DK201770013A1 - Integrated unit for continuous aligning, sorting, feeding and registering of objects received in bulk - Google Patents

Abstract

Integrated unit for continuous aligning, sorting, feeding and registering of objects received in bulk, where said objects are introduced into the integrated unit through a chute, which chute guides the objects onto an object singulating device, where said singulating device urges the objects against a barrier, and when the objects leave the barrier a first sorting station is installed between the singulating device and a transport conveyor, where the transport conveyor comprises a second sorting, registering and feeding unit.

Description

(¹⁹) DANMARK (10)

DK 2017 70013 A1

(12)

PATENTANSØGNING

Patent- og Varemærkestyrelsen (51) lnt.CI.: B07C 5/02 (2006.01) B07C 5/06 (2006.01) B65G 47/14 (2006.01)

G07F 7/06 (2006.01) (21) Ansøgningsnummer: PA 2017 70013 (22) Indleveringsdato: 2017-01-10 (24) Løbedag: 2017-01-10 (41) Aim. tilgængelig: 2018-07-11 (45) Publiceringsdato: 2018-08-10 (71) Ansøger:

ANKER ANDERSEN A/S, Anker Andersens Vej 1,7160 Tørring, Danmark (72) Opfinder:

Henrik Juhl Petersen, Koldingvej 7 Vester Nebel, 6040 Egtved, Danmark (74) Fuldmægtig:

Patrade A/S, Ceresbyen 75, 8000 Århus C, Danmark (54) Titel: Integrated unit for continuous aligning, sorting, feeding and registering of objects received in bulk (56) Fremdragne publikationer:

WO 03/086666 A1

WO 2011/042028 A1

WO 2012/034562 A1

WO 2006/125436 A1

EP 1921028 A1

JP 2003104539 A (57) Sammendrag:

Integrated unit for continuous aligning, sorting, feeding and registering of objects received in bulk, where said objects are introduced into the integrated unit through a chute, which chute guides the objects onto an object singulating device, where said singulating device urges the objects against a barrier, and when the objects leave the barrier a first sorting station is installed between the singulating device and a transport conveyor, where the transport conveyor comprises a second sorting, registering and feeding unit.

Fortsættes...

DK ^017 70013 A1

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Integrated unit for continuous aligning, sorting, feeding and registering of objects received in bulk

Field of the Invention

The present invention is directed at an integrated unit for continuous aligning, sorting, feeding and registering of objects received in bulk.

Background of the Invention

Particularly the objects which the present invention is designed to handle are typically empty or used containers stemming from normal consumption, such as for example used (beverage) containers made from a variety of materials.

In order to increase the collection and recycling of used (beverage) containers, a number of deposit refund systems exist such that when a user buys a beverage or another product in a container, a deposit is paid for the container. When returning the used container to the recycle system the deposit is returned and thereby the used containers are collected and potentially recycled. The deposit system naturally encourages, creates and provides an incentive for recycling.

As the number of used containers is huge, it is necessary to provide systems which can automatically sort and register the different types of containers and in the registering process also detect whether or not the container is eligible for a return of the deposit and the size of the deposit as various deposits may be paid for various types of containers.

In the art a number of such systems exist, but common for all the systems is the fact that they are traditionally very cumbersome, may require a person wanting to return the used beverage containers to feed the containers one by one into the system, or only accepts full crates of one type of containers etc. Also the systems which are very effective requires a lot of space, and manpower, making them unsuitable for use in retail environments.

Object of the Invention

Hence there is a need for a system which can very quickly, reliably and with the least hassle possible for the user receive and sort a huge variety and amount of used con

DK 2017 70013 A1 tainers very quickly and potentially also sort the containers into appropriate recycle containers. Also the system shall require a minimum of space.

Description of the Invention

The present invention provides a solution to this in that it provides an integrated unit for continuous aligning, sorting, feeding and registering of objects received in bulk, where said objects are introduced into the integrated unit through a chute, which chute guides the objects onto an object singulating device, where said singulating device urges the objects against a barrier, and when the objects leave the barrier a first sorting station is installed between the singulating device and a transport conveyor, where the transport conveyor comprises a second sorting, registering and feeding unit.

Various means and types of singulating devices may be used as long as they deliver the objects against a barrier, said barrier guiding the objects onto the transport conveyor. Once the objects leave the singulating device it is important that odd size objects, which could be objects having oversize or being deformed during or before being introduced into the integrated unit, are not allowed to enter the transport conveyor. This may be done by mechanical means such as for example a gate which the correct size objects are able to pass through whereas larger or deformed objects are not able to pass or the like.

