Waste material processing device, sorting device, waste material processing method, and sorting method

Abstract

A waste material processing device according to the present disclosure removes foreign matter and recycles a waste material. The waste material processing device comprises a collection unit that includes a grasping member for grasping foreign matter contained in conveyed material conveyed in a conveyance direction on a conveyance path of a conveyance device disposed so as to be inclined with respect to the horizontal direction. The collection unit is disposed in the horizontal direction, and has a collection member attached thereto in which said grasping member telescopes with a stroke for absorbing the inclination of the conveyance device.

Description

Waste material processing device, sorting device, waste material processing method, and sorting method

[0001] This specification discloses a waste material processing device, a sorting device, a waste material processing method, and a sorting method.

[0002] Conventionally, as a waste material processing device, a robot system in which a robot picks up a specific object from waste transported on a belt conveyor has been known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a robot system in which a controller controls the gripping hand of the robot so that a specific object selected by an operator is picked up from the waste.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-180667

[0004] However, in the waste material processing device of Patent Document 1, if the specific object is difficult to remove from the waste material, the robot hand is likely to fail to remove the specific object. Thus, the robot system disclosed in Patent Document 1 was unable to efficiently remove the specific object from the waste.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve such problems, and its main purpose is to provide a waste material processing device, a sorting device, a waste material processing method, and a sorting method that can more reliably remove foreign matter from transported materials.

[0006] The present disclosure has adopted the following means to achieve the above-mentioned main object.

[0007] In other words, the waste material processing device disclosed in this specification is a waste material processing device that removes foreign matter and recycles waste material, and is equipped with a collection unit that is arranged horizontally and has a gripping member that grips foreign matter contained in the material being transported in the transport direction on the transport path of the transport device that is arranged at an angle to the horizontal direction, and has a collection member that is attached to the gripping member and has an expandable and contractible stroke that absorbs the angle of the transport device.

[0008] In waste material processing equipment, when the conveying device is tilted and the collection member is moved closer to the conveying device from a horizontal collection section, the gripping member may have difficulty contacting the foreign object. However, this waste material processing equipment has a gripping member that expands and contracts with a stroke that absorbs the tilt of the conveying device, making it possible to more reliably approach the foreign object. Therefore, this waste material processing equipment can more reliably remove foreign objects from the transported material.

[0009] An explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of a recycling system 10. An explanatory diagram showing an example of the general configuration of a waste material processing device 30. An explanatory diagram showing an example of the general configuration of a collection unit 40. An explanatory diagram showing an example of captured images 65, 66 of a detection unit 31. An explanatory diagram showing an overview of the configuration of a collection member 49. A flowchart showing an example of a foreign matter removal processing routine. An explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the collection member 49 and a collection position P. An explanatory diagram showing an example of a discharge operation of the collection unit 40. An explanatory diagram showing an example of a waste material processing device 30B equipped with another discharge unit 50B. An explanatory diagram showing an example of a waste material processing device 30C equipped with another collection unit 40C.

[0010] An embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of a recycling system 10 for recycling waste materials. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the schematic configuration of a waste material processing device 30. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the schematic configuration of a collection unit 40, where FIG. 3A is a perspective view of the collection unit 40 and FIG. 3B is an explanatory diagram showing the movement of the support arm unit 41. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing example images 65 and 66 captured by the waste material processing device 30 and the detection unit 31. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an overview of the configuration of a collection member 49, where FIG. 5A is an enlarged view of the gripping member 78 at the pivoting portion of the collection member 49 in an extended state, FIG. 5B is an enlarged view of the gripping member 78 in a retracted state, FIG. 5C is an enlarged view of the gripping member 78 at the extension portion, FIG. 5D is an enlarged view of the gripping member 78 in a retracted state, and FIG. 5E is an explanatory view of the gripping member 78. Note that in this embodiment, the left-right direction, the front-rear direction, and the up-down direction are as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4. In this embodiment, the direction in which the processing material 12 is transported as the transported object is referred to as a transport direction D, and the direction horizontally intersecting the transport direction D is referred to as a cross direction C.

[0011] The material 12 to be treated as transported material in the recycling system 10 is a mixture of waste materials 13 to be recycled, such as stone, sand, asphalt, and concrete, and foreign matter 14, which is a target object including paper, resin, wood, metal, etc. The foreign matter 14 includes rigid bodies that are resistant to shape change, as well as soft objects that are flexible and long objects that are specifically long in a specific direction. As shown in FIG. 1 , the recycling system 10 includes a primary crusher 15, a primary magnetic separator 16, a screening machine 17, a secondary crusher 18, a secondary magnetic separator 19, a waste material processing device 30, and conveying devices 20-25.

[0012] The primary crusher 15 is a device that performs primary crushing of the raw material 12. This primary crusher 15 crushes the material 12 to a predetermined primary size or smaller (e.g., 40 cm or smaller). The primary magnetic separator 16 is a device that uses magnetic force to remove magnetic foreign matter contained in the material 12. The screening machine 17 is a device that separates the material 12 from the primary size or larger by passing the material 12 over a mesh. The secondary crusher 18 is a device that performs secondary crushing of the material 12 to a size smaller than that of the primary crusher 15. This secondary crusher 18 crushes the material 12 to a predetermined secondary size or smaller (e.g., 10 cm or smaller). The secondary magnetic separator 19 is a device that removes magnetic material from the material 12 that was not completely removed by the primary magnetic separator 16. In the recycling system 10, for example, the treatment material 12 may be repeatedly transported multiple times along the transport path R of the primary magnetic separator 16, the screening machine 17, and the waste material processing device 30, or the secondary crusher 18, the secondary magnetic separator 19, and the waste material processing device 30. The transport devices 20-25 as the transport line are devices that place the treatment material 12 on the transport surface of the transport path R and transport it along the transport direction D, and are configured as belt conveyors, for example. The transport devices 20-25 may be configured as devices other than belt conveyors as long as they can transport the treatment material 12.

