Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B07—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SORTING
  • B07C—POSTAL SORTING; SORTING INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, OR BULK MATERIAL FIT TO BE SORTED PIECE-MEAL, e.g. BY PICKING
  • B07C5/00—Sorting according to a characteristic or feature of the articles or material being sorted, e.g. by control effected by devices which detect or measure such characteristic or feature; Sorting by manually actuated devices, e.g. switches
  • B07C5/04—Sorting according to size
  • B07C5/12—Sorting according to size characterised by the application to particular articles, not otherwise provided for
  • B07C5/122—Sorting according to size characterised by the application to particular articles, not otherwise provided for for bottles, ampoules, jars and other glassware
  • B07C5/124—Sorting according to size characterised by the application to particular articles, not otherwise provided for for bottles, ampoules, jars and other glassware by means of mechanical measuring devices which may also control electrical contacts
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
  • G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
  • G07F7/00—Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus
  • G07F7/06—Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus by returnable containers, i.e. reverse vending systems in which a user is rewarded for returning a container that serves as a token of value, e.g. bottles
  • G07F7/0609—Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus by returnable containers, i.e. reverse vending systems in which a user is rewarded for returning a container that serves as a token of value, e.g. bottles by fluid containers, e.g. bottles, cups, gas containers

Definitions

• the invention relates to machines for consigning bottles taken up by big box stores.
• a machine for consigning bottles in which:
• the shape recognition of the bottles is carried out by light rays passing through small holes drilled in a mask and corresponding to the profiles of the bottles to be recognized, at each test point, (holes in the mask correspond a light source and a receiver; - the system is rigid and limits the number of bottles to be recognized,
• the bottles are not maneuvered. positioned, they move on turntables and can lie down before entering the evacuation corridor towards a manual sorting table,
• the machine according to the invention overcomes these various drawbacks and adds other advantages. It is characterized in that it comprises:
• said means for testing the shape recognition of the bottle consists of two opposing rows of displacement probes linear acting at different levels so as to detect a difference by level between each of the opposing keys, said difference, at each level, being compared with reference differences, which each belong to a type of bottle taken up, said deviations being insensitive to any eccentricities in the section of said bottle at each test level,
• a means for testing the depth of the bottom of the bottle - an electronic control means provided to cooperate with the fitting out of a means of conveying the returned bottle so as to selectively guide it towards an area grouping by type right out of the machine,
• the deviation detection does not require electronic calculations or binary conversions, which avoids the risks of shape recognition errors due to the absence of cumulation of measurements or of the eccentricity of the neck, this results in great simplicity,
• Fig.1 shows, in top view, an embodiment of differential linear probes according to the invention
• - fig.2 shows a large and a small bottle on the location of installation and testing of the bottles to be recognized
• - fig.3, 4a and 4b schematically show the principle of differential linear probes
• - Fig.5 shows an example of arrangement of linear probes by levels as well as the means of refocusing and tightening the bottles
• Figs. 6,7 and 8 show an example of line count deviation detection defining, by comparison, the profile of the bottle
• Fig. 9 shows an example of a means of evacuating the bottles taken back as well as an example of a means of testing the depth of the bottoms of bottles,
• Figs. 10,11,12 show an example of a means of recognizing plastic bottles
• Figs. 13 and 14 show an example of motorized rollers facilitating the evacuation of the bottles taken back
• - Figs. 15 and 16 schematically show an example of difference in the evacuation of bottles in groups and one by one, - Fig. 17,18,19, show an example of motorized rollers for the evacuation one by one of the bottles recoveries to a storage table
• - fig.20 shows an example of a manual storage and pre-sorting table
• - Fig.21 shows an example of storage table equipped with means of selection and grouping by types of bottles
• - Fig.22 and 23 show an example of referral mechanism and grouping of bottles.
