KR20240051490A - Method for automatic sorting of recyclable wastes based on invisible dye mark, and appratus therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to recycling classification technology, and in particular, to technology for automatically sorting recycled products using marks that identify whether they are recycled products and the material of the recycled products. In an article on which an automatic classification mark for recycling products is formed on at least a portion of the surface according to an embodiment of the present invention for solving the above-described technical problem, the automatic classification mark is formed based on the material of the article, and has a first pattern It may be characterized in that the first pattern is formed on the surface with a first paint containing a first luminescent material that emits light in a first luminous color when irradiated with a first ray of a first wavelength band. .

Description

Automatic sorting method and device for recyclables based on invisible paint marks {METHOD FOR AUTOMATIC SORTING OF RECYCLABLE WASTES BASED ON INVISIBLE DYE MARK, AND APPRATUS THEREFOR}

The present invention relates to recycling classification technology, and in particular, to technology for automatically sorting recycled products using marks that identify whether they are recycled products and the material of the recycled products.

Currently, the separate collection of recyclables is largely carried out by the discharger or collector, relying on manpower. In particular, for collectors of recyclable waste, properly separating various types of recyclables according to their materials is an essential process to increase the recycling rate of waste and improve the quality of recycled products. Accordingly, various methods have been proposed to facilitate the above-mentioned separate collection.

Among the methods applied in the past to easily sort recycling waste, there is a recycling classification symbol mark. A recycling classification symbol is a recycling product symbol designated by national or international standards and indicates what material a specific product is made of. The classification symbol is stamped, attached, or printed on the product so that product dischargers and collectors can refer to it in the process of disposing or recycling the product. However, these marks are assumed to be individually recognized by people, and the attachment location is inconsistent and visibility is low, so a large amount of collected waste must be disposed of, or it must rely on automated systems rather than manpower. It is not of much help in this situation.

Among the conventional methods of sorting recycling waste by an automated system, artificial intelligence such as a deep neural network is trained using images of the overall shape of various recycling items subject to classification, and the artificial intelligence uses the artificial intelligence to classify recycling waste. There is also a method to identify and dispose of incoming recyclable waste that matches its shape. However, since recyclable waste is essentially brought in as waste, its shape is damaged such as being crushed or crumpled, its color is different from the original due to contamination, discoloration, or discoloration, or other dirt is attached, etc., it is identified by artificial intelligence. Since it is often difficult to identify identity with the learned shape, application in actual fields is very difficult.

Other conventional automated sorting technologies used a method of sorting using the physical properties of items to be recycled. For example, methods such as classifying plastic products made of a specific material using the electrostatic charge they have, separating them by fluid or air currents using the specific gravity or unit weight of a specific material, or classifying them based on the universal color of the material. This existed. However, this is an indirect method, and has limitations such as the inability to distinguish recycled products whose physical properties deviate from the standards due to mixing, pressing, cutting, or fusion.

As one of the background technologies to solve the various difficulties in sorting recycled products as described above, a method using the optical properties of materials has been proposed. In US Patent Publication No. US 2017/0210901 A1 published on June 27, 2017, Langhals et al. proposed a method for distinguishing products using the fluorescence characteristics of polymer products. Focusing on the fluorescence component that a specific polymer material, which is usually classified as a plastic, must have during the formation stage, the material of the article is judged by the fluorescence decay speed after irradiating ultraviolet rays to the article made of the polymer material. It is to separate. In addition, when necessary, a method of mixing a specific fluorescent dye into the polymer to cause specific fluorescence and thereby determine the material of the article was also proposed.

Another background technology has proposed a method of physically imprinting an identification mark at a specific location on an article. In PCT application publication WO 2020/186234 A1 published on December 3, 2020, Sharma et al. place a physical mark indicating material information using an engraving or embossing means on a part of the surface of a plastic article, and illuminate the article. When inspected, the mark was identified, and a method of separating the product was proposed by determining the material.

The prior art disclosed in the above-mentioned published literature by Langhals et al. only works in some limited cases among polymer-based materials, and in order to overcome these limitations, fluorescent paint must be mixed from the molten polymer plastic raw material stage. There is a limitation that the mixing method must be standardized and shared. Additionally, other than polymer or plastic materials manufactured through molding in a molten state, it cannot be applied to other materials subject to recycling, such as paper, metal, and glass. Therefore, it is difficult to easily apply it to the overall production process of recyclable products.

In addition, the prior art disclosed in the above-mentioned published literature by Sharma et al. requires separate processing on the surface medium of the product, and this process may cause damage to the outer surface of the product, especially in cases where the outer surface is thin, such as a bottle, without perforation. There is a risk of product damage due to etc., so there is a problem that it is difficult to apply in reality. In addition, although it claims superiority in terms of durability and visibility compared to marks printed on stickers or labels, there is a high risk of damage as the mark exists only on a part of the surface, and if there is any deformation such as cracks or scratches on the mark area, the mark must be removed. It is unrecognizable, and it leaves traces of processing on the surface, causing aesthetic inconvenience to consumers of the product.

The purpose of the present invention is to solve the problems of the above-mentioned prior technologies and to enable better and more convenient automatic classification and processing of recyclables.

In an article on which an automatic classification mark for recycling products is formed on at least a portion of the surface according to an embodiment of the present invention for solving the above-described technical problem, the automatic classification mark is formed based on the material of the article, and has a first pattern It may be characterized in that the first pattern is formed on the surface with a first paint containing a first luminescent material that emits light in a first luminous color when irradiated with a first ray of a first wavelength band. .

