JP3433165B2 - Garbage processing equipment - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a food waste processing apparatus for accommodating a mixture of food waste and a food waste processing material in a processing tank and adjusting the water content of the mixture to decompose the food waste. It is a thing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, raw garbage is put into a treatment tank filled with porous wood chips (hole chips) which are raw garbage treating materials, and the raw garbage and the whole tip are agitated. By mixing, by the microorganisms inhabiting the mixture,
There is known a food waste processing device that decomposes food waste into water and carbon dioxide gas. In such a food waste treatment device, the treatment efficiency can be improved by adjusting the water content of the food waste / chip mixture to a range suitable for the inhabitation of microorganisms. Therefore, the food waste treatment equipment is equipped with a blower mechanism that sends air into the treatment tank and a heater that heats and dries the food waste / chip mixture in the treatment tank. A water supply device for supplying water to the garbage / chip mixture is provided to adjust the water content.

In order to automatically and optimally adjust the water content,
It is necessary to measure the water content of the food waste / chip mixture in the treatment tank. Conventionally, as a method of measuring the water content, a method of detecting the water content by contacting a pair of electrodes with the garbage / chip mixture and measuring the electrical resistance between the electrodes
(JP-A-7-33572) or a method of detecting the water content by contacting a heating resistor with the food waste / chip mixture and measuring the temperature rise of the food waste / chip mixture (JP-A-8-5
No. 7458) is proposed.

[0004]

However, in the method of measuring the water content using a pair of electrodes, when an electrolyte solution or substance is interposed between the pair of electrodes, the electric resistance between the electrodes changes significantly. Therefore, there is a problem that a large error occurs in the measured value of the water content. In addition, in the method of measuring the water content using a heating resistor, the heating resistor and raw garbage
When the adhesiveness of the chip mixture is poor, there is a problem that the measurement accuracy of the water content decreases.

Therefore, the applicant has developed a water content measuring device which improves the measurement accuracy by optically measuring the water content of the food waste / chip mixture, and has developed a food waste processing device equipped with the device. Patent pending (Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-087235, etc.). The water content measuring device comprises a tungsten lamp for irradiating the garbage / chip mixture with light, and a silicon photodiode and a pyroelectric element for detecting the light reflected from the garbage / chip mixture. The water content of the garbage / chip mixture is calculated based on the ratio of the amount of reflected light detected by using the device and the amount of reflected light detected by using the pyroelectric element.

The silicon photodiode has sensitivity in the first wavelength range (less than 1 μm) where the water transmittance is large, whereas the pyroelectric element is used in the second wavelength range (where the water transmittance is small). (1 μm or more). Therefore, while the amount of light detected by the pyroelectric element changes greatly depending on the difference in water content of the garbage / chip mixture,
The amount of light detected by the silicon photodiode hardly changes. Therefore, if the ratio of the amount of light detected by the silicon photodiode and the amount of light detected by the pyroelectric element is taken, the known Lambert-Beer equation described below is used to determine the water content of the food waste / chip mixture from the ratio of the amount of light detected. The rate can be calculated.

According to the above-mentioned water content measuring device, the water content of the garbage / chip mixture can be optically measured from the outside of the treatment tank, so that there is no problem in the conventional water content measuring method described above, A higher measurement accuracy can be obtained.

By the way, the amount of the food waste treating material in the treating tank gradually decreases with repeated use. If the amount of the raw garbage treating material is too small, the efficiency of the raw garbage decomposing treatment is lowered, and it is necessary to replenish the raw garbage treating material. However, in the above-mentioned food waste processing device, the user can set the food waste / chip mixture in the processing tank (12).
By observing (10), it is necessary to judge whether or not a new food waste treatment material should be replenished, and there is a problem that the work is troublesome. An object of the present invention is to provide a food waste processing device that does not require the user to determine whether or not the food waste processing material should be replenished.

[0009]

A first food waste processing apparatus according to the present invention is a water content detecting apparatus for detecting a water content of a mixture in a processing tank, and a water content based on the detected water content. A water content adjusting device for adjusting and a notifying device for notifying that the amount of the food waste treating material in the treatment tank is too small are provided, and the water content detecting device has a first wavelength range in which the water permeability is large. And a light-emitting element that irradiates the mixture with light including a second wavelength range having a small transmittance for water, and having sensitivity to the first wavelength range, and receiving reflected light from the mixture in the treatment tank,
A first light receiving element that emits an output according to the amount of received light;
A second light receiving element having sensitivity in the second wavelength range, receiving the reflected light from the mixture in the processing tank, and emitting an output according to the magnitude of the amount of received light or its change; Two
And a calculation processing circuit for calculating the water content of the mixture in the processing tank based on the output signal of the light receiving element. And
The light emitting element is attached to the side wall of the treatment tank with its optical axis directed toward the mixture in the treatment tank, and the attachment position is a position where a sufficient irradiation amount for detecting the water content can be obtained, and in the treatment tank. The position of the mixture is as close as possible to the height position of the mixture surface when the amount of the mixture is the minimum necessary amount, and the notification device is based on the output signal of the first light receiving element, It is provided with a judging means for judging whether or not the amount of the raw garbage processing material is too small, and a notifying means for notifying that when the amount of the raw garbage processing material is too small.

