JP2023052348A - Article recovery device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a small-sized article recovery device having a simple configuration which determines whether a thrown article is a recovery object without taking the article in a device body part, and, when the article is a non-recovery object, does not store the same in the device body part, and stores only the recovery object in the device body part.

SOLUTION: An article recovery device comprises: a placing part 116 where an article can be placed; an outer door 111 movably provided outside of the placing part 116; and an inner door 112 provided on a passage leading to the inside of a body part from the placing part 116. Further, control means is provided for limiting both the outer door 111 and the inner door 112 from becoming an open state at the same time. As the control means, the outer door 111 comprises a first limiting part for limiting movement of the inner door 112, and the inner door 112 comprises a second limiting part for limiting movement of the outer door 111. By the first limiting part and the second limiting part, a mechanism is provided for limiting both the outer door 111 and the inner door 112 from becoming the open state at the same time. The control means may be realized by computer control (a control unit).

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

COPYRIGHT: (C)2023,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to an article recovery device.

An empty container collecting device for collecting empty containers is known (see, for example, Patent Literature 1). Further, there is known a container collecting apparatus which is provided with an open/close door at an empty container inlet and is provided with an open/close sensor to electrically control the volume reducing unit to operate when the door is closed.

JP 2009-175789 A

However, in a container collecting device provided with an open/close sensor, there is a possibility that the volume reduction section may malfunction in the open state due to malfunction of the sensor. For this reason, there is a demand for an article recovery apparatus that can limit the arrival of foreign matter or the like into the volume reduction section even if foreign matter or the like is thrown into the inlet due to malfunction.

In addition, when installing an article recovery apparatus in a small store such as a convenience store, the installation space is narrow, so miniaturization is desired.

The article recovery device of the present invention has at least the following configuration.
An article recovery apparatus comprising a placing section on which an article can be placed, an outer door movably provided outside the placing section, and an inner door provided in a passage leading from the placing section to the main body. and
It has control means for restricting the opening of both the outer door and the inner door.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an article recovery apparatus that mechanically limits the open/closed states of the outer door and the inner door of the container loading section according to the open/closed states of the outer door and the inner door.
In addition, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a compact article recovery device with a simple structure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is an overall conceptual diagram of a container recovery device as an article recovery device according to an embodiment of the present invention, (a) is a front view of the container recovery device, and (b) is a side view of the container recovery device; FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of the container loading section of the article recovery device (container recovery device) according to the embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of an article recovery device (container recovery device) in which an outer door is closed and an inner door is closed; FIG. FIG. 2 is a conceptual side view showing an example of an article recovery device (container recovery device) in which the outer door is closed and the inner door is closed. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of an article recovery device (container recovery device) in which an outer door is open and an inner door is closed; FIG. FIG. 2 is a conceptual side view showing an example of an article recovery device (container recovery device) in which the outer door is open and the inner door is closed. 1 is a perspective view from an upper front position showing an example of an article recovery device (container recovery device) in which an outer door is open and an inner door is closed; FIG. FIG. 2 is a conceptual side view showing an example of an article recovery device (container recovery device) with an outer door closed and an inner door opened. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of an article recovery device (container recovery device) in which an outer door (not shown) is closed and an inner door is open; FIG. 1 is a conceptual side view showing an example of a volume reduction unit of an article recovery device (container recovery device) according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a conceptual plan view showing an example of a volume reduction unit of an article recovery device (container recovery device) according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. A diagram for explaining an article recovery apparatus (container recovery apparatus) according to an embodiment of the present invention, (a) is an electrical functional block diagram of the article recovery apparatus (container recovery apparatus), and (b) is shown in (a). The functional block diagram of the control part shown. 4 is a flow chart showing an example of the operation of the article recovery device (container recovery device) according to the embodiment of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figures for explaining an example of a container storage portion of an article recovery device (container recovery device) according to an embodiment of the present invention, (a) is a perspective view showing an example of the container storage portion, and (b) is a container storage bag. and a view showing an example of a container accommodating portion in a state in which a cap accommodating bag is attached. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a container loading section of an article recovery device (container recovery device) according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Embodiments of the present invention include, but are not limited to, the illustrated content. In the following description of each figure, the same reference numerals are given to the parts that are common to the already described parts, and redundant description is partly omitted.
For example, a container collecting device will be described as an article collecting device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

An article recovery apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a placing section on which an article (for example, an empty container such as a PET bottle) can be placed, an outer door movably provided outside the placing section, and and an inner door provided in a passage leading from the placement section to the inside of the main body.
Items to be collected are not limited to PET bottles, cans, and bottles, and include, for example, milk cartons, trays, ink cartridges, items returned to libraries and rental shops (books, DVDs, etc.), cleaning items, batteries, light bulbs, and the like. It can be any item. That is, the container collecting device is an example of the article collecting device.
Further, the article recovery apparatus has control means for restricting both the outer door and the inner door from being opened. As the control means, for example, the outer door is provided with a first restricting section for restricting the movement of the inner door, the inner door is provided with a second restricting section for restricting the movement of the outer door, and the first restricting section Then, the second restricting portion restricts both the outer door and the inner door from being opened.

Further, the article collecting apparatus includes an apparatus body section including a housing section for housing an article, a placing section on which the article can be placed, an outer door provided outside the placing section, and an apparatus main body from the placing section. An inner door provided in a passage leading to a container housing section in the unit, an inner door driving section for driving the inner door to open and close, and an object placed on the placing section to determine whether or not it is an object to be collected. a discriminating unit for discriminating, and when the discriminating unit discriminates that the object is not to be collected, the inner door driving unit controls driving so as to maintain the closed state of the inner door, and the discriminating unit discriminates that the object is to be collected. and an inner door drive control section for driving and controlling the inner door by the inner door driving section so that the inner door is opened when the door is opened.

