FR3101566A1 - Utility vehicle for collecting polystyrene - Google Patents

Abstract

Utility vehicle for collecting polystyrene A utility vehicle, of the type comprising a workspace (4), comprises a treatment compartment (100) and a storage compartment (200) provided in the workspace (4), a crusher (110) disposed in the processing compartment (100), arranged to transform blocks of expanded polystyrene at the inlet into a ground polystyrene at the outlet, an opening to form an access to the inlet of the crusher (110) from the 'outside, a connector (400) connecting the processing compartment (100) and the storage compartment (200), a conveyor (130) arranged at the outlet of the crusher (110) and arranged to transfer the polystyrene ground material to the compartment storage (200) via the connection (400), a motor unit arranged to drive the conveyor (130) and the crusher (110) so that the conveyor (130) has a transfer rate substantially greater than the output rate of the crusher ( 110). Figure for the abstract: Fig. 5]

Description

Utility vehicle for collecting polystyrene

The present invention relates to the field of recycling polystyrene, in particular expanded polystyrene, also known by the acronym PSE.

Expanded polystyrene is a material with excellent thermal insulation, shock absorption, mechanical strength and waterproofing capabilities. This material is also very light and can be shaped into a variety of shapes. Very versatile, expanded polystyrene thus finds multiple uses in the building industry or in packaging, in particular for small businesses.

In applications such as packaging, expanded polystyrene liners are a wasted material, so it would be desirable to recycle.

Large retail outlets, such as hypermarkets, can equip themselves with polystyrene presses capable of converting blocks of expanded polystyrene into an aggregate of small polystyrene balls, much denser, assembled in the form of bars. These can be transported at reasonable cost to a recycling plant, which is used to produce new expanded polystyrene parts, for example by molding, injection or extrusion.

On the other hand, other users, especially small businesses, can neither afford such presses nor store them given their large footprint. The polystyrene is therefore discarded, and transported to the landfill by the public cleaning services. This is inappropriate because transporting large, light parts is expensive and polluting, especially when mixed with other denser waste.

The invention improves the situation.

To this end, the invention provides a utility vehicle of the type comprising a workspace, characterized in that it comprises:

- a processing compartment and a storage compartment in the workspace,

- a crusher placed in the treatment compartment, designed to transform blocks of expanded polystyrene at the inlet into a ground polystyrene at the outlet,

- an opening to form an access to the entrance of the crusher from the outside,

- a connector connecting the treatment compartment and the storage compartment,

- a conveyor arranged at the outlet of the crusher and arranged to transfer the polystyrene ground material to the storage compartment via the connection,

a motor unit arranged to drive the conveyor and the crusher so that the conveyor has a transfer rate substantially greater than the output rate of the crusher.

This vehicle is very advantageous because it allows the grinding of expanded polystyrene before transporting it to the storage compartment. This utility vehicle can thus carry much more expanded polystyrene than any conventional utility vehicle of similar volume. In addition, the expanded polystyrene thus transported is already crushed, which makes it possible to densify it directly by a polystyrene press. Recycling the polystyrene transported by the utility vehicle is simplified.

In various variants, the utility vehicle may further have one or more of the following characteristics:

- the conveyor includes an endless screw,

- The utility vehicle according to one of the preceding claims comprises a loading hopper, arranged in the processing compartment between the opening and the inlet of the crusher,

- the motor unit comprises a motor pump unit which supplies a hydraulic motor driving the conveyor and a hydraulic motor driving the crusher with fluid,

- the workspace has a door to access the storage compartment from the outside,

- a wall of the storage compartment includes a suction opening, the suction opening being connectable to the end of a suction pipe,

- the crusher is a two-rotor crusher,

- the two rotors each have a respective rotor axis, the two rotor rotation axes being parallel to each other, and in which the rotor axes are parallel to a floor of the treatment space and together define an inclined rotor plane with respect to said floor,

- the rotor plane is inclined at an angle of between 20 and 30 degrees relative to the floor, and

- the commercial vehicle has a permissible gross vehicle weight (PTAC) of less than 3.5 T.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will be set out in detail in the description below, made with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

- represents a schematic perspective view of the utility vehicle according to the invention,

- shows a side view of the utility vehicle of Figure 1,

- represents the utility vehicle of Figure 2 along line III-III,

- represents the utility vehicle of Figure 2 along line IV-IV,

- represents the utility vehicle of Figure 4 along line VV,

- shows the crusher, conveyor and hopper of the utility vehicle of Figure 4 along line VI-VI,

- represents the crusher, the conveyor and the hopper of figure 6 along line VII-VII,

- shows the crusher and conveyor of the utility vehicle of figure 5,

- shows a detail IX of figure 8,

- shows a detail X of figure 8,

- represents the crusher and the hopper of figure 6,

- represents the crusher and the hopper of figure 11 along line XII-XII,

- shows a detail XIII of figure 12,

- shows a detail XIV of figure 12,

- shows a variant of the conveyor of the utility vehicle of Figure 5, and

- shows a coupling element of the conveyor of figure 15.

