JP3647799B2 - Sorting device for used bottles by color and material - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
  The present invention relates to a sorting apparatus that separates bottles according to their materials and colors when collecting and reusing used beverage resin bottles collected from the vicinity of ordinary households, restaurants, and vending machines. The present invention relates to an apparatus for sorting only transparent plastic bottles from discarded bottles.
[0002]
[Prior art]
  In recent years, various types of drinking water containing plastic bottles are sold through stores and vending machines in the city, and a large amount of used plastic bottles are discarded accordingly. In 2000, the Waste Recycling Law was enacted, and it became important to establish technology for recycling waste. For reuse in petroleum products, polyethylene terephthalate, the main component, was also used from discarded plastic bottles. It is necessary to separate and collect the product and use it as a raw material for the production of recycled PET bottles and recycled fibers.
[0003]
  Here, the PET bottle refers to a container molded from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin, and particularly refers to a liquid container. The PET bottle is attached to the main body although the main body is PET resin. The adhering member is often formed of a resin of a different type. For example, polyethylene (PE) resin, polypropylene (PP) resin, and polystyrene (PS) resin are used for packaging films such as labels attached to the surface. In order to reuse PET bottles, it is necessary to separate these different resins. In particular, labels made of different materials must be separated from the PET bottle body by some process.
[0004]
  In addition, a large amount of PET bottles collected from the market are compressed into a baler, transported and supplied, but when collecting, in addition to PET bottles to be collected, dissimilar material bottles often made of other resin materials are used. In order to reuse PET bottles, it is necessary to separate these different resin bottles, that is, different material bottles. In addition, polyethylene terephthalate that forms PET bottles is originally colorless and transparent, but there are many PET bottles that are colored by blending pigments or dyes with this polymer. For example, PET bottles for tea are translucent green. Has been.
[0005]
  Therefore, conventionally, dissimilar bottles made of resin other than PET resin are removed from a large amount of waste collected as PET bottles, and only PET bottles are collected. Only collected plastic bottles.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
  In an example of examining the composition of plastic bottle waste collected from the city, by weight, the transparent PET bottle body is approximately 80%, the colored PET bottle body is approximately 10%, and others (cap 2.5%, PS resin Label 2.0%, PET resin label 1.0%, other material labels such as paper 2%, and deposits such as sand and dust 3.0%).
[0007]
  Used PET bottles are used for the production of recycled PET bottles and recycled fibers by separating and recovering polyethylene terephthalate (PET), but the recycled PET resin and fibers are colorless and transparent, and have high molding accuracy in terms of materials. In order to achieve this, it is required to have as few impurities as possible. When producing recycled fibers from polyethylene terephthalate, it is necessary to increase the purity so that, for example, fine fibers of 75 denier can be produced without breaking. In order to obtain such transparent PET flakes for high-purity regeneration, polymers other than PET, for example, different polymers such as PS, PE, PP, coloring materials such as pigments and dyes, and other metals and mineral particles It is necessary to regulate the content. For example, the content of the mixed foreign material needs to be 30 ppm or less for colored PET bottle flakes, 30 ppm or less for a cap component, 10 ppm or less for a label component, and 3 ppm or less for mineral substances such as sand and dust.
[0008]
  In order to obtain such high-purity colorless and transparent regenerated PET flakes, conventionally, the two-stage sorting was performed separately in two stages of sorting by material and sorting by color. Using the belt conveyor, the first belt conveyor identifies the color of the bottles transported on the belt, distinguishes the bottles according to the presence or absence of color, removes the colored bottles, and then passes them to the belt conveyor. In other words, in the second belt conveyor, only the transparent bottles of PET resin were selected by detecting and classifying by material and excluding bottles of materials other than PET. In such a conventional apparatus, it is relatively easy to sort the presence or absence of coloring in the visual sorting, but the material is not sufficiently distinguished, and further, the transport distance of the belt conveyor becomes long, and the conveyor occupation area in the sorting facility becomes large. It became large and the equipment became large, which was uneconomical.
