JPH08143139A - Article sorter and article - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] To provide an article and an article sorting apparatus capable of automatically sorting the article according to the material of the article. [Structure] Parts 3a to 3d having a transparent bar code 13 for specifying the material of the parts are conveyed from a carry-in port 2 toward a storage box 8d by a conveyor belt 5. In the carrying process, the transparent barcode 13 is the barcode reader 4
Is optically read by and the control unit 9 outputs control signals S7a, S7b, S7c to the pushers 7a, 7b, 7c based on the read result. As a result, the parts 3a to 3d are stored in the storage boxes 8a, 8b,
It is pushed into 8c and 8d and automatically sorted.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an article having a transparent bar code or the like relating to the characteristic of the material of the article, and an article sorting apparatus for automatically sorting the article according to the characteristic of the material.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Today, the recycling of used products is drawing attention. Conventionally, for example, when recycling used plastic parts of automobiles,
The identification number attached to the part was visually identified, and the part was classified and collected according to the material. Also, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 58-14277 discloses a tire selection device in which a bar code is formed on a tire as an uneven pattern, and the bar code is optically read to identify the tire type.

[0003]

However, the above-mentioned method of visually identifying the numbers attached to the components has a problem that the operator is burdened with a large amount and that an identification error is likely to occur. Further, in the above-mentioned tire sorting apparatus, there is a problem that the bar code formed as the uneven pattern on the tire is easily visually recognized, and the appearance of the tire where design is important is impaired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide an article and an article selecting apparatus which can automatically select the article according to the material of the article.

[0005]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art and achieve the above-mentioned object, the article sorting apparatus of the present invention is formed by using a transparent ink, and A transporting means for transporting an article having a pattern relating to characteristics, and the pattern or the pattern provided on the transported article for exciting the transparent ink or absorbing light of a predetermined wavelength absorbed by the transparent ink Light source means for irradiating a predetermined area, and light of the predetermined wavelength among the light reflected by the pattern or the light reflected by the peripheral area of the pattern is removed, or the excitation light from the transparent ink or An optical filter that transmits the light reflected by the peripheral region, a light receiving unit that detects the light that passes through the optical filter, and the light receiving unit based on the detection result of the light receiving unit. Identifying means for identifying a turn, according to the identification result of the identifying means, and a selection means for mechanically sorting the conveyed article.

Further, the article of the present invention is formed by using a transparent ink, and a pattern relating to the characteristic of the material of the article which is optically read in a sorting process according to the material of the article is provided by using the transparent ink. ing.

[0007]

In the article sorting apparatus and article of the present invention, articles are conveyed by a conveying means on a predetermined conveying path. When the article is conveyed to a predetermined position on the conveyance path, the pattern attached to the article is irradiated with light of a predetermined wavelength emitted from the light source means. When the pattern of the article is irradiated with the light of the predetermined wavelength, the excitation light is emitted from the transparent ink of the pattern, and the excitation light is transmitted through the optical filter and detected by the light receiving means. On the other hand, of the light of the predetermined wavelength applied to the pattern of the article, the light that is applied to a part other than the transparent ink and reflected by the part is removed by the optical filter, and is detected by the light receiving means. Not done. Then, the detection result of the light receiving means is output to the identification means, and the identification means identifies the pattern attached to the article based on the detection result. When the identification is performed by the identification unit, the mechanical operation of the selection unit is controlled according to the identification result, and the articles conveyed by the conveyance unit are mechanically selected.

Further, in the article sorting apparatus and the article of the present invention, when the article is conveyed to a predetermined position on the conveyance path, the light source means emits light in a predetermined area including a pattern attached to the article. The light of the wavelength of is irradiated. When light having a predetermined wavelength is irradiated to a predetermined region including the pattern of the article, the light irradiated to the pattern is not absorbed and reflected by the transparent ink, but the light irradiated to the peripheral region of the pattern is The light is reflected by the peripheral area and enters the optical filter. Then, the reflected light in this peripheral region is detected by the light receiving means via the optical filter. Then, the detection result of the light receiving means is output to the identifying means,
The identification means identifies the pattern attached to the article based on the detection result. When the identification is performed by the identification unit, the mechanical operation of the selection unit is controlled according to the identification result, and the articles conveyed by the conveyance unit are mechanically selected.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The article sorting apparatus and articles according to the embodiments of the present invention will be described below. The article sorting apparatus of this embodiment is an apparatus that automatically classifies used parts of an automobile according to the type of material, and is used when recycling parts of an automobile according to the material. FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an article sorting apparatus 1 of this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the conveyor belt 5 has a storage box 8d at one end for storing a component 3d other than a component made of aluminum, plastic, or rubber, and an inlet 2 for receiving a component 3 of an automobile. And carries the component placed on the belt from the carry-in port 2 toward the storage box 8d at a constant speed.

