieval device 100. As shown in Figure 4, if the front left door 100LD is open and the front right door 100RD is closed, the trolley can be approached from the right side, which is convenient. Furthermore, both the front left door 100LD and the front right door 100RD may be configured to open up to 180 degrees. This configuration allows the bogie to approach from any direction. Furthermore, Figure 4 shows that the bent disc of the deflection mechanism 151 is tilted to the left and forward so that the empty container P can be sent out in the left-front direction.

[0026] As shown in the right perspective view of Figure 5, a ramp SL is provided on the inner surface of the bottom plate on the front open side of the empty container collection device 100, attached with a 180-degree hinge. Normally, it is held up by a spring, but when attempting to pull out the bag holding member 140, the ramp SL is pushed down by the bag (plastic bag) full of empty containers. This ramp SL allows for the smooth transfer of the bag (plastic bag) full of empty containers from the empty container collection device 100 to the trolley. When attaching a new bag, the ramp SL returns to its upright position, but interference between the soft empty plastic bag and the ramp SL is not a significant problem, and the bag can be easily attached.

[0027] Figure 6 is a perspective view showing only the bag holding section 140. Figure 7 shows the empty container collection device 100 with both the front left door 100LD and the front right door 100RD open, and only the left bag holding section 140 pulled out.

[0028] As shown in Figure 7, slide rails 144 are provided on the left and right inner surfaces and the central partition of the main body 100B of the device, functioning as movable parts that allow the bag holding part 140 to move back and forth between the storage position inside the device and the bag replacement position. The bag holding part 140 is based on an upper frame and consists of a bag pushing part 143 that functions as a structure and pushes the bag out from the back when the bag holding part 140 is advanced to the bag replacement position, three or more columnar parts 141 (in this embodiment, four corner columnar parts 141), a hooking part 142 provided at or near the top of each of the columnar parts 141, and a handle part 147. As is clear from the positional relationship between the slide rails 144 and the hooking parts 142, the slide rails 144 are positioned at a height closer to the opening surface of the bag than the bottom surface of the bag when the bag is held. Since there is no bottom plate to support the bag, the weight of the bag exerts force on the fastening portion 142, and this arrangement is preferable in terms of weight balance.

[0029] The latching portion 142 is, for example, made of an elastomer, and more specifically, of an elastic material such as rubber or other resin, or a non-slip material. By using such a shape and material, attaching and detaching the bag becomes safe and easy, and furthermore, by using a material with good adhesion such as rubber, the top opening of the bag can be hooked without sagging. Furthermore, the latching portion 142 has a shape that protrudes outward, making it easy to latch the bag. In addition, the tip of the latching portion 142 is formed in a roughly spherical shape, making it difficult for the bag to tear.

[0030] This explains one example of how to replace the bags (plastic bags) used for collecting items. As shown in Figure 5, for example, with the front left door 100LD open, the trolley is positioned adjacent to the left front of the main body 100B of the device, either from the front or right side. Next, the bag holding unit 140 is pulled forward. As the bag holding unit 140 is pulled out, the bag pushing unit 143 also moves forward, pushing out the bag that is full of empty containers. The full bag pushes down the slope SL and slides along the slope SL, allowing the heavy full bag to be easily moved onto the trolley. Once the bag is fully positioned on the trolley, the four corners of the bag that are hooked onto the latching unit 142 are removed, and the bag is placed on the trolley. In this way, the bag that is full of empty containers can be collected without requiring much force. While there may be some inconvenience if a suitable-sized cart is unavailable or if placement constraints prevent the cart from being positioned next to the work area, the overall workload is still lightened because the heavy bags do not need to be lifted straight up, but can be pulled forward or to the right. After collecting the full bags, the ends (top ends) of the empty bags (plastic bags) are hooked onto the rubber balls (hooking parts 142) at the four corners, and the bag holding part 140 is pushed into the main body part 100B of the device, taking care to ensure that the bottom end of the bag avoids the slope SL.

[0031] (Electrical configuration of the item recovery device) Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of the electrical configuration of an empty container recovery device 100 as an article recovery device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 9 is a conceptual diagram of the container input section 110 of the empty container recovery device 100. Figure 10 is a diagram illustrating the detection section of the empty container recovery device, and in detail, Figure 10(a) is a left perspective view of the container input section, Figure 10(b) is a right perspective view of the container input section, and Figure 10(c) is a front view of the container input section.

