JP7426228B2 - Sewage treatment equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a waste treatment device.

Patent Document 1 discloses a disposal facility for disposing of paper diapers. After crushing the disposable diaper, this waste treatment equipment separates water from the polymer of the disposable diaper and recovers the pulp component and polymer contained in the disposable diaper. In the step of separating water from the polymer, crushed pieces of paper diapers, water, and a decomposition agent are mixed and stirred in a polymer decomposition tank.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-84533

When a paper diaper is crushed into strips, when the shredded pieces of the paper diaper are stirred by a propeller-like stirring member, the shredded strips become entangled with the propeller, resulting in insufficient stirring. If the stirring is insufficient, the decomposition treatment of the polymer will also be insufficient.

The present disclosure has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional situation, and the problem to be solved is to stir the crushed pieces of the object to be processed without entangling them.

The filth treatment device of the present disclosure includes: a treatment tank capable of accommodating crushed pieces of an object to be treated having a polymer in a water-absorbing state, a treatment liquid that reduces the water retention capacity of the polymer, a disc-shaped main body, and the main body. and a stirring member that is rotatably provided in the processing tank and has a rib that protrudes from a surface of the main body and extends in a radial direction from the center of rotation of the main body.

Configuration diagram of the filth treatment device of Embodiment 1 Plan view of deodorizing equipment Cross-sectional view taken along line XX in Figure 1 Planar sectional view of syneresis equipment Cross-sectional view taken along Y-Y line in Figure 4 Flowchart of control leading to the start of crushing process Flowchart of syneresis process and dehydration process Graph showing changes in polymer particle size during the syneresis process Graph showing changes in the opening degree of an on-off valve over time

<Embodiment 1>
Embodiment 1, which embodies the filth treatment apparatus 10 of the present disclosure, will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9. In the following description, regarding the vertical direction, the directions appearing in FIGS. 1 and 5 are directly defined as upward and downward. Regarding the left and right directions, the directions shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 are defined as left and right. Regarding the front-back direction, the lower side in FIGS. 2 and 4 and the right side in FIG. 5 are defined as the front.

The waste disposal device 10 is a device that performs processing for discarding used paper diapers D as objects to be processed. The waste disposal device 10 is installed in a nursing care facility or the like where a plurality of used paper diapers D are generated irregularly at different times.

The paper diaper D to be treated is one in which a super absorbent polymer P (SAP, hereinafter simply referred to as polymer P) and pulp are housed in a sheet material S such as a nonwoven fabric. The sheet material S has a surface layer material made of a nonwoven fabric made of polypropylene or the like, and a waterproof material made of a resin material such as polyethylene. Pulp or polymer P is sandwiched between the surface material and the waterproof material. The pulp and polymer P have a water-absorbing ability to absorb water from filth such as human waste, and a water-retaining ability to maintain the water-absorbed state. The sheet material S includes a resin material such as polyethylene having a specific gravity smaller than that of water. The particle size of polymer P before absorbing water is 150 to 600 μm. The polymer P that has absorbed water swells and becomes gel-like, and the particle size of the polymer P in the water-absorbed state is 600 μm to 4 mm.

The treatment of the used paper diaper D is carried out through a crushing process in which the paper diaper D is crushed, a water separation process in which water is separated from the water-absorbing polymer P, and a dehydration process. In the dehydration process, waste liquid such as water separated from the treatment liquid T and polymer P used in the syneresis process is separated from solid materials such as the sheet material S and the polymer P.

The water repellent treatment step is performed using a water repellent R that reduces the water retention performance of the polymer P that has absorbed water. Specifically, the crushed pieces F of the paper diaper D are immersed in a treatment liquid T in which a water releasing agent R is dissolved in water. The crushed pieces F contain the polymer P in a water-absorbed state. As an example of the water releasing agent R, calcium chloride containing divalent metal ions is used in this embodiment. By causing the water releasing agent R to react with the polymer P, water is separated from the polymer P that has absorbed water. The polymer P from which water has been separated loses its water absorbing ability and enters an irreversible state in which it is unable to absorb water again. Even if the used paper diaper D contains a polymer P that has not absorbed water, the water absorption performance of the polymer P is lost.

As shown in FIG. 1, the filth treatment device 10 includes a multifunctional treatment device 11 and a dewatering device 60. The multifunctional processing device 11 includes an input section 12 , a crushing device 25 , a syneresis device 38 , and a control section 58 . The multifunctional processing device 11 has a housing 13 in the shape of a vertically long box, which is shared by the input section 12 , the crushing device 25 , and the water separation device 38 . A crushing device 25 is arranged below the input section 12 , a water separation device 38 is arranged below the crushing device 25 , and a dewatering device 60 is arranged below the water separation device 38 .

The input section 12 has a box shape with an open bottom surface. Inside the input section 12 is an input space 14 into which the used paper diaper D is input. In the first embodiment, the input section 12 is provided with a first input port 15 and a second input port 17 . The input section 12 may be provided with only one of the first input port 15 and the second input port 17. The first input port 15 is formed in the right wall portion of the housing 13 . The first input port 15 is provided with a first lid 16 that can be opened and closed from the outside of the input section 12 . The first lid 16 has a central axis 16A that extends in the horizontal direction (that is, in the front-rear direction) along its lower edge. The central shaft 16A is supported by the housing 13. The first lid 16 can rotate outward around the central axis 16A and change its posture between an upright state V and a laid down state L.

A closing portion 22 is provided in the input portion 12 so as to cover the first input port 15 from the inside. The closing portion 22 is made of, for example, a flat plate-like flexible rubber, synthetic resin, or the like. A plurality of slits are formed in the closing portion 22 from slightly below the upper end of the closing portion 22 to the lower end. The closing portion 22 is formed with a plurality of rectangular portions 22A whose upper ends are connected to each other by slits. The closing portion 22 is attached to the input portion 12 so that its upper end portion is along the upper edge of the first input port 15 . For example, when inserting the paper diaper D into the input section 12 from the first input port 15, each rectangular section 22A of the closing section 22 is expanded into the input section 12. When the paper diaper D is completely inserted into the input section 12, each rectangular section 22A returns to its original position so as to close the first input port 15.

Used paper diapers D generated on the floor where the waste disposal device 10 is installed can be thrown into the throw-in space 14 from the first throw-in port 15 . At this time, the first lid 16 is manually changed from the upright state V to the collapsed state L, and the first inlet 15 is opened. The user inserts the paper diaper D into the input section 12 through the first input port 15 and the closing section 22 . At this time, the first lid 16 maintains its own posture in the laid down state L. Therefore, the first lid 16 can prevent moisture and the like adhering to the inner surface (that is, the surface located inside the input section 12 in the upright state V) from flowing to the floor. The paper diaper D is loaded into the loading section 12 along the inner surface of the first lid 16. Therefore, when the paper diaper D is loaded from the first input port 15, the posture of the paper diaper D with respect to the crushing device 25 is easily stabilized. After inserting the paper diaper D, the user manually changes the first lid 16 from the laid down state L to the upright state V, and closes the first input port 15.

The second input port 17 is formed in a left side wall portion of the housing 13 that is different from the first input port 15 . The second input port 17 is provided with a second lid 18 that opens into the input space 14 . A downstream end of the shooter 19 is connected to the second input port 17 . The upstream end of the shooter 19 functions as a dumping port (not shown) provided on an upper floor above the floor where the waste treatment device 10 is installed. The used paper diapers D generated on the upper floors are thrown into the shooter 19 from the dumping port. The paper diaper D thrown into the shooter 19 passes through the shooter 19, pushes the second lid 18, and is stored in the input space 14 through the second input opening 17. When the paper diaper D passes through the second input port 17, the second lid 18 closes the second input port 17 due to its own weight.

The input section 12 is provided with an input sensor 20 that detects when the paper diaper D is input into the input space 14 from the first input port 15 and the second input port 17 . The input sensor 20 transmits a detection signal to the control unit 58 every time one disposable diaper D is input. An operation section (not shown) is electrically connected to the control section 58 . The configuration is such that the user of the filth treatment device 10 can start or stop the operation of the filth treatment device 10 by operating this operation section.

A deodorizing device 21 is provided on the upper surface of the input section 12 . As shown in FIG. 2, a first opening 12A, a second opening 12B, and a third opening 12C are formed on the upper surface of the input portion 12. The third opening 12C is arranged along the right side edge of the upper surface of the input section 12, which is close to the first input port 15 in the left-right direction. The first opening 12A and the second opening 12B are arranged along the left side edge of the upper surface of the input section 12, which is away from the first input port 15 across the third opening 12C in the left-right direction. There is.

As shown in FIG. 2, the deodorizing device 21 includes a first deodorizing device 21A and a second deodorizing device 21B. The first deodorizing device 21A and the second deodorizing device 21B are arranged side by side in the left-right direction on the upper surface of the input section 12. Specifically, the second deodorizing device 21B is arranged along the right side edge of the upper surface of the input section 12, which is close to the first input port 15 in the left-right direction. The first deodorizing device 21A is disposed along the left side edge of the upper surface of the input section 12, which is away from the first input port 15 with the second deodorizing device 21B interposed therebetween in the left-right direction. The first deodorizing device 21A includes a case 21C, an intake section 21D, and a deodorizing section main body 21E. The case 21C has a box shape with a closed upper end and an open lower end. The case 21C is attached so that its lower end is in contact with the upper surface of the input section 12. The case 21C allows the first opening 12A and the second opening 12B of the input section 12 to communicate with each other.

