JPS62214495A - Empty can recovery machine - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to an empty can collecting machine for collecting empty cans of canned products such as canned coffee, canned juice, and canned beer.

(Prior Art) Recently, empty can collection machines using a deposit method (temporary deposit method) have been used to increase the effectiveness of collecting empty cans of canned products such as canned coffee, canned juice, and canned beer. The deposit method is to add a certain amount, for example 10 yen, as a deposit to the list price of the canned product, and then print the canned product with a sticker attached to the bottom of the can as a mark. This is a system in which the above-mentioned similar funds are returned.

The empty can collection machine used for this deposit method is
Conventionally, it is detected whether or not an empty can inserted from the input slot has a sticker, and if a sticker is attached, coins equivalent to the entire deposit are dispensed from the coin dispensing opening, and the empty can that has been inserted is left as is, or It is configured to be pressed and collected in a collection box.

(Problem to be solved by the invention) However, since the deposit system itself is intended to beautify the environment by disposing of empty cans, or to conserve resources through recycling, coins are only accepted for empty cans with stickers as described above. However, there was a problem in that empty cans without stickers remained uncollected, and the collection effect in accordance with the purpose of the system was not achieved.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve these problems and to provide an empty can collection machine that can promote the collection of empty cans even without stickers and can achieve a sufficient collection effect.

(Means for Solving the Problems) The present invention includes a control device that counts the number of unsealed empty cans put in and generates a coin dispensing command every time the counted value reaches a predetermined value. be.

(Function) When empty cans without stickers are put in, the number of the put-in cans is sequentially counted. When the count reaches a predetermined value, the deposit amount for one empty can is paid out for the empty can that was put in at this time.

(Example) Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained based on illustrated embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional configuration diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention, in which a front door 1 of the collection machine body is provided with an empty can input port 2, a coin payout port 3, and an empty can discharge port 4. .

The input port 2 communicates with a collection box 6 via a chute 5 that guides the empty cans placed downward, and also communicates with the discharge port 4 via a branch path 7 provided in the middle of the chute 5. The branch path 7 of the chute 5 is provided with a path switching mechanism 9 for selectively guiding empty cans input from the input port 2 to the collection box 6 or the discharge port 4. Furthermore, a seal detector 10 is provided on the upstream side of the branch path 7 to detect the presence or absence of a seal. Further, in the empty can passage of the chute 5 leading to the collection box 6, a press device 11 is installed.
An empty can passage detector 12 is provided to detect when pressed empty cans have passed toward the collection box 6.

The passage switching mechanism 9 includes a switching plate 9A and a switching plate 9.
It has a solenoid 9B for operating the solenoid A.

The press device 11 contacts an eccentric cam 11B rotated by a press motor 11A, and advances into the empty can passage of the shooter 5 as the cam 11B rotates, and after a certain rotation, the biasing force of the tension spring IIC is applied. It consists of a movable plate LID that retreats from the can passage of the chute 5 and a press sensor IIE that detects when the movable plate 11D has advanced the distance required for pressing, and the switching plate 9A is switched to the side shown by the imaginary line. Empty cans heading toward the collection box 6 in this state stop at the swingable stopper plate 11F, are pressed by the reciprocating movement of the movable plate 110, and are pressed against the stopper plate 11F.
It passes through the gap between F and the wall of the chute 5 and is stored in the collection box 6. At this time, the empty cans stored in the collection box 6 are detected by the empty can passage detector 12. In this case, when the collection box 6 is full of pressed empty cans, the pressed empty cans will stay in the path of the empty can passage detector 12, and the detection signal of the empty can passage detector 12 will have a constant voltage level. It becomes a DC signal with Therefore, when the detection signal of the empty can passage detector 12 changes to a DC signal at a constant voltage level, it can be determined that the collection box 6 is full.

On the other hand, a coin dispensing device 13 is located upstream of the coin dispensing port 3.
is installed. Furthermore, an indicator lamp 14 is provided at the top of the front door 1 to indicate that the collection machine is ready for operation.

The input port 2 is provided with a can input door 15 having a storage space for one empty can, and empty cans stored by opening the can input door 15 are dropped into the chute 5 by closing the line groove 15. At the entrance of the chute 5, there is provided an input detector 16 which is activated by closing the can input door 15 and detects when an empty can is input. The seal detector 10 is configured to start a seal detection operation after a certain period of time on condition that a detection signal is generated from the input detector 16.

All the output signals of the various detectors mentioned above are sent to the control device 17.
is input. The passage switching mechanism 9, the press device 11, the coin dispensing device 13, and the display lamp 14 are controlled by this control device 17.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an overview of the operation of the embodiment shown in FIG. The operation of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 will be described below with reference to this flowchart.

First, when the power of the control device 17 is turned on, this empty can collecting machine is put into operation. When the power is turned on, the control device 17 first determines whether the empty can collecting machine can be operated normally or not (step 30). That is, press sensor I
Movable plate 11D of press device 11 based on the output signal of IH
It is detected whether or not the empty can passage detector 12 has returned to the pressing start position, and whether or not the collection box 6 is full is also detected based on the output signal of the empty can passage detector 12.

As a result, if it is determined that the movable plate LID has returned to the press start position and the collection box 6 is not full, the empty can collection machine is in a state where normal operation is possible. The display lamp 14 is turned on.

