JP3872454B2 - Empty can crusher - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an empty can crusher that reduces the empty space for beverages and increases the efficiency of collection and recycling.

Conventionally, a small empty can crusher for beverages has a link, arm, and cam structure and has many manual or stepping operations. Since the structure is simple and inexpensive, it has been widely used for home use. Large empty can crushers are driven by electric motors and can be operated easily and quickly by simply pressing a switch, so they have been used in large companies and supermarkets.

However, the conventional small can crusher requires manual force, and when stepping on, it was cumbersome because it was crouching every time the can was taken out, and it was necessary to take a lot of space to operate, a narrow dining kitchen In addition to its poor appearance, it was not widely used. The operation of a large can crusher is easy, but it is not suitable for home use because it requires a large space for installation and is expensive.

As a countermeasure, there is also a structure that crushes the empty can by operating the intermediate plate attached with a nut by decelerating a small motor with a gear and turning the screw, but in terms of safety, operation space, size, appearance, It was not enough.
JP 2000-343291 A JP-A-9-29493

A simple can button can be crushed quickly with a simple button operation, and a small, safe, beautiful, and inexpensive home can crusher is provided with a minimum operating space.

In the present invention, an inner base 2 having a substantially concave cross-sectional shape is provided inside the outer base 1 having a substantially concave cross-sectional shape to surround and protect components such as a screw screw 6, a screw nut 7 and an arm shaft 17. An outer rail portion 1a and an inner rail portion 2b of a rail having a concavo-convex section are provided along a pair on the inner side of the outer base 1 and the outer side of the inner base 2, and one deceleration is provided on the inner side of the center of the outer base 1. The drive motor 3 is provided, attached to a pair of left and right screw screws 6 so as to transmit the power of the drive motor 3 by the drive pulley 4, the passive pulley 5, and the belt 24, and a bearing 12 is attached to the lower end of the screw screw 6. Is attached to the bottom of the outer base with a screw set plate 21, and a screw is attached to the upper end of the screw screw 6. Id 10 is attached so as to be rotatable on a shaft between screw screw 6 and screw stopper 9 fixed thereto, and screw guide 10 holds the tip of the screw so that it slides. A screw guide groove 2 d is formed on the inner side, and a screw nut 7 attached to the screw screw 6 is fixed to the guide plate 13. Further, in order to restrict the horizontal displacement of the lower side of the can on the upper side of the outer base 1, a can receiving portion 1e having a hollow shape is formed, and a can pushing portion 2f for crushing the upper side of the can is formed on the upper side of the inner base. It is formed. In addition, the lower arm 15 and the upper arm 16 are fixedly held inside the inner base, and the arm shaft 17 serving as a rotation shaft is installed at the four corners of the can with the arm plate 18 so as to be rotatable. A return spring 20 is installed on the lower shaft of the arm 17 with a spring force in the direction in which the arm is housed. A guide pin 14 is attached to the center of the arm shaft 17, and the guide pin is connected to the guide plate 13. The arm shaft is installed so that it slides into the guide hole 13c when it slides. A stopper plate 8 for restricting the upper limit of the inner base 2 is mounted on the inner side of the inner base 2 on the axis of the screw screw 6, a lower limit switch 27 is provided at the lower end of the outer base 1, and an upper limit switch 28 is provided at the upper end. However, the arm limit switch 29 is attached inside the inner base 2, the retracting switch 25 and the operation switch 26 are attached outside the outer cover 11, and the control device 31 is attached inside.

A series of can crushing operations can be performed simply by pressing the operation switch, making it easy to operate. Parts such as screw screws, screw nuts, and drive motors can be operated by the outer base and inner base within the entire operating range. Because it is enclosed and protected, it is safe and looks good, the inner base operates vertically, does not take up any working space, and can be compact after use, so it can be placed in a small dining kitchen. Also, since the crushing efficiency is good, it can function sufficiently with the smallest motor, so a lightweight and inexpensive can crusher can be provided.

Normally, both ends of the screw screw are generally fixed to the outer base side so as to be freely rotatable, but in that case, the screw screw mounting groove relief groove on the inner side is absolutely necessary, and the internal organs are exposed from the groove. And it is dangerous and looks bad. In the present invention, in order to prevent this point, only the lower end portion of the screw screw 6 is rotatably fixed, the upper end portion is free, and the screw screw 6 is slid in the screw guide groove 2d inside the inner base 1. Since the tip is held and the swing is prevented, the escape groove is unnecessary, the internal organs are not exposed, and it is safe and looks good. In general, an empty can is strong in the vertical direction but weak in the side, and if there is a dent in the side, the vertical strength is significantly reduced. Therefore, the present invention can move both sides of the can with the lower arm 15 and the upper arm 16. After squeezing, the top and bottom of the can are crushed to increase mechanical efficiency, so even a small motor can be operated. Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the shape of the guide hole 13c for operating the arm is set so that the arm can be quickly moved until it hits the can and the inclination angle of the long hole and the pin can be changed so that force can be output after the arm hits. So you can dent both sides of the can efficiently.