For example, a known axial fan or the like is used for the intake section 21D. The air intake section 21D takes in air from the bottom surface and blows air from the top surface. The intake section 21D is electrically connected to the control section 58. The intake section 21D is attached to the upper surface of the input section 12 so as to cover the first opening 12A with its lower surface. The intake part 21D is located inside the case 21C. The intake section 21D takes in air from the input section 12 through the first opening 12A.

A so-called deodorizing filter made of, for example, a nonwoven fabric to which activated carbon is attached is used for the deodorizing section main body 21E. The deodorizing section main body 21E is arranged so that air blown from the upper surface (that is, the surface from which air is blown) of the air intake section 21D is blown onto the front side surface of the deodorizing section main body 21E. Specifically, the deodorizing section main body 21E is arranged in the case 21C so as to partition a side communicating with the first opening 12A and a side communicating with the second opening 12B. The suction section 21D sucks the air in the input section 12 from the lower surface and blows it toward the deodorizing section main body 21E from the upper surface. The deodorizing section main body 21E deodorizes the air blown from the upper surface of the intake section 21D. The deodorized air is returned into the input section 12 through the second opening 12B. The second opening 12B is a circulation port that returns the air deodorized by the first deodorizing device 21A into the input section 12. The first deodorizing device 21A deodorizes air mainly in the left side region of the input section 12 by circulating the air in the front and back direction.

The second deodorizing device 21B includes a case 21F, an intake section 21G, and a deodorizing section main body 21H. The case 21F has a box shape with the top surface closed and a bottom surface and a portion of the rear surface open. The case 21F is attached so that its lower surface is in contact with the upper surface of the input section 12. The rear surface of the case 21F is open. The case 21F is arranged on the upper surface of the input section 12 such that the lower surface of the case 21F overlaps above the third opening 12C of the input section 12.

A known axial fan or the like is used for the intake section 21G, similarly to the intake section 21D. The intake section 21G takes in air from the bottom surface and blows air from the top surface. The intake section 21G is electrically connected to the control section 58. The intake section 21G is attached to the upper surface of the input section 12 so that the lower surface of the intake section 21G covers the third opening 12C. The intake section 21G is located inside the case 21F. The intake section 21G takes in air from the input section 12 through the third opening 12C.

As with the deodorizing part body 21E, the deodorizing part main body 21H uses a so-called deodorizing filter made of, for example, a nonwoven fabric to which activated carbon is attached. The deodorizing section main body 21H is arranged so as to close the open rear surface of the case 21F. Air blown from the upper surface (ie, the surface from which air is blown) of the air intake section 21G is blown onto the front surface of the deodorizing section main body 21H. The deodorizing section main body 21H discharges deodorized air to the outside from the rear surface. At this time, the air Ex discharged to the outside is discharged toward the rear, which is different from the right side where the first input port 15 is formed. As a result, the deodorized air is not discharged toward the user who is in the position facing the first input port 15, so that the waste disposal device 10 can make it difficult for the user to perceive the odor. The suction section 21G sucks the air in the input section 12 from the lower surface and blows it toward the deodorizing section main body 21H from the upper surface. That is, the second deodorizing device 21B deodorizes the odor generated from the paper diaper D placed in the input section 12 by sucking it in from the right side of the input section 12, and discharges the deodorized air to the outside.

The crushing device 25 is a device for crushing the paper diapers D, which are the objects to be crushed, which are input into the input section 12 . The crushing device 25 includes a peripheral wall portion 26 , a pair of left and right crushing members 28 , and a first water supply portion 34 . The peripheral wall portion 26 constitutes the housing 13 and is continuous with the lower end of the wall portion of the input portion 12 . A crushing space 27 surrounded by a peripheral wall portion 26 is formed inside the crushing device 25 . The crushing space 27 communicates with the charging space 14 . A pair of crushing members 28 are housed within the crushing space 27 .

The pair of crushing members 28 have an overall cylindrical shape with the axis directed in the front-rear direction. Each crushing member 28 has a rotating shaft 30 that is rotationally driven by a crushing motor 29. The driving of the crushing motor 29 is controlled by a control section 58. The pair of crushing members 28 are arranged so that the axis of the rotating shaft 30 is aligned with the left and right sides at the same height. A plurality of shearing blades 31 are formed on the outer periphery of each crushing member 28. One shearing blade 31 has a disk shape concentric with the rotating shaft 30. The maximum outer diameter of the shearing blade 31 is larger than the outer diameter of the rotating shaft 30. The plurality of shearing blades 31 are arranged at regular intervals in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 30. The width dimension of one shearing blade 31 in the axial direction is equal to or slightly smaller than the interval between adjacent shearing blades 31.

The outer circumferential surface of each shearing blade 31 has a sawtooth shape in which a plurality of protrusions 32 are arranged at a constant pitch in the circumferential direction. The protrusion direction of the protrusion 32 is diagonal to the radial direction of the shearing blade 31. The protrusion 32 protrudes forward in the direction of rotation of the protrusion 32. A recess 33 is formed between circumferentially adjacent protrusions 32 on the outer periphery of the shearing blade 31 . The plurality of recesses 33 are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction on the outer periphery of the shearing blade 31. The shapes of the projections 32 and recesses 33 of one shearing blade 31 are symmetrical with the shapes of the projections 32 and recesses 33 of the other shearing blade 31.

As shown in FIG. 3, the plurality of shearing blades 31 formed on one crushing member 28 and the plurality of shearing blades 31 formed on the other crushing member 28 are arranged alternately in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 30. They are arranged side by side. In the front view of the filth treatment apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 1, the rotation direction of one crushing member 28 and the rotation direction of the other crushing member 28 are opposite to each other. In the region where one shearing blade 31 and the other shearing blade 31 overlap in the axial direction, both one shearing blade 31 and the other shearing blade 31 are displaced downward as the crushing member 28 rotates.

There is a necessary minimum clearance between the shearing blades 31 adjacent in the axial direction so that the crushing members 28 can rotate smoothly without interfering with each other and the crushed pieces F of the disposable diaper D are not caught between the shearing blades 31. is vacant. The clearance between the shearing blades 31 is, for example, 40 μm or more. There is a necessary minimum clearance between the outer circumference of the shear blade 31 of one crushing member 28 and the outer circumferential surface of the rotating shaft 30 of the other crushing member 28 to the extent that rotation of both crushing members 28 is not hindered. There is. The clearance between the shearing blade 31 and the rotating shaft 30 is, for example, 100 μm or more.

The portions of the shearing blades 31 opposite to the portions alternately arranged in the axial direction are displaced upward as the crushing member 28 rotates. A portion of the shearing blade 31 that moves upward is arranged along the inner surface of the peripheral wall portion 26 . Between the shearing blade 31 and the peripheral wall 26, the shearing blade 31 can rotate smoothly without interfering with the peripheral wall 26, and crushed pieces F of the disposable diaper D do not enter between the shearing blade 31 and the peripheral wall 26. The minimum required clearance is available. The clearance between the shearing blade 31 and the peripheral wall portion 26 is, for example, 100 μm or more.

The maximum outer diameter of one crushing member 28 and the maximum outside diameter of the other crushing member 28 are the same size. The maximum outer diameter of the crushing member 28 is 120 mm, and the rotation speed of the crushing member 28 is 9 rpm. Therefore, the peripheral speed of the outer periphery of the crushing member 28, that is, the shearing blade 31, is 0.057 m/s. The peripheral speed of the outer periphery of the crushing member 28, that is, the shearing blade 31, is preferably 0.1 m/s or less. The width dimension of one shearing blade 31, ie, the dimension in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 30, is 6 mm or more and 30 mm or less. The width of the shearing blade 31 is preferably larger than 4 mm, which is the particle size of the polymer P in a water-absorbed state.

The first water supply part 34 is arranged in the peripheral wall part 26 at a position above the crushing member 28. Water is discharged into the crushing space 27 from the first nozzle 35 of the first water supply section 34 . The water discharged from the first nozzle 35 falls onto the crushing member 28 from above. The water that has fallen onto the crushing member 28 passes through the gaps between the shearing blades 31 , the gap between the shearing blades 31 and the rotating shaft 30 , and the gap between the shearing blades 31 and the peripheral wall 26 , and passes below the crushing member 28 . flows down to The water supply operation of the first water supply section 34 is controlled by the control section 58.

The water separation treatment device 38 includes a treatment tank 39, a stirring member 48, a second water supply section 54, and a water separation agent supply section 56. The processing tank 39 has a box shape, and the right side area of the upper surface of the processing tank 39 is open. The inside of the treatment tank 39 is a treatment space for performing water separation treatment. The open right side area of the upper surface of the processing tank 39 is connected to the upper end of the peripheral wall 26 of the crushing device 25 . The crushing space 27 and the space inside the processing tank 39 are vertically connected to each other.

The bottom surface 41 of the processing tank 39 includes a first inclined surface 42 made of a flat surface and a second inclined surface 43 also made of a flat surface. The bottom surface 41 of the processing tank 39 is bent into a valley shape at a boundary line 44 between the first inclined surface 42 and the second inclined surface 43. The first inclined surface 42 forms a front region of the bottom surface 41 . The first inclined surface 42 is arranged below the opening area of the upper surface of the processing tank 39, that is, below the pair of crushing members 28. The second inclined surface 43 constitutes a rear region of the bottom surface 41 . The second inclined surface 43 is arranged in a region rearward away from the pair of crushing members 28.