The detailed design of this first sorting station is not so important, but it is important that the objects being allowed onto the transport conveyor are objects suitable to be received and sorted by the integrated unit.

As the objects arrive on the transport conveyor, they are transported to a second sorting, registering and feeding unit where various means may be used in order to detect what type of object is being transported on the conveyor. The information relating to the registering of the objects could be the type of material from which the object is made, the deposit class which the object is entitled to refund to the user of the system and which category of object it may be.

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In this manner it is possible to use the integrated unit, for example with glass containers for jam and marmalade together with aluminium beverage containers from soft drinks, beer, wine bottles etc. as long as they are registered by the second sorting and registering feeding unit and input is retrieved and used further downstream for deciding what will happen with the singulated objects as they pass the second sorting and registering and feeding unit.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention the transport conveyor comprises at least two sections, where the first section adjacent the barrier operates at a first conveying speed and where the second section at least partly overlapping the first section operates at second conveying speed where the second conveying speed is substantially faster than the first conveying speed.

The speed of the first section may greatly increase the speed with which the objects are transmitted from the singulating device to the first section of the conveyor and the second section increases this speed again such that a further distance is provided between adjacent objects being transported on the transport conveyor.

Alternatively the first section has a speed equal to or only slightly faster than the speed with which the objects are delivered from the singulating unit to the transport conveyor. In this configuration the first section assures that a safe and positive contact is established between the conveyor and the object, making sure the objects are engaged and transported away from the singulating unit.

At the end of the first section the transfer to the second section and the journey on the second section will facilitate that the objects are separated and accelerated.

Depending on the size of the installation a third, fourth and fifth section may be included, but it is clear that already with at least two sections two important features of the invention are achieved. Namely that the objects are accelerated to quite a high speed, for example up to 140 m per minute, and in the process providing a large distance between adjacent objects such that dependable and reliable detections may be carried out in the second sorting, registering and feeding unit. This results in increased quality of the handling downstream from the integrated unit according to the present

DK 2017 70013 A1 invention. The high speed also allows the integrated unit to process a large number of containers.

The transport conveyor may in a further advantageous embodiment comprise two parallel ribbons where the two ribbons are spaced laterally. By spacing the ribbons appropriately it is possible to obtain an engagement with the objects being transported on the transport conveyor in such a manner that high friction is obtained between the ribbons and the objects whereby the acceleration and speed discussed above may safely be attained.

Furthermore, in a still further advantageous embodiment the two parallel ribbons are spaced vertically relative to each other such that objects being transported on the transport conveyor will be urged against a side, for example a second barrier being arranged alongside the transport conveyor. In this manner it is ensured that the objects being transported are safely retained on the transport conveyor, even at high speeds.

In a still further advantageous embodiment of the invention one of the ribbons has a higher speed than the other parallel ribbon in the same section.

By differentiating the speed between the two ribbons the contact points where the ribbons contact the objects will be moving at slightly different speeds. This causes the object on the conveyor to rotate slightly. The rotation of the object is typically stopped/hampered by the presence of the barrier along the conveying structure such that by differentiating the speed of the ribbons a further alignment of the objects on the conveyor is achieved. This is an important aspect as the objects are transported at relatively high speed and in order to effectuate a reliable registration, in particular at the second sorting, registering and feeding unit. Also in embodiments where the ribbons are vertically off-set, the upper ribbon will have the slower speed such that the objects are rotated towards the upper ribbon, which due to its elevated position will retain the objects on the conveyor.

The singulating unit may in a further advantageous embodiment of the invention comprise a disc with a solid surface, where said disc rotates about a substantially vertical first axis, where the speed of rotation causes the objects to be urged against and

DK 2017 70013 A1 moved along the barrier towards the first sorting station. By rotating the disc at speed, centrifugal forces will urge objects on the disc against the barrier which surrounds the singulating unit. After a few rotations the objects to be sorted will be aligned in a row along the barrier and thereafter transferred through the first sorting station onto the transport conveyor.

As the disc is emptied due to objects passing the first sorting station, other objects will take their place along the barrier as the disc rotates such that a substantially continuous feed is achieved by aligning the objects along the barrier and at the same time due to the rotation of the disc the objects will move along the disc in the direction of rotation and be passed to the first sorting station.

The singulating unit may comprise any number of discs. One disc will effectively be able to aling the objects. By providing more discs the overall capacity of the unit is increased, but on the other hand the physical size of the apparatus also increases.

