JP4763638B2 - PET bottle processing equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a plastic bottle processing apparatus capable of cutting and compressing a plastic bottle.

In order to process the collection of unsold PET bottles due to expiry of the expiry date, etc., it takes a huge amount of time to remove the caps and discard the contents and put them into the crusher. Recycling devices that attempt to break up at once have been devised (see Patent Document 1). In this conventionally known recycling apparatus, a rotary cutter driven by a motor is installed in the middle of transporting a plastic bottle whose contents are clogged, and this rotary cutter tries to crush the plastic bottle into small pieces at once. The small pieces and contents generated by this crushing are then separated.
JP 2001-121535 A

  When trying to crush a PET bottle with a rotary cutter, it often occurred that the PET bottle would not be skillfully caught by the blade of the rotary cutter and would be bounced (bottle dance phenomenon). This is a phenomenon often seen in crushers for crushing empty PET bottles (that is, lightweight bottles). In the case of a bottle, it is presumed that it largely depends on the fact that the bottle generates elasticity like a rubber ball along with the internal pressure (back pressure against the bottle surface) due to the contents.

In addition, it is presumed that there is also a factor in that the internal pressure due to the contents gives the bottle surface tension, which increases the hardness (non-dentation) of the bottle surface. In addition, in the conventionally well-known recycling apparatus (patent document 1), in order to isolate | separate the small piece and content which were produced by crushing, there also existed a fault which requires a considerably complicated and large-sized separation apparatus separately.
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and is a PET bottle that can be reliably crushed without being affected by whether the PET bottle is clogged or empty. An object is to provide a processing apparatus.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has taken the following measures.
That is, the PET bottle processing apparatus 1 according to the present invention includes a screw transport unit 2 in which a feed screw 13 for transporting a PET bottle P is rotatably inserted into a cylindrical casing 12, and a casing outlet of the screw transport unit 2. The compression part 4 which compresses and conveys resistance to the plastic bottle P which is provided on the side and is conveyed, and the plastic bottle P which is provided between the screw conveyance part 2 and the compression part 4 and is conveyed is cut open. A cutting portion 3 having a cutting tool 37 ;
The compression part 4 has an inner cylinder part 26 which is divided and formed in a plurality of circumferential directions and whose inner diameter is narrowed away from the screw transport part 2 in an outer cylinder part 25 connected to the cylindrical casing 12. , that have a degree of compression adjustment mechanism 27 for urging the inner cylindrical portion 26 radially inwardly relative to the outer cylinder portion 25.

  With such a configuration, the plastic bottle P transported by the screw transport unit 2 is subjected to transport resistance by the compression unit 4, and a state in which back pressure is generated on the screw transport unit 2 side from this point Is obtained. As a result, the plastic bottle P passing through the outlet of the screw transport unit 2 is given an appropriate load at the front and rear in the transport direction, and there is no room for a phenomenon such as so-called “dance”.

  Accordingly, since the plastic bottle P in such a state just passes through the cutting part 3, a positive pressing state is generated against the inner blade 38 of the cutting tool 37 provided in the cutting part 3. Since the plastic bottle P does not escape from the inner blade 38 of the cutting tool 37, the plastic bottle P is reliably incised. Here, if the plastic bottle P is clogged with the contents, the contents are surely discharged.

The inner cylindrical portion 26 has a plurality of circumferentially-shaped arcuate flange members 30 in the circumferential direction, and each flange member 30 has a hinge rod 31 bent radially outward at an end near the cylindrical casing 12. And the tip of the hinge rod 31 is swingable,
The compression degree adjusting mechanism 27 preferably includes a spring 32 that presses and biases each flange member 30 radially inward.

It is preferable that the inner diameter of the inner cutter 38 of the cutting tool 37 is smaller than the outer diameter of the feed screw 13 of the screw conveying unit 2.
That is, when observing in the direction in which the plastic bottle P is pushed out to the cutting unit 3 by the feed screw 13 of the screw conveying unit 2, the inner blade of the cutting tool 37 provided in the cutting unit 3 with respect to the outer peripheral edge of the feed screw 13. Since 38 is overlapped (projecting radially inward), the situation in which the inner blade 38 of the cutting tool 37 is pressed against the plastic bottle P can be obtained more reliably. . Therefore, the certainty that the plastic bottle P is incised is further enhanced.