• Fig.1 shows an embodiment of differential linear probes 1,2, in top view moving horizontally, by level, according to Tax XX, one towards the other, each pulled by means of springs traction 5.6, so as to come to bear on the bottle when the assembly of each of the two rows of probes 1,2 is moved; we figured a big bottle 7 and a small bottle 8.
• the probes In the absence of a bottle, the probes meet in the vicinity of Tax YY or above the neck for some in the presence of small bottles,
• the probes 1,2 are shown pressing on a bottle of maximum diameter 9, the deviation detection system 10,11, controlling the profile will be described later in FIGS. 6,7,8.
• Fig. 2 shows a small or large bottle placed by the user on the test location of the bottles to be recognized. The bottle remains at this location until the decision to accept or reject has been made and remains there until it has been removed in the event that it is refused before it can be disconnected another.
• the location is delimited in thick lines between:
• Said complementary security means can for example be a photoelectric cell.
• fig.3 we showed the principle of shape recognition of the profile of the bottles. A set of identical probes 1,2, on the same plane,
• probes 25 in opposition (FIG. 5) arranged in characteristic levels in two vertical rows 18,19, each displaced by an operating carriage bringing said probes elastically into contact with the profile of the bottle to be recognized, said probes comprising, in pairs, at each level, a position deviation detection means respectively
• This means comprises, by probe level, a transparent re ⁇ slide 20, comprising lines 30, moving in coopé ⁇ ration with one of the two probes 1,2, in front of a detection means 27 for crossing said lines, said reader 27 moving in cooperation with the other probe, Said lines 30 are judiciously arranged on the strip so as to correspond to the different positions of the probes of said level as a function of the different types of bottles admitted, said electronic means counting said lines actually crossed
• the lines 30 of the strip may be opaque on a strip of transparent material or the reverse.
• the maximum stroke of the strip relative to the reader corresponds to the maximum diameter of the largest recognized bottle with a safety margin.
• the probe position levels are chosen taking into account the locations of the profiles where the difference e is the most variable according to the different types of existing bottles to limit the number of probes,
• the deviation detection e (fig. 3) can be carried out with different types of sensors, for example with a linear potentiometer with plunger core of which a part P1 is fixed on the first probe 1 and the second P2 fixed on the second probe 2 of the same plan.
• This solution is much simpler than those shown in Figs. 4a and 4b where lengths must be measured either on one side with respect to a reference
• Fig. 9 shows an example of the disposal of recognized and returned bottles. It comprises a carriage constituted by a plate 31 equipped for example with a slide and supporting the pusher 13 secured to the arm 32 moving on each side of a shelf 33 supporting the bottle to be recognized. Said shelf 33 constitutes "the installation location" of the bottle, it is articulated at 34 to allow a very slight displacement in height under the weight of the bottle so as to compri ⁇ mer a tarable spring 35 and close an electrical contactor 36 performing the bottle presence detection function for starting a test. A second electrical contactor, with a rigidity greater than that of the first contactor, cooperates to detect the full bottles and signal their refusal.
• a bottom depth test can be carried out if the difference between two neighboring profiles is not significant enough for recognition without risk of confusion.
• This test can be carried out analogously to the profile test by means of a rod 37 supporting a strip 20 moving for example in front of a line reader 27 identical to that presented in fig.7 under the action of a small actuator 38 returned to rest by a spring 39.
• an actuator 40 pulls the carriage on a predetermined stroke 41 by pushing back the bottle 42 which slides on the floor 43 of the corridor evacuating by pushing the other bottles already in place in said corridor, then the actuator brings the carriage back into position for a new cycle.
• Fig.10,11,12 show an example of block 45 for detecting plastic bottles fixed on the stop 11 of the means for refocusing and immobilizing the bottle during the test; it has two levers 46,47, held in abutment by the springs 49,50 and the electrical contactors 51,52.
• the springs 49.50 are of different stiffness, one more valve is compressed by the plastic bottle, while the other, more rigid, compresses little or no and later due to the progressive resistance force opposed by the deformation of • plastic, this delay triggers the recoil of the refocusing and immobilization of the bottle. This avoids accidentally crushing and puncturing bottles of oil or other products in the machine.