[0009]
  The present invention has been proposed in view of the above, and is an apparatus capable of accurately sorting unemployed transparent PET bottles suitable for generated PET applications from waste collected as waste PET bottles from the city.However, it is possible to provide a sorting device that automatically detects bottles transported on a single belt conveyor by color and material, and removes unnecessary bottles. In addition to providing a device that can be quickly and accurately sorted, it simplifies the sorting process and occupies the device with a device that sorts the required bottles by distinguishing them by color and material on a single belt conveyor. For the purpose of saving spaceTo do.
[0010]
  In addition, the present invention further provides a sorting device that automatically detects bottles transported on a single belt conveyor by color and material and enables removal of unnecessary bottles. It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus capable of quickly and accurately sorting within a short time.
[0011]
  Another object of the present invention is to simplify the sorting process and reduce the space occupied by the device by using a device that sorts the required bottles by distinguishing them by color and material on a single belt conveyor. It is what.
[0012]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
  The sorting device of the present invention is usedTransparent and pet ( PET ) Made of woodDepending on the color and material of the bottleFrom other resin bottlesA sorting device for sorting,
  Many bottlesArbitrarilyOn top of the upper beltPlaceA single belt conveyor to convey,
  At a fixed position above the belt conveyor, the hue of each bottle being conveyed and the fixed coordinates on the conveyor of the bottleBelt direction X Position and belt width direction YColor detecting means for detecting the position;
  At a fixed position above the belt conveyor, the material of each bottle being conveyed and the fixed coordinates on the upper belt of the bottleBelt direction X Position and belt width direction YMaterial detecting means for detecting the position;
  Signals from color detection means and material detection meansTransparent and pet bottles and other resin bottlesControl means for outputting a signal to be specified and selected on coordinates to the selection means;
  Detected by material detection means and color detection means arranged above the belt conveyorspecific XY Transparent and pet in position ( PET ) Made of woodBottleTheIt is provided on the discharge side of the belt conveyor for sorting, Specific belt width direction by the signal from the control means Y Position and direction of belt travel X Operates according to positionSorting means;
Used consisting ofTransparent petColoring / material for bottlesIn other resin bottlesThis sorts out used transparent PET bottles by color and material.
[0013]
  In the apparatus of the present invention, each of the used bottles that are transported on the upper surface of the upper belt that circulates between the pulleys is arranged by fixing the color detection means and the material detection means above a single belt conveyor. The color detecting means and the material detecting means detect the hue and its position, and the material and its position, respectively, and the control means receiving these signals judges the bottles to be excluded and selects the selecting means. In particular, only the colorless and transparent PET bottles can be selectively collected by the screening means excluding specific bottles.
[0014]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
  In the belt conveyor according to the present invention, the endless belt moves around the pulley roller at the position of the conveyor start end (loading end) and terminal end (discharge end) to move the belt at a constant speed. I am letting.
[0015]
  The charging means of the belt conveyor is provided with charging means to supply a large number of used bottles to the upper surface of the upper belt, and each bottle placed on the upper belt is discharged at the discharge side end. . The bottles on the upper belt are preferably dispersed appropriately so as not to overlap each other, and an electromagnetic feeder or other vibration supply device is used as the charging means.
[0016]
  On the discharge side of the conveyor, sorting means is arranged to separate only specific bottles detected by the color detection means and material detection means. The sorting means separates or excludes only the bottle specified by the signal from the control means from the bottle group that is dispersed on the upper surface of the upper belt and moving with the belt. In consideration of the form of the PET bottle, the sorting means can adopt a specific bottle that performs operations such as blowing off, blowing off, and pouring out of the upper surface of the belt.
[0017]
  In particular, used bottles collected from the city are often compressed into a baler and supplied. In order to load the belt conveyor, since the bottles are handled while the compressed bodies are individually unraveled, it is possible to use blow-off by a jet of air.