The feed screw 13 of the screw transport unit 2 can have a tip 14a of a screw shaft 14 protruding from the screw part 13a at the tip in the transport direction. In this case, the tip 14a of the screw shaft 14 is a cutting tool. It is preferable that it is inserted into the inner blade 38 of 37.
That is, the space through which the plastic bottle P can pass by the amount occupied by the screw shaft 14 with respect to the inner blade 38 of the cutting tool 37 is narrowed, so that the so-called “dance” phenomenon occurs in the plastic bottle P as much. The margins that arise are increasingly lost. Therefore, the situation where the inner blade 38 of the cutting tool 37 is pressed against the plastic bottle P can be obtained more reliably, and the certainty that the plastic bottle P is incised is further enhanced.

The screw transport unit 2 is disposed in an upward inclined posture for lifting the plastic bottle P upward, and the cylindrical casing 12 has a plurality of holes 12b formed in the bottom surface portion 12a facing the installation floor side, and the bottom surface portion 12a extends from the bottom. Drainage cover 22 is provided to cover,
A uniaxial crusher 5 that crushes the plastic bottle P that has been cut and compressed on the discharge side of the compression unit 4 may be provided.

  By adopting the arrangement of the screw transport unit 2, the cutting unit 3 and the compression unit 4, the plastic bottle P can be reliably incised and compressed as described above. Even if the uniaxial crusher 5 is installed on the discharge side of the compression unit 4, the plastic bottle P can be reliably crushed. As a result, the entire apparatus can be made compact.

  The plastic bottle processing apparatus according to the present invention can reliably crush the plastic bottle without being affected by whether the plastic bottle is filled with contents or empty.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 thru | or FIG. 6 shows the one Embodiment about the processing apparatus 1 of the plastic bottle P which concerns on this invention. The processing apparatus 1 is configured to be able to crush the PET bottle P whose contents are still packed as it is (without discharging the contents). The screw conveying unit 2, the cutting unit 3, and the compression unit 4.

Further, the processing apparatus 1 has a uniaxial crusher 5 on the discharge side of the compression unit 4, and a discharge unit 8 to the flexible container bag 7 is provided on the discharge side of the uniaxial crusher 5 via a carry-out conveyor 6. It has been. On the other hand, a charging unit 10 is provided on the inlet side of the screw transfer unit 2 via a carry-in conveyor 9.
The screw conveying section 2 is arranged in an upwardly inclined posture so that the end on the carry-in side is low and the end on the carry-out side is high, and the feed screw 13 is rotatably inserted into the cylindrical casing 12. ing. The feed screw 13 has a screw portion 13 a formed by extending a screw 15 that draws a spiral around the screw shaft 14 in the axial direction, and one end portion of the screw shaft 14 is interposed via a speed reducer 16. Are connected to a drive unit 17 such as an electric motor and are driven to rotate.

The cylindrical casing 12 is provided with a charging hopper 20 at the upper end on the lower side, and the plastic bottle P can be charged into the feed screw 13 inside the charging hopper 20. The upper end is an open end, and a connecting flange 21 is provided on the outer periphery thereof. The protruding amount and lead angle (spiral pitch) of the feed screw 13 including the inner diameter of the cylindrical casing 12 are formed based on the fact that the unmodified plastic bottle P can be accommodated. Can lift the plastic bottle P upward as the feed screw 13 rotates.

  In the cylindrical casing 12, the bottom surface portion 12a of the peripheral wall that faces the installation floor side in an inclined posture is formed by, for example, a porous plate having a large number of holes 12b, and has water permeability. A drainage basin cover 22 is provided so as to cover the bottom surface portion 12a from below. The drainage cover 22 is formed in a funnel-like constricted shape, and a drainage pipe 23 is connected to the lower end of the drainage cover 22 to collect the contents taken out from the plastic bottle P through the drainage pipe 23. Can be discarded.

