JP3367935B2 - Cullet separation device and its separation method - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a technique for separating heat-resistant glass from a cullet containing heat-resistant glass and soda glass, and in particular, simplifies heat-sensitive glass classification simultaneously with color discrimination using only visible light, The present invention relates to a cullet sorting device and a sorting method thereof that can be performed quickly and with high accuracy.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In glass manufacturing factories, glass pieces for recycling (cullet) are used as a glass material. However, when heat-resistant glass is mixed with soda glass which constitutes an ordinary bottle, melting treatment is not possible. It becomes an obstacle,
The heat-resistant glass has been separated and eliminated in advance.
Conventionally, as a technique for separating such heat-resistant glass, it is known to use an emission spectrum by irradiation with laser light (for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-34088).

After the heat-resistant glass is removed, the cullet of soda glass is subjected to color discrimination, and the cullets of similar colors are collectively processed. Conventionally, as a color discrimination technique applied in such a case, it is known to utilize the transmittance of visible light (wavelength 380 to 780 nm) (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-19681).

[0004]

By the way, in the above-mentioned prior art, a complicated facility is required for separating heat-resistant glass using the emission spectrum of laser light irradiation, and a technique for improving the classification accuracy. It is also very difficult. In addition, after the heat-resistant glass is removed, the color of the soda glass is discriminated by a separate process using visible light, so the process has two steps, and it takes a long time from the collection of the cullet to the completion of the process such as material and color coding. It takes time and the work efficiency is low.

As described above, the reason why the separation of heat-resistant glass and the color identification of soda glass are carried out as separate steps under the conventional technique is generally due to the color identification characteristics utilizing the difference in transmittance due to visible light. It was thought that it was difficult to use it as an element for discriminating even differences in glass quality.

However, according to various studies by the inventor, when visible light in a specific wavelength range is irradiated,
It has been found that a certain transmittance characteristic is exhibited depending on both the vitreous and color factors, thereby enabling color discrimination and vitreous discrimination at the same time.

The present invention has been made paying attention to this point, and by utilizing the transmittance of visible light in a specific wavelength range, it is possible to efficiently and highly accurately separate the different kinds of glass and perform color identification. It is an object of the present invention to provide a cullet sorting device and a sorting method thereof that can be easily performed.

[0008]

Means for Solving the Problems Visible light (wavelength 380 to 380)
780 nm), wavelengths close to near-ultraviolet rays having a wavelength of 450 nm or less and wavelengths close to near-infrared rays having a wavelength of 680 nm or more are not usually applied to color determination. However, among the wavelengths near the near-ultraviolet ray, the light having a wavelength of 430 nm or less shows a common transmittance that can be clearly distinguished from other glasses only for colorless transparent and light blue soda glasses. Furthermore, of the latter near-ultraviolet wavelengths, 6
Light having a wavelength of 30 nm to 700 nm shows a common transmittance that can be clearly distinguished from other glasses only for light brown or purple heat resistant glass.

Therefore, if the colorless transparent and light blue soda glass is eliminated from the cullet containing multicolored and heat-resistant glass based on the difference in transmittance by irradiation with light having a wavelength of 430 nm or less, the other For example tea,
You can leave green and black soda glass and heat resistant glass of each color.

Next, from the remaining glass, 630 nm
If the light brown or purple heat resistant glass is eliminated based on the difference in transmittance by irradiation with light having a wavelength of ˜700 nm, brown, green and black soda glasses can be left.

From empirical facts, heat-resistant glass that generally needs to be excluded is light brown or purple heat-resistant glass. Therefore, by performing the above-described classification as a series of steps, it is possible to efficiently distinguish between different kinds of glass and to distinguish colors. It becomes possible to perform it easily with high accuracy.

The present invention is based on the above findings,
The cullet separation device according to the invention of claim 1 is a cullet separation device for separating the heat-resistant glass from a cullet containing light brown or purple heat-resistant glass and multicolor soda glass, and light having a wavelength of 430 nm or less. The transparent and light blue soda glass and the other glass are separated according to, and light brown or purple heat-resistant glass and other color glass are separated by light having a wavelength of 630 nm to 700 nm. It is what

In the present invention, of the light having a wavelength of 430 nm or less, the transmittance of light having a wavelength of 410 nm is optimum for distinguishing colorless transparent and light blue soda glass. Further, of the light having a wavelength of 630 nm to 700 nm, the transmittance of light having a wavelength of 690 nm is optimal for identifying light brown or purple heat resistant glass.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cullet sorting apparatus which conveys a cullet containing light brown or purple heat resistant glass and multicolor soda glass to a cullet being conveyed by the conveyor. Irradiation means for irradiating light and two CCDs for receiving the transmitted light of this cullet
With a camera, and one CCD camera has
Attach a filter that guides light with a wavelength of 700 nm,
A filter that guides light having a wavelength of 430 nm or less is attached to the other CCD camera, and colorless transparent and light blue soda glass and other glass are separated by the light having a wavelength of 430 nm or less, and 630 nm to 700 nm.
Light brown or purple heat-resistant glass and glass of other colors are separated by light having a wavelength of nm.

