JP2017104884A - Volume decrease machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a volume decrease machine which achieves excellent safety.SOLUTION: A volume decrease machine 1 of the invention includes: a casing 2 having an input port for receiving containers and a return port 4 for returning containers which the volume is not decreased; a pressing mechanism 21 provided in the casing 2 and used to decrease the volume of each container received from the input port; a recovery part 22 which recovers the containers which the volume is decreased by the pressing mechanism 21; a return passage 23 which is provided in the casing 2 and used to send the containers which the volume is not decreased by the pressing mechanism 21 to the return port; and a return port sensor 28 which detects the presence/absence of the container in the return passage 23.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a volume reduction machine with excellent safety. More specifically, the present invention relates to a volume reduction machine that can safely reduce the volume by separating only containers made of a specific material from containers made of different types of materials. Regarding the capacity.

  It is widespread that containers such as cans and plastic bottles containing drinking water are collected by a collection device from the viewpoint of reuse of material resources. A general collection device collects PET bottles and cans (aluminum cans, steel cans, etc.) by collecting them into collection boxes for each material. These containers have large internal cavities and are bulky, so that the collection box can quickly fill up and easily overflow. For this reason, a method of separating the containers into the collection boxes after volume reduction processing may be employed so that many containers can be accommodated in the collection boxes.

  For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a prior art that discloses a technique related to volume reduction processing. The volume reduction collection machine disclosed in Patent Document 1 is a metal sensor that detects a metal container such as a steel can or an aluminum can, a compression device that includes a fixed plate and a movable plate, and compresses the container with the fixed plate and the movable plate. And an overload sensor for detecting the load at the time of operation. This volume-recovery machine separates steel cans and aluminum cans from metal cans such as steel cans, aluminum cans, PET bottles, glass bottles, etc., and further separates glass bottles by weight. Steel cans, aluminum cans and pets The bottle is sandwiched between a fixed plate and a movable plate to reduce the volume. On the other hand, the glass bottle is discharged outside without being compressed and reduced in volume. Some glass bottles are not sorted by weight, but glass bottles that cannot be sorted by weight are sorted by an overload sensor. In other words, the load applied when the glass bottle is sandwiched between the movable plate and the fixed plate is detected by the overload sensor, and when the load corresponds to the glass bottle, the volume of the glass bottle is reduced by the movable plate and the fixed plate. It is discharged outside.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-5459

  The volume reduction collection machine disclosed in Patent Document 1 separates beverage containers (steel cans, aluminum cans, PET bottles, glass bottles, etc.) made of different materials, and various containers that can be reduced in volume are fixed plates. Glass bottles that are reduced in volume by the movable plate can be returned as they are without volume reduction. Moreover, since the glass bottle is prevented from being damaged by the fixed plate and the movable plate by the overload sensor, the safety is excellent.

  However, in the volumetric recovery machine disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the glass bottles are continuously charged, the glass bottles may collide with each other and the glass bottles may be broken.

  This invention is made | formed in view of the said present condition, The objective is to provide the volume reduction machine more excellent in safety | security.

  In order to solve the above problems, a volume reduction machine according to the present invention is provided in the casing having a charging port for receiving a container and a return port for returning a non-volume reducing container, A pressing mechanism for reducing the volume of the container received from the charging port; a recovery unit for recovering the container reduced by the pressing mechanism; and a container that is provided in the casing and is not reduced by the pressing mechanism. A return path for sending to the return port and a return port sensor for detecting the presence or absence of the container on the return path are provided.

  According to the above configuration, when the container is introduced from the introduction port, the container is compressed and reduced by the pressing mechanism and then collected by the collection unit. Therefore, the container collected in the collection unit is not bulky. In addition, when returning a non-volume-reducing container to the return port through the return path, this is detected by the return port sensor to prevent the container from being discharged to the return port in the presence of the container at the return port. Can be taken.

  The means here is to display a message prompting the user who has put the container into the inlet to take out the container returned to the return outlet, or to tell the container that the container has been returned by voice, There may be a means for notifying staff members around the volume reduction machine that the container has been returned to the return port by wired or wireless communication. By such means, when a container exists in the return port, the user or a staff member can be prompted to take out the container from the return port. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the containers from colliding with each other in the return port and damaging them, thereby improving the safety of the volume reduction machine. In addition, by taking the above measures, it is possible to inform the user when to discharge the container to the return port, so that it is possible to prevent the user from being injured by the container being returned to the return port. It becomes possible.

  The above configuration preferably further includes an illumination unit that can be lit so that the return port is illuminated, and a lighting control unit that lights the illumination unit when the container is detected by the return port sensor. It is preferable that the lighting control unit blinks the illumination unit when the container is detected by the return port sensor.

  According to the above configuration, at the timing when the return port sensor detects the discharge of the container, the lighting control unit controls the lighting unit to light the return port. Can be recognized by a user who has put in or a staff member around the volume reducer. By removing the container returned to the return port by the user or staff member who has recognized that the lighting unit is turned on, the container can be prevented from being damaged due to the continuous return of the container to the return unit, and the safety of the volume reducer is increased. be able to. Since it becomes difficult for the user to overlook that the container has been returned to the return port by blinking the illumination part, safety is further enhanced. In addition, by taking the above measures, it is possible to inform the user when to discharge the container to the return port, so that it is possible to prevent the user from being injured by the container being returned to the return port. It becomes possible.

  In the above configuration, preferably, the opening / closing door that opens and closes the insertion port, the locking member that prevents the opening / closing door from being opened in a closed state, and the locking member when the pressing mechanism is operating. And a lock control unit that locks the closed state of the open / close door.

  According to the above configuration, when the pressing mechanism is operating, the door can be prevented from being opened while the door is closed by the lock member. It is possible to prevent a hand or the like from being sandwiched by the pressing mechanism, thereby improving the safety of the volume reduction machine.

