JP2926627B2 - Empty can sorter - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to plastics and aluminum,
The present invention relates to a method for selecting a soft drink container that is not attracted by a magnet made of glass or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, soft drink containers are made of aluminum,
Manufactured using iron, glass, plastic, and other materials. It is known that containers made of these materials can be reused as materials if they are collected after use and processed by an appropriate method. However, since soft drink containers are completely discarded after use, containers of various types of materials are transported to waste treatment plants. When disposing of waste containers as materials, it is necessary to sort them into their respective materials.Generally, iron is automatically sorted without human intervention because it is attracted to electromagnets. Since glass containers cannot be attracted to electromagnets,
The operator performed the sorting process directly by hand using a belt conveyor.

[0003]

Therefore, according to the conventional method, although iron containers can be selected, aluminum, plastic, glass, and the like cannot be attracted by magnets, so that they cannot be selected by means of a device. . However, the amount of discarded soft drink containers is increasing year by year, and there is a demand for a faster sorting process and a larger capacity. It has been considered that it is difficult to increase the processing speed by the manual method as in the related art, and it is difficult to satisfy the increasing processing demand. In addition, these discarded containers are often damaged, and the debris may damage an operator, and ensuring safety in the sorting process is also an important issue.

[0004]

If the problem can be solved by utilizing the physical properties of the material constituting the container, the container can be sorted by material in a device-like manner. Conceivable. That is, it can be understood from the fact that the iron container is easily selected by utilizing the property of being attracted to the magnet. As a result of various studies, the physical difference between aluminum and plastic is whether it is an electrical conductor or an insulator.If electrical phenomena such as electromagnetic induction, which indicates the difference between a conductor and an insulator, can be applied. For example, it was considered that the sorting process could be performed by a relatively simple method.

[0005] The empty can sorting apparatus according to the present invention is as follows. As shown in FIG. 1, that is, it is provided with a charging device 3, an induction electrode unit 1, and a transport device 5.
The movement detection sensor 4 is attached to a position inside the induction electrode unit 1 where the movement of the container can be detected. Also,
The induction electrode unit 1 is mounted on a mount so that the stator of the three-phase AC induction motor does not move. The arrangement of the induction electrodes and the structure of the device for guiding the electromagnetic field to the conductor container by a basically non-contact method can be freely selected as shown in FIGS. Each of the embodiments described below is a preferred example in which the present invention is effective.
Various modifications, such as replacing materials and their configurations with other devices, circuits, materials and their configurations having common technical functions, can also be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. It is.

[0006]

When an AC power supply such as a three-phase AC power supply is connected to the induction electrode section 1, a rotating magnetic field is generated inside the induction electrode section 1. When the conductor container 8 or the like is contained therein, an induced current flows through the conductor container 8 under the influence of the rotating magnetic field, and a magnetic field is generated therein. This repels and attracts the magnetic field of the induction electrode unit 1, and as a result, the conductive container 8 starts to move, such as rotate and vibrate, inside the induction electrode unit 1. If an iron container enters the interior of the induction electrode unit 1, it starts to move in the same manner as an aluminum container or the like. Therefore, the iron containers are sorted out in a separate process in advance. The plastic or glass container is an electric insulator, and no induced current flows even when it receives the magnetic field of the induction electrode unit 1. Therefore, the aluminum container is an electric conductor. , Glass containers and plastic containers can be effectively sorted. Discarded containers are often broken pieces,
Fragments and the like of the aluminum container are repelled by the induction electrode unit 1 and exit the transporting device. When the fragments go out of the induction electrode unit 1, they fall into the conductor container collection box 6. By adjusting the location of the conductor-made container recovery box 6, an object that moves inside the induction electrode unit 1 can collect both the container and its debris.

