JP2001105190A - Cup squeezing and recovering device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily and rapidly bag a large number of cups discharged in sites such as hamburger shops in a compact manner without scattering pulverized pieces and dusts, and to carry a centralized treatment facility in a non-bulky manner. SOLUTION: A pair of V-shaped cup squeezing belt mechanisms 11 and 11' comprise belts 14 and 14' stretched between upper rollers 12 and 12' and lower rollers 13 and 13' to be rotated by a motor at a predetermined position, and the lower rollers 13 and 13' are mounted on rotation supporting members 25 and 25'.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cup crusher for crushing used paper cups, plastic cups and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, paper cups, plastic cups and the like have been actively used in hamburger shops and vending machines, and a large amount of used cups has been discharged.
These used cups are collected and transported from waste boxes of hamburger shops and vending machines, and are processed intensively. By the way, cups are lightweight, but when they are in large quantities, they become extremely bulky and bulky. Therefore, the number of times of transportation must be increased and the time and effort required for transportation by truck or the like, even if the weight is small.

[0003] Devices for processing cups are already known. For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 6-32401 discloses a method in which a glass is cut and ground.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is based on the premise that the above-mentioned large-volume cups are intensively processed and can be transported to a centralized processing facility without being bulky. That is, it is an object of the present invention to realize a cup collecting apparatus that performs crushing efficiently at a site such as a hamburger shop.

That is, in a hamburger shop or the like, as a specialty of a food providing site, it is important that a treated cup can be easily and quickly compacted without scattering of crushed pieces and dust. It is not required until it is pulverized on site. Then, it is necessary to crush the cup at a minimum, and the further processing is performed in the central processing facility.

[0006] By the way, crushing a cup by hand is
Although it is simpler than crushing a beverage can or the like, crushing automatically by a mechanical device is difficult other than that. The reason is that the cup is lightweight and has a suitable elasticity,
If the cup surface is slippery or has a conical mounting shape, it will slip on the surface of the roller, slip off to the side, or become jammed between rollers when trying to crush it through a pair of rollers. It is because. There is also a means of crushing with a press, but the structure is complicated, the dimensions are large, the cost is high, and it is not suitable for easy installation at a site such as a hamburger hop.

The inventor of the present invention has conducted intensive research and development to solve such a problem, and as a result, came to come up with a cup and cup crushing and collecting apparatus of the present invention. The specific task is to squeeze the cup tightly without slipping. A pair of rollers for crushing are moved so that clogging does not occur in the cup crushing mechanism and the crushed cup is positively discharged. Prevents the problem of slipping through the side when the cup is crushed. If discarded with ice, ensure that the ability to crush is not impaired by slippage due to ice. The mechanism for crushing is not complicated, the configuration is simple, and it can be realized at low cost. The treated crushed cup does not generate dust.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention is a cup crushing and collecting apparatus provided with a pair of cup crushing belt mechanisms arranged in a V-shape,
The pair of cup crushing belt mechanisms includes a pair of upper rollers that are rotationally driven by a motor at a fixed position, a pair of rotatable lower rollers, and a pair of tension rollers that are stretched between the pair of upper rollers and the lower rollers. Composed of a belt and
The pair of lower rollers are attached to a rotatable supporting member rotatable in a vertical plane around a certain point, and the pair of rotatable supporting members always connect the pair of lower rollers to the pair of belts. The pair of lower rollers are biased by a pair of springs in a direction of pressing each other through the pair of lower rollers when the crushed cup passes between the pair of lower rollers via the pair of belts. A cup crushing and recovering device characterized in that it rotates in a direction away from and upwards against the pair of springs.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention comprises a cup guide hopper attached to a frame and a pair of cup crushing belt mechanisms arranged in a V shape below the cup guide hopper, A collection box that is disposed below the pair of cup crushing belt mechanisms and that can collect the crushed cup that can be pulled out from the frame and that has a collection box, wherein the pair of cup crushes is provided. The belt mechanism is composed of a pair of upper rollers driven by a motor at a certain position, a pair of rotatable lower rollers, and a pair of belts stretched between the pair of upper rollers and the lower rollers. The pair of lower rollers are attached to a rotatable support member rotatable in a vertical plane around a fixed point, and the pair of rotatable support members are At the time, the pair of lower rollers are urged by a pair of springs in a direction of pressing each other via the pair of belts, and the crushed cup passes between the pair of lower rollers via the pair of belts. In this case, there is provided a cup crushing and collecting device characterized in that the pair of lower rollers rotate in a direction away from each other and upward against the pair of springs.

