JPH07223097A - Press device for empty can - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To surely discriminate an empty can of steel of many kinds of sizes or the empty can of steel partially having a part of aluminum regarding to the press device for the empty can. CONSTITUTION:A casing 2 has an empty can throw-in inlet 3, a pressing means 4 and a collecting part 5. Near the empty can throw-in inlet 3, a discriminating means 9 which approaches to the empty can C and discriminates the material, and a path opening/closing means 7 which opens or closes an empty can path 6 to the pressing means 4 based on the outputting signal of the means 9 are installed, and further the discriminating means 9 is provided with a sensor 10 which detects non-magnetic metal material and a magnetic attracting means 11 which attracts with magnet the magnetic material. Only the empty can of non-magnetic metal material detected with the sensor 10 is processed, the empty can C containing the magnetic material is held inside the empty can throw-in inlet 3 with the magnetic attracting means 11, so exact discrimination can be executed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an empty can pressing device for crushing an aluminum empty can.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as an empty can pressing device, for example, one having a structure shown in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 4-64493 is known. This pressing device crushes an empty can introduced from an empty can insertion port of the casing by a pair of caterpillars arranged in the casing so as to face each other. Then, the crushed empty cans are sorted into aluminum and iron by a discriminator using a magnet provided below the caterpillar, and are separately collected in a collecting box arranged below.

[0003]

By the way, since the above-described empty can pressing device has a structure for discriminating between an aluminum-made empty can and an iron-made empty can after the inserted empty can is crushed, regardless of the material of the empty can. It is necessary to uniformly crush empty cans that have been thrown in. Therefore, for example, even when it is desired to collect only the aluminum empty cans that are useful for reuse, the iron empty cans must be crushed and collected. In this case, the caterpillar is required to have a high pressing force capable of crushing empty cans of iron, and when crushing only empty cans of aluminum, it is overdesigned and a recovery space for collecting empty cans of iron is secured. There was an inconvenience that had to be made.

Therefore, the inventors of the present invention have devised a press device in which a sensor for detecting only a non-magnetic metal material such as aluminum or copper is arranged near the empty can inlet. According to this pressing device, when the empty can is inserted into the empty can inlet, it is determined whether or not the empty can is made of aluminum. If the inserted empty can is a magnetic metal such as iron, a message such as a buzzer, a lamp, or a sound is displayed to that effect, and if the empty can is made of aluminum, the empty can is guided to the caterpillar and crushed. I have decided.

However, the empty can pressing device provided with a sensor for detecting only a non-magnetic metal material near the empty can inlet has the following problems. That is, even in empty cans made of iron, only the lid is made of aluminum, and when such an empty can is put into the empty can inlet, the part of the lid is detected by the sensor and the empty can made of aluminum is used. It may be determined that there is. In this case, the empty can made of iron is guided to and crushed by the caterpillar, which may cause a trouble of the caterpillar due to insufficient pressing force, or the empty can made of iron may be mixed in the recovery box.

Moreover, in the empty can pressing device, the size of the empty can inlet is set to a size capable of accommodating the maximum size of the empty can to be inserted so that various sizes of empty cans can be processed. Is common,
When a small empty can is thrown in, the position of the empty can in the empty can slot cannot be specified. For this reason, when the lid of the empty can is placed in the detection range of the sensor, the empty can made of iron with the aluminum lid is recognized as an empty can made of aluminum, or conversely, the empty can made of aluminum is detected by the sensor. It is considered that there is an inconvenience that the pressing process is not performed as an empty can made of iron without being arranged within the detection range of.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and reliably identifies an empty can made of iron of various sizes and an empty can made of iron having a part made of aluminum, and the empty can is made of aluminum. It is an object of the present invention to provide a pressing device for empty cans that can reliably crush only empty cans.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a casing with an empty can insertion port for inserting an empty can, and a pressing means for crushing the inserted empty can.
A collecting unit for collecting the crushed empty cans, and in the vicinity of the empty can input port, a determining unit that is close to the inserted empty cans and determines the material of the empty cans; and an output signal from the determining unit. Based on this, there is provided a passage opening / closing means for opening / closing an empty can passage between the empty can inlet and the pressing means, and the determining means is a sensor for detecting a non-magnetic metal material, and an empty can by magnetically attaching a magnetic material. It proposes a press device for empty cans, which is provided with a magnetizing means for holding it in the charging port.

