Modular waste-sorting apparatus for material recovery facility

Abstract

A modular waste-sorting apparatus for a material recovery facility according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: one or more transfer modules for moving waste along a sorting work line; one or more sorting modules for sorting objects to be sorted from among the waste moved by the transfer modules; and a control module for controlling the transfer and sorting modules, wherein the transfer, sorting, and control modules can be combined on the basis of attributes of the material recovery facility.

Description

Modular waste sorting device for configuring a resource recovery facility

[0001] The present invention relates to a modular waste sorting device for configuring a resource recovery facility, and more specifically, to a modular waste sorting device that is combined according to the attributes of the resource recovery facility.

[0002] This patent application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0185690 filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office on December 13, 2024, and the disclosures of said patent application are incorporated herein by reference.

[0003] The amount of waste generated from households, factories, and other sources is rapidly increasing. To create a sustainable society, technologies are being researched and developed to recover reusable resources from this waste.

[0004] A waste sorting process is necessary to recover reusable resources. While human labor has traditionally been involved in manually sorting waste, waste sorting devices that eliminate the need for human intervention are being introduced recently.

[0005] The waste sorting device can identify waste using artificial intelligence and sort waste using various sorting means, such as robotic arms.

[0006] Recently, there have been attempts to construct large-scale resource recovery facilities by connecting multiple waste sorting units. However, the operational types, types of incoming waste, and target processing capacities often vary significantly from facility to facility.

[0007] Therefore, there is a need for a waste sorting device whose main components are modular, so that the device can be easily configured and deployed according to the attributes of the resource recovery facility and required conditions.

[0008] To solve the aforementioned problems, the present invention aims to provide a modular waste sorting device capable of configuring a resource recovery facility by reflecting the attributes of a newly configured resource recovery facility.

[0009] A modular waste sorting device for configuring a resource recovery facility according to an embodiment of the present invention may include one or more transport modules for moving waste along a sorting work line; and one or more sorting work modules for sorting target objects to be sorted among the waste moved by the transport modules, and the transport modules and the sorting work modules may be combined according to the attributes of the resource recovery facility.

[0010] The attributes of the resource recovery facility may include at least one of the following: the geographical location of the resource recovery facility, the size and shape of the physical space, the type of operation, the type and size of waste brought into the resource recovery facility, the type and proportion of materials, the source and amount of waste brought in, the type and degree of contamination of the waste, the target throughput of the resource recovery facility, and the type and quality of the target product.

[0011] The above transfer module and the above sorting module can be combined according to a work area unit set by considering at least one of the attributes of the resource recovery facility.

[0012] The above work area unit may be configured to include at least two robot arms when the operation type of the resource recovery facility is a primary facility that processes unseparated waste, and may be configured to include at least one robot arm when it is a secondary facility that processes separated waste.

[0013] The above transfer module may include one or more conveyor units.

[0014] The above conveyor unit can expand and contract the section for transporting the waste in units of the above work area.

[0015] The above sorting module may include one or more sensor units that acquire an image of waste moved by the above transport module; and one or more work units that grasp and collect the target object using a robot arm.

[0016] The sensor unit may be installed at a location where it can acquire an image including the entire work area of ​​a classification work module in which it is included, and at a location where it can acquire an image including a part of the work area of ​​another classification work module interconnected with a part of the work area of ​​the classification work module in which it is included.

[0017] The above work unit includes one or more robot arms according to the above work area unit, and the robot arm can detach either a suction type gripper using air suction force or a finger type gripper using a finger structure.

[0018] It further includes a control module that controls the transfer module and the sorting module, and the control module can be combined according to the work area unit.

[0019] According to the present invention as described above, the following effects are achieved.

[0020] The modular waste sorting device of the present invention can be combined to reflect the attributes of a resource recovery facility, thereby enabling the configuration of a resource recovery facility that satisfies the required attributes.

[0021] The modular waste sorting device of the present invention has modularized components, so the configuration and modification of the resource recovery facility can be performed quickly and efficiently.

[0022] In addition, other features and advantages of the present invention may be newly identified through the embodiments of the present invention.

[0023] FIG. 1 is a drawing showing a part of a resource recovery facility composed of a modular waste sorting device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a modular waste sorting device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] FIG. 3 is a drawing for explaining a work area unit set according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] FIG. 4 is a drawing showing a transfer module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a classification task module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] FIG. 6 is a drawing for explaining the arrangement of a sensor unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] FIG. 7 is a drawing for explaining the types of grippers according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] It should be noted that in assigning reference numbers to the components of each drawing in this specification, identical components are given the same number as much as possible, even if they are shown in different drawings.

