JP2018131289A - Article collection device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an article collection device capable of reliably notifying a user of a predetermined placement position and orientation of an article such as an empty container in the case of placing an article such as an empty container on a placement section of an article input section with a simple structure.SOLUTION: The article collection device for collecting articles such as empty containers includes: a placement portion on which articles such as empty containers can be placed; an outer door provided to be freely opened and closed; an inner door provided in a passage leading from the placement portion to the inside of an apparatus body; and a guide portion provided on the inner door for guiding a placement state of an article such as an empty container. The guide portion is provided at a position where the outer door is open and visible from the apparatus body.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

  The present invention relates to an article collection apparatus.

  An empty container recovery apparatus that recovers an empty container is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2009-175789 A

By the way, when reducing the volume by compressing an empty plastic bottle or the like as an object to be collected, if the neck part (neck part) of the plastic bottle and the main body part are separated and only the main body part is recovered, Therefore, it is desirable not to separate the main body part and the neck part (neck part) when reducing the volume as much as possible. In the volume reduction device, the placement position and orientation of the empty container are defined, and when it deviates from this, the main body part and the neck part (neck part) of a container such as a plastic bottle are easily separated.
An object of the present invention is to correctly guide the placement position and orientation of an empty container so that the main body portion and the neck portion of a plastic bottle are not separated.

The article recovery apparatus of the present invention comprises at least the following configuration.
An article collection device for collecting an article,
A placement section on which an article can be placed;
An outer door that can be freely opened and closed,
An inner door provided in a passage leading from the mounting portion to the inside of the device main body,
A guide part provided on the inner door for guiding the placement state of the article;
It is characterized by having.

According to the present invention, when an article such as an empty container is placed on the placement section of the article input section with a simple structure, the prescribed placement position and orientation of the article can be reliably notified to the user. An article collection apparatus can be provided.
In addition, it is possible to provide an article recovery apparatus that correctly guides the placement position and orientation of the empty container so that the main body portion and the neck portion of the plastic bottle are not separated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The whole conceptual diagram of the container collection | recovery apparatus as an article | item collection apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention, (a) is a front view of a container collection | recovery apparatus, (b) is a side view of a container collection | recovery apparatus. The conceptual diagram of the container insertion part of the articles | goods collection apparatus (container collection apparatus) which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The perspective view which shows an example of the article | item collection | recovery apparatus (container collection | recovery apparatus) with an outer door closed and an inner door closed. The side surface conceptual diagram which shows an example of the articles | goods collection | recovery apparatus (container collection | recovery apparatus) with an outer door closed and an inner door closed. The perspective view which shows an example of the article | item collection | recovery apparatus (container collection | recovery apparatus) with an outer door opened and an inner door closed. The side conceptual diagram which shows an example of the articles | goods collection | recovery apparatus (container collection | recovery apparatus) with an outer door opened and an inner door closed. The perspective view from the front upper position which shows an example of the goods collection | recovery apparatus (container collection | recovery apparatus) with an outer door opened and an inner door closed. The side conceptual diagram which shows an example of the articles | goods collection apparatus (container collection apparatus) with an outer door closed and an inner door open. The perspective view which shows an example of the articles | goods collection apparatus (container collection | recovery apparatus) with an outer door (not shown) closed and an inner door open. The side surface conceptual diagram which shows an example of the volume reduction part of the articles | goods collection apparatus (container collection apparatus) which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The plane conceptual diagram which shows an example of the volume reduction part of the articles | goods collection apparatus (container collection apparatus) which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The figure for demonstrating the articles | goods collection apparatus (container collection apparatus) which concerns on embodiment of this invention, (a) is an electrical functional block diagram of an article collection apparatus (container collection apparatus), (b) is (a). The functional block diagram of the shown control part. The flowchart which shows an example of operation | movement of the articles | goods collection apparatus (container collection apparatus) which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The figure for demonstrating an example of the container accommodating part of the goods collection | recovery apparatus (container collection | recovery apparatus) which concerns on embodiment of this invention, (a) is a perspective view which shows an example of a container accommodating part, (b) is a container accommodation bag. The figure which shows an example of the container accommodating part of the state which mounted | wore with the bag for cap accommodation. The perspective view which shows an example of the container insertion part of the articles | goods collection apparatus (container collection apparatus) which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The embodiment of the present invention includes the contents shown in the drawings, but is not limited to this. In the following description of each drawing, the same parts as those already described are denoted by the same reference numerals, and a part of the overlapping description is omitted.
For example, a container collection device will be described as the article collection device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

An empty container collection apparatus as an article collection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a placement unit on which an article such as an empty container (for example, a PET bottle) can be placed, an outer door that can be freely opened and closed, An inner door provided in a passage that leads from the placement unit into the apparatus main body, and a guide unit that is provided in the inner door and guides a placement state of an article such as an empty container.
Articles are not limited to PET bottles, cans, and bottles. For example, milk cartons, trays, ink cartridges, items returned to libraries and rental stores (books, DVDs, etc.), cleaning products, batteries, light bulbs, etc. As long as it is an article. That is, the container recovery device is an example of the article recovery device.

Specifically, in the article collection device according to the embodiment of the present invention, the outer door of the article input unit is closed during standby, and the inner door that is freely opened and closed between the article input unit and the storage unit is closed. State. At the time of article collection, the outer door of the article input section is opened, and the object placed on the placement section of the article input section by the discrimination section is an article to be collected (for example, an empty resin container such as a PET bottle) ) Is determined. When it is determined that the item is an object to be collected (empty container), the outer door is closed, the inner door provided between the article input unit and the storage unit is opened, and the container is recovered by the storage unit. The In the present embodiment, the container recovery device includes a volume reduction mechanism, and by reducing the volume of the container by the volume reduction mechanism, a large volume of the empty container can be recovered by the recovery unit having the specified capacity.
In addition, the article recovery device is controlled so that when a non-recoverable object such as a foreign object is introduced into the container input portion, the inner door is closed and the non-recoverable object is not recovered in the container housing portion in the apparatus main body. I do. Then, when the non-recoverable object is not removed from the placement unit of the container loading unit for a predetermined time, the article collection device maintains the inner door in a closed state and drives and controls the outer door to be in a closed state. . That is, it is possible to prevent further loading of the non-recoverable object into the container housing portion.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, an empty container collection device 100 as an article collection device according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided with a container loading unit 110 at the upper part of the apparatus main body 100B, An outer door 111 is provided outside the opening of the portion 110. The apparatus main body 100B is provided with a display operation unit 3 and a transmission / reception unit 4 (communication unit) on the front side near the upper part of the outer door 111. A luggage hook 100f is provided on the front side of the apparatus main body 100B.

