DE4214250A1 - EMPTY BOTTLE RECOVERY DEVICE - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to an empty bottle return device with a housing, with a lockable one Enclosure opening accessible from outside for upright empty bottles, with one at the entrance chamber adjoining bottle receiving chamber, with egg ner motor-driven conveyor for the Transport of individual empty bottles from the input chamber in the bottle receiving chamber, with at least two intervene at different heights in the input chamber against the surface of one located there Hit the empty bottle, give an output signal Sensing elements and with one on the output signals speaking control device for controlling the För the facility and possibly a deposit payment be.

In a known empty bottle return device this Art (DE-GM 71 10 203) the input chamber has the shape of a channel pointing in the conveying direction, in which the Trained as sliding pushbuttons crossways fen and there against the surface one on the opposite Empty led above side on guide rails bottle are brought to the groping system. Through the Sliding buttons are scarf while giving the position signals ter operated in the power line of an Elektromo tors lie by a chain drive with a Carrier disks, perpendicular shaft connected, the shaft still with Einrichtun conditions for switching off the engine and triggering a Money donor is provided. It is disadvantageous to see that the device for detecting only one bottle  suitable and that it is due to the special len design of the input channel is possible, the fla also by hand through the scanning area push so that incorrect operation cannot be excluded are.

Proceeding from this, the object of the invention reasons, an empty bottle return device at the beginning given way to develop that with simple means for the assumption of several bottle types different Size and surface contour can be programmed.

To solve this problem, that in claim 1 specified combination of features proposed. Advantage adhesive refinements and developments of the invention result from the subclaims.

The solution according to the invention is based on the idea that those who intervene in the input chamber and against the Connect the outer surface of the empty bottle located there tactile organs on the inside of a sliding door are arranged so that they are open when the input chamber not easily visible and accessible from the outside are activated only when the sliding door is closed will. The realization is further exploited that through a distance measurement of the striking against the empty bottle Pushbuttons opposite the sliding door with just a few Probes a variety of different bottles pen can be distinguished based on their contour and size can. To make this possible, according to the invention following combination of features suggested:

• - It is a sliding door to close the housing opening provided;  
• - It is on the sliding movement of the sliding door appealing signpost and one with the output si gnalen the counter of the encoder acted upon hen;
• - There are storage means for the temporary storage of Counter readings in the form of a contour and define the size of the scanned empty bottle Value group provided;
• - There are at least two on the sliding door te, engaging in the input chamber touch organs Triggering of measuring, counting and / or storage processes gene provided;
• - It is actuated when the sliding door is closed switchgear for triggering memory and / - or evaluation processes provided;
• - It is a memory for tabular storage of contour and size of different reference fla defining and possibly by test and / or control values supplemented reference value groups intended.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention the control device takes a preferably micro processor-controlled evaluation arrangement, via which at closed sliding door a comparison of the intermediate saved value group of the scanned empty bottle with trigger the reference value groups and according to the Comparative result and, if necessary, as required the associated test and / or control values the funding establishment and, if necessary, a deposit coin issue is controllable.

Another advantageous embodiment of the invention stipulates that those who intervene in the input chamber Pushbuttons in the open state of the sliding door under the  Action of a spring against a door stop and when hitting the empty bottle man area in the course of the closing process can be lifted off. The spring is preloaded at dimensioned so that the empty bottle over the only striking touch organ initially against a reference plant is movable within the input chamber. The pushbuttons engaging in the input chamber are from their furthest stop in one in each move direction of the sliding door Sliding door can be moved against the spring force.

The encoder is advantageously the first one against the surface of the bottle organ, preferably with the lowest touch organ the. The measuring process of the encoder and the counting process the associated counter is accordingly over this probe organ can be triggered. The signpost is here partly as an incre associated with the touch organ mentor trained, its output with the counting gear of the counter is connected.

