JP2020195766A - Absorptive sanitary product collection/treatment method - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an absorptive sanitary product treatment system for solving a problem that a material is neither collected nor reused.SOLUTION: There is provided an absorptive sanitary product collection/treatment method having a washing step, a crushing step and a separation/collection step. A contamination of the absorptive sanitary product is washed away in the washing step, the absorptive sanitary product is crushed into segment materials in the crushing step, the separation/collection step includes at least a pulper step, the segment materials of the crushed absorptive sanitary product are put into a pulper drum together with a water flow, the water flow containing the segment materials forms a spiral water flow in the pulper drum, and the segment materials are homogeneously dispersed into the water flow. The water flow containing the segment materials is put into a separation tank by a separation/sedimentation step, polymer suspended matters, fiber materials and polymer sediments are formed in the separation tank, and the polymer suspended matters, the fiber materials and the polymer sediments are collected by a suspended matter collection step.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 13

Description

The present invention relates to an absorbent hygiene product recovery treatment method, and more particularly to an absorbent hygiene product recovery treatment method used for processing a large amount of diapers and care pads.

Since the invention of disposable absorbent hygiene products such as disposable diapers, care pads, sanitary napkins, etc., these types of disposable absorbent hygiene products have brought great convenience to people's lives, so these types of disposable absorbent hygiene products are used in daily life and medical care. Widely used in applications.

When the infant diaper is exemplified as an absorbent hygiene product, the structure of the infant diaper is generally such that the layer in contact with the skin is a non-woven fabric and the outer layer is a polymer film (for example, polyethylene film) as a waterproof layer. The content is an absorbent layer made of fluff pulp and a water-absorbent polymer material (eg, sodium polyacrylate). After the diaper was used, feces were wrapped in the diaper and urine was absorbed into the absorbent layer. Then, the diaper containing feces and urine is thrown into the trash can as it is.

Disposable hygiene products are convenient, but used disposable hygiene products have a large volume, so when they are consumed in large quantities, a large amount of garbage is generated. In addition, pollutants such as urine, feces, and blood remain on used diapers and care pads, which not only gives off an offensive odor, but may also cause bacterial growth and environmental pollution. Therefore, in places such as hospitals, elderly homes, nursing homes, and postnatal care centers, a large amount of waste of sanitary goods such as used diapers and care pads is generated every day, so the discarded disposable absorbent sanitary goods are disposed of. You have to spend a lot of money to do it.

Currently, most absorbent hygiene products are directly buried or incinerated in an incinerator, but are not suitable for burial because the volume of used absorbent hygiene products that have absorbed the liquid is expanding. Furthermore, incineration of absorbent sanitary articles consumes a large amount of energy and easily generates corrosive gas, which leads to the need for early maintenance of the incinerator and shortening the life of the incinerator. Therefore, the waste of used absorbent sanitary goods becomes a serious problem of waste disposal and environmental protection.

Further, in the prior art, various materials (for example, polymer film, non-woven fabric, fluff fiber, water-absorbent material) of used absorbent hygiene products can be recovered by crushing, precipitating, and separating. First, after crushing used absorbent hygiene products, various materials different from each other are obtained by precipitation and separation, and the recovered materials are washed to remove contaminants. Therefore, during such a treatment process, the subsequent cleaning process is very difficult and the recovered material is sufficiently clean, as various contaminants are mixed in with the crushed pieces of absorbent hygiene products and textile materials. Instead, they cannot be reused, so these contaminated fibers have to be retreated by incineration.

For the above reasons, existing absorbent hygiene product recovery and treatment methods have considerable drawbacks. Therefore, how to overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks by improving the processing method is one of the important problems to be solved in this field.

An object of the present invention is to solve the drawback that the waste of the current disposable absorbent articles is difficult to treat and the material cannot be recovered and reused.

Further, as an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for recovering an absorbent sanitary product, which comprises a cleaning step, a crushing step, and a separation / recovery step, and recovers a material of the absorbent hygiene product waiting to be processed. The absorbent hygiene product is cleaned of contaminants by the cleaning step, the absorbent hygiene product is crushed into fragment materials by the crushing step, and the fragment material of the absorbent hygiene product is polymer-suspended by the separation and recovery step. Separated into a turbidity, a fiber material and a polymer precipitate, the cleaning step comprises at least a first cleaning step and a second cleaning step, and the separation and recovery step is separated and precipitated with at least a pulper step. A step, a suspension collection step, a fiber collection step, and a sediment collection step are included, in which the crushed absorbent sanitary ware fragment material is placed in the pulper drum with a stream of water and the pulper drum. Within, the water stream containing the fragment material of the absorbent sanitary product forms a swirling water stream, the material contained in the fragment of the absorbent sanitary product is uniformly dispersed in the water stream, and in the separation and precipitation step, the absorption A stream of water containing the fragment material of the sex hygiene product is put into the separation tank, and the fragment material of the absorbable hygiene product is separated from the polymer suspension floating on the water surface of the separation tank due to the difference in specific gravity. The fiber material suspended in the water of the separation tank and the polymer precipitate settled at the bottom of the separation tank are formed, and the suspension collection step, the fiber collection step, and the precipitate collection step are performed. Each is performed and the polymer suspension, the fiber material, and the polymer precipitate are collected. invention