[0032] As shown in Figure 8, the empty container recovery device 100 includes a control unit 1 (CPU), a storage unit 2, a display operation unit 3, a transmitting / receiving unit 4, an outer door drive unit 5, an inner door drive unit 6, a weighing unit 7, a metal detection sensor 8, a PET sensor 901, a container detection sensor 902, a safety detection sensor 903, a door position sensor 10, a door lock unit 11, a volume reduction drive unit 15, a reader / writer 17, a deflection drive unit 18, an imaging unit 19, and the like. It also includes a full-capacity detection unit 181 that detects when the storage unit is full. Each component is electrically connected by signal lines, etc. In this embodiment, for example, the PET sensor 901, the container detection sensor 902, and the safety detection sensor 903 are all composed of optical sensors 9. Furthermore, the weighing unit 7, metal detection sensor 8, PET sensor 901, container detection sensor 902, safety detection sensor 903, and imaging unit 19 are provided near the mounting unit 116 or on the mounting unit 116 itself, and function as cleaning detection means 180 that detect whether cleaning has been performed on the mounting unit 116 depending on a predetermined mode as the processing mode of the control unit 1, specifically a first mode (normal processing mode), a second mode (cleaning mode), or the state of the collection device. The control unit 1 controls one or more detection units (weighing unit 7, metal detection sensor 8, PET sensor 901, container detection sensor 902, safety detection sensor 903, imaging unit 19, etc.) differently depending on the first mode (normal processing mode) or the second mode (cleaning mode). The control unit 1 may also determine the location and storage unit to drop the PET bottles by determining the detection result of the fullness detection unit 181.

[0033] The control unit 1 (CPU) comprehensively controls each component of the item recovery device (empty container recovery device 100). The control unit 1 implements the functions of the invention of this embodiment in a computer, for example, by executing a control program. The control unit 1 has a determination unit 101 that determines whether cleaning has been performed on the mounting section 116 of the recovery device 100 based on detection results from the cleaning detection means 180, etc.

[0034] Memory unit 2 is a memory device such as RAM or ROM. Memory unit 2 stores control programs and other information. It also stores the characteristics of empty containers of the items to be recovered. These characteristics include, for example, the range of container mass and whether or not the container is made of resin.

[0035] The display operation unit 3 performs predetermined displays under the control of the control unit 1. The display operation unit 3 also outputs signals to the control unit 1 in response to user operations. The display operation unit 3 is, for example, a touch panel display device.

[0036] The transmitting / receiving unit 4, under the control of the control unit 1, performs predetermined communication with other terminal devices (computers) via a wireless or wired communication path.

[0037] The reader / writer 17 (card reader / writer) is a transceiver that communicates with contactless IC cards, IC tags, etc., and performs predetermined communication under the control of the control unit 1. Alternatively, the collection device 100 may have a code reader that reads a barcode or 2D code indicating a card identifier (member identifier) ​​recorded on the member card CD instead of the reader / writer 17.

[0038] The outer door drive unit 5 is a motor or the like for opening and closing the outer door 111, and its drive is controlled by the control unit 1.

[0039] The inner door drive 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 to either the open or closed state.

[0040] The deflection drive unit 18 controls the rotational drive of the bent disc of the deflection mechanism 151 so that it tilts to the front right, front left, rear right, and rear left, in order to switch to the other bag for collection when one bag is full, and to prevent empty containers from accumulating unevenly within the bag.

[0041] The weighing unit 7 weighs the mass of the empty container or non-recoverable object placed on the placement section 116 of the container input section 110 (in the first mode (normal processing mode)). The weighing unit 7 is a weighing device such as a load cell. Furthermore, the weighing unit 7 is used as a sensor to determine whether or not a container can be recovered by detecting the weight (measured value) of any remaining liquid inside the container placed on the placement section 116 of the container input section 110. The weighing unit 7 is also configured to determine the total weight contained in the bag holding section 140 by accumulating the weight values ​​of the containers that have been determined to be recoverable. This function eliminates the need to provide a weighing means in the bag holding section 140, allowing for a larger capacity bag holding section 140 and making the weighing unit 7 itself smaller. Because the object to be weighed is relatively small, there is no need to provide a large weighing means. Furthermore, in the second mode (cleaning mode), when removing dirt from the mounting section 116, a load is applied to the mounting section 116 to apply force for cleaning, causing the level of the signal indicating the measured value in the weighing section 7 to fluctuate. Specifically, when cleaning is done correctly and thoroughly, the value (measured value) becomes relatively large and the fluctuation range is large, while when cleaning is insufficient, the value (measured value) becomes relatively small and the fluctuation range is small. In cleaning mode, the control unit 1 detects whether cleaning is being done properly based on the fluctuation range of the measured value from the weighing section 7. Specifically, if the fluctuation range of the measured value is above a set threshold, it is determined that cleaning is being done properly, and if it is below the set threshold, it is determined that cleaning is insufficient. Furthermore, the process for determining whether cleaning is being performed is not limited to the embodiment described above. For example, as long as the measured value output from the weighing unit 7 continues to fluctuate, it is considered that cleaning is actually being performed. More specifically, the control unit 1 may determine that cleaning is being performed correctly and sufficiently if the time for which the measured value output from the weighing unit 7 continues to fluctuate is equal to or greater than a set time, and determine that cleaning is insufficient if it is less than the set time.