Specifically, in the article collecting apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, the outer door of the article loading section is closed during standby, and the inner door provided between the article loading section and the storage section is closed. state. At the time of article collection, the outer door of the article loading section is opened, and the discriminating section determines that an article placed on the placement section of the article loading 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 object to be collected is an article (empty container), the outer door is closed, the inner door provided between the article loading section and the storage section is opened, and the container is collected by the storage section. be. In this embodiment, the container recovery device includes a volume reduction mechanism, and the volume reduction mechanism reduces the volume of the container, so that a large amount of the reduced empty container can be recovered in the specified volume recovery unit.
In addition, when a non-recoverable object such as a foreign object is thrown into the container insertion part, the article collecting device controls the inner door to be in a closed state so that the non-recoverable object is not collected in the container accommodating part in the main body of the device. I do. Then, when the non-recoverable object is not removed from the placement portion of the container loading portion for a predetermined time, the article recovery device keeps the inner door closed and drives and controls the outer door to be closed. . In other words, it is possible to prevent further throwing of non-recoverable objects into the container storage section.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, an empty container collecting device 100 as an article collecting device according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided with a container loading unit 110 at the top of a device main unit 100B. An outer door 111 is provided outside the opening of the portion 110 . The device main unit 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 device main body 100B.

Further, a passage communicating with the container housing portion 140 is provided below the container throwing portion 110, and an inner door 112 is provided in the passage 71 from the mounting portion 116 of the container throwing portion 110 to the container housing portion 140. ing.

In this embodiment, the empty container collecting device 100 is provided with a volume reduction section 120 (volume reduction mechanism) between the inner door 112 and the container storage section 140 . When the inner door 112 is open, the volume reducing section 120 crushes the empty container A from the container loading section 110 to reduce the volume, and outputs the reduced container RA to the container storage section 140 below.
Further, the device main body 100B of the empty container collecting device 100 has a drawer 100C in which the container housing portion 140 is placed, and is provided with a drawer handle 100e and a key hole 100r on the front side. It is configured so that it can be inserted into the hole 100r and locked/unlocked.

Further, a translucent portion 100A (a translucent window) is provided on the front side of the apparatus main body portion 100B, more specifically, on the front side of the drawer 100C, so that empty containers stored in the container storage portion 140 can be viewed from the outside. is configured to be visible.

Further, a moving handle 100g used during transportation is provided on the side surface of the apparatus main body 100B.

Further, the device main body 100B has a cap insertion portion 108 on the front side, and a cap passage 72 is provided downward from the cap insertion portion 108 in the device main body so that a cap inserted into the cap insertion portion 108 can be a cap. It is configured to be accommodated in the cap accommodating portion 145 via the passage 72 for the cap.
The cap passage 72 may have a cap and a mechanism for sorting items smaller than the cap. Specifically, the passage 72 for the cap is branched, and a mesh-shaped member is used at the branch to discharge and accumulate the leftover cigarette butts, rainwater, and the like through a separate route, so that only the cap can be accommodated in the cap housing portion 145. can be

Next, the container loading section 110 of the empty container collecting device 100 as an article collecting device will be described. FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of the container loading section of the empty container collecting device. 3 and 4 are diagrams showing an example of an empty container collecting apparatus in which the outer door 111 is closed and the inner door 112 is closed. 5, 6, and 7 are diagrams showing an example of the empty container collecting apparatus 100 with the outer door 111 open and the inner door 112 closed. 8 and 9 are conceptual diagrams showing an example of an empty container collecting apparatus in which the outer door 111 is closed and the inner door 112 is open. In addition, in FIG. 9, the outer door is not illustrated.

The container loading section 110 of the empty container collecting apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a mounting section 116, an outer door 111, an inner door 112, a base 118, a weighing section 7, an outer door support section S111, and an inner door support. It has a portion S112, an outer door driving portion 5, an inner door driving portion 6, a first limiting portion K111, a second limiting portion K112, and the like.

The placing section 116 is configured to be able to place an object to be collected or the like. The mounting portion 116 is provided with optical sensors 9 such as the light receiving portion 9a and the light emitting portion 9b, metal sensors, and the like. A weighing unit 7 is provided below the mounting unit 116 .

Further, in the present embodiment, the placement surface of the placement section 116 is not horizontal, and is arranged such that the side of the container accommodation section 140 is lower than the side of the article inlet (the side of the opening when the outer door 111 is open). It is provided with a slope. That is, the placement section 116 is configured to encourage the thrown article to drop toward the container accommodating section 140 (or the volume reducing section 120) due to its own weight. As a result, there is no need to provide a conveying mechanism for sending articles (inserted items) to the container storage section 140, and a compact article recovery apparatus can be provided.
Further, the mounting portion 116 has a surface treatment applied to the surface of the mounting surface to form an uneven portion, and has a structure that prevents the loaded article from sticking to the mounting portion. In the case where 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 placing section is relatively small, so the surface tension due to wetting is small, and the container is kept wet. It can be easily moved to the accommodating part 140 side. That is, it is possible to prevent a problem that a wet container does not fall to the container accommodating portion side.

The outer door 111 is provided outside the placement section 116 . The outer door drive unit 5 drives the outer door 111 so that it can be opened and closed.
The inner door 112 is provided in the passage 71 between the placement section 116 and the volume reduction section 120 . The inner door drive unit 6 drives the inner door 112 so that it can be opened and closed. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, the inner door 112 is provided with a guide portion 112D for guiding the placing state of the empty container. The guide portion 112D is provided at a position that is exposed and visible from the main body of the apparatus. The guidance section 112D displays information as guidance to place an article (empty container such as a PET bottle) in a specified orientation and at a specified position (eg, 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 .
Further, the article collecting apparatus may have a determination means for determining whether an article is correctly placed at the placement position indicated by the guide section 112D by a detection sensor such as an imaging section. In addition, when the mounting orientation and position are not correct, it is possible to issue a notification or the like by means of an imaging process or a detection unit such as an optical sensor.