As shown in FIG. 5, the lower end edge of the first inclined surface 42 in the left-right direction and the lower end edge of the second inclined surface 43 in the left-right direction form an obtuse angle and are continuous. The first inclined surface 42 is inclined downward toward the rear and downward toward the left. The second inclined surface 43 is inclined downward toward the front and downward toward the left. A boundary line 44 between the first inclined surface 42 and the second inclined surface 43 is inclined in a downward direction toward a discharge port 47, which will be described later. The longitudinal dimension of the first inclined surface 42 is larger than the longitudinal dimension of the second inclined surface 43. As shown in FIG. 5, the inclination angle β of the second inclined surface 43 with respect to the horizontal surface H is larger than the inclination angle α of the first inclined surface 42 with respect to the horizontal surface H, in a side view. The inclination angle α of the first inclined surface 42 is 15°. The inclination angle β of the second inclined surface 43 is 45° or less.

A circular discharge port 47 is formed in the left side wall portion 46 of the processing tank 39 . After the water separation process is completed in the treatment tank 39, the crushed pieces F, polymer P, and treatment liquid T in the treatment tank 39 are discharged from the discharge port 47 and sent to the dewatering device 60 through the discharge path 64. The crushed pieces F also include lightweight pieces of the sheet material S, such as resin materials whose specific gravity is smaller than that of water. The height dimension of the opening area of the discharge port 47, that is, the diameter dimension of the discharge port 47 is 50 mm or more. This dimension setting is based on the fact that the maximum width dimension of the crushed pieces F sheared by the shearing blade 31 is assumed to be about 30 mm.

The discharge port 47 opens to the right toward the inside of the processing tank 39 and opens at the lowest position of the bottom surface 41 . Specifically, the discharge port 47 is located at the lower end of the left edge of the first inclined surface 42 and the second inclined surface 43, and opens at a position corresponding to the boundary line 44 in the front-rear direction. Therefore, the bottom surface 41 of the processing tank 39 is sloped downward toward the discharge port 47.

The lowermost end of the discharge port 47 is located at a height close to the lowermost end of the bottom surface 41 of the processing tank 39 . The maximum depth of the processing tank 39 is the height dimension from the lowest end (i.e., the left end) of the boundary line 44 on the bottom surface 41 of the processing tank 39 to the upper end of the processing tank 39 (i.e., the lower end of the crushing device 25). be. The maximum depth of the processing tank 39 is within three times the height from the bottom surface 41 of the processing tank 39 to the top end of the discharge port 47. The maximum depth of the processing liquid T that can be stored in the processing tank 39 is the height dimension from the bottom surface 41 to the highest liquid level. The maximum depth of the treatment tank 39 is the same dimension as the highest liquid level. According to this dimension setting, it is possible to make the water level of the processing liquid T stored in the processing tank 39 relatively low, and to ensure a wide surface area of the processing liquid T. In the first embodiment, the left-right dimension and the front-back dimension of the processing tank 39 are larger than the maximum depth dimension of the processing tank 39 .

A stirring member 48 is provided on the bottom surface 41. As shown in FIG. 4 , in a plan view of the water separation treatment device 38 from above, the stirring member 48 is disposed only in a range of the bottom surface 41 that corresponds to the first inclined surface 42 . In the front-rear direction, the stirring member 48 is arranged at a position biased toward the rear side of the center of the first inclined surface 42, that is, toward the side closer to the discharge port 47 and the boundary line 44. In the left-right direction, the stirring member 48 is disposed at a position biased to the left side of the center of the first inclined surface 42, that is, toward the side closer to the discharge port 47. As shown in FIG. 1, the stirring member 48 is rotationally driven by a stirring motor 50 having a vertical drive shaft 49. As shown in FIG.

The stirring member 48 has a disc-shaped main body 51 that is concentric with the drive shaft 49 and a plurality of ribs 52 that rotate together with the main body 51 . The main body portion 51 is parallel to the first inclined surface 42 . There is a clearance between the lower surface of the main body part 51 and the first inclined surface 42 that allows the stirring member 48 to rotate smoothly and prevents crushed pieces F of the paper diaper D from getting caught. The clearance between this stirring member 48 and the first inclined surface 42 is approximately 10 mm. The plurality of ribs 52 protrude from the surface of the main body 51 and extend in the radial direction from the rotation center of the main body 51. The plurality of ribs 52 are arranged radially on the upper surface of the main body part 51.

The stirring motor 50 is driven by a control section 58 . In the water separation process, the stirring member 48 is rotated alternately in the forward direction and the reverse direction by the control unit 58. The forward direction is the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 4, and the reverse direction is the clockwise direction in FIG. After the water separation treatment, the crushed pieces F containing the polymer P in the treatment tank 39 and the treatment liquid T are discharged from the discharge port 47 . In a plan view, a streamline 47L of the discharge flow at the discharge port 47 is a direction perpendicular to the left side wall portion 46 in which the discharge port 47 is formed, and a direction parallel to the boundary line 44. Among the tangents that touch the outer peripheral edge of the stirring member 48, the tangent that is perpendicular to the left side wall portion 46 is close to and parallel to the streamline 47L of the discharge flow. In other words, the discharge port 47 exists on an extension of the tangent line parallel to the boundary line 44 among the tangent lines touching the outer peripheral edge of the stirring member 48 . Therefore, among the flows generated by the rotation of the stirring member 48 during discharge, the streamline 48L of the flow toward the discharge port 47 is close to and parallel to the streamline 47L of the discharge flow at the discharge port 47.

During the water separation process, one rotation angle in the positive direction is 60°. The angle of one rotation in the opposite direction is 45°, which is smaller than the angle of rotation in the forward direction. In both the forward direction and the reverse direction, the angle of one rotation is preferably 10° or more and 120° or less. The outer diameter of the stirring member 48 is 120 mm. The time required for one rotation in the forward direction is 0.3 seconds, and the time required for one rotation in the reverse direction is 0.2 seconds. The peripheral speed of the outer periphery of the stirring member 48 is 200 mm/s. Incidentally, the circumferential speed of the outer periphery of the stirring member 48 during the water separation process can be adjusted within the range of 100 to 500 mm/s. After the syneresis process is completed and the water supply to the treatment tank 39 starts, the crushed pieces F and the treatment liquid T in the treatment tank 39 are discharged, and the solids of the crushed pieces F are collected from the dewatering device 60. Until then, the peripheral speed of the outer periphery of the stirring member 48 is adjusted to 600 mm/s or more.

The second water supply section 54 has a second nozzle 55 attached to the processing tank 39. The second nozzle 55 faces into the processing tank 39. The second nozzle 55 is arranged in a direction to discharge water toward the discharge port 47. Discharging and stopping of water from the second nozzle 55 is controlled by a control unit 58. A water-releasing agent supply section 56 is attached to the treatment tank 39 . The water-releasing agent supply section 56 supplies a predetermined amount of the water-releasing agent R described above into the processing tank 39 . The supply operation and supply amount of the water releasing agent R are controlled by the control unit 58.

A discharge path 64 is provided between the treatment tank 39 and the dehydrator 60. The upstream end of the discharge path 64 is connected to the discharge port 47, and the downstream end of the discharge path 64 is connected to the dewatering device 60. The discharge path 64 has a downward slope from the upstream end to the downstream end in the entire region from the upstream end to the downstream end. The crushed pieces F, the processing liquid T, etc. in the processing tank 39 flow downstream in the discharge path 64 due to their own weight and the water pressure of the processing liquid T in the processing tank 39.

An on-off valve 65 that opens and closes the discharge passage 64 is provided in the middle of the discharge passage 64 . As the on-off valve 65, for example, an electric ball valve is used. When the on-off valve 65 opens, the crushed pieces F and the treatment liquid T in the treatment tank 39 flow into the dehydrator 61 through the discharge port 47 and the discharge path 64. When the on-off valve 65 is closed, the crushed pieces F and the processing liquid T in the processing tank 39 are not flowed out to the dehydrator 61 and remain in the processing tank 39. As will be described in detail later, the opening/closing operation of the on-off valve 65 is controlled by the control unit 58.

The dehydrator 60 includes a dehydrator 61 , an inflow section 62 , an outflow section 63 , and a water collection section 69 . The inflow portion 62 is disposed at the left end of the dehydrator 61 and has a cylindrical shape that projects upward from the dehydrator 61. A downstream end of a discharge path 64 is connected to the upper end of the inflow section 62 . The crushed pieces F and the treatment liquid T in the treatment tank 39 are transferred into the dehydrator 61 by passing through the discharge port 47, the discharge path 64, the on-off valve 65, and the inflow portion 62. The inlet 62 communicates with the outlet 47 of the processing tank 39 via the outlet 64 . The outflow portion 63 is disposed at the right end of the dehydrator 61 and has a cylindrical shape projecting downward from the dehydrator 61. A collection port 71 that opens downward is formed at the lower end of the outflow portion 63 .