[0042] The metal detection sensor 8 detects whether an object placed on the placement section 116 of the container input section 110 is metallic or non-metallic (in the first mode (normal mode)). In this embodiment, if the metal detection sensor 8 detects that an object placed on the placement section 116 is metallic, the control unit 1 determines that the object placed on the placement section 116 is not subject to recovery. In this embodiment, the metal detection sensor 8 is provided on the inner door 112, as shown in Figure 10(c). Alternatively, the metal detection sensor 8 may be provided on the mounting section 116. Furthermore, in the second mode (cleaning mode), for example, if the cleaner is wearing a metal ring or other metal product on their finger or wrist, or if the cleaning tool contains metal, the metal detection sensor 8 will detect that metal. In cleaning mode, the control unit 1 will determine whether the cleaning has been performed correctly and sufficiently based on the metal detection result by the metal detection sensor 8 and the length of time the detection occurred.

[0043] In this embodiment, the PET sensor 901, container detection sensor 902, and safety detection sensor 903 are all optical sensors 9. The optical sensor 9 is configured to receive light from a light-emitting unit provided on one of the left or right sides of the mounting unit 116 with a light-receiving unit provided on the other side.

[0044] As shown in Figure 10, the PET sensor 901 is configured to receive light from a light-emitting part provided on one of the left and right side walls 116W of the mounting part 116, with a light-receiving part provided on the other side. The PET sensor 901 also includes a polarizing plate and is configured to receive light through the polarizing plate, enabling it to detect empty containers to be collected by detecting polarized light transmitted through a translucent empty container such as a PET bottle (in the first mode (normal processing mode)). The control unit 1 detects the light received through the translucent empty container placed on the container loading area using the light receiving section (optical sensor 9) of the PET sensor 901, and determines whether or not it is an empty container to be recovered based on the detection signal from the optical sensor 9 (in the first mode (normal processing mode)).

[0045] As shown in Figure 10, the container detection sensor 902 is configured to receive light from a light-emitting unit provided on one of the left or right side walls of the mounting unit 116 with a light-receiving unit provided on the other side. When an empty container or the like is placed on the mounting unit 116 of the container loading unit, the control unit 1 determines whether or not an empty container is placed there based on the intensity of the light received by the light-receiving unit of the container detection sensor 902 (in the first mode (normal processing mode)).

[0046] As shown in Figure 10, the safety detection sensor 903 has a light-emitting unit and a light-receiving unit on the left and right sides near the input slot. More specifically, it is positioned where the outer door 111 is closed, and is configured to receive light from the light-emitting unit on one side and the light-receiving unit on the other side. The control unit 1 detects whether, for example, a person's hand is in or near the input slot based on the intensity of the light received by the light-receiving unit of the safety detection sensor 903. If the light from the light-emitting unit of the safety detection sensor 903 is received by the light-receiving unit, the control unit 1 determines that there is no person's hand or other object in the input slot. If the light is not received by the light-receiving unit, the control unit 1 determines that there is a person's hand or other object in the input slot and determines, for example, that the outer door 111 cannot be safely closed (in the first mode (normal processing mode)).

[0047] In the second mode (cleaning mode), the PET sensor 901, container detection sensor 902, and safety detection sensor 903 described above are light detection sensors, and the control unit 1 may detect whether cleaning is taking place based on, for example, the number of times the light emitted from the light-emitting part of each sensor toward the light-receiving part, or the duration of the light being blocked by the cleaner's hand or cleaning tools.

[0048] Furthermore, the control unit 1 may determine whether cleaning is being performed based on the output signals from two or more of the three sensors mentioned above (PET sensor 901, container detection sensor 902, and safety detection sensor 903). Furthermore, in the second mode (cleaning mode), the control unit 1 may determine which part of the mounting area has been cleaned based on the type of light detection sensor that has been blocked from light. In detail, the control unit 1 may determine that only the front part of the mounting section has been cleaned if the safety detection sensor 903 located on the front side of the mounting section detects that light has been blocked, or it may determine that both the front and back parts of the mounting section have been cleaned if the PET sensor 901, container detection sensor 902, and safety detection sensor 903 all detect that light has been blocked.

[0049] For example, an imaging unit 19 for imaging the mounting unit 116 may be provided near the mounting unit 116. The imaging unit 19 is used, for example, to determine whether an item placed on the mounting unit 116 is to be collected or not (in the first mode (normal processing mode)). It may also be used to determine whether the film is still attached to the PET bottle or whether the cap is still attached. Furthermore, the system may be configured to determine the number of bottles placed on the mounting unit at one time and perform volume reduction processing according to the number of bottles, in which case it is preferable to count up multiple bottles for each collection. Conversely, the system may be configured not to accept PET bottles if the number of bottles placed exceeds the processing capacity. In addition, the imaging unit 19 may be used to determine whether the mounting unit 116 has been cleaned by a cleaner or the like, depending on a predetermined mode as the processing mode of the control unit 1, specifically the first mode (e.g., normal processing mode) or the second mode (cleaning mode), or the state of the collection device.