The compression unit 4 is provided on the casing outlet (upper end open portion of the cylindrical casing 12) side of the screw conveying unit 2, and an outer cylinder part 25 connected to the cylindrical casing 12 and the outer cylinder part 25 The inner cylinder part 26 is provided, and the compression degree adjusting mechanism 27 is provided so as to urge the inner cylinder part 26 radially inward with respect to the outer cylinder part 25.
Connection flanges 28 and 29 are provided on the outer peripheral portions of both ends of the outer cylinder portion 25, and one of the connection flanges 28 is connected to the connection flange 21 and the bolt provided to the cylindrical casing 12 of the screw transport unit 2. It is supposed to be combined.

  The inner cylinder part 26 is formed by forming a plurality (for example, four) of eaves members 30 having a circular arc cross section as obtained by dividing the cylindrical shape in the circumferential direction. Each of the flange members 30 is provided with a hinge rod 31 bent radially outward at an end close to the screw transport unit 2 and has a circumferential width ( The arc length is gradually narrowed.

The entire flange member 30 is formed of a flexible material (for example, hard rubber, resin or metal spring plate, or the like), or an appropriate hinge structure that is mechanically movable is provided at the root portion of the hinge rod 31. By doing so, the flange member 30 is swingable within a predetermined range from the hinge flange 31 to the end (near the narrow end).
The degree-of-compression adjustment mechanism 27 is configured to abut springs 32 on the outer surface side of the flange members 30 to press and bias the flange members 30 radially inward within the outer cylinder portion 25. The spring 32 is accommodated in a state in which a spring force (elastic force) is applied in a spring receiver 33 provided so that a cup is turned down on the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylinder portion 25.

An adjustment bolt 34 is screwed into the spring receiver 33 at a portion corresponding to the cup bottom, and a spring pressing plate 35 that abuts against the spring 32 is provided at the tip of the adjustment bolt 34. Therefore, by adjusting the screwed state of the adjusting bolt 34 with respect to the spring receiver 33, the strength with which the spring 32 presses and biases the flange member 30 can be changed.
For example, if the adjustment bolt 34 is tightened, the collar member 30 is strongly urged to reduce the inner diameter of the inner cylinder portion 26 (increase the passage resistance of the plastic bottle P). When loosened, the urging force of the heel member 30 is weakened, and the inner diameter of the inner cylindrical portion 26 is increased (the passage resistance of the plastic bottle P is weakened).

  The cutting unit 3 is provided between the screw transport unit 2 and the compression unit 4. This cutting part 3 has a cutting tool 37 formed in a ring shape to allow the PET bottle P to move from the inside of the cylindrical casing 12 of the screw conveying part 2 into the outer cylinder part 25 of the compression part 4. Therefore, the cutting tool 37 is sandwiched between the connecting flange 28 of the compression section 4 (outer cylinder section 25) and the connecting flange 21 of the screw transport section 2 (tubular casing 12). It is designed to be bolted together.

The cutting tool 37 has at least one inner blade 38 that protrudes radially inward in the ring (toward the plastic bottle P passing through the ring). The inner blade 38 allows the plastic bottle P conveyed by the screw conveying unit 2 to be incised.
In the present embodiment, a plurality of inner blades 38 are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction in the ring shape of the cutting tool 37, and the ring shape of the cutting tool 37 is viewed from the front (see FIG. 5). The blade is shaped like a triangle. In addition, you may form in the blade shape which exhibits a triangle with respect to the state (passage direction of the plastic bottle P) seen from the side.

As shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 6, the inner blade 38 of the cutting tool 37 is formed such that the inner diameter D drawn by the tip of the blade tip is smaller than the outer diameter d of the feed screw 13 in the screw transport unit 2. (D <d).
That is, when the feed bottle 13 is observed in the direction in which the plastic bottle P is pushed out to the cutting part 3, the inner blade 38 of the cutting tool 37 provided in the cutting part 3 overlaps the outer peripheral edge part of the feed screw 13. (Projecting radially inward).

