EP0591120A1

EP0591120A1 - A method in the returning of bottles and a bottle return system

Info

Publication number: EP0591120A1
Application number: EP93850183A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Mika Koivisto; Petri Komonen
Original assignee: Halton System Oy
Current assignee: Halton System Oy
Priority date: 1992-10-01
Filing date: 1993-09-30
Publication date: 1994-04-06
Also published as: FI92380C; FI924430A0; DK110793A; FI924430A; FI92380B; NO933502L; DK110793D0; DE4333428A1; NO933502D0

Abstract

The invention relates to a bottle return system and a method in the returning of bottles. A returnable bottle is fed to a bottle return automaton (10a₁, 10a_2, 10a₃...), which are by their number several in a bottle return center. The returner of a bottle receives for the return a receipt an/or a remuneration corresponding to the bottle, and whereby the returnable bottle transfers from the bottle return automation (10a₁, 10a_2, 10a₃...) on a conveyor belt (10c₁, 10c_2, 10c₃...) and forwards towards the end of the conveyor belt. In the inventive method is used a crating unit (12) to alternately serve each return-center return automaton (10a₁, 10a_2,...). The crating unit (12) may be freely transferred to the connection of a conveyor belt (10c) of each bottle return automaton (10a₁, 10a₂...). The returnable bottles are alternately fed from each conveyor belt (10c₁, 10c₂, 10c₃...) to the crating means (I) of the crating unit (12), which crating means disposes the returnable bottles into empty crates.