  In addition, a passage communicating with the container accommodation portion 140 is provided below the container insertion portion 110, and an inner door 112 is provided in the passage 71 from the placement portion 116 of the container insertion portion 110 to the container accommodation portion 140. ing.

In the present embodiment, the empty container collection device 100 is provided with a volume reducing part 120 (volume reducing mechanism) between the inner door 112 and the container housing part 140. When the inner door 112 is in the open state, the volume reducing unit 120 crushes and reduces the volume of the empty container A from the container loading unit 110, and outputs the volume-reduced container RA to the lower container storage unit 140.
The apparatus main body 100B of the empty container collection apparatus 100 has a drawer 100C on which the container accommodating section 140 is placed, and a drawer handle 100e and a key hole 100r are provided on the front side. It is configured to be able to be inserted and locked into the hole 100r.

  Further, a light-transmitting portion 100A (light-transmitting window) is provided on the front side of the apparatus main body 100B, more specifically, on the front side of the drawer 100C, and an empty container accommodated in the container accommodating portion 140 from the outside. Is configured to be visible.

  In addition, a moving handle 100g used for conveyance is provided on the side surface of the apparatus main body 100B.

In addition, the apparatus main body 100B includes a cap insertion portion 108 on the front side, a cap passage 72 is provided downward from the cap insertion portion 108 in the apparatus main body, and the cap inserted into the cap insertion portion 108 is a cap. It is configured to be accommodated in the cap accommodating portion 145 through the use passage 72.
The cap passage 72 may have a mechanism for sorting caps and smaller ones than the caps. Specifically, the cap passage 72 is branched, and the left-handed drinking butt, rainwater, etc. are discharged and accumulated by another route by a mesh-like member at the branching portion, so that only the cap is accommodated in the cap accommodating portion 145. It may be.

  Next, the container loading unit 110 of the empty container collection device 100 as the article collection device will be described. FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of the container loading unit of the empty container collection device. 3 and 4 are diagrams illustrating an example of an empty container collection device in which the outer door 111 is closed and the inner door 112 is closed. 5, 6, and 7 are diagrams illustrating an example of the empty container collection device 100 in which the outer door 111 is in an open state and the inner door 112 is in a closed state. 8 and 9 are conceptual diagrams illustrating an example of an empty container collection device in which the outer door 111 is closed and the inner door 112 is open. In FIG. 9, the outer door is not shown.

  The container loading unit 110 of the empty container collection device 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a placement unit 116, an outer door 111, an inner door 112, a pedestal 118, a weighing unit 7, an outer door support unit S111, and an inner door support. Part S112, outer door drive part 5, inner door drive part 6, first restriction part K111, second restriction part K112, and the like.

  The placement unit 116 is configured to be able to place a collection object or the like. The mounting unit 116 is provided with an optical sensor 9 such as a light receiving unit 9a and a light emitting unit 9b, a metal sensor, and the like. In addition, the weighing unit 7 is provided below the placement unit 116.

Further, in the present embodiment, the placement unit 116 has a placement surface that is not horizontal, so that the container accommodation unit 140 side is lower than the article insertion port side (opening side when the outer door 111 is open). Is provided with an inclination. That is, the placement unit 116 is configured to urge the thrown-in article to fall to the container housing unit 140 side (or the volume reducing unit 120 side) due to its own weight. Thereby, there is no need to provide a transport mechanism for sending the article (input) to the container housing section 140, and a small article recovery apparatus can be provided.
In addition, the placement unit 116 has a structure in which a surface treatment is performed on the surface of the placement surface to form a concavo-convex portion, and the charged article is prevented from sticking to the placement unit. When the article recovery device is a container recovery device, even if the container is wet, the contact area between the surface of the container and the uneven surface of the mounting portion is relatively small, so the surface tension due to wetting is reduced, and the container is Easily moves to the accommodating portion 140 side. That is, it is possible to prevent a problem that a wet container does not fall to the container housing part side.

The outer door 111 is provided outside the placement unit 116. The outer door drive unit 5 drives the outer door 111 to be openable and closable.
The inner door 112 is provided in the passage 71 between the placement unit 116 and the volume reduction unit 120. The inner door drive unit 6 drives the inner door 112 to be openable and closable. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, the inner door 112 is provided with a guide portion 112 </ b> D that guides the placement state of the empty container. The guide portion 112D is provided at a position where it is exposed and visible from the apparatus main body portion. The guidance unit 112D is guided and displayed as information so that an article (an empty container such as a PET bottle) is placed in a prescribed direction and a prescribed position (for example, 350 ml, 500 ml, 2000 ml, etc.). The guide portion 112D may be a concave portion, a convex portion, a sticker, an LED display portion, an LCD, or the like provided on the surface of the inner door 112.
In addition, the article collection device may include a determination unit for determining whether or not the article is correctly placed at the placement position indicated by the guide unit 112D by a detection sensor such as an imaging unit. In addition, when the mounting direction and position are not correct by a detection unit such as an imaging process or an optical sensor, notification or the like can be performed.

In the present embodiment, the empty container collection device 100 includes a pedestal 118, and the pedestal 118 includes an outer door 111 and outer door support portions S 118 and S 111 that support the outer door driving unit 5. More specifically, the outer door drive unit 5 and the rotation shaft C111 are provided at the upper ends of the two outer door support portions S118, and the fan-shaped outer door support portion S111 is rotatably provided on the rotation shaft C111. The outer door 111 is supported by a fan-shaped outer door support portion S111. One of the two rotating shafts C111 is connected to the rotating shaft of the motor of the outer door drive unit 5.
The fan-shaped outer door support portion S111 is provided with a hole portion S111h through which the rotation shaft C112 of the inner door 112 passes.

