EP0255861B1 - Method for sensing and controlling the cycles of objects for multiple use - Google Patents

Abstract

The cycles of objects for multiple use, for example returnable containers for packing purposes, are recorded and controlled by giving every object at the starting point where it goes into circulation a code which is recorded and evaluated when it returns to the starting point and by providing the object with an additional code every time it goes into circulation.

Description

The invention relates to a method for detecting and controlling the circulation of multi-use objects, e.g. of reusable containers (bottles) for packaging purposes, in which each item receives a code at the starting point before it goes into circulation, which is recorded and evaluated when it returns to the starting point, and in which the item is coded each time it enters the circulation route again is provided.

In the packaging industry in particular, recycling takes place in the context of environmental protection in addition to the use of so-called "disposable containers", i.e. those which, after single use, i.e. after emptying the contents, should not or cannot be used again, the "reusable container" plays an important role. As the name expresses, reusable containers should be used several times for the same product after first use, i.e. after the first product has been emptied, whereby a suitable type of material and design of the container are a prerequisite and may be necessary. the preservation of specific properties plays a role in this.

The reusable system described above has long been used in a variety of types of packaging containers, such as glass bottles for beer, mineral water and the like. Like. successfully practiced. But other objects, such as crates for receiving and transporting cups, pallets, etc., are in many cases "reusable items" in the above sense.

The reusable items have been checked optically, in particular from the point of view of reusability depending on their quality. This happened after the return of the "empties" and before it was fed back into the washing device. The specimens that did not meet the required quality were discarded here, i.e. removed from the "reusable".

In a completely different context, WO 85/00454 proposes a device for use in the chemical industry. A refillable container for holding different chemicals is to be provided with an additional data memory, which contains data about the previous use of the container, for example about the age, the previous filling liquids, the maximum temperature or impact forces to which the container was previously exposed. Before each new filling process, the memory or its information is read out via a data reading and evaluation unit and it is checked whether this container is even suitable for the next intended filling process. If this is the case, additional information about the current filling is added to the memory and the filling process is started.

This extraordinarily expensive and complex process is justified if valuable containers are used that can be filled with a wide variety of chemicals. It would be very dangerous to Now fill the container with the remains of a certain previous filling with another chemical.

However, this method is completely unsuitable for reusable containers for beverages in particular. Providing data storage on a soda bottle would increase the cost of the reusable system so that it would no longer be profitable.

The object of the invention is therefore to automate the checking of the reusable objects from the point of view of their reusability depending on their quality, but to keep the costs low.

To achieve this object, the invention provides that the detection of the coding on the object is carried out by sensors and the recorded signals are compared with those of a stored program, which form criteria for the object to be eliminated from the reusable unit, and that the coding is carried out by microdosing Ink drops are done.

The environmentally friendly reusable system can be supported in a simple, cost-effective manner by means of sensory measurement and coding using a coding liquid. There is no need for additional equipment to be provided or attached to the reusable containers themselves.

In addition, when the objects return to the filling point, the number of previous rounds can be read in this way, and it can be determined in the course of the evaluation whether the object or the objects are put back into the circulation path or eliminated solely on the basis of their number of rounds want.

The invention is explained in more detail below with the aid of a few exemplary embodiments which are illustrated in the drawing.

Figur 1

in schematischer Wiedergabe einen schaltungsartigen Aufbau zur Darstellung des erfindungsgemäßen Verfahrens,

Figuren 2 bis 4

verschiedene Möglichkeiten von an Behälterbereichen vorgesehenen Codierungen,

Figur 5

in schematischer Darstellung eine Anordnung zum Codieren,

Figur 6a - 6f

verschiedene Varianten von vermittels Mikrodosierung von Tintentropfen erzeugten, für die Erfindung geeigneten Code-Darstellungen,

Figur 7

einen Ausschnitt (A) aus dem Aufbau gemäß Figur 1 im Bereich der Codierungserfassung.

Show it:

Figure 1

a schematic representation of a circuit-like structure to illustrate the inventive method,

Figures 2 to 4

different possibilities of coding provided on container areas,

Figure 5

a schematic representation of an arrangement for coding,

Figures 6a - 6f

different variants of code representations generated by means of microdosing of ink drops, suitable for the invention,

Figure 7

a section (A) of the structure according to Figure 1 in the field of coding detection.

The invention is explained in the present case with reference to a packaging bottle, although the invention is not restricted to such materials either from the material or the design, the method can be used wherever the reusable concept can realistically take hold.

The packaging bottle in question can be a glass bottle or a plastic bottle, in the latter case special consideration being given to so-called "PET bottles", ie those made from polyethylene terephthalate, which are generally intended as "reusable bottles" are.

1 in FIG. 1 of the drawing denotes the production unit in which the bottle 2, which is practically not tied to a specific shape in terms of its design, is produced ready for filling.

As the diagram according to FIG. 1 shows, the bottle 2 is then fed to a filling station 3 for its filling with filling material, to which a closing station (not shown separately) is expediently connected.

A printing and other possibly necessary further decoration of the bottle 2 takes place partly together with the manufacturing process of the bottle 2 and / or after the filling and / or after the closure.

This completes the filled and closed bottle 2 for the commercial way into the market.

According to the invention, the bottle 2 receives a code at 4 before it enters the market, the type of which will be described below.

The bottle 2 thus filled and coded reaches, for example, the consumer 6 via the shipping route and sale 5, who returns the bottle after the contents have been emptied (arrow 7). The return is usually made (via the trade) to the bottler. Here, according to the invention, the bottle 2 is detected at 8, in such a way that the coding applied at 4 is first read and identified.