Further, the feed screw 13 of the screw transport unit 2 has a tip 14a of the screw shaft 14 protruding from the screw portion 13a. The tip 14a is inserted into the inner blade 38 of the cutting tool 37. That is, the space through which the plastic bottle P can pass is narrowed by the amount occupied by the screw shaft 14 with respect to the inner blade 38.
When the diameter of the tip 14a in the inner blade 38 is S, the radial space through which the plastic bottle P can pass is (DS) / 2, and this space is smaller than the diameter of the plastic bottle P and passes through the plastic bottle. P is set to a size that can be surely abutted against the inner blade 38 and incised.

The diameter S and the penetration amount L of the tip 14a of the screw shaft 14 are not particularly limited. However, if it is too small, the effect of narrowing the passage space of the plastic bottle P is insufficient. Since the bottle P may be obstructed, it is preferable to set the dimensions appropriately according to the size and outer shape of the plastic bottle P.
The uniaxial crusher 5 is provided with a crushing blade 44 around one rotating shaft 43, and is cut by the cutting unit 3 and the compression unit 4 by the crushing blade 44 as the rotating shaft 43 is rotated by the drive unit 45. This is where the plastic bottle P that has been compressed and compressed is crushed into small pieces. The shaft diameter of the rotating shaft 43, the blade shape of the crushing blade 44, the number of the crushing blades 44, etc. are not particularly limited, but in short, the succinct that crushing is performed by rotating the one rotating shaft 43 in one direction. It is configured as having a structure.

  A rising and inclined guide tube 47 and a crusher hopper 48 are provided at a portion where the plastic bottle P is introduced from the compression unit 4 to the uniaxial crusher 5, and the uniaxial crusher 5 is provided below the crusher hopper 48. Is to be installed. Inside the crusher hopper 48, there is provided a cleaning nozzle 50 for injecting cleaning water such as water to the plastic bottle P fed from the rising and inclined guide tube 47. In addition to water, chemicals such as hot water, detergents, alcohol, or oil can be used as the washing water.

  By spraying washing water from the washing nozzle 50 onto the plastic bottle P, the plastic bottle P is taken out of the bottle along with the incision and compression, and the contents adhering to the plastic bottle P are washed away as much as possible. is there. The unloading conveyor 6 subsequent to the uniaxial crusher 5 is provided with a drainage drain cover 51 formed in a funnel-like constricted shape, and a drain pipe 52 is connected to the lower end of the drainage trap cover 51. The used washing water and the contents of the plastic bottle P are collected through the drain pipe 52 and discarded.

In addition, it is suitable to employ | adopt the screw conveyor suitable for conveying the fragment | piece after crushing for this unloading conveyor 6, On the other hand, the PET bottle P with which the content remains packed with respect to the screw conveyance part 2 It is preferable to employ a belt conveyor or the like for the carry-in conveyor 9 for feeding the toner. However, these are not particularly limited.
As is clear from the above detailed description, in the processing apparatus 1 for a plastic bottle P according to the present invention, the plastic bottle P transported by the screw transport section 2 is subjected to transport resistance by the compression section 4, and this is the basic point. As a result, a state in which a back pressure is generated on the screw conveying unit 2 side is obtained (see FIG. 1). As a result, the plastic bottle P passing through the outlet of the screw transport unit 2 is given an appropriate load at the front and rear in the transport direction, and there is no room for a phenomenon such as so-called “dance”.

  Accordingly, since the plastic bottle P in such a state just passes through the cutting part 3, a positive pressing state is generated against the inner blade 38 of the cutting tool 37 provided in the cutting part 3. Since the plastic bottle P does not escape from the inner blade 38 of the cutting tool 37, the plastic bottle P is reliably incised. Therefore, the contents clogged in the plastic bottle P are reliably discharged out of the bottle.

  In the cutting part 3, the inner blade 38 of the cutting tool 37 overlaps the outer peripheral edge of the feed screw 13 (projects radially inward). The situation in which the inner blade 38 is pressed is more reliably obtained. And since the front-end | tip 14a of the screw shaft 14 protrudes in the inner blade 38, the space which can pass the plastic bottle P by the part which the screw shaft 14 occupies is narrowed. For these reasons, the plastic bottle P has almost no room for the phenomenon of so-called “dance”, and the situation where the inner blade 38 of the cutting tool 37 is pressed against the plastic bottle P can be obtained more reliably. As a result, the certainty that the plastic bottle P is incised is further enhanced.