[0050] Furthermore, the item retrieval device is equipped with the aforementioned sensors around the placement area to determine whether or not an item needs to be retrieved. For example, in conventional retrieval devices, items are taken into the device, a determination is made as to whether or not they are items to be retrieved, and non-items are discharged from an outlet different from the input port. Since the device is equipped with a determination unit, an outlet is required. 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 the items to be recovered into the device, as sensors for determining whether or not recovery is necessary are provided in the mounting section which is the input port of the device. Therefore, there is no need to provide an outlet, and a compact article recovery device can be provided.

[0051] The door position sensor 10 detects the position of the outer door 111 and the inner door 112, and outputs signals related to the positions of the outer door 111 and the inner door 112 to the control unit 1. Based on these signals, the control unit 1 controls the opening and closing states of the outer door 111 and the inner door 112.

[0052] The door locking unit 11 has a locking device such as a solenoid, and locks the movement of the outer door 111 or inner door 112 as needed under control from the control unit 1.

[0053] (Specific configuration of the container loading section) Figure 11 is a perspective view showing an example of an empty container collection device 100 with the outer door 111 closed and the inner door 112 closed. Figure 12 is a side conceptual view showing an example of an empty container collection device 100 with the outer door 111 closed and the inner door 112 closed. Figure 13 is a perspective view showing an example of an empty container collection device 100 with the outer door 111 open and the inner door 112 closed. Figure 14 is a side conceptual view showing an example of an empty container collection device 100 with the outer door open and the inner door closed. Figure 15 is a front perspective view showing an example of an empty container collection device 100 with the outer door 111 closed and the inner door 112 open. Note that the outer door 111 is not shown in Figure 15. Figure 16 is a diagram showing the inner door slightly open during cleaning mode of an article collection device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0054] As shown in Figures 9 to 16, the container input section 110 of the empty container recovery device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a mounting 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, and the like.

[0055] The mounting section 116 is configured to allow the placement of objects to be collected. The side wall 116w of the mounting section 116 is equipped with light sensors 9, such as a light receiving section 9a and a light emitting section 9b. A weighing section 7 is also provided at the bottom of the mounting section 116.

[0056] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the mounting section 116 is not horizontal, but is inclined so that the bag holding section 140 side is lower than the article input side (the opening side when the outer door 111 is open). In other words, the mounting section 116 is configured to encourage the inserted articles to fall towards the bag holding section 140 side (or the volume reduction section 120 side) due to their own weight. As a result, there is no need to provide a transport mechanism to send the articles (input items) to the bag holding section 140, and a compact article retrieval device can be provided. Furthermore, the mounting section 116 has a surface treatment applied to the surface of the mounting surface, forming an uneven surface, which prevents the placed items from sticking to the mounting section. When the item retrieval device is a container retrieval device, even if the container is wet, the contact area between the container surface and the uneven surface of the mounting section is relatively small, so the surface tension due to wetness is reduced, and the container moves easily toward the bag holding section 140. In other words, it is possible to prevent problems such as wet containers not falling toward the container storage section.

[0057] The outer door 111 is located on the outside of the mounting section 116. The outer door drive unit 5 drives the outer door 111 so that it can be opened and closed. The inner door 112 is provided between the placement section 116 and the volume reduction section 120. The inner door drive unit 6 drives the inner door 112 so that it can be opened and closed. As shown in Figure 13, the inner door 112 is provided with a guide section 112D that guides the placement of empty containers. The guide section 112D is exposed and provided in a position visible from the main body of the device. The guide section 112D provides information to guide the placement of items (empty containers such as PET bottles) in a specified orientation and position (for example, 350ml, 500ml, 2000ml, etc.). This guide section 112D may be a recess, protrusion, sticker, LED display, LCD, etc., provided on the surface of the inner door 112. Furthermore, the item retrieval device may be equipped with a determination means that uses detection sensors such as the imaging unit 19 to determine whether the item is correctly placed at the placement position indicated by the guide unit 112D. In addition, if the orientation and position of the item are incorrect, the device may provide notification or other similar information using imaging processing or detection units such as optical sensors.

[0058] As shown in Figure 9, in this embodiment, the empty container collection device 100 has a base 118, which 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 rotating shaft C111 are provided at the upper ends of the two outer door support parts S118, and a fan-shaped outer door support part S111 is rotatably mounted on the rotating shaft C111, and the outer door 111 is supported by the fan-shaped outer door support part S111. One of the two rotating shafts C111 is connected to the rotating shaft of the motor of the outer door drive unit 5. The fan-shaped outer door support portion S111 is provided with a hole S111h through which the rotation axis C112 of the inner door 112 passes.