  In the above configuration, preferably, the open / close sensor that detects that the open / close door is in a closed state, and the pressing mechanism is operated based on the fact that the open / close sensor detects that the open / close door is in a closed state. A pressing mechanism control unit that controls the pressing mechanism and controls the pressing mechanism to prohibit the operation of the pressing mechanism based on the fact that the opening / closing sensor detects that the opening / closing door is not closed. And.

  According to the above configuration, since the opening / closing sensor detects that the opening / closing door is not closed, the pressing mechanism control unit controls the operation of the pressing mechanism so that the opening / closing door is open. Thus, it is possible to prevent the pressing mechanism from operating. As a result, it is possible to prevent the pressing mechanism from operating when the door is open and a hand or the like has entered from the insertion port. And the like can be double prevented, and the safety of the volume reducer can be further enhanced. Moreover, since the pressing mechanism is controlled so that the pressing mechanism operates based on the fact that the opening / closing sensor detects the closed state of the opening / closing door, the pressing mechanism is operated on the condition that the opening / closing door is closed. Can do. In other words, without providing a separate switch for starting the operation of the pressing mechanism, the container can be inserted by the pressing mechanism by opening the opening / closing door, inserting the container from the insertion port, and closing the opening / closing door. The configuration of the machine can be made simpler.

  In the above-described configuration, preferably, it further includes an inlet sensor that detects the presence of an object at the inlet, and the pressing mechanism control unit is configured to detect the pressing mechanism based on the detection of the object by the inlet sensor. Control to prohibit the operation.

  According to the above configuration, since the operation of the pressing mechanism is prohibited based on the detection of the object by the entrance sensor, for example, the pressing mechanism is prevented from operating when a hand or the like has entered from the insertion port. be able to. In other words, the pressing mechanism control unit not only controls to prohibit the operation of the pressing mechanism when the opening / closing door is open, but also when the entrance sensor detects a foreign matter passing through the insertion port. Since the operation is controlled so as to be prohibited, it is possible to prevent the hand or the like from being sandwiched by the pressing mechanism. This configuration is particularly useful when there is an object at the inlet even when the door or sensor is damaged and the inlet is open, even though the opening / closing sensor cannot detect it. Since the pressing mechanism is controlled so as not to operate, it is excellent in that a hand or the like entering from the insertion port is not caught in the pressing mechanism.

  In the above-described configuration, preferably, the apparatus further includes a capacity sensor that detects that the amount of the container collected in the collection unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined storage amount, and the capacity sensor operates in the vertical direction on the collection unit. Installed as possible.

  According to the above configuration, when the capacity sensor detects that the amount of the container in the recovery unit is equal to or greater than the predetermined storage amount, the container is efficiently recovered by taking out the volume-reduced container in the recovery unit. Can do. In addition, since the height position of the capacitance sensor can be moved in the vertical direction, the timing detected by the capacitance sensor can be adjusted according to the needs of the user. That is, for example, by moving the height position of the capacity sensor up and down, the capacity sensor can detect when the amount in the collection unit becomes, for example, the eighth minute, and the amount of the container in the collection unit is full It is also possible to detect the capacity sensor when it becomes. In addition, since the position of the capacity sensor can be adjusted up and down according to the size of the collection unit, the position of the capacity sensor can be customized according to the size of the collection unit used by the user.

  In the above configuration, preferably, the pressing mechanism is a fixed plate fixed above the charging port, and a specific material of the container positioned below the charging port and charged into the charging port. And a movable plate provided so as to move to a position where a container other than the container made of the specific material moves to the return path.

  According to the above configuration, the movable plate rotates with respect to the fixed plate, so that the container is sandwiched between the fixed plate and the movable plate and is compressed and reduced in volume. Then, after compression and volume reduction, the movable plate rotates in a direction away from the fixed plate, so that the compressed and reduced container falls from the movable plate and is collected by the collection unit. As described above, since the volume reduction and recovery of the container can be performed only by the operation of the movable plate, the volume reduction container is reduced by the configuration of a simple volume reduction machine, and the reduced volume is recovered by the recovery unit. be able to. Containers other than a container made of a specific material can be moved to the return path without being compressed and reduced by the fixed plate and the movable plate.

  The volume reducer of the present invention is excellent in safety.

It is a perspective view of the volume reduction machine which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a right view of the volume reduction machine shown in FIG. It is the figure which removed the front board of the volume reduction machine shown in FIG. It is an enlarged view of the operation plate of the casing shown in FIG. It is a front view showing the internal structure of the volume reduction machine shown in FIG. It is a right view showing the internal structure of the volume reduction machine shown in FIG. It is a block diagram explaining control by a control unit. It is a top view of a pressing mechanism. It is a figure which shows operation | movement of the movable plate of a press mechanism.

  Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(Overall structure of volume reduction machine)
1 and 2 are a perspective view and a side view, respectively, of the volume reducer 1 of the present embodiment. In the volume reducing machine 1 of this embodiment, when a container is inserted into the inlet 7a, the containers are sorted according to the material in the volume reducing machine 1, and only the container made of a specific material (for example, a plastic bottle) is reduced in volume. In addition to collecting, containers made of other materials (such as aluminum cans, steel cans, glass bottles, etc.) are returned to the return port 4 without being reduced in volume. As shown in FIG. A box-shaped casing 2 having a vertically long rectangular parallelepiped shape having the operation plate 2d is provided. The material of the container to be reduced is merely an example. For example, it is possible to reduce the volume of steel cans and aluminum cans and return the other containers (glass bottles and PET bottles) without reducing the volume.

  The casing 2 includes a front plate 2a, a rear plate 2b facing the rear side of the front plate 2a, a bottom plate, a top plate 2c, an operation plate 2d, a left side plate, a right side plate 2e, and each of these plates. And a frame structure combined with a supporting frame material.