The automatic classification mark may be formed to indicate the classification type of the article by at least one of the shape of the first pattern or the color of the first luminous color.

The automatic classification mark may be formed to indicate the material of the article belonging to at least one of plastic, battery, metal, organic material, biodegradable material, vinyl, can, paper, carton, glass, and PET.

The first wavelength band may include at least one invisible light wavelength band.

The invisible light wavelength band may be characterized as including at least one ultraviolet wavelength band having a wavelength of 10 nm or more and 400 nm or less.

The automatic classification mark may be transparent under visible light without being irradiated with the first light.

The automatic classification mark further includes a second pattern, and the second pattern is formed on the surface with a second paint containing a second luminescent material that receives a second ray in a second wavelength band and emits a second luminous color. It can be characterized as:

The automatic classification mark may be printed on the surface of the article.

The automatic classification mark may be formed by attaching a printed matter to the surface of the article.

The automatic classification mark may be formed by mixing the first paint into the materials constituting the article.

The first light-emitting material may be characterized as having a fluorescence characteristic that emits a first light-emitting color when irradiated with the first ray.

The first light-emitting material may be characterized as having a phosphorescent characteristic that continues to emit light in the first light-emitting color even if the first light-emitting material is removed after being irradiated with the first light.

An automatic recycling product sorting device according to an embodiment of the present invention for solving the above-described technical problem includes an inlet unit for introducing items into the device, a light source unit for irradiating the items with a first ray of a first wavelength band, a photographing unit for photographing a first pattern emitted from the article in a first luminous color, a determination unit for determining a classification type of the article based on at least one of the shape of the first pattern and the color of the first luminous color, and It may include a classification unit that classifies and processes the goods according to the classification type.

The carrying unit may be characterized as including a conveyor belt.

The device may further include a dark room, and the light source unit and the photographing unit may be installed inside the dark room.

The first wavelength band may include at least one invisible light wavelength band.

The invisible light wavelength band may be characterized as including at least one ultraviolet wavelength band having a wavelength of 10 nm or more and 400 nm or less.

The classification type is determined by the type of at least one material included in the product, and the material is plastic, battery, metal, organic material, biodegradable material, vinyl, can, paper, carton, glass, and PET. It may belong to at least one of the items, and the classification unit may be configured to classify and collect the items as recyclable items based on the material.

A method of forming an automatic classification mark for recycled products according to an embodiment of the present invention for solving the above-described technical problem includes determining a classification type based on the material of the article, and a first wavelength band indicating the classification type. Selecting a first paint containing a first luminescent material that emits light in a first luminescent color when irradiated with one ray of light, and applying the first paint to at least a portion of the surface of the article according to the shape of a first pattern. It may include forming an automatic classification mark.

The method of automatically sorting recycled products according to an embodiment of the present invention for solving the above-described technical problem includes irradiating a first ray of a first wavelength band to an article, and irradiating a first light ray of a first wavelength band to an article, Photographing one pattern, determining a classification type of the article based on at least one of the shape of the first pattern and the color of the first luminous color, and classifying and processing the article according to the classification type. It can be included.

The automatic classification mark for recycling according to the present invention can be applied at any stage from production, distribution, and disposal as long as the shape of the product is completed, so it has the advantage of being easily utilized by applying it at a high speed in necessary areas.

In addition, since the automatic classification mark for recycling products according to the present invention is placed on a wide area of the surface of the product, it has the advantage of maintaining the ability to identify the material despite deformations such as mixing, pressing, cutting, and fusion that occur during the process of disposing of the recycled product. .

Furthermore, the automatic classification mark for recycling products according to the present invention has the advantage of being widely distributed on the surface of the product and can be formed invisible, so that it does not cause aesthetic inconvenience or confusion to the consumer of the product.

Lastly, the automatic classification mark for recycling products according to the present invention can be applied to all products other than plastic as long as invisible paint can be applied, so it has the advantage of enabling automatic classification of almost all recycling items.

1 is a conceptual diagram showing the basic concept of the form of the automatic classification mark proposed by the present invention;
Figure 2 is an illustration showing an article with an automatic classification mark formed on the surface according to an embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 3 is an illustration of a method of partially forming an automatic classification mark according to an embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 4 is an example of a method of configuring various patterns of automatic classification marks according to an embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 5 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of an automatic classification device for recycling according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Since the present invention can make various changes and have various embodiments, specific embodiments will be illustrated in the drawings and described in detail. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to specific embodiments, and should be understood to include all changes, equivalents, and substitutes included in the spirit and technical scope of the present invention.

Terms such as first, second, etc. may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by the terms. The above terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. For example, a first component may be referred to as a second component, and similarly, the second component may be referred to as a first component without departing from the scope of the present invention. The term “and/or” includes any combination of a plurality of related stated items or any of a plurality of related stated items and, unless otherwise indicated, is non-exclusive. When items are listed in the present application, it is merely an exemplary description to easily explain the spirit and possible implementation methods of the invention of the present application, and therefore, it is not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of the present invention.

As used herein, “A or B” may mean “only A,” “only B,” or “both A and B.” In other words, in this specification, “A or B” may be interpreted as “A and/or B.” For example, as used herein, “A, B or C” refers to “only A,” “only B,” “only C,” or “any and all combinations of A, B, and C ( It can mean “any combination of A, B and C)”.

The slash (/) or comma used in this specification may mean “and/or.” For example, “A/B” can mean “A and/or B.” Accordingly, “A/B” can mean “only A,” “only B,” or “both A and B.” For example, “A, B, C” can mean “A, B, or C.”