This is followed by a quality check of bottle 2 in the same station. If bottle 2 passes this check successfully, i.e. If the corresponding quality requirements are still met, the bottle can be returned to the filling and closing system 3 after passing through a corresponding washing device 9. After filling and closing, the bottle receives a new (second) coding at 4 before it enters the second circulation route, for example as described above.

The frequency of the reusable circulation for the container 2 depends on the requirements that are placed on the properties of the container. The number of reusable round trips can be e.g. be determined by the coding. The coding on the bottle 2 is sensed in the area of the station 8. The recorded signals are compared with those of a stored program, which form the criteria for the bottle to be rejected.

In addition or in addition to this selection, a quality check is provided in the stored program, which checks those containers or bottles with regard to their specific properties, which are provided for the number of reusable ones for others. FIG. 7 of the drawing shows in connection with this in the diagram as section A of FIG. 1 such a test arrangement 81 following the (sensor) station 8. Here, the tightness of the container is checked, for example, by pressure test 81ʹ, by ultrasonic test 81 ″ breaks or Cracks in the container and checked by visual inspection 81 ‴ Surface design, chipping etc. and specimens that did not resist the tests were eliminated at M. The bottles 2 which still meet the quality requirements are fed to the washing device 9 via the path 10, that is to say they remain in the reusable way.

The tests described above can be carried out individually, in combination of several or all in succession, as indicated by the arrows in the diagram shown in FIG. 7.

Figures 2 to 4 show the coding - here designated 50 - on the container or here the bottle 2, which according to the invention on the bottom (Figure 2) or on the side wall (Figures 3, 4) and here, for example, either a circumferential band 22 (FIG. 3) or within a circumferentially limited wall section 24 (FIG. 4).

When the coding 50 is arranged on the bottom 2ʹ of the bottle 2, different placement variants are conceivable. The coding can thus be arranged radially in the form of a line or a segment. In connection with such a placement the ground register 2ʺ has proven to be helpful. The advantage of this arrangement is that the coding does not interfere with the decoration of the container.

In the bottle 2 according to FIG. 3, the coding 50 is provided in the form of a circumferential band 22 on the fuselage wall 21 or at least on a section of said band 22. In the present exemplary embodiment, said band 22 lies below the decor 23.

In the embodiment of the bottle 2 according to FIG. 4, the coding 50 is provided on the fuselage wall 21 within a circumferentially limited wall section 24. This type of placement is preferred for non-round containers. Here, as in the exemplary embodiment described above, the arrangement of the coding 50 can be incorporated into the overall decor of the container 2 in an advertising-effective manner in conjunction with the recycling concept.

FIG. 5 shows a schematic representation of a possibility for applying the coding 50 to container sections in accordance with the representations according to FIGS. 2 to 4.

The bottles 2 are guided upright on a conveyor, for example a type of plate belt 11, to a coding device 30. To stabilize the bottles 2, e.g. lateral guides 12 may be provided in the area of the coding device 30.

An essential unit of the coding device 30 is a valve 13 with a connected nozzle 14 for microdosing ink drops, the ink-jet method preferably being used. The valve 13 is actuated via control electronics 15 by the impulse of a light barrier 16 which reports the presence of bottles to be coded.

The valve 13 is supplied with coding liquid (ink) from a reservoir 18 via a line 17. While the nozzle 14 is arranged vertically or "overhead" in order to carry out a bottom-side coding 50 of the bottles 2 according to FIG. 2 of the drawing, the dashed-line nozzle 14ʹ is horizontally directed towards the fuselage wall of the bottles 2 in order to use a coding 50 corresponding to FIG. 3 or 4. Corresponding additional elements, for example for maintaining the height, the circumferential limitation of the wall section provided for coding 50 (FIG. 4) and the like, the function of which can be controlled by the electronics 15, have been omitted here. As already indicated above, the ink jet method will preferably be used in the context of the coding 50. It has been shown that the use of punctuation marks is particularly favorable, and points of different sizes can also be used in combination with one another.

• der Erkennbarkeit des Punktes mit den Kriterien, ob der Punkt möglichst sichtbar oder möglichst nicht erkennbar sein soll,
• der Oberflächenstruktur des zu codierenden Behälters,
• dem Tintensystem,
• der Trocknungsmöglichkeit der Tinte (Große Tropfen haben längere Trocknungszeiten.),
• den optischen Lesegeräten (Sensoren) zur Identifizierung der Umläufe.

The point size to be set depends, among other things, on

• the recognizability of the point with the criteria as to whether the point should be as visible or not as
• the surface structure of the container to be coded,
• the ink system,
• the possibility of drying the ink (large drops have longer drying times),
• the optical readers (sensors) to identify the circulation.

FIG. 6 shows a to f, for example, six different repeatable dot patterns as coding in the sense of the invention.

Claims (4)

1. A method of detecting and controlling the recycling of reusable articles, e.g. returnable containers (bottles 2) for packaging purposes, wherein each article (2) receives a code (50) (at 4) at the point of departure before going into circulation , the code being detected (at 8) and assessed on returning to the point of departure, and wherein the article (2) is provided with additional coding (50) (at 4) each time it is put back into circulation, characterised in that the code (50) on the article (2) is detected by sensing equipment (at 8), and the signals picked up are compared with those in a program in memory, which form criteria for removing the article from the recycling path, and that coding (50) is effected by microdosing drops of ink.
2. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that coding (50) is effected on the base or on a base portion of the container.
3. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that coding (50) is effected on the wall of the body of the container (2) (at 22).
4. A method according to claim 3, characterised in that coding (50) is effected on the wall of the body of the container (2) (at 24) within a peripherally bounded wall section.

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