As shown in FIG. 4, a concave portion that protects and surrounds components such as a screw screw 6, a screw nut 7, and an arm shaft 17 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 inside the outer base 1 having a substantially concave shape as shown in FIG. 4. An inner base 2 having a cross-sectional shape is provided, and an outer rail portion 1a and an inner rail portion 2b of a concavo-convex rail extending along a pair are provided on the inner side of the outer base 1 and the outer side of the inner base 2, and the center of the outer base 1 is provided. A drive motor 3 that has been decelerated is provided on the inner side, and a drive pulley 4, a passive pulley 5 and a belt 24 are attached to a pair of left and right screw screws 6 as shown in FIG. The bearing 12 is attached to the bottom of the outer base 1 with a screw set plate 21, and the screw 12 is attached to the upper end of the screw 6. The screw guide 10 is fixed to the screw screw 6 and the screw stopper 9 so that the screw guide 10 is sandwiched so as to be rotatable on the shaft, and the screw guide 10 holds the tip of the screw screw so that the inner base 2 slides. A screw guide groove 2 d as shown in FIG. 6 is formed inside, and a screw nut 7 attached to the screw screw 6 is fixed to the guide plate 13. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, a concave can receiving portion 1e is formed on the upper side of the outer base, and a can pushing portion 2f for crushing the can is formed on the upper side of the inner base. It is. Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the lower arm 15 and the upper arm 16 are fixedly held inside the inner base 2, and arm shafts 17 serving as rotating shafts are installed on the arm corners 18 so as to be rotatable at the four corners of the can. As shown in FIG. 2, the return spring 20 is installed at the lower end of the shaft of the arm shaft 17 with a spring force in the direction in which the arm is retracted, and the guide pin 14 is attached to the central portion of the arm shaft 17. The arm shaft is set to rotate when the guide pin fits in the guide hole 13c of the guide plate 13 and slides. As shown in FIG. 1, a stopper plate 8 for restricting the upper limit of the inner base 2 is fixed on the inner side of the inner base 2 on the axis of the screw screw 6, and the lower end of the outer base 1 is shown in FIGS. 6, the lower limit switch 27 is attached to the upper end, the upper limit switch 28 is attached to the upper end, the arm limit switch 29 is attached to the inner side of the inner base 2, and the outer cover 11 is attached to the outer side of the outer cover 11 as shown in FIGS. A control device 31 is attached inside the retractable switch 25 and the operation switch 26.

Therefore, the inner base 2 is at the lowest level when not used in the can crusher, but when the storage switch 25 is pressed during use, the drive motor 3 rotates forward, and the rotation is driven by the drive pulley 4 and belt. 24, the guide pin 14 that is transmitted to the passive pulley 5 and the screw screw 6, pushes up the guide plate 13 with the screw nut 7 attached, and is pushed to the upper end of the guide hole 13 c by the spring force of the return spring 20, The arm shaft 17 and the inner base 2 integrated with each other are pushed up. When the inner base 2 rises to the vicinity of the uppermost stage, the upper limit switch 28 at the upper end of the outer base 1 senses it, sends the signal to the control device 31, issues a stop command, stops the drive motor 3, and the inner base 2 Stops at this position. When an empty can is set at this position and the operation switch 26 is pressed, the drive motor 3 rotates forward again to push up the guide plate 13, but the stopper plate 8 fixed to the inner base 2 hits the screw stopper 9. Since it does not move, only the guide plate 13 moves overcoming the spring force of the return spring 20, moves the guide pin 14 that has entered the guide hole 13c, rotates the arm shaft 17, and fixes the lower arm 15 and the upper arm 16 fixed thereto. Take out and dent both sides of the can. At this position, the arm limit switch 29 inside the inner base 2 senses, sends the signal to the control device, issues a reverse command, reverses the drive motor 3, and the upper arm 15 and lower arm 16 return springs. The inner base 2 is lowered to the lowest level, and the can is crushed by the can pushing portion 1e and the can receiving portion 1f. In the vicinity of the lowermost stage, the lower limit switch 27 senses and sends the signal to the control device 31, issues a reverse command, rotates the drive motor 3 forward, pushes up the inner base 2 to the uppermost stage, and the upper limit switch 28 senses it. The signal is sent to the control device 31, a stop command is issued, and the drive motor 3 is stopped. The can that has been crushed in this state can be taken out, and when the can is crushed again, the operation switch 26 may be pushed. When storing the can crusher, when the storage switch 25 is pressed, the drive motor 3 is reversed, the inner base 2 is lowered to the lowest stage, the lower limit switch 28 senses it, and the signal is sent to the control device 31 for driving. Stop the motor.

