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
  • B07C5/34—Sorting according to other particular properties
  • B07C5/3404—Sorting according to other particular properties according to properties of containers or receptacles, e.g. rigidity, leaks, fill-level
• • 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
  • B07C5/34—Sorting according to other particular properties

Definitions

• the present invention relates to an apparatus for sorting containers, such as bottles, and comprising a feeder device for receiving the containers in bulk and for discharging them individually in sequence in a feeding direction which is substantially parallel with the longitudinal direction of the containers and at a first speed, a rotation device for rotating the containers substantially about their longitudinal axes, a sensor unit which is sited in the area of the rotation device for sensing a marking on the rotation of the containers, a separator device which is operable for transferring the containers to either of at least two receptacles in response to the contents of the marking sensed by the sensor unit
• the deposit and return systems are nationally constructed and a ⁇ i ⁇ istered by, for example, retailers, beverage manufacturers or the manufacturers of the containers.
• the consumer pays a minor sum of money for its package.
• the package is returned and the deposit is reclaimed.
• the present invention has for its object to realise an apparatus which makes for the rapid, reliable, automatic sorting of containers where unauthorised containers are detected and may be separated off-
• the object forming the basis of the present invention will be attained if the apparatus intimated by way of introduction is characterised in that at least one further sensor device is provided ⁇ i the region of the rotation device for sensing at least one additional marking or code on containers for identifying unauthorised containers.
• Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus according to the present invention.
• Fig. 2 shows the apparatus according to the present invention seen obliquely from above.
• the apparatus comprises a feeder device 1 which is intended for receiving the containers, preferably plastic bottles in bulk, i.e. the bottles are not sorted or oriented in any predetermined manner.
• the feeder device 1 is disposed to discharge the bottles individually in a predetermined direction in sequence after one another.
• the feeding direction from the feeder device is, in the preferred embodiment, such that the containers are fed substantially parallel with their longitudinal axis.
• the apparatus further includes a rotation device 2 past which the bottles pass one by one.
• the rotation device 2 is disposed to cause the containers to rotate about their longitudinal axis so that the entire surface of the container is exposed to a sensor unit 3. In such instance, codes and other markings which are on the container or its label are also exposed.
• the rotation device 2 is further disposed so that it both rotates and accelerates the container so that the discharged containers are given increased spacing from each other.
• the sensor unit 3 is connected to a control unit (not shown) which is operative for controlling a separator device 4 in which a given container is guided to one of two or more receptacles in response to the codes or markings on precisely this container which had been read-off by the sensor unit 3.
• another read-off is made of same other marking or other property in the container, in order by such means to ensure that only such containers as are included in a given deposit and
• the sensor unit 3 includes more than one
• the sensor unit 3 is disposed in the region at the rotation device 2, preferably above it.
• the sensor unit 3 suitably includes a bar code reader, since such codes are normally provided on the containers or their labels already on their manufacture or filling.
• the read-off bar codes are registered and may, for example, be employed for statistical purposes. As was previously mentioned, the read-off of bar codes is not sufficient to decide whether a container is actually included in a given deposit and return system, since cheating is a common occurrence. Thus, additional inspections of the container must be made. To this end, the containers can be provided with one or more additional markings which are considerably more difficult to fake than the bar codes employed hitherto.
• Special types of printing ink may be used, in which event codes or other patterns which are not visible in daylight can be printed- However, the properties of the ink are such that the pattern can be read off using special sensors or in a certain type of ilium-nation, for example UV ligh
• the label of the container may also be provided with a water mark which is inspected with the aid of permeating light and a specifically adapted detector.
• the container or its label can further be provided other types of markings which are to be found on valuables such as banknotes. The only limitation in such instance is that the marking must be difficult to fake but relatively simple to produce and read off, on condition that there is access to suitable equipment.
• a special type of sensor is the type which is geared to sensing the material included in the container- Different types of plastic materials have per se different optical properties and it is also possible to affect these properties with minor additions of a substance which is normally not included in the plastic. Correspondingly, sensors can be developed for detecting different types of metals.
• a conveyor belt 5 For transport from the sensor unit 3 to the separator device 4, a conveyor belt 5 is provided.
• An ejector 6 is included in the separator device 4 and is movable transversely of the direction of movement of the conveyor belt 5 in accordance with the arrow 7 (Fig. 2).
• the ejector 6 is drivable under the action of a prime mover, preferably a piston and cylinder assembly.
• a plurality of identical ejectors 6 may be provided in sequence after one another and the control system decides which of these ejectors is to be activated for each respective container.
• a container which is transported along the conveyor belt 5 will either be ejected laterally by the action of one of the ejectors 6 or be allowed to pass up to the end of the conveyor 5.
• the various receptacles in the form of collection skips or vessels or the like are thus located beside the conveyor belt 5 in register with the ejectors ⁇ 5 or at the discharge end of the conveyor belt 5.
• a larger number of fractions than two has been made possible in that more than one sensor is provided in the sensor unit 3.
• an apparatus was disclosed where the bottles are supplied in bulk and are discharged individually at the same time as codes and other markings are read-off by means of two or more sensors.
• the need to disclose "false” or “foreign” bottles also exists in other types of feeder devices.
• One example of an apparatus in which the sensor unit 3 according to the invention may be embodied is the feeder device which is described in SE 514 102.
• This apparatus includes a conveyor belt which moves upwards from a receptacle space.
• Discharged containers are then processed further, for instance in the above-described sensor unit 3 and are thereafter conveyed to a separator device of substantially the same type as that described above.
• a further modification of the subject matter of the present invention is that the sensors included in the sensor unit 3 are placed discrete and separate from each other. Certain containers can be separated off already at an early stage, for example already after a bar code read-off. hi such instance, those containers which are approved in this step pass further for additional read-offs in subsequent sensors. This would entail that not all bottles need to undergo all read-offs. Suitably, the most time- and resource-consuming read-offs are placed last, so that the processing of the containers is not unduly delayed. If the sensors are placed a great distance from each other, it may possibly be necessary to provide additional rotation devices 2.

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• 2001
  • 2001-12-20 DE DE10197286T patent/DE10197286T5/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2001-12-20 EP EP01275180A patent/EP1487592A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2001-12-20 WO PCT/SE2001/002867 patent/WO2004069432A1/en not_active Ceased

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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