As used herein, “at least one of A and B” may mean “only A,” “only B,” or “both A and B.” In addition, in this specification, the expression "at least one of A or B" or "at least one of A and/or B" means "at least one It can be interpreted the same as "at least one of A and B".

Additionally, as used herein, “at least one of A, B and C” means “only A”, “only B”, “only C”, or “A, B and C”. It can mean “any combination of A, B and C.” Also, “at least one of A, B or C” or “at least one of A, B and/or C” means It may mean “at least one of A, B and C.”

When a component is said to be "connected" or "connected" to another component, it is understood that it may be directly connected to or connected to the other component, but that other components may exist in between. It should be. On the other hand, when it is mentioned that a component is “directly connected” or “directly connected” to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components in between.

The terms used in this application are only used to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In this application, terms such as “comprise” or “have” are intended to designate the presence of features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, but are not intended to indicate the presence of one or more other features. It should be understood that this does not exclude in advance the possibility of the existence or addition of elements, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as generally understood by a person of ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present invention pertains. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning in the context of the related technology, and unless clearly defined in the present application, should not be interpreted in an idealized or excessively formal sense. No.

In describing the invention in this application, embodiments may be described or illustrated in terms of unit blocks that perform the described function or functions. In this application, the blocks may be expressed as one or more devices, units, modules, units, etc. The blocks may be implemented in hardware by one or more logic gates, integrated circuits, processors, controllers, memories, electronic components, or information processing hardware implementation methods that are not limited thereto. Alternatively, the blocks may be implemented in software by an implementation method of application software, operating system software, firmware, or information processing software that is not limited thereto. One block may be implemented separately into a plurality of blocks that perform the same function, or conversely, one block may be implemented to simultaneously perform the functions of a plurality of blocks. The blocks may also be implemented physically separated or combined by any criteria. The blocks may be implemented to operate in an environment where their physical locations are not specified and are spaced apart from each other by a communication network, the Internet, a cloud service, or a communication method that is not limited thereto. Since all of the above implementation methods are within the scope of various embodiments that can be taken by those skilled in the art to implement the same technical idea, any detailed implementation methods should all be construed as being included in the technical idea scope of the invention in this application.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the attached drawings. In order to facilitate overall understanding when describing the present invention, the same reference numerals are used for the same components in the drawings, and duplicate descriptions of the same components are omitted. Additionally, it is assumed that the plurality of embodiments are not mutually exclusive, and that some embodiments may be combined with one or more other embodiments to form new embodiments.

Shape and application of mark

In the present invention, an automatic recycling classification mark is formed on the surface of an article that can be classified as a recycling product, so that the article can be automatically and easily classified according to the type of recycling material.

Figure 1 is a conceptual diagram showing the basic concept of the form of the automatic classification mark proposed by the present invention.

First, assume the surface 10 of an arbitrary article. Markings may be formed on the surface 10 using paint 15. The paint 15 that can be used in the present invention may be colorless, and may appear transparent by transmitting light under general visible light 20 illumination. When the surface 10 is transparent, the light continuously transmits 25 through the surface 10, so that the paint 15 may not be discerned by the human eye, and in addition, the surface 10 In the case where it is translucent or opaque, only the color of the surface 10 may appear after being reflected 27 from the surface 10. However, when the paint 15 is irradiated with light 30 of a specific wavelength, the paint 15 may emit light 35 with a characteristic color or wavelength. By acquiring the light 35 emitted with respect to the ray 30 of a specific wavelength in this way by the imaging means 40, an automatic classification mark that does not normally appear colorless but can be identified in special environments can be formed on the surface of the article. There will be.

In the prior art, when it is attempted to form a mark indicating the recycling classification type at a fixed location on the product, it is not easy to observe the mark in the actual recycling process, and the classification type is determined based on the markings on attachments such as labels. There was a disadvantage in that there was a high risk of damage or removal of the attachment when making a decision. Furthermore, when the automatic sorting mark is formed to cover the entire surface, there is a limitation that it can have a significant impact on the external design of the product and spoil the aesthetics of the product. The present invention overcomes the above-mentioned limitations through an automatic classification mark that is transparent to visible light, such as the paint 15, and is identified only by specific light rays 30, and is an automatic classification mark that can be used in various other areas. suggests technology.

Figure 2 is an exemplary diagram showing an article on which an automatic classification mark is formed on the surface according to an embodiment of the present invention. The article 210 to which the present invention is applied may be an article having a surface made of a recyclable material, and is depicted as a beverage bottle in FIG. 2 . The material of the above article is not limited as long as it is generally classified as a recyclable material. For example, the article 210 is a plastic material including PET, a glass material of various colors, a metal material including aluminum, iron, etc., a ceramic material including porcelain, or a processed paper or wood product. It may be any material, and even if it is made of any other material, it does not affect the practice of the present invention as long as the type of material is identified. Similarly, in Figure 2, a beverage bottle is shown as a representative example among the embodiments of the article 210, but the article may be a container for various other purposes, including a bottle, or may be made of plastic, glass, iron, ceramic, paper, Any of the parts or finished products made of recyclable materials including wood, as long as the surface can be specified, does not affect the practice of the present invention.

The article 210, on which an automatic recycling classification mark is formed on at least a portion of the surface according to the present invention, may exemplarily include a surface 220, a label 230, and an inscription 240 on the label. The article 210 may be configured so that no differences from other articles are found when observed with the naked eye in a general environment 200. The general environment 200 may mean, for example, an environment in which reflected light in the visible light band occurs due to sunlight or indoor lighting.