[0013] The waste material processing device 30 is configured as a sorting device that sorts predetermined objects from materials transported by a conveying device. This waste material processing device 30 is configured as a device for collecting objects. The processing material 12 is placed on the conveying surface of the conveying device 24, and the processing material 12 is transported along the conveying path R. The processing material 12 is then collected and removed from the foreign matter 14 to be processed. In other words, the waste material processing device 30 is configured as a foreign matter removal device that removes foreign matter 14 from the waste material 13 and regenerates the waste material. As shown in FIG. 1, the waste material processing device 30 may be disposed downstream of the secondary crusher 18 and the secondary magnetic separator 19. This waste material processing device 30 may also be used to process relatively small processing material 12, e.g., 10 to 20 cm or less. Note that the waste material processing device 30 may also be disposed downstream of the primary crusher 15 and the primary magnetic separator 16 depending on the size of the processing material 12 and the weight per unit volume of the processing material 12. 2 to 5, the waste material processing device 30 is composed of a detection unit 31, a collection unit 40, a discharge unit 50, and a control device 60. The waste material processing device 30 also includes a storage unit 36 ​​outside the transport path R for storing objects.

[0014] The conveying device 24 places the material 12 to be treated on its conveying surface and conveys the material 12 at a predetermined conveying speed. The conveying device 24, for example, conveys the material 12 that has been processed in the secondary crusher 18 and the secondary magnetic separator 19. The conveying device 24 is disposed, for example, at an inclination that allows the material 12 to be stably conveyed without rolling off. The conveying device 24 is disposed so that the material moves upward along the conveying direction D. The leading end of the conveying device 24 in the conveying direction D is usually disposed above the next conveying device 25, so the conveying device 24 is disposed in the direction in which the material moves upward. The angle θ of the conveying device 24 may be, for example, in the range of 0° to 20°, or may be 18° or less, or may be 16° or less.

[0015] The detection unit 31 is a device that detects the presence and condition of waste material 13 and foreign matter 14. The detection unit 31 is disposed upstream of the collection unit 40 in the conveying direction D. The detection unit 31 includes a detection unit 32 that detects transported materials, such as waste material 13 and treatment material 12 containing foreign matter 14, transported by the conveying device 24, and a detection unit 33 that detects the height of the transported materials transported by the conveying device 24. The detection unit 32 may be configured, for example, as a camera that captures images of the treatment material 12 being placed on the transport surface of the conveying device 24. The detection unit 32 captures an image of a predetermined range including the treatment material 12 from above the transport surface of the conveying device 24 and outputs the image data to the control device 60. As shown in FIG. 4 , the detection unit 32 captures an image 65 of the transport path R and an image 66 that includes waste material 13 and foreign matter 14. The image 65 is an example of an image in which no treatment material 12 is being transported on the conveying device 24. The captured image 66 is an example of an image of the treatment material 12 and foreign matter 14 being transported on the transport device 24. The control device 60 can use machine learning to determine the material of the foreign matter 14 based on information about the captured image (e.g., image brightness) captured by the detection unit 32. The detection unit 33 detects the height of the treatment material 12 and other materials on the transport device 24. The detection unit 33 may be located, for example, upstream of the collection unit 40 in the transport direction D and configured as a stereo camera equipped with two cameras. Alternatively, the detection unit 33 may be a sensor that detects reflected waves obtained by irradiating the transport surface and determines the height of the reflection position. The detection units 32 and 33 are held above the transport surface of the transport device 24 by a gantry installed to straddle the transport device 24 in the left-right direction. The detection unit 33 outputs information about the detected height of the treatment material 12 to the control device 60.

[0016] The storage unit 36 ​​is a dust box that serves as a disposal unit for storing foreign objects 14. The storage unit 36 ​​is disposed further outside the support unit 35 of the collection unit 40, which is disposed above the transport path R (see FIG. 3, etc.). The foreign objects 14 collected by the collection unit 40 are dropped into the storage unit 36 ​​via the discharge unit 50. The storage unit 36 ​​may have multiple storage containers to separate the foreign objects according to their weight and material.

[0017] The sampling unit 40 is a device that uses a sampling member 49 to sample and remove target objects, such as foreign matter 14, contained in the treatment material 12, which is transported in the transport direction D by the transport device 24. The sampling unit 40 is configured as a moving mechanism that moves the sampling member 49, for example, in a cross direction C along the X-axis direction and in the transport direction D along the Y-axis direction. The sampling unit 40 is horizontally disposed so as to raise and lower the sampling member 49 in a direction perpendicular to the horizontal direction. The sampling unit 40 is disposed downstream of the detection unit 31 in the transport direction D. The sampling unit 40 is also disposed upstream of the discharge / transport unit 51 in the transport direction D. The sampling unit 40 discards the sampled foreign matter 14 via the discharge unit 50 into the storage unit 36, which is located outside the transport path R of the transport device 24. The sampling unit 40 includes a support arm unit 41, a cross-movement unit 42, a sampling head 44, a lifting / lowering unit 46, and an attachment unit 47.

