JP2000247402A - Cup recovery device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To recycle a recovered cup by providing a cup beverage dispenser with a cup washing means and a cup storing means to store stacked washed cups. SOLUTION: When a waste cup 100 is charged into a cup charging opening 2, it is placed on a cup receiving stand 4 of a cup detector 3. At this time, when the placement is detected, a cup holding arm 7 moves to the side of the cup receiving stand 4 so as to hold the cup 100. In the case where the cup 100 is made of plastic, the arm 7 is moved to a cup washer while holding it, and on the midway it is invereted upside down. Then, hot water, cold water or washing water is discharged from the washer 8 to perform washing of the cup 100. Thereafter, the washed cup 100 is moved to a cup drier 9 and dried therewith. Successively, the dried cup 100 is sorted per size and stored in a cup storing vessel 11.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cup collecting device for collecting used cups of a cup beverage vending machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Cup beverage vending machines, which sell beverages by pouring them into cups, are widely used. Examples of the used cup collecting device include those disclosed in JP-A-10-231003 and JP-A-10-258907.

[0003]

Problems to be Solved by the Invention
No. 03, JP-A-10-258907, the cup collecting apparatus merely stacks and stores the collected cups, and has a function to make the collected cups reusable, and sorts the collected cups according to material. It did not have a storage function. The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a cup collection device having a function of putting collected cups into a reusable state, a function of separately collecting collected cups by material, and the like. I do.

[0004]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a cup recovering means comprising cup washing means and cup storing means for stacking and storing the washed cups. Provide equipment. By washing the collected cups and storing them in a stacked state, the cups can be reused.

[0005] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cup collecting device includes a cup drying means. The collected cups are washed, dried, and stored in a stacked state, so that the cups can be immediately reused.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cup collecting device includes a cup material detecting means. If the cup material is detected, for example, the plastic cup is washed,
The paper cups are dried and stored in a stacked state so that they can be reused immediately, and the paper cups can be simply stored in a stacked state and prepared for disposal, thereby enabling sorting processing for each material.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cup collecting device includes a cup size detecting means. If the cup size is detected, separate storage for each size is possible, and reuse of the cup is facilitated.

[0008] In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the cup collecting device includes a cup transferring means for transferring the stacked body of cups stored in the cup storing means to the cup storing device of the vending machine. If the cups washed and stacked and stored in the cup storage means are transferred to the cup storage device of the vending machine via the cup transfer means, the frequency of maintenance of the vending machine is reduced, and the running cost of the vending machine is reduced. Reduce.

According to the present invention, there is provided a cup collecting apparatus provided with cup material detecting means and cup separating and storing means for separating and storing cups for each material. If the cup material is detected and the cups are sorted and stored for each material, there is no need to perform a sorting operation for each material when discarding the collected cup, and the efficiency of the garbage disposal operation is improved.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A cup collecting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the cup collection device A
Has an outer box 1. Cup inlet 2 on the top wall of outer box 1
Are formed. A cup detecting device 3 is provided directly below the cup inlet 2. The cup detecting device 3 includes a cup support 4 supported by a spring and a weight sensor or microswitch 5. A light detecting device 6 including a light emitting element 6a and a light receiving element 6b is provided in the outer box 1 and above the cup detecting device 3. A cup gripping arm 7 is provided in the outer box. As shown in FIG. 2, the cup gripping arm 7 has a curved fixed arm 7a and a curved movable arm 7b rotatably attached to the fixed arm 7a. Movable arm 7
b is rotationally driven by a driving device (not shown). A rotation angle detection sensor (not shown) for detecting the rotation angle of the movable arm 7b is provided. The fixed arm 7a is fixed to the shaft member 7c. The shaft member 7c is driven by a driving device (not shown) to rotate around a longitudinal axis and to move two-dimensionally in the outer box 1.

In the outer box 1, there are provided a cup cleaning device 8 for discharging hot water, water and cleaning water to clean the cup, and a cup drying device 9 for discharging hot air and cold air to dry the cup. . Cup storage containers 10 and 11 are arranged in the outer box 1 and below the cup gripping arm 7. Cup storage container 1
Reference numerals 0 and 11 each include a plurality of containers having different sizes of storage cups.

Inside the outer box 1, an air cylinder 12 for extruding the cup laminated body from the cup storage container 11 is provided. An elevator 13 is provided so as to face the air cylinder 12. The elevator 13 is an air cylinder 14
It has. An opening 15 is formed in an upper portion of the outer box 1 so as to face a cup storage device of a vending machine (not shown).
A control device (not shown) for controlling the operation of various devices in the cup collection device A is provided.

The operation of the cup collecting device A will be described. The used cup 100 is thrown into the cup slot 2. The cup 100 rides on the cup holder 4 of the cup detecting device 3. The weight sensor or the microswitch 5 detects that a load has been applied to the cup cradle 4 and thus detects that the cup 100 has been placed on the cup cradle.
When it is detected that the cup 100 has been placed on the cup receiving table, the light detection device 6 operates under the control of a control device (not shown), and light is emitted from the light emitting element 6a to the light receiving element 6b. If the cup 100 is a transparent or translucent plastic cup, light emitted from the light emitting element 6a passes through the cup 100 and is received by the light receiving element 6b. If the cup 100 is an opaque paper cup, light emitted from the light emitting element 6a is reflected by the cup 100 and not received by the light receiving element 6b. The material of the cup 100 is detected based on whether or not the light emitted from the light emitting element 6a is received by the light receiving element 6b. Cup 10 in cup rest
When it is detected that 0 is on, the cup gripping arm 7 moves to the cup receiving table 4 under the control of a control device (not shown),
The cup 100 is gripped. The rotation angle of the movable arm 7b is detected by the rotation angle detection sensor, and the size of the cup 100 is detected.