In the above-mentioned food waste processing apparatus, of the light emitted from the light emitting element, the first wavelength component is detected by the first light receiving element, and the second wavelength component is detected by the second light receiving element. It Here, when comparing the case where the water content of the mixture in the treatment tank is high and the case where the water content is small, the wavelength range of the light component detected by the first light receiving element (first wavelength range)
Since the transmittance for water is large, there is almost no difference in the amount of light detected by the first light receiving element, but the transmittance for water is in the wavelength range of the light component detected by the second light receiving element (second wavelength range). Is small, a difference occurs in the amount of light detected by the second light receiving element. Therefore, if the ratio of the amount of light detected by the second light receiving element to the amount of light detected by the first light receiving element is taken, the larger the ratio, the smaller the water content of the mixture, and the smaller this ratio, the larger the water content of the mixture. Become. Therefore, the water content of the mixture in the processing tank is calculated based on the output signals of the first light receiving element and the second light receiving element.

In the food waste treating device, a mixture of the food waste and the food waste treating material is housed in the processing tank to decompose the food waste. However, the amount of the food waste treating material is reduced during repeated use. The amount of the mixture gradually decreases, and accordingly, the amount of the mixture also gradually decreases, and when the amount of the mixture is less than a certain minimum amount, the efficiency of the food waste decomposition treatment is significantly reduced. Therefore, in the above-mentioned food waste processing apparatus, it is judged whether or not the amount of the mixture in the processing tank is too small. When the amount of the mixture in the treatment tank exceeds the predetermined amount, most of the light emitted from the light emitting element is irradiated to the mixture, and the irradiation amount sufficient for detecting the water content is obtained. . On the other hand, when the amount of the mixture in the treatment tank is less than the predetermined amount, among the light emitted from the light emitting element, the upper light is emitted into the air above the surface of the mixture, and the amount of the mixture is increased. The irradiation amount is smaller than that in the case where the amount exceeds the predetermined amount, and the light detection amount by the first light receiving element is significantly reduced. Here, since the light detection amount by the first light receiving element hardly changes according to the change of the water content of the mixture as described above, when the light detection amount by the first light receiving element is significantly decreased, the change is treated. It is caused by the decrease of the amount of the mixture in the tank, and it can be judged that the amount of the food waste treating material is too small. Therefore,
Based on the output signal of the first light receiving element, it is determined whether or not the amount of food waste processing material in the processing tank is too small.

If it is determined as a result of the above determination that the amount of raw garbage processing material is too small, the fact is notified. Here, as the notification method, a method of lighting a lamp indicating that the amount of raw garbage processing material is too small, a method of displaying on the display that the amount of raw garbage processing material is too small, a method of issuing an alarm, etc. Various notification methods can be adopted.
In this way, the notification device determines whether or not the amount of food waste processing material is too small, and when it is determined that the amount of food waste processing material is too small, the user is notified of that fact. However, by visually observing the food waste treatment material in the treatment tank,
It is not necessary to judge whether or not the raw garbage processing material should be supplemented.

Specifically, the arithmetic processing circuit executes the operation of calculating the water content when it is determined that the amount of raw garbage processing material is not too small.

When the amount of the food waste treatment material is too small, the irradiation amount to the mixture is reduced as described above, and the light detection amount by the first light receiving element is greatly reduced. Therefore, if the water content is calculated based on the amount of light detected by the first light receiving element and the second light receiving element when the amount of the food waste processing material is too small, the water content is not accurate, When the water content adjusting device is operated based on the calculation result,
The water content of the mixture in the treatment tank will deviate from the range suitable for the inhabitation of microorganisms. Therefore, when it is determined that the amount of the raw garbage processing material is not too small, the water content of the mixture is calculated.

The second food waste treating apparatus according to the present invention comprises a stirring device for rotating the horizontal axis about the horizontal axis to agitate the mixture in the processing tank, and a water content detecting water content of the mixture in the processing tank. A rate detecting device, a water content adjusting device for adjusting the water content based on the detected water content, and an informing device for informing about the amount of the food waste treating material in the treatment tank are provided. The water content detection device includes a light emitting element, a first light receiving element, a second light receiving element, and an arithmetic processing circuit, and the light emitting element is attached to a side wall of the processing tank with its optical axis facing the mixture in the processing tank. The mounting position is a position where a sufficient irradiation amount can be obtained for detecting the water content, and as high as possible the height position of the surface of the mixture when the amount of the mixture in the treatment tank is the minimum necessary amount. At a near position, the notification device is configured such that the amount of light received by the first light receiving element is equal to or less than a predetermined value based on the output signal of the first light receiving element during the normal rotation operation of the stirring device or after the operation is completed. Whether the amount of light received by the first light receiving element is equal to or smaller than a predetermined value based on the output signal of the first light receiving element immediately after the start of the reverse rotation operation of the stirring device Second determining means for determining whether or not the stirring device is in reverse operation, or After the end of the operation, the third determining means for determining whether or not the amount of light received by the first light receiving element is less than or equal to a predetermined value based on the output signal of the first light receiving element; Based on the judgment result of the third judgment means, it is provided with a judgment means for judging whether or not the amount of the food waste processing material in the processing tank is large and a notification means for notifying the judgment result.