In a further advantageous embodiment the disc is provided with a cone which is positioned above the disc surface, where the cone is rotationally symmetrical about a vertical axis off-set from the first axis. By providing a cone on the otherwise flat surface of the disc, gravity will in addition to centrifugal forces increase and improve the aligning of objects along the barrier such that an even better/faster supply of objects to the first sorting station is achieved. By at the same time offsetting the axis on which the cone rotates relative to the axis around which the disc rotates the free area of the disc will be different along the periphery of the singulating unit. By making the area of free disc as small as possible immediately adjacent the first sorting station tests indicate that at this point objects sorted by the singulating unit will be very reliable and will be aligned in order to pass the first sorting station in a one by one array.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention the first sorting station is a gate having an aperture corresponding to the largest measurement an object suitable to be sorted by the integrated unit has, where a slide is provided for turning objects which do not pass the aperture back on the singulating unit or a discharge chute. The first sorting station is the place where objects not suitable to be handled by the integrated unit are deflected. The deflection of objects not being able to pass the aperture

DK 2017 70013 A1 of the first sorting station may return to the singulating unit such that by treating and turning the deflected object one more time through the singulating unit the object may be oriented differently and thereby be able to pass the aperture in the first sorting station. In cases where the object has an odd size, oversize or the like they will remain on the singulating unit after all other objects have been passed through the first sorting station and been handled by the transport conveyor and second sorting, registering and feeding unit. These deflected, odd-sized objects may later be manually collected and discarded/recycled in an appropriate manner.

Alternatively, means may be provided such that the cone and disc are swept whereby the odd-sized remaining deflected objects are transferred to a discharge chute, for example connected to a container such that these objects may at a later time be centrally handled.

The integrated unit is in a further advantageous embodiment provided with means such that after the second sorting, registering and feeding unit the objects are transferred to an elevating conveyor comprising compartments, for elevating the objects one by one to a further sorting installation or a discharge bin. The elevating conveyor will typically be provided with flights arranged substantially perpendicular to the surface of the conveyor belt such that the elevating conveyor is divided into a number of compartments where an object is transferred to each compartment.

As the second sorting, registering and feeding unit has detected what type of object is being passed into that particular compartment on the elevating conveyor it is possible to remove that particular object at a particular position on the elevating conveyor corresponding to the type of object such that a continuous sorting of objects may be carried out along the elevating conveyor.

Objects which are not sorted from the elevating conveyor may be transferred to a discharge bin. For example if the objects are various types of glass they may be sorted according to the type of glass, for example the colour of glass such that green and clear glass are removed from the compartments of the elevating conveyor at appropriate positions where green glass is transferred to a discharge bin. In this manner a very efficient sorting procedure is achieved.

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As an alternative to the elevating conveyor or in conjunction with the elevating conveyor the integrated unit after the second sorting, registering and feeding unit has a facility for transferring the objects to a third conveyor said third conveyor comprising means for arranging the singulated objects in a plurality of sorting bins according to criteria registered in the first and/or second sorting, registering and feeding unit. This installation is particularly interesting with a large number of different objects as the third conveyor may be provided with a plurality of means for removing particular types of objects along the length of the conveyor such that as the registered objects pass down along the conveyor the appropriate sorting unit is activated removing the registered objects to the appropriate bin.

The invention is also directed at a method of feeding objects received in bulk to a sorting unit, where the objects in bulk are introduced into an integrated unit for continuous aligning, sorting, feeding and registering of the objects received in bulk, where:

a. a singulating device by rotation urges the objects against and along a barrier towards;

b. a first sorting station, where objects falling outside predefined parameters are discarded, whereafter the remaining objects are transferred to;

c. a transport conveyor, at the end of which

d. a second sorting, registering and feeding unit, where each object is registered such that further specified downstream sorting can be carried out.

The method benefits from the advantages of the integrated unit as already discussed above and will consequently achieve the same goals.

Description of the Drawing

The invention will now be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein

Figure 1 illustrates an integrated unit according to the present invention

Figure 2 illustrates the machinery behind the wall

Figure 3 illustrates

Figure 4 illustrates the first sorting station as a gate

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Figure 5 illustrates the interface between the first section and the second section of the transport conveyor

Detailed Description of the Invention

In figure 1 is illustrated an integrated unit 1 according to the present invention. In this schematic illustration a user’s interface with the integrated unit lis illustrated. A user 2 will only have access to an opening 3. The opening 3 provides access to the chute 4 such that a user 2 may empty a large bag of objects to be sorted such as for example used beverage containers or other used containers through the opening into the chute.

After the integrated unit 1 has sorted and registered the items, any deposit which is to be repaid to the user 2 may be repaid in the shape of credit to a credit card or in the shape of a value token which may be redeemed in a shop or the like, or in any other manner.