  Regarding the outer shape of the casing 2 (that is, the volume reduction machine 1), the height of the casing 2 is about 1.5 m, the width (that is, between the left side plate and the right side plate) is about 0.8 m, and the depth (that is, the front side). The distance between the plate 2a and the rear plate 2b) is about 0.7 m. In the following description, “left” and “right” correspond to the left and right when the front plate 2a and the operation plate 2d of the casing 2 are viewed from the front, and “upper” and “lower” are volume reduction machines. It shall correspond to the top and bottom of the volume reduction machine 1 when 1 is installed.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the front plate 2 a of the casing 2 is attached so as to be rotatable about the left end portion, and has a key portion 3 and a return port 4. The key part 3 is provided to lock the closed state of the front plate 2a. The return port 4 is an opening for returning a non-reduced container (hereinafter also referred to as “unreduced container”), and the user can take out the unreduced container through the return port 4. The volume-reduced container (hereinafter also referred to as “volume-reduced container”) is stored for a certain period in the collection unit 22 in the volume-reducing machine 1 and then disposed of.

  Legs 5 and casters 6 are attached to the four corners of the bottom plate. The length of the leg portion 5 can be adjusted in the vertical direction, and the volume reducer 1 is fixed by making the length of the leg portion 5 longer than the length of the caster 6 in the vertical direction. By making the length shorter than the length of the caster 6 in the vertical direction, the caster 6 is activated and the volume reducer 1 can be moved.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the operation plate 2 d is inclined to the rear plate 2 b side at an angle of 30 ° with respect to the front plate 2 a at the upper portion of the front plate 2 a, and includes an insertion port 7 a, an open / close door 7, , An audio output unit 8 and a display unit 9.

  The input port 7a is provided to input a container into the volume reducing machine 1, and its size is such that a 2L plastic bottle can be input, that is, a surface perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the 2L plastic bottle. It is one size larger than the outer shape of the cross section cut at.

  The opening / closing door 7 is slidably attached to the front side of the insertion port 7a to open and close the insertion port 7a. By opening the open / close door 7, the container can be introduced through the inlet 7a. The opening / closing door 7 is provided with a handle portion, and the opening / closing door 7 can be opened / closed using the handle portion.

  The voice output unit 8 is provided for outputting voice such as operation guidance to the user, and operates alone or in conjunction with the display unit 9 described below.

  The display unit 9 includes an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or the like that displays operation guidance for the user. The display unit 9 may be provided with a touch panel function to accept various operation instructions from the user.

  Note that the opening / closing door 7, the audio output unit 8, and the display unit 9 are not necessarily indispensable components, and may be omitted depending on the situation.

(Internal structure of volume reducer)
3 is a perspective view of the volume reducer 1 of FIG. 1 with the front plate 2a removed, FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the operation plate, and FIGS. 5 and 6 show the inside of the volume reducer 1. FIG. FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating control by the control unit 30. FIG. As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the volume reduction machine 1 of the present embodiment includes a pressing mechanism 21, a recovery unit 22, a return path 23, a lock member 24, an illumination unit 25, an inlet sensor 26, and the like inside the casing 2. It has an open / close sensor 27, a return port sensor 28, a capacitance sensor 29, a front plate sensor 29 ′, and a control unit 30. 3, 5, and 6, the recovery unit 22 is not attached, but the recovery is performed with the upper surface opened at the position indicated by “22” in FIGS. 3, 5, and 6. Part 22 is attached.

  The pressing mechanism 21 recognizes the container received from the insertion port 7a for each material, reduces the volume of the container made of a specific material, sends it to the collection unit 22, and does not reduce the volume of the container made of any other material. Send to return path 23. The non-volume-reduced container sent to the return path 23 falls on the return path 23 extending in the vertical direction and is returned to the inside of the return port 4. A specific configuration of the pressing mechanism 21 will be described later.

  The inlet sensor 26 detects an object at the insertion port 7a, and is attached to the back surface of the operation plate 2d, that is, inside the casing 2. The attachment position of the inlet sensor 26 is not particularly limited as long as it is inside the casing 2 capable of detecting the object. Detection information detected by the inlet sensor 26 is output to the control unit 30. In the present embodiment, the inlet sensor 26 is provided, but the inlet sensor 26 is not an essential member and may be omitted.

  The open / close sensor 27 detects that the open / close door 7 is in a closed state, and is attached to the operation plate 2 d in the vicinity of the insertion port 7 a on the closed side of the open / close door 7. The attachment position of the open / close sensor 27 is not particularly limited as long as the open / close door 7 can be detected. Detection information detected by the open / close sensor 27 is output to the control unit 30.

  The lock member 24 is provided to lock the state where the open / close door 7 is closed, and is attached to the inner side of the operation plate 2d. The lock member 24 has a lock pin extending slidably perpendicularly to the moving direction of the open / close door 7, and the lock pin abuts against the door bottom of the open / close door 7 to prevent the open / close door 7 from moving. The position can be switched between a position that does not contact the open / close door 7. Such switching of the position of the lock pin is driven and controlled by a lock control unit 33 to be described later, and this operation can switch between the locked state and the unlocked state of the door 7. The attachment position of the lock member 24 is not particularly limited as long as the lock member 24 can be locked and released when the lock pin is operated. In this embodiment, the door 7 is locked and released by the lock member 24, but the lock member 24 may be omitted.

  The collection unit 22 collects only the volume-reduction container that has been reduced by the pressing mechanism 21, and is configured by a frame that is open on the upper side to which a plastic bag can be attached. The collection unit 22 is provided at a drop position when the volume reduction container is dropped from the pressing mechanism 21. Therefore, the installation position of the collection unit 22 is necessarily below the pressing mechanism 21. The collection unit 22 occupies almost the entire volume other than the return path 23 on the lower side of the volume reduction machine 1. When the volume reduction machine 1 is continuously used, the volume reduction container accumulates in the collection unit 22, and thus an operation of taking out the volume reduction container in the collection unit 22 from the collection unit 22 is necessary. In this case, by opening the front plate 2a of the casing 2, an operation of taking out the volume reduction container in the collection unit 22 is performed.