In one embodiment of the invention, the automatic sorting mark 260 may be formed throughout the surface 220. The automatic classification mark 260 may be formed based on the classification type of the article 200, and according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the classification type specifies what material the article 200 should be recycled from. It may be a classification type based on the material of the article 200.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the article 210 is transparent in the general environment 200, but is observed with an automatic classification mark 260 formed on the surface 220, which is visible only when observed in a specific environment 201. It can be. Depending on the embodiment, the specific environment 201 means an environment in which an ultraviolet lamp is irradiated to the bottle 210, and the automatic classification mark 260 may be formed using a paint with ultraviolet-responsive fluorescence characteristics. You can. For example, if the paint is a fluorescent paint that emits a certain fluorescent color only when exposed to ultraviolet rays of a specific wavelength, if this is used to form the automatic classification mark 260, it is a general type that is not strongly irradiated with ultraviolet rays. Since the color emission of the fluorescent paint does not occur in the environment 200, it may be possible for the automatic classification mark 260 to be transparently visible on the surface 220.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the shape of the automatic classification mark 260 varies depending on the material of the article 200, and therefore the article 210 is classified according to the shape of the different automatic classification mark 260. It can be configured to be automatically classified according to different material classification types.

The different types of automatic classification marks 260 can be distinguished from each other depending on the pattern and paint formed on the surface 220. For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 2, the automatic classification mark 260 is formed by arranging star-shaped marks at predetermined vertical intervals along a vertical line at a certain angle on the surface 220, and this arrangement The method can be referred to as the first pattern. Additionally, the specific type of fluorescent paint used to form the mark on the surface may be referred to as the first paint.

Accordingly, the automatic classification mark 260 in which the first pattern is formed with a first paint shown in the embodiment of FIG. 2 is a first pattern formed with a second paint (that is, the same shape but emitting different luminescent colors). ), or a second pattern formed with a first paint (i.e., showing the same luminescent color but with a different shape or arrangement of the figure), or a second pattern formed with a second paint (emitted with a different luminescent color) It can be configured to represent different materials by being distinguished from other shapes and arrangements of figures).

That is, the first pattern may be selected from at least two or more various patterns according to an embodiment of the present invention, and the first paint may be selected from at least two or more various paints according to an embodiment of the present invention. .

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the form of the automatic classification mark 260 is a typical recycling product classification type, that is, for example, plastic, battery, metal, organic material, biodegradable material, vinyl, can, paper, paper pack. It may indicate the material of the article 260 belonging to at least one of , glass, and PET, and the automatic classification mark 260 may take a different form for each material.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the form of the automatic sorting mark 260 is PET (polyethylene terephthalate), HDPE (high-density polyethylene), LDPE (low-density polyethylene), PVC (polyvinyl chloride), Polypropylene (PP; polypropylene), polystyrene (PS; polystyrene), polycarbonate (PC; polycarbonate), polyamide (PA; polyamide), SAN (styrene acrylonitrile), PAN (acrylic plastics/polyacrylonitrile), bioplastic, ABS ( acrylonitrile butadiene styrene), nylon polyamide, other plastics, lead batteries, alkaline batteries, nickel cadmium (NiCD; nickel-cadmium) batteries, nickel metal hydride (NiMH; nickel-metal hydrates) batteries, lithium batteries, silver oxide (SO; silver) oxide) batteries, carbon-zinc (CZ; carbon-zinc) batteries, cardboard, cardboard, packaging paper, coated paper, other paper, iron, steel, steel cans, tin, tin cans, aluminum, aluminum cans, wood, cork, cotton, burlap. , other fabrics, clear glass, green glass, brown glass, dark tinted glass, light tinted glass, leaded glass, crystal, copper glass, silver glass, gold glass, other glass, paper-metal composites, paper-plastic composites, paper-aluminum Composites, paper-tin composite, paper-plastic-aluminum composite, biodegradable plastic, biodegradable vinyl, plastic-aluminum composite, plastic-tin composite, plastic-metal composite, glass-plastic composite, glass-aluminum composite, glass-tin composite. It may indicate the material of the article 260 belonging to at least one of a composite and a glass-metal composite, and the automatic classification mark 260 may take a different form for each material.

In applying the first paint and first pattern to form the automatic classification mark 260, the practitioner of the present invention uses various techniques known in the art or newly developed to classify the automatic classification mark 260. It can be formed on the article 200. In the present invention, as described above, a first paint containing a first light-emitting material is applied, and the formation process will hereinafter be expressed as “painting” for illustration. However, the means of forming may be selected in various ways and may be expressed by an appropriate verb depending on the means, and the expression “painting” is not intended to limit the method of practicing the present invention.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the automatic sorting mark 260 can be painted by printing the first pattern on the surface 210 of the article using the first paint. The printing is a method of positioning the paint on the article by a prescribed method, and can be performed by methods such as application, spraying, transfer, and deposition. The paint is provided in a form suitable for the painting method, such as ink or paint suitable for application as long as it contains a luminescent material, paint or spray/airbrush ink suitable for spraying, toner suitable for transfer, and powder coating for powder coating suitable for deposition. It can be, and the combination of the painting means and the type of paint is not limited to the above examples.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the automatic classification mark 260 is a printed matter (for example, a label 230) with the first pattern printed using the first paint on the surface 220 of the article. It can be attached and painted. The printed matter is one in which the automatic classification mark is printed by methods such as application, spraying, transfer, and deposition as in the example of printing above, and is a paper or vinyl label used for product packaging or labeling, or a plastic or metal product. It may be an object such as a tag. The printed matter may also be attached to the article by wrapping it, sticking it with an adhesive, fusing it with heat, or fixing it with means such as nails, screws, or hooks. The material, production method, and attachment method of the printed matter to the article are not limited to the above examples.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the automatic classification mark can be painted by mixing the first paint into the material constituting the article 200 and displaying it in the form of the first pattern. For example, when the raw material is a plastic plastic, the paint is mixed into the molten plastic in the step before forming the article (e.g., the bottle 210) and the paint is applied to substantially the entire area of the article. You can get a painted effect. Alternatively, when the article is plated with metal, the effect of painting with the paint can be obtained by mixing the paint into the metal being plated. The method of mixing the paint into the material of the article and forming it into the pattern as intended can be implemented by various other methods to realize the above-described implementation method, and is not limited to the above example.

