WO2014057487A1

WO2014057487A1 - Apparatus and method for compacting plastic vessels

Info

Publication number: WO2014057487A1
Application number: PCT/IL2013/050796
Authority: WO
Inventors: Yael KESSLER
Original assignee: Kessler Yael
Priority date: 2012-10-09
Filing date: 2013-09-23
Publication date: 2014-04-17
Also published as: IL222297A0

Abstract

The present invention is an apparatus and method for compacting plastic bottles into a recyclable disk-like shape. The compacting apparatus comprises a compacting chamber with a heated liquid in its lower part and a press for compacting a bottle into a disk like shape.

Description

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR COMPACTING PLASTIC

VESSELS

FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates generally to an apparatus for compacting plastic vessels, and more particularly but not exclusively, to an apparatus for automatically compacting empty plastic bottles to reduce their volume.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

Beverages, other food products and detergents are filled more and more often into plastic bottles for sale. As a result, large amounts of used plastic bottles are found in waste yards or in nature thereby contaminating the environment. Plastic material does not decompose; the damage caused by plastic waste is therefor long-lasting.

Cages for aggregating the empty plastic bottles for recycling are abundant at western cities and suburbs. However, these cages are rapidly filled due to the large volume of each of the plastic bottles contained therein. The empty plastic bottles are therefore difficult to store both at the house of the user who wishes to recycle them and at the aforementioned cages. In order to eliminate, at least partly, the above problem, a great number of suggestions were made for compacting empty plastic bottles.

The solution is not easy due to the fact that plastic bottles, as opposed to metal containers or boxes, regain a significant part of their volume after their compacting process as a result of the intrinsic characteristics of the plastic material as a shape remembering material. Thus, in order to permanently compact an empty plastic bottle thermal effect is utilized with press simultaneously, wherein the thermal effect does not allow the bottles to regain their volume after their pressing,. When plastic bottles are compressed in their malleable state, they tend not to regain their form after cooling down. Known bottle compactors generally comprise; a housing or a frame receiving the bottle, heating means and compacting means.

US5832818 issued to Menzak, discloses a bottle compactor containing a housing chamber designed to receive an empty bottle and a crushing mechanism for compacting the bottle. The housing is provided with heating coils for heating the bottle in order to facilitate the compression of the bottle.

JP2005254790 issued to Naemura describes a bottle compactor comprising a housing chamber designed to receive an empty bottle and a heating means located in the lower part of the chamber. The bottle compactor additionally comprises a press mechanism for compacting the bottle into a smaller volume.

These and other known bottle compacting devices use direct heating for softening or melting the plastic material of the bottle. Such direct heating often burns the plastic bottle thus damaging the plastic material thereby compromising its recyclability and produce a disturbing smell.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises a method and apparatus for compacting plastic (thermoplastic) bottles into a disk-like shape. In the first stage, part of the bottle is uniformly heated by heating means heating liquid (such as water) which is contact with part of the bottle, until the heated part of the bottle becomes malleable. At the second stage, a force is applied over the bottle thus causing the bottle to collapse into its heated part thereby compacting or folding the entire structure of the bottle into a disk-like shape.

The chamber in which the compacting of the bottle is performed may have a partially tapered shape; for better gripping of the bottle, or for the additional compaction of the diameter of the bottle, or for facilitating the insertion of the bottle either vertically or upside down into the compression chamber. The amount of liquid contained in the compression chamber can be regulated manually or automatically by pumping water from a liquid retainer nearby the compression chamber by a pump mechanism and a conduit, the level of the water inside the compression chamber may be monitored by a gauge.

Sensors or detectors such as water temperature and pressure sensors may be incorporated to automatically activate or deactivate the heating element or the press mechanism. The apparatus may incorporate a control unit to serve as a simple interface for the activation of the apparatus.

The press mechanism may exert force over the plastic bottle either by its own weigh being rested on the plastic bottle or by a manual or electric operated mechanism incorporated to it or by any combination thereof. The press may incorporate various kinds of transmission means to that effect. The press may further include a hook or other gripping means to facilitate the extraction of the compacted disk like shape bottle from the compression chamber. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG.l is a perspective view of an embodiment of the bottle compacting apparatus of the present invention.

FIG.2 is another perspective view of an embodiment of the bottle compacting apparatus of the present invention.

FIG.3 is a perspective view of the upper part of the bottle compacting apparatus of the present invention.