The dewatering device 60 is arranged directly below the processing tank 39. The inlet 62 is arranged at the left end of the dehydrator 60. The discharge port 47 is arranged at the left end of the processing tank 39. Therefore, compared to the case where either the discharge port 47 or the inflow part 62 is arranged in the opposite left and right positions as in the present embodiment, the length of the discharge passage 64 in the first embodiment is the shortest path. It has become. The discharge path 64 is a path that sends the crushed pieces F and the treatment liquid T to the dewatering device 60 by its own weight and the water pressure of the treatment liquid T in the treatment tank 39. This means that it is difficult to get clogged.

The dehydrator 61 houses a dehydrating filter 66 and a screw 67 as a transfer member. The dehydration filter 66 has a cylindrical shape with its axis oriented in the left-right direction. The mesh size of the dehydration filter 66 is, for example, 300 μm. The size of these meshes is smaller than the particle size of the polymer P in the water-separated state after water has been separated from the water-absorbed state. The interior space of the dehydration filter 66 is a transfer space 66S for transferring the crushed pieces F. The upstream end of the transfer space 66S communicates with the lower end of the inflow section 62, and the downstream end of the transfer space 66S communicates with the upper end of the outflow section 63.

The screw 67 has a shaft portion 67A and a feed plate 67B that protrudes spirally from the outer periphery of the shaft portion 67A. The screw 67 is housed coaxially within the dehydration filter 66 and is rotationally driven by the dehydration motor 68 . The operation of the dewatering motor 68 is controlled by the control section 58. The screw 67 rotates in a direction to transfer the crushed pieces F and the processing liquid T transferred from the inflow section 62 into the transfer space 66S to the outflow section 63. The crushed pieces F that do not pass through the mesh of the dehydration filter 66 are carried to the downstream end of the transfer space 66S by the feed plate 67B of the screw 67, fall within the outflow portion 63, and are collected from the collection port 71.

A water collection portion 69 is formed in a region of the lower surface of the dehydrator 61 that corresponds to the dehydration filter 66 . In the transfer direction by the screw 67, the water collecting portion 69 opens upward toward the transfer space 66S over the transfer path by the screw 67, that is, the entire range from the upstream end to the downstream end of the transfer space 66S. A drain port 70 is formed at the lowest position of the water collecting portion 69. In the process in which the screw 67 transfers the crushed pieces F and the processing liquid T in the transfer space 66S, the waste liquid containing the processing liquid T flows down through the mesh of the dehydration filter 66 to the outside of the transfer space 66S. The waste liquid that has flown out of the transfer space 66S is collected in the water collecting section 69 and discharged from the drain port 70 to the sewage or the like via a drain pipe (not shown).

The axis of the screw 67 is the same as the axis of the dehydrator 61 and parallel to the direction of transfer by the screw 67. In plan view (not shown), the axis of the screw 67 is parallel to the boundary line 44 of the processing tank 39. As shown in FIG. 1, the axis of the screw 67 is inclined with respect to the horizontal direction when viewed from the side. Specifically, the axis of the screw 67 is inclined such that the downstream end in the transport direction is higher than the upstream end in the transport direction among both ends of the screw 67 in the transport direction. Therefore, compared to the case where the axis of the screw 67 is horizontal, the height difference between the recovery port 71 that projects downward from the downstream end of the dehydrator 61 in the transfer direction and the lower end of the upstream end of the dehydrator 61 in the transfer direction is smaller. ing. The direction in which the screw 67 transfers the crushed pieces F within the transfer space 66S is the direction in which the crushed pieces F are lifted up against gravity.

The treatment tank 39 is arranged above the dehydration device 60. The boundary line 44 of the bottom surface 41 of the processing tank 39 is inclined downward from the downstream end toward the upstream end in the transfer direction of the screw 67. As shown in FIG. 1, in a front view of the waste treatment apparatus 10 from the front, the direction of inclination of the bottom surface 41 of the treatment tank 39 and the direction of the inclination of the top surface of the dehydrator 61 are the same direction. Thereby, the dead space in the vertical direction between the bottom surface 41 of the processing tank 39 and the top surface of the dehydrator 61 is narrowed.

The control unit 58 controls the timing of starting the water separation process according to the amount of disposable diapers D input into the input unit 12 and the elapsed time after inputting the disposable diapers D. The control unit 58 controls the syneresis time in the syneresis device 38 and the timing of transferring the crushed pieces F and treatment liquid T after the syneresis treatment to the dewatering device 60 .

The waste disposal device 10 can efficiently process a plurality of used paper diapers D that are generated irregularly with time differences. The process will be explained below. First, settings are made in the throughput setting section 72, standby time setting section 73, and stirring setting section 75. In the processing amount setting unit 72, the number of input disposable diapers D, which is a condition for starting the water separation process, is set as the processing number. In this embodiment, this set processing number corresponds to the maximum processing capacity of the filth treatment apparatus 10, but it is also possible to set an arbitrary number. Further, the number of settings to be processed is not limited to a plurality of settings, but may be one. The set processing number is input from the processing amount setting section 72 to the control section 58 as the number of disposable diapers D to be processed in one water separation treatment process.

The standby time setting unit 73 sets a standby time that is a condition for starting the water separation process. This waiting time is the longest time that can be waited from the time when the paper diaper D is first put into the input section 12 after the previous water separation process to the time when the crushing process is started. In the stirring setting section 75, conditions regarding the rotational operation of the stirring member 48 are set. Specifically, the time period during which the stirring member 48 continues to rotate, the rotation angle of the stirring member 48 in the forward and reverse directions, and the rotation speed of the stirring member 48 are set. The conditions regarding the rotational operation of the stirring member 48 set by the stirring setting section 75 are input to the control section 58 .

Next, among the processing steps for the paper diaper D, the control steps executed by the control unit 58 before the start of the crushing process will be described with reference to the flowchart in FIG. 6. After the previous water separation process is completed, when the used paper diaper D is first introduced into the input space 14 from either the first input port 15 or the second input port 17, a detection signal is output from the input sensor 20. It is input to the control section 58. When the control unit 58 first detects that the used paper diaper D is inserted into the input space 14 (step S10), it starts the timer 74 (step S11). When the used paper diaper D is first placed into the loading space 14 after the previous water separation process is completed, the deodorizing device 21 starts operating.

The control unit 58 compares at predetermined time intervals whether or not the number of input disposable diapers D has reached the same number as the set processing number (step S12). When the number of input disposable diapers D reaches the set processing number, the control unit 58 starts the crushing process (step S13). If the number of input disposable diapers D has not reached the set processing number, the control unit 58 sets the waiting time set in the waiting time setting unit 73 from the time when the disposable diaper D is first input after the previous water separation process is completed. It is determined whether the time has elapsed (step S14). If the countdown of the timer 74 has not ended, it is determined that the standby time has not elapsed. If the control unit 58 determines in step S14 that the standby time has not elapsed, it determines again whether the number of input disposable diapers D has reached the same number as the set number of processing (step S12). When the control unit 58 determines that the number of disposable diapers D inserted in step S12 has reached the set processing number, it starts the crushing process (step S13).

In step S14, if the countdown of the timer 74 has ended, the control unit 58 determines that the standby time has elapsed since the disposable diaper D was first put in. If the standby time has elapsed, the control unit 58 starts the crushing process even if the number of input disposable diapers D is less than the set number of processes (step S13). Even if the set number of processes is plural and only one disposable diaper D has been put in, the control unit 58 starts the crushing process after the standby time has elapsed. In the crushing process, the control unit 58 activates the crushing motor 29. Immediately after the input, the disposable diaper D is crushed by the pair of shear blades 31, and falls into the processing tank 39 as a strip-shaped crushed piece F. The crushed pieces F after crushing contain the polymer P in a water-supplied state.

The crushing member 28 may continue to rotate all the time, or may rotate only while crushing the paper diaper D. The amount of water supplied from the first water supply section 34 is only the amount necessary for crushing and water separation treatment of one paper diaper D. While the maximum particle size of the water-absorbed polymer P is about 4 mm, the width dimension of the shear blade 31 of the crushing member 28 is 6 mm or more, so there is no possibility that the water-absorbed polymer P will be sheared by the shear blade 31. do not have. Since the circumferential speed of the outer periphery of the shearing blade 31 is as low as 0.1 m/s or less, crushing of the water-absorbed polymer P can also be avoided by setting this speed. Since the width dimension of the shearing blade 31 is 30 mm or less, the sheet material S of the disposable diaper D can be sheared into fine strips. The crushed fragments F are caught by the protrusion 32 on the outer periphery of the shearing blade 31 and fit into the recess 33, so that they can be reliably dropped into the processing tank 39 below the crushing member 28.

The control of the water separation process and the dehydration process by the control unit 58 will be explained with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The control unit 58 starts rotation of the stirring member 48 (step S20). Next, a water releasing agent R made of calcium chloride is introduced into the treatment tank 39, and water supply from the first water supply section 34 is started (step S21). Although it is preferable that the addition of the water repellent R and the water supply from the first water supply section 34 are started at the same time, the introduction of the water repellent R and the water supply from the first water supply section 34 may be performed at different times. The water supplied from the first water supply section 34 washes the crushing member 28 and flows down into the processing tank 39 . After a predetermined amount of water has been supplied, the water supply from the first water supply section 34 is stopped (step S22).