[0059] The weighing unit 7 is positioned between the base 118 and the mounting unit 116, and supports the mounting unit 116.

[0060] Furthermore, the inner door 112 is configured to guide the empty container placed on the mounting section 116 to the volume reduction section 120 when it is in the open position. In this embodiment, the inner door drive unit 6 and the inner door 112 are supported by an inner door support section S112, which is positioned on the weighing section 7 and extends from between the weighing section 7 and the mounting section 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 mounted on this rotation shaft C112. By opening the inner door 112, the items to be collected can be guided to the bag holding section 140 inside the main body of the device. The inner door support section S112 also has a hole S112h through which the rotation shaft C111 passes.

[0061] In other words, 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 a mounting part 116 is provided on top of the weighing unit 7 which is positioned on the base 118. Therefore, the weighing unit 7 can accurately weigh the mass of objects to be recovered that are placed on the mounting part 116. More specifically, since the weighing unit 7 does not support the outer door 111 or the outer door drive unit 5, the weighing unit 7 is less susceptible to vibrations from the outer door 111 and the outer door drive unit 5, and can accurately weigh the mass of objects to be recovered on the mounting part 116.

[0062] Furthermore, the outer door 111 of the empty container collection device 100, which is an article collection device according to an embodiment of the present invention, is configured to be movable between an open position that exposes the mounting section 116 and a closed position that covers the mounting section 116. When the outer door 111 is closed, it is configured to be movable from the open position towards the mounting section 116 to the closed position. In other words, since the outer door 111 is configured to move from the open state towards the mounting section 116 and close, for example, when a user's hand or arm gets caught between the outer door 111 and the mounting section 116, the measurement value by the measuring unit 7 changes, and the control unit detects this change, making it easy to detect that a user's hand or arm, foreign object, etc., is caught between the outer door 111 and the mounting section 116.

[0063] Furthermore, in the empty container recovery device 100 as an article recovery device according to an embodiment of the present invention, the outer door 111 is provided with a first restricting part K111 that restricts the movement of the inner door 112. The inner door 112 is provided with a second restricting part K112 that restricts the movement of the outer door 111. The first restricting part K111 and the second restricting part K112 provide a mechanism that prevents both the outer door 111 and the inner door 112 from being in an open state. In other words, the empty container collection device 100 has a first restricting section K111 provided on the outer door 111 and a second restricting section K112 provided on the inner door 112, so it has a mechanically simple structure and can restrict the opening and closing operation of each door according to the open and closed state of the outer door 111 and the inner door 112, respectively.

[0064] Furthermore, the first restricting part K111 of the empty container collection device 100, which functions as an item collection device, is configured to respond to the movement of the outer door 111. The second restricting part K112 is configured to respond to the movement of the inner door 112. In addition, the empty container collection device 100 is configured such that when the outer door 111 is open, the first restricting part K111 restricts the movement of the inner door 112, and when the inner door 112 is open, the second restricting part K112 restricts the movement of the outer door 111. In detail, in this embodiment, the empty container collection device 100 is configured such that when the outer door 111 is open, the inner door 112 remains closed and is prevented from opening. That is, when the outer door 111 is open and an item is placed on the loading section 116, the inner door 112 remains closed and does not open, and regardless of whether the item placed on the loading section 116 is an item to be collected or not, it is not placed in the bag holding section 140 within the main body 100B of the collection device. In other words, in this state, the item (item to be collected or not) is in contact with the inner door 112, and the inner door 112 also serves as part of the loading section.

[0065] Furthermore, the first restricting portion K111 and the second restricting portion K112 are configured such that their movement paths overlap. In this embodiment, when one of the first restricting portion K111 and the second restricting portion K112 restricts the movement of the other, the empty container collection device 100 has a structure in which the first restricting portion K111 and the second restricting portion K112 are adjacent to each other with a slight gap in an arc shape. In detail, in this embodiment, the first restricting portion K111 is formed in a substantially fan shape. The first restricting portion K111 has a convex arc-shaped portion K111a and a concave portion K111b. The second restricting portion K112 is also formed in a substantially fan shape. In detail, the second restricting portion K112 has a convex arc-shaped portion K112a and a concave portion K112b.

[0066] As shown in Figures 13 and 14, when the outer door 111 is open and the inner door 112 is closed, and the first restricting part K111 restricts the movement of the second restricting part K112, the convex arc-shaped part K111a of the first restricting part K111 and the concave arc-shaped part K112b of the second restricting part K112 are adjacent to each other with a slight gap in the arc shape. In other words, in the embodiment of the present invention, as described above, when the outer door 111 is open, the inner door 112 is closed, and the movement of the second restricting part K112 is restricted by the first restricting part K111, so the inner door 112 remains closed and does not open.