The appended drawings essentially contain elements of a certain nature. They can therefore not only serve to better understand the present invention, but also contribute to its definition, if necessary.

Reference is made to Figures 1 to 14.

A utility vehicle 1 according to the invention comprises a driver's space 2 and a workspace 4 opposite. Workspace 4, also known as cargo space, defines the useful volume of the utility vehicle. On the utility vehicle 1, the left, the right, the top, the bottom, the front and the rear are defined by reference to the driver installed in the driving position in the driver's space 2, and in the direction of travel.

In the example described here, the workspace 4 is substantially parallelepiped. The utility vehicle here comprises rear wheels 10, 12, and front wheels 14 and 16. It may have more wheels, for example if it is provided with a rear axle with dual wheels. The useful volume of the utility vehicle 1 is between 15 and 30 m ³ , preferably between 18 and 25 m ³ . In one embodiment, the utility vehicle 1 belongs to the category of utility vehicles with a PTAC (total permissible laden weight) of less than 3.5 T. Vehicles in this category can be driven with a B or E license with a trailer. . In the example described here, the utility vehicle 1 is a Master, from the manufacturer Renault. The useful volume here is approximately 22 m ³ .

The workspace 4 comprises a processing compartment 100 and a storage compartment 200. In the example described here, the processing compartment 100 is at the front of the storage compartment 200. The storage compartment 200 here defines a internal volume of about 15 m ³ . Here, the treatment compartment 100 is separated from the storage compartment 200 by a partition 300. In the example described here, this partition 300 is made of a composite material, for example based on polyester fibers, fiberglass, plexiglass, or a combination of these. A connector 400 is provided on the partition 300 to connect the treatment compartment 100 to the storage compartment 200.

The processing compartment 100 includes the elements for transforming blocks of expanded polystyrene into a shredded piece of polystyrene. The treatment compartment 100 comprises a crusher 110 and a conveyor 130, which are here mounted on a rigid structure 102. The rigid structure 102 can be mounted on a floor 104 of the treatment space 100. This floor 104 is preferably horizontal. when the utility vehicle 1 is on a horizontal surface. The processing compartment 100 further comprises a motor unit 140 for driving the crusher 110 and the conveyor 130.

The crusher 110 is arranged to transform blocks of expanded polystyrene into a polystyrene ground. Styrofoam blocks typically can be pieces of packaging, or pieces of styrofoam. The polystyrene ground material produced by the mill 110 is generally in the form of a mass of polystyrene pieces of a size less than one decimeter, preferably less than 45 mm. To do this, the crusher is fitted with blades which will crush the blocks of expanded polystyrene between themselves and / or against the walls of the crusher 110.

In the example described here, the grinder 110 is a grinder with two rotors 112 and 114. The two rotors 112 and 114 rotate in opposite directions, so as to perform the grinding. Each of the rotors 112 and 114 has a plurality of blades 1100 for crushing blocks of expanded polystyrene. The mill 110 can be tilted, the rotor axes of the rotors 112 and 114 being horizontal and defining between them a plane of rotors. This inclination facilitates the gripping of the polystyrene blocks by the blades of the mill, which avoids blockages and increases the rate of introduction of the polystyrene blocks into the mill 10. Alternatively, the mill could be with a single rotor, or with four. rotors.

The rotor plane is inclined at an angle of between 20 and 30 degrees, preferably an angle of between 23 and 27 degrees, relative to the floor 104 of the storage compartment 100, that is to say relative to the floor. 'horizontal. In the example described here, this angle of inclination between the plane of the rotors and the horizontal is approximately 25 degrees.

