Plastic Bottle Pre-cleaning Rotor Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for pre-cleaning plastic bottles in recycling processes face issues with clogging due to the design of the rotor and housing, which leads to reduced throughput and inefficiency in removing foreign bodies like labels and abrasive components, especially when handling compressed plastic bales.
Innovation Solution
The device employs a rotor with impact tools such as knives, wings, or paddles to apply mechanical stress for removing foreign bodies without crushing the plastic, using forced loading and scoring the bottles to enhance effectiveness and prevent clogging, allowing for efficient pre-cleaning without complex housing designs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the rotor and housing are designed with close clearance to remove foreign bodies effectively, then the cleaning effectiveness is improved, but the device is prone to clogging by plastic hollow bodies which reduces throughput
Solution Approach 1:
The rotor is segmented into multiple working elements (knives, wings, paddles) distributed around its circumference, allowing the cleaning action to be distributed along the length of the housing. This segmentation prevents any single point from becoming a bottleneck or clogging point, while maintaining effective cleaning through the distributed action of multiple elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a two-dimensional clearance-based cleaning mechanism to a three-dimensional multi-element approach. Multiple cleaning elements (knives, wings, paddles) are arranged in different radial positions and orientations, creating a volumetric cleaning action that removes foreign bodies effectively without requiring tight clearances that would cause clogging.
2Manufacturing precision
If conventional washing processes with chemicals and heat are used, then foreign bodies are removed effectively, but environmental pollution and processing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces chemical and thermal washing processes with a purely mechanical cleaning system. The rotor equipped with knives, wings, and paddles creates mechanical stress and friction that removes foreign bodies, labels, and dirt without requiring water, detergents, or heat, thereby eliminating environmental pollution and simplifying the process.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical cleaning system is self-sufficient and does not require external chemical or thermal resources. The rotor's mechanical elements directly contact and clean the plastic bottles through their rotation, making the system independent of water supply, chemical storage, and heating systems that would complicate the process.
3Productivity
If abrasive foreign bodies are not removed before grinding, then the recycling process continues, but considerable wear and tear on the grinder occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The rotor cleaning system performs preliminary removal of abrasive foreign bodies (stones, glass, metal pieces) before the bottles enter the grinding stage. By eliminating these abrasive contaminants in advance, the system protects the grinder from excessive wear while maintaining continuous recycling operations.
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
This approach significantly improves throughput and effectiveness in removing foreign bodies from plastic bottles without prior crushing, reducing the risk of clogging and enabling efficient recycling by using mechanical stress to detach dirt and labels, thus minimizing wear on machinery and facilitating further processing.
Implementation Method 1
foreign bodies are removed from the plastic bottles exclusively by mechanical stress on the plastic bottles
Implementation Method 2
The rotor with impact tools such as knives, wings, or paddles to apply mechanical stress
Implementation Method 3
scoring the bottles to enhance effectiveness
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method for pre-cleaning parts made of plastic as part of a recycling process, wherein foreign bodies to be removed adhere to the parts, in particular for removing foreign bodies on parts made of plastic, preferably for removing labels, dirt, etc. on used plastic bottles, said method being characterized in that the foreign bodies are removed from the parts by mechanically loading the parts. A device for applying the method is characterized by a housing (2) having a chamber for accommodating the parts, means (3, 4, 11) for mechanically acting upon the parts and means for separating the foreign bodies released from the parts and for discharging the foreign bodies and parts onto separate paths being provided in the chamber.