In this embodiment, the empty container collecting device 100 has a pedestal 118, and the pedestal 118 has an outer door 111 and outer door support portions S118 and S111 that support the outer door driving portion 5. FIG. 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 fan-shaped outer door support portions S111. One rotating shaft C111 of the two rotating shafts C111 is connected to the rotating shaft of the motor of the outer door drive unit 5 .
A hole portion S111h through which the rotating shaft C112 of the inner door 112 passes is provided in the fan-shaped outer door support portion S111.

The weighing section 7 is arranged between the pedestal 118 and the mounting section 116 and supports the mounting section 116 .

In addition, the inner door 112 is configured to guide an empty container placed on the placement section 116 to the volume reduction section 120 in an open state. Further, in this embodiment, the inner door drive section 6 and the inner door 112 are supported by the inner door support section S112 arranged on the weighing section 7 and extending from between the weighing section 7 and the placing section 116. It is The inner door driving portion 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 opening the inner door 112, the objects to be collected can be guided to the container accommodating section 140 in the main body of the apparatus. In addition, the inner door support portion S112 has a hole portion S112h through which the rotating shaft C111 passes.

That is, the outer door drive unit 5 and the outer door 111 are supported by the outer door support portion S111 of the pedestal 118, and the placement portion 116 is provided above the weighing portion 7 arranged on the pedestal 118. The unit 7 can accurately measure the mass of the object to be collected placed on the placement unit 116 . Specifically, since the outer door 111 and the outer door drive unit 5 are not supported on the weighing unit 7, the weighing unit 7 is not affected by vibrations of the outer door 111 and the outer door drive unit 5. It has a structure that is difficult to receive, and the mass of the object to be collected on the placement section 116 can be weighed with high accuracy.

In addition, the outer door 111 of the empty container collecting device 100 as the article collecting device according to the embodiment of the present invention is movable between an open position exposing the mounting portion 116 and a closed position covering the mounting portion 116. , and when the outer door 111 is closed, the outer door 111 is configured to be movable from the open position toward the mounting portion 116 to the closed position. That is, since the outer door 111 is configured to move toward the placement section 116 from the open state and close, for example, a user's hand or arm may be caught between the outer door 111 and the placement section 116 . When this occurs, the measured value by the weighing unit fluctuates, and the control unit detects the fluctuation, thereby facilitating the detection of the user's hand, arm, foreign matter, etc., being caught between the outer door 111 and the placing unit 116. can be detected.

Further, in the empty container collecting device 100 as the article collecting device according to the embodiment of the present invention, the outer door 111 has a first restricting portion K111 that restricts the movement of the inner door 112 . The inner door 112 has a second restricting portion K112 that restricts movement of the outer door 111 . It has a mechanism for restricting both the outer door 111 and the inner door 112 from being opened by the first restricting part K111 and the second restricting part K112.
That is, since the empty container collecting 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 structure is mechanically simple and the outer The opening/closing operation of each door can be restricted according to the opening/closing state of each of the door 111 and the inner door 112 .

Further, the first restricting part K111 of the empty container collecting device 100 as an article collecting device is configured to respond to the movement of the outer door 111. As shown in FIG. The second restricting portion K112 is configured to respond to the movement of the inner door 112. As shown in FIG. Further, the empty container collecting apparatus 100 is configured such that when the outer door 111 is open, the first restricting portion K111 restricts the movement of the inner door 112, and when the inner door 112 is open, the first restricting portion K111 restricts movement of the inner door 112. 2 restricting portion K112 is configured to restrict the movement of the outer door 111. As shown in FIG.
Specifically, in the present embodiment, the empty container collecting apparatus 100 is configured to restrict the opening of the inner door 112 while keeping the outer door 111 in the open state. That is, when the outer door 111 is open and an object is placed on the placing portion 116, the inner door 112 is closed and not opened. Regardless of whether the object is an object to be collected or an object not to be collected, it is configured not to be stored in the container storage portion 140 in the apparatus main body portion 100B. That is, in this state, the inner door 112 is in contact with the article (collection object or non-collection article), and the inner door 112 has a structure that also serves as a part of the placing section.

Further, the first restricting portion K111 and the second restricting portion K112 are configured such that the moving paths overlap. Further, in the present embodiment, when one of the first restricting part K111 and the second restricting part K112 restricts the movement of the other, the empty container collecting apparatus 100 uses the first restricting part K111 and the second restricting part K112. The restricting portion K112 is arranged adjacent to each other with a slight interval in an arc shape. Specifically, in this embodiment, the first restricting portion K111 is formed in a substantially fan shape. The first limiting portion K111 has a convex arcuate portion K111a and a concave portion K111b. Also, the second restricting portion K112 is formed in a substantially fan shape. Specifically, the second limiting portion K112 has a convex arcuate portion K112a and a concave portion K112b.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, when the outer door 111 is open and the inner door 112 is closed, and the first restricting portion K111 restricts the movement of the second restricting portion K112, the first A convex arcuate portion K111a of the restricting portion K111 and a concave portion K112b of the second restricting portion K112 are adjacent to each other with a slight gap in an arc shape.
That is, in the embodiment of the present invention, as described above, when the outer door 111 is open and the inner door 112 is closed, the movement of the second restricting portion K112 is restricted by the first restricting portion K111. Therefore, the inner door 112 is kept closed and is not opened.

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 The convex arcuate portion K112a of the second restricting portion K112 and the concave arcuate portion K111b of the first restricting portion K111 are adjacent to each other with a slight gap in the arc shape.