A cullet separation method according to the present invention is a cullet separation method for separating the heat-resistant glass from a cullet containing light brown or purple heat-resistant glass and multicolor soda glass, and a wavelength of 430 nm or less. The transparent and light blue soda glass and the other glass are separated by the light having the value of 630 nm to 700.
It is a method of separating light brown or purple heat-resistant glass and other colors of glass by light having a wavelength of nm.

With the apparatus and method having such a configuration,
Color classification can be performed efficiently, highly accurately, and easily as well as separating different kinds of glass.

[0017]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a cullet sorting device. This cullet separating device separates and stores a hopper 1 for quantitatively supplying cullet, a conveyor 2 for conveying the supplied cullet to a separating position and dropping it, and a cullet 3 conveyed from the conveyor 2 and falling. And a sorting container 4 with a partition for.

At the position where the cullet 3 is conveyed and dropped, an illuminating device 5 for irradiating visible light is provided as an irradiating means for irradiating the cullet 3 which is being conveyed and dropped. CCD cameras 6a and 6b are provided.

One CCD camera 6a has a 630 nm
A filter 7a that guides light having a wavelength of ˜700 nm is attached, and the other CCD camera 6b has a filter 7b that guides light having a wavelength of 430 nm or less. That is, in one of the CCD cameras 6a, of the light emitted from the illumination device 5, the light having a wavelength of 630 nm to 700 nm that passes through the caret 3 is received, and in the other CCD camera 6b, the caret 3 is detected. Light having a wavelength of 430 nm or less that is transmitted is received.

Then, each of these CCD cameras 6a, 6
The received light signal by b is taken into the determination processing circuit 9 through the input signal line 8, and based on the relationship between the type of glass stored and held and the transmitted light intensity, the irradiated cullet is transmitted by the transmission of the light of the predetermined wavelength. The type of glass is determined.

An excluding device 10 is connected to the determination processing circuit 9. In the excluding device 10, an excluding command is output when the glass of the cullet 3 to be irradiated is of a type that does not transmit the light of the predetermined wavelength. To be done.

The exclusion command is sent to the drive unit 12 via the command signal line 11 as a valve drive signal.
Opens and closes the solenoid valve 13 according to the command. The solenoid valve 13 is incorporated in an air pipe 15 for supplying the exclusion primary air a to the exclusion nozzle 14, and when the primary air a is supplied to the exclusion nozzle 14 by opening the valve, the air ejected from the exclusion nozzle 14 is ejected. Pressurizes the cullet 3 of the type to be removed, whereby the cullet 3 is stored in the separation chamber 4 of the sorting container 4 outside the route of spontaneous fall.

Next, referring to FIGS. 2 to 4, the relationship between the irradiated light and the light transmittance of each type of cullet glass will be described.

FIG. 2 (A) is a characteristic diagram showing the light transmittance of colorless and transparent (flint) soda glass, and FIG. 2 (B) is the transmission of light of light blue soda glass. It is a characteristic view which shows a rate.

As is clear from FIG. 2A, in the case of colorless transparent and light blue soda glass, 430
The transmittance appears in the range of 50 to 90% at a wavelength of nm or less, particularly at a wavelength of 410 nm. On the other hand, with respect to other glasses, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the transmittance in the same wavelength region is 30% or less, which is very clearly distinguished.

That is, FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C
Are brown and green, respectively.
It is a characteristic view which shows the transmittance of n) and black (dark smoke) soda glass. As described above, the transmittance in these wavelength regions of 430 nm or less is 30% or less.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are characteristic diagrams showing the transmittance of light brown (crystallized glass amber) and purple (crystallized glass cranberry) heat resistant glass, respectively. Also in these cases, the transmittance in the wavelength range of 430 nm or less is 30% or less.

