EP0182801A1

EP0182801A1 - Deposit returning machine for empty bottles returned to large stores

Info

Publication number: EP0182801A1
Application number: EP19850902064
Authority: EP
Inventors: André Dejoux; Michel Ropelato
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1984-05-04
Filing date: 1985-05-06
Publication date: 1986-06-04
Also published as: WO1985005207A1; FR2563926A1; FR2563926B1

Abstract

La machine comporte un moyen de reconnaissance de forme des bouteilles constitué par des palpeurs (1, 2) disposés en opposition sur deux rangées verticales déplacées chacune par un chariot amenant lesdits palpeurs en contact élastique sur la bouteille à tester (7, 8) au moyen de ressorts (5, 6), lesdits palpeurs détectant un écart (9) en coopérant, à chaque niveau, avec une réglette (20) munie de traits contrôlés par un lecteur (11) coopérant avec un moyen électronique de comparaison par rapport à des écarts de référence en mémoire représentant chacun, par niveau de palpeurs, un type de bouteille parmi ceux admis.The machine comprises a means of recognizing the shape of the bottles constituted by feelers (1, 2) arranged in opposition on two vertical rows each moved by a carriage bringing said feelers into elastic contact on the bottle to be tested (7, 8) by means springs (5, 6), said probes detecting a deviation (9) by cooperating, at each level, with a strip (20) provided with lines controlled by a reader (11) cooperating with an electronic means of comparison with respect to reference deviations in memory each representing, by probe level, one type of bottle among those accepted.

Description

Machine to disconcept empty bottles taken back by big box stores.

The invention relates to machines for consigning bottles taken up by big box stores. There is already known a machine for consigning bottles in which:

- The shape recognition of the bottles is carried out by light rays passing through small holes drilled in a mask and corresponding to the profiles of the bottles to be recognized, at each test point, (holes in the mask correspond a light source and a receiver; - the system is rigid and limits the number of bottles to be recognized,

- the system ^" presents difficulties to add a new form of bottles, it is necessary to drill new holes, to associate the light sources and corresponding receivers to them and to modify the use of the signals received by the control electronics delivering the tickets of disallowed;

recognition is sometimes distorted by labels which are peeling off, by the relative transparency of the bottles, by reflection deviations or parasitic reflections,

- the bottles are not maneuvered. positioned, they move on turntables and can lie down before entering the evacuation corridor towards a manual sorting table,

- it does not make it possible to differentiate a full bottle from a resumed vacuum bottle, which sometimes results in the return of instructions not due, - it does not make it possible to recognize that a bottle is made of plastic,

- if a bottle is refused, it is evacuated on a second turntable which stores it at the exit of the machine on the side of use by the public, which sometimes produces an annoying bulk.

The machine according to the invention overcomes these various drawbacks and adds other advantages. It is characterized in that it comprises:

- a location for placing the bottles to be recognized, said bottle remaining on said fixed location during the recognition test from which it is taken up manually if it is refused, - a means of refocusing and immobilizing the bottle before the start of the test on said location,

- said means for testing the shape recognition of the bottle consists of two opposing rows of displacement probes linear acting at different levels so as to detect a difference by level between each of the opposing keys, said difference, at each level, being compared with reference differences, which each belong to a type of bottle taken up, said deviations being insensitive to any eccentricities in the section of said bottle at each test level,

a means of direct positive evacuation taking charge of the bottle while accompanying it until its release from said test location according to a defined stroke, a control means differentiating the full bottles from the empty bottles,

a means differentiating plastic bottles from glass bottles,

- a means for testing the depth of the bottom of the bottle, - an electronic control means provided to cooperate with the fitting out of a means of conveying the returned bottle so as to selectively guide it towards an area grouping by type right out of the machine,

a means provided for materially prohibiting the user from accessing the location for placing the bottles during the identification test cooperating with a security means,

- a distributor of disconnected tickets.

The machine according to the invention has the following advantages:

- the basis of the identification lies in a deviation check, - the deviation detection does not require electronic calculations or binary conversions, which avoids the risks of shape recognition errors due to the absence of cumulation of measurements or of the eccentricity of the neck, this results in great simplicity,

the test of the depth of the bottom of the bottle makes it possible to differentiate bottles whose profile is very similar, which avoids confusion,

- the differentiation of full bottles compared to empty bottles makes it possible to avoid paying unpaid deposits,

- it makes it easy to add new bottles to the recognition program,

- it makes it possible to recognize all of the different types of bottles used,

- no risk of lying bottles blocking the machine, - its size is significantly reduced in thickness and height,

- it offers great reliability.