That is, when the outer door 111 is in the closed state and the inner door 112 is in the open state, the empty container collecting apparatus as the article collecting apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention is configured such that when the outer door 111 is in the closed state and the inner door 112 is in the open state, the first restricting portion K111 is restricted, the outer door 111 is kept closed and is not opened.

Further, in this embodiment, the empty container collecting apparatus 100 may have prohibiting means for prohibiting movement of one or both of the first restricting portion K111 and the second restricting portion K112. Specifically, the inhibiting means comprise, for example, a solenoid. In this solenoid, for example, a metal movable pin (plunger) is arranged in the coil, and when the coil is not energized, the movable pin (plunger) is arranged at a position where the movable pin (plunger) protrudes from the end of the coil by an urging section. The movable pin is configured to move into the coil when the coil is energized.
For example, as prohibition means capable of prohibiting movement of the outer door 111 from the closed state to the open state, a movable pin (plunger) of a solenoid for the outer door is engaged 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 and the movement is not prohibited. is controlled by the control unit so as to disengage the movable pin. 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 prohibiting means capable of prohibiting movement of the inner door 112 from the closed state to the open state, a movable pin (plunger) of the inner door solenoid is engaged 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. is controlled by the control unit so as to disengage the movable pin. 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.
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 9, the empty container collecting device 100 as the article collecting device according to the embodiment of the present invention has a waiting section AA where the outer door 111 stands by at the closed position. The waiting section AA is provided at a position where the outer door 111 does not touch the placing section 116 and functions as a stopper for the outer door 111 .

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

A feeding mechanism 50 is provided above the volume reducing section 120, and a rotating shaft 51 of the feeding mechanism 50 is rotatably supported by the substantially plate-shaped support member. The feeding mechanism 50 has a rotating shaft 51 and a plurality of blades 52 (made of metal, resin, or the like) as paddles. In the feeding mechanism 50 , the rotation of the rotating shaft 51 causes the vanes 52 to rotate around the rotating shaft 51 to guide the empty container A to the volume reduction section 120 .

In addition, plate-shaped regulating members 61 and 62 are provided on the upper portion of the volume reducing section 120 so as to guide the empty container A to the center of the volume reducing section 120, and are inclined in opposite directions. To restrict the empty container A from moving to other locations.

The rotating shafts 811, 911 and 51 are arranged parallel to each other with a predetermined spacing. A pair of rotating shafts 811 and 911 each includes compression rollers 81 and 91 having blade surfaces 81k or blade surfaces 91k on both sides in the axial direction, and compression rollers 81 and 91 having diameters smaller than those of the compression rollers 81 and 91. are alternately arranged along the axial direction.
The outer peripheral portion of the compression roller provided on one rotating shaft is arranged between the compression rollers provided on the other rotating shaft, and is provided between the compression rollers provided on the other rotating shaft. It is arranged at a position separated from the spacer s by a predetermined distance LP. Further, 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 equal to the maximum outer diameter LAg of the body portion Ag of the empty container A. is set smaller than

As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, a gear 811m is provided at one end of the rotating shaft 811 and is configured to mesh with the gear 911m provided at one end of the rotating shaft 911. ing. The rotating shafts 811, 911, 51 are rotationally driven by a drive motor (not shown). When driven, the rotating shaft 811 and the rotating shaft 911 rotate in opposite directions to each other, and the empty container A put into the central portion 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 container reduced in volume 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 neck Ab length LAb (neck length) of an empty container A such as a PET bottle is the length from the tip Ac on the side of the opening Ah to the neck ring or the base of the neck. be.

An empty resin container A such as a PET bottle is formed thicker than the thickness of the neck portion Ab and the thickness of other portions such as the shoulder portion and the body portion Ag. As for the empty container for recycling, for example, when the neck Ab of the empty container A is cut off from other parts and becomes a mass smaller than the standard, the recycling company may consider the container not to be recycled. The volume-reducing portion 120 has a flat shape larger than the above standard so that the empty container can be recycled in a state in which the relatively thick and heavy neck portion Ab is not separated from the shoulder portion and the body portion Ag. Reduce volume.

Also, 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.
Further, the distance LC from the inner surface of the support member 871 to the compression roller 81 arranged on the side surface side of the rotating shaft 811 is configured to be longer than the length LAb of the neck portion Ab of the empty container A.
Further, in this embodiment, the distance LC is set longer than the axial length of the spacer ws(s) arranged on the side surface side of the rotating shaft 811 . The axial length (thickness) of the spacer ws(s) is set to approximately twice the axial length Ls of the 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 that the neck Ab of the empty container A, the shoulder Af, and the body Ag are not separated. are placed in the same position. In other words, the volume reducing section 120 has a structure that reduces the volume of the empty container A while the neck Ab of the empty container A is connected to the shoulder and body Ag.

Further, in this embodiment, the axial thickness L1 of the compression rollers 81 and 91 is shorter than the length LAb of the neck portion Ab of the empty container A. As shown in FIG. For example, when an empty container A made of resin such as a PET bottle is placed in the opposite direction, in detail, the tip Ac of the empty container A formed with the opening Ah faces the substantially plate-shaped support member 871 side. Even when arranged so as to be aligned, the neck Ab of the empty container A is structured so as not to be separated from the shoulder or body Ag when the container volume is reduced.

Next, an example of the electrical configuration of the empty container collecting device 100 as the article collecting device according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described.
As shown in FIG. 12, the article recovery device (empty container recovery 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, an inner door drive unit. 6, a weighing unit 7, a metal sensor 8, an optical sensor 9, a door position sensor 10, a door locking unit 11, a volume reduction driving unit 15, and the like. Each component is electrically connected by a signal line or the like.