[0018] As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 , the support arm 41 is provided with an elevator 46 that raises and lowers the sampling member 49 and is a structure capable of moving the sampling member 49 along the conveying direction D. The support arm 41 includes, for example, an elevator mechanism having a mounting portion 47 to which the sampling member 49 is attached and an elevator 46 that raises and lowers the mounting portion 47, and a support arm that is disposed at one end of the mechanism and supported by a cross-movement portion 42. The support arm 41 moves the sampling member 49 along the front-to-rear direction, and the support arm is disposed at the rear end. The cross-movement portion 42 supports the support arm of the support arm 41 at one end and moves the sampling member 49 along the conveying direction D and moves the support arm 41 in a cross-direction C that crosses the conveying direction D. The cross-movement portion 42 includes an X-axis slider. The X-axis slider includes a slider that moves along a guide rail installed along the cross direction C and a drive motor that drives the slider. The guide rails are suspended between support members 35 disposed on both sides of the conveying device 24 along the conveying direction D. The cross-movement unit 42 also includes a drive mechanism that moves the support arm 41 along the conveying direction D. This drive mechanism slides a columnar support arm disposed at the rear end of the support arm 41 along the conveying direction D. For example, it may include a moving roller that contacts and moves the support arm, and a motor that rotates the moving roller. The cross-movement unit 42 can have a simpler structure than the Y-axis slider 43 (see FIG. 10 , described later). The sampling head 44 is composed of components that move in the X- and Y-axis directions relative to stationary structures, such as the support members 35 and the support members on which the X-axis slider is disposed and suspended across the support members 35. Here, the sampling head 44 is composed of, for example, a support arm unit 41 and a cross-movement unit 42. The lifting unit 46 is a linear motion mechanism that moves a mounting unit 47, to which a sampling member 49 is attached, in the vertical direction. This lifting unit 46 may be a linear motor or a ball screw mechanism. The mounting unit 47 is configured to mount various sampling members 49 in a detachable manner.

[0019] The collection member 49 is a structure for collecting objects and may be configured to grasp foreign matter 14 contained in an object being transported in the transport direction D on the transport path R. The collection member 49 is configured such that the gripping member 78 expands and contracts with a stroke that accommodates the installation angle θ of the transport device 24, which is tilted relative to the horizontal. Note that the term "expands and contracts" does not exclude components that "expand and contract" themselves, such as rubber, but rather refers to the ability of the entire structure to assume an "extended state" and a "contracted state." The collection member 49 is configured to grasp foreign matter by rotating the gripping member 78. As shown in FIG. 5 , the collection member 49 includes a base 71, a pivot shaft 72, a pivot member 73, a fixed portion 74, a stopper 75, a support portion 76, an expandable portion 77, and a gripping member 78. The collection member 49 has a pair of gripping sections each including a rotating member 73, a fixed section 74, a stopper 75, a support section 76, an expandable section 77, and a gripping member 78, and the gripping section is used to grip an object. The base 71 is removably fixed to the mounting section 47 and is a main body on which the gripping member 78 is disposed. A gripping drive section (not shown) is disposed on the base 71, and the gripping drive section rotates the gripping member 78 while supported by the rotating member 73, causing the tip of the gripping member 78 to open and close. The rotating member 73 is a member pivotally supported on the base 71 by a rotating shaft 72. The rotating member 73 rotates around the rotating shaft 72, and the fixed section 74 is a plate-shaped member fixed to the tip of the rotating member 73. A support section 76 and a stopper 75 are fixed to the surface of the fixed section 74 opposite the fixed surface fixed to the rotating member 73. The stopper 75 is a member fixed to the side opposite to the side that grips the object, and is a member that holds the telescopic portion 77 in an extended state. The stopper 75 has a claw portion 75a formed at its tip, which abuts against a protrusion 77a on the back of the telescopic portion 77 to fix the telescopic portion 77 in an extended state. The support portion 76 is a member that movably guides the telescopic portion 77 so that it can be inserted and protruded, and also supports the telescopic portion 77. A spring is housed inside the support portion 76 that urges the telescopic portion 77 to an extended state. The telescopic portion 77 is a columnar member that is supported by the support portion 76, is housed in the support portion 76, and protrudes. A gripping member 78 is removably fixed to the inside of the tip of the telescopic portion 77 with a screw.The extendable portion 77 is biased by a spring in the support portion 76 and held in an extended position by a stopper 75 ( Figures 5A and 5C ). When the gripping member 78 is pressed toward the fixed portion 74, it contracts ( Figures 5B and 5D ). The stroke of the extendable portion 77 is determined according to the installation angle θ of the transport device 24 and is greater than the stroke required for absorbing impact when collecting the target object. The gripping member 78 is a metal plate-shaped member, and its gripping surface 79, which grips the foreign object 14, is treated with a non-slip coating ( Figure 5E ). The gripping surface 79 of the gripping member 78 is formed with numerous pyramidal irregularities whose height is lower than the base. The corners of the gripping member 78 are also chamfered to prevent it from getting caught on the transport path R. The collection member 49 is moved in the X, Y, and Z directions within a predetermined range of the transport device 24 by the support arm 41, cross-movement unit 42, and lifting unit 46. The sampling member 49 is attached to the attachment portion 47 so that the base portion can rotate 360° around the vertical axis of the attachment portion 47 .