FIG.4 is a side cutoff view of an embodiment of the bottle compacting apparatus of the present invention prior to compacting a plastic bottle contained therein.

FIG.5 is a side cutoff view of an embodiment of the bottle compacting apparatus of the present invention after compacting a plastic bottle contained therein.

FIG.6 is a flowchart depicting a bottle compacting method.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description of the invention, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be obvious to one skilled in the art that the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances well known methods, procedures, components, and elements have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the invention.

It will be readily understood that the components of the present invention, as generally described and illustrated in the figures, may be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations. Thus, the following more detailed description of the embodiments of the apparatus and methods of the present invention, as represented in the figures, is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, but is merely representative of selected embodiments of the invention. The invention has been developed in response to the present state of the art, and in particular, in response to the problems and needs in the art that have not yet been fully solved by currently available bottle compacting devices. Accordingly, the invention has been developed to provide a bottle compacting apparatus and a method for compacting and maintaining a bottle into a small disk-like shape. The features and advantages of the invention will become more fully apparent from the following description, or may be learned by practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter.

While the following description provides specific details relevant to the compacting of the plastic beverage bottle, the invention may be used to compact any other plastic vessels.

In one embodiment, a bottle compacting apparatus is provided that includes a compacting chamber containing a heated liquid in its lower portion. The heated liquid is used for uniformly heating a liquid covered part of the bottle to a temperature at which the plastic material, from which the bottle is made, becomes malleable and soft due to the equal amount of heat absorbed by the surface area of the bottle from the heated liquid. In addition, the heated liquid causes the plastic bottle to reduce its diameter thereby facilitating the collapse of the cold portion of the bottle over the portion which is heated by the liquid. The disk like shape product which is produced by the apparatus is therefore smaller in diameter than the original shape and maintains the original attributes allowing it to be recycled or sold. A bottle compacting apparatus also includes a compacting mechanism which is configured to compact a plastic bottle (without a cap) positioned upside down inside the compacting chamber. The compacting mechanism presses against the bottom of the plastic bottle thus facilitating a collapse of the lower (cold) bottle part into a heated upper bottle part, and as a result a collapse of the whole bottle into a disk-like shape.

In the embodiment shown in the figures, it can be seen that a bottle compacting apparatus 100 comprises a compacting chamber 110 having a cylindrical shape that comprised of an upper cylindrical chamber 112, a first lower tapered chamber 114 and a second lower tapered chamber 113. The tapered chambers 113 and 114 are used for attaining a compacted bottle of reduced diameter. The lower tapered chambers 113 and 114 are adapted to contain liquid (water for example) which is heated by a heating element 122 through a heat storage stainless plate 121 to a desired temperature. The bottle compacting apparatus also comprises a press 130 which is configured to move up and down inside the compacting chamber 110 and to exert force on the bottle 118 positioned inside the compacting chamber 110. The movement of the press 130 is controlled, via transmission means 140, by an electric motor 150. The press 130 is connected to the transmission means 140 through a handle 131 and a pivot 132, wherein the handle 131 is adapted to move inside the slot 111 of the compacting chamber 110 when the press 130 is moved. The transmission means 140 may be a gear based transmission 141 (worm drive) or it may be pneumatic, hydraulic or any other type of transmission. The press 130 also contains a plurality of collapsible extraction hooks 131 which are used for the extraction of the compacted bottle 119 from the compacting chamber 110. The pressure applied over the bottle 118 by the press 130 can be by the actual weight of the press itself. In order to increase the pressing power especially during the end of the process to archive a thin disk like shape 119 a manual or an electric mechanism is incorporated to the press. The movement of the press 130 is triggered by a movement sensor 133. When the sensor 133 detects a collapse of the heated bottle (the collapse happens under the weight of the press when the portion of the bottle which is inside the water is soft enough), it activates the press 130 and turns off the heating element 122.

The liquid level inside the compacting chamber 110 is monitored by a level sensor 115 and is kept constant by transferring the liquid, via conduit 172, from the liquid container 170. The liquid container 170 is replenished manually and its liquid level is visible by the level gauge 171.