[0031] Meanwhile, the meaning of the terms described in this specification should be understood as follows.

[0032] A singular expression should be understood to include a plural expression unless the context clearly defines otherwise, and terms such as "first," "second," etc., are intended to distinguish one component from another, and the scope of rights shall not be limited by these terms.

[0033] Terms such as "include" or "have" should be understood as not excluding in advance the existence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0034] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention designed to solve the above problems will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0035] In the following description, the modular waste sorting device for configuring the resource recovery facility will be described as a modular waste sorting device (1000).

[0036] FIG. 1 is a drawing showing a part of a resource recovery facility composed of a modular waste sorting device (1000) according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] Referring to FIG. 1, a resource recovery facility according to an embodiment of the present invention may be composed of a sorting work line connected to at least one modular waste sorting device (1000).

[0038] For example, a first modular waste sorting device (1000a), a second modular waste sorting device (1000b), a third modular waste sorting device (1000c), and a nth modular waste sorting device (1000n) can be connected in series to form a single sorting work line.

[0039] One or more such sorting work lines may be configured in parallel, or they may be configured in a circular manner. The form of the sorting work line that can be configured using the modular waste sorting device (1000) is not limited and can be configured appropriately.

[0040] Waste brought into the resource recovery facility can be classified according to waste classification standards by a modular waste classification device (1000) while passing through a classification work line.

[0041] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a modular waste sorting device (1000) according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] Referring to FIG. 2, a modular waste sorting device (1000) according to an embodiment of the present invention may include one or more transfer modules (1100), sorting work modules (1200), and control modules (1300).

[0043] The transfer module (1100) can move waste along a sorting line. The transfer module (1100) may include one or more conveyor units. The transfer module (1100) including the conveyor units can move waste by driving the conveyor units.

[0044] The transfer module (1100) can transport waste by means such as a transport vehicle or a monorail in addition to a conveyor unit, and is not limited to.

[0045] The sorting module (1200) can classify target objects to be classified among the waste moved by the transport module (1100). Waste that meets the pre-set waste classification criteria may be the target objects. Waste that does not meet the waste classification criteria may be non-target objects and may be discharged without being classified.

[0046] The control module (1300) can control the transfer module (1100) and the sorting module (1200). The control module (1300) can be electrically and logically connected to the transfer module (1100) and the sorting module (1200) to transmit and receive data and signals.

[0047] The control module (1300) may include memory and a processor.

[0048] A learned artificial intelligence model can be stored in the memory included in the control module (1300). The artificial intelligence module is pre-trained with waste images and can identify waste fed into the modular waste sorting device (1000).

[0049] The processor included in the control module (1300) can determine whether the waste is a target object using a learned artificial intelligence model and then transmit a control signal to the classification module (1200) to perform a classification task.

[0050] The control module (1300) can control the driving direction and speed of the transfer module (1100), the working position and speed of the sorting module (1200), etc., overall.

[0051] The transfer module (1100), sorting module (1200), and control module (1300) of the present invention can be combined according to the attributes of the resource recovery facility.

[0052] The attributes of a resource recovery facility according to an embodiment of the present invention may include at least one of the geographical location of the resource recovery facility, the size and shape of the physical space, the type of operation, the type and size of waste brought into the resource recovery facility, the type and ratio of materials, the source and amount of waste brought in, the type and degree of contamination of the waste, the target throughput of the resource recovery facility, and the type and quality of the target product.

[0053] Specifically, among the attributes of a resource recovery facility, the geographical location of the facility can affect the type and amount of waste brought into the facility. For example, resource recovery facilities near large cities mainly receive household waste, while resource recovery facilities near industrial complexes mainly receive industrial waste.

[0054] Among the attributes of a resource recovery facility, the size and shape of the physical space of the resource recovery facility can affect the scale and processing capacity of the waste sorting facility to be installed in the resource recovery facility. For example, if the resource recovery facility is a two-story building, waste sorting equipment can be installed with the same layout on the first and second floors, or waste sorting equipment can be installed with a different layout on each floor.

[0055] Among the attributes of a resource recovery facility, the type of operation can influence the configuration of the waste sorting equipment to be installed in the facility. The types of operation of a resource recovery facility can be broadly divided into primary facilities that process unseparated waste and secondary facilities that process separated waste. For example, if the resource recovery facility is a primary facility, it is necessary to configure multiple waste sorting equipment in a complex manner because the volume of waste processed is large and the types of waste are diverse. If the resource recovery facility is a secondary facility, the types of waste are relatively small and the quality is consistent, so the waste sorting equipment can be configured more simply compared to a primary facility.