[0018]
  As an example of such blow-off, the sorting means includes an injection nozzle that jets a fluid to a specific bottle to be sorted and blows it away, a pipe that supplies pressure fluid to the nozzle, and an electromagnetic valve that is provided in the pipe and flows the fluid. And a fluid ejecting apparatus that opens and closes an electromagnetic valve by a signal from the control means can be used. Below, when the example which uses an air injection nozzle is shown, it arrange | positions toward the upper part from the lower part side of the upper conveyor which goes around the terminal side pulley at the terminal part of a belt conveyor. The nozzles are separated from the bottles that are jetted into the specific bottles that are falling around the pulleys, blown away, and then dropped directly under the pulleys and collected.
[0019]
  The number of nozzles may be one when the belt is narrow, but when a wide belt is used, a plurality of nozzles are arranged at substantially constant intervals along the longitudinal direction of the pulley. Is preferred. Each nozzle is connected with a pneumatic piping, and each pneumatic nozzle is connected to an electromagnetic on-off valve, and the electromagnetic on-off valve is operated by an electric signal from the control means to inject and stop air. Do. In this way, among the bottles moving on the upper belt, only the bottles detected by the color detection means and the material detection means and specified by the control means are blown off and separated by operating only specific nozzles. The
[0020]
  In the sorting apparatus according to the present invention, the color detecting means and the material detecting means are fixedly arranged between the charging means and the sorting means above the single belt conveyor, and pass through the upper surface of the upper belt. This detects the color and material.
[0021]
  Since these color detection means and material detection means are arranged above a single belt conveyor, the single belt conveyor can be shortened and simplified, and the floor area of the facility occupied by the apparatus can be reduced. These color detection means and material detection means can be arranged separately in the front-rear direction in the traveling direction of the upper belt. In another form, the color detection means and the material detection means can be arranged integrally. By integrating the two, the conveyor passing distance for color and material detection can be further shortened, and the sorting device can be further simplified.
[0022]
  The bottle detected by the color detection means or the material detection means needs to specify the detected position. For this purpose, the coordinates are set on the upper surface of the upper belt while being fixed on the belt conveyor, and the position of the bottle passing on the coordinates is specified by the coordinates. In this embodiment, the coordinates are orthogonal coordinates, and if the longitudinal direction of the upper belt is, for example, the X axis, the width direction perpendicular thereto is defined as the Y axis. In this coordinate system, an appropriate origin O (x, y) = (0, 0) is fixedly defined, and the position of a specific bottle detected by the color detection means or the material detection means is expressed by coordinates (x1, y1). ). The position of the specific bottle that moves on the upper belt as time elapses can be easily predicted if the speed of the belt is known.
[0023]
  The color detection means widely includes devices that can optically detect the color of the bottle, but the color detection means includes a color detection element that detects the color of transmitted light or reflected light from the bottle. As the color detection element, a device that detects the hue and brightness of a bottle passing through a coordinate point and outputs a color signal to the control means can be employed.
[0024]
  The color detection element receives reflected light or transmitted light of the light irradiated to the bottle, and emits a signal indicating the hue and brightness of the received light. Usually, the combination of the light receiving element and the filter is configured for the three primary colors. The The light receiving element includes a phototube, a photocell, a phototransistor, and the like, and usually includes a combination of three primary color filters and a light receiving element corresponding to each filter, and further includes a hue discrimination device. However, the hue can be determined by the control means. The simplest color detection element may be detected by a single color or two colors.
[0025]
  A large number of such color detection elements are used, fixed on the belt conveyor, and arranged so as to face the upper surface of the upper belt. In particular, grid points (that is, coordinate points) are set on the upper surface of the upper belt, and the color detection elements are arranged on the grid points, and the detection direction is fixed toward the grid points on the upper surface of the upper belt. Each color detection element sequentially detects and discriminates the hue of the bottle passing through the lattice point. Thereby, the coordinate point position and hue of the colored bottle are determined.