In order to further understand the features and technical contents of the present invention, the following detailed description and drawings regarding the present invention will be referred to. The drawings provided are for reference and explanation purposes only, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

It is a schematic diagram which shows three-dimensionally the combination of the absorbent hygiene article collection processing system of this invention. It is a combination cross-sectional schematic diagram which shows the absorbable hygiene article recovery processing system of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows three-dimensionally the washing drum used in this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows three-dimensionally the washing drum used in this invention. It is a schematic diagram of a part of combination which three-dimensionally shows the inside of the cleaning drum including the first transfer reel and the partition plate of this invention. The cleaning drum of the present invention is a schematic diagram showing an operation when executing a cleaning process. The cleaning drum of the present invention is a schematic view showing an operation when executing a transfer process. It is a schematic diagram which shows three-dimensionally the supply and transport device used in this invention. It is an enlarged schematic diagram which shows a part of the supply transport apparatus used in this invention three-dimensionally. It is an enlarged schematic diagram which shows a part of the shearing apparatus used in this invention three-dimensionally. It is a schematic diagram which shows three-dimensionally the separation and precipitation apparatus used in this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the separation sedimentation apparatus used in this invention. It is a flowchart of the recovery processing method of the absorbent hygiene article used in this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the step of the cleaning process of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the step of the separation and recovery process of this invention.

Forms for carrying out the invention

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention relating to a method for recovering and treating absorbent hygiene products will be described according to specific embodiments, but those skilled in the art can understand the advantages and effects of the present invention from the contents disclosed in the present specification. The present invention may be implemented or applied in a variety of other specific embodiments, and the various details herein vary, subject to various viewpoints and applications, without departing from the spirit of the invention. Modifications and changes can be made. Moreover, the drawings of the present invention are merely exemplary and are not intended to be described in actual size. The following embodiments describe the contents of the related art of the present invention in more detail, but the scope of claims of the present invention is not limited by these published contents.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 12, one embodiment of the present invention treats types of absorbent hygiene products such as used infant diapers, adult diapers, sanitary napkins, care pads, etc. Provided is an absorbable sanitary napkin recovery treatment method for recovering the polymer material film contained therein, the fiber material, and the water-absorbent polymer material.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 12, the configuration of the recovery processing system 1 that realizes the absorbent sanitary goods recovery treatment method according to the present invention is mainly composed of a cleaning device 10, a supply / transfer device 20, a crushing device 30, and a separate recovery device. The device 40 is provided. First, the absorbent hygiene product 50 waiting to be processed is packaged in a plurality of sealed bags 51, and the opening of each sealed bag 51 is sealed by being tightened by a rope 52, and the absorbent hygiene product 50 waiting to be processed has a strange odor. And the generation of bacteria is prevented. Then, the sealed bag 51 containing the absorbent hygiene product 50 is transported to the inlet end 101 of the cleaning device 10 by the supply / transport device 20. After that, the sealed bag 51 is destroyed, so that the absorbent hygiene product 50 waiting for processing is dropped into the cleaning device 10 to be washed, and then crushed into fragments by the crushing device 30. The separation and recovery device 40 then separates and recovers the different materials contained in the absorbent hygiene product fragment.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 8 and 9, the supply / transport device 20 used in the present invention is installed at a position close to the inlet end 101 of the cleaning device 10. The supply transfer device 20 includes a supply turntable 21, a damping device 22, and a shear device 23.

Here, the supply turntable 21 has a plurality of rotary arms 211, and a clamp device 212 is installed at each end of each rotary arm 211. Each clamp device 212 can hold a sealed bag 51 filled with absorbent hygiene products 50 waiting to be processed, and can move the sealed bag 51 to a supply position. The damping device 22 is installed near the inlet end 101 of the cleaning device 10. The damping device 22 includes a swing arm 221. A suction cup 224 is installed at the end of the swing arm 221 and one end of the swing arm 221 opposite to the suction cup 224 is connected on the drive frame 222. The drive frame 222 is connected to the pneumatic cylinder 223 and is interlocked so as to rotate by the pneumatic cylinder 223, and the swing arm 221 is interlocked so as to swing up and down. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the shearing device 23 includes a pair of scissors 231 and a link mechanism 232, a link driving device 234, a slide base 235, and a propulsion pneumatic cylinder 236. The link mechanism 232 and the link drive device 234 are installed on the slide base 235. The slide base 235 can be displaced by being pushed by the propulsion pneumatic cylinder 236. A clamp portion 233 for clamping the scissors 231 is provided at the end of the link mechanism 232, and one end of the link mechanism 232 opposite to the scissors 231 is connected to the link drive device 234. The link driving device 234 can drive the link mechanism 232 and interlock the scissors 231 so as to perform a shearing operation.

