Cup collection system

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cup collection system and, more specifically, to an automated cup collection system enabling washing, compressing, storing and the like of recyclable cups and disposable cups to be recovered. Therefore, the present invention provides the cup collection system comprising: a cup input module (100) through which recyclable cups and disposable cups are input; a sensor (200) for recognizing the input cups; a vacuum gripper (300) which grips the input cup, and which moves up and down by means of a mechanical arm; a cup-rotating module (400) for emptying residue in the cup; a cup washing module (500) for washing the cup from which the residue has been removed; and a storage box (600) for storing the washed cup.

Description

Cup collection system

[0001] The present invention relates to a cup collection system, and more specifically, to an automated cup collection system capable of washing, compressing, storing, etc., collected recyclable cups and disposable cups.

[0002] In addition, the present invention was made as a result of research on the "Youth Green Startup Spring Camp Support Project" and the "Automated Smart System "Cup Together" that Solves Everything from Cup Collection to Washing at Once" project, which is being carried out by the project implementing agency Nawa under the project number B0080426003271, project application number G2504181025445, implementing agency Ministry of Environment, project management agency Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute, with a contribution rate of 1 / 1 during the research period of 2025 / 4 / 1 ~ 2025 / 10 / 31.

[0003]

[0004] The use of reusable and disposable cups is rapidly increasing in modern society due to their convenience. Billions of disposable cups are used worldwide each year, particularly due to the proliferation of beverage cultures like coffee. These reusable and disposable cups are primarily made of plastic, paper, or a combination of plastic and paper, many of which are not recycled and end up as waste.

[0005] Recyclable plastic cups take hundreds of years to decompose, breaking down into microplastics during this process and causing serious harm to soil and aquatic ecosystems. Microplastics can accumulate in various organisms, including humans, through the food chain, posing potential health risks.

[0006] Additionally, the plastic production process uses large amounts of fossil fuels, which increases carbon emissions and accelerates climate change.

[0007] Paper cups are typically lined with plastic to prevent spills. This complicates their recycling, and most recycling facilities cannot handle them. If paper cups are not recycled and sent to landfills, they decompose, releasing methane gas, a greenhouse gas 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide. This massive use of both reusable and disposable cups places a strain on waste management systems. Landfill capacity is limited, and this increases the cost of waste disposal, especially in urban areas.

[0008] Additionally, if disposable cups are not properly separated and collected, they can contaminate recyclable resources, reducing overall recycling efficiency.

[0009] The social costs of environmental pollution and resource waste are enormous. These extend beyond simple waste disposal costs, leading to environmental restoration costs, public health issues, and long-term economic losses due to the destruction of natural ecosystems. If the use of disposable cups continues, these social costs are expected to increase.

[0010] Accordingly, technologies for recovering cups have been disclosed in Korean Patent Publication No. 2528288 and Korean Patent Publication No. 2569197.

[0011] Additionally, the prior art literature below has been investigated.

[0012] (Patent Document 0001) Korean Patent Publication No. 2528288, "Unmanned Disposable Cup Retrieval Device Using Shape Classification Inspection" (Registration Date: April 27, 2023)

[0013] (Patent Document 0002) Korean Patent Publication No. 2569197, "Recyclable Waste Separation and Collection Device" (Registration Date: August 17, 2023)

[0014]

[0015] When collecting disposable cups, a technology has been introduced to pour out the remaining contents such as unfinished beverages inside the cup using a mechanical arm in the form of tongs. However, when the cup is turned over to pour out the remaining contents, the shape of the cup becomes narrow and narrow based on the diameter, making it difficult to grip because the mechanical arm may miss it. As a result, there were problems such as requiring cumbersome procedures such as asking for the user's cooperation to empty the remaining contents.

[0016] Accordingly, in order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a cup collection system that collects recyclable cups and disposable cups, separates the recyclable cups and disposable cups, washes and stores the recyclable cups, washes and compresses the disposable cups, and stores them to encourage the multiple use of recyclable cups, and encourages the use and return of recyclable cups through convenient collection of disposable cups, and prevents environmental pollution.