  The color detection means may include a visible light source that irradiates the coordinate points. The light source can be provided in proximity to the color detection element for each color detection element.
[0026]
  Another form of the color detection element uses a color image sensor to obtain a color image of a bottle moving on the upper belt, and sequentially detects the hue of the bottle passing through a virtual lattice point on the upper belt, It can also be determined. Such an imaging device can be a color video camera together with an optical system using an imaging tube, a semiconductor imaging device, for example, a CCD. Also in this case, the discrimination device is used to recognize the image of the bottle passing through the lattice point, and when it is determined as a bottle, the hue is specified.
[0027]
  On the other hand, the material detection means used in the present invention includes an infrared absorption spectroscopic element that detects an absorption spectrum of transmitted light or reflected light from a bottle, and the spectroscopic element uses a spectral vector of a bottle that passes through a coordinate point. The spectrum signal is detected and output to the control means. Specifically, the bottle is irradiated with infrared light from a light source, the wavelength of the absorption peak is obtained from the spectral distribution of the transmitted or reflected light, and the existing polymer is searched from this absorption wavelength to identify the polymer. It is.
[0028]
  As the infrared absorption spectroscopic element, a transmission type using transmitted light can be used, but if an arrangement of a light source is used, an attenuated reflection spectrum method using reflected light can be used. Many spectroscopic elements may be used and arranged on each lattice point. However, since the spectroscopic elements are expensive, it is possible to employ a structure in which a single spectroscopic element is arranged so as to be movable or tiltable to sweep over a large number of coordinate points.
[0029]
  In this way, the spectroscopic element is arranged so as to be opposed to a large number of coordinate points on the coordinates, and the position and spectrum of the bottle passing through the coordinate points are measured. The polymer material is identified and sent to the control means as a material signal.
[0030]
  In the present invention, the color detection means and the material detection means can be integrated, but in this case, for example, one set of one color detection element, one spectral element, and, if necessary, a light source. The color detection and the material detection are performed facing the corresponding lattice points. Such a combination of color detection and material detection elements can be arranged for each lattice point.
[0031]
  The control means is computerized so that the color signal from the color detection means and the material signal from the material detection means are input to detect and identify the colored bottle or the different material bottle, and the sorting means removes these specific bottles. It controls the sorting means.
[0032]
  The control means judges whether the bottle detected by the color detection means is colored or colorless and transparent, calculates the time from the detection position of the colored bottle to the position where the sorting means removes, and signals the removal to the sorting means at the arrival time. Send.
  Further, the control means determines whether the polymer material of the bottle detected by the material detection means is the target material or different, and if it is different, the time until the specific bottle reaches the position where the sorting means removes. And a removal signal is sent to the sorting means at the arrival time.
[0033]
  When a large number of the above-described air jetting nozzles are used for the sorting means, the air jetting nozzles are coordinated in the width direction along the pulley on the end side so that the control means corresponds to the coordinate point detected by the material detecting means. It arrange | positions so that injection is possible toward a point. In such an arrangement, the specific bottle detected by the color detection means or the material detection means moves in parallel to the X axis from the coordinate point of the detected position (the position on the Y axis at the selection position is No change), it is easy and accurate to specify the nozzle to be ejected and to calculate the ejection time in the control means, and this has the advantage that the separation operation of a specific bottle can be reliably obtained.
[0034]
【Example】
  A bottle sorting apparatus 1 of this embodiment is shown in FIG. 1, and here, only a transparent PET bottle (that is, a PET resin bottle) is collected from a waste bottle collected as a used PET bottle. An example of a bottle sorting device by color and material will be shown.
[0035]
  As shown in FIG. 1, the sorting device uses a belt conveyor 1 that is circulated by pulleys 14 and 15 before and after conveying waste bottles on the upper belt, and is supplied to the charging section 13a of the belt conveyor. The apparatus 11 is provided with a vibration feeder 111, and the vibration feeder 111 continuously feeds the upper belt 10 while vibrating the feeder surface to release the entanglement between the bottles 9 on the upper surface of the feeder. Appropriately dispersed.
