FI116489B - Device for compressing return packaging - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for compacting recyclable packages, such as beverage cans or bottles, which comprises an infeed unit, a checking unit and a compacting unit. The novelty of the invention is that the compacting unit comprises a fixed, rigid wall (32), a movable, rigid wall (34) as well as means for displacing the movable wall (34) towards the fixed wall (32), the walls (32, 34) being substantially parallel also during the displacement of the movable wall (34) towards the fixed wall (32).

Description

5, 116489

Device for compressing returnable packaging Anordning för hoppressning av returförpackningar

The present invention relates to a device for compressing recoverable packaging in general and in a recycling system for beverage packaging such as metal cans or so-called PET bottles.

10

Consumption of beverages in metal cans and PET bottles has been steadily increasing in recent years, resulting in increased environmental pressures, for example, since a significant number of cans or bottles are not recycled but discarded after use. The use of non-biodegradable aluminum in beverage cans can cause long-term problems. This also applies to certain plastic materials that are sometimes used in the manufacture of beverage bottles.

Therefore, in order to protect the environment by recycling the basic material, i.e. aluminum or plastic, recycling systems for this type of beverage packaging have been introduced.

v 20 Inclusion of a deposit or credit in the sale price of aluminum cans and PET bottles has created an incentive to return empty packages. In this situation, the rebate • *: is carried out and the empty packaging arrives for recycling, where the collected cans and bottles • «·. * Are transported to the place of collection for collection, thawing, etc.

• · · 4 1 »4 4 · 25 For example, efficient collection means giving the consumer the opportunity to return their beverage packaging to a number of optional locations. Usually this means that it should be possible to return the cans and bottles close to the point of sale, »» · such as the supermarket, convenience store, gas station or kiosk. Effective collection of '· · ·' also involves the use of powerful equipment for beverage packaging, i.e.

30 of the number of cans and bottles returned and accepted for receipt of cans or bottles, handling of packages and writing a refund ticket or cash payment. In addition, the returned packages are suitably compressed in the recycling device itself in a non-reciprocating device, subject to prolonged emptying intervals.

2, 116489

There is another potential problem to consider, namely that the device used in the recycling system must be able to determine whether or not returnable packaging is allowed into the recycling system. Although a single aluminum can or plastic bottle represents only a limited economic value, it is clear that many such cans or bottles represent a considerable amount of such value. Thus, there is a risk that cans and bottles not intended for recycling will still be left in the recycling system. In addition, there is a risk of indifferent behavior or even attempted sabotage, for example, by people who put glass or metal nails in cans or bottles, or by people who leave packages that are not completely empty. Thus, the device for handling discarded beverage packages must be able to determine whether the returned cans or bottles meet a number of predetermined parameters, e.g., refund, packaging material, content, etc.

For example, it is known from SE-B-420,135 to determine, by means of capacitive and inductive sensors, whether a returned can is made of sheet metal or any other material. Depending on the measurement result, the conveyor is brought either to the first place where it is connected to the compression device or to the second place where it is • · '· * · * connected to a collection container for rejected packaging. The disadvantage of this arrangement is, • ♦ * * *: · '20 that although it is possible to distinguish between aluminum cans and tin cans, it is not possible to'; ' detect the presence of foreign objects, such as glass and metal nails; ; or liquid remaining in the returned can. It is obvious that such objects or residual liquid can damage the compression device and / or introduce unsuitable materials into the melting process. In addition, this arrangement does not allow plastic bottles:. 25 differentiation. The tamping type compression device used in this context is. proved to be unsuitable as it requires a compressor, a pressure vessel, and several solenoid valves that have been shown to be susceptible to interference.

Many of the drawbacks associated with the prior art apparatus described in * ··: 30 SE-B-420,135 have been overcome by the apparatus disclosed in SE-B-465,743.

'* ·· * Instead of a conveyor, a motor-controlled chassis is used which, depending on the result of several measurements, pushes the returned can into either the first direction or the second 3 116489, i.e. the can is either rejected or accepted and transferred to the compression unit. After leaving, the can first passes through the metal detector, after which its length is measured as it moves from the outlet to the above-mentioned substrate. In accordance with SE-B-465,743, it is very important to determine the weight of the can in order to detect the can which, even though it consists of an acceptable material, contains some foreign substance. The weight of the can is measured as a function of the moment of inertia that the can produces as the tray is rotated. The compression device is a type of chain in which returned, approved bottles are crushed and punched.

10 Although the device of SE-B-465,743 solves some problems in the field, new ones are formed or old ones are not satisfactorily solved. Thus, it has been found to be quite complicated to determine the weight of the returned cans based on the moment of inertia that the can produces when moving. Also, the measurements made have even been shown to be incorrect under certain circumstances, resulting in either a properly rejected can 15 being accepted or vice versa. However, both the consumer and the operator of the recycling system need to be sure that cans intended for recycling and fulfilling the given simple claim profile can be returned for a refund, and that only cans that fulfill the claim profile are accepted by the recycling system. In addition, this device, such as the former, has proved to be unsuitable for handling plastic bottles.

t I

; ; It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a device for compressing recyclable packaging, such as aluminum cans or plastic bottles, in accordance with a predetermined requirement profile.