The conveyor 130 is disposed at the outlet of the grinder 110. The conveyor 130 receives the polystyrene ground product produced by the grinder 110 and transports it from the treatment compartment 100 to the storage compartment 200 through the connector 400. In the example described here, the conveyor 130 is disposed below the crusher 110, so that the polystyrene ground material from the crusher 110 falls by gravity towards the conveyor 130. The central structure 102 comprises between the crusher 110 and the conveyor 130 side walls which direct the Polystyrene grind falling from the mill 110 to the conveyor 130. The central structure 102 also includes under the conveyor 130 a bottom wall which keeps the polystyrene grind fallen from the crusher 110 in proximity to the crusher 130 after its fall is complete.

The conveyor 130 here comprises an endless screw 132 mounted on the structure 102 of the treatment compartment 100. The endless screw 132 is in a pivot connection about an axis of rotation 134 with respect to the structure 102. The endless screw 132 has a first end 1320 and a second end 1322. The first end 1320 of the worm 132 is near the fitting 400 and the second end 1322 is remote from the said fitting 400. Here, the fitting 400 comprises a portion of cylindrical pipe 402, the axis of revolution of which is aligned with the axis 134 of the worm 132. The pivot connection between the worm 132 and the structure 102 is here produced by means of two bearings 1324 and 1326, each arranged at the same time. one of the ends 1320 and 1322 of the worm 132. The worm 132 shown in the figures is a single helix, but could alternatively be a double helix. In the example described here, the first bearing 1324 is a plain bearing and the second bearing 1326 is a ball bearing with lip seals for sealing and dust resistance.

When the worm 132 is rotated by the motor unit 140, its propeller transports the polystyrene pieces of the polystyrene mash produced by the mill from the processing compartment 100 to the storage compartment 200 via the fitting 400.

The grinder 110 produces ground polystyrene at a grinding rate which can reach up to about 20 m ³ / h (or 200 kg / h), or even up to 25 m ³ / h (or 250 kg / h). The worm 132 of the conveyor 130 transports the polystyrene shredded material at a polystyrene conveying rate of up to 30 m3 / h (or 1050 kg / h), or even up to 44 m ³ / h (or 1540 kg / h). In the example described here, the nominal value of the grinding flow rate is approximately 15 m ³ / h (or 150 kg / h) and the nominal value of the conveying flow rate is approximately 25 m 3 / h (or 875 kg / h).

The flow rate of the conveyor 130 is thus clearly greater than the flow rate of the mill 110. In fact, all the polystyrene ground material produced by the grinder 110 is discharged by the conveyor 130 faster than the grinder 110 produces ground material, so that it no blockage occurs at the outlet of the crusher 110.

As a variant (not shown in the figures), the conveyor 130 could include a jack pushing the ground polystyrene coming from the crusher 110 through the connector 400.

A door 6 is provided in a wall 8 of the workspace 4. The door 6 forms an access to the interior of the treatment compartment 100, and in particular to the entrance of the crusher 110. Here, the door 6 is. provided in the side wall 8 on the right side of the workspace 4, so as to be accessible from a sidewalk that would run alongside the utility vehicle 1 in a country where traffic is on the right. Door 6 is sliding here. As a variant (not shown), the door 6 could be hinged and pivoting and / or provided on the left side of the utility vehicle 1. As a variant (not shown), the door 6 could be a roller shutter.

The motor group 140 drives the conveyor 130 and the grinder 110. In the example described here, the motor group 140 comprises a first motor 142 driving the worm 132, and a second motor 144 and a third motor 146 to drive both. rotors 112 and 114 of the crusher 110, as can be seen in particular in FIG. 7. The second motor 144 and the third motor 146 here drive the two rotors 112 and 114 at a substantially equal speed of rotation, and in opposite directions. 'to one another. Here, the rotational speed of the rotors 112 and 114 is 64 rpm and the first motor 142 drives the worm 132 at a speed of substantially 101 rpm.

In one embodiment, the motors 142, 144 and 146 of the power unit 140 are hydraulic motors. The motor unit 140 further comprises a motor pump group 148 which supplies the motors 142, 144 and 146 of the motor group 140 with fluid. The motor pump group 148 comprises a pump and a heat or electric motor for supplying said pump. Here, the pump set includes a diesel engine 1480 and an electrical box 1482 to control the pump set. The pump of the pump unit 148 is here hydraulic. This arrangement of the motor unit 140 allows it to be autonomous, that is to say not to need external power to operate, while maintaining a reduced weight in the context of a utility vehicle with a GVW of less. from 3.5 T.

In the example described here, the mill 110, with two rotors, has a power of 1.2 kW per rotor, or 2.4 kW in total. The conveyor 130 with the worm has here a power of 1.3 kW. The pump unit 148 supplying the motor unit 140 here has a power of 3.7 kW.

