JPH10231003A - Paper cup collector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To collect paper cups being layered one another in a container and transfer in this state by providing plurality of openings on the top for accepting the paper cups, vertically guiding the paper cups charged from the openings with plural rods provided near the outer peripheries of the openings. SOLUTION: Plural openings 1 are provided on the top for accepting paper cups, the paper cups charged from the openings 1 are vertically guided with cylindrical materials 3 or rod materials 3' and the paper cups guided into the cylindrical materials 3 to be layered one another are collected into a container 4 for carriage. The openings 1 formed in circular shape have the edges made of a flexible material and provided with rough cuts for the bores to be smaller than those of the paper cups and larger than the diameter of the bottoms of the paper cups, so that the paper cups already used with the bottoms to be always directed downward are charged in the openings 1 and layered one another without fail.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a collection of used paper cups, plastic cups, styrene paper cups and the like (hereinafter referred to as "paper cups") used in vending machines for providing beverages in disposable cups. The present invention relates to a paper cup collection device that collects paper in a state of being stacked in the same direction and simultaneously stores it in a collection box in that state in consideration of economy and convenience of reuse.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, used paper cups have been freely put into a box having one opening, and collectively collected in a plastic bag or the like previously covered with the box.

[0003]

However, when a used paper cup is freely put into a garbage box or the like without its direction being controlled, the used paper cup becomes bulky and the box becomes full with a small number of cups. Recovery must be done frequently.

[0004] In addition, efficiency is low when the collected paper cups are transported to a disposal site, and it is inconvenient when reused.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and a plurality of openings for receiving paper cups are provided on a top surface, and paper cups inserted from the respective openings are provided. It is guided vertically by a plurality of rods provided near the outer periphery of the cylindrical body or the opening, and is collected in a container in a stacked state, and can be transported as it is.

When the container for collection is full, the cylindrical surface or the rod-shaped body connected to the opening of the top surface can be pulled out by lifting the top surface, and only the paper cups in the overlapping state are aligned. And remains in the collection box.

Further, the paper cup collecting device is housed in a housing, so that the device is integrated, and rotation or movement is enabled by providing a caster. However, a handle is provided on the top surface so that the top surface and the cylindrical body or the rod-shaped body can be lifted.

Further, in order to collect all the used paper cups to be put in a stacked state, the paper cups must be put in a certain direction.

In order to solve the above problem, the opening is formed in a circular shape, and the opening is formed on the inner periphery of the opening so that the diameter is smaller than the diameter of the paper cup and larger than the bottom diameter of the paper cup. By providing an edge having a notch with irregularities in a flexible material, the used paper cup is inserted into the opening with the bottom face always facing downward.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A paper cup collecting apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows the overall configuration of a paper cup collecting apparatus according to the present invention. A plurality of openings 1 for receiving paper cups are provided on a top surface 2 serving as an upper surface of the apparatus. The opening 1 is provided with a cylindrical body 3 extending vertically from each of the openings, and the inserted paper cup is guided in the vertical direction.

The cylindrical body 3 can be made of a generally used material such as plastic or vinyl, and is preferably made of soft PVC or the like in consideration of folding and storage. The length of the cylindrical body can be set according to the depth of the container that houses the paper cup. The cylinder 3 may be fixed integrally with the opening 1 or may be fixed at the opening with a ring or rubber.

The paper cup collecting device comprising the plurality of openings and the cylinder connected thereto can be used by directly placing it on a cardboard or the like for accommodating the paper cup. This makes it possible to provide a simple paper cup collection device, and it is possible to reuse, for example, a paper cup delivery box.

The cup used herein is not limited to paper, but is a cup made of plastic, styrene paper or the like, which is used for recovery and reuse.

In FIG. 1, a container 4 for accommodating a paper cup
Is indicated by a wavy line. The container 4 may be provided in the present apparatus, or may be used when the paper cup is delivered.

A housing 6 in which the cylindrical body 3 and the collecting container 4 are housed, with the top surface 2 capable of being lifted as an upper surface, is provided with a detachable tank 6 for draining away remaining drinks. It is possible to discharge the residue etc. and then put it into the collection device. In addition, a caster 7 is provided on the main body, and the caster 7 can be moved or rotated according to the number of people or the flow of people.