The control unit 1 (CPU) comprehensively controls each component of the article recovery device (empty container recovery device 100). The control unit 1 implements the functions according to the present invention in a computer, for example, by executing a control program.

The storage unit 2 is a storage device such as RAM and ROM. The storage unit 2 stores control programs and the like. The storage unit 2 also stores characteristics of the empty containers to be collected. The characteristics of the empty container are, for example, the range of the container weight and whether or not it is made of resin material.

The display operation unit 3 performs predetermined display under the control of the control unit 1 . Further, the display/operation unit 3 outputs a signal to the control unit 1 according to an operation by a user or the like. The display operation unit 3 is, for example, a touch panel display device.

The transmitting/receiving unit 4 is a transmitting/receiving device that communicates with a contactless IC card, an IC tag, or the like, and performs predetermined communication under the control of the control unit 1 . Also, under the control of the control unit 1, the transmitting/receiving unit 4 performs predetermined communication with another terminal device (computer) via a wireless communication path or a wired communication path.

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 the control from the control unit 1 .

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

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 weighing unit 7 is used as a sensor for judging whether or not collection is possible by detecting leftovers in containers placed on the placing unit 116 of the container loading unit 110 . Further, the weighing unit 7 is configured to be able to identify the total weight of the containers accommodated in the container accommodation unit 140 by accumulating the weight values of the containers determined to be recoverable. Due to this function, it is not necessary to provide a weighing unit in the container housing unit 140, a container housing unit 140 with a large capacity can be secured, and the weighing unit 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 the object placed on the placement portion 116 of the container loading portion 110 is metal or non-metal. In the present embodiment, when the metal sensor 8 detects that the object placed on the placement unit 116 is metal, the control unit 1 determines that the object placed on the placement unit 116 is a non-recoverable object. determine that there is

Also, the optical sensor 9 has a light receiving portion 9a that receives light from a light emitting portion 9b provided in the container loading portion 110 . The optical sensor 9 includes, for example, a polarizing plate and is configured to receive light via the polarizing plate, and detects the polarized light that has passed through a light-transmitting empty container such as a PET bottle, thereby detecting the collection target. It is configured to be able to detect an empty container.
The control unit 1 detects the light received through the light-transmitting empty container placed on the placement unit of the container insertion unit by the optical sensor 9, and based on the detection signal from the optical sensor 9, , to determine whether the container is an empty container to be collected.

Incidentally, the article collecting apparatus is provided with the above-described sensors for determining whether or not the article should be collected around the placing section. For example, in a conventional collection device, an article is taken into the device, it is determined whether or not it is an object to be collected, and non-target objects are discharged from a discharge port different from the input port. Therefore, it is necessary to provide an outlet.
On the other hand, the article collection device according to the embodiment of the present invention is provided with sensors for determining whether collection is necessary or not in the loading section corresponding to the input port of the device, so there is no need to take collection objects into the device. It has become. Therefore, it is possible to provide a compact article recovery device without the need to provide a discharge port.

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 regarding the position of the outer door 111 and the position of the inner door 112 to the control section 1 . The control unit 1 controls the open/close state of the outer door 111 and the inner door 112 based on the signal.

The door lock unit 11 has a lock device such as a solenoid, and locks the 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 unit 1 implements the functions of each drive control unit in an article recovery device (empty container recovery device) as a computer, for example, by executing a control program.

The first drive control unit 101 controls the outer door 111 to be opened by the outer door driving unit 5 when the container is collected. It should be noted that the control to open the outer door 111 does not only automatically open the outer door 111 but also, for example, simply unlocks it. Includes the act of opening (=manually) by

When an object to be collected is placed on the placement unit 116, the second drive control unit 102 causes the outer door driving unit 5 and the inner door driving unit 6 to close the outer door 111 and open the inner door 112. , control to collect the container in the container storage unit 140 .

The third drive control unit 103 causes the outer door drive unit 5 and the inner door drive unit 6 to operate the inner door 112 by the outer door driving unit 5 and the inner door driving unit 6 when the non-collectable object is detected by the detection unit and when the non-collectable object is not removed for a predetermined time or longer. is maintained in the closed state, and the outer door 111 is controlled to be in the closed state.

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 the outer door 111 from the open position when the weighing unit 7 detects a change in the weighing value. Perform control to stop moving to a position. That is, when the outer door 111 is moved from the open position to the closed position, the controller 1 stops moving the outer door 111 from the open position to the closed position when it detects a change in the weighed value by the weighing unit 7 . By performing the control, it is possible to prevent the user's hand, arm, foreign object, etc. from being caught between the outer door 111 and the placement section 116, reduce the load on the outer door driving section 5, and prevent failure. Prevention can be done.

The notification processing unit 105 performs notification processing so as to exclude the non-collection target when the detection unit detects the non-collection target. As the notification process, for example, a screen display prompting the user to remove the non-recoverable object is displayed on the display section of the display operation section 3 .

Next, an example of the operation of the article recovery device (empty container recovery device 100) according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 13 and the like.

At step ST1, the empty container collecting apparatus 100 is in a standby state. When the control unit 1 receives 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 your card (membership card, etc.)” on the display unit of the display/operation unit 3 . The card (membership card, etc.) 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, and when the outer door opening condition is satisfied, the process proceeds to step ST3. As an outer door opening condition, for example, when an empty container recovery start button or the like is operated by the display operation unit 3 such as a touch panel, the process proceeds to step ST3. The processing of step ST3 may be performed on the condition that the membership card possessed by the user and the transmitting/receiving section 4 communicate with each other and that the individual is correctly authenticated (condition for opening the outer door). Examples of membership cards include non-contact IC cards, magnetic cards, cards printed with barcodes or two-dimensional codes, display devices displaying barcodes or two-dimensional codes, smartphones with membership card functions, mobile phones, and the like.
Further, in step ST2, the control unit 1 performs a process of displaying, for example, "Please insert a container" on the display unit of the display operation unit 3. FIG.