[0010] An input port for charging the cup guide hopper is provided on the frame, and an opening / closing door is provided at the input port. When the door is opened, the cup is closed, and the door is closed, a timer operates for a predetermined time to activate the motor. May be rotated.

[0011] The pair of cup crushing belt mechanisms,
The angle formed between one cup crushing belt mechanism and the horizontal plane is 77 to 83 °, more preferably 80 °, and the angle formed between the other cup crushing belt mechanism and the horizontal plane is 69 °.
If the angle is set to 75 °, more preferably 73 °, the cup can be crushed efficiently.

A brush or a scraper for removing ice adhered to the belt surfaces of the pair of cup crushing belt mechanisms may be provided detachably.

[0013] The rotation support member may be provided with a handle for enabling a person to turn against the spring.

[0014]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a crushing and collecting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of the entire cup crushing and collecting apparatus according to the present invention.

The cup crushing and collecting device 1 has a box-shaped frame 2 as a whole, and a cup crushing mechanism 3 is mounted in the frame 2. A cup insertion hole 4 is formed in a front wall 16 of the frame 2. An opening door 5 that can be opened and closed is provided in the cup insertion hole 4. The upper end of the input door 5 is hinged to the top wall 6 of the frame 2.
It is pivoted at. A hopper 9 for guiding the cup 8 downward is formed at the upper part of the frame 2. Hopper 9
Is formed by front and rear walls and left and right side walls, and an opening 10 is formed at the bottom.

A cup crushing mechanism 3 for crushing the cup 8 is provided below the hopper 9. The cup crushing mechanism 3 includes a pair of cup crushing belt mechanisms 11, 11 'arranged in a V-shape. The cup crushing belt mechanisms 11 and 11 ′ are configured such that a pair of belts 14 and 14 ′ are mounted between a pair of rotationally driven upper rollers 12 and 12 ′ and a pair of rotatable lower rollers 13 and 13 ′. Is done.

The upper rollers 12, 12 'are mounted so that the positions of their axes do not change.
5, 15 '(see FIG. 3). The lower rollers 13 and 13 ′ are movably attached so that the position of the axis moves along a fixed trajectory.
At 4 ', it is rotated by the driving force of the upper rollers 12, 12'. A pair of cup crushing belt mechanisms 11, 11 '
Details of the cup crushing mechanism will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a cross section taken along line AA of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a cross section taken along line BB of FIG. FIG.
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a main part of FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 3, a pair of substantially triangular support members 18 and 18 ′ and a pair of mounting brackets 19 are provided on front and rear walls 16 and 17 of the frame 2.
19 'is fixed.

The motors 15, 15 'and the reduction mechanisms 20, 20' are mounted on the mounting brackets 19, 19 '. The rotating shafts 21 and 21 ′ to which the upper rollers 12 and 12 ′ are attached have their left ends connected to the speed reduction mechanisms 20 and 20 ′ via a coupling 22, and their right ends mounted on the right side wall of the frame 2 with bearings 23 and It is rotatably mounted via 23 '(the reference numeral 23 does not appear in the figure but is described for the moment). The rotational force of the motors 15, 15 'is reduced by the reduction mechanisms 20, 20' and the couplings 22, 22 '.
(The reference numeral 22 does not appear in the figure but is described for the time being.) The rotation is transmitted to the rotation shafts 21 and 21 ', and the upper rollers 12, 12' are rotated.