After moving the sealing bag 51 to the supply position, the supply turntable 21 sucks the side surface of the bottom of the sealing bag 51 with the suction cup 224 of the damping device 22 and swings it upward by the swing arm 221 to obtain the sealing bag 51. By lifting the bottom, the sealed bag is dumped with the bottom higher than the top. Then, by shearing a part of the upper end of the sealing bag 51 with the scissors 231 of the shearing device 23, a part of the upper end of the sealing bag 51 is separated from the clamping device 212 of the rotating arm 211, and the upper end of the sealing bag 51 is opened. It becomes a shape. As a result, the absorbent hygiene product in the sealed bag 51 falls into the inlet end 101 of the cleaning device 10.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 7, the cleaning device 10 mainly includes a cleaning drum 11 and a driving device 16. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the cleaning drum 11 is cylindrical and has a central axis C. In the cleaning device 10, the inlet end 101 and the outlet end 102 can be defined at both ends of the central axis C. The cleaning drum 11 is connected to the supply hopper 12 on the side facing the inlet end 101, and is connected to the discharge guide plate 13 on the side facing the outlet end 102. The cleaning drum 11 is composed of an outer cylinder 111 and an inner cylinder 112, the outer cylinder 111 is a closed drum, and the inner cylinder 112 is composed of a mesh plate having punching holes. A plurality of baffles 118 are installed on the inner surface of the inner cylinder 112 in order to agitate the water flow. The cleaning drum 11 is connected to the drive device 16 and is driven by the drive device 16 so as to be rotatable about the central axis C. In the present embodiment, the drive device 16 includes a motor 161 and a belt 162, and a sliding pulley 163 installed at one end of the cleaning drum 11. By connecting the belt 162 between the driven pulley 163 and the motor 161 the motor 161 can drive and rotate the cleaning drum 11.

As shown in FIG. 4, the cleaning drum 11 has a rear partition plate 113, at least one intermediate partition plate 114, and a front partition plate 115. The front and rear ends of the cleaning drum 11 are closed by the rear partition plate 113 and the front partition plate 115. The internal space of the cleaning drum 11 is partitioned by at least the first cleaning chamber 116 and the second cleaning chamber 117 by the intermediate partition plate 114, the first cleaning chamber 116 is close to the inlet end 101, and the second cleaning chamber is located. 117 is close to the exit end 102.

In the present embodiment, the rear partition plate 113 is provided with the supply port 1131, and by connecting the supply port 1131 and the supply hopper 12, the absorbent hygiene product 50 that has fallen into the supply hopper 12 is released from the supply port 1131. It enters the inside of the cleaning drum 11. The installation position of the intermediate partition plate 114 is between the first cleaning chamber 116 and the second cleaning chamber 117, and by installing the first outlet 1141 on the intermediate partition plate 114, the first outlet 1141 The first cleaning chamber 116 can be connected to the second cleaning chamber 117 via. By installing the second outlet 1151 on the front partition plate 115, the second cleaning chamber 117 can be connected to the outside of the outlet end 102 via the second outlet 1151. It should be noted that in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the position where the first outlet 1141 and the second outlet 1151 are installed is located above the central axis C of the cleaning drum 11. .. By doing so, the washing water contained in the first washing chamber 116 and the second washing chamber 117 can be prevented from overflowing to the first outlet 1141 or the second outlet 1151.

Cleaning water can be poured into each of the first cleaning chamber 116 and the second cleaning chamber 117, and the cleaning water in the first cleaning chamber 116 and the second cleaning chamber 117 is driven by the rotational operation of the cleaning drum 11. Flows and the absorbent hygiene product 50 is washed. When the cleaning step is performed, the absorbent hygiene product 50 waiting to be processed is moved into the second cleaning chamber 117 after the first cleaning step is executed in the first cleaning chamber 116 and is moved to the second cleaning chamber 117. The cleaning process is performed. Then, after being moved from the second outlet 1151 to the outside of the outlet end 102, the washed absorbent hygiene product 50 is put into the crushing device 30 and the crushing step is executed.

Notably, the first cleaning chamber 116 and the second cleaning chamber 117 can each add different types of detergents, disinfectants or cleaning aids to achieve different cleaning effects. For example, in order to improve the cleaning effect, a detergent or solvent for cleaning urine, feces or blood may be added to the cleaning water in the first cleaning chamber 116, if necessary, for disinfection or disinfection. In order to enhance the effect of sterilization, additives such as a bleaching agent, a disinfectant and a sterilizing agent may be added into the second washing chamber 117, or ozone may be introduced into the washing water.

In the present invention, in the cleaning drum 11, the absorbent hygiene product 50 cleaned by the first cleaning chamber 116 can be moved to the second cleaning chamber 117 each time each cleaning step is completed, so that the second cleaning chamber can be moved to the second cleaning chamber 117. To allow the absorbent hygiene product 50 cleaned by 117 to move outside the outlet end 102, a first transport reel 14 and above the interior of the first wash chamber 116 and the second wash chamber 117 A second transport reel 15 is installed respectively. By doing so, each time the cleaning process is completed, the washed absorbent hygiene product 50 is moved from the first cleaning chamber 116 to the second cleaning chamber 117, or is absorbent in the second cleaning chamber 117. The hygiene product 50 is moved to the outside of the outlet end 102 of the cleaning drum 11.