  The weighing unit 7 is disposed between the pedestal 118 and the mounting unit 116 and supports the mounting unit 116.

  The inner door 112 is configured to guide the empty container placed on the placement unit 116 to the volume reduction unit 120 in the open state. Further, in the present embodiment, the inner door driving unit 6 and the inner door 112 are supported by the inner door support portion S112 arranged on the weighing unit 7 and extending from between the weighing unit 7 and the placing unit 116. Has been. The inner door drive unit 6 is provided with a rotation axis C112 of the inner door 112, and the inner door 112 is provided on the rotation axis C112. By setting the inner door 112 in the open state, the collection target can be guided to the container housing portion 140 in the apparatus main body. Further, the inner door support portion S112 has a hole portion S112h through which the rotation shaft C111 passes.

  That is, the outer door driving unit 5 and the outer door 111 are supported by the outer door support portion S111 of the pedestal 118, and the placement unit 116 is provided above the weighing unit 7 disposed on the pedestal 118. The unit 7 can measure the mass of the collection object placed on the placement unit 116 with high accuracy. Specifically, since the outer door 111 and the outer door driving unit 5 are not supported on the measuring unit 7, the measuring unit 7 is affected by vibrations of the outer door 111 and the outer door driving unit 5. The structure is difficult to receive, and the mass of the object to be collected on the placement unit 116 can be measured with high accuracy.

  In addition, the outer door 111 of the empty container collection device 100 as the article collection device according to the embodiment of the present invention can move between an open position where the placement unit 116 is exposed and a closed position where the placement unit 116 is covered. When the outer door 111 is closed, the outer door 111 is configured to be movable from the open position to the closed position toward the placement unit 116. That is, since the outer door 111 is configured to move and close toward the placement unit 116 from the open state, for example, a user's hand or arm is sandwiched between the outer door 111 and the placement unit 116. When the measurement value is changed by the measurement unit, the control unit detects the change, so that it is easy for the user's hand, arm, foreign object, etc. to be sandwiched between the outer door 111 and the placement unit 116. Can be detected.

Moreover, in the empty container collection | recovery apparatus 100 as an article collection apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention, the outer door 111 is provided with the 1st restriction | limiting part K111 which restrict | limits the movement of the inner door 112. FIG. The inner door 112 includes a second restricting portion K112 that restricts movement of the outer door 111. The first restricting portion K111 and the second restricting portion K112 have a mechanism for restricting both the outer door 111 and the inner door 112 from being opened.
That is, since the empty container collection device 100 has the first restricting portion K111 provided on the outer door 111 and the second restricting portion K112 provided on the inner door 112, the outer container recovery device 100 has a mechanically simple structure and has an outer structure. Depending on the open / close states of the door 111 and the inner door 112, the opening / closing operation of each door can be restricted.

Further, the first restricting portion K111 of the empty container collection device 100 as the article collection device is configured to respond to the movement of the outer door 111. The second restricting portion K112 is configured to respond to the movement of the inner door 112. The empty container collection device 100 is configured such that when the outer door 111 is in the open state, the first restricting portion K111 restricts the movement of the inner door 112, and when the inner door 112 is in the open state, Two limiting portions K112 are configured to limit the movement of the outer door 111.
Specifically, in this embodiment, when the outer door 111 is in the open state, the empty container collection device 100 is configured to restrict the inner door 112 from being opened while being closed. In other words, when the outer door 111 is in the open state and the thrown-in object is placed on the placement unit 116, the inner door 112 is in the closed state, not in the open state, but placed on the placement unit 116. Regardless of whether the collected object is a collection object or a non-recovery object, the container is not accommodated in the container accommodation unit 140 in the apparatus main body 100B. That is, in this state, an article (a collection object or a non-collection object) is in contact with the inner door 112, and the inner door 112 has a structure that also serves as a part of a placement portion.

  Further, the first restriction unit K111 and the second restriction unit K112 are configured such that the movement paths overlap each other. Moreover, in this embodiment, the empty container collection | recovery apparatus 100, when one side restrict | limits the other of the 1st restriction | limiting part K111 and the 2nd restriction | limiting part K112, the 1st restriction | limiting part K111 and 2nd The restricting portion K112 is adjacent to the arc shape with a slight gap. Specifically, in the present embodiment, the first restricting portion K111 is formed in a substantially fan shape. The first restricting portion K111 has a convex arc shape portion K111a and a concave shape portion K111b. The second restricting portion K112 is formed in a substantially fan shape. Specifically, the second limiting portion K112 has a convex arc shape portion K112a and a concave shape portion K112b.

As shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, when the outer door 111 is open and the inner door 112 is closed, and the first restrictor K111 restricts the movement of the second restrictor K112, the first The convex arc-shaped portion K111a of the limiting portion K111 and the concave-shaped portion K112b of the second limiting portion K112 are adjacent to each other with a slight gap therebetween.
That is, in the embodiment of the present invention, as described above, when the outer door 111 is in the open state, the inner door 112 is in the closed state, and the movement of the second restricting portion K112 is restricted by the first restricting portion K111. Therefore, the inner door 112 is maintained in the closed state and is not in the open state.

  As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, when the inner door 112 is open and the outer door 111 is closed, and the second restricting portion K112 restricts the movement of the first restricting portion K111, The convex arc-shaped portion K112a of the second limiting portion K112 and the concave-shaped portion K111b of the first limiting portion K111 are adjacent to each other with a slight gap therebetween.

  That is, in the empty container collection device as the article collection device of the embodiment of the present invention, when the outer door 111 is in the closed state and the inner door 112 is in the open state, the second restriction portion K112 causes the first restriction portion K111. Therefore, the outer door 111 is maintained in a closed state and does not enter an open state.