Because of the relatively large dimensional tolerances the empty bottles and the resulting relative ge wrestle accuracy claims on the invention Encoders can be a relatively simple increment Talgeber provided with the following structural features will:

• - One aligned in the direction of displacement of the sensing element rack or threaded rod made of soft magnetic Material;
• - an induction coil;
• - A magnetizable via a permanent magnet, as Core of the induction coil trained against the  Toothed or threaded rod transverse to its longitudinal extension steel pin.

The rack or threaded rod is advantageously se connected to the probe while the induction coil and the steel pin on one with the sliding door connected circuit board can be arranged on the to in addition, the electronic components one to the Output of the inductor connected amplifier and pulse shaper stage are arranged at the output an incremental or counting signal can be tapped.

It is useful to use the other touch organs at the hit the surface of the bottle and take off door stop a sliding door microswitch actuated by triggering a key signal. Is further preferably in the closed state of the sliding door housing-fixed actuator a sliding door Mi croswitch with triggering another key signal actuable.

The microprocessor-controlled evaluation arrangement has advantageously one with the count signal of the Wegge bers with countable input and several with the Input signals to trigger signals can be triggered of storage and control processes. To misuse the evaluation process and the bottle handover avoid, the sliding door is in its closed position temporarily lockable.

To increase the storage space for empty bottles and for ver increase in variability in terms of recordable Bottle types is preferred according to another design of the invention proposed that in the Ge houses several one above the other, each one  load the closable input chamber with empty bottles bare bottle receiving chambers are provided, and that each bottle receiving chamber has its own reference values group is assigned. The incremental or count outputs ge is the travel sensor in the area of the various sliding doors can be via an OR logic with the counter input connected to a common microprocessor arrangement be while the touch organs of each input chamber expediently a separate input port of the microprocessor arrangement is assigned. Basically, however, it is also possible that each bottle receiving chamber an egg gene microprocessor arrangement is assigned.

To ensure that the touch organs regardless of absolute diameter of the empty bottle to be scanned in mer tangentially perpendicular to the direction of displacement hit the empty bottle, instruct the touch organs their bottle-side end perpendicular to the ver protruding, measuring leg-like hang up.

A method for Bottle detection and return in one empty bottle Take-back device proved, in which the empty bottle in an input chamber that can be closed by a sliding door set and by at least two on the sliding door arranged, at different heights in the input sensing elements engaging the chamber during the closing process gangs the sliding door scanned and recorded as follows becomes:

• - The path or a path-proportional count of the to only hitting the surface of the bottle preferably the bottom sensing element relative to the sliding door  is from the point of impact to the closed position of the Sliding door continuously recorded;
• - When at least one other sensing element strikes a save signal is triggered on the basis of this the route currently covered or the route concerned counting value in an assigned memory location of a buffer as local contour dimension is saved;
• - When the sliding door is closed triggered a store signal, due to which the total distance traveled or the route in question Count value to an assigned memory location of the Buffered as a diameter measure becomes;
• - The on the storage locations of the cache stored value set is set with reference value set Compare the zen from a reference memory one after the other chen;
• - if the set of values matches one of the The empty bottle of reference is the reference value sets conveyed into a bottle return chamber as well as, if necessary, a return of the coin and the input chamber for entering another Empty bottle released;
• - if the set of values does not match all The comparison process is without reference value sets Triggering a funding process canceled, the failure input signaled optically and / or acoustically and the input chamber for the removal of the wrong empty bottle and for subsequent input released another empty bottle.

To avoid incorrect operation, it is advisable to use the Sliding door up to when it reaches its closed position to automatically re-release.  