When the cup 100 is a paper cup,
The cup gripping arm 7 moves to above the cup storage container 10 and releases the cup 100 immediately above the container corresponding to the size of the cup 100 to be gripped. The cup 100 falls into the cup storage container 10. The cup 100 is sorted by size and stored in the cup storage container 10. The cups 200 that are separated by size are formed in the cup storage container 10 by the cups 100 that sequentially fall.
When the cup storage container 10 is filled with the cup laminate 200, the maintenance personnel takes the cup storage container 10 out of the outer box 1. The cup laminate 200 is taken out of the cup storage container 10 and discarded. The empty cup storage container 10 is returned into the outer box 1.

When the cup 100 is a plastic cup, the cup holding arm 7 moves to the cup cleaning device 8 while holding the cup 100. The shaft member 7c of the cup gripping arm 7 rotates, and the upper and lower sides of the cup 100 are reversed, and the opening is directed downward. Hot water, water, and cleaning water are discharged from the cup cleaning device 8 to clean the cup 100. Hot water used in a vending machine may be used as hot water for washing a cup. After washing the cup, the cup gripping arm 7 moves to the cup drying device 9 while holding the cup 100 with the opening directed downward. Hot air and cold air are discharged from the cup cleaning device 9 to dry the cup 100.

After the cup is dried, the cup gripping arm 7 moves to above the cup housing 11. The shaft member 7c of the cup gripping arm 7 rotates, so that the top and bottom of the cup 100 are reversed, and the opening is directed upward. The cup gripping arm 7 is placed just above the container corresponding to the size of the cup 100 to be gripped.
To release. The cup 100 falls into the cup storage container 11. The cup 100 is sorted by size and stored in the cup storage container 11. The cups 200 that are separated by size are formed in the cup storage container 11 by the cups 100 that fall sequentially. Cup storage container 1
The cup laminated body 200 in 0 is pushed out of the cup storage container 11 by the air cylinder 12 and stored in the elevator 13. The elevator 13 moves upward. The cup laminate 200 housed in the elevator 13 is pushed out of the elevator 13 by the air cylinder 14 and the opening 1
5 and is stored in a cup storage device of a vending machine (not shown).

As can be understood from the above description, in the cup collecting apparatus A, the collected cups 100 are washed and stored in a stacked state, so that the cups 100 can be reused. In the cup collection device A, the collected cup 10
0 is washed, dried, and stored in a stack.
Is ready to be reused. In the cup collection device A, the material of the collected cup 100 is detected, so that the plastic cup is washed, dried, stored in a stacked state, and can be reused immediately, and the paper cup is simply stored in the stacked state and prepared for disposal. In addition, it is possible to perform a separation process for each material. In the cup collection device A, the size of the cup 100 is detected, so that the cup 100 can be separately stored for each size, and the cup 100 can be easily reused.
In the cup collection device A, since the cup laminate 200 stored in the cup storage container 11 is transferred to the cup storage device of the vending machine, the frequency of maintenance of the vending machine by maintenance personnel is reduced, and Running costs are reduced. In the cup collection device A, since the material of the cup 100 is detected and the cups are sorted and stored for each material, there is no need to perform a sorting operation for each material when discarding the cup 100 after collection. Is made more efficient.

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. Cup collection device A to cup cleaning device 8, cup drying device 9, air cylinder 1
2, 14 and the elevator 13 are removed, and even if the collected cup 100 is a plastic cup, the cup 1
00, without washing and drying, simply storing the cup container 1
1 may be configured to be stored separately according to size. Since the cups 100 are sorted and stored for each material, there is no need to perform a sorting operation for each material when discarding the collected cup 100, and the dust disposal operation is made more efficient. Paper cup 10
After washing 0, it may be configured to store separately by size without drying. In this case, cup 10
It is desirable that the storage unit be stored with the opening of 0 facing downward. By cleaning the paper cup 100, the paper cup 100 can be reused.

[0019]

As described above, in the cup collecting apparatus according to the present invention, the collected cups are washed and stored in a stacked state, so that the cups can be reused. The collected cups are washed, dried, and stored in a stacked state, so that the cups can be immediately reused. If the cup material is detected, for example, the plastic cup is washed,
The paper cups are dried and stored in a stacked state so that they can be reused immediately, and the paper cups can be simply stored in a stacked state and prepared for disposal, thereby enabling sorting processing for each material. If the cup size is detected,
Separate storage for each size is possible, making it easy to reuse cups. If the cups that have been washed and stacked and stored in the cup storage means are transferred to the cup storage device of the vending machine via the cup transfer means, the frequency of vending machine maintenance is reduced and the running cost of the vending machine is reduced. I do. In the cup collection device according to the present invention, the cup material is detected and the cups are sorted and stored for each material. Work becomes more efficient.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing a configuration of a cup collection device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of a cup holding device provided in the cup collecting device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 A Cup collection device 1 Outer box 2 Cup inlet 3 Cup detection device 4 Cup holder 5 Weight sensor or micro switch 6 Light detection device 7 Cup holding device 8 Cup washing device 9 Cup drying device 10, 11 Cup storage container 12, 14 Air cylinder 13 Elevator 15 Opening 100 Cup

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A cup collection device comprising: a cup washing means; and a cup storage means for stacking and storing the washed cups. 2. The cup collecting device according to claim 1, further comprising a cup drying unit. 3. The cup collecting device according to claim 1, further comprising a cup material detecting unit. 4. The cup collecting device according to claim 1, further comprising a cup size detecting means. 5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a cup transferring means for transferring a stacked body of cups stored in the cup storing means to a cup storing device of a vending machine. Cup collection device. 6. A cup collecting apparatus comprising: cup material detecting means; and cup separating and storing means for separating and storing cups for each material.