[0020] The discharge unit 50 is a unit that moves the foreign matter 14, which is the target object collected by the collection unit 40, out of the transport path R. The discharge unit 50 includes a discharge conveying unit 51. The discharge conveying unit 51 is disposed above the transport device 24 in a position where it overlaps at least a portion thereof, and conveys the target object collected by the collection unit 40 in a cross direction C that crosses the transport direction D. The discharge conveying unit 51 may be, for example, a belt conveyor. As shown in FIG. 2 , the discharge conveying unit 51 is provided with guides 56 on both side surfaces along the cross direction C to prevent the target object from falling. The discharge conveying unit 51 is disposed upstream in the transport direction D of the collection position P where the collection member 49 collects the foreign matter 14.

[0021] The control device 60 controls the entire waste material processing device 30, including the collection unit 40, and includes a control unit 61 and a memory unit 62. The control unit 61 is configured as a microprocessor centered on a CPU and controls the entire device. The control unit 61 outputs control signals to the detection unit 31, the collection unit 40, and the discharge unit 50, and inputs signals from the detection unit 31, the collection unit 40, and the discharge unit 50. The control unit 61 controls the collection unit 40 to move the collection member 49 toward the conveying device 24 in a direction perpendicular to the horizontal direction with respect to the foreign object 14 being conveyed in the conveying direction D, thereby collecting the foreign object 14, and to release the foreign object 14 from the discharge conveying unit 51. The memory unit 62 is a storage medium for storing information, and is configured, for example, with a hard disk drive (HDD) or flash memory. The memory unit 62 stores information used in the collection process of the target object.

[0022] Next, the operation of the waste material processing device 30 configured as described above will be described. Here, the process of collecting and removing foreign matter 14 as a target object from the material 12 to be processed and producing waste material 13 will be described. In the waste material processing device 30, the detection unit 31 will be described as constantly performing image capture processing by the detection unit 32 and height sensing by the detection unit 33. The detection unit 31 may also perform image capture processing and height sensing at predetermined intervals as appropriate, rather than constantly. Figure 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a foreign matter removal processing routine executed by the control unit 61 of the control device 60. This routine is stored in the memory unit 62 and is executed by the control unit 61 after the waste material processing device 30 is started.

[0023] When this routine starts, the control unit 61 first drives the conveying device 24 (S100) and acquires information such as an image of the conveying path R and the height of an object on the conveying path R from the detection unit 31 (S110). Next, the control unit 61 determines whether it is time to detect a foreign object (S120). This foreign object detection timing may be, for example, when the detection unit 32 captures all of the processing material 12 being conveyed by the conveying device 24 in a continuous still image, and when that still image transitions to the next image. Note that if the detection unit 32 captures a video, the detection timing may be when a certain period of time has elapsed since the capture of the still image. Furthermore, the detection timing of the detection unit 33 may be, for example, every certain period of time, or may be the same as the detection timing of the detection unit 32.

[0024] When the timing for detecting an object is reached in S120, the control unit 61 acquires the captured image captured by the detection unit 32 and the height values ​​measured by the detection unit 33, and performs a process for detecting the waste material 13 and the foreign object 14 as the object using the captured image and the height values ​​(S130). The control unit 61 may, for example, perform a process for detecting an area of ​​the treatment material 12 that differs in brightness from the conveyance surface of the conveyor device 24 and designate that area as the treatment material 12. The control unit 61 may also determine the area of ​​the treatment material 12 from the acquired height of the conveyance surface. Furthermore, the control unit 61 may determine the presence or absence of the foreign object 14 based on whether the captured image contains an area of ​​the foreign object 14 that differs in brightness from the waste material 13 (see FIG. 4). Furthermore, the control unit 61 may use machine learning to determine the presence and material of the waste material 13 or the foreign object 14 based on information about the captured image captured by the detection unit 32 (e.g., image brightness, etc.). Next, the control unit 61 determines whether or not the foreign object 14 as the target object is present in the captured image of the transport device 24 (S140).

[0025] When a foreign object 14 is present in the transport device 24, the control unit 61 sets a collection position P and collection start timing for the foreign object 14 based on information such as the shape, material, transport position, and height of the foreign object 14 (S150). The collection position P for the foreign object 14 is determined according to the height at which the foreign object 14 is present. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the collection member 49 and the collection position P. FIG. 7A is an explanatory diagram of the collection position P taking into account the extended and retracted states of the gripping member 78, and FIG. 7B is an explanatory diagram of the collection position P when the gripping member 78 is not extended or retracted. FIG. 7 shows a case in which the foreign object 14 is placed directly on the transport path R. When the transport device 24 is tilted at an angle θ, as shown in FIG. 7B, if the gripping member 78 is fixed, the collection position P will be higher, aligned with the height of the transport path R downstream in the transport direction D, and the foreign object 14 may not be clamped by the gripping member 78. On the other hand, in the collection member 49 with an extendable gripping member 78, as shown in FIG. 7A , the collection position P can be set lower than the reference value of the extended gripping member. Therefore, the collection unit 40 can set the collection position P at a position where the foreign object 14 can be collected more reliably. In this case, for example, when collecting the foreign object 14 when the foreign object 14 is directly placed on the transport path R, the control unit 61 may set the collection position P at a position where the gripping member 78 is retracted by more than half of its stroke. Alternatively, the control unit 61 may set the collection position P at a position where the stroke is retracted by 80% or a full stroke. While FIG. 7 illustrates a case where the foreign object 14 is placed directly on the transport path R, this is not a limitation. The stroke of the gripping member is also effective when the foreign object 14 is placed on the transport path R via a processing material 12, for example, when the foreign object 14 is located closer to the transport path R. The timing to start collecting the foreign matter 14 can be calculated backwards, for example, based on the movement speed of the collection member 49, the transport speed of the transport device 24, and the collection position P. This collection start timing may be set to a time calculated back from the collection position P of the foreign matter 14 moving along the transport direction D and the movement distance of the collection member 49, to find the time it takes for the collection member 49 to move directly above the foreign matter 14 and collect the foreign matter 14.