Further, in the above-described empty can pressing device, it is effective that the empty can inlet is provided with a detecting means for detecting an empty can made of a magnetic material held by the magnetizing means.

[0010]

According to the empty can pressing device of the present invention, when an empty can is loaded through the empty can inlet provided in the casing, the material of the empty can is discriminated by the discriminating means arranged in the vicinity of the empty can inlet. If the empty can is made of only a non-magnetic metal material such as aluminum, the sensor of the determining means determines that the empty can is to be processed, and the output signal activates the passage opening / closing means. As a result, the empty can passage is opened, the empty can is guided to the pressing means, is crushed by the pressing means, and is then collected in the collecting section.

When the empty can is made of only a magnetic material such as iron, the magnetic adhering means of the discriminating means magnetically holds the empty can in the empty can inlet and outputs the output signal from the sensor. Therefore, the passage opening / closing means keeps the empty can passage closed. Further, when the empty can contains both the non-magnetic metal material and the magnetic material, the sensor of the discrimination means is activated to open the empty can passage, but the empty can is held in the empty can inlet by the magnetic attachment means. Therefore, the crushing work by the pressing means is avoided. Also, if a glass bottle or the like other than an empty can is thrown into the empty can inlet,
Since the sensor is never actuated, it can be excluded from the press machine by the determination that it is also not to be processed.

When the empty can input port is provided with a detection means for detecting an empty can made of a magnetic material held by the magnetizing means, the empty can inserted by the detection means is made of a magnetic material. It is possible to determine that there is. Therefore, even if the empty can contains a non-magnetic metal material and the output signal of the sensor is generated, the operation of the passage opening / closing means is avoided by the output signal of the detection means, and the empty can passage is closed. Will be retained.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of an empty can pressing device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of a press device 1 for an empty can C according to this embodiment. According to this FIG. 1, the press device 1 for empty cans C of this embodiment has an empty can input port 3 for inserting the empty cans C into the casing 2 at the top of a box-shaped casing 2, and the center of the casing 2 is shown. It has a pressing means 4 for crushing the empty cans C, and a recovery section 5 for accommodating the crushed empty cans C at the lower part of the casing 2 located below the pressing means 4.

Between the empty can input port 3 and the pressing means 4, there is provided an empty can passage 6 having a slope descending from the empty can input port 3 toward the pressing means 4. The empty can passage 6 is connected to the empty can inlet 3 at the empty can passage 6
Open and close to allow empty cans C to enter the empty can passage 6,
A passage opening / closing means 7 for stopping is provided.

A lid 8 having a substantially L-shaped cross section is provided at the empty can inlet 3 so as to be swingable around a pin 8a. A handle 8b is provided on the outer surface of the lid 8, and the user of the press device 1 pulls the handle 8b to swing the lid 8 around the pin 8a to a predetermined position. . When the lid 8 is opened, the empty can C can be placed inside the bent portion 8c. When the lid 8 is closed in this state, one plate portion 8d of the lid 8 is slanted to the back side, and the lid 8 is extended along the upper surface thereof. The empty can C is slightly rolled.

A discrimination means 9 for discriminating the material of the empty canister C to be loaded from the empty canister inlet 3 is provided near the empty canister inlet 3. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the discrimination means 9 is arranged below one plate portion 8d of the lid 8 which is inclined to the back side when the lid 8 is closed, and the empty can C is made of aluminum. Sensor 10 for determining whether or not there is
And when the empty can C is a magnetic material such as iron, it is magnetically adhered and held in the lid 8, and the magnetic adhesion means 1
The detecting means 12 for detecting the empty cans C magnetized by 1.

The sensor 10 is, for example, a proximity sensor that detects non-magnetic metal materials such as aluminum, copper, and brass when they approach a certain range without detecting iron. As the proximity sensor, for example, a sensor utilizing a change in eddy current or the like can be considered.

A plurality of the sensors 10 are attached to a sensor mounting base 13 arranged along the width direction of the lid 8 at intervals in the longitudinal direction. The sensor mount 13 is movably supported by the bracket 14 along its longitudinal direction, that is, the longitudinal direction of the empty canister C placed in the lid 8.