[0056] In addition to the attributes of the resource recovery facility described above, other attributes regarding the resource recovery facility may be added, and their types and contents are not limited.

[0057] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the transfer module (1100), the sorting module (1200), and the control module (1300) may have their size, shape, and interconnection means unified for assembly, disassembly, expansion, reduction, exchange, etc.

[0058] Since major components such as the transfer module (1100), the sorting module (1200), and the control module (1300) are modularized, it may be easy to construct a single modular waste sorting device (1000) by combining each module. In addition, it may be easy to expand each module or replace only some modules.

[0059] The combination of each module according to the embodiment of the present invention may be formed according to the attributes of the new resource recovery facility. Depending on the attributes of the new resource recovery facility, the conditions required for the modular waste sorting device (1000) may differ.

[0060] For example, a new resource recovery facility may be a primary resource recovery facility that processes mixed waste that has not been separated. Mixed waste can be highly contaminated and has a wide variety of waste types and sizes.

[0061] In such a primary resource recovery facility, it may be required that the gripper to be mounted on the sorting work module (1200) be of one or more different types in order to sort various mixed wastes.

[0062] Accordingly, the modular waste sorting device (1000) can have a unified connection part so that a single robot arm can attach and detach different types of grippers.

[0063] As another example, the waste brought into the waste recovery facility may consist of a mixture of medium to large-sized waste. When sorting medium to large-sized waste, sufficient space must be secured between robot arms to prevent interference between them or collisions between the collected waste. Therefore, the installation positions of the robot arms can be standardized to allow for adjustment of the space between them.

[0064] As another example, the target product of a resource recovery facility could be high-purity plastic bales. To maintain the purity of the product, additional sensors, such as spectroscopic sensors, need to be installed. Therefore, the location of the basic sensor capable of acquiring images of the waste and the location of the additional sensors to be installed can be unified.

[0065] In addition to the embodiments described above, various parts of the modular waste sorting facility can be unified by reflecting the attributes of the resource recovery facility.

[0066] FIG. 3 is a drawing for explaining a work area unit set according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0067] Referring to FIG. 3, the transfer module (1100), the sorting module (1200), and the control module (1300) according to an embodiment of the present invention can be combined according to a work area unit set by considering at least some of the attributes of the resource recovery facility.

[0068] The work area unit may be the minimum size work area in which the modular waste sorting device (1000) performs sorting work. As shown in FIG. 3, the work area unit may be defined as (width * length * height).

[0069] For example, a modular waste sorting device (1000) for sorting medium-to-large waste may have a working area unit of 1m * 1m * 1.5m. A modular waste sorting device (1000) for sorting small waste may have a working area unit of 1m * 0.75m * 1m.

[0070] The transfer module (1100), sorting module (1200), and control module (1300) can be combined according to the unit of the work area.

[0071] A work area unit according to an embodiment of the present invention may be configured to include at least two robot arms when the operation type of the resource recovery facility is a primary facility that processes waste that has not been separated. When the operation type of the resource recovery facility is a secondary facility that processes waste that has been separated, it may be configured to include at least one robot arm.

[0072] Specifically, the work area unit can be set based on the operating type among the attributes of the resource recovery facility. In a primary type of resource recovery facility that processes unseparated waste, at least two different grippers may be required. Therefore, the work area unit can be set so that two or more robot arms can be installed.

[0073] In a secondary type of resource recovery facility that processes separated waste, sorting operations can be performed using a single type of gripper. In this case, the unit of the work area can be configured so that a single robot arm can be installed.

[0074] For example, among the attributes of the new resource recovery facility, the operation type is a primary type and the size of the incoming waste is small, so the work area unit can be set to reflect this attribute. Since it is a primary type, two or more robot arms must be installed, so the width of the work area unit can be 1m and the length can be 1.5m. Since the incoming waste is small, the height of the work area unit can be 1m. That is, the modular waste sorting device (1000) to be installed in the resource recovery facility that receives small waste of the primary type can be standardized to a work area unit of 1m * 1.5m * 1m.

[0075] As another example, the work area unit can be set by reflecting the attributes of the new resource recovery facility, such that the operation type is a secondary type and the size of the incoming waste is small. Since it is a secondary type, one robot arm must be installed, so the width of the work area unit can be 1m and the length can be 0.75m. Since the incoming waste is small, the height of the work area unit can be 1m. That is, the modular waste sorting device (1000) to be installed in the resource recovery facility receiving small waste of the secondary type can be standardized into a work area unit of 1m * 0.75m * 1m.