The embodiment of the invention described here will typically handle approx. 100 objects per 30 seconds - such that a user approx. 30 seconds after having emptied the bag into the chute the deposit will be refunded - for example by a terminal built into the wall 10.

In this manner, as illustrated, access is very easy for a user to the integrated unit 1 and the integrated unit 1 has a very limited size and at the same time has a large capacity as will be explained below.

Turning to figure 2 and 3 the machinery behind the wall 10 is illustrated. The user 2 (only the top of the head is visible) has emptied a bag of unsorted objects into the chute 4. The chute 4 guides the objects onto a conveyor 5 which conveys the objects to a singulating unit 6. In this embodiment the singulating unit comprises overlapping discs 7, 8. A one disc construction is also contemplated, as is other singulating devices. The important aspect of the singulating unit is that it must quickly and reliably arranged single objects for delivery to the first sorting device. On one of the discs, a cone 9 is arranged such that only a limited area of the flat disc 7 is exposed. As the discs rotate, the centrifugal forces will urge the objects against a barrier 11. The cone 9 will add to the centrifugal forces by adding gravitational forces to the objects due to

DK 2017 70013 A1 the design of the cone 9, such that the objects will be urged towards the flat section of the second disc 7 adjacent the barrier 11.

By furthermore displacing the rotational axis 12 of the cone 9 with respect to the rotational axis (not illustrated) of the second disc 7 the flat exposed section of the second disc 7 varies along the periphery such that it is smallest immediately adjacent the exit from the singulating unit, whereby the likelihood of only having one object in a radial direction with respect to the rotation axis of the disc 7 has been increased.

As the objects leave the singulating unit 6 they will pass a first sorting unit 15 before entering a transport conveyor 20.

The first sorting station 15 will typically be a gate having an aperture such that objects being able to pass through the aperture are allowed onto the transport conveyor 20 whereas other objects not being able to pass through the aperture are guided onto the singulating unit 6. Objects having passed the first sorting station 15 are allowed onto the conveyor belt 20 which will convey the objects onto a second sorting, registering and feeding unit 30.

The transport conveyor 20 has two sections 21, 22, see figure 4. The transport conveyor 20 may have more sections, consecutively accelerating the objects to higher speeds on each conveyor section.

In figure 4 the first sorting station 15 is illustrated as a gate. As the objects pass the first sorting station 15, they are led onto the first section 21 of the conveyor 20. On this section 21 the objects are accelerated such that for example when they enter the conveyor right after the first sorting station 15 they will have a speed of 20 m/min. and when they leave the first section 21 will have been accelerated to a speed of 90 m/min.

In the second section 22 the objects will be accelerated from 90 m/min. to 140 m/min. During this process the distance between the objects will be increased. First in the vicinity of the first sorting station due to the fact that the rotational speed and thereby the speed on the objects on the second disc 7 will not be 20 m/min. such that as the

DK 2017 70013 A1 objects are pulled forward by the first section 21 of the transport conveyor 20 the objects will be pulled away from adjacent objects behind that particular objects which is accelerated by the section and the objects still placed on the disc 7.

Likewise, when the objects are delivered from the first section 21 to the second section 22 the acceleration will also pull them further apart such that as they arrive at the second sorting, registering and feeding unit 30 there will be a substantial distance between the single objects. This distance is important in that the accuracy and reliability of the registration in the second sorting, registering and feeding unit will be greatly increased as the unit only has to handle one object at a time.

In order to further improve the position and reliability during deposits of the transport conveyor 20, the transport conveyor is constructed as illustrated with reference to figure 5. Figure 5 illustrates the interface between the first section 21 and the second section 22 of the transport conveyor 20. As is evident in figure 5 the first section of the transport conveyor comprises two ribbons 23, 24 which are arranged in parallel. Likewise, the second section 22 of the conveyor is also constituted by two ribbons 25, 26 arranged in parallel.

The fact that two ribbons are arranged in parallel provides as illustrated with reference to figure 6 that the ribbons 23, 24 touch an object 100 in a very specific position. By furthermore arranging the ribbons 23, 24 at different vertical levels, for example separated by a distance “a” the object 100 will be urged in the direction as indicated by the arrow 101. For the sake of completeness the second section 22 of the transport conveyor 20 may also have the ribbons 25, 26 arranged in the same manner as described above with reference to figure 6. By providing a barrier 27 along the side of the transport conveyor 20 it is achieved that the object 100 being urged in the direction of the arrow 101 will not fall off the transport conveyor but will be corrected and maintained on the transport conveyor 20 by the barrier 27.