[0007]

【Example】

Embodiment 1 In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the induction electrode unit 1 is a three-phase AC induction motor in which the rotor is removed and only the stator is used. This apparatus uses a protruding rod 7 as a means for collecting a conductor container. First, after the container that can be attracted by the magnet is removed by a pretreatment such as an electromagnet, the container is charged into the charging device 3 and aligned. The aligned containers fall in the direction of a, are placed on the perforated transfer table 2 of the transfer device 5, and are transferred to the induction electrode unit 1 in the direction of b. The induction electrode unit 1 is connected to a three-phase AC power supply, and generates a rotating magnetic field inside. When the container made of a conductor enters the induction electrode portion 1, the container performs motions such as vibration and rotation by a rotating magnetic field inside the induction electrode portion 1. The motion detection sensor 4 provided inside the induction electrode unit 1 optically detects the internal motion and operates the protruding rod 7. The protruding rod 7 passes through the hole of the perforated carrier 2 and ejects the conductor container 8 from the perforated carrier 2. Therefore, the thrown-out conductor container 8 falls into the conductor container collection box 6. Even if the fragments of the conductor container enter the induction electrode portion 1, if the mass of the fragments is smaller than that of the conductor container, the fragments fly out of the induction electrode portion 1 due to the rotating magnetic field of the induction electrode portion 1 and the movement of the transfer device 5. ,
It falls into the conductor container collection box 6. Even if the container made of an insulator enters the inside of the induction electrode portion 1, it passes through without being moved.
Accordingly, the motion detection sensor 4 does not detect the motion, and the push-out bar 7 does not operate. In this manner, the insulator container is conveyed to the other process through the induction electrode unit 1. Even in such a simple embodiment, it is possible to effectively collect and sort the fragments of the conductor container and the container itself. In this embodiment, since the stator of the three-phase AC induction motor can be used for the induction electrode unit 1, the present invention can be implemented extremely easily.

Embodiment 2 FIG. 2 shows an overall perspective view of Embodiment 2 and FIG.
FIG. In this embodiment, an iron core solenoid is used as the induction electrode, and the turntable 9 is used as a means for collecting the conductor container. A certain amount of the mixture of the conductor-made container and the insulator-made container charged from the charging device 3,
It falls on the turntable 9. The turntable 9 is rotated in the direction b by the action of the electric motor 10, so that the loaded containers do not shift in one direction of the turntable 9. In addition, the turntable 9 is rotated at a rotation speed that gives the container an appropriate centrifugal force that does not cause the container to roll down. According to FIG.
The turntable induction electrode 11 is disposed at a position located on the back side of the turntable. The turntable induction electrode 11 is fixed to a mount and does not rotate with the turntable 9.
In addition, a recovery machine induction electrode 12 is also attached below the recovery machine cylindrical outer plate 13. At the time of container sorting, containers are charged by a fixed amount from the charging device 3, for example,
The container is thrown in while rotating the turntable 9 in the direction b, and the turntable induction electrode 11 and the recovery machine induction electrode 12 are single-phase or
When the multi-phase AC power supply is connected, the conductor container starts to move on the turntable 9 such as rotation and vibration. The cross section of the turntable 9 is W-shaped, and has a structure in which a container enters into the recess. Accordingly, the conductor container whose posture is unstable due to the action of the turntable induction electrode 11 rolls down from the turntable 9 in the direction a with the help of centrifugal force due to rotation, and is separated from the insulator container. At this time, the insulator container may roll down due to the movement of the conductor container.
It does not fall to the belt conveyor 14 because it is caught by a protrusion attached to the inside of the collecting machine cylindrical outer plate 13. Although the conductor container is also caught by this projection, the recovery electrode 12
The container made of conductor starts to move by the action of the electromagnetic field created by
It gets over the projection and falls on the belt conveyor 14. The belt conveyor 14 is operated in the d direction, and the conductor container is collected in the conductor container collection box 6. After the conductor container has rolled off the turntable 9 in this way, the insulator container remains on the turntable 9. The insulator container remaining on the turntable 9 performs high-speed operation by switching the rotation direction of the turntable 9 to the direction c, and discharges the insulator container from the turntable 9 by centrifugal force. Along with this, compressed air is strongly blown into the inside of the collecting device cylindrical outer plate 13 to blow off the insulator container caught by the projection inside the collecting device cylindrical outer plate 13.
If the operation is performed while the operation direction of the belt conveyor 14 is switched to the direction e while performing the above-described operation, all the insulator containers can be collected in the insulator container collection box 15. By repeating the above-described series of operations, sorting by the material of the container is possible. In this embodiment, the induction electrode 11 for the turntable and the induction electrode 12 for the recovery unit are solenoids, and can be freely adapted to a polyphase AC power supply or a single-phase AC power supply by selecting a method of connecting the induction electrodes. have.