Further, the sensor mounting base 13 is provided with a moving mechanism 15 for reciprocating the sensor mounting base 13 in the longitudinal direction of the empty canister C. The moving mechanism 15 includes, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, a motor 17 fixed to a mounting base 16 provided upright in the casing 2, and the motor 17
Plate 18 provided on the output shaft of the sensor and the sensor mount 1
3 and a slider crank mechanism having a link 19 interposed therebetween. The distance by which the sensor mount 13 is moved by the moving mechanism 15 is set to be approximately the same as or longer than the distance between the adjacent sensors 10.

The magnetizing means 11 is, for example, a permanent magnet, and as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, on the back surface of the plate portion 8d near the bent portion 8c of the lid 8, over the entire length in the width direction. Thus, a plurality of them are provided at intervals in the width direction. Therefore, the empty cans C put into the empty can input port 3 are once placed in the vicinity of the bent portion 8c with the lid 8 opened, and when the lid 8 is closed, the plate portion 8d can be rolled inward. At that time, first, the magnetizing means 11 is traversed. Thus, when the empty can C is made of iron, it is magnetically attached to the magnetizing means 11 and is prohibited from proceeding to the empty can passage. Needless to say, the permanent magnet may be in the form of a continuous rod.

The detecting means 12 is, for example, a photoelectric sensor, and is arranged so as to form an optical axis L that traverses the inside of the lid 8 in the width direction in the vicinity of the magnetizing means 11.
The detecting means 12 is operated with the lid 8 completely closed. The optical axis L of the detecting means 12 is arranged at a position blocked by the empty can C only when the empty can C is magnetically attached to the magnetizing means 11. That is, when the empty can is made of aluminum, the empty can C rolls on the plate portion 8d of the lid 8 and is deviated from the optical axis L of the detecting means 12, and the detection signal is not output.

For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the passage opening / closing means 7 is rotated by an actuator such as a motor (not shown), and is retracted (moved to the left in FIG. 1) while being opened. It consists of a shutter 20 that is moved so as to escape upward. The motor for rotating the shutter 20 is controlled based on the output signals of the sensor 10 and the detection means 12.

That is, when only the sensor 10 outputs a detection signal, it is found that the empty can C is made of a non-magnetic metal material, so the shutter 20 is opened and the empty can C is empty. Passage of the passage 6 is permitted. Further, when the detection means 12 outputs a detection signal, it is found that an object made of a magnetic material magnetically attached to the magnetic attachment means 11 is put in the lid 8, so that the detection signal from the sensor 10 is detected. Regardless of the presence or absence, the shutter 20 is maintained in a closed state, and entry of the empty can C into the empty can passage 6 is prohibited. Further, when there is no detection signal from the sensor 10 and the detection means 12, it is found that the one inserted into the empty can input port 3 is not a metal material. Entry is prohibited.

A weight discriminating section 21 is provided at the front of the empty can passage 6. The weight discriminating portion 21 has a bottom plate 22 forming a part of the empty can passage 6 having a rear end hinged to the main body of the passage. Normally, the bottom plate 22 has its front end connected to the empty can inlet 3 by a magnet (not shown). Is held to. And, for example, the can passing through the empty can passage 6 is not empty can C but is filled with contents,
When the weight exceeds a predetermined value, the bottom plate 22 is rotated about the hinge pin 23 in the clockwise direction in FIG. 1 against the attractive force of the magnet. Along with this, the can drops and is collected in the collecting unit 5 without passing through the pressing means 4 described later, or is discharged to the outside of the casing 2. The bottom plate 22 is provided with a motor (not shown) that returns the bottom plate 22 to its original position.

The pressing means 4 is provided, for example, below the empty can passage 6 and a pair of caterpillars 24 for crushing the empty cans C supplied through the empty can passage 6.
It consists of 25. The caterpillars 24 and 25 are arranged so as to face each other, and are arranged in a substantially V shape so that the mutual gap becomes smaller toward the lower side. That is, in the upper part of the tracks 24 and 25, the empty cans C supplied from the empty can passage 6 are easily transferred to the tracks 24 and 25.
It has a space dimension that allows it to enter in between,
In the lower part, there is a space dimension with which the empty cans C that have passed through the caterpillars 24 and 25 are sufficiently crushed.