As a variant, the second motor 144 and the third motor 146 could be replaced by a single motor to drive the two rotors 112 and 114. Still alternatively, the motor group 140 could comprise a single motor which would drive the grinder 110 and the mill. conveyor 130. The motors 142, 144 and 146 of the motor unit 140 could alternatively be motors of a different type, for example diesel motors or electric motors.

In an optional embodiment, the utility vehicle 1 includes a hopper 150 for receiving the blocks of expanded polystyrene and directing them towards the inlet of the crusher 110. The hopper 150 has a mouth 152 for receiving said blocks of expanded polystyrene. The door 6 opens onto the mouth 152 of the hopper 150. The hopper 150 is disposed upstream of the crusher 110, preferably near the inlet of the crusher 110. Here, the hopper 150 is arranged substantially above the crusher 110. so that the blocks of expanded polystyrene introduced into the hopper 150 fall into the grinder 110. In the example described here, the mouth 152 of the hopper 150 is also flared, which facilitates the introduction of these blocks of expanded polystyrene in the hopper 150.

The utility vehicle 1 according to the invention thus allows easy collection of expanded polystyrene parts produced by establishments such as small shops, restaurants, hotel establishments, hospitals and clinics, and more generally any establishment that does not produce a sufficient volume of lost expanded polystyrene parts to justify the installation of a press.

After having been possibly broken, these pieces of expanded polystyrene are thrown through the opening formed by the door 6 in the mouth 152 of the hopper 150. By gravity, these pieces go down to the crusher 110, which crushes them into a shredded material. of polystyrene. This polystyrene ground material is transported by the conveyor 130 through the fitting 400 to the storage compartment 200. In the example described here, the grinding and conveying of about 2 m ³ of pieces of expanded polystyrene (about 20 kg ) last about 8 minutes. These 20 kg represent the daily production of expanded polystyrene blocks in small businesses.

The storage compartment 200 is provided with means for discharging the ground polystyrene which it stores. In one embodiment (not shown), the storage compartment 200 is provided with a nozzle for connecting its interior to a suction device, the evacuation of the ground polystyrene from the utility vehicle 1 by suction. In another embodiment, the storage compartment 200 includes doors at the rear of the vehicle.

In the raw state, that is to say in the form of aggregate, the expanded polystyrene takes the form of polystyrene balls a few millimeters in diameter trapping gas bubbles. The pieces of polystyrene ground material coming from the mill 110 and the pieces of expanded polystyrene entering the mill 110 are aggregates of polystyrene beads. On the other hand, the steric hindrance of the ground polystyrene material is considerably lower than that of said pieces of expanded polystyrene. In fact, the utility vehicle 1 can pass expanded polystyrene parts with a density of about 10 kg / m³ to ground expanded polystyrene with a density of 35 kg / m³.

It is thus possible to more than triple the amount of expanded polystyrene transportable by a single utility vehicle. In addition, the recycling of polystyrene shred is simpler than that of expanded polystyrene parts, as there is no need to grind the polystyrene shred before passing it through a polystyrene press, unlike polystyrene blocks. . Recycling circuits equipped with such a utility vehicle thus become more profitable. The very activity of recycling expanded polystyrene parts is becoming economically viable.

A utility vehicle capable of crushing, storing and transporting large masses of expanded polystyrene parts has been described. This utility vehicle can be integrated into an expanded polystyrene recycling circuit accessible to establishments consuming expanded polystyrene parts, regardless of their size. In such a recycling circuit, a fleet of utility vehicles of the type described above collects and crushes expanded polystyrene parts on site from establishments adhering to said recycling circuit. Once full, commercial vehicles transport the polystyrene crushed and stored as shredded material to a processing point. The treatment point is equipped with a polystyrene press which transforms this ground material by densification into polystyrene granulate bars with a density of approximately 350 kg / m ³ . The recycling rate of polystyrene parts can thus increase significantly and establishments consuming polystyrene can save space and storage costs of polystyrene parts.

A fully enclosed workspace 2 has been described, with the exception of an access to the inlet of the crusher and of an outlet for discharging the polystyrene grind out of the storage compartment. As a variant, it is possible to provide an additional compartment in a trailer (not shown in the figures), or even in an open trailer. The additional compartment allows you to store more ground polystyrene. The trailer can be equipped with a tarpaulin, to keep the polystyrene shredded within the additional compartment. The trailer can for example comprise a closed box of 30 m ³ made of composite material forming the storage compartment 200.