Third Embodiment FIG. 4 is an overall perspective view of a third embodiment, and FIG.
FIG. In this embodiment, a solenoid is used for the induction electrode. In addition, as the conductor container collecting means, a motion performed when the conductor container is electromagnetically induced by the induction electrode portion is used. Using a three-phase AC as a power source,
Solenoids are used in a Δ connection or a Y connection for each of the lower induction electrode 16 and the upper induction electrode 17. The containers lined up by the charging device 3 are arranged in a row to form a concave belt conveyor 1.
8, is conveyed in the b direction, and passes through an electromagnetic field guide in which the upper guide electrode 17 and the lower guide electrode 16 are arranged. A three-phase AC power supply is connected to each electrode, and an alternating magnetic field is generated between the upper induction electrode 17 and the lower induction electrode 16. And falls in the direction a in FIG. A relatively large container or a heavy container may pass between the upper induction electrode 17 and the lower induction electrode 16 without being sorted, but in such a container, only the lower induction electrode 16 is disposed. When passing through the part, the conductor container 8 falls in the direction of a so that the movement such as vibration and rotation is performed in an unstable manner and the balance is lost on the concave belt conveyor 18. As described in the first and second embodiments, the insulator container does not move due to the electromagnetic field created by the upper induction electrode 17 and the lower induction electrode 16, but passes through the electromagnetic induction electrode and recovers the insulator container. Collected in box 15. The conductor-made container falls in the direction a from the concave belt conveyor 18 and is collected in the conductor-made container collection box 6. In this embodiment, a single-phase AC power supply may be connected to the upper induction electrode 17 and the lower induction electrode 16 as in the second embodiment. When a three-phase AC power source is used and connected so that the phases of the upper induction electrode 17 and the lower induction electrode 16 are opposite to each other, the conductive container 8 becomes a concave belt conveyor 18.
Jumps out in the a direction. Even if the phases of the electrodes are connected so that they are in the same phase, the selection of the container is not affected. As described above, in the present embodiment, the upper induction electrode 17 and the lower induction electrode 16
By changing the connection, arrangement, number of poles, etc., of the conductor container 8
Can be provided with various exercise modes, and the device configuration can be widely selected. Also, the type of AC power supply can be handled by changing the connection of the induction electrode to each of polyphase AC and single-phase AC. If a control circuit is added, a DC power supply can be used. As described above, the third embodiment of the present invention has a feature that it can flexibly respond to the situation of the installation location.

[0010]

As can be seen from the first, second and third embodiments, in the empty can sorting apparatus according to the present invention, various collecting methods can be adopted. This is because the structure of the electromagnetic field induction electrode can be freely selected, the movement of the container caused by the induced current is selected, and the method of generating the induced current in the container is a non-contact method. doing. Therefore, the device of the present invention can be easily added to existing equipment by devising the shape and arrangement of the induction electrode. And since there are few movable parts and it is not the method in which an operator sorts a container directly, there is an effect of obtaining an empty can selection device with high reliability, maintainability and safety.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a second embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view in the AA direction of a second embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a third embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view in the AA direction of a third embodiment according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Induction electrode part 2 Perforated carrier 3 Input device 4 Motion detection sensor 5 Conveyor 6 Conductor container collection box 7 Protruding rod 8 Conductor container 9 Turntable 10 Motor 11 Induction electrode for turntable 12 Induction electrode for collector 13 Collection machine cylindrical outer plate 14 Belt conveyor 15 Insulator container collection box 16 Lower induction electrode 17 Upper induction electrode 18 Concave belt conveyor

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A transporting means for transporting an object to be recovered, such as a conductor container and an insulating container, and an electromagnetic field generated by a voltage and a current whose intensity changes over time, and the electromagnetic field is transmitted to the transporting means. It is induced act on the recovery object carried by the the conductor made of container, before
Electromagnetic field inducing means for performing a motion of not escaping from the transport means, and an object moving by the induction action of the electromagnetic field having the strength, a projecting action, a centrifugal force, a shaking action, or
An empty can sorting apparatus, comprising: a collecting means for applying at least one of a balance breaking action to escape from the transport means and sort and collect.