The amount of water repellent R to be added is controlled by the control unit 58 to be an appropriate amount based on the number of paper diapers D to be subjected to water repellent treatment, that is, the mass. When the water releasing agent R is dissolved in the water supplied into the treatment tank 39, it becomes a treatment liquid T for water releasing treatment. In the first embodiment, the water-releasing agent R and water are separately supplied to the processing tank 39, but a treatment liquid T in which the water-repelling agent R is dissolved in water in advance may be supplied to the processing tank 39. The syneresis treatment is a treatment in which the water-retaining performance of the polymer P of the crushed pieces F immersed in the treatment liquid T is reduced by the syneresis agent R in the syneresis liquid, and water is separated from the polymer P. The reaction rate of the water repellent treatment becomes faster as the amount of the water repellent R increases, that is, as the concentration of the treatment liquid T increases.

As shown in FIG. 8, as the water-absorbing treatment time elapses, the particle size of the water-absorbed polymer P gradually becomes smaller, and the mass of the polymer P becomes lighter. The mass and particle size of the polymer P are representative parameters indicating the water absorption state of the polymer P. The particle size of the polymer P before water absorption is about 400 μm, as shown by the symbol Ga in FIG. 8, and the mass is about 0.02 mg. The particle size of the polymer P in the water-absorbed state is about 1400 μm, as shown by the symbol Gb in FIG. 8, and the mass is about 0.8 mg. When the treatment liquid T is a 1% solution containing calcium chloride as the syneresis agent R, the particle size of the polymer P decreases to about 600 μm after 250 seconds from the start of the syneresis treatment, and the mass of the polymer P decreases to 0. The weight is reduced to .06mg. After 300 seconds have passed since the syneresis process started, the particle size and mass of the polymer P remain constant.

The stirring member 48 alternately rotates in the forward direction, which is the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 4, and in the opposite direction. Therefore, even if a pile of crushed pieces F are piled up on the stirring member 48 when the stirring member 48 starts rotating, the pile of crushed pieces F is broken down by moving the stirring member 48 in both forward and reverse directions, and the crushed pieces F are crushed. Piece F is dispersed in processing liquid T. Since the circumferential speed of the outer periphery of the stirring member 48 is slower than 500 mm/s, the crushed pieces F and the processing liquid T are not splashed away radially.

The rotation angle of the stirring member 48 in the forward direction is 60°, while the rotation angle in the reverse direction is 45°. Due to the difference in the forward and reverse rotation angles, the stirring member 48 rotates intermittently in the forward direction. Due to the intermittent rotational operation of the stirring member 48 in the forward direction, the processing liquid T and the crushed pieces F flow as a whole in a spiral rectification in a region of the processing tank 39 that is far from the stirring member 48 . Turbulent flow occurs near the stirring member 48, and the processing liquid T and crushed pieces F move minutely. Due to these movements, the water repellent R comes into contact with the polymer P, and the water repellent process progresses.

The control unit 58 determines whether a predetermined water separation time has elapsed since the water separation processing time started (step S23). When the predetermined water separation treatment time has elapsed, the water separation treatment is ended. The predetermined syneresis treatment time is shorter than the time required for water to completely separate from the polymer P. The particle size and mass of the polymer P after the syneresis time has elapsed are larger than the particle size and mass of the polymer P when the syneresis is completely performed.

When the separation process is completed, the control unit 58 starts supplying water from the first water supply unit 34 and the second water supply unit 54 to the processing tank 39 (step S24). Due to this water supply, the concentration of the treatment liquid T in the treatment tank 39 decreases, so that the progress of the water repellent treatment by the water repellent R is stopped. During this time, the polymer P is in an irreversible state. When the water supply to the processing tank 39 has progressed to a certain extent, the water supply to the processing tank 39 is stopped (step S25). After that, the control unit 58 rotates the stirring member 48 in the forward direction to start rotating the screw 67 (step S26), and then opens the on-off valve 65 (step S27).

When the on-off valve 65 is opened, the processing liquid T and crushed pieces F in the processing tank 39 are discharged from the discharge port 47. During the process in which the treatment liquid T and the crushed pieces F are discharged from the discharge port 47, the stirring member 48 continues to rotate in the normal direction. Since the viscosity of the treatment liquid T is lowered by the water supplied from the first water supply section 34 and the second water supply section 54, the flow resistance is small and the treatment liquid T is smoothly discharged from the discharge port 47. The flow direction of the discharge stream at the discharge port 47 is parallel to the boundary line 44 between the first inclined surface 42 and the second inclined surface 43. Of the vortex flow generated by the stirring member 48 , a portion of the flow in the area that is in contact with the boundary line 44 is parallel to the boundary line 44 and heads toward the discharge port 47 . Therefore, the flow velocity of the discharge stream at the discharge port 47 is increased. Further, when the on-off valve 65 opens, water is temporarily supplied from the second nozzle 55 of the second water supply section 54 toward the discharge port 47 (step S28). This water supply increases the flow velocity of the discharge stream from the discharge port 47.

During the process in which the treatment liquid T and crushed pieces F in the treatment tank 39 are discharged through the discharge path 64, the control unit 58 controls the opening/closing operation of the on-off valve 65 and the water supply operation of the second water supply unit 54. An example of the control form will be explained based on the graph of FIG. 9. The horizontal axis of the graph represents the elapsed time in seconds since the on-off valve 65 started opening. A polygonal line Gc represents a change in the opening degree of the on-off valve 65. The opening degree of the on-off valve 65 is shown on the vertical axis on the right side of the graph, with the opening degree at full open being 6. The vertically long bar line represents the flow rate of the discharge stream when the opening degree of the on-off valve 65 is increased. The flow rate values are shown on the left vertical axis and are in liters. The polygonal line Gd represents the cumulative flow rate of the discharge path 64 after the on-off valve 65 is opened.

The control unit 58 changes the opening degree of the on-off valve 65 over time during the discharge process in the discharge path 64. Within 10 seconds after the on-off valve 65 starts opening, the degree of opening of the on-off valve 65 is increased to approximately 60% of the fully open state. During this time, the flow rate in the discharge path 64 increases, and the crushed pieces F and the processing liquid T flow out to the dehydrator 60 side. After this, the opening degree is narrowed down to a state close to fully closed in 10 seconds. When the opening degree is reduced, the flow rate in the discharge passage 64 is reduced to a value close to zero. After maintaining the narrowed opening for 10 seconds, the opening is increased to 60% of the fully opened state to increase the flow rate in the discharge passage 64.

After this, the opening degree is narrowed again in 10 seconds and the closed state is maintained for 10 seconds. After this, the on-off valve 65 is fully opened within 10 seconds. In the fully open state, the flow rate of the discharge passage 64 is higher than when it is approximately 60% open. Furthermore, in the fully open state, water is discharged from the second nozzle 55 of the second water supply section 54 toward the discharge port 47 . This increases the flow velocity in the discharge path 64. After fully opening, take 10 seconds to narrow the opening until it is close to fully closed. After this, the operation of opening the opening to approximately 60% twice as described above and then fully opening it once is repeated.

When the opening degree of the on-off valve 65 is repeatedly increased and decreased, the maximum peak of the opening degree of the on-off valve 65 is repeated multiple times. In this process, the opening degree at the maximum peak accompanied by discharge of water from the second water supply section 54 is fully open. On the other hand, the opening degree at the maximum peak without water discharge from the second water supply section 54 is about 60%, which is smaller than the opening degree at the peak time when water is supplied from the second water supply section 54. . Therefore, the fluctuation range of the flow velocity in the discharge path 64 becomes large. In this way, by repeatedly increasing and decreasing the opening degree of the on-off valve 65, the flow of the crushed pieces F and the processing liquid T in the discharge passage 64 becomes turbulent. When the flow becomes turbulent, it becomes difficult for the crushed pieces F to get entangled with each other in the discharge passage 64, and it becomes difficult for the crushed pieces F to concentrate at the entrance of the on-off valve 65. Therefore, there is no possibility that the crushed pieces F will clog the on-off valve 65. Moreover, since the opening degree of the on-off valve 65 is not fully closed, there is no possibility that the on-off valve 65 will get caught in the strip-shaped components of the paper diaper D and become clogged.

The processing liquid T and crushed pieces F discharged from the discharge port 47 are transferred into the dehydrator 61 through the discharge path 64. In the dehydrator 61, the crushed pieces F containing the treatment liquid T are pushed by the feed plate 67B of the screw 67 and compressed in the axial direction, so that water in the crushed pieces F oozes out. The seeped water passes through the dehydration filter 66 and is discharged from the drain port 70. The crushed pieces F containing the polymer P pushed by the screw 67 are collected from the collection port 71.

Inside the dehydration filter 66, a portion of the polymer P comes into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the dehydration filter 66, so there is a concern that it may pass through the holes of the dehydration filter 66. However, in the crushing device 25, the circumferential speed of the shearing blade 31 is set to a low speed of 0.1 m/s, and the width dimension of the shearing blade 31 is set to 6 mm or more, which is larger than the particle size of the polymer P in a water-absorbed state. Therefore, the water-absorbed polymer P falls into the treatment tank 39 of the water separation treatment device 38 without being sheared and remains as a large particle. Furthermore, in the syneresis device 38, the syneresis treatment is completed before water is completely separated from the polymer P, so that the particle size of the polymer P is maintained at a certain level. Therefore, there is no possibility that the polymer P will pass through the openings of the dehydration filter 66.