[0067] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 15, when the inner door 112 is open and the outer door 111 is closed, and the second restricting part K112 restricts the movement of the first restricting part K111, the convex arc-shaped part K112a of the second restricting part K112 and the concave arc-shaped part K111b of the first restricting part K111 are adjacent to each other with a slight gap in the arc shape.

[0068] In other words, in the empty container collection device as an article collection device according to the embodiment of the present invention, when the outer door 111 is closed and the inner door 112 is open, the movement of the first restricting part K111 is restricted by the second restricting part K112, so that the outer door 111 remains closed and does not open. However, as shown in Figure 16, in cleaning mode, the inner door 112 can be opened slightly to facilitate cleaning the rear end of the mounting part 116. There is a small amount of clearance between the first restricting part K111 and the second restricting part K112.

[0069] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the empty container recovery device 100 may have a prohibition means for prohibiting the movement of one or both of the first limiting portion K111 and the second limiting portion K112. In particular, the prohibition means may include, for example, a solenoid. This solenoid has a structure in which, for example, a metal movable pin (plunger) is arranged inside a coil, and when the coil is not energized, the movable pin (plunger) is positioned to protrude from the end of the coil by a biasing portion, and is configured to move inside the coil when the coil is energized. For example, as a means of preventing movement of the outer door 111 from a closed state to an open state, the movable pin (plunger) of the solenoid for the outer door may be configured to engage with a hole provided in the first restricting part K111. The control unit controls the system so that when the closed state of the first restricting part K111 is maintained and movement to the open state is prohibited, the movable pin is engaged with the hole, and when movement is not prohibited, the movable pin is disengaged. In other words, the means of preventing movement of the first restricting part K111 from a closed state to an open state can be prevented with a simple structure. Furthermore, as a means of preventing the inner door 112 from moving from the closed state to the open state, the movable pin (plunger) of the solenoid for the inner door may be configured to engage with a hole provided in the second restricting part K112. The control unit controls the system so that when the closed state of the second restricting part K112 is maintained and movement to the open state is prohibited, the movable pin is engaged with the hole, and when movement is not prohibited, the movable pin is disengaged. In other words, the means of preventing movement of the second restricting part K112 from the closed state to the open state can be prevented with a simple structure.

[0070] (LE configuration of the deflection mechanism) Figure 17 is a lower perspective view of the item recovery device (empty container recovery device 100) with a portion of the right side cut out. Figure 18 is a perspective view of the item recovery device (empty container recovery device 100) with a portion of the top cut out, where (a) shows the deflection mechanism 151 facing left front, and (b) shows the deflection mechanism 151 facing left rear. Figure 19 is a perspective view of the item recovery device (empty container recovery device 100) with both the front left door and the front right door open, with a portion of the top cut out.

[0071] As can be clearly seen by looking at the item collection device (empty container collection device) from below in Figure 17, a deflection mechanism 151 is positioned below the volume reduction section 120, allowing the containers whose volume has been reduced by the volume reduction section 120 to be released in various directions such as front, back, left, and right. More specifically, the deflection mechanism 151 is configured such that a disc with a notched circle, in which at least a part of the circle is cut out in a straight line, is bent so that the left and right portions of both ends of the notch are slightly inclined, and the disc is rotated left and right so that the disc tilts to the front right, front left, rear right, and rear left. Figure 18(a) shows the state in which the inclined surface of the bent disc is facing to the front left. In this state, the reduced-volume containers are released in front of the left bag (plastic bag). Figure 18(b) shows the state in which the inclined surface of the bent disc is facing to the rear left. In this state, the reduced-volume containers are released behind the left bag (plastic bag). Although not shown in the diagram, when releasing the reduced-volume container to the front right or rear right, the inclined surface of the folded disc should be directed towards the front right or rear right. The folded disc may maintain a horizontal position as shown in Figure 19. This may occur during cleaning mode (including maintenance mode), when one or both storage compartments are full, when an error occurs, or when the front left door 100LD or front right door 100RD is unlocked. Furthermore, when performing control to distribute the reduced-volume PET bottles to the left and right storage compartments as needed, as described later in the control mode, the horizontal position may be used as the standby position.

[0072] In Figure 19, the bent disc is positioned so that the notched portion faces the front of the device body 100B. In this state, the bent disc does not tilt and maintains a horizontal position. This makes it possible to move the bag holding section 140 between the storage position inside the device and the bag replacement position without interfering with the bent disc.

[0073] Figure 20 shows the state in which the bent disc of the deflection mechanism 151 is tilted toward the front left, where (a) is a front view of Figure 18(a) viewed from the front in direction C, and (b) is a rear view of Figure 18(a) viewed from the rear in direction C. Figure 21 shows the state in which the bent disc of the deflection mechanism 151 is horizontal, where (a) is a front view of Figure 19 viewed from the front in direction D, and (b) is a rear view of Figure 19 viewed from the rear in direction D.