25

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device having a compact and * »#, ;. robust as well as energy efficient compression unit.

• ·

A third object of the present invention is to provide a device for compressing recyclable beverage packages having a size and a price that is * * 'reliable enough to be used in smaller outlets such as gas stations and kiosks.

These and other objects are achieved by a device of the type mentioned at the beginning of the specification and having the features listed in the appended claim 1. Variations and specific embodiments are mentioned in the subclaims.

An exemplary embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a side view of a device for compressing recyclable beverage containers according to the invention.

10

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the inventive device.

Fig. 3 is a top view of the inventive device.

Figures 1-3 illustrate an embodiment of the inventive device 2 for separating beverage packaging, such as metal cans or plastic bottles (not shown), and then for compressing packages that meet a certain predetermined requirement profile and are thus acceptable as approved packages. Device 2 has' '.' the feed unit 4, the check unit 6, and the compression unit 8, which are explained in more detail below. The returned can or bottle is placed in a feed unit 4 having a space having a substantially vertical opening 10 'and a substantially horizontal opening • »; ; Underneath is a tubular portion 14, which is rotatable about a substantially horizontal axis 12 and has an inside diameter slightly greater than the conventional recyclable beverage cans or bottles currently on the market; . 25 outside diameter. In its initial position, the other end of the tubular member 14 is substantially engaged, ·; ·. a substantially horizontal opening 10 '' of the above space. By limiting the aperture to 10 ;. size and adjusting the diameter of the tubular member 14, a first primary separation of the objects to be left in the inventive device is performed. In addition, a metal detector 15 of the inductive or capacitive type is provided in the tubular portion 14. Such detectors are well known in the art and are therefore not described in detail herein.

5, 116489

Between the opening 10 'and the upper end of the tubular member 14 is provided a divisible base plate 16 which blocks or exposes the upper end of the tubular member 14 for the reasons explained below. In its substantially vertical initial position, the lower end of the tubular member 14 is located just above a substantially horizontal, preferably rotatable, plate 18. The disk 18 5 is driven by the drive unit 20, i. an engine driving the plate 18 either directly or via a transmission means such as a belt. In the embodiment shown, the plate 18 and the entire drive unit 20 or portions thereof are pivotally suspended from the pin 22. The counterweight 24 is adjusted to balance the plate 18, drive unit 20 and aluminum can or plastic bottle approved according to the aforementioned requirement profile Below, for example, a limit switch (not shown) is disposed below the rotating plate 18. When an object that does not meet the overweight requirement profile is placed on the plate 18, it will rotate downward to activate a limit switch which in turn orders the tubular member 14 to rotate to a first end position where it forms e.g. a + 45 ° angle with the vertical plane. ontuneen. The same thing happens if the returned can does not meet the requirement profile because it is made of unapproved material. This is detected by a metal detector 15, from which the measurement results are fed to a central control unit, which in turn activates the tubular portion 14 '' to discard the left can. However, when the aluminum can, which fulfills the requirement profile and is approved by the metal nail; * · * 20, is placed on the plate 18, the tubular portion 14 · ·; is inverted after a predetermined time has elapsed; ; in a position where it forms, e.g., an angle of -45 ° with the vertical plane, thereby feeding the object, e.g., to a compression unit 8. In another embodiment, the counterweight 24 does not have a load cell disposed on the plate; ^ 25 to determine weight. However, the processing of the above-mentioned signals takes place, however, in the above-mentioned central control unit, which is in the form of a microcomputer, for example.

. As mentioned above, the plate 18 is preferably rotatable. The reason for this is that beside the disk * ': 30 18 is placed a barcode reader 26, which is also connected to the microcomputer mentioned above. A barcode reader is used to identify the barcode placed in a can or bottle and can contain information about the 6,116,489 manufacturing / recycling countries, packaging type, amount of refund, and so on. When the beverage container is left and passes through the tubular portion 14, it passes the metal detector 15 and sits on the plate 18. While being weighed, the beverage container is rotated by the rotating plate 18 past the reading device 26, e.g. whether the 5 pack is a metal can or a plastic bottle, to determine the amount of the rebate, etc., this information being stored in the microcomputer. The microcomputer actuates actuators 28 and 30 which rotate the tubular portion 14 at an angle of + 45 ° and -45 °. Thus, it is also possible to reject a returned can or bottle having external characteristics that meet the predefined requirement profile by reading the above 10 bar code from the returned can. In this way, it is possible, for example, to use different refund rates in different geographic areas or to direct a batch of recyclable packaging to a particular recycling location.