[0017] The technical problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned can be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present invention belongs from the description below.

[0018]

[0019] A cup collection system according to an embodiment of the present invention is characterized by including a recyclable cup and disposable cup input module, a sensor for recognizing an input cup, a vacuum gripper for holding the input cup and moving up and down by a mechanical arm, a cup rotation module for emptying residue from the cup, a cup washing module for washing the cup from which residue has been removed, and a storage box for storing the washed cup.

[0020]

[0021] The cup collection system according to an embodiment of the present invention can contribute to waste reduction by sorting collected recyclable cups and disposable cups and enabling recycling through washing and storage, and can be expected to have the effect of increasing recycling efficiency and reducing waste of recyclable resources, and in particular, can be expected to have the effect of efficiently collecting cups even when residues such as unfinished beverages from the user remain in the cup.

[0022] Additionally, the process of collecting and recycling cups can reduce carbon emissions. In particular, recycling plastic cups is much more efficient in terms of energy consumption and carbon emissions than producing new ones.

[0023] Automated systems reduce the labor required for collection, sorting, and cleaning. This reduces labor costs. Furthermore, by efficiently sorting and storing cups, they reduce costs in the recycling process. Furthermore, by promoting resource reuse through the reuse of collected cups, they contribute to creating economic value.

[0024] The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects described above, and should be understood to include all effects that can be inferred from the detailed description of the present invention or the composition of the invention described in the claims.

[0025]

[0026] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the cup collection system of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 2 is a front view showing the internal structure of the cup collection system of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 3 is a photograph of one embodiment of a vacuum gripper (300) and a socket (320) of the present invention.

[0029] Figures 4 to 6 are explanatory drawings for explaining the operation of the vacuum gripper (300), cup rotation module (400), and cup washing module (400) of the cup collection system of the present invention.

[0030] 100: Cup insertion module

[0031] 200: NFC sensor

[0032] 300: Vacuum gripper 310: Suction plate 320: Socket 330: Hole

[0033] 400: Cup rotation module

[0034] 500: Cup washing module

[0035] 600: Storage box 610: Sensor 620: Reusable cup storage box

[0036] 700: Compressor

[0037] 800: Sewer

[0038]

[0039] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. However, the present invention can be implemented in various different forms and is therefore not limited to the embodiments described herein. In the drawings, irrelevant parts have been omitted for clarity of description, and similar parts have been designated with similar reference numerals throughout the specification.

[0040] Throughout the specification, when a part is said to be "connected (connected, contacted, or coupled)" to another part, this includes not only cases where it is "directly connected," but also cases where it is "indirectly connected" with another part in between. Furthermore, when a part is said to "include" a component, this does not exclude other components, but rather implies that it may include other components, unless otherwise specifically stated.

[0041] The terminology used herein is merely used to describe specific embodiments and is not intended to limit the present invention. The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this specification, it should be understood that the terms "comprises" or "has" indicate the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification, but do not exclude in advance the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0042] In this specification, the term "module" may refer to a functional or structural combination of hardware for implementing technical concepts according to embodiments of the present invention and software for operating the hardware. For example, the module may refer to a logical or functional unit of a predetermined program code and hardware resources for executing the program code, and does not necessarily refer to only physically connected program code or only one type of hardware. Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0043]

[0044] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of a cup collection system of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a front view showing the internal structure of a cup collection system of the present invention. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the present invention provides a cup collection system including: a cup input module (100) into which reusable cups and disposable cups are input; a sensor (200) for recognizing the input cups; a vacuum gripper (300) for holding the input cups and moving up and down by a mechanical arm; a cup rotation module (400) for emptying residue from the cups; a cup washing module (500) for washing the cups from which residues have been removed; and a storage box (600) for storing the washed cups.

[0045] The cup insertion module (100) recognizes a cup by the sensor (200) and opens the door so that the cup can be inserted into the cup collection system of the present invention. The cup in the present invention can be either a disposable cup made of a material such as paper or soft plastic, or a reusable cup made of a relatively sturdy material such as plastic or metal.