[0074] The bent disc is driven to rotate around the vertical axis 1511. The disc's center of gravity is located off-center from the vertical axis 1511, and it is also pivotable due to a horizontal axis provided on the upper part of the vertical axis 1511. Therefore, without support, it will tilt towards the center of gravity. Figures 20(a) and (b) show that the disc is tilted towards the left and forward.

[0075] A deflection roller 1513 is positioned at the bottom of the disc. As the disc rotates, the deflection roller 1513 contacts a mountain-shaped slope 1512 provided around the upper side of the vertical axis 1511, and the tilt of the disc decreases. When the notched portion of the disc, which is a notched circle, faces the front of the device body 100B, the bent disc maintains a horizontal position. This is shown in Figure 21.

[0076] In this embodiment, a deflection roller 1513 is provided on the disc and an inclined surface (mountain-shaped slope) is provided on the upper part of the vertical shaft 1511. However, this relationship may be reversed, with the inclined surface provided on the disc and the deflection roller on the upper part of the vertical shaft 1511. The bending process of the notched disc contributes to more accurate direction setting of the discharge destination of the empty container, but since the direction of the discharge destination is set to a certain extent by the tilting of the disc, it is also possible to omit the bending process.

[0077] (Control mechanisms for deflection) In this embodiment, the folded disc is controlled to tilt to the front right, front left, rear right, and rear left by rotating it left and right. By switching between left and right, the destination of the reduced-volume containers can be distributed to two bags (plastic bags) on the left and right. The switching between the left and right bags is performed so that the containers are continuously released into one bag, and the amount of empty containers contained is monitored by the weighing unit 7 of this embodiment, or by appropriate means such as a weight sensor or a level sensor using a proximity switch. When one bag becomes full or nearly full, the destination is switched to the other bag, thereby reducing the impact of device downtime associated with bag changes. Such control is particularly effective in stores where customers frequently use the empty container collection device 100 for extended periods. On the other hand, in stores where the empty container collection device 100 is not used frequently for extended periods, it is possible to control the deflection mechanism 151 to switch its direction each time an empty container is released or each time a customer uses the device, thereby allowing the vendor to collect a large number of empty containers at once by changing bags. In this way, the control mode of the deflection mechanism 151 can be set differently depending on the store's situation. Furthermore, by recording history information for the cleaning detection means and cleaning mode of this embodiment and linking it with this history information, it is possible to prioritize reducing downtime when it is determined that cleaning has been sufficient, and to control the system to ensure sufficient bag change time and cleaning time when it is determined that cleaning has not been performed for some time.

[0078] Switching the discharge direction between the front and back does not result in distribution to the left and right bags, but by switching to front and back, it is possible to suppress the bridging phenomenon that tends to occur when containers are discharged in a uniform direction, and to store containers evenly in the bags. Furthermore, when used in a large empty container collection device that holds four bags, it can also be used to distribute the containers to four bags. Moreover, the discharge direction is not limited to four directions, but can be controlled in a larger number of directions, such as eight.

[0079] (Another embodiment) Figure 22 is a perspective view showing an example of an empty container collection device 100' for collecting empty containers (such as PET bottles) as an article collection device according to another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 23 is a perspective view showing only the drawer section 140', which is a part of another embodiment. In the first embodiment, the bag holding section 140 is centered around a frame and does not have side plates or a bottom plate. However, in another embodiment, it is equipped with a box-shaped drawer section 140', similar to conventional item retrieval devices, and as shown in Figures 22 and 23, it has left and right side plates 145 and a bottom plate 146. However, unlike conventional item retrieval devices, the device body is equipped with a hinged door, so the drawer section 140' does not have a front plate. On the other hand, the height dimension of the item retrieval device itself is larger compared to conventional item retrieval devices.

[0080] In conventional item retrieval devices, when replacing a bag full of empty containers, it was necessary to lift the bag above the front panel of the drawer, which was a heavy burden. However, increasing the height would require lifting the bag even higher. In contrast, the drawer section 140' of another embodiment of the present invention has virtually no front panel, allowing the bag to be removed in a forward direction, which is a direction other than the opening direction of the bag. Transferring the bag to a trolley and other operations can be done easily without requiring much force.

[0081] Although not shown in Figure 22, a deflection mechanism 151 is provided inside the device, which allows the direction of discharge of the reduced-volume containers to be switched at appropriate timings. This suppresses the bridging phenomenon that tends to occur when containers are discharged in a uniform direction, and makes it possible to evenly store the containers in the bag.