The invention is described in detail in the following text with reference to the accompanying drawings given by way of non-limiting examples and in which:

- Fig.1 shows, in top view, an embodiment of differential linear probes according to the invention,

- fig.2 shows a large and a small bottle on the location of installation and testing of the bottles to be recognized, - fig.3, 4a and 4b schematically show the principle of differential linear probes,

- Fig.5 shows an example of arrangement of linear probes by levels as well as the means of refocusing and tightening the bottles,

- Figs. 6,7 and 8 show an example of line count deviation detection defining, by comparison, the profile of the bottle,

- Fig. 9 shows an example of a means of evacuating the bottles taken back as well as an example of a means of testing the depth of the bottoms of bottles,

- Figs. 10,11,12 show an example of a means of recognizing plastic bottles,

- Figs. 13 and 14 show an example of motorized rollers facilitating the evacuation of the bottles taken back,

- Figs. 15 and 16 schematically show an example of difference in the evacuation of bottles in groups and one by one, - Fig. 17,18,19, show an example of motorized rollers for the evacuation one by one of the bottles recoveries to a storage table

- fig.20 shows an example of a manual storage and pre-sorting table,

- Fig.21 shows an example of storage table equipped with means of selection and grouping by types of bottles, - Fig.22 and 23, show an example of referral mechanism and grouping of bottles.

Fig.1 shows an embodiment of differential linear probes 1,2, in top view moving horizontally, by level, according to Tax XX, one towards the other, each pulled by means of springs traction 5.6, so as to come to bear on the bottle when the assembly of each of the two rows of probes 1,2 is moved; we figured a big bottle 7 and a small bottle 8. In the absence of a bottle, the probes meet in the vicinity of Tax YY or above the neck for some in the presence of small bottles, The probes 1,2 are shown pressing on a bottle of maximum diameter 9, the deviation detection system 10,11, controlling the profile will be described later in FIGS. 6,7,8.

Fig. 2 shows a small or large bottle placed by the user on the test location of the bottles to be recognized. The bottle remains at this location until the decision to accept or reject has been made and remains there until it has been removed in the event that it is refused before it can be disconnected another. The location is delimited in thick lines between:

10 - a fixed abutment 11, a recentering and immobilization Vee 12 against the abutment 11 before probing, a part 13 integral with an operating trolley situated below and intended for the evacuation of the bottles taken up according to Tax YY in the direction of arrow 14, and a laterally retractable wall 15 secured to an upper carriage on which

15 is also fixed a door 16 for closing the test area called "the location" of the bottles. The relative positions of the movable walls 15 and 16 occupied during the test and the evacuation of the bottle taken up in lane C have been shown in dashed lines 17. Said door materially prohibits the user from taking up a bottle.

20. standby during identification in cooperation with a security means acting as long as the said gate is not closed. Said complementary security means can for example be a photoelectric cell. In fig.3 we showed the principle of shape recognition of the profile of the bottles. A set of identical probes 1,2, on the same plane,

25 in opposition (FIG. 5) arranged in characteristic levels in two vertical rows 18,19, each displaced by an operating carriage bringing said probes elastically into contact with the profile of the bottle to be recognized, said probes comprising, in pairs, at each level, a position deviation detection means respectively

30 tive cooperating with an electronic comparison means comparing, for each level, the value of said deviation e (9 in FIG. 1) with respect to the reference values stored in the electronic means to identify each of the bottles to be disconnected. In Figs. 6,7 and 8, we have shown, by way of example, a means of detecting

35 tion of said deviation e. This means comprises, by probe level, a transparent re¬ slide 20, comprising lines 30, moving in coopé¬ ration with one of the two probes 1,2, in front of a detection means 27 for crossing said lines, said reader 27 moving in cooperation with the other probe, Said lines 30 are judiciously arranged on the strip so as to correspond to the different positions of the probes of said level as a function of the different types of bottles admitted, said electronic means counting said lines actually crossed

.for and in combination with the other deviations, \ deduce if said bottle corresponds to an accepted type. Each strip is fixed on a rod 21

(fig.7) sliding in guide bearings 22 each secured to the corresponding feeler 1 resiliently held in the rest position on a stop 24 by a tension spring 25. When the feelers 1, 2 move one towards the other, the end of the rod 21 meets a pusher 26 secured to the probe 2 which pushes said rod 21 which moves the transparent strip 20 in front of said reader 27 comprising a transmitter 28 and a photoelectric receiver 29 detecting the passage of the lines through a hole 23 judiciously calibrated as a function of the thickness of the lines 30 which are counted by electronic means.