  Further, the charging section 13a of the belt conveyor 1 may be provided with a vibrator 12 below the upper belt 10, and the upper belt 10 is vibrated to appropriately distribute the supplied bottles.
[0036]
  A large number of air discharge nozzles 5 (51 to 57) are arranged as sorting means on the belt end portion 13 b of the discharge portion 4 of the belt conveyor 1. A partition plate 40 is erected further on the front side of the belt end portion 13b, and a separate collection container 4a suitable for a drop position between the belt end portion 13b and the partition plate 40, and another sorting on the front side of the partition plate 40. A container 4b is arranged.
[0037]
  Above the belt conveyor 1, a color detection means 2 and a material detection means 3 are arranged on the front side. In this embodiment, the color detection means 2 and the material detection means 3 are configured separately. The color detection means 2 and the material detection means 3 are fixed with respect to the belt conveyor main body, and are arranged so as to pass the used bottles 9 to be separated on the upper belt 10 immediately below.
[0038]
  The color detection means 2 uses a CCD (charge coupled device) as a light receiving element, and includes an optical lens system and a color filter that form an image on the CCD. It is arranged. In this example, three color detection elements 21 including three primary color filters, a light receiving element corresponding to each color, and an optical system are used as one unit.
[0039]
  These many color detection element units are arranged corresponding to the grid points 20 on the coordinates of the coordinate system set on the upper belt 10 surface, as will be described later.
  The unit of each color detection element 21 is provided with a lamp that irradiates light to the corresponding lattice point 20, that is, a small incandescent lamp, and irradiates light. The used bottle 9 passing through the lattice point 20 is irradiated with light, and the reflected light is transmitted through the color filter of the corresponding color detection element 21 to stimulate the light receiving element to output a signal. Become.
[0040]
  The other material detection means 3 uses a large number of infrared absorption spectroscopic elements 31 to detect an infrared absorption spectrum peculiar to the constituent polymer of the bottle 9, but the spectroscopic element 31 has an appropriate optical system. And an infrared filter, an optical lens system, and an infrared phototransistor that receives light of a specific wavelength by selecting a spectrum from an interferometer that spreads light passing through the optical lens system into the spectrum. These many spectroscopic elements are fixed above the belt conveyor and are arranged corresponding to the coordinate points 30 of the coordinate system set on the upper surface of the upper belt 10 as will be described later.
[0041]
  Coordinates (X, Y) are set on the upper belt 10, and lattice points 20 (that is, color detection coordinate points) that determine the arrangement of the color detection elements 21 are set on the coordinates. The color detection elements 21 are arranged immediately above the lattice points 20. In the unit of the color detection element 21, the optical system focuses on the lattice point on the coordinates at the upper surface position of the upper belt 10 and its vicinity.
[0042]
  The infrared absorption spectroscopic element 31 is also arranged above the lattice point 30 on the coordinate (that is, the coordinate point for detecting the material) and focuses on the coordinate point. The material sensor unit is provided with a lamp for irradiating the coordinate point with light, that is, a small incandescent lamp.
[0043]
  In this example, the coordinate system of the material detection means 3 is the same as the coordinate system for the color detection means. In this example, the movement direction of the upper belt 10 is taken on the X axis, and the direction perpendicular to this (the direction of the upper belt 10). The width direction is set on the Y axis, the origin O is provided outside the edge of one side of the bell conveyor, and the coordinate points are set as follows.
[0044]
  The lattice points on the upper conveyor detected by the color detection element and the spectroscopic element are represented by (n, m), which are integer numbers n and m from the origin in the X and Y directions on the coordinates. The distance between adjacent grid points (distance between coordinate points corresponding to the grid points) The bottle shape that passes between adjacent coordinate points is set so that it crosses one of the coordinate points. In the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the interval between the coordinate points in the Y-axis direction is 100 mm, and the upper belt 10 is divided into seven equal parts with respect to the width of 700 mm.