When generating the reference value sets that under are assigned to different reference bottles The procedure is similar to that of the Fla return:

• - A reference bottle is placed in the entry chamber placed and then closed the sliding door;
• - The path or a path-proportional count of the to only touch on the bottle surface organs relative to the sliding door is from the point of impact continuously until the sliding door is closed detected;
• - When at least one other sensing element strikes a save signal is triggered on the basis of this the route currently covered or the route concerned count to an allocated memory location is saved as a local contour parameter;
• - When the sliding door is closed triggered a store signal, due to which the total distance traveled or the route in question Count of an associated memory location as a through knife characteristic value is stored;
• - At least one additional storage space is used deposit assigned to the reference bottle in question coin value and / or test value entered and / or abge stores;
• - The reference value set generated in this way is converted into a preferably designed as permanent storage reference memory stored;
• - The procedural steps are for further reference bottles repeatedly.

The coin value can be closed after the initial closing the sliding door in a simple way through the issue  opening the coin several times and Closing the sliding door are generated.

In the following we the invention using one in the Drawing shown in a schematic manner example explained in more detail. Show it

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a closed, cabinet-like empty bottle return device.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section through the housing with a plan view of an input chamber and a bottle receiving chamber.

Fig. 3 is a detailed view of the input chamber with a sliding door of the housing rear side in broken rear housing wall;

Fig. 4 is a diagram of the scanning and evaluating electronics;

Fig. 5 is a flowchart of a microprocessor program for generating the reference value sets;

Fig. 6 is a flowchart of a microprocessor program for bottle acceptance;

Fig. 7 shows a memory allocation scheme.

The empty bottle take-back device shown in Fig. 1 consists of a cabinet-like housing 10 with four un-superimposed bottle-receiving chambers 12 and a bottom-arranged box-receiving chamber 14 , the interior of which can be closed with a lock 16 with a swing door 18 for emptying and closing Maintenance purposes are accessible from the outside. On the level of each bottle receiving chamber 12 there is an input chamber 20 which can be loaded with upright empty bottles from the outside via a housing opening 24 located in the pivoting door 18, which can be closed by a sliding door 22 . The deposit is issued via a shaft 26 located in the appliance door 18 .

As can be seen in particular from FIG. 2, the sliding door 22 has a positioning stop 28 for the empty bottles 30 set in the input chamber 20 , which engages obliquely into the input chamber 20 from the sliding door 22 . In the input chamber 20 there is also a turnstile 32 which can be driven step by step via a geared motor 34 in the direction of the arrow 36 . In this way, the empty bottle 30 located in the input chamber 20 is trans ported into the bottle receiving chamber 12 . The transported through the turnstile 32 in the Flaschenauf receiving chamber 12 empty bottles 30 are pushed onto the upright there already arranged in mutual abutment empty bottles 30th As long as there is still empty space in the bottle receiving chamber 12 , a movement of the bottle pack in the direction of arrow 38 is triggered. A suitable arrangement of the guide surfaces 40 , 42 , 44 , 46 ensures that the bottle receiving chamber can be filled to over 90% with empty bottles before the limit switch 48 is triggered by an empty bottle arriving there. After actuation of the limit switch 48 , the bottle in question is automatically locked by locking the drive motor 34 for further bottle input. As long as the other bottle receiving chambers are not yet full, additional empty bottles can be introduced there. After opening the appliance door 18 , the bottle receiving chambers 12 can be emptied by hand.

For bottle detection on the inside of the sliding door 22 three arranged at different heights organs 50 , 52 , 54 are provided, which are designed as telescopic sliding slide guides 56 , 58 , 60 of the sliding door 22 in the sliding direction of the sliding door ( Fig. 3 ). The sensing elements each have a sensing shoe 62 which engages vertically into the input chamber 20 in the manner of a measuring leg and which, irrespective of the diameter of the empty bottles 30, can be tangentially struck against the lateral surface thereof. In the rest position strikes the sensing elements 50 , 52 , 54 under the action of a tension spring 64 against a door stop 66 in each case. If the sliding door is moved in the closing direction (arrow 68 ), the sensing elements 50 , 52 , 54 with their sensing shoes 62 strike one after the other against the outer surface of the empty bottle 30 located in the input chamber 20 and become displaced along the slide guides against the force of the tension springs 64 56 , 58 , 60 lifted from their closest stops 66 .