Method of implementing paint and various examples

Hereinafter, the implementation method of the first paint will be described in more detail.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the first paint may be defined as a paint containing a first luminescent material that emits light in a first luminescent color when irradiated with a first ray of a first wavelength band.

The first wavelength band may include at least one invisible light wavelength band, and more specifically, the invisible light wavelength band may include at least one ultraviolet ray having a wavelength of 10 nm to 400 nm. It may include wavelength bands. Therefore, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first ray may be defined as ultraviolet rays having a wavelength within the above-described band. Additionally, in order to ensure transparency in the general environment 200 described above, the first paint may be a paint that appears transparent under visible light without being irradiated with the first light.

The first light-emitting material included in the first paint may be any light-emitting material known in the past or newly developed. In the chemical type of light emission method, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the first light emitting material emits a first light emitting color in response to the energy of the first light ray when irradiated with the first ray according to an embodiment of the present invention. It may have a fluorescent characteristic, or the first light-emitting material may accumulate and emit the energy of the first ray even if the first ray is removed after irradiation of the first ray, thereby chemically It may have phosphorescent characteristics that continue to emit light in the first luminescent color for a certain period of time determined by the method. Additionally, any material that emits light under certain conditions may be used in the practice of the present invention.

Additionally, in carrying out the invention, the first wavelength band and the first ray do not necessarily have to be ultraviolet rays. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first light-emitting material may be a material that receives the first light in the ultraviolet wavelength band and emits a first light-emitting color in the visible light band. However, in another embodiment of the present invention, the first light-emitting material may be a material that emits a first light-emitting color in an invisible light wavelength band, such as an ultraviolet or infrared band, when receiving the first light, which is visible light. In another embodiment, the first light-emitting material receives a first ray consisting of radiation such as It may belong to a sensitive marker.

From the description through each of the above embodiments, the first light-emitting material has the characteristic of emitting the first light-emitting color belonging to a predetermined wavelength band when the first ray as incident light belongs to the first wavelength band. Any material available can be used to practice the present invention, and a person skilled in the art will easily understand that all such modifications are merely different implementation methods included in the present invention.

The first paint does not necessarily need to be transparent. The transparency of the first paint may be required when forming the automatic classification mark 260 on the surface 220, which should be inherently transparent or free of formed symbols. On the other hand, if the automatic classification mark 260 can be observed by a person, for example, in the case of a mark formed on the label 230, depending on the intention, it emits an opaque or translucent color under visible light. It has the characteristics of general paints, or can be used by mixing with such general paints. The most important feature of the automatic classification mark 260 is the possibility of emitting the first luminous color, and those skilled in the art can easily understand that modifications to other areas are merely different implementation methods included in the present invention. You will be able to.

Pattern implementation method and various embodiments

Next, the method of implementing the first pattern illustrated above will be described in more detail below.

As described above, the example diagram 251 for a specific environment in FIG. 2 shows this embodiment, showing an embodiment of the first pattern of the automatic classification mark 260. According to an embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 2, the first pattern may be formed by overlapping not only the surface 220 of the article 200 but also the label 230 and the inscription 241. For the visibility of the automatic classification mark 260 covering the entire outer surface of the article 200, the markings 241 on the external surface are different from the first paint forming the automatic classification mark 260 under the first ray. It may be marked as a paint with low discriminability.

Figure 3 is an exemplary diagram of a method of partially forming an automatic classification mark according to an embodiment of the present invention. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the automatic classification mark 260 may be formed limited to a specific portion of the surface of the article.

In the article 301 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the automatic classification mark 361 is formed only on the surface 321 of the bottle 311 excluding the label 331 (or on the bottom of the label 331). there is. As in the article 301 of the above embodiment, the automatic sorting mark 361 may be formed only on the surface 321 of the body portion subject to recycling, regardless of attachments such as the label 331.

In the article 302 according to another embodiment of the present invention, the automatic classification mark 362 is formed only on the label 332. As in the article 302 of the above embodiment, the automatic sorting mark 362 may be formed on the surface 322 of the body part to be recycled by an attachment such as the label 332.

In the article 303 according to another embodiment of the present invention, an example is shown in which the automatic classification mark 363 is formed in different shapes in a plurality of areas 353. At this time, the first automatic classification mark (363-1) is located in the first area (353-1) designated on the surface of the bottle cap (323-1) to indicate the material used in the bottle cap (323-1). It may be a mark made by a partially formed first pattern and a first fluorescent material. In addition, the second automatic classification mark 363-2 is partially located in the second area 353-2 designated on the surface of the label 323-2 to indicate the material used for the label 323-2. It may be a mark caused by a formed second pattern and a second fluorescent material. In addition, the third automatic classification mark 363-3 is located in the third area 353-3 designated on the surface of the bottle body 323-3 to indicate the material used in the bottle body 323-3. It may be a mark caused by a partially formed third pattern and a third fluorescent material. As in the article 303 of the above embodiment, the automatic classification mark 363 designates each part to be recycled to indicate the different materials of the various parts 323 constituting one article 303. It may be formed limited to area 353.