[0045]
  In FIG. 2, seven unit coordinate points from the origin O in the Y-axis direction are set at equal intervals as unit coordinate points of the color detection element 21 for arranging the color detection means 2, and in the X-axis direction at the same interval. Four points including the origin O are set, and the lattice point (n, m) = (1, 1) to (4, 7) is set. In addition, in this example, the coordinate point for the spectroscopic element is arranged in front of the color detecting unit 2 using the above coordinate system in order to arrange the material detecting unit 3, and the lattice point (n, m) = ( 6, 1) to (12, 7).
[0046]
  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, seven air injection nozzles 5 are used in the terminal end portion 13b of the bell conveyor as sorting means in the vicinity of the outside of the pulley on the terminal end side. No. 57 is arranged such that the tip of the nozzle faces upward, and the position of the tip is below the upper surface of the upper belt 10. Each nozzle is connected to the compressed air piping via the electromagnetic on-off valves V1 to V7, respectively. When any one of the electromagnetic on-off valves V1 to V7 is opened, the nozzles corresponding to the nozzles 51 to 57 are aired from the tip of the nozzle. And the bottle 9 that is about to fall from the pulley 15 is blown further forward at the end portion 13b. The air injection nozzle 5 is on the extension of each coordinate point in the X-axis direction, and the coordinates of each injection nozzle are defined as lattice points (20, 1) to (20, 7) in this example.
[0047]
  In addition to the arrangement of the nozzles, on the front side, a collection container 4a for collecting the PET bottles and a waste container for separating the colored bottles and the different material bottles separated by a partition plate 40 on the front side. 4b, and the disposal container 4b collects the dissimilar material bottles blown by the air jet. The front and sides of the disposal container are surrounded by screens 43 and 45.
[0048]
  The control means 8 is connected to the color detection means 2 and the material detection means 3, and uses the color detection signal 28 of the color detection means 2 and the material detection signal 38 from the material detection means 3 as coordinate signals as position signals. Receive. Based on the signal, the control means 8 selects any one of a large number of electromagnetic on-off valves V1 to V7 and opens / closes them to control the ejection or stop of air from specific nozzles of the nozzles 51 to 57. However, a valve control unit 84 is connected to the solenoid coils of the electromagnetic on-off valves V1 to V7 of the air injection nozzle. The coil is activated and the air injection nozzle is opened for a predetermined time.
[0049]
  The color detection unit 2 includes a color determination unit (not shown) that identifies the color of the bottle from the color signal 28 from the light receiving element for the three primary colors of the unit of the color detection element 21 on each coordinate. The detection signal 28 is output to the control means 8. Further, the material detection means 3 has a material determination unit (not shown) for determining the material by detecting the presence or absence of an absorption spectrum peculiar to the polymer forming the bottle from the absorption spectrum from the spectroscopic element. The unit outputs a material detection signal 38 to the control means.
[0050]
  The control means 8 includes a computer, and the computer includes a storage unit, records information on the coordinate points of the coordinate system set on the upper surface of the conveyor fixed to the belt conveyor and the speed of the upper belt 10, and detects the material detection signal. And the sequential input information of the material detection signal. The computer includes a calculation unit.
[0051]
  With reference to FIGS. 1, 2, and 6, the calculation unit 8 determines whether or not there is a bottle 9 at each coordinate point on the upper surface of the upper belt 10 related to the light detection means 2 and the material detection means 3 from these information. If it exists, the color and material of the bottle are judged over time, that is, every unit time. The color determination unit of the light detection unit 2 determines that the color detection signal 28 from the unit of the color detection element 21 at any coordinate point immediately below the light detection unit is a colored signal and inputs it to the calculation unit of the control unit Then, the calculation unit determines that the colored bottle 92 exists at the coordinate point. Since the bottle 9 always moves on the upper belt 10, the calculation unit sequentially confirms the colored bottle 92 with the signal from the color detection element unit on the subsequent coordinate point along the X axis over time. And can be tracked.