Description

The invention relates to a method in the returning of bottles and a bottle return system,
The prior art describes return centers, wherein the returnable bottles are conveyed via a return bottle automaton, which identifies the returnable bottle and gives a receipt and/or a sum of money corresponding to the bottle. The returnable bottle is further transferred along with a conveyor belt onto a collector table, from which they are generally manually placed in bottle crates.
In this application is shown a novel bottle return system, wherein the return center comprises several bottle return automatons, which each is fitted to be served by one common crating unit.
One embodiment of the inventive crating unit comprises an unloading device for empty crates, which device transfers an empty crate from a stack of crates to a crating means onto its conveyor belt, whereon an empty crate is filled with bottles. When the crate is filled, it is transfered by means of a crating-unit belt conveyor onto a roller track located after the crating unit and from said roller track laterally onto a conveyor track for full crates. In accordance with the invention, the crating unit is fitted to be transferred to alternately serve each bottle return automaton. In the system, the belt of each bottle return automaton may be run full with returnable bottles, whereafter the crating unit may be transferred on guides in a controllable manner alternately to the end of the belt conveyor of each bottle return automaton. By means of the belt conveyor, the returnable bottles are further transferred to a crating unit, wherein an empty crate is filled with returnable bottles.
The inventive method is mainly characterized in that in the method is used a crating unit to alternately serve each return-center return automaton, whereby the crating unit may be freely transferred to the connection of a conveyor belt of each bottle return automaton, whereby the returnable bottles may be alternately fed from each conveyor belt to the bottle crating means of the crating unit, which crating means disposes the returnable bottles into empty crates.
The inventive system is mainly characterized in that the system comprises a crating unit comprising at least a bottle crating means, by means of which the empty bottles may be disposed in an empty crate and that the crating unit is freely movable such that the same crating unit may be transferred alternately to serve each bottle return automation.
The invention is next described with reference to certain preferred embodiments of the invention shown in the figures of the drawings, to which the invention is yet not solely intended to be limited.
Fig. 1A shows an inventive return center seen from the top as a schematic representation.
Fig. 1B shows an inventive transferable crating unit.
Fig. 1C shows a cross-section A-A of Fig. 1B.
Fig. 1A shows schematically seen from the top an inventive bottle return system. The bottle return system comprises at least two, preferably several parallel bottle return automatons 10a₁, 10a₂, 10a₃, 10a₄... A returnable bottle is fed to a bottle return automaton, which identifies the returnable bottle, e.g. on the basis of the bottle profile or on a bar code. The returner of the bottle receives a receipt or a remuneration corresponding to the bottle. The bottle is further transferred forwards along the conveyor belt 10c₁, 10c₂... The conveyor belt is rotated via sheaves F₁ and F₂ as a closed loop. The conveyor belt 10c₁, 10c₂... is preferably used by means of a drum motor from the sheave F₁ or F₂. The bottles are run to the end of the conveyor belt 10c₁, 10c₂..., as guides 10d₁, 10d₂... located on the sides of the conveyor belt keep the returnable bottles on the belt 10c₁, 10c₂...
Fig. 1A shows an embodiment of the invention, wherein a crating unit 12, in addition to a bottle crating means I, comprises a roller track II, which removes a full crate from the crating unit 12, and crate-stack unloader III, with which an empty crate is fed into the crating means I. However, the most simple embodiment of the invention is such, in which the crating unit 12 only comprises a bottle crating means I. After the crating means I may be located a roller track II, by means of which a full crate is removed from the connection of the crating unit 12.
The crating means I of the crating unit 12 may be a device solution, which comprises a narrow belt conveyor of the crating means I, on the upper run of which the bottles are fed in a linear form. On the belt run is located a U-shaped guide open from the bottom, inside which guide the returnable bottles are fed. When the guide is filled with bottles, the guide is transferred laterally, whereby the bottles drop into an empty crate located on the conveyor, into its bottle cell line. The crate is transferred forwards by means of a crate conveyor below on the crating means I to the next dropping station. A full crate is transferred to the roller track and further away therefrom by means of a separate lateral conveyor. The inventive crating means may of another type, and in this application the intention is not to limit the crating means solely to the crating means type described above.
According to Fig. 1A, the system comprises a crating unit 12, which is fitted to serve the bottle return automatons 10a₁, 10a₂... of the bottle return center, each separately. The crating unit 12 comprises at least a returnable-bottle crating means I. The returnable-bottle crating means I comprises a conveyor belt, which transfers in a linear form one line of bottles to a dropping station, from which the returnable bottles transfer one crate at a time to a lower empty crate, to its bottle line. The crate located below is moved one crate line at a time forwards on the conveyor belt of the crating means I. Said device application is the most simple embodiment of the crating unit 12. In addition to the crating means I, the crating unit 12 may comprise after the crating means I a roller track II and thereon a conveyor 18, by means of which the a full crate is transferred to a conveyor track 11 for full crates. The crating unit 12 may further be comprised of a device configuration (as shown in the figures), which comprises, except for a bottle crating means I and thereafter a roller track II relative to the travelling direction of the crates, and also before the crating means I a crate-stack unloader III, by means of which the empty crate is brought to the crating means I.
Fig. 1A shows the feeding of empty crates to a crate stacker with an arrow S₁. An arrow S₂ shows the travelling of the crate in the crating unit 12 and an arrow S₃ shows the unloading of a full crate away from the roller track II onto the conveyor track 11 for full crates. On the conveyor track 11, the full crate travels according to an arrow S₄ from below the conveyor belts 10c₁, 10c₂, 10c₃... further either to a storage station or to such a crate stacker, which stacks the crates on a pallet or on another conveyor base. The crating unit 12 is transferred freely according to an arrow L₁ to the connection of the ends of the belt conveyor 10c₁, 10c₂, 10c₃... of each bottle-return automaton, as the crating unit 12 is guided on a slide part 16, preferably a rotatable roller, on a guide 15 of the crating unit 12. A roller 16a is fixed by its shaft 16b to a floor G.
The conveyor track 11 for full crates comprises alternately a belt conveyor 11a₂ and a roller track 11a₁. The belt conveyors 11a₂ comprise conveyor belts, which are run via sheaves as a closed loop, whereby one of the sheaves is a drum motor. The roller tracks 11a₂ are tilted relative to the horizontal plane, whereby the crate transfers gravitionally from the end of the roller track 11a₁ to the end and further to the next belt conveyor 11a₂ to be used.
Fig. 1B shows schematically a crating unit 12. The crating unit 12 comprises a frame R, on top of which is located a crate stacker/unloader designated with the numeral III, from which an empty crate is fed to the crating means I onto the belt conveyor. The crate on the belt conveyor is filled with bottles and a full crate is transferred from the crating means I to the roller track II. From the top of rollers 17a₁, 17a₂..., a full crate is transferred by means of a conveyor 18 away e.g. to the conveyor 11 just filled with full crates.
The crating unit 12, its frame R further comprises sheaves 13a,13b,13c,13d, on which the unit may be transferred. The unit 12 further comprises a guide 15, by means of which the unit may be guided into an accurate position to the end of each conveyor 10c₁, 10c₂, 10c₃... The unit 12 may be locked with a sheave brake 14 into an accurate crating position to the end of the conveyor 10c₁, 10c₂... When the unit 12 is guided to the end of each conveyor 10c₁ or 10c₂ or 10c₃..., a gate e₁ or e₂ or e₃... is opened. The gate e₁, e₂... may be slided to close and open a discharge track M of the conveyor end. The crating unit 12 may be moved manually or also mechanically by means of a motor.
Fig. 1C shows a section A-A of Fig. 1B. In accordance with Fig. 1C, the unit 12 is guided by means of a guide 15 joined to the frame R, as the guide 15 is a C-profile cross-section. A roller 16a fixed to the floor G leads the guide 15 and thereby the unit 12. The roller 16a is fitted to rotate on a shaft 16b, which shaft 16b is joined to the concrete floor G. Several rollers 16a, 16b are mounted on the floor G adjacently to each other on a line such that the unit 12 may be guided with a sufficient accuracy by means of one guide 14 on the unit 12. The C-profile opens downwards.