Therefore, in the apparatus shown in FIG.
If the first step is performed by irradiation with light having a wavelength of 430 nm or less, determination by the amount of light received by the CCD camera 6a, and elimination effect by air blow, a colorless and transparent and light blue soda glass and other glass are separated. It can be separately stored in 4 different chambers.

Next, as is clear from FIGS. 4A and 4B, in the case of light brown and purple heat resistant glass, 630
The transmittance in the wavelength range of nm to 700 nm, particularly in the wavelength range of 690 nm appears in the range of 50 to 85%. On the other hand, regarding the other glass (brown, green, and black soda glass) remaining in the first step, as shown in FIG. 3, the transmittance in the same wavelength range is 45% or less, which is extremely clear. To be identified.

Therefore, in the device shown in FIG.
If the second step is performed by irradiation with light having a wavelength of 630 nm to 700 nm, determination by the amount of light received by the CCD camera 6a, and elimination effect by air blow, light brown and purple heat-resistant glass and other glass are separated. It can be separately stored in 4 different chambers.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing the results in the case where the above steps are actually performed in detail step by step. As shown in FIG. 5, in the first step, all the first types of glass (10
0%), colorless transparent and light blue soda glass,
It was excluded as a total of 31.94%, and remained in the second step (6
8.06%), it was confirmed that the light brown and purple heat-resistant glass was excluded as a total of 19.35%.

In this embodiment, a method similar to the second step is further carried out as the third step. As a result, the second
From the rest of the process (48.71%), opaque ceramics (cera) with a transmittance of 0% was excluded as 6.45%, and brown, green, and black soda glass totaled 42.26.
% Remained.

According to the above embodiment, the recovery cullet 3
From the total amount (100%) of soda glass of colorless and transparent and light blue, a total of 31.94%, heat-resistant glass of light brown and purple, a total of 19.35%, soda glass of brown, green and black, a total of 42. 26%, ceramics 6.45
It was separated with%.

In the present embodiment, the above-mentioned classification and color identification of the different glass are carried out in the first step and the second step.
It was possible to perform efficiently, highly accurately, and easily in a series of steps, or even in the case of adding the third step.

[0036]

As described above, according to the present invention, by utilizing the transmittance of visible light in a specific wavelength range, it is possible to efficiently and highly accurately and easily perform separation and color identification of different kinds of glass. The excellent effect that it can be performed is exhibited.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a cullet sorting device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2A and 2B are characteristic diagrams showing a transmittance curve according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 (A), (B), and (C) are characteristic diagrams showing a transmittance curve according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4A and 4B are characteristic diagrams showing a transmittance curve according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a classification result according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 hopper 2 conveyors 3 cullet 4 sorting containers 5 Lighting equipment 6a, 6b CCD camera 7a and 7b filters 8 input signal lines 9 Judgment processing circuit 10 Exclusion device 11 Command signal line 12 Drive 13 Solenoid valve 14 Exclusion nozzle 15 Air piping a Primary air for exclusion

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (58) Fields surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B07C 5/342 G01N 21/958

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A cullet separation device for separating the heat-resistant glass from a cullet containing light brown or purple heat-resistant glass and multicolor soda glass, which is colorless and transparent or light blue by light having a wavelength of 430 nm or less. The soda glass and the other glass are separated, and light brown or purple heat-resistant glass and glass of other colors are separated by light having a wavelength of 630 nm to 700 nm. Caret separation device. 2. A conveyor for conveying a cullet containing light brown or purple heat-resistant glass and multicolor soda glass, an irradiating means for irradiating the cullet being conveyed by the conveyor with light, and a cullet of this cullet. Two CCD cameras for receiving transmitted light are provided, one CCD camera is equipped with a filter for guiding light having a wavelength of 630 nm to 700 nm, and the other CCD camera is equipped with a filter for guiding light having a wavelength of 430 nm or less. Installation: Separate the colorless transparent and light blue soda glass and the other glass by light having a wavelength of 430 nm or less, and light brown or purple heat-resistant glass and others by light having a wavelength of 630 nm to 700 nm. A cullet sorting device, characterized in that it is configured to separate from glass of the color. 3. A cullet separation method for separating the heat-resistant glass from a cullet containing light-brown or purple heat-resistant glass and multicolor soda glass, which is colorless and transparent or light blue by light having a wavelength of 430 nm or less. A soot glass and a glass other than that are separated, and a light having a wavelength of 630 nm to 700 nm is used to separate a light brown or purple heat-resistant glass and a glass of any other color, a cullet separation method characterized by the following: .