In the present embodiment, the first transfer reel 14 and the second transfer reel 15 have the same structure. Therefore, in the present specification and the drawings, only the first transfer reel 14 will be taken as an example to explain the structure. .. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the front end and the rear end of the first transfer reel 14 are connected to the rear partition plate 113 and the intermediate partition plate 114, respectively, so that the first transfer reel 14 is the first. It is positioned above the cleaning chamber 116 and can rotate about the central axis C together with the cleaning drum 11. The first transfer reel 14 is made of a metal plate or a plastic plate, and a notch portion 141 is formed on a side surface of the cleaning drum 11 facing upward. The inner surface of the first transport reel 14 is formed as an arc-shaped guide surface 142 that is inclined from top to bottom in the direction toward the first outlet 1141. One side of the first transfer reel 14 and the arcuate guide surface 142 toward the outlet end 102 is connected to the first outlet 1141.

As shown in FIG. 6, when the cleaning step is executed, the cleaning drum 11 is driven by the driving device 16 and can repeatedly rotate within a predetermined angle range θ around the central axis C. Then, while the cleaning drum 11 is repeatedly rotated within the predetermined angle range θ, the first transport reel 14 is always maintained at the water level height L or higher of the cleaning water in the first cleaning chamber 116. The cleaning water in the first cleaning chamber 116 and the absorbent sanitary goods 50 waiting to be washed are not agitated by the first transport reel 14, and may overflow from the first outlet 1141 to the second cleaning chamber 117. Absent.

As shown in FIG. 7, when the cleaning drum 11 completes the cleaning step, the cleaning drum 11 can rotate along a predetermined rotation direction d1 about the central axis C, and the first transport reel 14 is first. After being rotated below the cleaning chamber 116, it is interlocked so as to rotate to a position above the first cleaning chamber 116. In the process, the absorbent hygiene product 50 in the first cleaning chamber 116 enters the inside of the first transport reel 14 through the opening 141 of the first transport reel 14, and is transported above the first cleaning chamber 116. Will be done. Then, after the first transport reel 14 returns to the position above the first cleaning chamber 116, the arc-shaped guide surface 142 of the first transport reel 14 is inclined, so that the absorbent hygiene product 50 is an arc-shaped guide. It slides along the surface 142 to the first exit 1141. Further, in order to carry out the second cleaning step, the absorbent hygiene product 50 is dropped from the first outlet 1141 into the second cleaning chamber 117.

The second transfer reel 15 is installed at a position above the second cleaning chamber 117. The second transfer reel 15 is installed between the intermediate partition plate 114 and the front partition plate 115, and the second transfer reel 15 also has an opening and an arc-shaped guide surface. The front end of the arcuate guide surface 142 of the second transfer reel 15 is connected to the second outlet 1151. In the present embodiment, the configuration and operating principle of the second transport reel 15 are similar to the configuration and operating principle of the first transport reel 14, and therefore, the description of the second transport reel 15 will be omitted in the present specification. ..

Each time the cleaning process is completed, the first transfer reel 14 and the second transfer reel 15 automatically move the absorbent hygiene product 50 of the first cleaning chamber 116 into the second cleaning chamber 117. It is possible to carry out a second cleaning step. The absorbent hygiene product 50 that has been cleaned in the second cleaning chamber 117 is moved to the outside of the outlet end 102 of the cleaning drum 11, and the absorbent hygiene product 50 that has been cleaned is guided by the discharge guide plate 13. Entering the crushing device 30, the crushing step is performed.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the crushing device 30 used in the present invention is installed at a position close to the outlet end 102 of the cleaning device 10, and includes a crushing unit 31, a crushing unit supply hopper 32, and a pressing unit. 33 and. The crushing section supply hopper 32 is installed at the inlet of the crushing section 31, and the absorbent hygiene product 50 discharged via the discharge guide plate 13 is put into the crushing section 31 via the crushing section supply hopper 32 and crushed. As such, it is connected to the outlet end of the cleaning device 10. The press unit 33 is connected between the outlet of the crushing unit 31 and the separation / recovery device 40, and conveys a fragment of the absorbent hygiene product into the separation / recovery device 40.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 11, and 12, in the present embodiment, the separation / recovery device 40 includes a pulper drum 41, a separation tank 42, a suspension recovery device 43, a fiber collection device 45, and a sediment collection device. The device 44 is provided. The separation tank 42 is a water tank, and a first end portion 421 and a second end portion 422 can be defined at both ends of the separation tank 42. The inside of the separation tank 42 can accommodate fragments of water and absorbent hygiene products 50, and the water and fragments of absorbent sanitary products in the separation tank 42 are oriented from the first end 421 to the second end 422. It is flowing toward.