Moreover, in this embodiment, the empty container collection | recovery apparatus 100 may have a prohibition means which prohibits the movement of one or both of the 1st restriction | limiting part K111 and the 2nd restriction | limiting part K112. Specifically, the prohibiting unit includes, for example, a solenoid. For example, a metal movable pin (plunger) is disposed in the coil, and the solenoid is disposed at a position where the movable pin (plunger) protrudes from the coil end portion by the urging portion when the coil is not energized. The structure is such that the movable pin moves into the coil when the coil is energized.
For example, as a prohibiting means capable of prohibiting movement of the outer door 111 from the closed state to the open state, a movable pin (plunger) of the solenoid for the outer door engages with a hole provided in the first restricting portion K111. In the case where the closed state of the first restricting portion K111 is maintained and the movement to the open state is prohibited, the movable pin is engaged with the hole portion and the movement is not prohibited. In this configuration, control is performed by the control unit so that the movable pin is disengaged. That is, the prohibiting means can prohibit the movement of the first restricting portion K111 from the closed state to the open state with a simple structure.
Further, as a prohibiting means capable of prohibiting the movement of the inner door 112 from the closed state to the opened state, a movable pin (plunger) of the solenoid for the inner door engages with a hole provided in the second restricting portion K112. In the case where the closed state of the second restricting portion K112 is maintained and the movement to the open state is prohibited, the movable pin is engaged with the hole, and the movement is not prohibited. In this configuration, control is performed by the control unit so that the movable pin is disengaged. That is, the prohibiting means can prohibit the movement of the second restricting portion K112 from the closed state to the open state with a simple structure.
Moreover, the empty container collection | recovery apparatus 100 as an article collection | recovery apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention has standby part AA where the outer door 111 waits in a closed position, as shown in FIG.5, FIG.9. The standby portion AA is provided at a position where the outer door 111 does not touch the placement portion 116, and functions as a stopper for the outer door 111.

FIG. 10 is a conceptual side view showing an example of the volume reducing unit of the empty container collection device as the article collection device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a conceptual plan view showing an example of the volume reducing portion of the empty container collection device.
The volume reducing unit 120 has a structure in which a pair of rotating shafts 811 and 911 are rotatably supported by two substantially plate-shaped support members.

  In addition, a feed mechanism 50 is provided above the volume reducing portion 120, and a rotation shaft 51 of the feed mechanism 50 is rotatably supported by the substantially plate-shaped support member. The feed mechanism 50 has a plurality of blade portions 52 (made of metal or resin, etc.) as paddles on a rotating shaft 51. In the feed mechanism 50, the rotating shaft 51 rotates, whereby the blade portion 52 rotates around the rotating shaft 51, and guides the empty container A to the volume reducing portion 120.

  In addition, a plate-shaped regulating member 61 and a regulating member 62 are provided on the upper portion of the volume reducing portion 120 so as to be inclined in opposite directions so as to guide the empty container A to the center of the volume reducing portion 120. The movement of the empty container A to other locations is restricted.

The rotary shafts 811, 911, 51 are arranged in parallel with each other with a predetermined interval. In each of the pair of rotating shafts 811 and 911, the compression rollers 81 and 91 having blade surfaces 81k or blade surfaces 91k on both side surfaces in the axial direction, and the compression rollers 81 and 91 having a diameter smaller than that of the compression rollers 81 and 91. The spacers s slightly thicker than the thickness are alternately arranged in parallel along the axial direction.
The outer peripheral portion of the compression roller provided on one rotation shaft is disposed between the compression rollers provided on the other rotation shaft, and is provided between the compression rollers provided on the other rotation shaft. The spacer s is disposed at a position separated by a predetermined distance LP. The distance LP between the spacer s provided on the rotating shaft 811 and the compression roller 91 provided on the rotating shaft 911 facing the spacer s is the maximum outer diameter LAg of the trunk portion Ag of the empty container A. Is set smaller than.

  As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, a gear 811 m is provided at one end of the rotating shaft 811, and is configured to mesh with a gear 911 m provided at one end of the rotating shaft 911. ing. The rotary shafts 811, 911, 51 are rotationally driven by a drive motor (not shown). At the time of driving, the rotating shaft 811 and the rotating shaft 911 rotate in opposite directions, and the empty container A put in the center is compressed by the compression rollers 81 and 91, and the reduced empty container is output downward. .

  The peeling units 31 and 32 are configured to peel the containers reduced by the compression rollers 81 and 91 of the volume reduction unit 120 from the compression rollers 81 and 91.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the length LAb (neck length) of the neck Ab of the empty container A such as a plastic bottle is the length from the tip Ac on the opening Ah side to the neck ring or the base of the neck. is there.

  The resin-made empty container A such as a PET bottle is formed to be thicker than the thickness of the other part, specifically, the shoulder part, the trunk part Ag, etc., compared to the thickness of the neck part Ab. As an empty container for recycling, for example, when the neck Ab of the empty container A and other parts are cut into a lump that is smaller than the standard, the recycler may consider it unrecyclable. The volume-reducing portion 120 has a flat shape in a state larger than the above standard so that the empty container can be recycled with the relatively thick and heavy neck portion Ab not separated from the shoulder portion and the trunk portion Ag. Reduce volume.

Further, the distance LT between the spacer s provided on the rotating shaft 911 and the spacer ws (s) provided on the rotating shaft 811 is longer than the outer diameter of the neck Ab of the empty container.
The distance LC from the inner surface of the support member 871 to the compression roller 81 disposed on the side surface of the rotating shaft 811 is configured to be longer than the length LAb of the neck Ab of the empty container A.
In the present embodiment, the distance LC is set to be longer than the axial length of the spacer ws (s) disposed on the side surface side of the rotating shaft 811. The length (thickness) in the axial direction of the spacer ws (s) is set to about twice as long as the axial length Ls of other spacers.
That is, the compression roller on the support member 871 side provided on the rotating shaft 811 is separated from the side surface of the support member 871 by a predetermined distance so as not to be separated from the neck portion Ab of the empty container A, the shoulder portion Af, and the trunk portion Ag. It is arranged at the position. That is, the volume reducing part 120 has a structure that reduces the volume when the neck part Ab of the empty container A is connected to the shoulder part or the trunk part Ag when the container is reduced in volume.