In step ST3, the control unit 1 performs outer door opening processing. Specifically, the control section 1 performs drive control to release the door lock section of the outer door 111 and move the outer door 111 to the open state by the outer door driving section 5 .

In step ST4, various detection processes by the weighing unit 7, the metal sensor 8, the optical sensor 9, etc. detect the mass, material, presence or absence of contents, etc. of the object placed on the placing unit 116, and the control unit 1 Outputs a signal indicating the result of detection.

At step ST5, the controller 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 an object to be collected, the process proceeds to step ST6. proceed to the processing of
Note that even if the control unit 1 determines, for example, 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 leftover liquid remains in the container. When the presence is detected, it may be determined that a foreign object is included.

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

At step ST7, the control unit 1 determines whether or not a change in the weighing value by the weighing unit 7 is detected. The detection process of step ST7 is continued until the change in the value stops.

In step ST8, the control unit 1 determines whether or not the inner door opening condition is satisfied. The process proceeds to step ST9. The condition for opening the inner door is, for example, that an object placed on the placement unit 116 is an object to be collected.

At step ST9, the control unit 1 performs inner door opening processing. Specifically, the control unit 1 controls the inner door drive unit 6 to open the inner door 112 .
In step ST9, the control section 1 performs a process of displaying, for example, "Container xx bottles being recycled" on the display section of the display operation section 3. FIG. As will be described later, in the case of continuous loading of containers, the control unit 1 counts up the number of containers and displays it on the display unit. In addition, if it is not continuous input, the control unit performs processing to display one container on the display unit.

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

In step ST11, the control unit 1 performs outer door opening processing. 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 open, and the next container can be put in.
In step ST11, the control unit 1 performs a process of displaying, for example, "Insert the next container. If not, touch the screen." As will be described later, when the operator (user or the like) touches the screen of the display operation unit 3, the end is declared.

In step ST12, the control unit 1 performs volume reduction processing. Specifically, the control unit 1 performs processing for reducing the volume of the empty container A by the volume reduction unit 120 . Note that the volume reduction process in step ST12 may not be performed. Moreover, it is possible to select whether or not to reduce the volume of the container as necessary.

At step ST13, the control section 1 determines whether or not an article has been newly placed on the placement section based on signals from the respective sensors. is detected, the process proceeds to step ST4, and when the article is not detected, the process proceeds to step ST14.
Incidentally, by proceeding to step ST4 as described above, it is possible to perform the continuous loading process of the containers. Specifically, while the volume reduction unit is reducing the volume of an empty container, a new container can be put into the placement unit, so detection by the sensor (detection unit) of the placement unit The processing and the volume reduction processing by the volume reduction unit can be performed in parallel. That is, the article recovery device can efficiently reduce the volume of empty containers.
Also, even if the continuous loading process is not performed, the inner door 112 is closed during the volume reduction process, and the placement section and the volume reduction section 120 are separated (separated). Therefore, even if fragments of the container or the like scatter due to the volume reduction process by the volume reduction section, the fragments do not reach the placing section.

In step ST14, the control unit 1 determines whether or not an end operation has been detected. If an end operation has been detected, the process proceeds to step ST1, otherwise the process proceeds to step ST15. More specifically, the control unit 1 performs processing to display, for example, "Insert the next container, if not, please touch the screen" on the display unit of the display operation unit 3. When the end of the operation is detected, the process proceeds to step ST1.

In step ST15, the control unit 1 determines whether or not the volume reduction process of the container by the volume reduction unit 120 is completed. If completed, the process proceeds to step ST1. proceed to Specifically, in step ST15, the control section 1 starts timing from the state of the outer door being opened in ST11, and when a predetermined time has passed, it determines that there is no next container, and automatically enters the standby state 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. It is determined whether or not time, for example, about 30 seconds to 1 minute, has elapsed. As a result of the determination, if the predetermined time has elapsed, the process proceeds to step ST52. A standby state is set until a predetermined time elapses.

In steps ST52 and ST53, the control unit 1 performs outer door closing processing for closing the outer door 111 while maintaining the closed state of the inner door 112 . Specifically, the control unit 1 drives and controls the outer door driving unit 5 so that the outer door 111 is closed.

In step ST54, the control section 1 performs notification processing. Specifically, when the outer door 111 is closed while the non-recoverable object is placed on the placing portion 116 of the container loading unit 110, the control unit 1 causes the non-recoverable object to be reduced in volume. A process of notifying that the object remains in the loading part in the department and is not collected, and a process of notifying that the non-collected object is to be removed from the placing part 116 are performed. As notification processing, processing for displaying on the display unit of the display operation unit 3, processing for generating a predetermined notification sound, and processing for causing a light emitting element such as an LED to emit light are performed. Then, the process proceeds to step ST1.
Further, as the notification process of the control unit 1, the above 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 system administrator, a host server, or the like. The control unit 1 may use the transmitting/receiving unit 4 to perform the above notification (pop-up screen display, lamp lighting, sound output, etc.) to the external terminal device via a wireless or wired communication path. In addition, the control unit 1 may output an error so that each terminal device can report directly, or may output an error to a host server and the POS terminal or the like may perform the above reporting via the server. In addition, the control unit 1 may similarly notify other error information (full detection, consumable part replacement sign, other failure errors, etc.).
After the processing of step ST54, the case where the container recovery person is specified and the case where the container recovery person is not specified will be described in detail.
When identifying the collector, the store clerk or the like who received the notification sends and receives an IC card with identification information for the administrator (identification information for the administrator is stored in the storage part of the IC card) or the like. When the controller 4 is held over or touched (or brought close to it), the controller confirms that the administrator has been properly authenticated, and then controls the outer door 111 to open. The outer door 111 is opened so that a store clerk or the like can remove the non-collected items. That is, by authorizing only a limited number of people to open the outer door in the event of an error, it is possible to prevent further throwing of foreign matter and mischief.
If the collection person is not specified, even if the outer door 111 is closed in ST52 and ST53 and foreign objects cannot be put in, when the transmitting/receiving unit 4 reads out the identification information from the IC card or the like, the control unit 1 The process of opening the outer door 111 may be performed regardless of whether the person is an administrator. This allows the customer who wants to use the article recovery apparatus to remove the non-collection object. That is, it is possible to prevent chance loss in which the article recovery apparatus cannot be used until a store clerk or the like comes and removes the non-collection object.