The PET bottle P cut in this way and compressed in an empty state (the state in which the contents are taken out) is sent out to the crusher hopper 48 through the ascending guide tube 47, and this crusher hopper It is crushed into small pieces by the uniaxial crusher 5 while being washed with the washing water sprayed from the washing nozzle 50 in 48.
In this uniaxial crusher 5, since the plastic bottle P is incised to be empty and further compressed, it is easily caught by the crushing blade 44 and is reliably crushed. The size of the small pieces after crushing is preferably about 10 mm to 25 mm.

And this small piece is taken out to the flexible container back | bag 7 etc. via the carrying-out conveyor 6 and the taking-out part 8, and is sent out to a secondary process as needed.
By the way, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, It can change suitably according to embodiment.
For example, the cutting tool 37 provided in the cutting part 3 does not necessarily have a ring shape, and a plurality of arc-shaped plate members that can be divided into a plurality of ring shapes in the circumferential direction may be connected.

  In the feed screw 13 of the screw transport unit 2, the screw part 13a is not necessarily limited to the one having the screw shaft 14 over its entire length. That is, the screw shaft 14 may be formed only on both ends as the screw portion 13a.

It is sectional drawing which showed the processing condition of the PET bottle corresponding to FIG. It is the sectional side view which showed the one embodiment about the processing apparatus of the plastic bottle which concerns on this invention. It is sectional drawing which expanded and showed the B section of FIG. It is sectional drawing which expanded and showed the A section of FIG. It is CC line arrow line view of FIG. It is the D section enlarged view of FIG.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Processing apparatus 2 Screw conveyance part 3 Cutting part 4 Compression part 5 Uniaxial crusher 12 Cylindrical casing 13 Feed screw 13a Screw part 14 Screw shaft 37 Cutting tool 38 Inner blade P PET bottle

Claims (4)

A screw conveying part (2) through which a feed screw (13 ) for conveying a plastic bottle (P) is rotatably inserted into a cylindrical casing (12), and a casing outlet side of the screw conveying part (2). And the compression part (4) which gives compression and conveyance resistance to the plastic bottle (P) which is conveyed, and the plastic bottle which is provided between these screw conveyance part (2) and compression part (4) and is conveyed A cutting section (3) having a cutting tool (37) for incising (P) ,
The compression part (4) is divided into a plurality of circumferential directions in the outer cylinder part (25) connected to the cylindrical casing (12), and the inner diameter is reduced as the distance from the screw transport part (2) increases. And an inner cylinder part (26) for compressing the PET bottle (P) which is cut and conveyed by the cutting part (3), and the inner cylinder part (26) with respect to the outer cylinder part (25). bottled processing apparatus characterized that you have a degree of compression adjustment mechanism (27) for urging radially inward. The inner cylinder portion (26) has a plurality of circumferentially-shaped arcuate flange members (30) in the circumferential direction, and each flange member (30) is bent radially outward at the end near the cylindrical casing (12). Hinge hinge (31), and the tip of the hinge flange (31) is swingable,
The processing apparatus for a plastic bottle according to claim 1, wherein the compression degree adjusting mechanism (27) includes a spring (32) for pressing and biasing each flange member (30) radially inward . The cutting tool (37) is formed with an inner blade (38) having an inner diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the feed screw (13) of the screw conveying section (2) so as to open the PET bottle (P) so that the contents can be discharged. And
The feed screw (13) of the screw conveying portion (2) has a screw shaft (14) protruding from the screw portion (13a) at the tip in the conveying direction, and the tip (14a) of the screw shaft (14) is The processing apparatus for a plastic bottle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it is inserted into the inner blade (38) of the cutting tool (37). The screw conveying section (2) is arranged in an upward inclined posture for lifting the plastic bottle (P) upward, and the cylindrical casing (12) has a number of holes (12b) in the bottom surface portion (12a) facing the installation floor. A drainage drain cover (22) is provided so as to cover the bottom surface portion (12a) from below,
The uniaxial crusher (5) which crushes the plastic bottle (P) incised and compressed on the discharge side of the compression part (4) is provided. PET bottle processing equipment.

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