The pulper drum 41 is housed in the first end 421 of the separation tank 42. A supply port 413 is installed on the side surface of the bottom of the pulper drum 41, an upper outlet 412 is provided above, and a spiral baffle 411 is installed inside the pulper drum 41. The supply port 1131 of the pulper drum is connected to the crushing device 30 via a pipe. Fragments of absorbent hygiene products crushed by the crushing device 30 enter the pulper drum 41 through the pulper drum inlet 413, and the water stream mixed with the fragment material by interlocking with the high-speed water stream creates a swirling water stream in the pulper drum 41. Form. Since the direction of the pulper drum inlet 413 is set in a direction substantially parallel to the tangential direction of the pulper drum 41, the direction in which the water flow including the fragment material of the absorbent sanitary goods is substantially parallel to the tangential direction of the pulper drum 41. It becomes possible to enter the pulper drum 41 along the line. Guided by the swirl baffle 411, a swirling water stream is formed in the pulper drum 41 and flows into the separation tank 42 from the upper outlet 412 of the pulper drum 41.

In the present embodiment, the separation / recovery device 40 further includes a compressor 414. The compressor 414 is connected to the bottom of the pulper drum 41 and injects compressed air into the bottom of the pulper drum 41 to enhance the effect of separating the fragment material in the pulper drum 41.

The separation tank 42 is an elongated water tank. The separation tank 42 is designed to be more than three times the width and more than twice the width, so that the water and fragment material in the separation tank 42 is at the first end. Allows sufficient time to flow from 421 to the second end 422, sufficient time to precipitate and separate different materials, and clear boundaries between different materials after separation As such, the separation tank 42 has a sufficient depth.

In terms of specific gravity, the constituent materials of absorbent sanitary products generally include low specific gravity polymer films or polymer fiber materials (eg polyethylene films, non-woven fibers), fibrous materials (eg pulp fibers, shaving fibers), etc. And a high specific gravity water-absorbent polymer material (eg, sodium polyacrylate). As shown in FIG. 12, since the specific gravities of the various materials are different, in the water of the separation tank 42, the polymer film or the polymer fiber material having the lowest specific gravity is formed on the polymer suspension 502 suspended on the water surface. Since the fiber material that has absorbed water has a specific gravity close to that of water, it is dispersed in water and suspended. The water-absorbent polymer material having the highest specific gravity can be deposited on the bottom of the separation tank 42 to form the polymer precipitate 504.

The separation / recovery device 40 collects the polymer suspension, the fiber material, and the polymer precipitate on the water surface in the separation tank 42 by the suspension recovery device 43, the fiber collection device 45, and the sediment collection device 44, respectively. The suspension recovery device 43 is installed above the separation tank 42. In the present embodiment, the suspension collection device 43 includes a water repellent roller 431, a conveyor device 432, a plurality of collection blades 433, a transport unit 434, and a suspension collection tank 435. The water-repellent roller 431 is installed above the separation tank 42, and a part of the water-repellent roller 431 is immersed in the water inside the separation tank 42. The water repellent roller 431 has a plurality of blades on the outside. When the water repellent roller 431 rotates, it can turn the water toward the second end 422 of the separation tank 42 to form a water stream. The conveyor device 432 is installed so as to be located above the separation tank 42 and behind the water repellent roller 431. The plurality of collection blades 433 are installed on the conveyor device 432 and are rotatable together with the conveyor device 432. A part of the conveyor device 432 penetrates under the water surface of the separation tank 42, and the collection blade is rotated so as to be interlocked by the conveyor device 432, so that the polymer suspension floating on the water surface of the separation tank 42 is taken out. It is conveyed toward the second end of the separation tank 42. By installing the transport unit 434 and the suspension collection tank 435 at a position below the end of the conveyor device 432, the polymer suspension 502 dropped from the end of the conveyor device 432 falls on the transport unit 434 and is transported. The polymer suspension 502 is collected in the suspension collection tank 435 by transfer by part 434.

In this embodiment, the sediment collection device 44 is installed at the bottom of the separation tank 42 and includes a screw transfer device 441 and a sediment collection tank 443. The screw transfer device 441 is installed at the bottom of the separation tank 42. The screw transfer device 441 has a cylindrical outer case 4411 and a screw 4412 housed inside the outer case 4411. At the bottom of the separation tank 42, the bottom slot 424 is installed at a position corresponding to the outer case 4411, and since the outer case 4411 of the screw transfer device 441 and the bottom slot 424 are connected, the sediment is deposited on the bottom of the separation tank 42. It is possible for the polymer precipitate 504 to enter the outer case 4411 through the bottom slot 424. An outlet pipe 442 is installed at the end of the outer case 4411. The outlet pipe 442 is connected to a sediment collection tank 443 for collecting the polymer sediment 504 discharged from the screw transfer device 441.

In the present embodiment, the fiber collecting device 45 is installed at the second end of the separation tank 42, and includes an outlet pipe 451, a first filtration device 452, a dehydration device 453, a second filtration device 454, and a water circulation pump 455. Be prepared. The outlet pipe 451 is connected to the water outlet 423 at the second end of the separation tank 42. The height of the water outlet 423 is between the suspension recovery device 43 and the sediment collection device 44. Further, in the separation tank 42, a water level control panel (not shown) for controlling the height of the water level of the separation tank 42 is installed at the water outlet 423. After the water in the separation tank 42 flows out from the water outlet 423, it is conveyed to the first filtration device 452 via the outlet pipe 451 and the fiber material 503 in the water stream is filtered by the first filtration device 452. After that, the collected fiber material 503 enters the dehydrator 453 and is dehydrated so as to reduce the weight of the fiber material. The water discharged by the first filtration device 452 and the dehydration device 453 is conveyed to the second filtration device 454, and the fibers remaining in the water are filtered by the second filtration device 454. After that, the water discharged from the second filtration device 454 is conveyed to the inside of the pulper drum 41 or the cleaning device 10 by the water circulation pump 455 and used repeatedly.