  The capacity sensor 29 is provided for detecting the timing when the volume reduction container in the collection unit 22 becomes full, and the volume of the volume reduction container in the collection unit 22 is equal to or greater than a predetermined storage amount. Is detected. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the mounting position of the capacity sensor 29 is the casing 2 at the center position between the front plate 2 a and the rear plate 2 b and at the same height as the upper portion of the collection unit 22. However, there is no particular limitation as long as it is inside the casing 2 capable of detection. When the volume sensor 29 detects the volume reduction container in the collection unit 22, the detection information is output to the control unit 30.

  Since the capacitance sensor 29 is attached to the inside of the casing 2 so as to be operable in the vertical direction, the user adjusts the installation position of the capacitance sensor 29 in the vertical direction so that the timing of detection by the capacitance sensor 29 is advanced or delayed. Can be. That is, when it is desired to notify the replacement time of the container in the collection unit 22 early, the detection timing by the capacity sensor 29 can be advanced by fixing the installation position of the capacity sensor 29 to the lower side. . Further, since the collection unit 22 having a different volume depending on the user is used, the position of the capacitance sensor 29 can be set at a position corresponding to the volume of the collection unit 22 to be used. In the present embodiment, the capacitance sensor 29 is provided, but the capacitance sensor 29 is not an essential member and may be omitted.

  The front plate sensor 29 'can detect the closed state of the front plate 2a, and is attached to the right side surface in the vicinity of the front plate 2a. Detection information of the front plate 2 a by the front plate sensor 29 ′ is output to the control unit 30. In the present embodiment, the front plate sensor 29 'is provided, but the front plate sensor 29' is not an essential member and may be omitted.

  The return path 23 is a path for sending an unreduced container to the return port 4 of the casing 2, and the casing is formed by a side surface (partition plate 11) provided in parallel to the right side plate 2 e of the casing 2 and the bottom surface member 12. 2 is partitioned. The bottom surface member 12 has a first portion 12a extending downward from the pressing mechanism 21 and a second portion 12b extending from the first portion 12a to the return port 4 diagonally forward and downward. The unreduced container is guided to the inside of the return port 4 by free fall through the return path 23. The upper side of the return path 23 is open, and the illumination unit 25 is provided on the upper side.

  The illuminating unit 25 is fixed to the frame material inside the operation plate 2d directly above the front plate 2a side of the second portion 12b of the return path 23, and the illuminating unit 25 has the return port 4 located below the illuminating unit 25. The lighting control unit 32 controls lighting timing and lighting time. The illumination unit 25 may not be fixed directly above the front plate 2a side of the second part 12b as long as it can be turned on so as to illuminate the return port 4. For example, the illumination unit 25 is provided on the right side surface of the casing 2. It may be attached to. When providing the illumination part 25 in the right side board 2e in the casing 2, the illumination part 25 is attached to the right side board 2e so that the return port 4 may be illuminated from the right side surface direction.

  The return port sensor 28 detects the presence / absence of a container on the return path. When the return port sensor 28 detects the presence / absence of an unreduced container, the detection information is output to the control unit 30. The attachment position of the return port sensor 28 is not particularly limited as long as it is a position where the container immediately inside the return port 4 in the return path 23 can be detected.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the control unit 30 includes an output control unit 31, a lighting control unit 32, a lock control unit 33, and a pressing mechanism control unit 34 as functions thereof. The control unit 30 is configured by combining a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like, and operates as the above-described units when the CPU executes a predetermined control program. .

  The output control unit 31 controls the audio output unit 8 and the display unit 9 in order to transmit detection information obtained by sensors provided in each unit to the user. The detection information obtained by each sensor The user can recognize the detection information by outputting a voice through the voice output unit 8 or displaying a message on the display unit 9. The user can grasp the cause of the malfunction of the volume reducer 1 by confirming the voice from the voice output unit 8 or the message displayed on the display unit 9, and take appropriate measures for the malfunction. It becomes possible.

  Specifically, when the entrance sensor 26 detects an object at the insertion port 7a, the output control unit 31 outputs a sound through the audio output unit 8 that there is an object at the insertion port 7a based on the detection information. Or display a message on the display unit 9. Thereby, the user can recognize that there is an object (for example, a user's hand) in the vicinity of the insertion port 7a, and can eliminate the object in the insertion port 7a.

  When the volume sensor 29 detects that a volume reduction container of a predetermined amount or more has accumulated in the collection unit 22, the output control unit 31 reduces the volume in the collection unit 22 based on the detection information. An audio output is made through the audio output unit 8 or a message is displayed on the display unit 9 that the container is over a predetermined amount. As a result, the user can recognize that a predetermined amount or more of the volume reduction container has been collected in the collection unit 22, and can perform an operation of taking out the volume reduction container in the collection unit 22. As a typical example of this work, a plastic bag having a capacity equal to or larger than that of the recovery unit 22 is attached in advance to the recovery unit 22, and the plastic bag is replaced with a new vinyl when the plastic bag is filled with a volume reduction container. It is possible to attach a bag.

  The lighting control unit 32 controls the lighting unit 25 to light up or blink when the return port sensor 28 detects an unreduced container. When the illumination unit 25 blinks, the user can more easily notice that the unreduced container has been returned to the return port 4. When the return port sensor 28 detects the container, the illumination unit 25 illuminates the return port 4 so that the user can recognize in advance that the unreduced container is returned to the return port 4. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the unreduced container from being returned to the return port 4 in a state where the user's hand is in the return port 4, and the safety of the volume reducer 1 can be improved. The user who notices that the unreduced container has been returned to the return port 4 takes out the unreduced container from the return port 4 and then collides with the unreduced container to be returned to the return port 4 next time. And the safety of the volume reducer 1 can be further enhanced.