  In the present embodiment, the axial thickness L1 of the compression rollers 81 and 91 is shorter than the length LAb of the neck Ab of the empty container A. For example, when the resin-made empty container A such as a plastic bottle is disposed in the opposite direction, the tip portion Ac formed with the opening Ah of the empty container A is in detail on the substantially plate-shaped support member 871 side. Even when arranged so as to be positioned, the neck portion Ab of the empty container A is not separated from the shoulder portion and the trunk portion Ag when the volume of the container is reduced.

Next, an example of the electrical configuration of the empty container collection device 100 as the article collection device according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described.
As shown in FIG. 12, the article collection device (empty container collection device 100) includes a control unit 1 (CPU), a storage unit 2, a display operation unit 3, a transmission / reception unit 4, an outer door drive unit 5, and an inner door drive unit. 6, the measurement part 7, the metal sensor 8, the optical sensor 9, the door position sensor 10, the door lock part 11, the volume reduction drive part 15 grade | etc.,. Each component is electrically connected by a signal line or the like.

  The control unit 1 (CPU) comprehensively controls each component of the article collection device (empty container collection device 100). The control part 1 implement | achieves the function which concerns on this invention on a computer, for example by running the program for control.

  The storage unit 2 is a storage device such as a RAM or a ROM. The storage unit 2 stores a control program and the like. In addition, the storage unit 2 stores the characteristics of the empty container of the collection object. The characteristics of the empty container are, for example, a range of the container mass and whether or not the resin material is used.

  The display operation unit 3 performs a predetermined display under the control of the control unit 1. In addition, the display operation unit 3 outputs a signal corresponding to the operation of the user or the like to the control unit 1. The display operation unit 3 is, for example, a touch panel display device.

  The transmission / reception unit 4 is a transmission / reception device that communicates with a non-contact IC card, an IC tag, or the like, and performs predetermined communication under the control of the control unit 1. Further, the transmission / reception unit 4 performs predetermined communication with another terminal device (computer) through a wireless communication path or a wired communication path under the control of the control unit 1.

  The outer door drive unit 5 is a motor or the like for opening and closing the outer door 111 and is driven and controlled by control from the control unit 1.

  The inner door driving unit 6 is a motor or the like for opening and closing the inner door 112, and is driven and controlled by the control unit 1 to open or close the inner door.

The weighing unit 7 measures the mass of the empty container placed on the placement unit 116 of the container loading unit 110 or the non-recoverable object. The weighing unit 7 is a weighing device such as a load cell.
Further, the measuring unit 7 is used as a sensor for determining whether or not it can be recovered by detecting a leftover in the container placed on the placement unit 116 of the container loading unit 110. The measuring unit 7 is also configured to be able to specify the total weight stored in the container storage unit 140 by integrating the weight values of the containers determined to be recoverable. With this function, there is no need to provide a weighing part in the container housing part 140, a large capacity container housing part 140 can be secured, and the weighing part 7 itself can be made small. Since the object to be weighed is relatively small, there is no need to provide a large weighing unit 7.

  The metal sensor 8 detects whether an object placed on the placement unit 116 of the container loading unit 110 is a metal or a non-metal. In the present embodiment, when the control unit 1 detects that an object placed on the placement unit 116 is metal by the metal sensor 8, the object placed on the placement unit 116 is a non-recoverable object. Determine that there is.

Further, the optical sensor 9 includes a light receiving unit 9 a that receives light from the light emitting unit 9 b provided in the container loading unit 110. The optical sensor 9 includes, for example, a polarizing plate, and is configured to receive light through the polarizing plate. By detecting polarized light transmitted through a light-transmitting empty container such as a PET bottle, the optical sensor 9 An empty container can be detected.
The control unit 1 detects light received through the translucent empty container placed on the placement unit of the container insertion unit by the optical sensor 9, and based on a detection signal from the optical sensor 9. Then, it is determined whether or not it is an empty container to be collected.

Note that the article collection device is provided with the above-described sensors for determining whether collection is necessary or not around the placement unit. For example, in a conventional collection device, an article is taken into the device, it is determined whether or not it is a collection target, non-objects are discharged from a discharge port different from the input port, and a determination unit is provided in the device. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a discharge port.
On the other hand, the article recovery apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention has a configuration in which there is no need to take in a recovery object into the apparatus because sensors for determining whether or not recovery is necessary are provided in a mounting portion corresponding to an input port of the apparatus. It has become. Therefore, there is no need to provide a discharge port, and a small article recovery device can be provided.

  The door position sensor 10 detects the position of the outer door 111 and the position of the inner door 112, and outputs a signal related to the position of the outer door 111 and the position of the inner door 112 to the control unit 1. The control unit 1 controls the open / closed state of the outer door 111 and the inner door 112 based on the signal.

  The door lock unit 11 includes, for example, a locking device such as a solenoid, and locks movement of the outer door 111 and the inner door 112 as necessary under the control of the control unit 1.

  The control unit 1 includes a first drive control unit 101, a second drive control unit 102, a third drive control unit 103, a fourth drive control unit 104, a notification processing unit 105, and the like. The control part 1 implement | achieves the function of each drive control part in the goods collection | recovery apparatus (empty container collection | recovery apparatus) as a computer, for example by running a control program.

  The first drive control unit 101 controls the outer door 111 to be opened by the outer door drive unit 5 during container collection. The control for opening the outer door 111 includes not only automatically opening the outer door 111 but also simply releasing the lock, but the door itself is in accordance with the user's hand (according to the notification / display indicating that it should be opened). This includes the act of opening (= manual).

  The second drive control unit 102 sets the outer door 111 in the closed state and the inner door 112 in the open state by the outer door driving unit 5 and the inner door driving unit 6 when the collection object is placed on the placement unit 116. Then, the container storage unit 140 performs control to collect the container.

  The third drive control unit 103 detects the inner door 112 by the outer door driving unit 5 and the inner door driving unit 6 when the detection by the detection unit is a non-recovery target and the non-recovery target is not excluded for a predetermined time or longer. The closed state is maintained and the outer door 111 is controlled to be closed.