[0052]
  On the other hand, the material detection means 3 detects the material of the bottle 9 that moves forward through the color detection means 2. In this material detection means 3, the material determination unit has a material at each coordinate point immediately below it. The spectrum determined by the sensor unit is determined whether or not it is at least PET, and the material detection signal is output to the control means. The material determination unit uses the material signal from the material sensor unit at any coordinate point as a different material. If it determines that it is a signal, it will input into a calculating part as a different material signal, and a calculating part will judge that the different material bottle 93 exists in the coordinate point. The bottle 9 always moves on the upper belt 10 directly below the material detection means 3, but the calculation unit checks the different material bottle 93 on the previous coordinate point in the subsequent belt traveling direction over time, Can be tracked. Also in this tracking, the material determination unit of the material detection means 3 determines the different material signal detected by the material sensor unit at the coordinate point ahead of the coordinate point, and the signal is used as the signal of the different material bottle 93. This is done by checking the calculation unit.
[0053]
  And the calculating part 8 detects a colored bottle and a different material bottle on the coordinate on a belt, and estimates the time which arrives at the coordinate of said lattice point (20, n) of the nozzle of a belt terminal part by calculation. . When the predicted time is reached, a valve open signal is output to the valve control unit 84 so as to open the nozzles 5 in the n-th column, and the valve control unit 84 uses the solenoid coils of the electromagnetic on-off valves V1 to V7 of the air injection nozzle 7. Then, the valve is opened by passing a current through the nozzle, and the compressed air is blown out for a predetermined time to blow off the bottle that has reached the nozzle 7.
  On the other hand, when the bottle does not exist on the coordinate point or when the colorless PET bottle 91 moves, it is not necessary to track, and the nozzle remains closed, so that the end portion passes and the collection container 4a passes. A colorless and transparent plastic bottle 91 is accumulated as an example in the collection container 4b.
[0054]
  A modification of this embodiment is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, and this example uses a detection means 6 (2, 3) in which the color detection means 2 and the material detection means 3 are integrated. Also in this modification, the X-axis is taken in parallel with the longitudinal direction of the belt and the traveling direction of the upper belt 10 and the Y-axis is taken in the vertical width direction thereof, so that the orthogonal coordinate system (X, Y) is On the upper surface, a lattice point (m, n) where the detection element 61 is to be arranged is determined by setting in the same manner as in the previous example. The detection element 21a is arranged on a grid point 20 of 7 rows × 7 columns on the upper belt, and further, an air injection nozzle 5 (51 to 57) is provided as a sorting means at the end portion, and the pulley pulley 15 on the end point side. These nozzles 51 to 57 are also set in association with the coordinate system (X, Y).
[0055]
  The detection element 61 includes a color detection element 21 and an infrared absorption branch element 31, and as shown in FIG.32including. The irradiation lamp combines an incandescent lamp and a condensing lens to irradiate light near the lattice point, and uses reflected light from the bottle that has passed through, the color detection element 21 and the infrared absorption branch element 31, respectively. The color signal in the region and the signal of the absorption spectrum in the infrared light region are output to the control means.