<Empty container storage part>
Next, an example of the container housing section 140 of the empty container collecting device according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. Specifically, FIG. 14(a) is a perspective view showing an example of a container accommodating portion, and FIG. 14(b) is a diagram showing an example of the container accommodating portion equipped with a container accommodating bag and a cap accommodating bag. .

As shown in FIG. 14(a), the container storage section 140, which is detachably provided at the bottom of the apparatus main body 100B of the empty container recovery apparatus 100, has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape with an opening at the top and a bottom at the bottom. It is a container, and a translucent portion 140a or a semi-translucent portion is provided on the front side so that the inside of the container accommodating portion 140 can be easily viewed from the outside.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 14, a large container storage bag is detachably provided in the container storage portion 140 having an opening at the top. In this embodiment, the container holding portion 140 having a substantially rectangular opening at the top is provided with an insertion port 140b for fixing the container holding bag BB near the upper end of the side surface. In this embodiment, a slit-shaped insertion opening 140b is formed in the central portion of the oval elastic member.

When attaching the container-accommodating bag BB to the container-accommodating portion 140, the container-accommodating bag BB is accommodated in the central portion of the container-accommodating portion 140, the upper end of the container accommodating bag BB is folded outward, and inserted into the insertion opening 140b. Plug in. That is, by inserting the bag into the slit-shaped insertion opening 140b of the elastic member, the bag is engaged with the slit, thereby fixing the container accommodating bag BB to the container accommodating portion 140. FIG.

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

In addition, in this embodiment, a portion of the container housing portion 140 is provided with a cap housing portion. Specifically, the cap-accommodating bag BS is arranged at one corner of the container accommodating portion 140 . The cap-accommodating bag BS preferably has, for example, two handle portions.
The container accommodating portion 140 is provided with a locking portion such as a hook portion near the upper portion of the side surface of the corner portion. The container housing portion 140 has a simple structure by locking the handle portion of the cap housing bag BS to the locking portion and arranging the opening of the bag in the vicinity of the exit of the cap passage. Can be easily accommodated.

That is, in the example shown in FIG. 14 , the cap accommodating portion has a structure supported inside the container accommodating portion 140 . Further, the handle portion BSa of the cap-accommodating bag BS as the cap-accommodating portion is engaged with the engaging portion 140f such as a hook in the vicinity of the upper portion of the outer side surface of the container accommodating portion 140, thereby easily realizing the above configuration. can do. Moreover, since it has a structure in which the cap accommodating portion is provided inside the container accommodating portion 140, it is possible to realize space saving.

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

In the embodiment of the present invention, the outer door is configured to be closed by rotating from top to bottom, but the closing direction and moving method are not limited. It may be from top to bottom, right to left, left to right, or front to back, and the movement method may be rotation, parallel movement, folding, a separable lid, double door, or the like. Also, 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 the drive control, and may be manual, for example.

As described above, the empty container collecting apparatus 100 as an article collecting apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention has a mounting section 116 on which an empty container can be mounted, and an empty container movable outside the mounting section 116. An outer door 111 is provided, and an inner door 112 is provided in a passage 71 leading from the placement section 116 to the container accommodating section 140 in the apparatus main body section 100B. It also has control means (control unit 1 or first restriction unit K111 and second restriction unit K112, etc.) that restricts both the outer door 111 and the inner door 112 from being opened.
That is, both the outer door 111 and the inner door 112 are opened and closed by computer control (control unit 1) and/or mechanically simple structure (first restriction unit K111 and second restriction unit K112). can be easily restricted.
In addition, even if a non-recoverable object such as a foreign object is thrown into the inlet due to malfunction, it is possible to limit the arrival of the object to the volume reduction unit 120 .

Further, as control means, the outer door 111 includes a first restricting portion K111 that restricts the movement of the inner door 112, and the inner door 112 includes a second restricting portion K112 that restricts the movement of the outer door 111. It has a mechanism for restricting both the outer door 111 and the inner door 112 from being opened by the first restricting part K111 and the second restricting part K112.
That is, since the empty container collecting 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 structure is mechanically simple and the outer Depending on the open/closed states of the door 111 and the inner door 112, the opening/closing operation of each can be restricted as described above.

Further, the first restricting portion K111 of the empty container collecting device 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention is configured to respond to the movement of the outer door 111. As shown in FIG. The second restricting portion K112 is configured to respond to the movement of the inner door 112. As shown in FIG. Further, the empty container collecting apparatus 100 is configured such that when the outer door 111 is open, the first restricting portion K111 restricts the movement of the inner door 112, and when the inner door 112 is open, the first restricting portion K111 restricts movement of the inner door 112. 2 restricting portion K112 is configured to restrict the movement of the outer door 111. As shown in FIG.
Specifically, in the present embodiment, the empty container collecting apparatus 100 is configured to restrict the opening of the inner door 112 while keeping the outer door 111 in the open state.
That is, when the outer door 111 is open and an object is placed on the placing portion 116, the inner door 112 is closed and not opened. Regardless of whether the object is an object to be collected or an object not to be collected, it is configured not to be stored in the container storage portion 140 in the apparatus main body portion 100B. In other words, there is no need for a mechanism for discharging non-recoverable objects from inside the device main body 100B to the outside of the device or a configuration for temporarily housing non-recoverable objects within the device main body 100B. A container retrieval apparatus 100 can be provided.