[0026] Once the foreign object collection timing has been determined, the control unit 61 controls the collection unit 40 to position the collection member 49 above the path of movement of the foreign object 14 along the conveyance direction D, and causes the collection member 49 to wait in that position (S160). Next, the control unit 61 determines whether the collection start timing for collecting the foreign object 14 has arrived (S170). If the collection start timing has not arrived, the control unit 61 remains in standby. On the other hand, if the collection start timing has arrived, the control unit 61 moves the collection member 49 vertically downward toward the collection position P on the conveyance device 24 side, causes the collection member 49 to grip the foreign object 14, and then moves the collection member 49 vertically upward (S180). Next, the control unit 61 releases the collection state of the foreign object 14 on the discharge conveyance unit 51 (S190), and causes the discharge conveyance unit 51 to move the foreign object 14 out of the conveyance path R (200). The control unit 61 lowers the collection member 49 to collection position P in accordance with the timing at which the foreign matter 14 reaches collection position P based on the transport speed of the transport device 24. The control unit 61 also controls the collection unit 40 so that the collection member 49 grips and collects the foreign matter 14 at collection position P. The control unit 61 also moves the collection member 49, which has collected the foreign matter 14, upward in the vertical direction, and then moves it above the discharge transport unit 51 along the transport direction D. In this way, the control unit 61 causes the collection member 49 to wait upstream of the discharge transport unit 51 in the transport direction D, and when the foreign matter 14 is transported along the transport direction D, the control unit 61 moves the collection member 49 above collection position P, which is downstream of the discharge transport unit 51 in the transport direction D, and then moves the collection member 49 vertically toward collection position P to collect the foreign matter 14.

[0027] FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the discharge operation of the collection unit 40. As shown in FIG. 8 , the collection unit 40 moves the collection member 49 downstream along the conveyance direction D and above the collection position P. The collection member 49 is then raised and lowered in a direction perpendicular to the horizontal direction to collect the foreign objects 14 without performing a follow-up operation in response to the movement of the foreign objects 14. The waste material processing device 30 is located downstream of the secondary crusher 18, where there are few large foreign objects 14. This minimizes the impact and stress on the collection head 44 when collecting the foreign objects 14, allowing the foreign objects 14 to be collected without a follow-up operation. The waste material processing device 30 is typically located in a location with relatively limited space, and there is a strong demand for a compact device. Because the collection unit 40 does not perform a follow-up operation, the range of movement along the conveyance direction D is reduced, allowing for a more compact device. Furthermore, if the collection member 49 moves the foreign matter 14 to the storage section 36 outside the transport path R, the support section 35 supporting the collection head 44 must be positioned further outward, resulting in a larger device width. The collection unit 40 can be made more compact in the transverse direction C by using a discharge conveying section 51 that conveys the foreign matter 14 out of the transport path R along the transverse direction C. Furthermore, if the collection unit 40 has the discharge conveying section 51 disposed downstream of the collection position P, as shown in FIG. 8 , when the transport device 24 is positioned on an upward slope, the device becomes larger in height due to the clearance between the discharge conveying section 51 and the transport path R. By arranging the discharge conveying section 51 upstream of the collection position P, the collection unit 40 can shorten the travel distance of the collection member 49 and make the device more compact in height.

[0028] After S200, or when it is not the timing for detecting foreign matter in S120, or when there is no foreign matter 14 in S140, the control unit 61 determines whether the recycling process of the treatment material 12 has been completed (S210). If the recycling process of the treatment material 12 has not been completed, the control unit 61 executes the processes from S110 onward. On the other hand, if the recycling process of the treatment material 12 has been completed in S210, the control unit 61 stops the conveying device 24 (S220) and ends this routine.

[0029] Here, the correspondence between the components of this embodiment and the components of the present disclosure will be clarified. The waste material processing device 30 of this embodiment corresponds to an example of a sorting device and a waste material processing device of the present disclosure, the collection unit 40 corresponds to an example of a collection unit, the discharge conveying unit 51 corresponds to an example of a discharge conveying unit, and the control unit 61 corresponds to an example of a control unit. Furthermore, the collection member 49 corresponds to an example of a collection member, the gripping member 78 corresponds to an example of a gripping member, and the gripping surface 79 corresponds to an example of a gripping surface. Note that, by explaining the operation of the waste material processing device 30, this embodiment also clarifies examples of a sorting device, a foreign matter removal device, a control method for a sorting device, a sorting method, a foreign matter removal method, and a waste material processing method of the present disclosure.