  The lighting time or the blinking time of the lighting unit 25 by the lighting control unit 32 may be performed in a predetermined time (for example, 30 seconds, 1 minute, etc.), or the return port sensor 28 is not in the return port 4. When the volume reduction container is no longer detected, the detection information may be output to the control unit 30, and the lighting control unit 32 may be controlled to turn off the illumination unit 25.

  Further, when the return port sensor 28 detects an unreduced container, the output control unit 31 informs the return port 4 that the unreduced container is returned to the return port 4 through the audio output unit 8 based on the detection information. It may be output or displayed on the display unit 9 as a message. Thus, even if the user notifies the user that the unreduced container is to be returned to the return port 4 by means other than illumination by the illumination unit 25, the user can take the same measures as described above, and the volume reducer 1 contributes to the improvement of safety.

  The lock control unit 33 locks the door 7 with the lock member 24 closed when the pressing mechanism 21 is operating, and releases the lock by the locking member 24 when the pressing mechanism 21 is not operating. Is. That is, when the pressing mechanism 21 is operating, the lock control unit 33 causes the lock pin of the lock member 24 to abut against the door bottom of the door 7 to prevent the door 7 from moving. As a result, the lock pin can be given up and the door can be prevented from opening. On the contrary, when the pressing mechanism 21 is stopped, the lock control unit 33 moves the lock pin of the lock member 24 to a position where it does not come into contact with the open / close door 7. Thereby, the open / close door 7 can be opened and closed. By controlling the position of the lock pin of the lock member 24 in this way, it is possible to prevent the opening / closing door 7 from being opened when the pressing mechanism 21 is operating, and the pressing mechanism 21 is operating. The door 7 can be opened and closed when there is not.

  The pressing mechanism control unit 34 operates the pressing mechanism 21 based on detection information of the inlet sensor 26, the open / close sensor 27, and the front plate sensor 29 '. That is, the pressing mechanism control unit 34 operates the pressing mechanism 21 when the open / close sensor 27 detects the closed state of the open / close door 7. However, when the inlet sensor 26 detects an object at the insertion port 7a, the operation of the pressing mechanism 21 is prohibited when the front plate sensor 29 'does not detect the closed state of the front plate 2a. The relationship between the detection information of each sensor and the control by the pressing mechanism control unit 34 will be described below.

  When the entrance sensor 26 detects an object at the insertion port 7a, the detection information is output to the control unit 30, and the pressing mechanism control unit 34 prohibits the operation of the pressing mechanism 21 based on the detection information. Thus, by controlling the pressing mechanism 21 based on the detection information of the inlet sensor 26, it is possible to prevent the pressing mechanism 21 from operating in a state where the hand is in the insertion port 7a. Safety can be increased.

  In addition to the pressing mechanism control unit 34 prohibiting the operation of the pressing mechanism 21, the output control unit 31 may cause the display unit 9 to display a message indicating that the entrance sensor 26 is detecting an object. This may be uttered by the voice output unit 8. Such display and sound can prompt the user to confirm the object present at the slot, and if the user's hand enters the slot, the user is prompted to remove the hand from the slot. it can.

  When the open / close sensor 27 detects that the open / close door 7 is in the closed state, the detection information is output to the control unit 30, and the pressing mechanism control unit 34 starts operating the pressing mechanism 21 based on the detection information. To control. Accordingly, the operation of the pressing mechanism 21 can be started without separately providing a switch for starting the operation of the pressing mechanism 21. In other words, closing the open / close door 7 becomes an operation start condition of the pressing mechanism 21, and the pressing mechanism 21 can sort the containers or reduce the volume of the containers.

  When the open / close sensor 27 does not detect the closed state of the open / close door 7, the pressing mechanism control unit 34 outputs the detection information to the control unit 30 and prohibits the operation of the pressing mechanism 21 based on the detection information. The pressing mechanism 21 is controlled. By controlling the operation of the pressing mechanism 21 based on the detection information of the opening / closing sensor 27 in this way, it is possible to prevent the pressing mechanism 21 from operating in a state where a hand is put in the insertion port 7a. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the hand etc. from being pinched, so that the safety of the volume reducer 1 can be improved.

  When the front plate sensor 29 ′ does not detect the closed state of the front plate 2a, the pressing mechanism control unit 34 outputs the detection information to the control unit 30 and prohibits the operation of the pressing mechanism 21 based on the detection information. To be controlled. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the pressing mechanism 21 from operating in a state where the front plate 2a is not closed, and the safety of the volume reducer 1 can be further enhanced.

  When the front plate sensor 29 ′ does not detect the closed state of the front plate 2 a, the output control unit 31 may display this on the display unit 9 or may convey it by voice through the voice output unit 8. Both of them may be used in combination. In this way, by notifying the user that the front plate 2a is not in the closed state, the user who recognizes that the front plate 2a is open can understand the cause of the pressing mechanism 21 not operating, and the front plate 2a. Can be closed. Thus, the safety of the volume reduction machine 1 can be improved by the pressing mechanism control unit 34 controlling the pressing mechanism 21.

  In the said embodiment, although the case where the press mechanism 21 operate | moved on the start conditions that the opening / closing sensor 27 detects the closed state of the door 7 was demonstrated, the start of operation | movement of the press mechanism 21 is said press mechanism control part. For example, the operation of the pressing mechanism 21 may be started by a button operation. When the pressing mechanism 21 is operated by a button operation, the display unit 9 may be used as a touch panel, and the pressing mechanism 21 may be operated by pressing a button displayed on the display unit 9.

(Pressure mechanism structure)
FIG. 8 is a top view of the pressing mechanism 21 when a container is inserted from the charging port, and FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the movable plate 42 of the pressing mechanism 21. The pressing mechanism 21 includes a support member 50 fixed to the casing 2, and the support member 50 includes two support plates 50 a and two support plates arranged at a distance from each other, as shown in FIG. 9. It has a plurality of support bars 50b that connect the plates 50a to each other. The pressing mechanism 21 includes a fixed plate 41 fixed to the support member 50, a movable plate 42 that can rotate with respect to the fixed plate 41, a metal sensor 43 attached to the lower surface of the movable plate 42, and the movable plate 42. And a drive mechanism 44 for moving the. The pressing mechanism 21 reduces the volume of the container by crushing the container with the fixed plate 41 and the movable plate 42. 8 and 9 show only the minimum configuration necessary for understanding the configuration for reducing the volume of the container, and the entire configuration of the pressing mechanism 21 is shown by these drawings. I don't mean.