In FIG. 4, a pair of mounting pieces 24, 24 'are fixed to the lower portion of 19, 19'.
Rotation support members 25, 25 'having a U-shaped cross section are provided at 4, 24'.
Is pivoted. Rotation shafts 26 and 26 ′, to which lower rollers 13 and 13 ′ are rotatably mounted via bearings, have their left ends mounted on rotation support members 25 and 25 ′ and their right ends mounted on right side wall 27 of frame 2. Bearing 28, 2
It is rotatably mounted via 8 '(the reference numeral 28 does not appear in the figure but is described for the time being).

Above the rotation supporting members 25, 25 ', spring receiving members 29, 29' are attached to the mounting brackets 19, 1 '.
9 ′. Spring receiving member 29,
Compression coil springs 30, 30 'are provided between the lower surface of 29' and the rotation supporting members 25, 25 '. As a result, the pair of rotation supporting members 25, 25 'are normally biased downward in a direction approaching each other as shown by solid arrows in FIG. 3, and the pair of lower rollers 13, 13' face each other. It is urged in the direction of pushing.

In this case, a pair of lower rollers 13, 13 '
Are prevented from each other, so that the pair of rotation supporting members 25, 25 'do not rotate downward,
The dimensions of 13 'and the rotation support members 25, 25' are designed. It should be noted that a pair of rotation support members 2
A restricting piece for preventing the rotation of 5, 25 'downward may be provided on the mounting bracket 19, 19' or the like. When the glass 8 passes, the pair of lower rollers 13 and 13 ′
When an external force is applied to the rotary support member 25 or a force is applied upward to the rotation supporting members 25 and 25 'for maintenance, it is possible to rotate as shown by a dotted arrow in FIG.

3 and 4, a pair of rotation supporting members 2 are shown.
The ends of a pair of L-shaped handles 31, 31 'are pivotally attached to 5, 25', and the central portions of the handles 31, 31 'are pivotally attached to mounting brackets 19, 19'. Fig. 4 at all times
As shown in (a), the pair of lower rollers 13, 13 'is urged in a direction of pressing each other and is stationary. FIG. 4 (b)
As shown in the figure, a pair of locking rods 32, 32 'are provided on the back surfaces of the pair of mounting brackets 19, 19'.
It is slidably mounted on guide pieces 33, 33 'attached to the mounting brackets 19, 19' so as to be able to come and go in the passage 1 '.

Then, the maintenance person rotates the rotary support member 25 in the direction of the arrow as shown in FIG. Can be pushed open. Then, as shown in FIG. 4D, the locking rod 32 can be protruded and held while the handle 31 is rotated clockwise.

In FIG. 6 (a), the present inventor of the present invention pushes the cup at various mounting angles with respect to the mounting angles θ ₁ and θ ₂ of the pair of cup crushing belt mechanisms 11 and 11 'arranged in the V-shape. As a result of repeating the crushing experiment, one angle θ
₁ is 77 ° to 83 °, and the other angle θ ₂ is slightly shifted from the angle θ ₁ to be 69 to 75 °.
4, 14 'were found to be able to clamp the cup tightly and crush it. More preferably, theta ₁ and 80 °, theta ₂ and when 73 °, it is possible to crush the more effectively the cup.

In FIG. 1, a cup collection box 34 for collecting the crushed cup is mounted below the pair of cup crushing belt mechanisms 11 and 11 'so as to be able to be pulled out forward.

In some cases, the cup 8 containing ice is put into the cup crushing and collecting apparatus 1. In such a case, ice adheres to the surfaces of the belts 14 and 14 ',
The cup 8 that is about to be crushed slips, and a situation occurs in which the cup 8 bites between the pair of belts 14 and 14 ′ and cannot be crushed.

To prevent this, a pair of belts 1
An ice scraping brush or scraper 35, 35 'is attached to the surface of 4, 14'. Brushes or scrapers 35, 35 'are detachably mounted on holders 36, 36' attached to the front wall 16 and the rear wall 17 of the frame 2, and when the brushes or scrapers 35, 35 'are worn, they can be replaced. .