• Fig. 13 shows an example of an evacuation corridor for repri ⁇ bottles, the floor 43 of which comprises small non-motorized rollers 55, the rolling surface ZZ possibly being slightly sloping in the direction of evacuation towards the table. sorting.
• Fig.14 shows an embodiment of these simplified rollers constituted by a portion of tube 56 of small diameter at each end of which is fitted a shouldered ring 57 of material having an excellent coefficient of friction, plastic for example. These rollers rotate freely on axes 58 fixed on brackets sup ⁇ port 59.60, on which are fixed the walls 61 of the corridor 62 between which the bottles 63 move. The smallest bottles rest on at least three small rollers.
• the bottle B1 is moved by the pusher 13 as far as motorized rollers 64 which convey it up to 65 at the outlet of the machine; thus, the first bottle that comes out is the one that has just been tested and whose type is identified, it is then easy to direct it into an appropriate corridor grouping all the bottles of the same type.
• Fig.17,18,19 show an example of a corridor with motorized rollers intended to cooperate with a storage table equipped with means .. for routing and grouping bottles by type.
• the rollers are mounted freely rotating on axes 66 of handling chains 67 driven by a not shown gearmotor.
• the diameter of the rollers and their pitch are provided such that the small bottles rest on three rollers to ensure the stability of their movement.
• the rollers rest on a fixed support plane 68 helping to double the speed of movement of the bottles relative to the linear speed of the chains.
• Fig. 20 shows an example of a table for manual storage and sorting of bottles.
• This table 70 is placed behind the wall (limiting the adjoining room beyond the reach of the customers) on which the machine is supported, perpendicular to the exit corridor 62 and on the same plane, the latter being able to be inclined in the direction of arrow 71 to allow the evacuation and distribution of the bottles over the entire surface of the table.
• rollers 56 of suitable length on the central part. of the table which is surrounded by a guardrail to prevent the bottles falling outside.
• a removable and interchangeable drawer is provided to receive: all of the shape recognition elements and their maneuvering and deviation detection means, the means of evacuating the bottles taken back, the safety gate and that of closing the corridor. evacuation, pins and centralizers for guiding and positioning said drawer on the frame of the machine, and electrical and pneumatic connectors. It is engaged on a slide facilitating its introduction and its installation as well as the plugging in of the connectors.
• Fig.21 shows, in top view, a storage table provided with couoirs 72 for grouping bottles by type which can be fitted with idle rollers.
• a set of switches fig. 22 and 23 comprising a motorized conveying means 73 which can be motorized rollers or a carpet for example, flaps 74 each held in the extension of each wall 75 corridors 72 by means of a spring device 76 which allows rotation about an axis 77, in line with each flap 74 a stop 78, normally esca ⁇ driven, is provided to immobilize said flap in the extension of the corresponding corridor by an electromagnet 79 with elastic return 80, between the axes 77 of the flaps are arranged pushers 81 provided with a limited stroke articulation 82 and maneuvers simultaneously each by
• a lever / articulated on the chassis a common device 84 for operating said levers 83 is moved by an actuator 85, the switch assembly being controlled by electronic control means.
• the referral device operates as follows: As soon as the machine identifies the type of bottle by the machine, the machine delivers information to said electronic control means specifying which corridor the tested bottle should be in. Said electronic control means feeds Telectro-magnet setting up the stop 78 immobilizing the flap corresponding to the designated corridor. On leaving the machine, said bottle is conveyed by the conveying means 73, in passing it pushes the unlocked flaps until it meets the one previously immobilized at the right of the corresponding corridor.
• the pusher 81 then moves the said bottle in the direction of the arrow 86 to introduce it into its grouping corridor; depending on whether the floor of said corridor is motorized or not, it is evacuated or else waits for a next bottle to push it, itself positively urged by the pusher 81.

Landscapes

• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Sorting Of Articles (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=9303690

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Families Citing this family (7)

Family Cites Families (9)

• 1984
  • 1984-05-04 FR FR8406925A patent/FR2563926B1/fr not_active Expired
• 1985
  • 1985-05-06 WO PCT/FR1985/000106 patent/WO1985005207A1/fr not_active Ceased
  • 1985-05-06 EP EP19850902064 patent/EP0182801A1/de not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (1)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events