  Each of the two support members 50 is attached to a frame material inside the operation plate 2d so as to be parallel to the operation plate 2d of the casing 2, and fixes a motor (described later) of the fixed plate 41 and the drive mechanism 44. ing.

  The fixed plate 41 is located at the upper part of the insertion port 7a, and is attached to the support member 50 in order to compress and reduce the volume by sandwiching the container 52 together with the movable plate. The fixing plate 41 is orthogonal to the operation plate 2d of the casing 2, that is, in a side view of the casing 2 shown in FIG. 6, the fixing plate 41 is fixed while being inclined downward toward the rear plate 2b side of the fixing plate 41. A central portion in the width direction of the fixed plate 41 has a cross-sectional shape that is bent toward the lower movable plate 42. The depth of the fixed plate 41 (that is, the length from the end surface on the operation plate 2d side to the end surface on the rear plate 2b side) is slightly longer than the height of the 2 liter PET bottle, as shown in FIG.

  The movable plate 42 is positioned below the insertion port 7 a and is configured to be rotatable with respect to the fixed plate 41. Similarly to the fixed plate 41, the movable plate 42 has a cross-sectional shape that is bent toward the lower side, and has the same depth as the fixed plate 41. By using the movable plate 42 having such a shape, the container 52 (typically, a plastic bottle) charged into the charging port 7a is held at a fixed position on the movable plate 42, and then together with the fixed plate 41 The container 52 can be sandwiched to reduce the volume.

  After the volume of the movable plate 42 is reduced together with the fixed plate 41, the movable plate 42 rotates in a direction away from the fixed plate 41 until the reduced volume falls from the movable plate 42. The above-described recovery unit 22 is provided at the dropping position at this time. In addition, when a container (for example, a steel can, an aluminum can, or a glass bottle) that is not subject to volume reduction is inserted into the insertion port, the movable plate 42 rotates to the side opposite to the fixed plate 41 side, but stops halfway and returns to the return path. Send the unreduced container to 23. This unreduced container is returned to the return port 4 through the return path 23.

  The metal sensor 43 is attached to the lower surface of the movable plate 42, detects when a metal container such as a steel can or an aluminum can is inserted into the input port 7a, and outputs the information to the control unit 30. Is. The output control unit 31 of the control unit 30 that has acquired this information controls the movable plate 42 to rotate to the side opposite to the fixed plate 41, thereby guiding the metal container to the return path 23 and returning the return port. Return to 4.

  The drive mechanism 44 rotates the movable plate 42 by a predetermined amount in a direction toward the fixed plate 41 and in the opposite direction, and a driven shaft 46 to which the movable plate 42 is attached and a driven shaft fixed to the driven shaft 46. A pulley 45, a motor 46 having a drive shaft 48 parallel to the driven shaft 46, a drive pulley 49 fixed to the drive shaft 48 of the motor 46, and a transmission belt 47 wound around the driven pulley 45 and the drive pulley 49. have. Both the driven shaft 46 and the drive shaft 48 are inclined downward in the direction perpendicular to the operation plate 2d, that is, the rear plate 2b side of the driven shaft 46 and the drive shaft 48. When the driven shaft 46 is driven, the movable plate 42 moves. The motor 46 is set so that the driven pulley 45 can be rotated by a predetermined amount both left and right. When the drive shaft of the motor 46 is rotated, the drive pulley 49 is rotated accordingly, and the rotation of the drive pulley 49 is transmitted to the driven pulley 45 through the transmission belt 47 so that the driven pulley 45 is rotated and interlocked with the rotation of the driven pulley 45. Thus, the movable plate 42 rotates.

  The rotation angle of the movable plate 42 is set in advance, and the movable plate 42 is fixed at a first position (initial position) at which a container can be inserted between the fixed plate 41 and the first position. A second position (volume reduction position) where the container is compressed and volume-removed together with the fixed plate 41 approaching the plate 41 side, and is further away from the fixed plate 41 than the first position, and the container charged into the inlet 7a is put into the return path 23. A third position (return position) which is a sending position and a fourth position (position where the container reduced in volume at the second position falls from the movable plate 42 and is further rotated than the third position) It is attached to the drive mechanism 44 so that it can rotate between the recovery position). When the movable plate 42 is in the second position, the opposing surfaces of the fixed plate 41 and the movable plate 42 are parallel to each other.

(Volume reduction procedure of volume reduction machine 1)
Next, a procedure for reducing the volume of the container using the volume reduction machine 1 of the above embodiment will be described. First, the opening / closing door 7 of the volume reduction machine 1 shown in FIG. When the open / close door 7 is opened, the movable plate 42 is stopped at the first position, and the container is placed on the upper surface of the movable plate 42. Since the movable plate 42 is inclined downward toward the back side, the container slides to the back side of the movable plate 42 and stops at the back of the movable plate 42. At this time, since the upper surface of the movable plate 42 has a shape in which the central portion is bent, the direction of the container is hardly changed. In this state, the metal sensor 43 attached to the lower surface of the movable plate 42 detects whether the container is made of metal or other material.