In the above-mentioned food waste treating apparatus, the agitator rotates forward and backward about the horizontal axis to agitate the mixture in the treatment tank, so that the surface of the mixture undulates.
The waviness changes as described below by the rotation of the stirring device. During the forward rotation of the agitator or after the operation is completed,
The surface of the mixture in the processing tank is in a first state in which a part of the outer peripheral portion is higher than the central portion. After that, when the reversing operation of the stirring device is started, immediately after that, the surface of the mixture in the processing tank changes to the second state in which a part of the outer peripheral portion and the central portion are aligned at substantially the same height. Further, during the subsequent reverse operation or after the operation is completed, the surface of the mixture in the processing tank changes to a third state in which a part of the outer peripheral portion is lower than the central portion.

Therefore, the light emitting element is arranged in a part of the outer peripheral portion. When the amount of the mixture in the processing tank is sufficiently larger than the minimum required fixed amount, the above first, second and third
In any of the states, most of the light emitted from the light emitting element is applied to the mixture in the treatment tank, and an irradiation amount sufficient for calculating the water content is obtained. When the amount of the mixture in the treatment tank is equal to or slightly exceeds the above-mentioned fixed amount,
In the first and second states, most of the light emitted from the light emitting element is applied to the mixture in the treatment tank, and an irradiation amount sufficient for calculating the water content is obtained. Of the light emitted from the element, the upper light is radiated into the air above the surface of the mixture, the irradiation amount on the mixture is reduced, and the light detection amount by the first light receiving element is significantly reduced. When the amount of the mixture in the treatment tank is slightly lower than the predetermined amount, in the first state, most of the light emitted from the light emitting element is applied to the mixture in the treatment tank to calculate the water content. However, in the second and third states, the dose of the mixture is reduced, and the amount of light detected by the first light receiving element is significantly reduced.
When the amount of the mixture in the processing tank is much lower than the predetermined amount, in any of the first, second and third states, the irradiation amount on the mixture is small, and the light detection by the first light receiving element is performed. The amount is greatly reduced. Therefore, the first,
Whether or not the amount of light received by the first light receiving element in the second and third states is less than or equal to a predetermined value determines the amount of the mixture in the processing tank, that is, the amount of the raw garbage processing material. Then, the determination result is notified.

[0018]

According to the food waste processing apparatus of the present invention,
The user does not need to make a judgment as to whether or not the food waste processing material should be replenished.

[0019]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The embodiments of the present invention will be described below.
Will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.overall structure The garbage processing device according to the present invention is as shown in FIGS.
A casing (1) with an open top and a casing (1)
It has a lid (11) that is pivotally supported at the opening of the
Inside the sing (1), the garbage / chip mixture (10) is stored.
A treatment tank (12) to be contained is provided. The processing tank (12) is
Broadband wavelength light including visible light and near infrared light
Consists of materials, colors, and thicknesses that are transparent
For example, white polycarbonate with a thickness of 2 mm
It is formed using

A shaft (21) is horizontally installed inside the processing tank (12), and a plurality of stirring rods (2) are radially provided around the shaft (21) so as to project. One end of the shaft (21) is connected to a motor (23) through a power transmission mechanism (22), and the stirring rod (2) is rotated by driving the motor (23), It is possible to stir the garbage / chip mixture (10).

A planar heater (3) is attached to the outer surface of the treatment tank (12) so that the raw garbage / chip mixture (10) in the treatment tank (12) can be heated. . Further, an exhaust fan (4) is provided above the processing tank (12), and the exhaust fan (4) is connected to the exhaust port (13) through the exhaust passage (14), and the exhaust fan (4) It is possible to ventilate the inside of the processing tank (12) by driving (1). Further, a water supply mechanism (not shown) is connected to the treatment tank (12) as necessary, so that water can be supplied into the treatment tank (12).

Further, in the food waste treating apparatus according to the present invention, the water content of the food waste / chip mixture (10) in the processing tank (12) is optically provided outside the side wall of the processing tank (12). A water content detector (6) for measuring is attached.

As shown in FIG. 3, the water content detector (6) is a tungsten lamp (6) mounted toward the treatment tank (12).
1), a silicon photodiode (62) and a pyroelectric element (63). As shown in Fig. 4 (a), tungsten lamp
(61) emits light having a wide band spanning the visible light region and the near infrared light region. Further, as shown in FIG. 4 (b), the silicon photodiode (62) has a thickness of 0.5 μm
Pyroelectric element with sensitivity in a relatively narrow wavelength range of 1.0 μm
The type (63) has a flat sensitivity characteristic in a wide wavelength range exceeding 1.0 μm.