The lowermost sensing element 50 carries on a cantilever 70 a threaded rod 72 which is oriented in the direction of displacement and is made of soft magnetic material and which rests on a Türfe most, vertically inwardly over the sliding door overlying steel pin 74 made of hardened steel. The steel pin forms the core of an induction coil 76 and is pre-magnetized via a permanent magnet 78 ( FIG. 4). The induction coil 76 with steel pin 74 and permanent magnet 78 is on a doorstep Plati ne 80 , which is additionally equipped with the electronic components of a connected to the induction coil 76 amplifier 82 and pulse shaper (comparator) 84 .

The threaded rod 72 on the one hand and the induction coil 76 with steel pin and permanent magnet and evaluation electronics 82 , 84 on the other hand together form an incremental displacement sensor with which the displacement path of the sensing element 50 relative to the sliding door can be measured continuously and converted into counting signals.

In the vicinity of the middle and upper sensing element there is in each case a microswitch 86 , 88 which is actuated immediately after the relevant sensing element 52 , 54 has hit the bottle surface and has been lifted from its stop 66 .

In the lower region of the sliding door there is also a microswitch 90 , which can be actuated when the sliding door is closed via a bracket 92 of the housing-fixed reference rail 94 by emitting a "door-to" signal. Furthermore, the sliding door is also provided with a locking element 98 which can be actuated by an electromagnet 96 and which, in the closed position of the sliding door 22 , engages behind the locking plate 100 which stands on the reference rail fixed to the housing. In the upper part of the sliding door there are a green and a red signal lamp 102 and 104 , which visually indicate whether an entered empty bottle is taken over by the device or not.

The sliding doors of all four input chambers are equipped with push buttons in the sense of FIG. 3. The sliding doors are each in their upper and lower guide rails 106 leads in their direction of displacement.

As can be seen from FIG. 4, the count signal of the incremental encoder 72 , 76 , which is converted via the amplifier 82 and the comparator 84 into a square-wave signal with a predetermined level, is sent to the count input of an 8-bit counter 110 integrated in a microprocessor 108 placed. Furthermore, the limit switches 86 , 88 , 90 of the plunger and the sliding door and the jam switch 48 of the bottle receiving chamber are connected via 24 volt logic to input ports 112 of the microprocessor, while the signal lamps 102 , 104 , the locking magnet 96 and the turnstile motor 34 can be controlled via output ports 114 of the microprocessor. The status of the input ports is queried cyclically via a microprocessor program. The query cycle corresponds to the program cycle frequency, which must in any case be greater than the counting frequency of the encoder.

The incoming signals are evaluated via a software program stored in the memory 116 of the microprocessor using reference value sets likewise stored in part of the memory 116 .

The operating sequence is explained below with reference to the software programs shown in FIGS . 5 and 6 in the form of simplified flow diagrams:

To enable bottle detection, you must first about a learning process for everyone from the bottle return policy advises a reference table for the bottle types to be adopted can be saved. As a memory for this purpose ig used an EE-PROM that described electrically can become, but which is not volatile and which is not Backup battery needed.

The learning process is triggered via a service switch, not shown. For learning purposes, the bottles to be stored in the form of reference value sets are placed one after the other in the input chamber. When the sliding door 22 is closed, the program shown in FIG. 5 is triggered cycle:

By querying the input ports 112 , it is checked cyclically whether the limit switches 86 , 88 and 90 are closed. If the closed state is determined for the first time, the current counter reading of the counter 110 is stored in a predetermined storage location of the data memory 116 . It should be taken into account that the counting process of the displacement sensor is triggered via the lower sensing element 50 before one of the three switches 86 to 90 is closed. As soon as the sliding door switch 90 is closed and the associated meter reading is saved as the diameter of the bottle entered, the program expects an external deposit. To make an input keyboard dispensable, the deposit money to be issued can be entered, for example, by the fact that the number of coins is programmed by the number of closing operations of the sliding door after the scanning operation. These input steps are acknowledged by the signal lamps 112 and / or 114 flashing. The set of values can either be taken over indirectly, after intermediate storage or immediately in the reference memory.