It is also contemplated that one of the ribbons in a pair of ribbons constituting the two sections 21, 22 may be driven at a higher velocity than the other ribbon. For example, again turning to figure 6, the ribbon 24 may have a higher velocity than the ribbon 23 such that the object 100 is turned slightly due to the differentiated speed of the ribbons

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23, 24. This will also cause the object 100 to rotate into alignment with the transport conveyor 20 and any rotation will be controlled/stopped by the barrier 27 such that as the objects arrive at the second sorting, registering and feeding unit 30, the objects will be spaced apart and be delivered with more or less uniform orientation due to the inventive arrangement of the transport conveyor 20.

The second sorting, registering and feeding unit registers the type of object being delivered from the transport conveyor 20 through the second sorting, registering and feeding unit, for example by vision means, such that it is possible to detect which type of object is being passed and whether the object qualifies for a refund of a deposit where this information is used for sorting the objects downstream.

As indicated in figures 2 and 3 the further sorting may include an elevation conveyor 40. The elevation conveyor will typically be provided with flights 41 such that compartments 42 are created between adjacent flights. This in turn means that any object 100 being arranged in a compartment 42 will have been identified by the second sorting, registering and feeding unit 30 such that the system knows precisely which type of object 100 is in which compartment 42.

With this knowledge it is possible to direct the object 100 to the appropriate bin for recycling by various means. In this embodiment the means for discharging the objects 100 from the elevation conveyor 40 includes air jet blasters 102, 103 which will be activated in response to the detection of the object 100 as it passes the second sorting, registering and feeding unit 30.

Naturally, many more jet air blasters 102, 103 may be installed as well as other means for removing the objects 100 from the elevation conveyor may be utilized.

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Claims (13)

1. Integrated unit for continuous aligning, sorting, feeding and registering of objects received in bulk, where said objects are introduced into the integrated unit through a chute, which chute guides the objects onto an object singulating device, where said singulating device urges the objects against a barrier, and when the objects leave the barrier a first sorting station is installed between the singulating device and a transport conveyor, where the transport conveyor comprises a second sorting, registering and feeding unit.

2. Integrated unit according to claim 1, wherein the transport conveyor comprises at least two sections, where the first section adjacent the barrier operates at a first conveying speed and where the second section at least partly overlapping the first second operates at second conveying speed where the second conveying speed is substantially faster than the first conveying speed.

3. Integrated unit according to claims 1 or 2 where the transport conveyors’ first section or second sections or both first and second sections, comprises two parallel ribbons, where the two ribbons are spaced laterally.

4. Integrated unit according to claim 3 where the two parallel ribbons are spaced vertically relative to each other.

5. Integrated unit according to claims 3 or 4 where one of the ribbons has a higher speed than the other parallel ribbon in the same section.

6. Integrated unit according to claim 1 wherein the singulating unit comprises a disc with a solid surface, where said disc rotates about a substantially vertical first axis, where the speed of rotation causes the objects to be urged against and moved along the barrier towards the first sorting station.

7. Integrated unit according to claim 6 wherein a cone is positioned above the disc’s surface, where the cone is rotationally symmetrical about a vertical axis off-set from the first axis.

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8. Integrated unit according to claim 1 wherein the first sorting station is a gate having an aperture corresponding to the largest measurement an object suitable to be sorted by the integrated unit has, where a slide is provided for turning objects which do not pass the aperture back on the singulating unit or a discharge chute.

9. Integrated unit according to claim 1, wherein after the second sorting station, registering and feeding unit the objects are transferred to an elevating conveyor comprising compartments, for elevating the objects one by one to a further sorting installation or a discharge bin.

10. Integrated unit according to claim 1, wherein after the second sorting, registering and feeding unit the objects are transferred to a third conveyor said third conveyor comprising means for arranging the singulated objects in a plurality of sorting bins according to criteria registered in the first and/or second sorting, registering and feeding unit.

11. Method of feeding objects received in bulk to a sorting unit, where the objects in bulk are introduced into an integrated unit for continuous aligning, sorting, feeding and registering of the objects received in bulk, where:

a. a singulating device by rotation urges the objects against and along a barrier towards;

b. a first sorting station, where objects falling outside predefined parameters are discarded, whereafter the remaining objects are transferred to;

c. a transport conveyor, at the end of which

d. a second sorting, registering and feeding unit, where each object is registered such that further specified downstream sorting can be carried out.

12. Method according to claim 11 where the objects in bulk are received on a first conveyor, from which they are transferred to the singulating device.

13. Method according to claim 11 or 12 where the transport conveyor comprises two or more sections, where the objects on the first section are accelerated from the speed with which the objects are delivered from the singulating device.

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DK 2017 70013 A1