When collection of the crushed pieces F from the collection port 71 is completed (step S29), the control unit 58 stops the rotation of the stirring member 48 (step S30) and stops the rotation of the screw 67 (step S31). The deodorizing device 21 also stops operating. With the above steps, the water separation process and the dehydration process are completed. After the collection of the crushed pieces F from the collection port 71 is completed, the user can stop the rotation of the stirring member 48, the rotation of the screw 67, and the operation of the deodorizing device 21 by operating the operation section. Good too.

The crushing device 25 includes a housing 13 into which a disposable diaper D as an object to be crushed containing a water-absorbed polymer P is input, and a crushing member 28 that is housed in the housing 13 and crushes the disposable diaper D. The moving speed of the crushing member 28 is 0.1 m/s or less. When the paper diaper D is crushed by the shear blade 31 moving at a speed of 0.1 m/s or less, the water-absorbed polymer P contained in the paper diaper D passes through the crushing device 25 without being crushed. Therefore, after the crushing process, the polymer P can be recovered by the dehydration filter 66 in the dehydration device 60.

The crushing member 28 is rotatable about a rotating shaft 30. A shearing blade 31 is formed on the outer periphery of the crushing member 28. The moving speed of the crushing member 28 is the peripheral speed of the tip of the shearing blade 31 when the crushing member 28 rotates. The peripheral speed of the tip of the shearing blade 31 is 0.1 m/s or less. Since the paper diaper D is sent in the rotating direction of the crushing member 28 while being crushed by the shearing blades 31, the disposable diaper D passes through the crushing member 28 more easily than when the shearing blades 31 reciprocate in parallel.

The two rotating shafts 30 are arranged parallel to each other. The object to be crushed is crushed between the shearing blades 31 of one rotating shaft 30 and the shearing blades 31 of the other rotating shaft 30. Since the paper diaper D is caught between the two shear blades 31, the paper diaper D can be reliably crushed. Since the shearing blades 31 of one rotating shaft 30 and the shearing blades 31 of the other rotating shaft 30 are arranged so as to be lined up in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 30, the disposable diaper D can be securely held between the two shearing blades 31. Can be crushed.

The rotation directions of the two rotating shafts 30 are opposite to each other. The shearing blades 31 of one rotating shaft 30 and the adjacent portions of the shearing blades 31 of the other rotating shaft 30 move in the same direction, that is, downward. The crushed pieces F of the paper diaper D can be reliably passed through the crushing device 25 by being sent by the two shear blades 31. The shearing blade 31 has a recessed portion 33 formed by recessing the outer peripheral surface of the shearing blade 31 . The crushed pieces F of the paper diaper D after being sheared can reliably pass through the crushing device 25 by being caught in the recess 33.

The plurality of shearing blades 31 are arranged adjacent to each other in a direction intersecting the moving direction of the shearing blades 31, that is, in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 30. The width dimension of the shearing blades 31 in the arrangement direction is 6 mm or more. Since the maximum outer diameter of the polymer P in the water-absorbed state is approximately 4 mm, it is possible to suppress the polymer P from being crushed by the shear blades 31. The plurality of shearing blades 31 are arranged adjacent to each other in a direction intersecting the moving direction of the shearing blades 31, and the width dimension in the direction in which the shearing blades 31 are lined up is 30 mm or less. When the paper diaper D includes the sheet material S, the crushed pieces F of the sheet material S can be made into fine pieces, so that the crushed pieces F can be easily processed.

The waste treatment device 10 includes an input section 12, a crushing device 25, and a control section 58. A paper diaper D containing a water-absorbing polymer P is loaded into the input section 12 . The crushing device 25 performs a process of crushing the input paper diaper D. The control unit 58 causes the crushing device 25 to start the crushing process on condition that the amount of disposable diapers D input into the input unit 12 reaches a predetermined amount. A plurality of paper diapers D input into the input section 12 at different times can be crushed all at once. Therefore, with regard to the processing of the paper diapers D thrown in later, there is no need to wait until the shredding processing of the paper diapers D thrown in first is completed, so the efficiency of the shredding processing is good.

The predetermined amount at which the control unit 58 starts the crushing process is an amount corresponding to the maximum processing capacity of the syneresis device 38 . Since the processing capacity of the water separation treatment device 38 can be utilized to the maximum, the number of times the water separation treatment is performed can be reduced. The filth treatment device 10 includes a processing amount setting section 72 that can change a predetermined amount. Since the amount of paper diapers D to be subjected to water separation treatment at one time can be appropriately set according to the frequency of inputting paper diapers D, etc., the efficiency of water separation treatment can be increased.

The waste disposal device 10 is installed in a large building or a multi-story building such as a nursing care facility. Since the input section 12 has the first input port 15 and the second input port 17, the number of input sections 12 can be reduced. Since the paper diapers D input from a plurality of input ports are subjected to water repellent treatment in the shared water repellent treatment device 38, the number of water repellent treatment devices 38 can be reduced.

The control unit 58 causes the crushing device 25 to start the crushing process on the condition that a predetermined standby time has elapsed since the first input of the object to be treated after the completion of the syneresis process. Even if the amount of paper diapers D input into the input section 12 has not reached the predetermined amount, the crushing process is started when a predetermined standby time has elapsed since the paper diapers D were first thrown in after the crushing process. Since there is no risk that the paper diaper D will be left for a long time without being subjected to water separation treatment, an unpleasant situation caused by the odor of the paper diaper D can be avoided.

The filth treatment device 10 includes a standby time setting section 73 that can change a predetermined standby time. The waiting time for untreated paper diapers D can be set as appropriate depending on the frequency of feeding the paper diapers D and the like. An unpleasant situation caused by the odor of the untreated paper diaper D can be avoided without reducing the efficiency of the water separation process.

The water separation treatment device 38 of the filth treatment device 10 includes a treatment tank 39 and a stirring member 48 rotatably provided in the treatment tank 39. The treatment tank 39 can accommodate crushed pieces F of the paper diaper D having the polymer P in a water-absorbing state and a treatment liquid T that reduces the water retention capacity of the polymer P. The stirring member 48 has a disc-shaped main body 51 and a rib 52 protruding from the surface of the main body 51. The rib 52 extends in the radial direction from the center of rotation of the main body portion 51 .

The shredded paper diaper D placed in the processing tank 39 is stirred together with the processing liquid T by the stirring member 48 . By stirring, the water retention capacity of the polymer P is reduced by the treatment liquid T, and the water retained in the polymer P is separated from the polymer P. The stirring member 48 has radial ribs 52 protruding from the surface of the rotating disc-shaped main body 51. Therefore, even if the crushed pieces F of the disposable diaper D are strip-shaped, the crushed pieces F will not be able to move through the stirring member 48. There is no risk of it becoming entangled.

The stirring member 48 is disposed on the bottom surface 41 of the processing tank 39 and is rotatable about a vertical drive shaft 49 . The ribs 52 protrude from the upper surface of the main body portion 51. Since the height of the stirring member 48 is small, the stirring member 48 exhibits a sufficient stirring function even if the amount of crushed pieces F and processing liquid T put into the processing tank 39 is small.

Since the stirring member 48 is rotatable in both the forward and reverse directions, even if the crushed pieces F of the disposable diaper D pile up on the upper surface of the stirring member 48, the stirring member 48 can exert a sufficient stirring function. I can do it. Since the rotation angle in the forward direction and the rotation angle in the opposite direction of the stirring member 48 are 10° or more and 120° or less, it is possible to prevent the crushed pieces F of the paper diaper D from getting entangled with the stirring member 48.

Since the stirring member 48 can rotate alternately in the forward direction and the reverse direction, it is possible to prevent the crushed pieces F of the paper diaper D from being caught in the stirring member 48. The rotation angle of the stirring member 48 in the forward direction is larger than the rotation angle of the stirring member 48 in the reverse direction. Even if the rotational direction of the stirring member 48 is alternately switched between the forward direction and the reverse direction, the rotational operation of the stirring member 48 continues in the forward direction. The crushed pieces F and the treatment liquid T in the treatment tank 39 are stirred so as to rotate in one direction as a whole. The rotation time of the stirring member 48 in the forward direction is longer than the rotation time of the stirring member 48 in the reverse direction. Due to the difference in rotation time between the forward direction and the reverse direction, it is possible to prevent the crushed pieces F of the paper diaper D from becoming entangled with the stirring member 48.

The peripheral speed of the outer periphery of the stirring member 48 is 100 to 500 mm/s. This circumferential speed allows the stirring member 48 to exhibit a sufficient stirring function. At this circumferential speed, there is no possibility that the crushed pieces F or the processing liquid T will be splashed away by the rotation of the stirring member 48.

The processing tank 39 has a discharge port 47 for discharging the crushed pieces F and the processing liquid T inside the processing tank 39 . Among the flows generated by the rotation of the stirring member 48 when discharging from the discharge port 47, the streamline 48L of the flow toward the discharge port 47 is substantially parallel to the streamline 47L of the discharge flow at the discharge port 47, or It overlaps with the streamline 47L of the discharge flow at the discharge port 47. The crushed pieces F and the treatment liquid T can be effectively discharged.

The discharge port 47 is open so as to face the peripheral edge of the bottom surface 41 of the processing tank 39 . The stirring member 48 is arranged at a position closer to the discharge port 47 than the center of the bottom surface 41 of the processing tank 39 . Since the flow generated by the stirring member 48 strongly flows into the discharge port 47, it is possible to prevent the paper diaper D from clogging the discharge port 47.