[0030] The waste material processing device 30 described above is a device for removing foreign matter 14 and recycling waste material 13. It includes a horizontally disposed collection unit 40 equipped with a gripping member 78 for gripping foreign matter 14 contained in materials transported in a transport direction D on a transport path R of a transport device 24 that is tilted relative to the horizontal. The collection unit 40 is equipped with a horizontally disposed collection member 49 attached to the gripping member 78, which extends and retracts with a stroke that accommodates the tilt of the transport device 24. In the waste material processing device 30, when the transport device 24 is tilted and the collection member 49 is moved closer to the horizontal collection unit 40, the gripping member 78 may have difficulty contacting the foreign matter 14. However, the waste material processing device 30 includes a gripping member 78 that extends and retracts with a stroke that accommodates the tilt of the transport device 24, allowing for more reliable approach to the foreign matter 14. Therefore, the waste material processing device 30 can more reliably remove foreign matter 14 from the materials.

[0031] The collection member 49 also rotates a gripping portion to which the gripping member 78 is fixed to grip the foreign object 14. This waste material processing device 30 can collect the foreign object 14 in a scooping manner, compared to devices in which the gripping member 78 moves parallel to grip the foreign object 14, thereby more reliably removing the foreign object 14 from the transported material. Furthermore, the collection member 49 has a gripping member 78 with a non-slip gripping surface 79 that grips the foreign object 14 using a metal plate-like member. This waste material processing device 30 is highly durable and allows for easy collection and release of the foreign object 14, thereby more reliably removing the foreign object 14 from the transported material. Furthermore, the collection unit 40 moves the collection member 49 toward and away from the transport device 24 in a direction perpendicular to the horizontal direction. This waste material processing device 30 is easy to handle because the collection unit 40 is horizontal and moves the collection member 49 vertically. When collecting the foreign object 14 while it is placed directly on the transport path R, the collection unit 40 moves the collection member 49 closer to the transport device 24 to a position where the gripping member 78 is contracted by more than half of its stroke. This waste material processing device 30 can more reliably grip the foreign object 14 than a collection member 49 that only absorbs the impact of the tip member.

[0032] The waste material processing device 30 also includes a discharge conveying unit 51 disposed above the conveying device 24 at a position at least partially overlapping the conveying device 24, which conveys the foreign matter 14 collected by the collection unit 40 in a cross direction C intersecting the conveying direction D, and a control unit 61 that controls the collection unit 40 to collect the foreign matter 14 and then release the foreign matter 14 on the discharge conveying unit 51. In this waste material processing device 30, the discharge conveying unit 51 is disposed overlapping the conveying device, thereby further narrowing the movement range of the collection member 49. Furthermore, in this waste material processing device 30, the discharge conveying unit 51 can move the collected foreign matter 14 outside the conveying path R, thereby narrowing the movement range of the collection member 49 compared to when the collected foreign matter 14 is moved outside the conveying path R by the collection member 49. Therefore, the waste material processing device 30 can be made more compact. Furthermore, the conveying device 24 is disposed so that the conveyed material rises along the conveying direction D, and the discharge conveying section 51 is disposed upstream in the conveying direction D from a collection position P where the collection member 49 collects the foreign material 14. When the conveying device 24 is disposed on an upward slope and the discharge conveying section 51 is disposed downstream in the conveying direction D, interference between the conveyed material and the discharge conveying section 51 becomes a problem. However, in this waste material processing device 30, by disposing the discharge conveying section 51 upstream of the collection position P, this interference can be prevented while making the device more compact.

[0033] It goes without saying that the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be embodied in various forms as long as they fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0034] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the collection member 49 rotates the gripping portion to grasp the foreign object 14 by scooping it up, but this is not particularly limited to this, and other configurations may be employed, such as one in which the gripping member 78 is moved outward and outward in the horizontal direction to grasp the foreign object 14. In this waste material processing device 30, the collection member 49 extends and retracts, thereby more reliably removing the foreign object 14 from the transported material.

[0035] In the above-described embodiment, the gripping surface 79 of the gripping member 78, which is a metal plate-like member, is treated with an anti-slip coating, but this is not particularly limited, and the gripping member may not be made of metal, may not be plate-like, may not have a gripping surface, or may not have an anti-slip coating on the gripping surface. Note that it is more preferable for the gripping member 78 to be a metal plate-like member with an anti-slip coating on the gripping surface 79 in terms of durability, ease of replacement, etc.

[0036] In the above-described embodiment, the collection unit 40 is disposed horizontally so as to raise and lower the collection member 49 in the vertical direction, but this is not particularly limited, and the collection unit 40 may be disposed at an angle. Note that a horizontal arrangement of the collection unit 40 is preferable because it allows the collection member 49 to be raised and lowered more stably.

[0037] In the above-described embodiment, when collecting the foreign object 14 while the foreign object 14 is placed directly on the transport path R, the position where the gripping member 78 contracts by more than half of its stroke is set as the collection position P, but this is not particularly limited. The collection position P may be set to a position where the foreign object 14 can be more reliably gripped, assuming that the gripping member 78 expands and contracts. In particular, the control unit 61 may set the collection position P even when the foreign object 14 is placed on the processing material 12 using the same processing as when the foreign object 14 is placed directly on the transport path R.

[0038] In the above-described embodiment, the collection section 40 is arranged upstream along the conveying direction D of the discharge and conveying section 51, but this is not limited to this, and the collection section 40 may be arranged above the discharge and conveying section 51 as long as the collection member 49 can release the foreign matter 14 and move to the discharge and conveying section 51.