[0082] <Summary of Embodiments> [Technical field] This invention relates to an article recovery device. [Background technology] Container recovery devices are known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the container recovery device described in Patent Document 1, empty containers such as PET bottles are inserted into the input port. [Prior art document] [Patent] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2009-175789 [Overview of the prefecture] [Problems the invention aims to solve] The empty container collection device crushes PET bottles to reduce their volume and stores them in collection bags. For the workers at the stores where the device is installed, changing the collection bags is a considerable workload, and there was a need to improve the efficiency and reduce the labor involved in changing the bags in order to alleviate this workload. [Means for solving the problem] (1) As described above, one aspect of this embodiment is an article retrieval device 100 for retrieving articles, characterized by comprising a storage section 140 for storing articles and a deflection mechanism 151 for directing articles so that they are sent out in multiple directions within the storage section. With the above configuration, it becomes possible to distribute items into multiple bags or to uniformly store items within the bags, thereby improving the efficiency of bag replacement work.

[0083] (2) One aspect of this embodiment is the article retrieval device 100 described in (1), wherein the storage section 140 consists of a plurality of storage sections, and the deflection mechanism 151 distributes the articles to one of the plurality of storage sections. According to the above configuration, when storing items in multiple storage compartments, it is possible to set a storage configuration that is appropriate to the store's situation.

[0084] (3) One aspect of this embodiment is the article retrieval device 100 described in (2), wherein the deflection mechanism 151 continuously distributes articles to one of the plurality of storage sections. With the above configuration, the deflection mechanism does not operate excessively frequently, allowing for stable control.

[0085] (4) One aspect of this embodiment is the article retrieval device 100 described in (2) or (3), further comprising a detection unit 7 for detecting the amount of empty containers to be stored in the storage unit, wherein the deflection mechanism 151 selects a storage unit to be sorted according to the amount of articles detected by the detection unit. With the above configuration, the number of empty containers that can be recovered can be significantly increased with virtually no equipment downtime.

[0086] (5) One aspect of this embodiment is the article retrieval device 100 described in any one of (1) to (4), wherein the storage section 140 is retractable, and the deflection mechanism 151 is configured not to interfere with the storage section 140 when it is retracted. With the above configuration, the storage section can be smoothly pulled out.

[0087] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and any design changes, etc., that do not depart from the gist of the present invention are also included. In particular, it is important to note that the target of the item collection device may be cans and bottles other than PET bottles, and furthermore, it includes any item that can be collected, such as milk cartons, trays, ink cartridges, items returned to libraries and rental stores (books, DVDs, etc.), dry cleaning items, batteries, and light bulbs. Even a collection device without a volume reduction mechanism still faces the challenge of reducing the workload when changing bags. Furthermore, the embodiments shown in the figures above can be combined, provided there are no particular inconsistencies or problems in terms of purpose, structure, etc. Furthermore, the contents of each figure can represent an independent embodiment, and the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to a single embodiment that combines each figure. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0088] 1…Control Unit (CPU) 2...Storage section 3…Display operation section 7…Weighing section (load cell, etc.) 8…Metal detection sensor 9…Light sensor 17…Reader / Writer (Method of Acquisition) 18... Deflection drive unit 19…Imaging Department 100... Empty container collection device (item collection device, or collection device) 100'... Empty container collection device (item collection device, or collection device) 100B...Main unit (Main unit of the recovery device) 101…Judgment section 110...Container input section (goods input section) 111...Outer door 112...Inner door 116... Mounting section 120...Volume reduction section (volume reduction mechanism) 140...Bag holding part 141...Column part 142...Latching part 143...Bag extrusion section 144...Slide rail (moving part) 145...Side plate part 146...Bottom plate part 151...Deflection mechanism 1511…Vertical axis 1512...Mountain-shaped slope 1513...Deflection roller 180... Cleaning detection means 901...PET sensor (light sensor) 902...Container detection sensor (optical sensor) 903... Safety detection sensor (light sensor) P…Empty container (goods)

Claims

1. An item recovery device for recovering items, A volume reduction section for reducing the volume of the aforementioned article, Multiple storage compartments for storing the volume-reduced articles, The volume reduction section is provided below the volume reduction section and includes a deflection mechanism that directs the volume reduction of the article, The deflection mechanism delivers the article to one of the plurality of storage compartments, and ensures that the article is delivered in multiple directions to the one storage compartment. A device for recovering articles, characterized by the following features.

2. The deflection mechanism is a plate-shaped member with a substantially disc shape, and the article is fed out by tilting the plate-shaped member. The article recovery device according to feature 1.

3. The deflection mechanism distributes the articles to one of the plurality of storage compartments in succession. The article recovery device according to feature 2.

4. Each of the plurality of storage compartments is equipped with a detection unit for detecting the amount of empty containers stored in it. The deflection mechanism selects a storage unit to which items will be sorted according to the quantity of items detected by the detection unit. The article recovery device according to feature 2 or 3.

5. The aforementioned storage section is retractable. The deflection mechanism is configured so as not to interfere with the storage section when the drawer is pulled out. The article recovery device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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