[0046] Accordingly, the sensor (200) may be equipped with an infrared sensor that detects the insertion of a disposable cup. In addition, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the cup insertion module (100) preferably has separate insertions for inserting the disposable cup and for inserting the reusable cup. That is, when a user inserts a disposable cup, the cup may be inserted into the disposable cup insertion slot, and when a user inserts a reusable cup, the cup may be inserted into the reusable cup insertion slot.

[0047] Afterwards, the disposable cup is stored in the storage box (600) and then compressed by a compression device (700) to minimize the volume, and the reusable cup is stored in a separate reusable cup storage box (620).

[0048]

[0049] As described above, the sensor (200) may be equipped with an infrared sensor that detects the insertion of a disposable cup. However, the infrared sensor has a problem in that it is difficult to detect a reusable cup instead of a disposable cup. If a reusable cup is inserted into a disposable cup, the compression device (700) may be damaged when the sturdy reusable cup is broken during the subsequent compression step.

[0050] Accordingly, the present invention provides a configuration in which the sensor (200) includes an ultrasonic sensor. The ultrasonic sensor can detect ultrasonic waves transmitted from the ultrasonic sensor and reflected back by the cup. In addition, the cup collection system of the present invention can include an ultrasonic analysis AI module that learns the wavelength, waveform, etc. of the reflected ultrasonic waves.

[0051] As described above, the disposable cup is made of paper material or soft plastic, and the reusable cup is made of hard plastic or metal material. Accordingly, when the ultrasonic wave transmitted from the ultrasonic sensor is reflected by the cup and returns, the properties of the ultrasonic wave, such as the wavelength and frequency, change depending on the material of the cup. The ultrasonic analysis AI module may have a configuration that learns the reflected and returning ultrasonic wave and classifies the material. The AI ​​module may be applied through a separate server connected to the cup collection system of the present invention. Accordingly, when the ultrasonic sensor determines that the cup inserted into the disposable cup insertion module is a reusable cup, the insertion port of the cup insertion module (100) is not opened, thereby preventing incorrect insertion of the reusable cup.

[0052] As another embodiment, the sensor (200) of the disposable cup insertion module may also be equipped with an NFC sensor that detects the RFID installed in the reusable cup. Accordingly, when a reusable cup is detected by the NFC sensor at the disposable cup insertion port of the cup insertion module (100), the port may be kept closed or a separate alarm may be output to prevent incorrect insertion.

[0053]

[0054] Meanwhile, the present invention applies a vacuum gripper (300) when gripping a cup. As described above, a technique has been introduced to pour out the remaining contents inside the cup when recovering the cup using a mechanical arm in the form of a forceps. However, when the cup is turned over to pour out the remaining contents, the shape of the cup with a narrow upper and lower part based on the diameter becomes a narrow upper and lower part, which raises concerns that the mechanical arm may miss the cup, making gripping difficult.

[0055] Under normal circumstances, since the upper opening of the cup is formed to have a relatively larger diameter than the bottom of the cup, when the gripper-type mechanical arm grips the cup, the upper part with a larger diameter is caught by the gripper, enabling stable gripping. However, in the case of the above configuration, in order to empty the contents inside the cup, the cup is rotated upside down so that the inlet of the cup faces the bottom using the cup rotation module (400) to empty the contents, and then in the procedure of cleaning the inside of the cup with the cleaning liquid sprayed from the nozzle of the cup washing module (500), there is a problem in that the gripper-type mechanical arm has difficulty in stably gripping the cup. In particular, in the case of paper cups or soft plastics, not only is it difficult to firmly grip with the gripping force of the gripper due to the fragility of the material, but also, the diameter of the upper part of the overturned cup is rather smaller, which raises the risk of the cup falling out from under the gripper.

[0056] Accordingly, the present invention provides a configuration for gripping the bottom of a cup by applying the vacuum gripper (300). The vacuum gripper (300) has an advantage in that it can firmly grip the cup by gripping the bottom with a vacuum suction plate even in the case of soft paper or plastic. In addition, it is preferable that the vacuum gripper (300) is provided with a socket (320) having a shape corresponding to the lower end of the cup at a position for sucking the cup. Fig. 3 is a photograph of one embodiment of the vacuum gripper (300) and the socket (320) of the present invention. The socket (320) is preferably provided with a hole (330) formed on the inside, and the suction plate (310) of the vacuum gripper (300) is preferably installed at the center of the hole.