FIG. 2 shows the use state of the paper cup collecting apparatus according to the present invention. Specifically, the paper cup 8 is put into the paper cup, the remaining drink is collected, and the paper cup 8 is stored in the container 4 in a stacked state.
Is shown.

FIG. 3 shows an example of the shape of the cylindrical body. FIGS. 1 and 2 show a cylindrical body having no irregularities on its side surface.
However, when the side surface of the cylindrical body is flat, if the height of the apparatus is high, that is, if the distance from the opening to the container to be stored is long, the side surface of the paper cup and the inner wall of the cylindrical body come into contact on the way and the beverage May adhere to each other due to the sugar content and the like, and may not be accommodated in a state where the paper cups are stacked.
Therefore, in order to minimize the contact area between the side surface of the paper cup and the inner wall of the cylindrical body that guides the paper cup, the cylindrical body is provided with a plurality of convex portions parallel to the vertical direction on the side surface in order to collect the paper cup smoothly. Shape. At this time, the contact or contact surface between the side surface of the paper cup and the cylindrical body is formed in a vertical direction.

FIG. 3 shows an embodiment in which the side surface of the cylindrical body is bent into a bellows and has a convex portion, but this may be a convex portion having a curve (waveform). This is because even in this case, the contact area with the paper cup can be reduced.

FIG. 4 shows an example in which a plurality of rods are arranged on the outer periphery of the opening instead of the cylinder. A plurality of rods are provided in the vertical direction along the outer periphery of the opening, and the paper cup introduced from the opening is guided to the paper cup container. This is one in which the cylinder shown in FIG. 3 is constituted by a plurality of independent rods. As a result, the paper cup and each rod-shaped body come into contact with each other with a line, and the contact area can be reduced.

FIG. 5 shows an embodiment in which four rods are arranged on the outer periphery of a stack of paper cups in a row, FIG. 6 is a top view thereof, and FIG. 7 is a perspective view thereof.

The stack of paper cups in a row is surrounded by four bars, while the bar is surrounded by a stack of four rows of paper cups. That is, one rod is provided at the same distance from the four openings surrounding the rod.

Such an arrangement is determined in consideration of the number, size, material and the like of the paper cups to be collected. Therefore, three or five rods may be used for one stack.

FIG. 8 shows an edge 9 provided on the inner periphery of the opening 1. FIG. 8A is a plan view of an opening provided with an edge 9, and FIG. 8B shows a state where a paper cup passes through the opening 1 provided with the edge 9.

The material of the edge is made of flexible vinyl, rubber, plastic, or the like, and has a shape having irregularities along the inner periphery of the opening.

A predetermined width and a concave and convex cut are formed at the edge so that the diameter of the opening 1 provided with the edge 9 is smaller than the diameter of the paper cup and larger than the bottom diameter of the paper cup. Is provided, the direction in which the paper cup is inserted is controlled, and the user inserts the paper cup into the opening with the bottom surface thereof facing downward.

[0027] In this way, in addition to the paper cup loading direction controlled by the cylindrical body, the vertical direction of the paper cup can be controlled, so that the paper cup collected by the paper cup collection device of the present invention must be used. They can be collected in an overlapping state.

FIG. 9 shows an exchange state of the collecting box in the paper cup collecting apparatus according to the present invention. The top surface integrating the opening and the cylindrical body is fitted into the housing so that only the top surface can be lifted from the housing.

When the collection box becomes full, the cylinder connected to the opening on the top can be pulled out by lifting the top, and only the paper cups in the overlapping state are aligned. Remains in collection box. If this collection box is sealed, it can be transported as it is.

[0030]

As described above, according to the present invention, when a used paper cup is discarded in a trash box or the like by the cylindrical or rod-shaped body provided in the opening and the edge having a characteristic shape, the paper cup is inserted. By controlling the direction (vertical direction) and the direction of the paper cup (up and down of the opening), the used paper cups are collected in a piled state, the volume is minimized, and the paper can be transported as it is to enable collection efficiency. Is to improve.

Further, the use of the shape of the cylindrical body or the rod-shaped body prevents the stack from becoming uneven due to the paper cup contacting and adhering to the cylindrical body, thereby efficiently collecting the paper cup.

Specifically, it is possible to reduce the labor for replacing each collection box, reduce the cost of transporting the collection box to the disposal site, and to recycle paper materials.