Each of the caterpillars 24 and 25 meshes with a gear 27 provided on an upper drive wheel 26, and a drive motor 28 is provided on the drive wheel 26 of one of the caterpillars 24. Then, the driven wheel 2 of the caterpillar 24
9 is disposed so as to be rotatable around the drive wheel 26, and is biased toward the caterpillar 25 side on the other side by a spring (not shown).

Reference numeral 30 is a fan for ventilating the inside of the casing, 31 is a fluorescent lamp, 32 is a sensor for detecting the opening of the lid 8, 33 is a can detection sensor provided in the empty can inlet 3, and 34 is a pusher. Crushed empty canister C is caterpillar 24
A sensor for detecting passage of the lower part of 25, a sensor for detecting that the collecting unit 5 is full, and a controller for 36.

Next, the operation of the press device 1 configured as described above will be described. When the user opens the lid 8, the sensor 32 detects it and the operation is started. And
When the empty can C is placed in the opened lid 8, the empty can C is placed on the bent portion 8 c of the lid 8. Then, by closing the lid 8 in this state, the empty can C is inserted into the casing 2 from the empty can input port 3. Empty cans C thrown in
Is first rolled on the plate portion 8d so as to traverse the magnetizing means 11 provided on the plate portion 8d of the lid 8. This allows
When the empty can C is made of a magnetic material such as iron, it is held in a magnetically attached state by the magnetic attachment means 11.
The optical axis L of the detection means 12 is blocked, and the detection signal from the detection means 12 is output. If the empty canister C is not made of a magnetic material, it is rolled to the inner side of the empty canister inlet 3 without being magnetically attached to the magnetizing means 11, and is brought into contact with the shutter 20 and stopped. .

In this state, the empty can C has the sensor 32.
Is detected and the sensor 10 is activated. At this time, since the plurality of sensors 10 are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the empty can C and moved by the moving mechanism 15 along the longitudinal direction of the empty can C, the total length of the lid 8 in the width direction is increased. Any one of the plurality of sensors 10 will pass through, and as shown by the chain line in FIG. 3, even if the size of the empty can C is small, or even if the empty can C has a dent, it can be surely performed. Various detection operations will be carried out.

When the output signal from the detecting means 12 is issued, the signal for opening the shutter 20 is not issued and the empty can passage 6 is closed by the shutter 20 regardless of the presence or absence of the detection signal in the sensor 10. Held in. Further, when neither the detection signal from the sensor 10 nor the detection means 12 is output, it is determined that the object inserted into the empty can insertion port 3 is not the empty can C.
Similarly to the above, the closed state of the empty can passage 6 by the shutter 20 is maintained.

In these cases, the inserted empty can C or the object is regarded as an object that is not suitable for recovery, and a message such as a buzzer or lamp or a speaker (not shown) is displayed to that effect.

On the other hand, when it is determined that the empty can C is made of aluminum by the output signal of only the sensor 10,
The shutter 20 is operated and the empty can passage 6 is opened. At the same time, for example, a predetermined number of coins are paid out, and a lock mechanism (not shown) operates so that the lid 8 is locked so as not to open.

When the shutter 20 is opened, the empty can C
Is guided to the pressing means 4 through the empty can passage 6. The pressing means 4 is actuated at the same time when the empty can passage 6 is opened by the shutter 20 or when the drive motor 28 is started after a predetermined time delay, and the empty can C falling from the lower end of the empty can passage 6 is moved to the left and right. Caterpillar 24
・ Put it between 25 and crush it while moving downward. In the drive motor 28, the empty can C is the track 2
It is operated for a preset time corresponding to the time of passing between 4 and 25.

When the empty canister C is not crushed for some reason, the lower end side of one of the caterpillars 24 is
As shown by the chain line in FIG. 1, it escapes in the direction away from the other caterpillar 25. As a result, the track 24.2
It is possible to prevent damage caused by an excessive force acting on 5 and the like. And the crushed empty can C
Are collected in the collecting section 5 below the tracks 24 and 25. When the recovery unit 5 is full, the fact is detected by the sensor 35 and displayed by the above-mentioned display means.