It should be noted that the lines 30 of the strip may be opaque on a strip of transparent material or the reverse. The maximum stroke of the strip relative to the reader corresponds to the maximum diameter of the largest recognized bottle with a safety margin. The probe position levels are chosen taking into account the locations of the profiles where the difference e is the most variable according to the different types of existing bottles to limit the number of probes,

The deviation detection e (fig. 3) can be carried out with different types of sensors, for example with a linear potentiometer with plunger core of which a part P1 is fixed on the first probe 1 and the second P2 fixed on the second probe 2 of the same plan. This solution is much simpler than those shown in Figs. 4a and 4b where lengths must be measured either on one side with respect to a reference

RA, that is to say on two sides with respect to the references RA and RB for which the distance d is known and the difference by difference e = d - is calculated (fig.4b) (RA ₁ + B).

In fig. 4a, only one side of the RA profile is taken into account. , on the other hand one is dependent on the distortion of Tax of the bottle.

Those skilled in the art can imagine other embodiments with other combinations of means. If these embodiments produce similar results, the embodiments which result therefrom would also fall within the scope of this patent.

Fig. 9 shows an example of the disposal of recognized and returned bottles. It comprises a carriage constituted by a plate 31 equipped for example with a slide and supporting the pusher 13 secured to the arm 32 moving on each side of a shelf 33 supporting the bottle to be recognized. Said shelf 33 constitutes "the installation location" of the bottle, it is articulated at 34 to allow a very slight displacement in height under the weight of the bottle so as to compri¬ mer a tarable spring 35 and close an electrical contactor 36 performing the bottle presence detection function for starting a test. A second electrical contactor, with a rigidity greater than that of the first contactor, cooperates to detect the full bottles and signal their refusal.

In addition to the profile test, a bottom depth test can be carried out if the difference between two neighboring profiles is not significant enough for recognition without risk of confusion. This test can be carried out analogously to the profile test by means of a rod 37 supporting a strip 20 moving for example in front of a line reader 27 identical to that presented in fig.7 under the action of a small actuator 38 returned to rest by a spring 39. When the test is finished and the bottle is taken up, an actuator 40 pulls the carriage on a predetermined stroke 41 by pushing back the bottle 42 which slides on the floor 43 of the corridor evacuating by pushing the other bottles already in place in said corridor, then the actuator brings the carriage back into position for a new cycle. Fig.10,11,12 show an example of block 45 for detecting plastic bottles fixed on the stop 11 of the means for refocusing and immobilizing the bottle during the test; it has two levers 46,47, held in abutment by the springs 49,50 and the electrical contactors 51,52. The springs 49.50 are of different stiffness, one more valve is compressed by the plastic bottle, while the other, more rigid, compresses little or no and later due to the progressive resistance force opposed by the deformation of ^• plastic, this delay triggers the recoil of the refocusing and immobilization of the bottle. This avoids accidentally crushing and puncturing bottles of oil or other products in the machine.

Fig. 13 shows an example of an evacuation corridor for repri¬ bottles, the floor 43 of which comprises small non-motorized rollers 55, the rolling surface ZZ possibly being slightly sloping in the direction of evacuation towards the table. sorting. Fig.14 shows an embodiment of these simplified rollers constituted by a portion of tube 56 of small diameter at each end of which is fitted a shouldered ring 57 of material having an excellent coefficient of friction, plastic for example. These rollers rotate freely on axes 58 fixed on brackets sup¬ port 59.60, on which are fixed the walls 61 of the corridor 62 between which the bottles 63 move. The smallest bottles rest on at least three small rollers.