Figure 4 is an exemplary diagram of a method of configuring various patterns of automatic classification marks according to an embodiment of the present invention. The pattern forming the automatic classification mark according to the present invention includes all forms that can be identified by automated methods, and some useful examples of them are introduced in FIG. 4.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the automatic classification mark 400 may be formed by a first pattern 401 painted with a first paint at regular intervals 408 on the surface of the product. The automatic classification mark 400 can be identified by the first luminous color emitted in the form of the first pattern 401 when the first ray is irradiated on the area painted with the first paint. Therefore, for example, the automatic classification mark and the other mark 405 whose classification type can be distinguished may be configured to be painted with a second paint that emits a second luminous color in the form of the first pattern 401. In addition, the shape of the painted figure constituting the first pattern 401 may be implemented in various forms including circles, squares, polygons, lines, and other closed curve shapes, and another mark 406 may be used for such applications. Represents an example. The automatic classification mark forming method of the above embodiment has the advantage of saving the amount of paint.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the automatic classification mark 410 may be formed by using the first pattern 411 in which the first paint is evenly applied to the entire surface of the article. The automatic classification mark 410 can be identified by the first luminous color emitted when the first ray is irradiated at any position on the surface of the article, and thus, for example, another classification type that is distinguished from the automatic classification mark. The mark 415 may be formed by painting a second paint that emits a second luminous color. The automatic classification mark forming method of the above embodiment has the advantage that both the painting and detection processes are simply implemented through the entire painting.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the automatic classification mark 420 may be formed by the first pattern 421 in which the first paint is painted using the first geometric pattern. The automatic classification mark 420 can be identified by the first luminous color when the first ray is irradiated on the part painted with the first paint, or the first luminous color observed on the surface by the first luminous color It can be identified by the shape of the pattern, and can also be identified by a combination of the first emission color and the first pattern. Therefore, for example, the automatic classification mark and another mark 425 that distinguishes the classification type may be formed by painting the first paint in the form of a second geometric pattern. The automatic classification mark forming method of the above embodiment has the advantage of being able to represent various classification types even by using the same paint or a small number of types of paint by varying the types of graphic patterns.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the automatic classification mark 430 has a first pattern 431 in which the first paint is painted by a first figure pattern and a second pattern 431 in which the second paint is painted by a second figure pattern. It can be formed by combining patterns 432. The first pattern 431 is the shape of the first pattern observed on the surface by the first luminous color when the first ray is irradiated to the portion painted with the first paint, and the portion painted with the second paint. The shape of the second pattern observed on the surface can be identified by the emission color, shape, or both by the second emission color when the first ray is irradiated. Accordingly, the automatic classification mark and another mark that distinguishes a classification type may be configured by varying at least one of paint or graphic pattern. For example, another mark 435 that is distinguished from the mark 430 is a first pattern 431 in which the first paint is painted according to a first figure pattern and a first pattern 431 in which the second paint is painted according to a third figure pattern. It can be configured by combining three patterns (433). As another example, another mark 436 is a combination of a third pattern 433 in which the second paint is painted according to a third figure pattern and a fourth pattern 434 in which the fourth paint is painted according to a fourth figure pattern. It may be composed by . The automatic classification mark forming method of the above embodiment has the advantage of being able to use a greater variety of classification types, which may be limited by the type of paint and pattern.

In a further application of any one of the above embodiments, when a plurality of paints are used, the first paint is irradiated with the first ray, and the second paint is irradiated with the second ray rather than the second ray. It may be configured to emit a second luminous color when activated. At this time, in terms of the characteristics of each paint, the first ray and the second ray may have different light wavelengths, the first luminous color and the second luminous color may have different colors, or both may be different. In the applied embodiment as described above, marks representing different classification types can be identified depending on which side emits what color of light when first and second rays of different wavelength bands are irradiated, respectively. The automatic classification mark forming method of the applied embodiment has the advantage of being able to use a more diverse number of classification types by using different luminescence characteristics for different light rays.

In each of the above embodiments, there is no limit to the number of types of paint or graphic patterns, and the components of the paint may be made of any material as long as it contains a light-emitting material that realizes the spirit of the present invention, and can also be used as a graphic pattern. The pattern may be of any size, resolution, or shape as long as it can be identified according to the present invention. Determining a specific number, material, or form among these various technical choices is merely an area that can be selected and modified by a person skilled in the art in the process of carrying out the present invention in various ways.

Automatic classification by identification of marks

Figure 5 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of an automatic classification device for recycling according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The automatic recycling product sorting device 500 according to the present invention includes an input unit 510 that introduces items 505 into the device, a light source unit 520 that irradiates the items with a first ray of light in a first wavelength band, A photographing unit 530 for photographing an automatic classification mark 525 appearing in the form of a first pattern radiating from the article in a first luminous color, the shape of the first pattern included in the automatic classification mark 525 and the first pattern It may include at least a determination unit 540 that determines the classification type of the article based on at least one of the luminescent colors, and a classification unit 550 that classifies the article according to the classification type.