[0039] In the above-described embodiment, the discharge conveying unit 51 is disposed upstream of the collection position P in the conveying direction D. However, this is not limited thereto, and the discharge conveying unit 51 may be disposed downstream of the collection position P in the conveying direction D. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a waste material processing device 30B including a different discharge unit 50B. In this waste material processing device 30B, the discharge conveying unit 51 is disposed downstream of the collection position P, where the collection member 49 is raised and lowered, in the conveying direction D. In this waste material processing device 30B, the collection member 49 may be moved vertically to collect the foreign objects 14, or a chase operation may be performed to collect the foreign objects 14. A waste material processing device 30 that does not perform a chase operation can achieve a more compact device along the conveying direction D. Note that if the discharge conveying unit 51 is disposed at the position indicated by the dashed line, the support arm 41 would need to be extended farther. Therefore, further improvements, such as increasing the extension and strength of the support arm, are required. For this reason, it is preferable to arrange the discharge transport unit 51 at a position closer to the collection position P.

[0040] In the above-described embodiment, the collection unit 40 is described as including a support arm unit 41 and a cross-movement unit 42. However, as long as the collection unit 40 can collect the target object, it is not limited to this configuration and may be an X-Y robot. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a waste material processing device 30C including a different collection unit 40C. The waste material processing device 30C includes a collection unit 40C and a discharge unit 50. The collection unit 40C includes an X-axis slider 42C, a Y-axis slider 43, a collection head 44, and an elevator unit 46. The X-axis slider 42C is a drive mechanism including a guide rail installed along a cross direction C perpendicular to the conveying direction D of the conveying device 24, a slider that moves along the guide rail, and a drive motor that drives the slider. The guide rail is fixed to the slider of a Y-axis slider 43 installed on the conveying device 24 along the conveying direction D. A collection head 44 equipped with an elevator 46 is fixed to the slider of the X-axis slider 42C. The Y-axis slider 43 includes a guide rail installed along the conveying direction D, a slider that moves along the guide rail, and a drive motor that drives the slider. The guide rail is fixed to a support 35 installed on the conveying device 24 along the conveying direction D. The X-axis slider 42C is installed on the slider of the Y-axis slider 43. The collection member 49 is moved in the X, Y, and Z directions within a predetermined range on the conveying path R of the conveying device 24 by the X-axis slider 42C, the Y-axis slider 43, and the elevator 46. The discharge unit 50 includes a discharge conveying unit 51, which is similar to that of the waste material processing device 30, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. In this waste material processing device 30C, if the collection member 49 has an extendable structure, foreign matter can be more reliably removed from the conveyed material.

[0041] In the above-described embodiment, the waste material processing device 30 is configured to remove the foreign matter 14 as the target object, which is the material 12 to be transported, as a mixture of waste material 13 to be recycled, such as stone, sand, asphalt, and concrete, and foreign matter 14, such as paper, resin, wood, and metal. However, the target object is not limited to the waste material 13 or foreign matter 14, as long as the target object contained in the transported material is collected. The transported material and target object may be any object. While the above-described waste material processing device 30 has been described as a waste material processing device, the device is not particularly limited thereto as long as it removes foreign matter. Furthermore, although the above-described waste material processing device 30 has been described as a waste material processing device, it may also be a sorting device that sorts predetermined target objects from the transported material transported by a transport device.

[0042] In the above-described embodiment, the present disclosure has been described as a waste material processing device 30, but is not particularly limited thereto, and may be a control method for the waste material processing device 30 executed by a computer, a waste material processing method, or a program for this method. Also, in the above-described embodiment, the present disclosure has been described as a waste material processing device 30, but is not particularly limited thereto, and may be a sorting method for sorting predetermined objects from transported materials transported by a transport device executed by a computer, a control method for a sorting device, a sorting method, a foreign matter removal method, or a program for this method.

[0043] Here, the present disclosure may be configured as follows: For example, a sorting device of the present disclosure is a sorting device that sorts predetermined objects from transported materials transported by a transport device, and includes a collection unit having a gripping member that grips the object included in the transported materials transported in a transport direction on a transport path of the transport device that is arranged at an angle with respect to the horizontal direction, and to which a collection member is attached, the gripping member extending and contracting with a stroke that absorbs the angle of the transport device.

[0044] In this sorting device, the conveying device is arranged at an angle, and when the collection member approaches the conveying device from the collection section, the gripping member may have difficulty contacting the foreign object. However, this sorting device has a gripping member that expands and contracts with a stroke that absorbs the inclination of the conveying device, allowing for more reliable approach to the object. Therefore, this sorting device can more reliably sort the object from the transported material. Note that this sorting device may employ various aspects of the waste material processing device described above, or may include additional steps that realize each function of the waste material processing device described above.

[0045] The disclosed waste material processing method is a waste material processing method in which foreign matter contained in a transported object transported in a transport direction on a transport path of a transport device arranged at an inclination relative to the horizontal direction is gripped and removed by a collecting member equipped with a gripping member that expands and contracts with a stroke that absorbs the inclination of the transport device, and waste material is recycled, and when the foreign matter is collected while directly placed on the transport path, the method includes a step of moving the collecting member close to the transport device to a position where the gripping member contracts by more than half of its stroke, and collecting the foreign matter.

[0046] This waste material processing method, like the waste material processing device described above, has a gripping member that expands and contracts with a stroke that absorbs the tilt of the conveying device, and grips the foreign object in a state where it contracts with a large stroke, so that it can more reliably approach the foreign object and more reliably remove the foreign object from the waste material. Note that this waste material processing method may employ various aspects of the waste material processing device described above, or may include additional steps that realize each function of the waste material processing device described above.