The conveyor belt 5 has branch paths 6a, 6b, 6c, and a storage box 8a is provided at one end of the branch paths 6a, 6b, 6c.
8b and 8c are provided. The storage box 8a stores a part 3a made of aluminum, the storage box 8b stores a part 3b made of plastic, and the storage box 8c stores a part 3c made of rubber. Further, pushers 7a, 7b, 7c for pushing the parts 3 conveyed by the conveyor belt 5 into the branch paths 6a, 6b, 6c are provided near the conveyor belt 5. The pushers 7a, 7b, 7c are respectively provided with the control unit 9
The control signals S7a, S7b, S7c from are input, and based on the control signals S7a, S7b, S7c, they move in the direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the conveyor belt 5 (the direction of the arrow in the figure).

Between the carry-in port 2 and the first branch 6a,
The barcode reader 4 is provided so as to be located above the transport belt 5. The barcode reader 4 reads the transparent barcode formed on the component conveyed by the conveyor belt 5, identifies the transparent barcode based on the read result, and outputs an identification signal S4 indicating the identification result to the control unit 9. . The control unit 9 controls the identification signal S from the bar code reader 4.
4 is input and control signals S7a, S7b, S7c generated based on the identification signal S4 are input to pushers 7a, 7b,
Output to 7c.

FIG. 2 is a view for explaining a tire 3c as an example of the rubber component 3c. As shown in FIG. 2, a plate 12 made of aluminum is fixed near the inside of the tire 3c, which is inserted into a wheel, for example. A transparent bar code 13 is printed on the plate 12 using a fluorescent ink 13a containing ZnO / Zn as a main pigment, which emits fluorescence when irradiated with excitation light such as ultraviolet rays. The fluorescent ink 13a cannot be visually recognized with the naked eye, but the fluorescent ink 13a is irradiated with ultraviolet light to detect fluorescent light emitted to detect the fluorescent ink 13a.
It is readable by some. The transparent bar code 13 printed on the tire 3c indicates, as information, the rubber that is the material of the tire 3c. Similarly to the tire 3c, the components 3a, 3b, and 3d are also formed with transparent barcodes showing the characteristics related to the material. Also, part 3
The surfaces a, 3b, 3c, and 3d are placed on the conveyor belt 5 so that the surface on which the transparent barcode is formed is the front side so that the barcode reader 4 can read them. in this way,
The transparent barcode formed on the parts of the automobile is not visible to the naked eye, and the parts can have an excellent appearance.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the bar code reader 4. As shown in FIG. 3, the bar code reader 4
Is composed of a light source 11, an optical filter 14, an area sensor 15, and an identification processing unit 16. The light source 11 has an irradiation range capable of irradiating the entire surface on the plane side of all the parts conveyed by the conveyor belt 5, and emits ultraviolet light toward the irradiation range. The optical filter 14 transmits light having a wavelength of fluorescence emitted from the fluorescent ink 13a when the transparent barcode 13 is irradiated with ultraviolet light, and the fluorescent ink non-adhesive portion of the plate 12 on which the fluorescent ink 13a is not printed. The ultraviolet light directly reflected from 12a is blocked. Therefore, the optical filter 14 transmits only the effective fluorescent component emitted from the fluorescent ink 13a and forms an image on the area sensor 15.

The area sensor 15 is constructed by arranging a plurality of light receiving elements in a matrix, for example, and the optical filter 1
The light transmitted through No. 4 is detected, and the detection signal S15 indicating the detection result is output to the identification processing unit 16. Identification processing unit 1
Reference numeral 6 stores an identification pattern for identifying a transparent barcode formed on a component that is previously conveyed through the conveyor belt 5, and the stored identification pattern and the image formation signal S15 input from the area sensor 15 are stored. And the part 3 that is the target of reading by the barcode reader 4.
Identify the properties related to the material. In addition, the identification processing unit 16
Outputs an identification signal S16 according to the identification result to the control unit 9.

The operation and action of the article sorting apparatus 1 of this embodiment will be described below. A plurality of used parts of an automobile are conveyed by the conveyor belt 5 at regular intervals in the conveying direction.
And is transported from the carry-in port 2 toward the storage box 8d. When these parts are conveyed to the position below the bar code reader 4 by the conveyor belt 5 as shown in FIG. 3, the transparent bar code 13 printed on the plate 12 formed on the part is transferred to the bar code reader 4. The identification signal S16 corresponding to the read result is output from the identification processing unit 16 to the control unit 9. For example, when the transparent barcode of the component 3c is read by the barcode reader 4, the identification signal S16 indicating the rubber material of the component 3c is output to the control unit 9.