As described above, the processing tank (12) is capable of transmitting light having a wavelength in a wide band including a visible light region and a near-infrared light region, so that the light emitted from the tungsten lamp (61) is transmitted. Is passed through the treatment tank (12), irradiated to the garbage / chip mixture (10), the light reflected by the garbage / chip mixture (10) passes through the treatment tank (12), It is incident on the silicon photodiode (62) and the pyroelectric element (63).

The control device (5) is provided with a control circuit (51) composed of a microcomputer, and the lighting of the tungsten lamp (61) is controlled by the control circuit (51).
The output signals of the silicon photodiode (62) and the pyroelectric element (63) pass through the amplifiers (52) and (53), respectively, and then the control circuit.
Supplied to (51). The control circuit (51) detects the water content of the garbage / chip mixture (10) based on the signals from the silicon photodiode (62) and the pyroelectric element (63), and according to the result, the heater ( 3), exhaust fan (4) and motor
The operation of (23) is controlled to optimally adjust the water content of the food waste / chip mixture (10) in the treatment tank (12).

Now, the principle of detecting the water content in the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. As described above, FIG.
Shows the spectral distribution characteristics of the tungsten lamp (61),
Light is distributed over the visible light region and the near infrared light region. 4B shows the spectral distribution characteristic P of the silicon photodiode (62) and the spectral distribution characteristic Q of the pyroelectric element (63). The silicon photodiode (62) has a spectral distribution characteristic of 0.5 μm.
The pyroelectric element (63) has a sensitivity in a relatively narrow wavelength range of .about.1.0 .mu.m, and has a flat sensitivity characteristic in a wide wavelength range of more than 1.0 .mu.m.

FIG. 4 (c) shows the spectral distribution characteristic P'of the amount of light detected by the silicon photodiode (62) and the pyroelectric element (63) when the light emitted from the tungsten lamp (61) is directly received. And the spectral distribution characteristic Q ′ of the light detection amount by However, the pyroelectric element (63) changes the amount of received light (differential).
Since it is a thermal sensor that emits a signal according to, the data corresponding to the absolute value of the received light amount can be obtained by integrating the waveform of the output signal. The peak value of the waveform of is the integrated value (light detection amount). The amount of light detected by the silicon photodiode (62) and the pyroelectric element (63) is approximately proportional to the areas of the regions surrounded by the characteristic curves P'and Q ', respectively.

FIG. 4D shows the distribution of the transmittance of light to water in the wavelength range from the visible light region to the near infrared light region, and the transmittance is about 1 in the visible light region. It can be seen that, while almost no light is absorbed, the transmittance is low in the near infrared light region, and a large amount of light is absorbed.

FIG. 4 (e) shows a case where the light emitted from the tungsten lamp (61) passes through a substance containing water and enters the silicon photodiode (62) and the pyroelectric element (63). The distribution Pn (n = 0, 40, 80) of the amount of light detected by the photodiode (62) and the distribution Qn (n = 0, 40, 80) of the amount of light detected by the pyroelectric element (63) are shown. Here, n is the water content (%) of the substance. These distributions have the spectral distribution characteristics P ′ and Q ′ shown in FIG.
This can be understood as the product of the water transmittance characteristics shown in FIG. 4 (d), and the silicon photodiode (62) and the pyroelectric element (6
The magnitude of the amount of light detected by 3) is approximately proportional to the area of the region surrounded by the distribution curves Pn and Qn.

As can be seen from FIG. 4 (e), since the transmittance of water is about 1 in the visible light region, even if the water content changes, the light detection amount of the silicon photodiode (62) is almost the same. Although no change is seen, in the near infrared region, the degree of light absorption changes according to the change in water content,
The amount of light detected by the pyroelectric element (63) changes depending on the water content.

The amount of light detected by the silicon photodiode is Ps, and the amount of light detected by the pyroelectric element is Qs.
Then, the water content W of the measurement target is expressed by the following equation 1 using the Lambert-Beer equation.

[0032]

[Equation 1] X = -log (Qs / Ps) W = a ・ X + b a, b: constant

The constants a and b in the above equation 1 are experimentally obtained. That is, as shown in FIG. 5, by plotting the value of X and the water content for a plurality of substances having known water contents, and approximating the relationship between them by a straight line, the slopes of the line and the constants a and b are calculated from the contact pieces. You can decide.

The above explanation of the principle is premised on the case where the light passes through the measurement object (the substance containing water) and is incident on the silicon photodiode and the pyroelectric element. This is also true when the reflected light is reflected by the substance and enters the silicon photodiode and the pyroelectric element. This means that the reflected light from the object to be measured includes, in addition to the light reflected by the surface thereof, light that has penetrated into the inside of the object to be measured and is reflected by the particle surface inside, that is, diffuse reflected light. This is because the diffuse reflected light is affected by the absorption characteristics of the measurement target.