However, if the movable plate LLD does not return to the normal pressing starting position due to engagement with foreign objects or pressed empty cans, or if the collection box 6 is full, it is determined that the operation is not possible, and the display lamp 14 remains in the off state. In this case, the switching plate 9A of the passage switching mechanism 9
is held in the position shown by the solid line in the figure until all causes of the inoperable condition are removed. Once the machine is ready for operation, the switching plate 9A is immediately switched to the side shown by the imaginary line when an empty can with a regular seal is inserted.

Therefore, even if an empty can is thrown in when the vehicle is in an inoperable state, the empty can is discharged to the outside through the outlet 4 through the branch path 7 of the chute 5.

On the other hand, when the machine is ready for operation, when an empty can is put in through the inlet 2, the empty can is detected by the put-in detector 16 (step 31). The control device 17 is the input detector 1
When the input of an empty can is detected by the output signal of 6, the seal detector 1 is activated after a certain period of time considering the time required for the loaded empty can to reach the position of the detector 10.
0 is the operating state.

Therefore, when the inserted empty can reaches the position of the seal detector 10, the seal detector 10 detects whether or not a seal is affixed to the empty can (step 32). The control device 17 determines the presence or absence of a sticker based on the detection signal of the sticker detection-on-base 10, and if a sticker is attached,
A coin dispensing command is sent to the coin dispensing device 13, and coins equivalent to all the deposited coins are disbursed from the dispensing port (step 34).
. At the same time, the switching plate 9A is switched to the side shown by the imaginary line. As a result, the empty can with the seal falls to the position of the stopper plate 11F of the press device 11 via the switching plate 9A.

The control device 17 controls the press motor II after a certain period of time in consideration of the time it takes for the empty can to fall to the position of the stopper plate 11F.
A is driven to rotate the eccentric cam 11B once. As a result, the movable plate 110 reciprocates, the empty can located at the stopper plate 11F is pressed, and falls towards the collection box 6 through between the stopper plate 11F and the wall of the chute 5, completing the pressing ( Step 36). After this, the system waits for the next new empty can to be added.

On the other hand, if the inserted empty can does not have a seal attached, the control device 17 detects the insertion of the empty can by the input detector 16, on the condition that the input of the empty can is detected and that no seal is attached. Count value of the number of empty cans input
R+IJ to update step 37), then count value
and a predetermined value n, and if X≧n, then
After clearing =O, a coin dispensing command is issued to the empty can without a seal where X≧n, and the coin dispensing device 1
3. Make the customer pay out coins equivalent to the total amount of one empty can. Then, the press device 11 is driven in the same manner as when an empty can with a seal is put in, and the empty can without a seal is stored in the collection box 6 after being pressed.

Therefore, according to this embodiment, coins equivalent to one empty can are paid out every time the number of empty cans without a seal reaches n or more, so it is possible to encourage the collection of empty cans without a seal. . Note that n may be set based on the investment amount for environmental beautification by organizations participating in the deposit system, taking into account profitability and recovery effect.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing another embodiment of the present invention in which the user or administrator can freely select whether or not to pay out coins for every n empty cans without seals. The flow in the right half is the same as in FIG. On the other hand, the flow shown in the left half of the figure is executed by the control device 17 only when the changeover switch that determines whether or not to dispense coins to empty cans without seals is on. That is, in this embodiment, the output signal of the changeover switch 18 provided on the front door 1 is inputted to the control device 17, and when this switch 18 is on, the flow shown in the left half of FIG. 3 is executed, and when it is off, the flow shown in the right half is executed. I am trying to execute this flow.

In the left half of the flow, on condition that the changeover switch 18 is on (step 40), the presence or absence of a seal is detected (step 43), and if there is a seal, coins are dispensed as in the case of Fig. 2. , the inserted empty cans are pressed and stored in the collection 6 (steps 44 to 4).
46). However, if no seal is attached, the switching plate 9A of the passage switching mechanism 9 remains connected to the branch passage 7, and the loaded empty can without a seal is discharged from the discharge port 4 (step 47).

Therefore, it is possible to freely select by the switch 18 whether only empty cans with seals are to be collected, or whether empty cans without seals are also to be collected and coins are dispensed every time the number n is reached. Therefore, it becomes possible to freely select and use the collection machine itself in two usage modes: one that emphasizes profitability and one that emphasizes collection effectiveness.

(Effects of the Invention) As explained above, according to the present invention, coins are paid out even for empty cans without seals every time the number of coins inserted exceeds a predetermined number. It is possible to encourage collection and increase the collection effect.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional configuration diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an overview of the operation of the embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing another embodiment of the invention. 1... Front door, 2... Inlet, 3...
Payout port, 4...Discharge port, 5...Chooter, 6...Collection box, 7...Diversion path,
9... Passage switching mechanism, lO... Seal detector,
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11...Press device, 12...Empty can passage detector, 13...Coin dispensing device, 14...Display lamp, 16...Insertion detector, 17...Control device, 18... Changeover switch.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) Detects whether or not the empty can inserted from the input port has a predetermined seal, and if the sticker is attached, dispenses coins and collects the empty can into the collection box. This empty can collection machine is equipped with a control device that counts the number of empty cans that are not attached with a seal and that issues a coin dispensing command to dispense coins every time the counted value reaches a predetermined value. (2) The control device has a changeover switch that determines whether or not to dispense coins to unsealed empty cans, and when this changeover switch is switched to the side that dispenses coins. The empty can collecting machine according to claim 1, wherein the empty can collecting machine generates a coin dispensing command every time the number of empty cans without a sticker reaches a predetermined value.