The can can be easily crushed simply by pressing the switch, and it is excellent in safety and appearance, lightweight, compact and requires less operation space, so it can be placed in narrow places such as homes, high-speed trains, airplanes, offices, etc. It may be widely used, and it contributes to CO2 reduction by increasing the recycling efficiency of empty cans.

It is a perspective view from the front in the structural view showing the present invention. It is a perspective view from the side in the structural view showing the present invention. It is a perspective view from the front in the structure figure operated to the uppermost stage which shows this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the AA cross section of structure FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the BB cross section of structure FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the state when operating an arm in CC cross section of Structural Drawing 3. FIG. It is a figure which shows the shape of the guide hole part D of the guide plate of structure FIG. It is an operation | movement figure which shows the operation state of this invention. It is a perspective view of the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure and relationship of a control apparatus of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 Outer base 1a Outer rail part 1e Can receiving part 2 Inner base 2b Inner rail part
2d Screw guide groove
2f Can pushing part 3 Drive motor 4 Drive pulley 5 Passive pulley 6 Screw screw 7 Screw nut 8 Stopper plate 9 Screw stopper 10 Screw guide 11 Outer cover 12 Bearing 13 Guide plate 13c Guide hole 14 Guide pin 15 Lower arm 16 Upper arm 17 Arm Shaft 18 Arm plate 19 Arm bush 20 Return spring 21 Screw set plate 22 Screw 23 Motor bush 24 Belt 25 Storage switch 26 Actuation switch 27 Lower limit switch 28 Upper limit switch 29 Arm limit switch 30 Empty can 31 Controller

Claims (3)

A pair of screw screws are rotatably attached to the left and right sides of the outer base bottom, which has an outer rail portion on both sides on the inner side that has a cylindrical bottom and keeps the inner base up and down smoothly. A screw nut that fits the screw screw into an inner base that has a pulley and belt in the outer base that transmits rotation to the screw screw, and has an inner rail part that extends along the outer rail part on the outside with a ceiling on the top. In an electric empty can crusher with a mechanism that moves the inner base up and down by rotating the drive motor, the drive motor is placed between the screw screw and the can receiving part that receives the empty can is connected to the drive motor. Set on the upper side, the can pushing part of the ceiling of the inner base and the can receiving part of the outer base As crush cans, at least the inner base of the lateral cross-section, a screw thread, as a concave shape of characters surrounding the screw nut, with the outer base, at every vertical operative position, actuation human hand An empty electric can characterized by the fact that the position where the can is crushed is the minimum retracted position while ensuring safety by avoiding touching the screw screws and screw nuts. Crusher. Inside the inner base, under a load arm recessing the side surface of the can, the arm shaft fitted with the upper arm and the guide pins on the shaft, the rotational direction by the spring force so that the arm is outside the top does not come out inside the inner base Along with the return spring added with the arm plate, the arm plate is rotatably mounted, and the guide plate fitted with the screw nut is fitted to the guide pin and guided in the direction of the arm pin so that the vertical movement is guided in the direction of the guide pin rotation. On the other hand, an elongated guide hole with an oblique angle is provided, and a stopper plate that regulates the uppermost position of the inner base is fixed to the inner base between the guide plate on the screw screw shaft and the screw nut. tip of the screw stopper provided, during the ascent of the inner base, stopper When the rate is stopped rising of the inner base against the screw stopper with top, only the guide plate is pushed up by the screw, moved along the guide pins in the guide holes in the guide hole, rotates the arm shaft, The electric empty can crusher according to claim 1, wherein the arm is operated to dent the side surface of the can to reduce the load for crushing the can in the vertical direction. A retract switch and an operation switch are provided on the surface of the outer cover, and a control device is provided on the inside. A switch is provided, and when retracting, push the retracting switch, reverse the drive motor, lower the inner base, the lower limit switch senses at the bottom, sends its signal to the control device, stops the drive motor, and in use, By pressing the retract switch again, the drive motor is rotated forward, the inner base is raised to the uppermost stage, the upper limit switch senses, the signal is sent to the control device, the drive motor is stopped, and after the empty can is set, it operates. By pushing the switch, the drive motor rotates forward, the arm operates, and both sides of the can The arm limit switch senses it, sends its signal to the control device, reverses the drive motor, retracts the arm, lowers the inner base, crushes the can, and at the bottom, the lower limit switch senses It has a system that sends a signal to the control device, rotates the drive motor forward, raises the inner base, detects it with the upper limit switch at the top level, sends the signal to the control device, and stops the drive motor. The electric empty can crusher of Claim 2.

Images