In the above embodiment, a plurality of sensors 10 for discriminating the material of the empty canister C to be inserted from the empty canister inlet 3 are provided, but the moving mechanism 15 allows the entire length of the lid 8 in the width direction to be extended. A single number may be used as long as it can be moved. Further, a motor 17 is used as a drive source of the moving mechanism 15.
However, the present invention is not limited to this, and an arbitrary actuator such as an air cylinder may be used.

Further, if the arrangement of the sensor 10 can be specified by instructing the user of the inserting direction and the inserting position of the empty can C with an arrow, a pictorial symbol, a character, etc., the sensor 10 by the moving mechanism 15 can be specified. May not be moved.

Further, when an object other than the empty can C made of aluminum is inserted into the empty can input port 3, the fact is displayed, but instead of or at the same time, the lid 8 is placed in front. The object inside may be opened so that the user can take it out. Although the magnetizing means 11 is a permanent magnet, it may be replaced with an electromagnet that can release the magnetizing of the empty can C after it is determined that the empty can C is made of iron. In this case, an arbitrary distribution means that is operated in response to the output signals of the sensor 10 and the detection means 12 is provided below the pressing means 4, and the collecting section 5 is provided.
Are provided for the aluminum empty cans C and the iron empty cans C respectively, and the capability of the pressing means 4 is set so that the iron empty cans C can also be crushed.
It is also possible to reliably separate and collect the iron empty cans C from the aluminum empty cans C.

The position of the magnetizing means 11 is set to the plate portion 8 of the lid 8.
Although it is provided on the back surface of d, it is not limited to this. Therefore, for example, they may be provided at both end positions in the width direction of the lid 8 or the shutter 20. Further, in order to prevent the state where the empty can made of iron is not magnetically attached to the magnetic attachment means 11 when the lid 8 is closed vigorously, the lid 8 is provided with a damper or the like, and a certain speed or more is provided. It may be configured such that it cannot be closed by the above-mentioned method, or may have a structure in which it is automatically opened and closed for the same purpose.

[0039]

As described above in detail, the empty can pressing device according to the present invention comprises a casing, which is provided with an empty can inlet, a pressing means, and a recovery section, and is provided near the empty can inlet with an empty can. A discriminating means which is brought into close proximity to discriminate its material and a passage opening / closing means which opens and closes an empty can passage to the pressing means based on the output signal are provided, and the discriminating means is
Since it is equipped with a sensor for detecting non-magnetic metal material and a magnetizing means for magnetizing the magnetic material and holding it in the opening of the empty can, it is prohibited to move the magnetic material to the pressing means by the operation of the magnetizing means. Therefore, only the non-magnetic metal material detected by the sensor will be allowed to pass through the empty can passage, and empty cans and other objects containing materials other than the non-magnetic metal material can be reliably identified and excluded. Produce an effect.

Further, when the empty can input port is provided with a detecting means for detecting an empty can made of a magnetic material held by the magnetizing means, the empty can inserted by the detecting means is made of a magnetic material. Therefore, even if the empty can contains a non-magnetic metal material and the sensor output signal is generated, the operation of the passage opening / closing means is avoided and the empty can passage is closed. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably avoid the progress to the pressing means such as the empty can containing the magnetic material.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of an empty can pressing device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a view showing a mounting state of a sensor in the press device of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a view taken in the direction of arrow X in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a view on arrow Y of FIG.

[Explanation of Codes] C empty can 1 pressing device 2 casing 3 empty can input port 4 pressing means 5 recovery section 6 empty can passage 7 passage opening / closing means 9 discriminating means 10 sensor 11 magnetic sticking means 12 detecting means

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A casing, an empty can input port for inserting an empty can, and a pressing means for crushing the inserted empty can,
A collection unit for collecting the crushed empty cans, and in the vicinity of the empty can input port, a determining unit that is close to the inserted empty cans and determines the material of the empty cans; and an output signal from the determining unit. A passage opening / closing means for opening / closing an empty can passage between the empty can input port and the pressing means based on the above, and the determining means, a sensor for detecting a non-magnetic metal material;
An empty can pressing device, comprising: a magnetic sticking means for magnetically sticking a magnetic material and holding the magnetic material in the opening of the empty can. 2. The empty can pressing device according to claim 1, wherein a detecting means for detecting an empty can made of a magnetic material held by the magnetizing means is provided at the empty can inlet.