In fig.15 there is shown the non-motorized evacuation corridor in top view, the bottles 63 are pushed against each other by the bottle-B1, itself urged by the pusher 13; this corridor does not allow the regrouping of the bottles by type at the exit of the machine because the bottle B6 which will leave the machine is not the one (B1) which has just been tested and therefore is not known . In fig.16 on the other hand, the bottles are not accumulated in the corridor and therefore do not push each other. The bottle B1 is moved by the pusher 13 as far as motorized rollers 64 which convey it up to 65 at the outlet of the machine; thus, the first bottle that comes out is the one that has just been tested and whose type is identified, it is then easy to direct it into an appropriate corridor grouping all the bottles of the same type. . Fig.17,18,19 show an example of a corridor with motorized rollers intended to cooperate with a storage table equipped with means .. for routing and grouping bottles by type. The rollers are mounted freely rotating on axes 66 of handling chains 67 driven by a not shown gearmotor. The diameter of the rollers and their pitch are provided such that the small bottles rest on three rollers to ensure the stability of their movement. The rollers rest on a fixed support plane 68 helping to double the speed of movement of the bottles relative to the linear speed of the chains.

Fig. 20 shows an example of a table for manual storage and sorting of bottles. This table 70 is placed behind the wall (limiting the adjoining room beyond the reach of the customers) on which the machine is supported, perpendicular to the exit corridor 62 and on the same plane, the latter being able to be inclined in the direction of arrow 71 to allow the evacuation and distribution of the bottles over the entire surface of the table. To facilitate this evacuation, it is also possible to have rollers 56 of suitable length on the central part. of the table which is surrounded by a guardrail to prevent the bottles falling outside.

A removable and interchangeable drawer is provided to receive: all of the shape recognition elements and their maneuvering and deviation detection means, the means of evacuating the bottles taken back, the safety gate and that of closing the corridor. evacuation, pins and centralizers for guiding and positioning said drawer on the frame of the machine, and electrical and pneumatic connectors. It is engaged on a slide facilitating its introduction and its installation as well as the plugging in of the connectors.

Fig.21 shows, in top view, a storage table provided with couoirs 72 for grouping bottles by type which can be fitted with idle rollers. At the end of this table is fixed a set of switches fig. 22 and 23, comprising a motorized conveying means 73 which can be motorized rollers or a carpet for example, flaps 74 each held in the extension of each wall 75 corridors 72 by means of a spring device 76 which allows rotation about an axis 77, in line with each flap 74 a stop 78, normally esca¬ driven, is provided to immobilize said flap in the extension of the corresponding corridor by an electromagnet 79 with elastic return 80, between the axes 77 of the flaps are arranged pushers 81 provided with a limited stroke articulation 82 and maneuvers simultaneously each by

83 a lever / articulated on the chassis, a common device 84 for operating said levers 83 is moved by an actuator 85, the switch assembly being controlled by electronic control means.

The referral device operates as follows: As soon as the machine identifies the type of bottle by the machine, the machine delivers information to said electronic control means specifying which corridor the tested bottle should be in. Said electronic control means feeds Telectro-magnet setting up the stop 78 immobilizing the flap corresponding to the designated corridor. On leaving the machine, said bottle is conveyed by the conveying means 73, in passing it pushes the unlocked flaps until it meets the one previously immobilized at the right of the corresponding corridor. The pusher 81 then moves the said bottle in the direction of the arrow 86 to introduce it into its grouping corridor; depending on whether the floor of said corridor is motorized or not, it is evacuated or else waits for a next bottle to push it, itself positively urged by the pusher 81.

Claims

R E V E N D I C A T I O N S:

1 - Machine to disconcept empty bottles taken back by big box stores comprising:

- an area for introducing the bottles to be recognized,

- a means of recognizing the shape of the bottle,

- a means of operating the bottle taken up for its evacuation to a manual storage and pre-sorting table,,

- a ticket dispenser; of disconnected

a means of automatic control of the machine, characterized in that it further comprises:

a location for placing the bottles to be recognized, said bottle remaining on said fixed location during the recognition test and from where it is taken up manually by the user if it is refused,

- a means of refocusing and immobilizing the bottle before the start of the test on said location, - said means for testing the shape of the bottle is constituted by two opposing rows of linear displacement feelers acting at different levels so as to detect a deviation per level between each of the opposing keys, said deviation (e) at each of the levels, being compared to reference deviations, which each belong to a type of bottle taken up,

a means of direct positive evacuation taking charge of the bottle while accompanying it until it clears of said test location according to a defined stroke,