The loading unit 510 is a functional unit that brings the article 505 into the automatic sorting device 500, and may be configured in various forms. In the example of FIG. 5, a conveyor belt 515 is installed in the loading unit 510 to bring in at least one article 505 supplied from outside. However, continuous and easy supply of the article 505 is not possible. It is obvious that any physical and/or mechanical design that makes it possible can be considered an implementation of the inlet 510 . In addition, in the example of FIG. 5, the conveyor belt 515 is shown to transport the article 505 throughout the automatic sorting device 500, but this is only an example to help understand the present invention, and the article It will be readily apparent that the present invention can be implemented no matter what system, device, means, or method is used to bring in 505 and supply it to each part described later.

The light source unit 520 radiates the first light ray 521 of the first wavelength band to the article 505 so that the automatic classification mark 525 is formed in the form of a first pattern by the first luminous color 522. You can make it appear. The first wavelength band may include at least one invisible light wavelength band, and in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the invisible light wavelength band has a wavelength of 10 nm or more and 400 nm or less. It may include at least one ultraviolet wavelength band. However, as already described above, the first wavelength band is not limited to the ultraviolet band, and may belong to, for example, a visible light band, an infrared band or a longer wavelength band, or a radiation wavelength band shorter than the ultraviolet light band. Additionally, as already described above, the light source unit 520 may be configured to include a plurality of light sources that irradiate light in at least one different wavelength band.

The automatic classification mark 525 displayed in the first luminous color may be photographed by the photographing unit 530. The photographing unit 530 may be configured to include an imaging device capable of observing the first light emitting color 522. For example, when the first emission color 522 is emitted in the visible light band, the imaging unit 530 may include an imaging device that photographs the general visible light band. Likewise, when the first light emitting color 522 is emitted in the invisible light band, the photographing unit 530 may include an imaging device that photographs the corresponding invisible light band. Additionally, as already described above, the photographing unit 530 may be configured to include a plurality of photographing devices that photograph luminescent colors in at least one different wavelength band.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the automatic classification device 500 may further include a dark room 560 in which light from the outside is blocked, and the light source unit 520 and the photographing unit 530 are located in the dark room. (560) Can be installed inside. The dark room 560 allows only the first light ray 521 from the light source unit 520 to reach the article 525, and also allows the first luminous color 522 of the article 525 to be transmitted to the photographing unit 530. By allowing only the image to be photographed, it can have the effect of facilitating identification of the automatic classification mark 525.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, when the paint used for the automatic classification mark 525 contains a light-emitting material with fluorescent properties, the light source unit 520 and the photographing unit 530 are configured to be adjacent to each other, The photographing unit 530 may be configured to photograph the first luminous color 522 that is immediately emitted by irradiation of the first ray 521 of the light source unit 520. However, according to another embodiment, when the paint used for the automatic classification mark 525 contains a light-emitting material with phosphorescent properties, the light source unit 520 and the photographing unit 530 do not need to be adjacent to each other, Irradiation of the first light ray 521 by the light source unit 520 and photography of the first luminous color 522 emitted from the article 525 by the photographing unit 530 are performed in different spaces and/or at different times. It is okay if it is done.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the light source unit 520 can be replaced with normal indoor lighting or daylight. In the above embodiment, the light-emitting material included in the first paint may be selected to have the characteristic of emitting a first light-emitting color by visible light and/or invisible light components included in the indoor lighting or sunlight. .

As already described above, the first wavelength band of the irradiated first light ray 521 and the wavelength band of the first emission color 522 may be different, and both may be in the visible light band, or one of the two may be non-visible. It may be a visible light band, or both may be configured as an invisible light band. Therefore, the light source unit 520 and the photographing unit 530 are configured with light sources and imaging devices of various specifications according to the type of paint used to form the automatic classification mark 525 and the type of luminous material contained in the paint. As such, it can be modified into various implementation methods that include or do not include the dark room 560.

The determination unit 540 determines that the automatic classification mark 525 photographed through the photographing unit 530 is either the color of the first luminous color 522 (i.e., the wavelength of emitted light) or the shape of the first pattern. It may be configured to determine the classification type of the article 505 based on at least one.

The determination unit 540 may be configured to process the image of the automatic classification mark 525 provided from the photographing unit 530 using a computer vision method. The computer vision method may include a method using an artificial intelligence model, a method using an algorithm or filter, or a method used to detect a digital watermark, and may also include a specific pattern such as the first pattern or the first pattern from an image. 1. It may include a method using any conventional or novel technology that can identify a specific color, such as a luminous color.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the computer vision method may include a pattern detection method through geometric changes in the image. The geometric change may have the purpose of restoring the original shape by offsetting so-called RST (Rotate, Scaling, and Transform) changes, such as rotation, enlargement, reduction, and angle change, with respect to the subject of the image. The geometric change may be performed by at least one geometric transformation function including a rigid transform, an affine transform, and a projection transform to achieve the above purpose. The geometric transformation function may be executed in a pre-specified form by an algorithm, or the effect of such transformation may be obtained through the application of advanced information processing functions such as an artificial intelligence image processing model.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the computer vision method may include a method for extracting a specific color included in the image. The extraction method includes at least one color highlighting or detection, including histogram analysis, maximum color extraction within the image, minimum color extraction within the image, moving average color, edge detection, color channel separation, color space transformation, and color channel-based highlight filtering. May include algorithms. Before and after applying the extraction method, resolution adjustment, aspect ratio adjustment, level adjustment, quantization, blur filter application, sharp filter application, kernel-based filter application, analog-digital conversion, and At least one image information processing method including digital-to-analog conversion may further be applied.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the computer vision method for detecting the pattern and the computer vision method for extracting the color can be applied in combination and used to detect the first pattern of a specific first emission color. It can be easily inferred from the above-mentioned disclosures.