Notably, the outlet of the water circulation pump 455 is connected to the pulper drum inlet 413 and the second cleaning chamber 117 of the cleaning drum 11 via piping. In the absorbent sanitary goods recovery processing system 1 of the present invention, when the separation and recovery step of the fragment material of the absorbent sanitary goods is performed, the water circulation pump 455 uses the water discharged from the second filtration device 454 as the pulper drum inlet 413. By injecting it into the pulper drum inlet 413 as a high-pressure water stream, the fragment material is flowed by the high-speed water stream to form a swirl water stream. Further, when the cleaning device 10 performs the cleaning process of the absorbent sanitary goods of the next batch, the water output from the water circulation pump 455 is guided into the second cleaning chamber 117 of the cleaning drum 11 by the control of the control valve. And use it repeatedly.

The present invention further provides a method for recovering and treating absorbent hygiene products. FIG. 13 shows a flowchart of a method for collecting and processing the absorbent hygiene product used in the present invention. The recovery treatment method of the present invention mainly includes a waste preparation step S10, a cleaning step S20, a crushing step S30, and a separation recovery step S40.

Here, in the waste preparation step S10, the used absorbent hygiene product 50 is wrapped in the sealing bag 51 to seal the absorbent sanitary product 50 waiting to be processed so as not to pollute the environment. Next, the packaged absorbent hygiene product 50 is transported by a transportation means to a processing place where the collection processing system 1 of the absorbent hygiene product of the present invention is installed and processed. It should be noted that the waste preparation step S10 of the present invention can be carried out in hospitals, nursing homes, nursing homes, postpartum fertilization centers, etc., where a large amount of absorbent hygiene products such as diapers and care pads are used. By executing the waste preparation step S10 at these locations, the discarded absorbent hygiene products are already in a sealed state when they are transported to the treatment site, so that the absorbent hygiene products generate an offensive odor and environmental hygiene. Is avoided.

As shown in FIG. 14, the cleaning step S20 includes a supply step S21, a first cleaning step S22, a second cleaning step S23, and a transfer step S24. In the supply step S21, the supply / transport device 20 moves the sealed bag 51 in which the absorbent hygiene product waiting to be processed is packaged to the inlet end 101 of the cleaning device 10, and breaks the sealed bag to absorb the product waiting to be processed. The hygiene product falls into the cleaning drum 11. The first cleaning step S22 is performed in the first cleaning chamber 116 of the cleaning drum 11. The effect of the first cleaning step S22 is to rudimentarily remove contaminants such as urine and feces sucked into the absorbent hygiene product. In the second washing step S23, the absorbent hygiene product is further washed, sterilized and bleached. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first cleaning step S22 and the second cleaning step S23 include appropriate detergents, bleaching agents, bactericides, ozone, etc. that meet the needs in order to improve the cleaning effect. Additives can be added. When the first cleaning step S22 and the second cleaning step S23 are completed for each cleaning step S20, the transfer step S24 is executed by the first transfer reel 14 and the second transfer reel 15 of the cleaning device 10. In the transfer step S24, the first transfer reel 14 and the second transfer reel 15 linked by the cleaning drum 11 rotate, and the absorbent sanitary goods 50 and the second cleaning chamber in the first cleaning chamber 116 are rotated. The absorbent hygiene product 50 in 117 is synchronously moved, and the absorbent hygiene product 50 that has completed the first cleaning step S22 is transported to the second cleaning chamber 117 to perform the second cleaning step S23, and at the same time, the second cleaning step S23 is performed. The absorbent hygiene product that has completed the second cleaning step S23 is moved from the second cleaning chamber 17 to the outside of the cleaning device 10, and the crushing step S30 is executed.

In the crushing step S30, the washed absorbent sanitary goods are crushed into fragment materials by the crushing device 30. The crushed fragment material is conveyed to the separation / recovery device 40, and the separation / recovery step is executed.

As shown in FIG. 15, the separation / recovery step S40 includes a pulper step S41, a separation / precipitation step S42, a suspension collection step S43, a fiber collection step S44, and a precipitate collection step S45. In the pulper step S41, the pulper drum 41 forms a swirl with a stream of water containing the fragment material of the absorbent hygiene product, thereby separating the material to be included in the fragment material. It should be noted that when the pulper step S41 is executed, compressed air is further injected into the pulper drum to enhance the speed of the swirl by the water flow and improve the pulper effect.