[0057]

[0058] Figures 4 to 6 are explanatory diagrams for explaining the operation of the vacuum gripper (300), cup rotation module (400), and cup washing module (400) of the cup collection system of the present invention. Figure 3 A) is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a user inserts a cup into the cup insertion module (100). In the above step, the sensor (200) recognizes the insertion of the cup and opens the inlet of the cup insertion module.

[0059] Figure 4 B) is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the cup is positioned in a socket (320) in which the vacuum gripper is installed, and the vacuum gripper holds the cup. As described above, if necessary, a configuration is also possible in which a separate warning or response action is performed when the sensor (200) detects in the above step that the received cup is not a disposable cup.

[0060] Figure 5 A) is an explanatory diagram illustrating a step in which a mechanical arm lowers the vacuum gripper (300) in which a cup is positioned. During this process, the opening of the cup insertion module (100) can be closed by a means (not shown) such as a cover. The shape and structure of the cover are not particularly limited in the present invention.

[0061] Figure 5 B) is an explanatory diagram showing a step in which the cup rotation module (400) rotates the vacuum gripper (300) on which the cup is positioned. At this time, if there is a large amount of residue in the cup, there is a risk of the cup being detached, so it is preferable that the vacuum gripper (300) have sufficient suction power.

[0062] FIG. 6 A) is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the cup rotation module (400) completely rotates the vacuum gripper (300) where the cup is positioned to hold the cup upside down. That is, the cup rotation module (400) rotates the vacuum gripper to direct the inlet of the cup downward for washing. At this time, the remaining beverage residue in the cup is poured out and is later collected in a separate waste bin. In the above step, if a gripper arm is applied instead of a vacuum gripper, there is a concern that the gripper arm may drop the cup because the diameter of the upper part of the cup is rather smaller. Therefore, the vacuum gripper can be expected to have an improved effect in this regard.

[0063] Accordingly, a waste container (800) is added to collect the residue removed by the cup rotation module (40) for emptying the residue of the cup, and it is preferable that the waste container (800) includes a sensor for detecting the weight of the loaded residue. When the waste container is full, an alarm or the like can be responded to by emptying the collection container through the sensor. FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate an embodiment in which waste such as residue is collected into the waste container through a separate pipe.

[0064] Figure 6 B) is an explanatory diagram illustrating a step in which the nozzle of the cup washing module (500) sprays washing water to wash the inside of the cup. The washing water used at this time also pours down and is collected in a separate waste container.

[0065] That is, according to the above configuration, it is expected that the washing water and the residue inside the cup can be easily collected in a single waste bin.

[0066]

[0067] Afterwards, the cup is transferred to the upper part of the storage box (600) by the mechanical arm, and after transfer, the vacuum of the vacuum gripper (300) is released, and the cup falls into the storage box (600) and is stored.

[0068] Meanwhile, it is preferable that the storage unit (600) be equipped with a sensor (610) for checking the height of the loaded cups. When the sensor (610) confirms that a preset number of cups have been stacked, the compression device (700) compresses the loaded cups. In one embodiment, the compression device (700) can compress the cups every time 10 cups are added.

[0069]

[0070] When a reusable cup is inserted, the sensor (200) that recognizes the cup detects the RFID installed in the reusable cup, and it is preferable that the insertion port of the cup insertion module (100) be opened and closed depending on whether the sensor (200) is detected. The RFID may be implanted and installed in the bottom of the reusable cup, and may include usage information such as the identification number of the cup, the number of times it has been reused, and the material.

[0071] As described above, it is preferable that the sensor (200) be installed in the socket (320).