The bottom surface 41 of the processing tank 39 includes a first inclined surface 42 that supports the stirring member 48 and a second inclined surface 43 connected to a boundary line 44 that is the lowermost edge of the first inclined surface 42. . The inclination angle α of the first inclined surface 42 with respect to the horizontal surface H is smaller than the inclination angle β of the second inclined surface 43 with respect to the horizontal surface H. Even if the treatment liquid T is small, the stirring member 48 can be immersed in the treatment liquid T. Even if the crushed pieces F of the paper diaper D are placed on the second inclined surface 43, the crushed pieces F slide toward the first inclined surface 42 due to the inclination of the second inclined surface 43.

The filth treatment device 10 has a discharge port 47 for discharging the crushed pieces F and the treatment liquid T in the treatment tank 39, a first water supply section 34, and a second water supply section 54. The first water supply section 34 and the second water absorption section supply water to the processing tank 39 when discharging from the discharge port 47 . When water is supplied from the first water supply section 34 and the second water supply section 54 to the treatment tank 39, the concentration of the treatment liquid T decreases, so the flow rate of the discharge stream at the discharge port 47 increases, and the discharge efficiency improves. Since the second water supply section 54 has the second nozzle 55 that discharges water toward the discharge port 47, the discharge efficiency is further improved.

The filth treatment device 10 includes a water separation device 38, a dewatering device 60, and a control section 58. The water separation treatment device 38 performs water separation processing to separate water from the water-absorbing polymer P using a treatment liquid T that reduces the water retention capacity of the polymer P. The dehydration device 60 separates the treatment liquid T and the polymer P transferred from the water separation treatment device 38 using a dehydration filter 66 . An on-off valve 65 is provided in a discharge path 64 that transfers the treatment liquid T and polymer P in the water separation treatment device 38 to the dehydration device 60 . After supplying water to reduce the concentration of the treatment liquid T, the control unit 58 opens the on-off valve 65. The control unit 58 opens the on-off valve 65 in a state where the polymer P immersed in the treatment liquid T has a larger representative parameter indicating the degree of water absorption than the polymer P before water absorption, and the polymer P in the water separation treatment device 38 Control for transferring P to the dehydrator 60 is implemented.

The representative parameter indicating the degree of water absorption includes the mass of the polymer P in a water-absorbed state. Since the polymer P undergoing water removal treatment is transferred to the dewatering device 60 in a heavier state than the polymer P before water absorption, the polymer P moves to the water removal treatment step using a filter in a state where the particle size is relatively large. Therefore, polymer P can be easily recovered using a filter.

The representative parameter indicating the degree of water absorption includes the particle size of the polymer P in the water absorption state. The control unit 58 transfers the polymer P in the water removal device 38 to the dewatering device 60 in a state where the particle size of the polymer P immersed in the treatment liquid T is larger than the particle size of the polymer P before water absorption. According to this configuration, the polymer P undergoing water separation treatment is transferred to the dewatering device 60 in a state in which the particle size is larger than that of the polymer P before water absorption, so that the polymer P can be easily recovered by the filter.

The control unit 58 transfers the polymer P in the syneresis device 38 to the dewatering device 60 based on the elapsed time of the syneresis treatment. During the syneresis process, the amount of water separated from the polymer P increases and the particle size of the polymer P decreases over time. Since the particle size of the polymer P can be estimated based on the elapsed time of the syneresis process, it is possible to proceed to the dehydration process without checking the mass or particle size of the polymer P.

The water separation treatment device 38 includes a treatment tank 39 that stores the polymer P and the treatment liquid T and performs water separation treatment, a first water supply section 34, and a second water supply section 54. The first water supply section 34 and the second water supply section 54 supply water to the treatment tank 39 before the water separation treated polymer P and treatment liquid T are transferred to the dehydration device 60 . After the water separation process is completed, the concentration of the treatment liquid T is diluted by water supplied from the first water supply section 34 and the second water supply section 54. Thereby, the progress of water separation from the polymer P can be suppressed, and the particle size of the polymer P can be kept large in the dehydration step. Since the viscosity of the treatment liquid T is reduced, the transfer from the water separation treatment device 38 to the dehydration device 60 can be performed smoothly.

The crushing device 25 includes a first lid 16 that closes the first input port 15 in the upright state V and opens it in the collapsed state L. The first lid 16 changes between an upright state V and a collapsed state L around a central axis 16A extending laterally along its lower edge. Since the first input port 15 of the crushing device 25 is covered by the first lid 16, odor is suppressed from leaking to the outside, and when the first lid 16 is in the collapsed state L, odor does not adhere to the inner surface of the first lid 16. This can prevent the moisture from falling onto the floor, etc.

The crushing device 25 is equipped with a deodorizing device 21 that deodorizes the odor generated based on the thrown-in disposable diaper D. The crushing device 25 can weaken the odor by deodorizing the odor inside the input section 12. Thereby, even when the first input port 15 is opened, the odor flowing from the first input port 15 to the outside can be weakened.

The deodorizing device 21 of the crushing device 25 is arranged above the input section 12. The odor generated from the paper diaper D tends to rise upward. The crushing device 25 can reliably catch and deodorize the odor rising upward at the upper part of the input section 12.

The deodorizing device 21 includes a first deodorizing device 21A that returns the air after deodorizing the odor generated based on the input paper diaper D to the input section 12. Therefore, the crushing device 1 can repeatedly deodorize the air inside the input section 12 using the first deodorization device 21A, and more reliably weaken the odor inside the input section 12.

The input section 12 of the crushing device 25 is formed with a second opening 12B that returns air into the input section 12. The second opening 12B is provided in the upper part of the input portion 12 at a position away from the side surface where the first input port 15 is provided. Therefore, the air deodorized by the first deodorizing device 21A is returned to the input section 12 at a position away from the first input port 15. As a result, the flow of air toward the outside from the first input port 15 can be suppressed, so that leakage of odor from the first input port 15 to the outside can be suppressed.

The deodorizing device 21 has a second deodorizing device 21B. The second deodorizing device 21B discharges the air after deodorizing the odor generated based on the disposable diaper D placed in the feeding section 12 to the outside. Therefore, the inside of the input section 12 can be made negative pressure. Thereby, even when the first input port 15 is open, it is possible to suppress odor from leaking to the outside from the first input port 15.

The filth treatment device 10 includes a treatment tank 39 in which crushed pieces F of a paper diaper D as an object to be treated having a polymer P in a water-absorbing state and a treatment liquid T that reduces the water retention capacity of the polymer P are stored. A discharge port 47 for discharging the crushed pieces F and the treatment liquid T in the treatment tank 39 opens on the side surface of the treatment tank 39 . Since the discharge port 47 is opened not to the bottom surface 41 of the processing tank 39 but to the side surface of the processing tank 39, lightweight fragments having a specific gravity smaller than that of the processing liquid T among the crushed pieces F are disposed of in the processing tank 39. While the liquid T remains, it is discharged from the discharge port 47 along with the processing liquid T. The crushed pieces F of the paper diaper D in the processing tank 39 can be discharged without remaining on the bottom surface 41 of the processing tank 39.

The height dimension from the bottom surface 41 of the processing tank 39 to the liquid level at the time of maximum storage of the processing liquid T is within three times the height from the bottom surface 41 of the processing tank 39 to the top end of the discharge port 47. According to this dimension setting, the water level of the processing liquid T stored in the processing tank 39 can be made relatively low, and a large surface area of the processing liquid T can be ensured. This can reduce the uneven distribution of lightweight debris floating on the ground. This can prevent lightweight debris from remaining on the bottom surface 41 of the processing tank 39.

Since the width dimension of one shearing blade 31 is 30 mm or less, the width dimension of the crushed pieces F sheared by the shearing blade 31 is about 30 mm at maximum. Focusing on this point, the height dimension of the opening area of the discharge port 47 was set to 50 mm or more. By setting these dimensions, lightweight debris can be reliably discharged from the discharge port 47 to the outside of the processing tank 39.

A stirring member 48 is rotatably provided on the bottom surface 41 of the processing tank 39 . Of the flow generated by the rotation of the stirring member 48 during discharge from the discharge port 47, the streamline 48L of the flow toward the discharge port 47 is approximately parallel to the streamline 47L of the discharge flow at the discharge port 47, or It overlaps with line 47L. According to this configuration, lightweight debris can be reliably discharged from the discharge port 47.

Since the stirring member 48 is arranged at a position closer to the outlet 47 than the center of the bottom surface 41 of the processing tank 39, the flow generated by the stirring member 48 flows strongly into the outlet 47. Thereby, lightweight debris can be reliably discharged from the discharge port 47.

Since the bottom surface 41 of the processing tank 39 is sloped downward toward the discharge port 47, lightweight debris can be reliably discharged from the discharge port 47. The processing tank 39 has a second nozzle 55 that discharges water toward the discharge port 47 . The water discharged from the second nozzle 55 increases the flow velocity of the discharge stream at the discharge port 47, so that lightweight debris can be reliably discharged.

The filth treatment device 10 includes a treatment tank 39 and a dewatering device 60. The treatment tank 39 accommodates crushed pieces F of a paper diaper D as an object to be treated that includes the polymer P in a water-absorbing state, and a treatment liquid T that reduces the water retention capacity of the polymer P. The dewatering device 60 separates the crushed pieces F and the processing liquid T discharged from the processing tank 39 while moving them laterally, that is, in the left-right direction, using a screw 67 as a transfer member. At the downstream end of the screw 67 in the transfer direction, the dehydrated crushed pieces F are collected from the downward collecting port 71.