In the separation and precipitation step S42, an absorbent sanitary product is introduced into the separation tank 42, and the material in the fragment material is suspended in the water of the separation tank 42 and the polymer suspension 502 floating on the water surface due to the difference in specific gravity. It is separated into a fiber material 503 and a polymer precipitate 504 that precipitates at the bottom of the separation tank 42. Specifically, the polymer suspension 502 comprises a polymer film or non-woven fabric in a fragment material of an absorbent sanitary product, and the fiber material 503 contains a pulp or paper fiber or a cotton fiber in the fragment material of an absorbent sanitary product, and is a polymer. The precipitate contains a water-absorbent polymer material. Then, when the separation and precipitation step S42 is executed, the pH value of the water in the separation tank 42 is controlled to pH 8 or higher, preferably in the range of pH 9 to 11, so that the water-absorbent polymer material is solidified into a gel. , The water-absorbent polymer material can be easily precipitated and recovered.

By executing the suspension collection step S43, the fiber collection step S44, and the precipitate collection step S45 by the suspension collection device 43, the fiber collection device 45, and the precipitate collection device 44, respectively. The polymer suspension, fiber material 503, and polymer precipitate 504 are collected. Notably, in the embodiments of the present invention, the suspension collection step S43, the fiber collection step S44, and the precipitate collection step S45 may be performed simultaneously or stepwise. For example, in this embodiment, since the suspension collection step S43, the fiber collection step S44, and the precipitate collection step S45 are executed in the same separation tank 10, the three steps are simultaneously executed. You can think of it as something. However, in other embodiments, the suspension collection step S43, the fiber collection step S44, and the precipitate collection step S45 may each be performed in different water tanks, and the order of execution may be the actual needs. Can be adjusted according to.

The method of the present invention can be suitably used for processing large amounts of diapers, care pads or other absorbent hygiene products. The main effects of the present invention are as follows. 1. In the present invention, since the absorbent hygiene product 50 waiting for processing is packaged in the sealed bag 51, it is possible to prevent the absorbent hygiene product 50 from generating an odor during transportation or waiting for processing. In the present invention, since the absorbent hygiene product 50 in the sealed bag 51 is put into the cleaning device 10 by using the automated supply / transport device 20, it is not necessary to manually open the sealed bag 51. It can prevent contact between people and pollutants and improve the quality of work. 2. In the recovery processing procedure of the absorbent sanitary goods recovery processing system according to the present invention, first, the absorbent sanitary goods waiting to be treated are washed by the cleaning device 10, and then the crushing step and the separation recovery step are executed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the problem that the post-treatment becomes difficult due to the mixing of the fragment material and the contaminant, and the recovered fiber is not clean and cannot be recycled and used. 3. In the cleaning device 10 of the present invention, by rotating the cleaning drum 11, the first transfer reel 14, and the second transfer reel 15, the absorbent hygiene products in the first cleaning chamber 116 are separated into the second cleaning chamber 117. To automatically perform the operation of moving to and performing the second cleaning step, or moving the absorbent hygiene product 50, which has been cleaned in the second cleaning chamber 117, to the outside of the cleaning device 10 for transportation. This eliminates the need for work to save labor. 4. In the separation / recovery step S40 of the present invention, the suspension collection step S43, the fiber collection step S44, and the precipitate collection step S45 are performed by the automated suspension recovery device 43, the fiber collection device 45, and the precipitate collection device 44. Since it is executed, further labor saving can be achieved.

The above is an example of the present invention, and does not limit the scope of claims of the present invention. Therefore, even technical changes that operate the contents of the specification and drawings of the present invention are also included in the claims of the present invention.

1: Absorbent sanitary goods collection processing system 10: Cleaning device 101: Inlet end 102: Outlet end 11: Cleaning drum 111: Outer cylinder 112: Inner cylinder 113: Rear partition plate 1131: Supply port 114: Intermediate partition plate 1141: First One outlet 115: Front partition plate 1151: Second outlet 116: First cleaning chamber 117: Second cleaning chamber 118: Baffle 12: Supply hopper 13: Discharge guide plate 14: First transport reel 141: Opening Part 142: Arc-shaped guide surface 15: Second transport reel 16: Drive device 161: Motor 162: Belt 163: Driving pulley 20: Supply transport device 21: Supply turntable 211: Rotating arm 212: Clamping device 22: Damping Device 221: Swing arm 222: Drive frame 223: Pneumatic cylinder 224: Sucker 23: Shearing device 231: Scissors 232: Link mechanism 233: Clamp part 234: Link drive device 235: Slide base 236: Propulsion pneumatic cylinder 30: Crushing Device 31: Crushing section 32: Crushing section Supply hopper 33: Press section 40: Separation and recovery device 41: Pulper drum 411: Swirl baffle 412: Upper outlet 413: Pulper drum inlet 414: Compressor 42: Separation tank 421: First end Part 422: Second end 423: Water outlet 424: Bottom slot 43: Suspension collection device 431: Water repellent roller 432: Conveyor device 433: Collection blade 434: Conveyance part 435: Suspension collection tank 44: Precipitation Material collection device 441: Screw transfer device 4411: Outer case 4412: Screw 442: Outlet pipe 443: Precipitate collection tank 45: Fiber collection device 451: Outlet pipe 452: First filtration device 453: Dehydration device 454: Second Filtration device 455: Water circulation pump 46: Partition plate 50: Absorbent sanitary goods 501: Fragment material 502: Polymer suspension 503: Fiber material 504: Polymer sediment 51: Sealed bag 52: Rope S1: Recovery processing method S10: Disposal Preparation step S20: Cleaning step S21: Supply step S22: First cleaning step S23: Second cleaning step S24: Transfer step S30: Crushing step S40: Separation and recovery step S41: Pulper step S42: Separation and precipitation step S43: Suspended Turbidity collection step S44: Fiber collection step S45: Precipitate collection step C: Central axis d1: Predetermined rotation direction θ: Predetermined angle range L: Water level height