- a means of control differentiating between full bottles and empty bottles,

- a means of differentiating plastic bottles from glass bottles,

- a means to test the depth of the bottom of the bottle,

a means provided for materially prohibiting the user from accessing the installation location for the bottle during the identification test cooperating with a security means,

- an electronic control means provided to cooperate with the fitting out of a means of conveying the taken-up bottle so as to selectively guide it by means of flaps towards a grouping area by type as soon as it leaves the the machine 2 - Machine according to 1, characterized in that the linear deviation feeler means comprises two vertical rows of feelers (18,19) in opposition moved by an operating means bringing elastic ent the feelers (1,2) in contact with the profile of the bottle to be recognized, said probes comprising, in pairs, at each level, a deviation detection means (e) cooperating with an electronic comparai¬ sound means.

3 - Machine according to 1 and 2, characterized in that the deviation detection means comprises, per level of feelers, a strip (20) carrying lines (30) moving, in cooperation with one of the two feelers, in front of a means for detecting the crossing of said lines (30), said detection means moving in cooperation with the other feeler, said lines are judiciously arranged on the strip so as to correspond to the different positions of the feelers of said level according to the different types of bottles admitted, said electronic means that counting said lines actually crossed to characterize the difference at said level and in combination with the other differences, to deduce if said bottle corresponds to an accepted type.

4 - Machine according to 1, characterized in that the means for identifying plastic bottles is disposed on the means of recen¬ trage and immobilization of the bottles before probing, it is constituted by two contact blades (46,47 ) each equipped with a means of taring springs of different rigidity, each acting, under the action of the pushing of the bottle, on an electric microswitch (51, 52) and in that the identification of the bottles by plastic is obtained due to the difference in closing time between the two microswitches under the effect of the opposite progressive resistant force during the deformation of the plastic.

5 - Machine according to 1 characterized in that the means provided to prohibit the recovery of a bottle under test is a door (16) available on the front face of said machine, and in that said door is integral with a second door (15) helping to define the rear limit of the test location, and in that the rear door (15) is open when the front door is closed and vice versa, and in that the front closing door (16 ) has an additional safety device acting as long as the said gate is not completely closed.

6 - Machine according to 1, characterized in that the means of direct posi¬ tive evacuation of the accepted bottle cooperates with a set of non-motorized rollers receiving the evacuated bottle and extending to form a corridor facilitating the movement of the returned bottles pushing each other in said corridor towards a pre-storage and manual sorting table. 7 - Machine according to 1, characterized in that the means of direct positi¬ ve evacuation of the taken-up bottle cooperates with a motorized conveying means which moves it alone to the means of referral and regrouping by type, and in that the conveying means consists of rollers mounted freely rotating at their ends on an axis secured to a chain link (67) motorized, said rollers (56) rotating on themselves on a fixed plane ( 68).

8 - Machine according to 1 and 7, characterized in that the taken-up bottles are received, after evacuation, on a pre-storage and manual sorting table arranged at the outlet of the evacuation corridor for taken-up bottles (C), said table comprises, in its central longitudinal section, a set of rollers (56) driven by a chain, arranged to form a plane of movement of the bottles at the same level as the top of said table, the assembly being slightly inclined in the direction of the arrow (71). 9 - Machine according to 1 and 7, characterized in that the means for switching and grouping the bottles by type comprises:

- A motorized means of conveying one by one of the bottles as and when they leave the machine to bring them to the right of grouping corridors (72), said supply means extending over the entire width of a storage table by type provided with parallel corridors (72) extending over its entire length,

- a set of switching means according to the type and their automatic operating means controlled by the electronic control means,

- A means of introduction of each of the bottles taken up arriving one by one in line with the selected corridor, said means being able to act either in front of a single corridor or simultaneously in front of all the corridors (72), said introduction means comprising a set of flaps switch (74) each pivoted on an axis (/ 7) in line with each of the walls (75) and equipped with a spring device (76), said introduction means comprising pushers (81) provided with 'a limited stroke articulation (82) and maneuvers simultaneously each by an actuator (85), said flaps being selectable, by an automatic locking means (78). 10 - Machine according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises an interchangeable removable drawer mounted on slides comprising:

- the bottle shape recognition unit,

- the means of operating the probes

- the means of evacuating the returned bottles,

- the safety and closing gates of the evacuation corridor,

- pins and centralizers for guiding and positioning on the frame,

- electrical and pneumatic connectors.