Claims

A method in the returning of bottles, in which a returnable bottle is fed to a bottle return automaton (10a1, 10a₂, 10a₃...), which are by their number several in a bottle return center, whereby the returner of a bottle receives for the return a receipt an/or a remuneration corresponding to the bottle, and whereby the returnable bottle transfers from the bottle return automation (10a₁, 10a₂, 10a₃...) on a conveyor belt (10c1, 10c₂, 10c₃...) and forwards towards the end of the conveyor belt, characte rized in that in the method is used a crating unit (12) to alternately serve each return-center return automaton (10a₁, 10a₂,...) , whereby the crating unit (12) may be freely transferred to the connection of a conveyor belt (10c) of each bottle return automaton (10a₁, 10a₂...), whereby the returnable bottles may be alternately fed from each conveyor belt (10c₁, 10c₂, 10c₃...) to the crating means (I) of the crating unit (12), which crating means disposes the returnable bottles into empty crates.
A method according to Claim 1, characterized in that in the method the crating unit (12) is transferred on slide parts (16) joined to the floor, as the crating unit (12) comprises at least one guide (15), which is fitted to alternately transfer to each slide part (16).
A method according to Claim 2, characterized in that in the method as a slide part (16) is used a roller (16a), which is fixed by its shaft (16b) to the floor (G).
A method according to any of the preceding Claims, characterized in that in the method is used such a crating unit (12), which comprises sheaves (13a,13b,13c,13d) connected to a frame portion (R), on whose sheaves the crating unit (12) is transferable.
A method according to any of the preceding Claims, characterized in that in the method at least one sheave is lockable with a brake (14), whereby when transferring (arrow (L₁) the crating unit (12) to the connection of the conveyor belt (10c₁, 10c₂...) to some bottle return automaton (10a₁, 10a₂ or 10a₃...), the crating unit (12) is locked into an accurate position relative to said bottle-return automaton conveyor belt (10c₁ or 10c₂...), whereby in the crating the bottles on the conveyor belt by using the conveyor belt (10c₁, 10c₂...) may be fed to the crating unit (12) to its bottle crating means (I).
A bottle return system, which comprises several bottle return automatons (10a₁, 10a_2, 10a₃...) and in their connection conveyor belts (10c₁, 10c₂...), by means of which a returnable bottle identified by the bottle return automaton is transferred forwards and further towards the end of the conveyor belt (10c₁, 10c₂...), charac terized in that the system comprises a crating unit (12) comprising at least a bottle crating means (I), by means of which the empty bottles may be disposed in an empty crate and that the crating unit (12) is freely movable such that the same crating unit (12) may be transferred alternately to serve each bottle return automation (10a₁, 10a₂...).
A bottle return system according to the preceding Claim, characterized in that the crating unit (12) comprises before the bottle crating means (I) an unloader (III) for empty crates and that the crating unit (12) comprises after the crating unit (12) a roller track (II) and therein a conveyor (18), by means of which a full crate may be transferred away from top of the rollers (17a₁, 17a₂...).
A bottle return system according to Claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the system comprises such a crating unit (12), whose frame portion (R) comprises sheaves (13a, 13b, 13c, 13d), on which the crating unit (12) may be freely transferred (arrow L1) to the connection of the conveyor belt (10c₁, 10c₂ or 10c₃...) of the desired bottle return automaton (10a₁, 10a₂ or 10a₃...) for crating the empty bottles on the conveyor belt.
A bottle return system according to any of the Claims 6-8, characterized in that the crating unit (12) comprises a guide (15), by means of which the crating unit (12) may be guided along with slide parts (16), preferably slide rollers (16a), fitted to the floor in line to the end of the desired conveyor belt (10c₁ or 10c₂...).
A bottle return system according to Claim 9, characterized in that the slide parts (16), preferably rollers (16a), are mounted by their shafts (16b) to the floor (G), whereby the crating unit (12) may be linearly transferred on slide parts (16), as the guide (15) fixed to the frame (R) of the crating unit (12) is coupled to the slide parts (16).
A bottle return system according to the preceding Claim, characterized in that the cross-sectional form of the guide (15) is a C-profile and that the guide (15) on the frame of the crating unit (12) is located such that the profile opens downwards.
A bottle return system according to the any of the preceding Claims, charac terized in that the crating unit (12) comprises a sheave brake (14), by means of which the crating unit may be locked into an accurate position to the connection of the conveyor belt (10c₁, 10c2 or 10c₃...) to be emptied.