As mentioned above, abandoned but abandoned packages are conveyed, e.g., to a protrusion 15 provided by a corresponding actuator 28 which causes the tubular portion 14 which surrounds the partially returned can to rotate about + 45 ° about a substantially vertical axis 12. However, if the returned package is fully accepted, that is, fills both the physical, predefined requirement profile and the "soft" requirement profile identified by the microcomputer with bar code: '20 readers, the approved package is moved forward by actuating the corresponding *' actuator 30 °, to the compression unit 8.

i »* * * · ', ;. In the embodiment shown, below the feed and check units 4 and 6 is a shear-type compression unit. It essentially comprises a solid; . 25 rigid wall 32 and wall 34 movable between substantially two end positions *, parallel to and toward rigid wall 32 so that in the first end position it is spaced from rigid wall 32, wall 32, 34; -

> I

at a distance slightly exceeding the diameter of the can of t * · · · or bottle meeting the above requirement profile, while in the other end position it substantially contacts: 30 a rigid wall 32. In the embodiment shown, the displacement of movable wall 34 is provided by an eccentric / lever mechanism; A disk 36, rotatably mounted at its center, is driven by a motor 38. The peripheral region of the disk 7116489 is rotatably mounted to a transmission end of one arm 48, see FIG. 2, the other end being connected to one end of the lever 42, the other end of the lever to the moving wall 34. In the embodiment shown, one turn of the disc 36 corresponds to the compression movement of the compression unit 8. Outside the periphery 5 of the disc 36 is located a contact device 50 which is actuated by a transmission arm 40 and a second end 48 thereof. The contact device 50 may be activated by a direct contact, e.g., a microswitch, or e.g. a magnet type. The signal from the contact device 50 is supplied to the above-mentioned microcomputer, which, in accordance with this signal, controls the opening and closing of the dividing base plate 16 so that only one can or bottle is allowed into the compression unit 8.

As shown in Figure 9, the other end of the lever 42 is displaced by a substantially quadrilateral annular path 44 as the transmission arm 40 is moved upward. Since the moving wall 34 is parallel to the fixed wall 32 during transfer, it is clear that the can or bottle disposed between the walls and possibly supported by the bottom pin 46, see Fig. 2, is compressed by a shearing movement, i. crushed substantially longitudinally. This shear requires significantly less energy and power than other known compression techniques.

: 20

The present invention is intended to be used to satisfy a particular requirement profile

»I I

! *. in a recycling machine for rebate-type beverage packaging. The invention is particularly suitable for * ♦ * ♦ · 'use well in a compact compression machine in convenience stores,

•. I

stations, kiosks and the like. The payment unit necessary for writing the credit notes or paying the credit is conveniently connected to the aforementioned microcomputer, which calculates the amount to be refunded. It is clear that one skilled in the art can find alternative embodiments and other means that provide | '. and the limits of the inventive idea. All such modifications and modifications are therefore intended to be construed as incorporated herein; 30 below.

Claims (8)

8 116489 An apparatus for compressing recyclable packages, such as beverage cans or bottles, comprising a feed unit (4), a check unit (6) and a 5 compression unit (8), said compression unit (8) comprising a fixed, rigid wall (32), rigid wall (34) and means for moving the movable wall (34) towards the fixed wall (32), said walls (32,34) being substantially parallel also when moving the movable wall (34) towards the fixed wall (32), characterized in that the movable wall (34) (34) performs a quarter-circular motion 10 so that the package placed between the walls (32, 34) is compressed by a shearing movement. Device according to Claim 1, characterized in that the maximum distance between the fixed wall (32) and the movable wall (34) is slightly larger than the diameter of the left can or bottle which fulfills the requirement profile. Device according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the movable wall (34) is moved by a lever mechanism (42), one end of which is connected to the movable wall (34) and the other end of which is connected to the other end of the transmission arm (40). 20 having one end of the arm movably connected to the peripheral area r *, of the rotating disk (36); so that one revolution of the rotating disk (36) corresponds to »« »of the compression unit (8); one stroke. • '· I I t Device according to Claim 3, characterized in that the detector (50): 25, when said second end of the transmission arm (40) passes, generates a signal which is applied to the control device which, in response to this signal, opens or closes. in the tubular part (14) of the upper opening (16) in the feeding device (4). f Device according to Claim 4, characterized in that said tubular member (14) is substantially cylindrical with one end facing the feed unit * (4) and the other end facing the checking unit (6), and being connected to the means 9,116,489 (12,28; 30) for moving the tubular member (14) between different end positions depending on the signals (6) supplied to the control device. Apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that the tubular member 5 (14) can be rotated from about an initial position of + 45 ° to a first end position where the discarded beverage containers are moved to an outlet and rotated from about -45 ° to a second end position 8). Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that said inspection unit (6) comprises a metal detector (15) connected to a tubular member (14) extending substantially vertically and a weighing cell or counterweight connected to a substantially horizontal plate (18) for detecting the weight of the beverage package disposed on the plate (18) and for generating a signal fed to said control device and a barcode reader (26) positioned above the plate (18) and generating a signal . • 9 Device according to Claim 7, characterized in that said plate t:; '20 (18) is pivotally mounted on the pin (22) and, with a certain inclination, substantially'; from horizontal normal position, affects the detector generating the signal * k,! in response to this. i * t> 00 9 i I »4» 0 *> »· I *» rt · '♦ # • t% t $ * i * • t lii »* I * f •» ♦ t I f »i» 116489 ίο