  When the metal sensor 43 detects that the container is made of metal, the detection information is output to the control unit 30, and the pressing mechanism control unit 34 moves the movable plate 42 to the third position opposite to the fixed plate 41. The drive mechanism 44 is controlled so as to rotate. Accordingly, the container is slid down to the return path 23 without being reduced in volume by the pressing mechanism 21, and slid down to the inside of the return port 4 through the return path 23. At this time, the return port sensor 28 detects an unreduced container, the detection information is output to the control unit 30, and the lighting control unit 32 controls the illumination unit 25 to illuminate the return port 4. Simultaneously with the illumination by the illumination unit 25, the audio output unit 8 issues that the container has been returned to the return port 4 and causes the display unit 9 to display that the container has been returned to the return port 4. In this way, the user is informed that the unreduced container has been returned to the return port 4.

  On the other hand, when the metal sensor 43 detects that the container is not made of metal, the detection information is output to the control unit 30, and the pressing mechanism control unit 34 rotates the movable plate 42 to the second position facing the fixed plate 41. The movable plate 42 compresses and reduces the volume of the container together with the fixed plate 41. Then, after compressing and reducing the volume of the container, the pressing mechanism control unit 34 controls the movable plate 42 to rotate in the opposite direction with respect to the fixed plate 41, and the volume reducing container on the movable plate 42 falls from the movable plate 42. The movable plate 42 is controlled to rotate to the fourth position. Then, the volume reduction container dropped from the movable plate 42 is collected by the collection unit 22.

  Incidentally, when a glass bottle is inserted as a container, the metal sensor 43 does not detect the glass bottle as metal, and the movable plate 42 rotates from the first position to the second position. At this time, if the container is specified as a glass bottle by a change in torque of the movable plate 42 when the container is sandwiched between the fixed plate 41 and the movable plate 42, the operation of the movable plate 42 is stopped (that is, reduced) at this time. The container is sent to the return path 23 by rotating the movable plate 42 to the third position opposite to the fixed plate 41.

  As described above, the pressing mechanism 21 determines whether the volume is reduced or not, depending on the material of the container. When the volume is reduced, the collection unit 22 collects the volume. When the volume is not reduced, the return port 4 is returned. Returned to. In the above embodiment, the case where the movable plate 42 rotates with respect to the fixed plate 41 has been described. However, the movable plate 42 and the fixed plate 41 are arranged in parallel to each other, and the movable plate 42 is in relation to the fixed plate 41. It may be slidable parallel to the approaching direction and the moving away direction.

<Effect>
The volume reduction machine 1 of the above embodiment is provided in the casing 2 having a charging port 7a for receiving a container and a return port 4 for returning a container that is not volume-reduced, and from the charging port 7a. A pressing mechanism 21 for reducing the volume of the received container, a recovery unit 22 for recovering the container reduced by the pressing mechanism 21, and a container that is provided in the casing 2 and is not reduced by the pressing mechanism 21 is returned to the return port. 4 and a return port sensor 28 that detects the presence or absence of a container on the return path 23, the container is pressed against the container 21 when the container is loaded from the loading port 7 a. Therefore, the container recovered in the recovery unit 22 is not bulky.

  Moreover, the volume reduction machine 1 of the said embodiment has the illumination part 25 which can be lighted so that the said return port 4 may be illuminated, and the lighting control part 32 which makes the illumination part 25 light when a container is detected by the return port sensor 28. Therefore, when returning a non-reduced container to the return port 4 through the return path 23, this is detected by the return port sensor 28, and at the timing when the return port sensor 28 detects the discharge of the container. The lighting unit 25 controls the lighting unit 25 so that the return port 4 is turned on, so that the container has been returned to the return port 4 or a person in charge around the volume reduction machine 1 Can be recognized. By removing the container returned to the return port 4 by the user or the staff member who has recognized the lighting of the lighting unit 25, the container can be prevented from being damaged due to the continuous return of the container to the return unit 23. Safety can be increased. Moreover, since the user can be notified of the timing of discharging the container to the return port 4 by taking the above-mentioned means, the container returned to the return port 4 can be prevented from being injured by the user. It is also possible.

  Since it becomes difficult for the user to overlook that the container has been returned to the return port 4 by blinking the illumination unit 25, the safety is further improved.

  In the volume reduction machine 1 of the above embodiment, when the opening / closing door 7 that opens and closes the insertion port 7a, the lock member 24 that prevents the opening / closing door 7 from being opened while being closed, and the pressing mechanism 21 are operating. And a lock control unit 33 that locks the state in which the door 7 is closed by the lock member 24, so that the door 7 is closed by the lock member 24 when the pressing mechanism 21 is operating. It can be prevented from opening. As a result, it is possible to prevent a hand or the like from entering the insertion port when the pressing mechanism 21 is operating, and the hand or the like from being sandwiched by the pressing mechanism 21, thereby improving the safety of the volume reducer 1. Can be increased.

  The volume reduction machine 1 of the above embodiment includes an open / close sensor 27 that detects that the open / close door 7 is closed, and a pressing mechanism that is based on the detection of the open / close sensor 27 that the open / close door 7 is closed. The pressing mechanism 21 is controlled so that the opening / closing sensor 27 detects that the opening / closing door 7 is not in a closed state, and the pressing mechanism 21 is prohibited from operating. Since the opening / closing sensor 27 detects that the open / close door 7 is not closed, the pressing mechanism control unit 34 controls the operation of the pressing mechanism 21 to be prohibited. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the pressing mechanism 21 from operating while the open / close door 7 remains open. As a result, it is possible to prevent the pressing mechanism 21 from operating in a state where the opening / closing door 7 is open and a hand or the like has entered from the insertion port 7a. This is coupled with the maintenance of the closed state of the opening / closing door 7 by the lock member 24. Further, it is possible to prevent the hand or the like from being sandwiched by the pressing mechanism 21 and to further improve the safety of the volume reducer 1. Moreover, since the pressing mechanism control unit 34 controls the pressing mechanism 21 to operate based on the fact that the opening / closing sensor 27 detects the closed state of the opening / closing door 7, the opening / closing door 7 is pressed as a starting condition. The mechanism 21 can be operated. In other words, without providing a separate switch for starting the operation of the pressing mechanism 21, the opening and closing door 7 is opened, a container is inserted from the insertion port 7 a, and the opening and closing door 7 is closed to start the container holding by the pressing mechanism 21. Since it can do, the structure of the volume reduction machine 1 can be made simpler.