The dewatering device 60 is arranged in an inclined manner so that the downstream end of the screw 67 in the transport direction is higher than the upstream end of the screw 67 in the transport direction. According to this configuration, the height difference between the position of the downward recovery port 71 and the position of the upstream end of the dewatering device 60 in the transfer direction is small, so that the dehydrating device 60 can be installed at a lower position overall. Thereby, the height of the waste treatment device 10 can be reduced.

The direction in which the crushed pieces F are transferred by the transfer member within the dewatering device 60 is the direction in which the crushed pieces F are lifted against gravity. Therefore, a screw 67 having a spiral feeding plate 67B formed on the outer periphery of a rotating shaft portion 67A was used as the transfer member. The crushed pieces F are reliably sent to the collection port 71 while being raised by the spiral feeding plate 67B.

The processing tank 39 is arranged above the dewatering device 60, and the bottom surface 41 of the processing tank 39 is inclined downward from the downstream end toward the upstream end in the transfer direction of the screw 67. In a front view of the waste treatment device 10 from the front, the direction of inclination of the bottom surface 41 of the treatment tank 39 and the direction of inclination of the dewatering device 60 are the same direction. As a result, the dead space in the vertical direction between the bottom surface 41 of the treatment tank 39 and the top surface of the dewatering device 60 is narrowed, so that the overall height of the waste treatment device 10 can be reduced accordingly.

The dewatering device 60 has a water collecting section 69 that receives waste liquid such as the processing liquid T that flows down while the crushed pieces F are transferred by the screw 67. The water collecting portion 69 is provided so as to open toward at least the upstream end in the transfer direction of the transfer path by the screw 67 . Thereby, the waste liquid such as the processing liquid T that has flowed down is collected in the water collecting section 69 without remaining in the middle of the transfer route by the screw 67.

The filth treatment device 10 includes a treatment tank 39, a discharge path 64, an on-off valve 65, and a control section 58. The treatment tank 39 accommodates crushed pieces F of the paper diaper D containing the polymer P in a water-absorbing state and a treatment liquid T that reduces the water retention capacity of the polymer P. The discharge path 64 is a path through which the crushed pieces F and the treatment liquid T in the treatment tank 39 are discharged to the outside of the treatment tank 39 . The on-off valve 65 is provided in the middle of the discharge path 64. The control unit 58 changes the opening degree of the on-off valve 65 over time during the discharge process in the discharge path 64. As the opening degree of the on-off valve 65 changes over time, the flow velocity in the discharge path 64 changes over time, so it is possible to prevent the on-off valve 65 from being clogged with crushed pieces F.

The control unit 58 controls the on-off valve 65 so that it does not fully close when the opening degree is the minimum. Since the on-off valve 65 is not fully closed, there is no risk of the crushed pieces F clogging upstream of the on-off valve 65 in the discharge path 64.

The processing tank 39 includes an outlet 47 that communicates with the outlet 64 and a second water supply section 54 that discharges water toward the outlet 47 . The discharge of water in the second water supply section 54 is controlled by the control section 58 during the discharge process in the discharge path 64. If water is discharged from the second water supply section 54 toward the discharge port 47 while discharging the crushed pieces F and the treatment liquid T, the flow velocity in the discharge path 64 increases, so that the discharge efficiency is improved.

The second water supply section 54 is controlled by the control section 58 so as to discharge water when the opening degree of the on-off valve 65 increases. If water is discharged from the second water supply section 54 when the degree of opening of the on-off valve 65 increases, the flow velocity in the discharge path 64 increases, so that the discharge efficiency is improved. The opening degree of the on-off valve 65 is controlled by the control section 58 so that the on-off valve 65 is fully open when water is discharged from the second water supply section 54. Since water is discharged with the on-off valve 65 fully open, the flow rate in the discharge path 64 can be significantly increased.

In the process in which the maximum peak of the opening degree is repeated multiple times as the opening degree of the on-off valve 65 increases or decreases, the opening degree of the on-off valve 65 becomes the opening degree at the maximum peak accompanied by discharge of water from the second water supply section 54. is controlled by the control unit 58 so that the opening degree is larger than the opening degree at the maximum peak when water is not discharged from the second water supply unit 54. Since the maximum peak value of the opening degree of the on-off valve 65 is made different between when water is discharged and when water is not discharged, the fluctuation range of the flow velocity in the discharge passage 64 becomes large. This makes it difficult for the crushed pieces F to get entangled with each other and for the crushed pieces F to concentrate at the inlet of the on-off valve 65, so that clogging of the on-off valve 65 can be more reliably prevented.

<Other embodiments>
The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawings, and, for example, the following embodiments are also included within the technical scope of the present disclosure.
The stirring member may be arranged on a side surface of the processing tank and rotated around a horizontal drive shaft.
The stirring member may rotate in only one direction.
The rotation form of the stirring member is not limited to alternate rotation in the forward direction and reverse direction, but may also be a combination of intermittent rotation in the forward direction and a plurality of intermittent rotations in the reverse direction.
The rotation angle of the stirring member in the positive direction may be less than 10° or greater than 120°.
The angle of rotation of the stirring member in the opposite direction may be less than 10° or greater than 120°.
The rotation angle of the stirring member in the forward direction and in the reverse direction may be the same angle.
The rotation time of the stirring member in the forward direction and in the reverse direction may be the same length.
The peripheral speed of the outer periphery of the stirring member may be less than 100 mm/s or faster than 500 mm/s.
The streamline of the flow generated toward the discharge port by the stirring member during discharge from the discharge port may be in a direction that intersects the streamline of the discharge flow at the discharge port.
The discharge port may be opened at the bottom of the processing tank.
The stirring member may be arranged at the center of the bottom surface of the processing tank.
The bottom surface of the processing tank may be configured as a single plane having a constant inclination angle with respect to the horizontal plane.
The nozzle of the water supply unit may discharge water in a direction different from that of the discharge port.
The object to be treated is not limited to disposable diapers, but may also be objects containing super absorbent polymers, such as sanitary products and sheets for pets.
The water releasing agent may be a treatment agent containing calcium acetate, another agent containing a divalent metal salt such as Ca or Mg, or a water-soluble alkaline earth metal salt such as magnesium chloride or magnesium nitrate.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Sewage treatment device, 34... First water supply part (water supply part), 39... Treatment tank, 41... Bottom of treatment tank, 42... First slope, 43... Second slope, 44... Boundary line (first lowermost edge of inclined surface), 47...Discharge port, 47L...Streamline of discharge flow, 48...Stirring member, 48L...Streamline of flow toward discharge port, 49...Drive shaft, 51...Main body, 52...Rib , 54...Second water supply part (water supply part), 55...Second nozzle (nozzle), D...Disposable diaper (workpiece), F...Crushed pieces, H...Horizontal surface, P...Polymer, T...Treatment liquid, α... Inclination angle of the first inclined surface with respect to the horizontal plane, β...Inclination angle of the second inclined surface with respect to the horizontal plane

Claims (12)

A treatment tank capable of accommodating crushed pieces of a workpiece having a polymer in a water-absorbing state and a treatment liquid that reduces the water retention capacity of the polymer;
A stirring member having a disc-shaped main body and a rib protruding from the surface of the main body and extending in a radial direction from the rotation center of the main body, and rotatably provided in the processing tank ,
The stirring member is arranged on the bottom surface of the processing tank and is rotatable about a vertical drive shaft,
The rib protrudes from the upper surface of the main body,
The processing tank has an outlet for discharging the crushed pieces and processing liquid in the processing tank,
Among the flows generated by the rotation of the stirring member during discharge, the streamlines of the flow toward the discharge port are substantially parallel to or overlap the streamlines of the discharge flow at the discharge port. The filth treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the stirring member is rotatable in both forward and reverse directions . The filth treatment apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the rotation angle of the stirring member in the forward direction is 10° or more and 120° or less . The filth treatment apparatus according to any one of claims 2 and 3 , wherein the rotation angle of the stirring member in the opposite direction is 10° or more and 120° or less. The filth treatment apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 4 , wherein the stirring member is rotatable alternately in a forward direction and a reverse direction . The filth treatment apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein a rotation angle of the stirring member in the forward direction is larger than a rotation angle of the stirring member in the reverse direction . The filth treatment apparatus according to any one of claims 5 and 6 , wherein the rotation time of the stirring member in the forward direction is longer than the rotation time of the stirring member in the reverse direction. The filth treatment apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7 , wherein the peripheral speed of the outer periphery of the stirring member is 100 to 500 mm/s . The discharge port is open to face a peripheral portion of the bottom surface of the processing tank,
The filth treatment apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8 , wherein the stirring member is disposed at a position closer to the discharge port than the center of the bottom surface of the treatment tank . The bottom surface of the processing tank is configured to include a first slope that supports the stirring member, and a second slope that continues to the lowest edge of the first slope,
The filth treatment apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9 , wherein the angle of inclination of the first slope with respect to the horizontal plane is smaller than the angle of inclination of the second slope with respect to the horizontal plane . an outlet for discharging the crushed pieces and processing liquid in the processing tank;
The filth treatment apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising a water supply unit that supplies water to the treatment tank when discharging from the discharge port . The filth treatment apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the water supply section has a nozzle that discharges water toward the discharge port .

Images