  When the outer door drive unit 5 moves the outer door 111 from the open position to the closed position, the fourth drive control unit 104 closes from the open position of the outer door 111 when the measuring unit 7 detects a change in the measured value. Control to stop moving to the position. That is, when the outer door 111 moves from the open position to the closed position, the control unit 1 stops the movement of the outer door 111 from the open position to the closed position when detecting a change in the measurement value by the measuring unit 7. By performing the control, it is possible to prevent a user's hand, arm, foreign object, or the like from being sandwiched between the outer door 111 and the placement unit 116, reducing the load on the outer door driving unit 5, Prevention can be performed.

  When the detection unit detects a non-recoverable object, the notification processing unit 105 performs a notification process so as to exclude the non-recoverable object. As the notification process, for example, a screen display that prompts the display unit of the display operation unit 3 to exclude non-recoverable objects is performed.

  Next, an example of the operation of the article collection apparatus (empty container collection apparatus 100) according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

  In step ST1, the empty container collection device 100 is in a standby state. When receiving a signal from the transmission / reception unit 4 (communication unit) or the display operation unit 3, the control unit 1 performs processing according to the signal. Further, the control unit 1 performs a process of displaying, for example, “Please touch a card (membership card or the like)” on the display unit of the display operation unit 3. The card (membership card or the like) is, for example, a contactless IC card for members.

In step ST2, the control unit 1 determines whether or not the outer door opening condition is satisfied. When the outer door opening condition is satisfied, the control unit 1 proceeds to the process of step ST3. As an outer door opening condition, for example, when an empty container collection start button is operated by the display operation unit 3 such as a touch panel, the process proceeds to step ST3. In addition, you may advance to the process of step ST3 on condition that the membership card which a user possesses and the transmission / reception part 4 communicate, and it was personally authenticated correctly (outer door opening conditions). As a membership card, for example, a non-contact IC card, a magnetic card, a card on which a barcode or a two-dimensional code is printed, a display device on which a barcode or a two-dimensional code is displayed, a smartphone having a membership card function, A mobile phone can be cited.
In step ST <b> 2, the control unit 1 performs a process of displaying on the display unit of the display operation unit 3, for example, “please load the container”.

  In step ST3, the control unit 1 performs an outer door opening process. Specifically, the control unit 1 performs drive control in which the door lock portion of the outer door 111 is in a released state and the outer door driving unit 5 moves the outer door 111 to an open state.

  In step ST4, the mass, material, presence / absence of contents, etc. of the object placed on the placement part 116 are detected by various detection processes by the weighing part 7, the metal sensor 8, the optical sensor 9, etc. A signal indicating the detected result is output.

In step ST5, the control unit 1 determines whether or not the outer door closing condition is satisfied. Specifically, if it is determined that the object placed on the placement unit 116 is a collection object, the process proceeds to step ST6, and otherwise (in the case of a non-collection object such as a foreign object), step ST51. Proceed to the process.
Note that, for example, even when the control unit 1 determines that the article placed on the placement unit 116 is an empty container as a result of the detection process, for example, a predetermined amount of liquid left in the container is left. When the presence is detected, it may be determined that a foreign object is included.

  In step ST6, the control unit 1 performs an outer door closing process. Specifically, the control unit 1 drives and controls the outer door driving unit 5 so as to close the outer door.

  In step ST7, the control unit 1 determines whether or not a change in the measurement value by the measurement unit 7 is detected. If a change in the measurement value is detected, the process proceeds to step ST8. The detection process in step ST7 is continued until the value change is settled.

  In step ST8, the control unit 1 determines whether or not the inner door opening condition is satisfied. As a result of the determination, if the inner door opening condition is not satisfied, the process proceeds to step ST13, and if the inner door opening condition is satisfied, The process proceeds to step ST9. The inner door opening condition is, for example, that an object placed on the placement unit 116 is a collection target object.

In step ST9, the control unit 1 performs an inner door opening process. Specifically, the control unit 1 performs drive control by the inner door driving unit 6 so as to open the inner door 112.
In step ST <b> 9, the control unit 1 performs a process of displaying on the display unit of the display operation unit 3, for example, “Recycling container XX book” or the like. As will be described later, in the case of the container continuous charging process, the control unit 1 performs a process of counting up the number of containers and displaying it on the display unit. Further, when the charging is not continuous, the control unit performs processing for displaying on one container and the display unit.

  In step ST10, the control unit 1 performs an inner door closing process. Specifically, the control unit 1 performs drive control by the inner door driving unit 6 so that the inner door 112 is closed. The inner door 112 is in a closed state, and the placement unit and the volume reduction unit are separated (separated state). Then, the process proceeds to step ST11.

In step ST11, the control unit 1 performs an outer door opening process. Specifically, the control unit 1 performs drive control by the outer door driving unit 5 so as to open the outer door 111. The outer door 111 is in an open state, and the next container can be charged.
In step ST11, for example, the control unit 1 performs a process of displaying on the display unit of the display operation unit 3 such as “Please insert the next container, please touch the screen if there is nothing”. As will be described later, when an operator (such as a user) touches the screen of the display operation unit 3, the end is declared.

  In step ST12, the control unit 1 performs a volume reduction process. Specifically, the control unit 1 performs a process of reducing the volume of the empty container A by the volume reducing unit 120. Note that the volume reduction process in step ST12 may not be performed. Moreover, you may select reducing the volume of a container as needed and not reducing the volume.

In step ST13, the control unit 1 determines whether or not an article has been newly added to the placement unit based on a signal from each sensor, and as a result of the determination, the control unit 1 uses any sensor (detection unit) of the placement unit. Is detected, the process proceeds to step ST4, and if no article is detected, the process proceeds to step ST14.
As described above, by proceeding to step ST4, it is possible to perform continuous container loading processing. Specifically, since a new container can be put into the mounting unit while the volume reducing unit is reducing the volume of the empty container, detection by the sensor (detection unit) of the mounting unit Processing and volume reduction processing by the volume reduction unit can be performed in parallel. That is, the article recovery apparatus can efficiently reduce the volume of the empty container.
Even in the case where the continuous charging process is not performed, the inner door 112 is closed during the volume reduction process, and the placement unit and the volume reduction unit 120 are separated (separated state). Therefore, even if debris such as a container is scattered by the volume reduction process by the volume reducing unit, the debris does not reach the placement unit.