[0035]First embodiment In the food waste processing apparatus of this embodiment, the water content detector
(6) is the raw food in the processing tank (12) as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3.
The amount of the chip / chip mixture (10) is more than the minimum required fixed amount.
Mixture table when the amount is slightly larger (hereinafter referred to as appropriate amount)
It is located as close as possible to the height of the surface. Control
The control circuit (51) of the controller (5) is a silicon photodiode.
Processing of garbage in the processing tank (12) based on the signal from the terminal (62)
The amount of raw garbage treated material is judged by judging whether the amount of material is too small.
If it is determined that the number is too low, a warning to that effect is displayed.
Displayed in play (not shown).

FIGS. 6 and 7 show the irradiation state of light from the tungsten lamp (61) when the amount of the garbage / chip mixture (10) in the treatment tank (12) is appropriate and the treatment tank ( It represents the irradiation state when the amount of the food waste / chip mixture (10) in 12) is too small. When the amount of the garbage / chip mixture (10) in the treatment tank (12) is appropriate, most of the light emitted from the tungsten lamp (61) is shown by the dashed line in FIG. Irradiate the garbage / chip mixture (10) in the treatment tank (12).

On the other hand, when the amount of the food waste / chip mixture (10) in the processing tank (12) becomes too small, the light emitted from the tungsten lamp (61) is shown by the dashed line in FIG. Of the above, the light at the top is emitted into the air above the surface of the food waste / chip mixture (10), and the irradiation amount becomes smaller than when the amount of the food waste / chip mixture (10) is appropriate, The amount of light detected by the silicon photodiode (62) will be greatly reduced. Where Silicon Photodiodes (62)
As described above, the amount of light detected by
Even if the water content of (10) changes, it hardly changes, so when the light detection amount by the silicon photodiode (62) decreases, the change is caused by the decrease of the food waste / chip mixture (10). Yes, it can be judged that the amount of food waste processing material is too small. Therefore, it is determined whether or not the amount of food waste processing material in the processing tank (12) is too small, depending on whether or not the amount of light detected by the silicon photodiode (62) is less than or equal to a predetermined lower limit value.

FIG. 8 shows a procedure for displaying an insufficient warning of the amount of treated material and adjusting the water content in the above-mentioned food waste treating apparatus. First, in step S1, light is emitted from the tungsten lamp (61) to the food waste / chip mixture (10) at predetermined intervals while the food waste processing device is being driven. As a result, the reflected light is reflected by the silicon photodiode (62) and the pyroelectric element.
When incident on (63), the control circuit (51) takes in the output signals of the silicon photodiode (62) and the pyroelectric element (63) and detects the magnitude of the respective light detection amounts.

Next, in step S2, it is determined whether or not the magnitude of the amount of light detected by the silicon photodiode (62) is less than or equal to a predetermined lower limit value.
Moving to 3, the warning that the amount of the food waste disposal material is too small is displayed on the display, and the stirring time by the stirring rod is shortened. Here, the reason for shortening the stirring time is determined to be YES in step S2 when the amount of the food waste / chip mixture (10) is small, and in this case, the amount of the food waste / chip mixture (10) is an appropriate amount. Garbage compared to when there are
This is because the chip mixture (10) has a high drying rate.

On the other hand, if it is determined NO in step S2, the process proceeds to step S4, and the water content of the food waste / chip mixture (10) is calculated by using the above equation (1). afterwards,
In step S5, it is determined whether or not the water content is less than 25%, and if yes, in step S6,
A water supply warning is displayed on the display to prompt the user to supply water, and the stirring time by the stirring rod is shortened to increase the water content. When it is determined NO in step S5, the process proceeds to step S7, and it is determined whether or not the water content exceeds 50%. If YES is determined here, in step S8, the fan is rotated to ventilate the inside of the processing tank, the stirring time by the stirring rod is extended, and the set temperature of the heater is raised. Thereby reducing the water content.

As a result, the water content of the garbage / chip mixture in the treatment tank was adjusted to the range of 25% to 50%,
As a result, the efficiency of the food waste decomposition process is maintained high, and the generation of an offensive odor due to the decomposition is suppressed.

In the food waste processing apparatus of this embodiment, when the amount of food waste processing material in the processing tank (12) is too small, a warning is displayed on the display indicating that the amount of food waste processing material is too small. It Therefore, it is not necessary for the user to visually judge the food waste / chip mixture (10) in the processing tank (12) to determine whether or not the food waste processing material should be supplemented.

Further, in the food waste treating apparatus of this embodiment, the water content is not calculated when it is judged that the amount of the food waste treating material is too small. If the water content is calculated when it is judged that the amount of food waste is too small, the water content of the mixture in the treatment tank is 25% to 50% because the water content is not accurate. Although there is a possibility that the operations of the fan and the heater are controlled and the stirring time is adjusted in a direction that deviates from the range, there is no such possibility in the food waste processing device of the present embodiment.