[0076] FIG. 4 is a drawing showing a transfer module (1100) according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0077] Referring to FIG. 4, the conveyor unit (1110) included in the transfer module (1100) can expand and contract the section for transferring waste in units of work area.

[0078] The conveyor unit (1110) may include a driving roller (1111), a buffer roller (1112), a plate (1113), a cleaner (1114), a driven roller (1115), and a conveyor belt (1116).

[0079] The driving roller (1111) can supply power to rotate the conveyor belt (1116). The distance between the driving roller (1111) and the driven roller (1115) can be adjusted in units of work area. Accordingly, the conveyor unit (1110) can be expanded and contracted in units of work area.

[0080] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the length of the conveyor unit (1110) may not match that of the sorting module (1200). One conveyor unit (1110) may be extended longer than the sorting module (1200). However, even in such cases, the length of the conveyor unit (1110) may be extended to match the work area unit.

[0081] The plate (1113) can protect the conveyor belt (1116) from the pressure of the robot arm. The buffer roller (1112) can prevent waste from moving randomly on the conveyor belt. The cleaner (1114) can remove contaminants attached to the conveyor belt (1116).

[0082] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a classification work module (1200) according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0083] According to FIG. 5, the classification task module (1200) may include one or more sensor units (1210) and one or more task units (1220).

[0084] A sensor unit (1210) according to an embodiment of the present invention can acquire an image of waste being moved by a transport module (1100).

[0085] The sensor unit (1210) may be a vision sensor. The sensor unit (1210) may collect still images and videos of waste. The sensor unit (1210) may collect at least one of 2D and 3D images, and the type and kind of the image are not limited.

[0086] The sensor unit (1210) may be any one of a camera, an RGB sensor, a TOF, a LiDAR, or a spectrometer, and is not limited to one.

[0087] FIG. 6 is a drawing for explaining the arrangement of a sensor unit (1210) according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0088] Referring to FIG. 6, a sensor unit (1210) according to an embodiment of the present invention may be installed to acquire an image that includes the entire work area of ​​a classification module (1200) in which it is included.

[0089] For example, the first transfer module (1100a), the second transfer module (1100b), and the third transfer module (1100c) may be connected. In this case, the second-1 sensor unit (1210b) and the third-1 sensor unit (1210d) may be installed at a location where they can acquire an image that includes the entire work area of ​​the second classification module and the entire work area of ​​the third classification module, respectively, and the location may be determined according to the work area unit.

[0090] A sensor unit (1210) according to an embodiment of the present invention may be installed at a location where it can acquire an image including a part of the work area of ​​another classification module (1200) that is interconnected with a part of the work area of ​​a classification module (1200) that it includes.

[0091] In order for a classification module (1200) to identify its own work area and the work area of ​​another classification module (1200) and to monitor the status of the classification work, an image including the work areas of the interconnected classification modules (1200) may be required.

[0092] For example, the first transfer module (1100a), the second transfer module (1100b), and the third transfer module (1100c) may be connected. In this case, the second-2 sensor unit (1210a) and the third-2 sensor unit (1210c) may be installed at a location where they can acquire an image including a part of the work area of ​​the first classification module and a part of the work area of ​​the second classification module, and a part of the work area of ​​the second classification module and a part of the work area of ​​the third classification module, respectively, and the location may be determined according to the work area unit.

[0093] A classification module (1200) according to an embodiment of the present invention may include one or more work units (1220) that grasp and collect a target object using a robot arm. The robot arm may grasp the target object using a gripper.

[0094] The work unit (1220) may include one or more robot arms depending on the work area unit. Specifically, the work area unit may be configured to include one robot arm.

[0095] For example, if the resource recovery facility is of the secondary type, small waste is brought in, or the target throughput is relatively small, only one robot arm may be included in the work area unit.

[0096] On the other hand, if the resource recovery facility is of the primary type, large or medium-sized waste is brought in, or the target throughput is large, two or more robot arms may be included in the work area unit.

[0097] FIG. 7 is a drawing for explaining the types of grippers according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0098] Referring to FIG. 7, the robot arm can attach or detach either a suction type gripper (a) that uses air suction force or a finger type gripper (b) that uses a finger structure.

[0099] A suction type gripper (a) is lightweight and may be advantageous for gripping flat objects. For example, a suction type gripper may be used when the proportion of waste brought into a resource recovery facility consists of PET bottles and plastic containers.

[0100] A finger-type gripper (b) may be advantageous for gripping objects that are heavy or do not have relatively flat parts. For example, a finger-type gripper may be used when the proportion of waste brought into a waste recovery facility consists of glass bottles and beverage cans.