[0047] The sorting method disclosed herein is a sorting method for sorting predetermined objects from objects being transported by a conveying device, the sorting method comprising: a collection section having a gripping member for gripping an object contained in an object being transported in a transport direction on a transport path of a conveying device arranged at an inclination relative to the horizontal direction; and a collection member attached to the gripping member, the gripping member having a stroke that absorbs the inclination of the conveying device, the collection section having a collection member that expands and contracts with the stroke being sufficient to absorb the inclination of the conveying device; and when collecting the object while it is placed directly on the transport path, the collection member is moved close to the conveying device to a position where the gripping member contracts by more than half of the stroke, thereby collecting the object.

[0048] Similar to the sorting device described above, this sorting method has gripping members that expand and contract with a stroke that absorbs the tilt of the conveying device, and grips the object in a state where it contracts with a large stroke, so that the object can be approached more reliably and the object can be more reliably selected from the conveyed material. Note that this sorting method may employ various aspects of the waste material processing device described above, or may include additional steps that realize each function of the waste material processing device described above.

[0049] This specification also discloses the technical idea of ​​changing "the waste material processing device according to claim 1 or 2" in claim 4 as originally filed to "the waste material processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3", the technical idea of ​​changing "the waste material processing device according to claim 1" in claim 5 as originally filed to "the waste material processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4", and the technical idea of ​​changing "the waste material processing device according to claim 1 or 2" to "the waste material processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5" in claim 6 as originally filed.

[0050] This application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-103505, filed on June 27, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0051] The present disclosure is applicable to technical fields such as recycling of industrial waste.

[0052] 10 Recycling system, 12 Processing material, 13 Waste material, 14 Foreign matter, 15 Primary crusher, 16 Primary magnetic separator, 17 Screening machine, 18 Secondary crusher, 19 Secondary magnetic separator, 20-25 Conveying device, 30, 30B-30C Waste material processing device, 31 Detection unit, 32 Detection section, 33 Detection section, 35 Support section, 36 Storage section, 40, 40C Collection section, 41 Support arm section, 42 Cross movement section, 42C X-axis slider, 43 Y-axis slider, 44 Collection head, 46 Lifting section, 47 Mounting section, 49 Collection member, 50, 50B Discharge section, 51 Discharge conveying section, 56 Guide, 60 Control device, 61 Control section, 62 Memory section, 65 Captured image, 66 Captured image, 71 Base portion, 72 pivot shaft, 73 pivot member, 74 fixed portion, 75 stopper, 75a claw portion, 76 support portion, 77 extendable portion, 77a convex portion, 78 gripping member, 79 gripping surface, C cross direction, D conveying direction, M operator, P collection position, R conveying path, θ arrangement angle.

Claims

1. A waste material processing device that removes foreign matter and recycles waste materials, comprising: a collection unit that is arranged horizontally and has a gripping member that grips foreign matter contained in an object being transported in a transport direction on a transport path of a transport device that is arranged at an angle to the horizontal direction, and to which a collection member that extends and contracts to grip the gripping member is attached and has a stroke that absorbs the angle of the transport device.

2. The waste material processing device according to claim 1, wherein the collecting member rotates the gripping member to grip the foreign matter.

3. A waste material processing device as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the collection member has a gripping member that has a non-slip gripping surface and grips the foreign matter with a metal plate-like member.

4. A waste material processing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the collection unit moves the collection member toward and away from the conveying device in a direction perpendicular to the horizontal direction.

5. A waste material processing device as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein when the collection unit collects the foreign matter while the foreign matter is placed directly on the conveying path, the collection member moves closer to the conveying device at a position where the gripping member contracts by more than half of the stroke.

6. A waste material processing device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, comprising: a discharge conveying section disposed above the conveying device in a position at least partially overlapping the conveying device, and conveying the foreign matter collected by the collection section in a direction intersecting the conveying direction; and a control section that controls the collection section to collect the foreign matter in the collection section and then release the foreign matter on the discharge conveying section.

7. A waste material processing device as described in claim 6, wherein the conveying device is arranged so that the conveyed material rises along the conveying direction, and the discharge conveying section is arranged upstream of the conveying direction with respect to a collection position where the collection member collects the foreign matter.

8. A sorting device for sorting out predetermined objects from materials being transported by a conveying device, comprising: a collection unit having a gripping member for gripping the object contained in the materials being transported in the transport direction on a transport path of the conveying device that is arranged at an angle to the horizontal, and a collection member attached to the gripping member that extends and contracts with a stroke that absorbs the angle of the conveying device.

9. A waste material processing method for recycling waste material by gripping and removing foreign matter contained in an object being transported in a transport direction on a transport path of a transport device that is arranged at an angle to the horizontal using a collection member that has a gripping member that expands and contracts with a stroke that absorbs the angle of the transport device, the method comprising the step of, when collecting the foreign matter while it is directly placed on the transport path, moving the collection member close to the transport device to a position where the gripping member contracts by more than half of its stroke to collect the foreign matter.

10. A sorting method for selecting a predetermined object from an object being transported by a transport device, the method comprising: a collection section having a gripping member for gripping an object contained in an object being transported in a transport direction on a transport path of a transport device arranged at an angle to the horizontal; the collection section having a collection member attached to the gripping member that extends and retracts with a stroke that absorbs the angle of the transport device; and a step of, when collecting the object while it is placed directly on the transport path, bringing the collection member close to the transport device to a position where the gripping member contracts by more than half of the stroke, to collect the object.

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