[0056]
  In other respects of the second embodiment, the configuration may basically be the same as that of the first embodiment. However, in this embodiment, the color detection element 21 and the infrared absorption spectroscopic element 31 are commonly used as lattice points. By arranging and integrating the color detection means 2 and the material detection means 3, the bell conveyor can be further shortened, which contributes to the downsizing of the sorting device.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a bottle sorting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a partial top view showing the bottle sorting apparatus of the embodiment shown in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of a sorting apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a partial top view of the bottle sorting apparatus according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a layout diagram of detection means used in the bottle sorting apparatus shown in FIG. 3;
FIG. 6 shows a chart of a control system in the control means shown in the sorting apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Belt conveyor
10 Upper belt
13b Termination
Two color detection means
21 color detector
3 Material detection means
31 Infrared absorption spectroscopic element
4 discharge section
5 Air injection nozzle
8 Control means
9 Used bottles

Claims (12)

A sorting device for sorting used plastic and PET (PET) material bottles from other resin bottles according to the difference in color and material,
A single belt conveyor for arbitrarily arranging and transporting a number of bottles on the upper surface of the upper belt;
Color detection means for detecting the hue of each bottle conveyed at a fixed position above the belt conveyor and the belt traveling direction X position and belt width direction Y position on fixed coordinates on the conveyor of the bottle;
A material detecting means for detecting the material of each bottle conveyed at a fixed position above the belt conveyor and the belt traveling direction X position and belt width direction Y position on fixed coordinates on the upper belt of the bottle;
A control means for receiving a signal from the color detection means and the material detection means and outputting a signal for selecting and sorting the bottle made of the transparent and pet material and other resin bottles on the coordinates;
The control means provided on the discharge side of the belt conveyor for selecting a transparent and PET (PET) material bottle at a specific XY position detected by the material detection means and the color detection means arranged above the belt conveyor. In a bottle sorting device for sorting used transparent PET bottles from other resin bottles by coloring and material, and sorting means that operates in accordance with a specific belt width direction Y position and belt traveling direction X position by a signal from ,
The color detection means and the material detection means are integrated as a set of detection means together with a light source, and are arranged corresponding to the coordinate points shared by each set. A bottle sorter that sorts used transparent plastic bottles from other resin bottles by coloring and material, characterized in that the process is performed on the shared coordinates.   The color detection means includes a color detection element for detecting the hue of reflected light from the bottle, and the color detection element detects the hue of the bottle passing the coordinate point and outputs a color signal to the control means. Sorting device according to.   3. The sorting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the color detection element is arranged so as to face a large number of coordinate points on the coordinates so as to detect the hue of a bottle passing through the coordinate points.   The sorting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the color detection means includes a color detection element disposed above each coordinate point. The apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the color detection means includes a light source that emits visible light on a coordinate point.   The material detection means includes an infrared absorption spectrum detection element that detects a spectrum of reflected light or transmitted light from the bottle, and the detection element detects an infrared absorption spectrum of the bottle that passes through the coordinate point and outputs a spectrum signal. The sorting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sorting apparatus outputs the control means.   The sorting apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the infrared absorption spectrum detecting element is arranged to face a large number of coordinate points on the coordinates, and measures the position of the bottle passing through the coordinate points and the infrared absorption spectrum.   The sorting apparatus according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the material detecting means is an infrared absorption spectrum detecting element disposed above each coordinate point. The color detection means includes a number of light sources for irradiating the bottle with light, and a number of color detection elements for detecting the hue of the reflected light from the bottle,
The color detection element detects the hue of the bottle passing the coordinate point and outputs a color signal to the control means, and the material detection means detects a number of infrared absorption spectra of the reflected light from the bottle. The sorting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an infrared absorption spectrum detection element, wherein the detection element detects an infrared absorption spectrum of a bottle passing through a coordinate point and outputs a spectrum signal to the control means.   The control means comprises: an injection nozzle that injects and blows off a fluid to a specific bottle to be selected; a pipe that supplies pressure fluid to the nozzle; and an electromagnetic valve that is provided in the pipe and allows fluid to flow. The fluid ejecting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the fluid ejecting apparatus is configured to open and close a solenoid valve according to a signal from the container to blow off a transparent and pet bottle and separate the bottle from a colored bottle and a different bottle. Equipment.   The sorting apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the fluid is air.   Many of the spray nozzles are arranged along the pulley at the end of the belt conveyor on the discharge side, and the colored or dissimilar bottles at the end of the belt are blown away, so that only the bottles to be collected fall from the end. The sorting device according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the sorting device is recovered.

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