  In step ST14, the control unit 1 determines whether or not an end operation has been detected. If the end operation is detected, the control unit 1 proceeds to step ST1, and otherwise proceeds to step ST15. Specifically, the control unit 1 performs a process of displaying, for example, “Please input the next container, please touch the screen” on the display unit of the display operation unit 3, and touch the screen. When the end of operation is detected, the process proceeds to step ST1.

  In step ST15, the control unit 1 determines whether or not the volume reduction processing of the container by the volume reduction unit 120 is completed. If completed, the control unit 1 proceeds to the process of step ST1, and if not completed, the process of step ST13 is performed. Proceed to Specifically, in step ST15, the control unit 1 starts counting from the outer door open state of ST11, and when a predetermined time has elapsed, determines that there is no next container and automatically waits as described above. The process proceeds to step ST1.

  In step ST51, the control unit 1 determines whether or not the outer door closing condition is satisfied in step ST5, and when it is determined that the object placed on the placement unit 116 is a non-recoverable object, It is determined whether or not a time, for example, about 30 seconds to 1 minute has elapsed. If the result of determination is that a predetermined time has elapsed, the process proceeds to step ST52, and if the predetermined time has not elapsed, The standby state is maintained until a predetermined time has elapsed.

  In step ST52 and step ST53, the control unit 1 performs an outer door closing process for closing the outer door 111 while maintaining the closed state of the inner door 112. Specifically, the outer door driving unit 5 is driven and controlled so that the control unit 1 and the outer door 111 are closed.

In step ST54, the control unit 1 performs a notification process. Specifically, when the non-recoverable object is placed on the placement unit 116 of the container loading unit 110 and the outer door 111 is closed, the control unit 1 reduces the volume of the non-recoverable object. A process for notifying that it is in a state where it remains in the input part and is not recovered, or a process for notifying that the non-recoverable object is removed from the placement part 116 is performed. As a notification process, the process displayed on the display part of the display operation part 3, the process which sounds a predetermined notification sound, and the process which light-emits light emitting elements, such as LED, are performed. Then, the process proceeds to step ST1.
Further, as the notification process of the control unit 1, the notification may be performed to an external terminal device (not shown). The external terminal device is, for example, a POS terminal installed in a store, a portable terminal device carried by a store clerk or a system administrator, a host server, or the like. The control unit 1 may perform the above notification (pop-up screen display, lamp lighting, sound output, etc.) to the external terminal device via the wireless or wired communication path by the transmission / reception unit 4. Further, the control unit 1 may output an error so that it can be directly notified by each terminal device, or may output an error to a higher-level server and the POS terminal or the like may perform the notification via the server. The control unit 1 may similarly notify other error information (full detection, consumable parts replacement sign, other failure errors, etc.).
In addition, after the process of step ST54, the case where the container collection person is specified and the case where the container collection person is not specified will be described in detail.
When specifying the collection person, the store clerk or the like who receives the notification transmits / receives an IC card (identification information for the manager is stored in the storage unit of the IC card) with the identification information for the manager. When the control unit is held over or touched (or brought close to) the unit 4, the control unit confirms that the authentication process is correctly performed for the administrator, and then performs control to open the outer door 111. The outer door 111 is opened and a store clerk can remove non-collected items. That is, by giving the authority to open the outer door at the time of error only to a limited number of people, it is possible to prevent further introduction of foreign objects and mischief.
When the collection person is not specified, even when the outer door 111 is closed in ST52 and ST53 and foreign matter cannot be inserted, if the identification information is read from the IC card or the like by the transmission / reception unit 4, the control unit 1 You may perform the process which makes the outer door 111 an open state regardless of whether it is an administrator. As a result, a user who wants to use the article recovery apparatus can have the non-recoverable object removed. That is, it is possible to prevent a chance loss that the article collection device cannot be used until a store clerk or the like comes and removes the non-collection object.

<Empty container storage>
Next, an example of the container accommodating part 140 of the empty container collection | recovery apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention is demonstrated, referring FIG. Specifically, FIG. 14A is a perspective view showing an example of a container housing portion, and FIG. 14B is a view showing an example of a container housing portion equipped with a container housing bag and a cap housing bag. .

  As shown in FIG. 14 (a), the container housing part 140 detachably provided at the lower part of the apparatus main body part 100B of the empty container recovery apparatus 100 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped having an opening at the top and a bottom at the bottom. The container is provided with a translucent part 140a or a semi-translucent part on the front side, and is configured so that the inside of the container accommodating part 140 can be easily seen from the outside.

  Moreover, as shown in FIG. 14, the container accommodating part 140 which has an opening part in the upper part is detachably provided with a large container accommodating bag. In this embodiment, the container accommodating part 140 which has a substantially rectangular opening part in the upper part is provided with the insertion port 140b for fixing the container accommodating bag BB near the upper end of the side surface. In the present embodiment, a slit-like insertion port 140b is formed at the center of the oval elastic member.

  When the container housing bag BB is attached to the container housing portion 140, the container housing bag BB is housed in the center of the container housing portion 140, and the upper end of the container housing bag BB is folded outward to the insertion port 140b. Plug in. That is, by inserting the slit into the slit-like insertion port 140b of the elastic member, the bag is locked to the slit, so that the container housing bag BB is fixed to the container housing portion 140.

  For example, after collecting a plurality of containers in the container housing bag BB, when removing the container housing bag BB from the container housing portion 140, the container housing bag BB is pulled from the insertion port 140b with a predetermined force or more. Thus, the bag is disengaged and the bag can be easily removed.

In the present embodiment, a cap housing portion is provided in a part of the container housing portion 140. Specifically, the cap housing bag BS is arranged at one corner of the container housing section 140. The cap housing bag BS preferably includes, for example, two handle portions.
The container housing part 140 is provided with a locking part such as a hook near the upper part of the side surface of the corner part. The container housing part 140 locks the handle part of the cap housing bag BS to the engaging part, and arranges the opening part of the bag near the outlet of the cap passage so that the cap can be easily structured. Can be easily accommodated.