[0072]

[0073] That is, in the cup collection system according to the embodiment of the present invention, when a recyclable cup and a disposable cup are first inserted into the cup insertion module (100), and the cup is recognized by the sensor (200), the vacuum gripper (300) operates to grip the inserted cup, and the cup is moved up and down by the mechanical arm to move inside the machine and the cup insertion port closes. Then, the cup is rotated by the cup rotation module (400) to empty the residue in the cup, and the cup is moved to the cup washing module (500) to wash the cup with the residue removed. The washed cup is moved to a storage box (600) for storage.

[0074] The cup rotation module (400) is provided with a waste container (800) for collecting waste removed by the cup rotation module (400), and the waste container (800) includes a sensor for detecting the weight of the loaded waste. The sensor for detecting the weight displays a notification on the display requesting the waste container (800) to stop operation and empty when the weight exceeds a certain level.

[0075] The storage box (600) is characterized by having a sensor (610) for checking the height of the loaded cups. The sensor (610) checks the height at which the cups are stacked in the storage box (600), and when it detects that the height exceeds a certain height, a notification can be displayed on the display. The notification can be a notification requesting the emptying of the cups loaded in the storage box (600).

[0076] In addition, when the sensor (610) confirms that the preset cups are stacked, the compression device (700) compresses the loaded cups, and can store the number and time data when the cups are inserted.

[0077] The cup collection system according to an embodiment of the present invention can contribute to waste reduction by sorting collected recyclable cups and disposable cups and enabling recycling through washing and storage, and can be expected to have the effect of increasing recycling efficiency and reducing waste of recyclable resources.

[0078]

[0079] Although the present invention has been described with reference to the attached drawings, this is only one embodiment among various embodiments including the gist of the present invention, and the purpose is to enable a person of ordinary skill in the art to easily practice it, and it is clear that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention should be interpreted by the following claims, and all technical ideas within the equivalent range by modification, substitution, replacement, etc. within the scope that does not depart from the gist of the present invention shall be included in the scope of the rights of the present invention. In addition, it is clearly stated that some components of the drawings are provided in an exaggerated or reduced form compared to the actual structure to more clearly explain the components. In addition, the claim symbols are only to help understanding and do not mean that the shape and structure of the present invention are limited to the attached drawings.

Claims

1. A cup input module (100) into which recyclable cups and disposable cups are input; A sensor (200) that recognizes the inserted cup; A vacuum gripper (300) that holds the inserted cup and moves up and down by a mechanical arm; A cup rotation module (400) for emptying the residue of the above cup; A cup washing module (500) for washing the cup from which residue has been removed; A storage box (600) for storing the washed cup; A cup collection system characterized by including:

2. In paragraph 1, A waste container (800) is added to collect the residue removed by the cup rotation module (40) for emptying the residue of the above cup. A cup collection system characterized in that the above waste bin (800) includes a sensor for detecting the weight of the loaded residue.

3. In paragraph 1, A cup collection system characterized in that the above storage box (600) is equipped with a sensor (610) for checking the height of the loaded cup.

4. In paragraph 3, A cup collection system characterized in that when the sensor (610) confirms that a preset number of cups are stacked, the compression device (700) compresses the loaded cups.

5. In paragraph 1, A cup collection system characterized in that the sensor (200) includes an NFC sensor that recognizes a cup, detects an RFID pre-installed on the cup, and the input port of the cup input module (100) opens and closes depending on whether the sensor (200) detects it.

6. In paragraph 1, The above vacuum gripper (300) is a cup collection system characterized in that a socket having a shape corresponding to the lower part of the cup is installed at a position for sucking the cup.

7. In paragraph 6, A cup collection system characterized in that the above socket is formed on the inside and a suction plate (310) of a vacuum gripper (300) is installed in the center of the above hole.

8. In paragraph 6, A cup collection system characterized in that the cup rotation module (400) rotates the vacuum gripper to direct the inlet of the cup downward for washing.

9. In paragraph 6, A cup collection system characterized in that the sensor (200) that recognizes the cup detects the RFID installed in the recycling cup, and the input port of the cup input module (100) opens and closes depending on whether the sensor (200) detects it.

10. In paragraph 9, A cup collection system characterized in that the above sensor (200) is installed in the above socket.

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