  The volume reduction machine 1 of the above embodiment further includes an inlet sensor 26 that detects the presence of an object at the inlet, and the pressing mechanism control unit 34 is based on the fact that the inlet sensor 26 detects an object. Since the control for prohibiting the operation of the pressing mechanism 21 is performed, the operation of the pressing mechanism 21 is prohibited based on the fact that the entrance sensor 26 detects an object. It is possible to prevent the pressing mechanism 21 from operating. That is, the pressing mechanism control unit 34 not only controls to prohibit the operation of the pressing mechanism 21 when the open / close door 7 is open, but also when the entrance sensor 26 detects a foreign matter passing through the insertion port 7a. In addition, since the operation of the pressing mechanism 21 is controlled to be prohibited, it is possible to prevent the hand or the like from being sandwiched by the pressing mechanism 21. In particular, even when the open / close door 7 or the open / close sensor 27 is damaged and the input port is opened, the open / close sensor 27 cannot detect this even when the open / close sensor 27 is open. Since there is control, the pressing mechanism 21 is controlled so as not to operate. Therefore, it is excellent in that a hand or the like entering from the insertion port 7a is not caught in the pressing mechanism 21.

  The volume reduction machine 1 of the first embodiment further includes a capacity sensor 29 that detects that the amount of the container recovered by the recovery unit 22 is equal to or greater than a predetermined storage amount. When it is detected that the amount of the container is equal to or greater than the predetermined storage amount, the container can be efficiently recovered by taking out the volume-reduced container in the recovery unit 22. Moreover, since the capacitance sensor 29 is attached to the collection unit 22 so as to be operable in the vertical direction, the timing detected by the capacitance sensor 29 can be adjusted according to the user's needs. That is, for example, by moving the height position of the capacity sensor 29 up and down, the capacity sensor 29 can detect when the amount in the collection unit 22 becomes, for example, the eighth minute. The capacity sensor 29 may detect when the container is full. In addition, since the position of the capacity sensor 29 can be adjusted up and down according to the size of the collection unit 22, the position of the capacity sensor 29 can be customized according to the size of the collection unit 22 used by the user. .

  In the volume reduction machine 1 of the above-described embodiment, the pressing mechanism 21 includes a fixing plate 41 fixed above the charging port 7a and a container positioned below the charging port 7a and charged into the charging port 7a. A movable plate 42 provided so that the container made of the specific material is sandwiched with the fixed plate 41 to compress and reduce the volume and the container other than the container made of the specific material moves to the return path 23. Therefore, the container is sandwiched between the fixed plate 41 and the movable plate 42 and compressed and reduced. Then, after compression and volume reduction, the movable plate 42 rotates in a direction away from the fixed plate 41, so that the container whose compression and volume is reduced falls from the movable plate 42 and is collected by the collection unit. As described above, since the container can be reduced in volume and recovered only by the operation of the movable plate 42, the volume of the container can be reduced in the recovery unit 22 while reducing the volume of the container with the simple configuration of the volume reducer 1. Can be recovered. A container other than a container made of a specific material can be sent to the return path 23 without being compressed and reduced by the fixed plate 41 and the movable plate 42.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Volume reducer 2 Casing 4 Return port 7 Opening / closing door 8 Audio | voice output part 9 Display part 21 Pressing mechanism 22 Recovery part 23 Return path 24 Lock member 25 Illumination part 26 Entrance sensor 27 Opening / closing sensor 28 Return opening sensor 29 Capacity sensor 29 'front Plate sensor 30 Control unit 31 Control unit 32 Lighting control unit 33 Lock control unit 34 Pressing mechanism control unit 41 Fixed plate 42 Movable plate 43 Metal sensor

Claims (8)

A casing having an input port for receiving the container and a return port for returning the unreduced container;
A pressing mechanism provided in the casing for reducing the volume of the container received from the charging port;
A collecting unit for collecting the container reduced in volume by the pressing mechanism;
A return path provided in the casing for sending a container not reduced by the pressing mechanism to a return port;
A volume reduction machine comprising: a return port sensor that detects the presence or absence of the container on the return path. An illumination unit that can be lit so that the return port is illuminated;
The volume reducing machine according to claim 1, further comprising: a lighting control unit that turns on the illumination unit when the container is detected by the return port sensor.   The volume controller according to claim 2, wherein the lighting control unit blinks the illumination unit when the container is detected by the return port sensor. An opening and closing door for opening and closing the charging port;
A locking member that prevents the opening and closing door from being opened in a closed state;
The volume reduction machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising: a lock control unit that locks in a state where the opening and closing door is closed by the lock member when the pressing mechanism is operating. An open / close sensor for detecting that the open / close door is closed;
The opening / closing sensor controls that the pressing mechanism is operated based on the detection of the opening / closing sensor that the opening / closing door is closed, and the opening / closing sensor indicates that the opening / closing door is not closed. The volume reduction machine according to claim 4, further comprising: a pressing mechanism control unit that controls the pressing mechanism so that the operation of the pressing mechanism is prohibited based on detection. An inlet sensor for detecting the presence of an object at the inlet;
The volume reducing machine according to claim 5, wherein the pressing mechanism control unit performs control to prohibit the operation of the pressing mechanism based on the detection of the object by the inlet sensor. A capacity sensor for detecting that the amount of the container recovered by the recovery unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined storage amount;
The volume reduction machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the capacity sensor is attached to the collection unit so as to be operable in a vertical direction.   The pressing mechanism is configured to fix a fixing plate fixed above the charging port and a container made of a specific material among the containers that are positioned below the charging port and charged into the charging port. A movable plate that is sandwiched with a plate to compress and reduce the volume and is provided so that a container other than the container made of the specific material moves to the return path. The volume reduction machine described in the item.

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