[0101] The robot arm may be equipped with a connecting means capable of detaching both a suction type gripper and a finger type gripper. For example, the robot arm may detach the suction type gripper and the finger type gripper using a rotary tab, and the suction type gripper and the finger type gripper may include a rotary tab of the same size.

[0102] As described above, the modular waste sorting device (1000) according to an embodiment of the present invention can be standardized according to the attributes of a resource recovery facility. The standardized modular waste sorting device (1000) can be produced in advance at a factory and then combined according to the attributes of a resource recovery facility to be newly configured.

[0103] The modular waste sorting device (1000) according to an embodiment of the present invention can not only configure a resource recovery facility quickly and efficiently but also reflect the attributes required of the resource recovery facility.

[0104]

[0105] The use of all examples or exemplary terms (e.g., etc.) in the present invention is merely for the purpose of describing the invention in detail, and the scope of the invention is not limited by such examples or exemplary terms unless limited by the claims. Furthermore, a person skilled in the art will understand that various modifications, combinations, and changes may be made according to design conditions and factors within the scope of the claims or equivalents to which they are added.

[0106] It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the present invention described above is not limited to the aforementioned embodiments and attached drawings, and that various substitutions, modifications, and changes are possible within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention.

[0107] [Explanation of the symbol]

[0108] 1100: Transfer Module 1200: Sorting Module

[0109] 1300: Control Module 1110: Conveyor Unit

[0110] 1111: Drive roller 1112: Cushion roller

[0111] 1113: Plate 1114: Cleaner

[0112] 1115: Passive roller 1210: Sensor unit

[0113] 1220: Work Unit

[0114] The present invention relates to a modular waste sorting device for configuring a resource recovery facility, and more specifically, to a modular waste sorting device that is combined according to the attributes of the resource recovery facility.

Claims

1. One or more transfer modules that move waste along a sorting line; It includes one or more sorting modules for classifying target objects to be classified among the waste moved by the above-mentioned transfer module, and A modular waste sorting device for configuring a resource recovery facility, wherein the above-mentioned transfer module and the above-mentioned sorting module are combined according to the attributes of the resource recovery facility.

2. In Paragraph 1, A modular waste sorting device for configuring a resource recovery facility, wherein the attributes of the resource recovery facility include at least one of the geographical location of the resource recovery facility, the size and shape of the physical space, the type of operation, the type and size of waste brought into the resource recovery facility, the type and ratio of materials, the source and amount of waste brought in, the type and degree of contamination of the waste, the target throughput of the resource recovery facility, and the type and quality of the target product.

3. In Paragraph 2, A modular waste sorting device for configuring a resource recovery facility, wherein the above-mentioned transfer module and the above-mentioned sorting module are combined according to a work area unit set by considering at least one of the attributes of the resource recovery facility.

4. In Paragraph 3, A modular waste sorting device for configuring a resource recovery facility, wherein the above-mentioned work area unit is configured to include at least two robot arms when the operation type of the resource recovery facility is a primary facility that processes unseparated waste, and is configured to include at least one robot arm when the operation type of the resource recovery facility is a secondary facility that processes separated waste.

5. In Paragraph 3, The above transfer module is a modular waste sorting device for configuring a resource recovery facility, comprising one or more conveyor units.

6. In Paragraph 5, A modular waste sorting device for configuring a resource recovery facility, wherein the conveyor unit is capable of expanding and contracting the section for transporting the waste in units of the work area.

7. In Paragraph 3, The above classification module is One or more sensor units for acquiring images of waste moved by the above-mentioned transfer module; A modular waste sorting device for configuring a resource recovery facility, comprising one or more work units that grasp and collect the target object using a robotic arm.

8. In Paragraph 7, A modular waste sorting device for configuring a resource recovery facility, wherein the sensor unit is installed at a location capable of acquiring an image including the entire work area of ​​a sorting work module containing itself, and at a location capable of acquiring an image including a part of the work area of ​​another sorting work module interconnected with a part of the work area of ​​the sorting work module containing itself.

9. In Paragraph 7, The above work unit is It includes one or more robot arms according to the above work area unit, and A modular waste sorting device for configuring a resource recovery facility, wherein the above-mentioned robot arm is capable of attaching or detaching either a suction-type gripper utilizing air suction force or a finger-type gripper utilizing a finger structure.

10. In Paragraph 3, A modular waste sorting device for configuring a resource recovery facility, further comprising a control module that controls the transfer module and the sorting module, wherein the control module is combined according to the work area unit.

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