Since the cup 8 has a conical head shape, a pair of cup crushing belt mechanisms 11, 1
If the cup 8 is pinched and crushed between 1 ', the cup 8 may slip to the side and slip out. In order to prevent this, a pair of cup crushing belt mechanisms 1
Enclosures or walls may be provided around 1, 11 ', but the structure becomes complicated and the cost increases. Therefore, in the present invention, a blocking piece 37 is attached to the lower end of the hopper 9 and is vertically suspended in order to prevent the cup from jumping out of the side due to the slip-through (see FIGS. 2 and 3. Described as an imaginary line.)

After the user inserts the cup 8 through the charging hole 4, he changes his mind and tries to recover the cup 8. An accident involving the mechanism 11, 11 'is assumed. In order to prevent such an accident, in the cup crushing and collecting apparatus 1 of the present invention, when the cup 8 is opened through the insertion door 5 and is inserted through the insertion hole, and then closed, the motors 15 and 15 'operate for a certain period of time. An electric circuit as shown in FIG. 5 (c), including a switch and a timer, is provided.

As means for detecting the opening and closing of the input door 5,
A switch operation hook 38 is provided inside the input door 5. On the other hand, on the lower surface of the top wall 6 of the frame 2, there is provided a switch 39 which is activated when the opening door 5 is opened and then closed. 5A and 5B, the switch 39 is configured to close the automatic reset type normally open switch SW with the switch operation lever 40.

In FIG. 5A, in the process of opening the closing door 5 (clockwise direction of the arrow), the switch operating hook 38 is used.
However, the switch operation lever 40 is gently abutted against the bent portion of the switch operation lever 40, the switch operation lever 40 is rotated counterclockwise, and the switch SW is not closed, but in FIG. 5B, the closing door 5 is opened ( In the process of the arrow clockwise), the switch actuating hook 38
Is configured to rotate the switch operation rod 40 counterclockwise while engaging with the bent portion of the switch operation rod 40, and to close the switch SW with the switch operation rod 40.

In FIG. 5C, a power supply E and a switch S
W is connected in series with a timer T, and a self-holding electromagnetic coil R is connected in series with a timed switch Ts operated by the timer T.
Is connected. A self-holding switch RS which is self-held by an electromagnetic coil R is connected in series to the timer T. Motors 15 and 15 '(M15 and 15' in the figure) are connected in series with the electromagnetic coil R.

When the switch SW is momentarily closed when the closing door 5 is closed, the timer T operates and the timed switch Ts
Is closed and the self-holding switch Rs is activated by operating the electromagnetic coil R.
Close. As a result, the closing door 5 is closed, and the motors M15 and M15 'operate for a certain period of time.

The operation of the cup crushing and collecting apparatus 1 of the present invention having the above configuration will be described. In FIG. 1, the user pushes the input door 5 of the cup crushing and collecting apparatus 1 to insert a used cup 8. At this time, when the closing door 5 is closed, the switch 39 is operated, and the motors 15 and 15 'operate for a predetermined time as described above in the electric circuit shown in FIG. 5C. By the motors 15 and 15 ', the pair of belts 14 and 14' of the pair of cup crushing belt mechanisms 11 and 11 'rotate as shown by arrows in FIG.

The put cup 8 is guided in the hopper 9 and falls into the pair of cup crushing belt mechanisms 11, 11 '. The dropped cup 8 is a pair of belts 1
While being held between 4, 14 'and being sent downward, it is gradually pressed and crushed. Eventually, it is sandwiched between the pair of lower rollers 13 and 13 ′ via the belts 14 and 14 ′, crushed more thinly, and falls into the cup collection box 34. Then, the crushed cup 8 accumulated in the cup collection box 34 is collected by the person who manages the cup crush collection apparatus 1 pulls out the cup collection box 34, packs it into a bag, or the like.