  That is, in the example illustrated in FIG. 14, the cap housing portion is supported in the container housing portion 140. Also, the handle portion BSa of the cap housing bag BS as the cap housing portion is locked to a locking portion such as a hook 140f near the upper portion of the outer surface of the container housing portion 140, thereby realizing the above configuration easily. can do. Moreover, since it has the structure where the cap accommodating part was provided in the container accommodating part 140, space saving can be implement | achieved.

  FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing another example of the container loading unit of the empty container collection device according to the embodiment of the present invention. In the example shown in FIG. 15, in the empty container collection device, the container loading part 110B has a manual drawer structure, and a placement part 116B for placing the empty container is provided in the drawn part. When placed on the placement unit 116B, the control unit of the empty container collection device determines whether or not it is a collection target based on the signals from the various sensors (such as the weighing unit, the optical sensor, and the metal sensor) described above. When the object is a collection target, the manual container loading unit 110B can be closed, and when the part pulled out by the user is closed, the inner door 112B is opened and is placed in the apparatus main body. Collect the collection object. On the other hand, in the case of a non-recoverable object, the manual container loading unit 110B is locked by a locking mechanism such as a solenoid and is not closed. When the non-recoverable object is taken out from the placement unit by the user, the lock mechanism is unlocked and the manual container loading unit 110B can be closed.

  In the embodiment of the present invention, the outer door is configured to be closed by rotating from the top to the bottom. However, the closing direction and the moving method are not limited, and the closing direction is, for example, the bottom From top to bottom, from right to left, from left to right, from the front to the back, the moving method may be rotation, parallel movement, folding, separable lid or door. The inner door is the same as the outer door. Further, at least the opening and closing of the outer door is not limited to drive control, and may be a manual type, for example.

As described above, the empty container collection device 100 as the article collection device according to the embodiment of the present invention includes the placement unit 116 on which an article such as an empty container can be placed, and the outside of the placement unit 116. An outer door 111 that can be freely opened and closed, an inner door 112 that is provided in a passage that leads from the placement unit 116 into the apparatus main body 100B, an outer door 111 side surface of the inner door 112, and an empty container, etc. It has guide part 112D which guides the mounting state of articles | goods.
That is, since the guide part 112D is provided in the inner door 112, it is possible to notify the user of the placement state of an empty container (PET bottle or the like) of the collection object. Examples of the placement state include a placement position of an article such as an empty container, and a direction of an article such as an empty container.
In addition, the guide portion 112D is configured so that the guide portion 112D provided on the inner door 112 can be easily visually recognized from the front side of the main body portion of the empty container collection device with the outer door 111 open. ing. That is, the guide portion 112D is provided at a position where the outer door 111 is exposed and exposed from the apparatus main body. The user can look at the guide portion 112D and place the empty container in the prescribed position of the placement portion so as to have a prescribed orientation according to the display content of the guide portion 112D.
In addition, it is possible to provide an article recovery apparatus that correctly guides the placement position and orientation of the empty container so that the main body portion and the neck portion of the plastic bottle are not separated.

Moreover, the empty container collection | recovery apparatus 100 which concerns on embodiment of this invention has the volume reduction part 120 provided in the apparatus main body part 100B. The volume reducing unit 120 includes a compression roller 81 and a compression roller 91. The volume reducing portion 120 is configured such that the axial length between the opposingly arranged compression rollers 81 and 91 is substantially equal to or longer than the longitudinal length LAb of the neck portion of the long empty container A. Has been.
That is, the compression rollers 81 and 91 of the volume reducing unit 120 can reduce the volume so that the neck portion of the empty container A and the main body portion of the empty container are not separated.

  In addition, since the placement unit 116 of the empty container collection device 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes the weighing unit 7 as a mass detection unit that detects the mass of an object placed on the placement unit 106, Since a recovery object or a non-recovery object can be determined based on the mass of an object placed on the placement unit 116, a non-recovery object such as a foreign object is placed on the placement unit 116 Intrusion into the apparatus main body 100B can be prevented, foreign substances can be eliminated by the user, and the small empty container collection apparatus 100 can be provided with a simple structure.

As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and there are design changes and the like without departing from the gist of the present invention. Is included in the present invention.
Further, the embodiments described in the above drawings can be combined with each other as long as there is no particular contradiction or problem in the purpose and configuration.
Moreover, the description content of each figure can become independent embodiment, respectively, and embodiment of this invention is not limited to one embodiment which combined each figure.

  The empty container collection device as the article collection device according to the embodiment of the present invention described above includes the volume reducing unit (volume reduction mechanism) for reducing the volume of the empty container, but is not limited to this embodiment. For example, an empty container of an inputted collection target may be collected as it is without providing a volume reduction mechanism.

  In the above-described embodiment, the empty container collection device collects empty containers such as PET bottles, but may be configured to collect aluminum cans, steel cans, etc., and collects PET bottles, aluminum cans, and steel cans. A combined device may be used.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Control part 2 ... Memory | storage part 3 ... Display operation part 4 ... Transmission / reception part 5 ... Outer door drive part 6 ... Inner door drive part 7 ... Metering part 8 ... Metal sensor 9 ... Optical sensor 71 ... Passage 10 ... Door position sensor 11 ... Door lock part 100 ... Empty container collection device (article collection device (container volume reduction device))
100B: Device main body 110: Container input unit (article input unit)
111 ... Outer door 112 ... Inner door 116 ... Placement part 120 ... Volume reduction part (volume reduction mechanism)
140 ... Container housing part (housing part)

Claims (5)

An article collection device for collecting an article,
A placement section on which an article can be placed;
An outer door that can be freely opened and closed,
An inner door provided in a passage leading from the mounting portion to the inside of the device main body,
A guide part provided on the inner door for guiding the placement state of the article;
An article collection apparatus comprising:   The article recovery apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the guide unit is provided at a position where the outer door is open and exposed from the apparatus main body unit.   The article recovery apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the guide unit guides a direction and a placement position of the article. It has a volume reducing part provided in the device body,
The volume reducing portion includes a compression roller,
The volume reducing portion is characterized in that the axial length between the opposing compression rollers is substantially equal to or longer than the longitudinal length of the neck portion of the empty container as the long article. The article recovery apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.   The article recovery apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the placement unit includes a mass detection unit.

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