When the identification signal S16 is input to the control unit 9, the control signals S7a, S7b indicating that the pusher 7a, 7b, 7c corresponding to the material specified by the identification signal S16 is pushed by the control unit 9. , S7c are output. At this time, the control signals S7a, S7b, S7
c is a bar code reader 4 and pushers 7a, 7b, 7
In consideration of the distance from c and the transport speed of the transport belt 5, the article whose transparent barcode is read by the barcode reader 4 corresponds to the material of the article.
Output from the control unit 9 to the pushers 7a, 7b, 7c at the timing of passing the positions of b, 7c. For example, when the transparent barcode of the component 3c is read by the barcode reader 4, the control signal S7c is sent from the control unit 9 to the pusher 7c at the timing when the article 3c is transported by the transport belt 5 and passes the position of the pusher 7c. Is output.

Of the pushers 7a, 7b, 7c, the pusher that receives the control signal from the control unit 9 is, for example, the conveyor belt 5 based on the timing when the control signal is input.
Moves in a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the article and pushes the article to the corresponding branch path. The article pushed out to the branch road is stored in a storage box located ahead of the article. For example, when the transparent barcode of the component 3c is read by the barcode reader 4, the pusher 7c moves at the timing when the article 3c passes the position of the pusher 7c, and the article 3c moves.
c is stored in the storage box 8c via the branch path 6c.

As described above, the article sorting apparatus 1 of this embodiment
According to the parts, the parts of the automobile on which the transparent barcode is formed can be automatically selected according to the material. Therefore, if the article sorting apparatus 1 is used for recycling used articles of automobiles, it is possible to reduce the burden on the operator when sorting the parts, and prevent misidentification of the material of the articles in the sorting process. it can. In addition, the component of this embodiment has a bar code for automatically selecting the above-mentioned materials, but since the bar code is formed by using fluorescent ink that is not visually recognized, it has an excellent appearance. .

The article sorting apparatus and articles of the present invention are not limited to the above-described embodiments. For example, the article is not limited to an automobile part, but may be, for example, an electric device part or a part in which parts relating to a plurality of types of devices are mixed. Further, the article sorting apparatus may be configured to use a line sensor as the light receiving means in addition to the area sensor. Further, as the transparent pattern, an optically readable character code representing a character, a symbol or the like may be used instead of the barcode.

Further, in the above-mentioned embodiments, the transparent ink is exemplified by a fluorescent ink which emits fluorescence when irradiated with excitation light such as ultraviolet rays, but the transparent ink in the present invention does not absorb visible light, for example. An infrared absorbing ink containing a material having a dye having an absorption region in the infrared region, such as a cyanine dye absorbing infrared light, may be used. In this case, the barcode reader emits infrared light from the light source toward a predetermined area including the barcode. At this time, the infrared light applied to the infrared absorbing ink is not absorbed and reflected, but the infrared light applied to the peripheral area of the infrared absorbing ink is reflected and detected by the light receiving means. The barcode is read.

[0021]

As described above, according to the article sorting apparatus and the parts of the present invention, articles can be automatically sorted according to their material. Therefore, if the article sorting apparatus is used, for example, in the case of recycling articles according to the material, the burden on the operator when sorting the articles can be reduced, and the mistaken identification of the material of the articles in the sorting process can be prevented. . Also,
The article of the present invention is provided with a pattern for automatically selecting the above-mentioned material, but since the pattern is formed by using a transparent ink which is not visually recognized, it can exhibit an excellent aesthetic appearance.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an article sorting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2A is a diagram for explaining the arrangement of a plate printed with a transparent barcode formed on a tire as an automobile part, and FIG. 2B is a transparent barcode printed on the plate of FIG. It is a figure for explaining.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a bar code reader of the article sorting apparatus shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Merchandise sorting apparatus 2 ... Carry-in port 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d ... Automotive parts 4 ... Bar code reader 5 ... Conveyor belts 6a, 6b, 6c ... Branch path 7a , 7b, 7c ... Pushers 8a, 8b, 8c, 8d ... Storage box 9 ... Control unit 11 ... Light source 12 ... Aluminum plate 13 ... Transparent barcode 13a ... Fluorescent ink 14 ... Optical filter 15 ... Area sensor 16 ... Identification processing unit

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. Conveying means for conveying an article, which is formed by using a transparent ink and is provided with a pattern relating to the characteristics of the material of the article, and a conveying means for exciting the transparent ink or absorbing a predetermined wavelength of the transparent ink. Light source means for irradiating light to a predetermined area including the pattern or the pattern attached to the conveyed article, and light reflected by the pattern or light reflected in a peripheral area of the pattern An optical filter that removes the light of the predetermined wavelength and transmits the excitation light from the transparent ink or the light reflected in the peripheral area, and a light receiving unit that detects the light transmitted through the optical filter, Identification means for identifying the pattern based on the detection result of the light receiving means, and selection for mechanically selecting the conveyed articles according to the identification result of the identification means. Article sorting apparatus and means. 2. An article formed using a transparent ink and provided with a pattern relating to the characteristics of the material of the article which is optically read in a sorting process according to the material of the article.