Flexible Blade Impeller Recycling Bin for Narrow Spaces

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional recycle boxes with large-diameter impellers are not suitable for narrow spaces and have a high volume, making them inefficient for storage and transportation of paper-type articles.

Innovation Solution

A recycle box design featuring an impeller with flexible blades, a guide elastic strip, and a banknote guiding plate that allows for compact operation by forming a recycle passage between the strip and plate, enabling the impeller to rotate and convey paper-type articles onto a stacking plate while deforming to accommodate increased media, thus reducing the impeller's diameter and the box's volume.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a large-diameter impeller is used to ensure proper insertion of paper-type articles, then the insertion reliability is improved, but the device volume increases and it cannot fit in narrow spaces

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinsertion reliabilityVSAvoiddevice volume
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSVolume of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The impeller blades are designed with flexible materials allowing them to dynamically adjust their position. During rotation, the blades can deform to accommodate paper-type articles of varying thickness, ensuring reliable insertion while maintaining a compact impeller diameter that reduces overall device volume.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The flexibility parameter of the impeller blades is changed from rigid to flexible, allowing the blades to adapt their shape during operation. This enables the impeller to maintain functional effectiveness with a smaller diameter, resolving the contradiction between insertion reliability and device volume.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Volume of stationary object

If the impeller diameter is reduced to fit narrow spaces, then the device volume is reduced, but the insertion capability of paper-type articles deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice volumeVSAvoidinsertion capability
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of stationary objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The flexible blades dynamically change their configuration during rotation, expanding outward to properly engage and transport paper-type articles despite the reduced impeller diameter. This dynamic adaptation maintains insertion capability while allowing a compact device design.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The impeller blades are constructed from flexible materials that can deform and adapt to the dimensions of paper-type articles. This flexibility compensates for the reduced impeller diameter, ensuring that insertion and transport functions remain effective in a compact device configuration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The compact design allows the recycle box to function effectively in narrow spaces with reduced volume, enabling efficient stacking and storage of paper-type articles like banknotes, checks, and securities.

Implementation Method 1

a guide elastic strip, a banknote guiding plate, an impeller, and a banknote stacking plate configured to stack recycled media are fixed inside the box bottom housing

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Implementation Method 2

The impeller has a plurality of flexible blades. The flexible blade conveys the recycled media on the first stopper onto the banknote stacking plate when the flexible blades are rotated out of the opening

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFlexibility: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP3296231B1Recycling bin
Publication Date: 2019.07.17 GRG BANKING EQUIPMENT CO LTD
  • EP3296231B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3296231B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3296231B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

A recycling bin comprises a bin body door and a bin body bottom case. The top of the bin body bottom case is provided with a recycling inlet. A guide elastic piece, a paper-money guide plate, an impeller comprising a plurality of flexible blades, and a paper-money stacking plate used for stacking recycled mediums are fixed in the bin body bottom case. The guide elastic piece and the paper-money guide plate are vertically and oppositely disposed, and a gap is formed between the guide elastic piece and the paper-money guide plate and is a recycling channel. The paper-money guide plate is provided with a first stop table used for temporarily storing the recycled mediums passing sequentially through the recycling inlet and the recycling channel, and is provided with a notch allowing the flexible blades to pass through. When the flexible blades are rotated out of the notch, the flexible blades convey the recycled mediums on the first stop table to the paper-money stacking plate.