Claims (10)

A method for recovering absorbent hygiene products, which comprises a cleaning process, a crushing process, and a separation and recovery process, and recovers materials of absorbent hygiene products waiting to be processed.
The absorbent hygiene product is cleaned of contaminants by the cleaning step, the absorbent hygiene product is crushed into fragment materials by the crushing step, and the fragment material of the absorbent hygiene product is polymer-suspended by the separation and recovery step. Separated into turbidity, fiber material and polymer precipitate,
The cleaning step includes at least a first cleaning step and a second cleaning step.
The separation and recovery step comprises at least a pulper step, a separation and precipitation step, a suspension collection step, a fiber collection step, and a sediment collection step.
In the pulper step, the crushed fragment material of the absorbent sanitary product is put into the pulper drum together with the water stream, and in the pulper drum, the water stream containing the fragment material of the absorbent sanitary product forms a swirling water stream. Fragment material of absorbent hygiene products is evenly dispersed in the water stream,
In the separation and precipitation step, a water stream containing the fragment material of the absorbent sanitary product is put into the separation tank, and in the separation tank, the fragment material of the absorbent sanitary product is placed on the water surface of the separation tank due to the difference in specific gravity. A polymer suspension suspended above, a fiber material suspended in the water of the separation tank, and a polymer precipitate settled at the bottom of the separation tank were formed.
After that, the suspension collection step, the fiber collection step, and the precipitate collection step are executed, respectively, and the polymer suspension, the fiber material, and the polymer precipitate are collected. How to collect and process hygiene products. The first cleaning step is performed in the first cleaning chamber of the cleaning drum.
The second cleaning step is performed in the second cleaning chamber of the cleaning drum.
In the cleaning step, each time the first cleaning step and the second cleaning step are completed, the absorbent hygiene product in the first cleaning chamber is moved to the second cleaning chamber, and the second cleaning is performed. The method for collecting and treating absorbent hygiene products according to claim 1, further comprising a transport step of moving the absorbent hygiene products in the room from the second cleaning chamber to the outside of the cleaning drum. The transfer step is executed so that the first transfer reel installed in the first cleaning chamber and the second transfer reel installed in the second cleaning chamber operate synchronously. The method for collecting and processing absorbent hygiene products according to claim 2. Further provided with a waste preparation step of sealing the absorbent hygiene product awaiting treatment in a plurality of sealed bags and transporting the absorbent hygiene product to a treatment site where the recovery processing method of the absorbent hygiene product is executed.
In the cleaning step, each of the plurality of sealed bags filled with the absorbent hygiene products is moved to a supply position close to the inlet end of the cleaning drum by a supply and transport device, and after the sealed bags are broken, the sealed bags are broken. The method for collecting and treating absorbent hygiene products according to claim 3, further comprising a supply step of inserting the absorbent hygiene products in the sealed bag into the inlet end of the washing drum. The method for recovering an absorbent sanitary product according to claim 1, wherein in the pulper step, compressed air is injected into the pipe of the supply port of the pulper drum by a pneumatic portion so that the speed of the swirl water flow increases. The method for recovering an absorbent sanitary product according to claim 1, wherein the pH value of the water in the separation tank is controlled to pH 8 or higher. The method for recovering an absorbent sanitary product according to claim 4, wherein the pH value of the water in the separation tank is pH 9 to pH 11. The suspension collection step is performed by a suspension recovery device installed above the separation tank.
The suspension collection device includes a conveyor device and a suspension collection tank.
A plurality of collection blades are installed on the conveyor device,
The conveyor device is partially immersed under the surface of the water in the separation tank so that the polymer suspension floating on the surface of the water in the separation tank is scooped up and collected in the suspension collection tank. The method for collecting and treating absorbent hygiene products according to claim 1, wherein the collection blades are rotated in conjunction with the collection blades. The sediment collection step is performed by a sediment collection device installed at the bottom of the separation tank.
The precipitate collecting device includes a screw transfer device and a sediment collecting tank.
An opening connected to the screw transfer device is installed at the bottom of the separation tank.
The method for recovering an absorbent hygiene product according to claim 1, wherein the polymer precipitate is transported to the precipitate collecting tank by the screw transfer device. The fiber collection step is performed by a fiber collection device
The fiber collecting device includes at least one filtering device and a dehydrating device.
The filtration device is connected to the water outlet of the separation tank so that the fibrous material in the water stream discharged from the separation tank is filtered and collected.
The method for recovering an absorbent hygiene product according to claim 1, wherein the dehydrating device dehydrates the fiber material collected by the filtering device.