Reference is now made to Figures 15 and 16.

In the embodiment described here, the connector 400 protrudes into the storage compartment 200, and the worm 132 of the conveyor 130 extends through substantially all of the connector 400. The conveyor 130 further includes an additional segment 500. which includes an additional worm 502. The worm 502 is housed in a portion of tube 504. When the additional segment 500 is in the operational position, the portion of tube 504 is in the extension of the connector 400, and the worm additional end 502 is integral in rotation with the worm 132. The additional segment 500 can run over the entire length of the storage compartment 200, or only over a part. In the example described here, the additional segment runs to the additional compartment. Here, the additional segment 500 and the fitting 400 protrude from the partition 300 into the storage compartment 200 by a length of about 1 meter. The tube portion 504 of the additional segment 500 may be rigid or flexible.

The additional segment 500 can be retractable. To do this, the tube portion 504 can be connected to the connector 400 by an articulation, here a hinge 506. The worm 132 and the additional worm 502 are here able to engage removably by means of A coupling 508. The worm 132 can drive the additional worm 502 through the coupling 508 when the additional segment 500 is in the operational position. The retraction of the additional segment 500 can be done manually. Alternatively, it could be mechanized, for example by means of a motor or a cylinder.

The coupling 508 includes a first coupling member 510 and a second coupling member 512, respectively attached to the worm 132 and the additional worm 502. Here, the first coupling member 510 includes a surface cam 5100. The second coupling element 512 is generally similar in shape to the first coupling element 510, if not identical. The mutual engagement of the cam surfaces of the coupling elements 510 and 512 of the coupling 508 realizes the rotational drive of the additional worm 502 by the worm 132. Here, the first coupling member 510 comprises two tabs 5102 and 5104 to be mounted integral in rotation with the worm 132.

Here, the worm 132 and the additional worm 502 are rotatably mounted, respectively in the fitting 400 and in the tube portion 504, via self-aligning bearings 514 and 516. Alternatively, single bearings could be. used in place of self-aligning bearings.

When the additional segment 500 is retracted, the size of the conveyor 130 is reduced, allowing it to fit in the storage compartment 200 of the utility vehicle 1 without a trailer. When the additional segment 500 is deployed, the conveyor can transport ground polystyrene to the additional compartment in the trailer. The installation of the trailer containing the additional storage compartment is simplified. It is also possible to retract and deploy the additional segment 500 so as to be able to selectively fill the additional compartment of the trailer or the storage compartment 200.

Claims (10)

Utility vehicle of the type comprising a workspace (4), characterized in that it comprises:
- a processing compartment (100) and a storage compartment (200) provided in the workspace (4),
- a crusher (110) placed in the treatment compartment (100), arranged to transform blocks of expanded polystyrene at the inlet into a ground polystyrene at the outlet,
- an opening (6) to form an access to the entrance of the crusher (110) from the outside,
- a connector (400) connecting the treatment compartment (100) and the storage compartment (200),
- a conveyor (130) arranged at the outlet of the crusher (110) and arranged to transfer the polystyrene ground material to the storage compartment (200) via the connector (400),
- a motor unit (140) arranged to drive the conveyor (130) and the crusher (110) so that the conveyor (130) has a transfer rate substantially greater than the output rate of the crusher (110). A utility vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the conveyor (130) comprises an endless screw (132). Utility vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a loading hopper (150), arranged in the treatment compartment (100) between the opening (6) and the inlet of the crusher (110) . Utility vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the power unit (140) comprises a pump unit (148) which supplies fluid to a hydraulic motor driving the conveyor (130) and a hydraulic motor driving the crusher (110). Utility vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the workspace (4) is provided with a door to access the storage compartment (200) from the outside. A utility vehicle according to any preceding claim, wherein in a wall of the storage compartment (200) includes a suction opening, the suction opening connectable to the end of a suction pipe. A utility vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the crusher (110) is a two-rotor crusher (112, 114). A utility vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the two rotors (112, 114) each have a respective rotor axis, the two rotor rotation axes being parallel to each other, and wherein the rotor axes are parallel to a floor ( 104) of the treatment space (100) and together define a plane of rotors inclined relative to said floor (104). A utility vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the plane of rotors is inclined at an angle of between 20 and 30 degrees relative to the floor (104). Commercial vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the commercial vehicle has a permissible gross vehicle weight (GVWR) of less than 3.5 T.