The memory allocation of the reference memory results from FIG. 7. For each reference bottle, 5 bytes are required, namely the counter readings at the top and in the middle as contour characteristic values, the counter reading at the bottom as diameter characteristic value, the deposit amount and a checksum. For the 40 bottle types shown in FIG. 7, only 200 bytes are thus required with four bottle receiving chambers, ie 800 bytes.

The bottle acceptance according to the flow chart in Fig. 6 corresponds in the scanning area completely to the learning cycle according to Fig. 5. In the course of the closing process, the input ports with the switches 86 , 88 , 90 are monitored for their closed position and the associated event when the respective event occurs Meter reading stored in a buffer. As soon as the sliding door switch 90 is closed and the associated counter reading is stored, a comparison cycle is initiated in which the set of values of the buffer store is compared with the set of reference values of the reference store. If a match is found, i.e. if a valid bottle is found, the associated bottle deposit is paid out in accordance with the reference value set, the turnstile motor is started to take over the bottle into the bottle receiving chamber and then the input chamber is released again. If no valid bottle is found, the empty bottle determined to be defective remains in the input chamber and must be removed from it before setting a new empty bottle.

In summary, the following can be stated:

The invention relates to an empty bottle return device with automatic deposit payment for receiving upright empty bottles 30 . The device has a closable housing opening 24 with Leerfla's 30 feedable input chamber 20 , a feed chamber adjoining the feed chamber 12 , a motor-driven conveyor 32 for the transport of individual empty bottles 30 from the input chamber 20 into the bottle holding chamber 12 , at least two different heights in the input chamber 20 a gripping, against the outer surface of an there Chen Chen empty bottle 30 striking feeler and a responsive to the output signals of the feeler control device. According to the invention, the sensing elements 50 , 52 , 54 are arranged on a sliding door 22 closing the housing opening. One of the sensing elements is connected to a displacement sensor 72 , 74 , 76 which speaks to the displacement movement of the sliding door 22 and is connected to a counter from the output side. Furthermore, storage means for temporarily storing meter readings of the meter in the form of a value group defining the contour and size of the scanned empty bottle and software for comparing this value group with reference value groups are provided ( FIG. 3).

Claims (23)

1. empty bottle return device with a housing, with a through a closable housing opening ( 24 ) from the outside accessible input chamber ( 20 ) for upright empty bottles ( 30 ) with an adjoining the input chamber ( 20 ) bottle receiving chamber ( 12 ), with a motor-driven För dereinrichtung ( 32 ) for the transport of individual empty bottles ( 30 ) from the input chamber ( 20 ) in the bottle receiving chamber ( 12 ), with at least two at different heights in the input chamber ( 20 ), against the outer surface of an empty bottle ( 30 ) located there striking, emitting an output signal sensing elements ( 50 , 52 , 54 ) and with a responsive to the output signals control device ( 108 , 114 ) for controlling the conveyor ( 32 ) and optionally a deposit ( 26 ), characterized by

• - a sliding door ( 22 ) for closing the housing opening ( 24 ),
• - a displacement sensor ( 72 , 74 , 76 , 82 , 84 ) responsive to the sliding movement of the sliding door ( 22 ),
• - a counter ( 110 ) subjected to output signals from the displacement sensor,
• - Storage means ( 116 ) for temporarily storing counter readings of the counter ( 110 ) in the form of a value group defining the contour and size of the scanned empty bottle ( 30 );
• - At least two on the sliding door ( 22 ) angeord designated, in the input chamber ( 20 ) engaging sensing elements ( 50 , 52 , 54 ) for triggering path measuring, counting and / or storage processes.