The operation of the bottle compacting apparatus 100, including the operation of the electric motor 150, heating element and the monitoring of the liquid level inside the compacting chamber 110, is controlled by a control unit 160 located on the upper face of the base 120. The control unit 160 receives inputs from a water temperature sensor 161 and a pressure sensor 162 to trigger automatic activation and deactivation of the heating element 122 and the press 130. Accordingly the apparatus 100 can be activated in intervals to maximize efficiency and reduce energy consumption. Meaning, when the water temperature sensor 161 reads that the water is hot and when the pressure sensor 162 reads that the bottle begins to collapse, the pressing mechanism is activated and the heating element 122 is turned off until a predetermined pressure is read by the pressure sensor 162 thereby deactivating the pressing mechanism. This routine can go on a few times until the bottle reaches a disk-like shape 119. Alternatively, manual operation of the apparatus 100 can be conducted by exerting force over the press directly by the hand or by a lever provided to this end.

In order to compact a large number of bottles simultaneously, several bottle compacting apparatuses 100 could be connected to each other, thus forming a large industrial scale bottle compacting apparatus.

The present invention also comprises a method 200 for compacting plastic bottles. The method 200 commences with stage 201 in which: a cap is removed and a plastic bottle is placed upside down (bottle opening first) inside a compacting chamber. In stage 202, the water is heated in the compacting chamber. In stage 203, a press is activated thereby compressing the bottle till the bottle reaches a disk-like shape. In stage 204, the compacted bottle is held under the press for additional time in order to remove any residual stress left in the bottle which may cause the compacted bottle to regain its shape. In stage 205, the compacted bottle is removed from the compacting chamber. The compacting process duration may vary from a few seconds to a few minutes in accordance with the plastic material of the bottle, the heat of the water and the pressure applied by the press. In order to ensure that the compacted plastic bottle maintains its compressed shape, pressure is continuously applied under the hot water for a few seconds after the bottle is pressed into the disk like shape.

Having thus described the present invention by reference to certain of its preferred embodiments, it is noted that the embodiments disclosed are illustrative rather than limiting in nature and that a wide range of variations, modifications, changes, and substitutions are contemplated in the foregoing disclosure and, in some instances, some features of the present invention may be employed without a corresponding use of the other features.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A plastic bottle compacting apparatus comprising:

a. a compacting chamber containing a heated liquid in its lower portion; b. a press adapted to move vertically inside the compacting chamber; c. a heating element adapted to heat the liquid inside the compacting chamber; wherein an empty plastic bottle without a cap is inserted into the compression chamber and wherein the hot liquid softens at least a portion of the plastic bottle as pressure is applied on the plastic bottle by the press.

2. A bottle compacting apparatus of claim 1, wherein said lower portion of the compacting chamber has a tapered shape.

3. A bottle compacting apparatus of claim 2, wherein said lower portion of the compacting chamber has a multi-tapered shape.

4. A bottle compacting apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a liquid container connected to the lower part of the compacting chamber via a conduit.

5. A bottle compacting apparatus of claim 4, wherein the liquid level inside the compacting chamber is monitored by a level gauge and is kept constant by controlling a liquid flow from and to the liquid container.

6. A bottle compacting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the press movement is triggered by a sensor and applied by an electric motor via transmission means.

7. A bottle compacting apparatus of claim 6, wherein the heating element, the electric motor and the liquid level inside the compacting chamber are controlled by a control unit.

8. A bottle compacting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the press includes a plurality of collapsible extraction hooks for removal of the compacted bottle.

9. A bottle compacting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the liquid contained in the compacting chamber is water.

10. A method of compacting a plastic bottle inside a bottle compacting apparatus, comprising the steps:

a. removing a cap from the plastic bottle and placing the plastic bottle in a compression chamber; b. heating a liquid located in the lower portion of the compression chamber until at least part of the plastic material of the bottle which is in contact with the heated liquid becomes malleable;

c. compressing the plastic bottle to a disk-like shape by applying pressure over the bottle against the compression chamber.

11. A method for compacting a plastic bottle according to claim 10, further comprising steps:

d. holding the compressed bottle under pressure for additional time in order to remove residual stress left in the bottle;

e. removing the disk-like bottle from the compression chamber.

12. A method for compacting a plastic bottle according to claim 10, wherein the pressure over the plastic bottle is applied by the weight of the press itself resting over the bottle.

13. A method for compacting a plastic bottle according to claim 10, wherein the pressure over the plastic bottle is applied by a manually activated press mechanism.

14. A method for compacting a plastic bottle according to claim 10, wherein the pressure over the plastic bottle is applied by a mechanism comprising a motor and transmission means.

15. A method for compacting a plastic bottle according to claim 14, wherein sensors are provided to trigger automatic activation and deactivation of steps b and c.