[0044]Second embodiment The food waste processing apparatus of this embodiment includes the same as in the first embodiment.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the water rate detector (6) has a treatment tank (1
When the amount of food waste / chip mixture (10) in 2) is appropriate
Placed as close as possible to the height of the mixture surface
Then, the stirring rod (2) is rotated every 30 minutes in forward and reverse directions for 1 minute.
By mixing raw garbage and chips in the treatment tank (12) (10)
Is stirred. The control circuit of the controller (5) consists of a stirring rod (2)
Immediately after the normal rotation of the car is completed and the reverse rotation is started, and the reverse rotation
By the silicon photodiode (62) after the
Garbage in the processing tank (12) based on the detected light detection amount
Judge the amount of treated material and display the judgment result.
Display on b.

9 (a) to 9 (c) show how the surface condition of the food waste / chip mixture (10) in the treatment tank (12) changes as the stirring rod (2) rotates. . The arrows in the figure
It represents the direction of rotation of the stir bar (2). Immediately before the forward rotation of the stirring rod (2) is completed, the raw garbage / chip mixture (10)
As shown in FIG. 6A, the surface of the surface of FIG. 2 is in a state where the portion facing the water content detector (6) is higher than the central portion. Then stir bar
Immediately after the normal rotation of (2) was completed and the reverse rotation was started, the surface of the food waste / chip mixture (10) was aligned at the same height over the entire area as shown in FIG. Change to state. Immediately thereafter, immediately before the reversal of the stirring rod (2) is completed, the surface of the food waste / chip mixture (10) shows the same figure (c).
As described above, the portion facing the water content detector (6) changes to a state lower than the central portion.

Garbage / chip mixture (10) in the treatment tank (12)
When the amount of the mixture is large, the surface of the mixture (10) is shown in FIGS.
In any of the conditions shown in (1), most of the light emitted from the tungsten lamp is applied to the food waste / chip mixture (10) in the treatment tank (12), and the irradiation amount is sufficient to calculate the water content. Is obtained. Garbage / chip mixture in treatment tank (12) (10)
When the amount of is the appropriate amount, the surface of the mixture (10) is
In the state shown in (c), of the light emitted from the tungsten lamp, the upper light is the garbage / chip mixture.
It is radiated into the air above the surface of (10), and the irradiation amount to the garbage / chip mixture (10) is reduced, and the light detection amount by the silicon photodiode is significantly reduced. Processing tank
When the amount of the food waste / chip mixture (10) in (12) is slightly small, when the surface of the mixture (10) is in the state shown in (b) and (c) of the same figure, the food waste / chip mixture is mixed. The irradiation amount for (10) is reduced, and the light detection amount by the silicon photodiode is significantly reduced. When the amount of food waste / chip mixture (10) in the treatment tank (12) is small, even if the surface of the mixture (10) is in any of the states (a) to (c) in the figure,・
The amount of light emitted to the chip mixture (10) is reduced, and the amount of light detected by the silicon photodiode is significantly reduced.

Therefore, is the magnitude of the light detection amount of the silicon photodiode below the predetermined lower limit value after the completion of the normal rotation operation of the stirring rod, immediately after the start of the reverse rotation operation of the stirring rod, and after the completion of the reverse rotation operation of the stirring rod? Based on whether or not the amount of raw garbage processing material in the processing tank (12) is judged.

FIG. 10 shows a table stored in the built-in memory of the control circuit of the above-mentioned food waste processing apparatus. As shown in the figure, in the table, when the amount of raw garbage processing material is large, when the amount of raw garbage processing material is appropriate, when the amount of raw garbage processing material is slightly small, and when the amount of raw garbage processing material is small. In the case of a small amount, a flag indicating whether or not the magnitude of the photodetection amount of the silicon photodiode after the end of the normal rotation operation of the stirring rod, immediately after the start of the reverse rotation operation, and after the completion of the reverse rotation operation is equal to or less than a predetermined lower limit value ( "0", "1") are stored. Here, the flag “0” indicates that the amount of light detected by the silicon photodiode is larger than a predetermined lower limit value, and the flag “1” indicates that the amount of light detected by the silicon photodiode is lower than the predetermined lower limit. It means that it is less than or equal to the value.

When the amount of food waste processing material is large, the flag "0" is stored at any time point after the completion of the forward rotation operation, immediately after the start of the reverse rotation operation, and after the completion of the reverse rotation operation. When the amount of the raw garbage processing material is appropriate, the flag "0" is stored after the normal rotation operation is completed and immediately after the reverse rotation operation is started, and the flag "1" is stored after the reverse rotation operation is completed. When the amount of food waste processing material is slightly small, a flag "0" is stored after the normal rotation operation is completed, and a flag "1" is stored immediately after the reverse rotation operation is started and after the reverse rotation operation is completed. When the amount of food waste processing material is small, the flag “1” is stored at any time point after the completion of the forward rotation operation, immediately after the start of the reverse rotation operation, and after the completion of the reverse rotation operation. In the above-mentioned food waste processing apparatus, based on the table, the amount of food waste processing material in the processing tank is “large”, “appropriate”, “slightly small”
Alternatively, a determination of "small" is made.