2. Empty bottle return device according to claim 1, characterized by a switch element ( 90 ) which can be actuated in the closed state of the sliding door ( 22 ) to trigger storage and / or evaluation processes. 3. empty bottle return device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by at least one storage area rich for tabular storage of the Kon structure and size of different reference bottles defining and, if necessary, by testing and / or control values supplemented reference value groups. 4. Empty bottle return device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the control device comprises a preferably microprocessor-controlled evaluation arrangement ( 108 ), via which, with the sliding door ( 22 ) closed, a comparison of the temporarily stored value group of the scanned empty bottle ( 30 ) with the reference value groups Solvable and according to the comparison result and, if necessary, according to the associated test and / or control values, the conveying device ( 32 ) and optionally the deposit payment ( 26 ) can be controlled. 5. empty bottle return device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the engaging in the input chamber ( 20 ) sensing elements ( 50 , 52 , 54 ) in the open state of the sliding door ( 22 ) un ter the action of a spring ( 64 ) against a door fixed Stop ( 66 ) and when it hits the empty bottle surface in the course of the closing process can be lifted off the door stop ( 66 ). 6. empty bottle return device according to claim 5, characterized in that the engaging in the input chamber ( 20 ) sensing elements ( 50 , 52 , 54 ) from the most fixed stop ( 66 ) in each in a sliding direction of the sliding door ( 22 ) aligned slide guide ( 56 , 58 , 60 ) can be pushed against the force of the spring ( 64 ). 7. empty bottle return device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the displacement sensor ( 72 , 74 , 76 , 82 , 84 ) with one of the sensing elements ( 50 ), preferably the lowest sensing element, is connected, and / or that the measuring - And counting of the path encoder and the associated counter ( 110 ) can be triggered via this probe ( 50 ). 8. Empty bottle return device according to claim 7, characterized in that the displacement sensor is designed as an incremental sensor ( 72 , 74 , 76 ) connected to the tactile organ ( 50 ). 9. Empty bottle take-back device according to claim 7 and 8, characterized in that the displacement sensor has a toothed or threaded rod ( 72 ) aligned in the direction of displacement of the sensing element ( 50 ) made of soft magnetic material, an induction coil ( 76 ) and a core of the induction coil. via a permanent magnet ( 78 ) magnetized against the toothed or threaded rod essentially transverse to the longitudinal direction of the steel pin ( 74 ), either the toothed or threaded rod ( 72 ) or the induction coil ( 76 ) with steel pin ( 74 ) the sensing element ( 50 ) and the other part is connected to the sliding door ( 22 ). 10. Empty bottle return device according to claim 9, characterized in that the toothed or threaded rod ( 72 ) is connected to the sensing element ( 50 ). 11. Empty bottle return device according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the induction coil ( 76 ) and the steel pin ( 74 ) is arranged on a circuit board connected to the sliding door ( 18 ), on which in addition the electrical components are connected to the output of the induction coil ( 76 ) connected amplifier and pulse shaper stage ( 82 , 84 ) are arranged, at the output of an incremental tal or count signal can be tapped. 12. Empty bottle return device according to one of claims 5 to 11, characterized in that via at least at least one further sensing element ( 52 , 54 ) when lifting a door stop ( 66 ) a door-fixed arranged switch ( 86 , 88 ) can be actuated by triggering a key signal is. 13. Empty bottle return device according to one of claims 5 to 12, characterized in that in the closed position of the sliding door ( 22 ), preferably via a housing-fixed actuating member ( 92 , 94 ), a sliding limit switch ( 90 ) can be actuated by triggering a key signal. 14. Empty bottle return device according to one of claims 4 to 13, characterized in that the microprocessor ( 108 ) has a counting input ( 110 ) which can be acted upon by the counting signal of the displacement sensor ( 72 , 74 , 76 , 82 , 84 ). 15. Empty bottle return device according to one of claims 4 to 14, characterized in that the microprocessor ( 108 ) via input ports ( 112 ) with the key signals to trigger the storage and control processes can be acted upon. 16. Empty bottle return device according to one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that the sliding door ( 22 ) is temporarily lockable ver in its closed position. 17. Empty bottle return device according to one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that in the hous se ( 10 ) a plurality of superposed, each via a closable input chamber ( 20 ) with Leerfla rule ( 30 ) feedable bottle receiving chambers ( 12 ) are provided and that each Bottle receiving chamber ( 12 ) is assigned its own reference value group. 18. Empty bottle return device according to claim 17, characterized in that the counting outputs of the way sensors of the various sliding doors ( 22 ) are connected via OR logic to the counter input ( 110 ) of a common microprocessor arrangement. 19. Empty bottle return device according to claim 17, characterized in that each bottle receiving chamber ( 12 ) is assigned its own microprocessor arrangement ( 108 ). 20. A method for bottle detection and return in an empty bottle return device, in which the empty bottle ( 30 ) in a closable by a sliding door ( 22 ) input chamber ( 20 ) and by at least two on the sliding door ( 22 ) arranged at different heights in the input chamber ( 20 ) engaging sensing elements ( 50 , 52 , 54 ) is scanned and detected as follows in the course of the closing process of the sliding door ( 22 ):