As previously described with the embodiment in relation to the shape and application method of the mark, the automatic classification mark 525 identified by the determination unit 540 identifies at least one recyclable material included in the article 505. It may be a unique mark, and therefore, the determination unit 540 determines the classification type of the article 505 based on the material, and classifies the article 505 accordingly. It may be configured to instruct an operation. Of course, according to the embodiment of the present invention, the determination unit 540 may be configured to determine the classification type of the article 505 for any purpose other than recycling based on the automatic classification mark 525. For example, when the automatic classification mark 525 indicates the delivery destination of the product, the classification type determined by the determination unit 540 may be determined based on the delivery route to the destination.

If the classification unit 550 determines that the article 505 has a specific classification type, the classification unit 550 may be configured to classify the article 505 and classify it into the classification path 555 for the corresponding material. For example, if the sorting path 555 is a sorting path for collecting PET plastic, the sorting unit 550 determines that the article 505 is a PET plastic material. It may work only in some cases.

The shapes of the sorting unit 550 and the sorting path 555 shown in FIG. 5 are exemplary images to aid understanding of the present invention, and the present invention can be used even if any other type of system, tool, or means related to sorting and processing of articles is used. It does not interfere with the implementation.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, two or more classification units 550 and/or classification paths 555 may be installed. For example, a classification department for plastic recycling products and a classification department for metal recycling products may be configured separately. As another example, it may be configured to enable classification and processing of goods into a plurality of classification units for Gangbuk, Seoul and Gangnam, Seoul by means of one classification unit targeting the city of Seoul. It is obvious that the method of implementing this classification process can also be combined and modified in various ways within the scope of the present invention to derive various embodiments.

Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the drawings and examples, as already described above, this does not mean that the scope of protection of the present invention is limited by the drawings or examples presented above, and those skilled in the art will It will be understood that various modifications and changes can be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the claims.

Claims (20)

For articles with an automatic recycling classification mark formed on at least part of the surface,
The automatic classification mark is formed based on the material of the article and includes a first pattern,
The article is characterized in that the first pattern is formed on the surface with a first paint containing a first luminescent material that emits a first luminous color when irradiated with a first ray of a first wavelength band.
According to claim 1,
The automatic classification mark is formed to indicate the classification type of the article by at least one of the shape of the first pattern or the color of the first luminous color.
According to claim 2,
The automatic classification mark is formed to indicate the material of the article belonging to at least one of plastic, battery, metal, organic material, biodegradable material, vinyl, can, paper, carton, glass, and PET.
According to claim 1,
An article, characterized in that the first wavelength band includes at least one invisible light wavelength band.
According to claim 3,
The article, characterized in that the invisible light wavelength band includes at least one ultraviolet wavelength band having a wavelength of 10 nm or more and 400 nm or less.
According to claim 1,
The article, characterized in that the automatic sorting mark is transparent under visible light without irradiation of the first light.
According to claim 1,
The automatic classification mark further includes a second pattern,
The second pattern is characterized in that it is formed on the surface with a second paint containing a second luminescent material that receives a second ray in a second wavelength band and emits a second luminous color.
According to claim 1,
The automatic classification mark is printed on the surface of the article.
According to claim 1,
The automatic classification mark is formed by attaching a printed matter to the surface of the article.
According to claim 1,
The automatic classification mark is formed by mixing the first paint into the material constituting the article.
According to claim 1,
An article characterized in that the first luminescent material has a fluorescence characteristic that emits a first luminescent color when irradiated with the first ray.
According to claim 1,
The first luminescent material is an article characterized in that it has a phosphorescent characteristic that continues to emit light in the first luminous color even if the first ray is removed after irradiation.
In the automatic classification device for recycling,
An introduction unit for bringing items into the device;
a light source unit that radiates a first ray of a first wavelength band to the article;
a photographing unit that photographs a first pattern emitted from the article in a first luminous color;
a determination unit that determines a classification type of the article based on at least one of the shape of the first pattern and the color of the first luminous color; and
A device comprising a classification unit that classifies and processes the articles according to the classification type.
According to claim 13,
The device, characterized in that the carrying unit includes a conveyor belt.
According to claim 13,
An apparatus further comprising a darkroom, wherein the light source unit and the photographing unit are installed inside the darkroom.
According to claim 13,
The device, characterized in that the first wavelength band includes at least one invisible light wavelength band.
According to claim 16,
The device, characterized in that the invisible light wavelength band includes at least one ultraviolet wavelength band having a wavelength of 10 nm or more and 400 nm or less.
According to claim 13,
The classification type is determined by the type of at least one material included in the article,
The material belongs to at least one of plastic, battery, metal, organic material, biodegradable material, vinyl, can, paper, carton, glass, and PET,
The apparatus is characterized in that the classification unit is configured to classify and collect the items as recyclable items based on the material.
In the method of forming an automatic classification mark for recycling,
Determining a classification type based on the material of the product;
Selecting a first paint containing a first luminescent material representing the classification type and emitting light in a first luminescent color when irradiated with a first ray of a first wavelength band; and
A method comprising forming an automatic classification mark with the first paint according to the shape of the first pattern on at least a portion of the surface of the article.
In the automatic classification method for recycling,
Irradiating a first ray of a first wavelength band to an article;
Photographing a first pattern emitted from the article in a first luminous color;
determining a classification type of the article based on at least one of the shape of the first pattern and the color of the first luminous color; and
A method comprising classifying and processing the article according to the classification type.