Also, by providing the casters in the housing in which the apparatus is integrated, the paper cup collecting apparatus can be rotated or moved, and can be arranged according to the number of people and the flow of people.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a paper cup collection device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a use state of the paper cup collection device according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows an example of a mode in which a plurality of convex portions parallel to the vertical direction are provided on a side surface of a cylindrical body.

FIG. 4 shows an example in which a plurality of rods are arranged on the outer periphery of an opening.

FIG. 5 shows an embodiment in which four rods are arranged on the outer periphery of a stack of paper cups in a row.

FIG. 6 is a top view of an embodiment in which four rods are arranged on the outer periphery of a stack of paper cups in a row.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an embodiment in which four rods are arranged on the outer periphery of a stack of paper cups in a row.

FIG. 8 is a view showing an edge provided on an inner periphery of an opening of the paper cup collecting apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a state when the collection box is replaced.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Opening part 2 ... Top surface part 3 ... Cylindrical body 3 '... Bar-shaped body 4 ... Container 5 ... Housing 6 ... Row 7 ... Caster 8 ... Collected Paper cup 9 ・ ・ ・ Edge

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A top surface provided with a plurality of openings for receiving a paper cup, a cylinder connected to the opening and guiding the paper cup in a vertical direction, and a used paper cup guided to the cylinder A container for containing
A paper cup collecting device, wherein used paper cups introduced from the opening and guided to the cylindrical body can be collected in the container in a stacked state. 2. An opening having a circular shape, a flexible edge having an uneven cut in its inner periphery is provided, and the diameter of the opening provided with the edge is made larger than the diameter of a paper cup. Is smaller and larger than the diameter of the bottom surface of the paper cup, the used paper cup is put into the opening with the bottom face down, guided to the cylinder, and stacked in the same direction. The paper cup collecting device according to claim 1, wherein the paper cup can be collected in the container in a state. 3. The paper cup collection device according to claim 1, wherein the side surface of the cylindrical body has a plurality of convex portions parallel to a vertical direction. 4. The paper cup collecting device according to claim 1, wherein the cylindrical body is constituted by a plurality of rods provided in parallel with a vertical direction along an outer periphery of the opening. 5. A top surface portion provided with a plurality of openings for receiving a paper cup, and provided in a vertical vertical direction along an outer periphery of the opening portion, and circumscribes a side surface of the paper cup inserted from the opening portion. Or a plurality of rods that guide the paper cup in the vertical direction in proximity to the container, and a container that stores the used paper cup guided to the cylinder, which is inserted from the opening and guided to the cylinder. A paper cup collecting device, wherein used paper cups can be collected in the container in a stacked state. 6. The plurality of rods are surrounded by the four openings on the top surface and are provided at the same distance from the center of each of the four openings. The paper cup collecting device according to the above. 7. A housing having a top surface portion as an upper surface portion and a surface on which the container is placed as a bottom surface portion, wherein the housing is integrally movable with a tank for collecting leftover drinks. A used paper cup is put into the opening with the bottom face down, guided to the cylindrical body or the rod-shaped body, and placed in the same direction in the container. The paper cup collecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the paper cup can be collected. 8. A top surface portion provided with a plurality of openings for receiving a paper cup, a cylinder connected to the openings and guiding the paper cup in a vertical direction,
It is arranged on a container for storing used paper cups, and the used paper cups introduced from the opening and guided to the cylindrical body can be collected in the container in a stacked state. Characterized paper cup collection device. 9. A top surface portion provided with a plurality of openings for receiving a paper cup, and a vertically vertical direction provided on the outer periphery of the opening portion, circumscribing or approaching a side surface of the paper cup inserted from the opening portion. And a plurality of rods for guiding the paper cup in the vertical direction, and disposed on a container for storing the used paper cup, and introduced from the opening and guided to the cylinder or the rod. A paper cup collecting device, wherein used paper cups can be collected in the container in a stacked state. 10. An opening having a circular shape, a flexible edge having an uneven cut is provided on an inner periphery thereof, and a diameter of the opening provided with the edge is made larger than a diameter of a paper cup. Smaller, and larger than the diameter of the bottom surface of the paper cup, placed on a container for storing the used paper cup, the used paper cup is thrown into the opening with the bottom face down, The paper cup recovery device according to claim 1, wherein the paper cup recovery device can be recovered in the container while being guided by the cylindrical body or the rod-shaped body and stacked in the same direction.