• - the path or wegproportionale counted value to the closed position of the sliding door (22) detects the first incident on the bottle surface preferably lowermost feeler (50) for pushing betür (22) from the point of impact on the empty bottle (30) continuously;
• - When there is at least one further touch element ( 52 , 54 ), a store signal is triggered, on the basis of which the path currently traveled or the count value in question is stored in an assigned memory location of a buffer as a local contour parameter;
• - When the closed position of the sliding door ( 22 ) is reached, a storage signal is triggered, on the basis of which the total distance traveled or the count value in question is stored as a diameter characteristic value in an assigned storage location of the intermediate storage;
• - The value group stored in the memory locations of the buffer is compared with reference value groups from a reference memory one after the other;
• - If the value group matches one of the reference value groups, the empty bottle ( 30 ) is conveyed in front of the input chamber ( 20 ) into a bottle receiving chamber ( 12 ) and, if necessary, a deposit is returned and the input chamber is released for the input of a further empty bottle ( 30 ) ;
• - If the value group does not agree with all reference value groups, the comparison process is terminated without triggering a funding process, the incorrect entry is signaled optically and / or acoustically and the input chamber is released for removing the empty bottle recognized as incorrect and for the subsequent entry of another empty bottle .

21. The method according to claim 20, characterized in that the sliding door ( 22 ) is automatically locked when reaching its closed position until it is released again. 22. The method according to claim 20 or 21, characterized in that the different reference bottles associated with reference value groups are generated as follows:

• - A reference bottle is placed in the input chamber and the sliding door is closed;
• - The path or a path-proportional count of the first impinging on the bottle surface probe relative to the sliding door is continuously recorded from the point of impact to the closed position of the sliding door;
• - When there is at least one further touch organ, a storage signal is triggered, on the basis of which the path currently traveled or the count value in question is stored in an assigned storage location as a local contour parameter;
• - When the closed position of the sliding door is reached, a save signal is triggered, on the basis of which the total distance covered or the count value in question is stored as a diameter parameter on an associated memory location;
• - a deposit value and / or test value assigned to the reference bottle in question is entered and / or stored in at least one further storage location;
• - The reference value group thus generated is stored where appropriate in a reference memory preferably designed as a permanent memory;
• - The process steps are repeated for further reference bottles.

23. The method according to claim 22, characterized in that that the deposit value after the first closing by sliding the door out several times corresponding opening units and Closing the sliding door is generated.