FIG. 11 and FIG. 12 show the procedure for determining the amount of raw garbage processing material and adjusting the water content in the raw garbage processing apparatus of this embodiment. First, step S11 in FIG.
At step S12, it is determined whether or not one minute has elapsed after the normal rotation operation of the stirring rod (2) is started. If NO, the determination at step S12 is repeated. When one minute has passed since the forward rotation operation of the stirring rod (2) was started, it is determined as YES in step S12, the process proceeds to step S13, and the forward rotation operation of the stirring rod (2) is stopped. Next, in step S14, the tungsten lamp (61) irradiates the garbage / chip mixture (10) with light. As a result, the reflected light is reflected by the silicon photodiode (62) and the pyroelectric element (63).
Incident on the control circuit silicon photodiode (62)
Also, the output signals of the pyroelectric element (63) are taken in to detect the magnitude of the respective light detection amounts.

Subsequently, in step S15, after the reverse operation of the stirring rod (2) is started, it is determined in step S16 whether or not 5 seconds have elapsed, and if no, step S1
Repeat the same judgment at 6. When 5 seconds have passed since the reverse operation of the stirring rod (2) was started, it is judged as YES in step S16, the process proceeds to step S17, and the tungsten lamp (61) lights up the garbage / chip mixture (10). The silicon photodiode (62) and the pyroelectric element (6
Detect the amount of light detection by 3).

Subsequently, in step S18, it is determined whether or not one minute has elapsed since the reverse operation of the stirring rod (2) was started. If the result is no, the same determination is repeated in step S18. When one minute has passed since the reverse rotation operation of the stirring rod (2) was started, it is determined as YES in step S18, the process proceeds to step S19, and the reverse rotation operation of the stirring rod (2) is stopped.

Next, in step S20, the tungsten lamp (61) irradiates the garbage / chip mixture (10) with light to detect the amount of light detected by the silicon photodiode (62) and the pyroelectric element (63). After detecting the above, in step S21, the table shown in FIG.
Based on the amount of light detected by the silicon photodiode (62) obtained in S14, S17, and S20, it is determined whether or not the amount of the garbage processing material in the processing tank (12) is large or small.

Subsequently, in step S22 of FIG. 12, it is judged whether or not the amount of the raw garbage processing material is small,
In the case of yes, in step S23, while displaying a warning that the amount of raw garbage processing material is small on the display,
Shorten the stirring time with a stir bar.

On the other hand, if NO in step S22, the process proceeds to step S24, and it is determined whether or not the amount of raw garbage processing material is slightly small. If YES, step S25 At, the warning indicating that the amount of the food waste processing material is slightly small is displayed on the display and the stirring time by the stirring rod is shortened. Here, the shortened time is set to a time shorter than the shortened time in step S23.

If it is determined NO in step S24, the process proceeds to step S26 to determine whether it is determined that the amount of the raw garbage processing material is large. If YES, the process proceeds to step S27. Then, a warning that the amount of the raw garbage processing material is large is displayed on the display, and the stirring time by the stirring rod is extended.

When it is determined that the amount of raw garbage processing material is appropriate, the determination is NO in the above steps S22, S24 and S26, the process proceeds to step S28, and the above equation 1 is applied.
Is used to calculate the water content of the garbage / chip mixture (10). Here, the water content is, for example, step S1 in FIG.
It is calculated based on the amount of light detected by the silicon photodiode (62) and the pyroelectric element (63) obtained in any one of 4, S17 and S20. Then, step S2
In 9, it is judged whether or not the water content is below 25%, and in the case of Yes, in step S30, a water supply warning is displayed on the display to prompt the user to supply water, and at the same time, stirring by the stirring rod Shorten the time and increase the water content.

When it is determined NO in step S29, the process proceeds to step S31, and it is determined whether the water content is higher than 50%. If YES is determined here, in step S32, the fan is rotated to ventilate the inside of the processing tank, the stirring time by the stirring rod is extended, and the set temperature of the heater is further raised. Thereby reducing the water content. In step S33, the process waits for 30 minutes, and then in step S33 of FIG.
Return to 11.

In the food waste processing apparatus of this embodiment, the user has a large amount of food waste processing material in the processing tank (12),
It is possible to know which one of the four levels, "a proper amount", "somewhat small" and "small".

The configuration of each part of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the technical scope described in the claims. For example, in the treatment tank (12), only the portion where the water content detector (6) faces can be made of a light transmissive member such as polycarbonate. Further, as a light receiving element, a silicon photodiode (62) and a pyroelectric element (6
The combination of 3) is used, but not limited to this, as long as it is a combination of a light receiving element having sensitivity in a wavelength range where absorption by water is weak and a light receiving element having sensitivity in a wavelength range where absorption by water is strong, A combination of various known light receiving elements such as a combination of a diode and a germanium photodiode can be adopted.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a food waste processing device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the food waste processing device in a direction orthogonal to FIG.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a water content detector and a control device.