One of the features of the cup crushing and collecting apparatus 1 of the present invention is that the lower rollers 13 and 13 ′ of the pair of belts 14 and 14 ′ hold the cup 8 while holding the cup 8.
It is configured to retreat upward against 0, 30 '. The operation of this configuration will be described with reference to FIG. FIG.
(D) is a figure which illustrates the effect | action of the cup crushing mechanism of this invention in principle.

FIG. 6 (a) shows a normal state, in which a pair of rotation supporting members 25, 25 'are acted on by springs 30, 30' as shown by arrows, and a pair of lower rollers 13, 13 'are mutually moved. It is in a state of being pressed and restrained. Here, the cup 8 is sandwiched between the pair of belts 14 and 14 ′, sent downward, and crushed gradually.

When the cup 8 is held between the lower rollers 13 and 13 'via the belts 14 and 14', FIG.
As shown in (b), a force f acts on the lower roller 14 (14 ') in the lateral direction in the figure, and a moment m about the pivot point O is generated on the rotation supporting member 25. As a result, the pair of rotation supporting members 25 and 25 'rotate slightly upward as shown by arrows against the elastic force of the springs 30 and 30', as shown in FIG. Move up and away from each other. The crushed cup 8 passes while being pinched between the pair of lower rollers 13 and 13 '.

As described above, the pair of lower rollers 13, 13 '
When passing while being pinched between the belts, the pair of belts bend slightly outward, and the lower rollers 13, 13 'retract slightly upward as described above while pinching the cup 8 therebetween. The elastic force of the lower rollers 13, 1 'is increased by the elastic force of the springs 30, 30'.
3 'is pushed back down. As a result, the crushed cup 8 falls so as to be pushed downward by the action of the elastic force of the springs 30 and 30 ′, and the lower rollers 13 and 1 ′.
Clogging between 3 'is prevented.

FIGS. 6E and 6F are comparative examples. In FIG. 6E, a pair of lower rollers 13 and 13 '
The rotating shafts 26, 26 'of the lower rollers 30, 30' are movably supported in horizontally formed long holes 41, 41 ', and are pressed from the sides by springs 42, 42' in the direction of the arrow. When the cup to be crushed is sandwiched between the lower rollers 30, 30 'via a belt, as shown in FIG.
It moves slightly as shown by the arrow in the horizontal direction against the elastic force of 2 ', and passes the cup while crushing it.

However, according to the structure of the comparative example, since the lower rollers 13, 13 'push slightly open while holding the cup 8, then return to the horizontal direction again. Spring 3 downward against
No pushing force due to 0, 30 'can be provided. As described above, the pair of belt mechanisms 11 of the present invention,
11 ′ is smaller than the configuration of this comparative example,
An extraordinary function is exhibited in that crushing by pressing and prevention of clogging between the lower rollers 13 and 13 ′ are achieved.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described based on the embodiments, it goes without saying that the present invention has various embodiments within the technical scope described in the claims.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the frame is a box-shaped frame 2. However, even if the frame is not a box-shaped frame 2, a hopper, a pair of crushing belt mechanisms, a cup collection box, A frame that supports and can attach components of the present invention, such as a brush,
Instead of a box shape, an assembly of rod materials may be used.

The motors 15 and 15 'are mounted on each of the pair of cup crushing belt mechanisms 11 and 11'. However, one motor 15 and 15 'is provided and the pair of cup crushing belts is driven by the gear transmission mechanism. The mechanisms 11, 11 'may be driven.

As the pair of belts 14 and 14 'mounted in the above-described embodiment, a normal belt for conveyance or transmission is used. Grooves (roughness) extending in the width direction on the inner surface of the belt
A so-called timing belt may be used, in which protrusions (irregularities) are provided on the surfaces of the upper and lower rollers to engage with the grooves. By using such a timing belt, slippage between each of the upper and lower rollers and the belt is eliminated, slippage between the upper and lower rollers and the belt due to jamming of a cup (jam) can be prevented, and strong crushing can be realized.