In addition, the first restricting portion K111 and the second restricting portion K112 of the empty container collecting apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention are configured so that their moving paths overlap.
Specifically, since the moving paths of the first restricting portion K111 and the second restricting portion K112 are configured to overlap, as described above, when the outer door 111 or the inner door 112 is open, , the other door can be regulated to remain closed.

Further, in the empty container collecting apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention, when one of the first restricting part K111 and the second restricting part K112 restricts the movement of the other, the first restricting part K111 and the second restricting part K112 2 restriction portions K112 are adjacent to each other with a slight interval in an arc shape.
Specifically, in this embodiment, the first restricting portion K111 is formed in a substantially fan shape. The first limiting portion K111 has a convex arcuate portion K111a and a concave portion K111b.
Also, the second restricting portion K112 is formed in a substantially fan shape. Specifically, the second limiting portion K112 has a convex arcuate portion K112a and a concave portion K112b.

When the outer door 111 is open and the first restricting portion K111 restricts the movement of the second restricting portion K112, the convex arc-shaped portion K111a of the first restricting portion K111 and the second restricting portion K112 The recessed portions K112b are adjacent to each other with a slight interval in an arc shape.
That is, in the embodiment of the present invention, as described above, when the outer door 111 is open and the inner door 112 is closed, the movement of the second restricting portion K112 is restricted by the first restricting portion K111. Therefore, the inner door 112 is kept closed and is not opened.

Further, when the inner door 112 is in the open state and the second restriction portion K112 restricts the movement of the first restriction portion K111, the convex arc-shaped portion K112a of the second restriction portion K112 and the first restriction The recessed portion K111b of the portion K111 is adjacent to each other with a slight interval in an arc shape.

That is, in the embodiment of the present invention, as described above, when the outer door 111 is closed and the inner door 112 is open, the movement of the first restricting portion K111 is restricted by the second restricting portion K112. Therefore, the outer door 111 is kept closed and is not opened.

Further, the empty container collecting device 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention may have prohibiting means for prohibiting movement of one or both of the first restricting portion and the second restricting portion. Specifically, the inhibiting means comprise, for example, a solenoid. In this solenoid, for example, a metal movable pin (plunger) is arranged in the coil, and when the coil is not energized, the movable pin (plunger) is arranged at a position where the movable pin (plunger) protrudes from the end of the coil by an urging section. The movable pin is configured to move into the coil when the coil is energized.
For example, as prohibition means capable of prohibiting movement of the outer door 111 from the closed state to the open state, a movable pin (plunger) of a solenoid for the outer door is engaged 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 and the movement is not prohibited. is controlled by the control unit so as to disengage the movable pin. 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 prohibiting means capable of prohibiting movement of the inner door 112 from the closed state to the open state, a movable pin (plunger) of the inner door solenoid is engaged 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. is controlled by the control unit so as to disengage the movable pin. 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.

Further, as described above, when the inner door 112 is closed, the inner door 112 has a structure that also serves as a part of the placement section, and the article is stably held by the placement section including the inner door. be able to.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configurations are not limited to these embodiments, and design changes and the like may be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. are included in the present invention.
Further, the embodiments shown in the respective drawings described above can be combined with each other as long as there is no particular contradiction or problem in the purpose, configuration, or the like.
In addition, the contents described in each drawing can be an independent embodiment, and the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to one embodiment in which each drawing is combined.

Although the empty container collecting apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention described above includes a volume reduction unit (volume reduction mechanism) for reducing the volume of empty containers, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. , and the empty container of the object to be collected may be collected as it is.

In the above-described embodiment, the empty container collecting device collects empty containers such as PET bottles. It may be a device used for both purposes.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Control part 2... Storage part 3... Display operation part 4... Transmission/reception part 5... Outer door drive part 6... Inner door drive part 7... Weighing part 8... Metal sensor 9... Optical sensor 71... Passage 10... Door position sensor 11 ... door lock unit 100 ... empty container recovery device (article recovery device (container volume reduction device))
100B... Apparatus main body part 110... Container throwing part (goods throwing part)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 111... Outer door 112... Inner door 116... Placement part 120... Volume reduction part (volume reduction mechanism)
140... container accommodating portion (accommodating portion)

Claims (7)

An article recovery apparatus comprising a placing section on which an article can be placed, an outer door movably provided outside the placing section, and an inner door provided in a passage leading from the placing section to the main body. and
An article recovery apparatus comprising control means for restricting opening of both the outer door and the inner door. The control means includes a first restriction section that restricts movement of the inner door;
2. The article recovery apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second restricting portion that restricts movement of the outer door. The first restricting part responds to movement of the outer door,
The second restricting part responds to the movement of the inner door,
When the outer door is in an open state, the first restricting section restricts movement of the inner door,
3. The article recovery apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second restriction unit restricts movement of the outer door when the inner door is open. 4. The article recovery apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the movement paths of the first restricting section and the second restricting section overlap. When one of the first restricting portion and the second restricting portion restricts the movement of the other, the first restricting portion and the second restricting portion are adjacent to each other in an arc shape. The article recovery device according to any one of claims 2 to 4. 6. The article recovery apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 5, further comprising prohibiting means for prohibiting movement of one or both of the first restricting portion and the second restricting portion. 7. The article recovery apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the inner door also serves as part of the placing section.

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