FIG. 4 is a series of graphs explaining the principle of water content detection in the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a graph showing the relationship between the actual measurement value of water content and the logarithmic value of the output ratio of the pyroelectric element and the silicon photodiode.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the irradiation state of light from a tungsten lamp when the amount of food waste / chip mixture in the processing tank is appropriate.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the irradiation state when the amount of food waste / chip mixture in the processing tank is too small.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a procedure for displaying an insufficient amount of processing material warning and adjusting a water content in the food waste processing apparatus of the first embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a state in which the surface state of the food waste / chip mixture in the processing tank is changed by the rotation of the stirring rod.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a table stored in a built-in memory of the control circuit of the second embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the first half of the procedure for determining the amount of raw garbage processing material and adjusting the water content in the raw garbage processing device of the second embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the latter half of the above procedure.

[Explanation of symbols]

(1) Casing (10) Garbage / chip mixture (11) Lid (12) Treatment tank (2) Stir bar (3) Heater (4) Exhaust fan (5) Control device (6) Water content detector (61) Tungsten lamp (62) Silicon photodiode (63) Pyroelectric element

Continuation of the front page (56) Reference JP-A-8-132004 (JP, A) JP-A-61-264239 (JP, A) JP-A-9-10748 (JP, A) JP-A-8-89930 (JP , A) JP 8-84981 (JP, A) JP 8-276169 (JP, A) JP 6-229917 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB) (Name) B09B 3/00 ZAB C05F 9/02 G01N 21/35

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A food waste treatment apparatus for accommodating a mixture of food waste and a food waste disposal material in a treatment tank, and adjusting the water content of the mixture to decompose the food waste. Water content detection device that detects the water content, the water content adjustment device that adjusts the water content based on the detected water content, and the notification that the amount of raw garbage processing material in the treatment tank is too small A light emitting element for irradiating the mixture with light including a first wavelength band having a large transmittance for water and a second wavelength band having a small transmittance for water; A first light receiving element that has a sensitivity in the first wavelength range and that receives the reflected light from the mixture in the processing tank and emits an output according to the amount of the received light; and a sensitivity in the second wavelength range. However, it receives the reflected light from the mixture in the processing tank, and The second light receiving element that emits an output according to the change of, and an arithmetic processing circuit that calculates the water content of the mixture in the processing tank based on the output signals of the first and second light receiving elements. Is attached to the side wall of the treatment tank so that the optical axis is directed toward the mixture in the treatment tank, and the attachment position is a position where an irradiation amount sufficient to detect the water content is obtained, and the mixture in the treatment tank is It is a position as close as possible to the height position of the surface of the mixture when the amount is the minimum necessary amount, and the notification device treats food waste in the treatment tank based on the output signal of the first light receiving element. It is characterized by comprising a judging means for judging whether the amount of the material is too small and a notifying means for notifying that when the amount of the raw garbage processing material is judged to be too small. Raw garbage processing equipment. 2. The food waste processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the arithmetic processing circuit executes a water content calculation operation when it is determined that the amount of food waste processing material is not too small. 3. A food waste treatment apparatus for accommodating a mixture of food waste and a food waste disposal material in a treatment tank, and adjusting the water content of the mixture to decompose the food waste. A stirring device that rotates in reverse to stir the mixture in the processing tank,
Moisture content detection device that detects the water content of the mixture in the treatment tank, water content adjustment device that adjusts the water content based on the detected water content, and reports the amount of raw garbage processing material in the treatment tank And a light emitting element that irradiates the mixture with light including a first wavelength band having a large transmittance for water and a second wavelength band having a small transmittance for water, A first light receiving element having sensitivity in the first wavelength range, receiving reflected light from the mixture in the processing tank, and emitting an output according to the amount of received light; and sensitivity in the second wavelength range A second light receiving element that has a light receiving amount from the mixture in the processing tank and emits an output according to the magnitude of the amount of received light or a change thereof, and based on the output signals of the first and second light receiving elements. And a calculation processing circuit for calculating the water content of the mixture in the treatment tank. The light emitting element is mounted on the side wall of the processing tank with its optical axis directed toward the mixture in the processing tank, and the mounting position is a position where an irradiation amount sufficient to detect the water content is obtained, and Is a position as close as possible to the height position of the mixture surface when the amount of the mixture in the inside is the minimum necessary amount, the notification device, during the normal rotation operation of the stirring device, or after the end of the operation, First determining means for determining whether the amount of light received by the first light receiving element is less than or equal to a predetermined value based on the output signal of the first light receiving element; Second determining means for determining whether or not the amount of light received by the first light receiving element is less than or equal to a predetermined value based on the output signal of the light receiving element; and during or after the reversing operation of the stirring device, Based on the output signal of the first light receiving element, Based on the judgment results of the third judging means for judging whether or not the size is less than or equal to a predetermined value and the judgment results of the first, second and third judging means, it is possible to determine whether the amount of the raw garbage processing material in the processing tank is large or small. An apparatus for treating food waste, comprising: determination means for determining; and notification means for notifying the determination result.