[0047]

According to the present invention having the above-described structure, a cup can be firmly held and crushed without slipping. Clogging does not occur in the crushing belt mechanism of the pair of cups, and the crushed cups can be positively discharged and dropped. When the cup is crushed, the blocking piece prevents the side from slipping out due to the slip-through. If you put ice in a cup, ice will adhere to the belt and the cup will easily slip on the belt.However, the ice removal brush or scraper is provided to prevent slipping and improve the ability to crush the cup. Does not drop. The mechanism for crushing is simple and can be realized at low cost. Since the treated cup is simply crushed, no dust or crushed pieces are generated.

Therefore, according to the cup crushing and collecting apparatus of the present invention, cups discharged in large quantities at a site such as a burger shop can be easily and quickly compacted without scattering of crushed pieces and dust at the site. And can be transported to a centralized treatment facility without bulk.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a side sectional view of the entire cup crushing and collecting apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a cross section taken along line AA of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a BB cross section of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a main part of FIG. 3 and an operation thereof.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an electric circuit of the cup crushing and collecting device according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS 1 cup crushing and collecting device 2 frame 3 cup crushing mechanism 4 cup loading hole 5 loading door 8 cup 9 hopper 10 bottom opening of hopper 11, 11 'cup crushing belt mechanism 12, 12' upper roller 13, 13 'lower roller 14, 14 'Belt 15, 15' Motor 19, 19 'Mounting bracket 25, 25' Rotation support member 30, 30 'Compression coil coil spring 31, 31' Handle 32, 32 'Locking rod 34 Cup collection box 35, 35 '' Brush or scraper for removing ice 37 Blocking piece 39 Switch

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A cup crushing and collecting device comprising a pair of cup crushing belt mechanisms arranged in a V-shape, wherein said pair of cup crushing belt mechanisms are driven by a motor at a predetermined position. Upper roller, a pair of rotatable lower rollers, and a pair of belts stretched between the pair of upper rollers and lower rollers, the pair of lower rollers, each centered on a certain point The pair of rotation support members are attached to a rotation support member rotatable in a vertical plane, and the pair of rotation support members are normally urged by a pair of springs in a direction of pressing the pair of lower rollers to each other via the pair of belts. When the cup to be crushed passes between the pair of lower rollers via the pair of belts, the pair of lower rollers move in the direction away from each other and upward. A cup crushing and collecting device which rotates against a pair of springs. 2. A cup guide hopper attached to a frame, and a pair of cup crushing belt mechanisms disposed in a V-shape below the cup guide hopper, and below the pair of cup crushing belt mechanisms. And a collection box for collecting a crushed cup that can be pulled out of the frame and collects the crushed cup, wherein the pair of cup crushing belt mechanisms are rotated by a motor at a fixed position. A pair of upper rollers to be driven, a pair of rotatable lower rollers, and a pair of belts stretched between the pair of upper rollers and the lower rollers, the pair of lower rollers are each fixed. The pair of rotation supporting members are always attached to the pair of lower rollers by the pair of lower rollers. The pair of lower rollers are urged by a pair of springs in the direction of pressing each other via the belt, and when the crushed cup passes between the pair of lower rollers via the pair of belts. A cup squeezing and collecting device which rotates upward and away from each other against the pair of springs. 3. An input port for charging the cup guide hopper is provided on the frame, an opening / closing door is provided at the input port, and when the door is opened, the cup is closed, and the door is closed, a timer operates for a predetermined time. 3. The crushing and collecting device according to claim 2, wherein the motor is rotated. 4. The pair of cup crushing belt mechanisms has an angle between one cup crushing belt mechanism and a horizontal plane of 77 to 83 °, and the angle formed between the other cup crushing belt mechanism and a horizontal plane. The crushing and collecting device for a glass according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the angle is 69 to 75 °. 5. A brush or a scraper for removing ice adhered to belt surfaces of the pair of cup crushing belt mechanisms is detachably provided. Cup crusher. 6. The rotation supporting member according to claim 1, further comprising a handle for allowing a person to turn against the spring. Glass crushing and collecting device.