DIFFERENTIATED COLLECTING STATION FOR USED PLASTIC CONTAINERS WITH SUCTION DRAWING

Abstract: The collection station essentially consists of an ideally cylindrical or parallelepiped compact mass body forming the collecting chamber for used plastic material containers and is equipped in different ways with a suction duct. The device can be directly laid on the ground and its emptying is nearly instantaneous by means of an aspiration air flux at high speed coming from a suction element, acting with automatic hooking, of a mobile drawing compartment which then transforms the above mentioned containers in recovered product for recycl­ ing. In a version a station is foreseen which, on a base (1) leaning on the ground, uses a parallelepiped containment body (2) with loading mouths (3) and an inspection door (4). The plastic containers, or heterogenous plastic material, which have been let in, reach the bottom of the chamber (5) gliding on an inclined plane (6) and are stopped by a wall (7) with an inclination opposed to the preceding plane (6). On this site a suction duct (9), with catching mouth (8), is fitted with check and directional control valves (11). By means of the said suction duct (9) the containers are then taken away by means of a mobile operative compartment (17).

Description: The invention refers to a selective collecting station of containers in plastic materials and/or used heterogenous plastic, and which essentially consists of a containment body determining a collecting chamber equipped with a suction duct or with a side sucking duct. The said station, which can be set on the ground, can be used without supporting means and without the presence of a staff on the ground for discharging operations. What preceedes is possible because the collecting chamber can be emptied nearly at once by means of a suction air flux at high speed through a suction element of a mobile suction element. Moreover, no staff are required on the ground since the above suction element is foreseen to be fitted, by means of an automatic coupling, in the suction opening properly equipped with directional control and check valves. The invention device is foreseen to compose a selective collection network of used plastic material containers and/or heterogenous used plastic, in which network suction is periodically carried out by a mobile operative unit which transforms said material into a recovered one to be recycled. In particular the device can be used on the road and in fuel distributing stations. Separately, the above station allows the conversion of containers charged in the collecting chamber by gravitationally passing through a perforated metal - or other filter medium - which constitutes the conversion form of the containers charged into the collecting chamber, and to recover the liquid still present in the used containers such as for instance lubricating oils. The present collecting stations carry out mechanical emptying and operate with a hopper or by tilting of the store body. This conventional methodology determines an operational complex consisting of three components: a storage body, a structure to support it and means of general kind for unloading. Consequently, particular costs and encumbrance of these devices are the result which must be further controlled by the staff on the ground. These disadvantages do not allow using, this assembly in the network for collecting used containers in plastic materials at the origins. In comparison with the present collecting stations, the invention system mainly offers the following advantages: 1) nearly instantaneous emptying even without staff on the ground; 2) structural simplification since the station conformation theoretically coincides with a parallelepipedic or cylindrical containment shape which forms the collecting chamber performed in advance without linkages thus carrying out a considerable reduction of the production costs; 3) a station which shows a highly reduced encumbrance, since there is no supporting structure, as well as mechanical handling; 4) it allows to recover the liquids remained in the containers which have put in. Furthermore, essentially important is the circumstance that the station emptying operations do not interfere in any way with the activity of the staff using the collection station, a condition of particular importance for the fuel station staff. It is known from document AT-A-386582 (corresponding to the preamble of claim 1) to provide a collecting station with a substantially parallelepipedic body on base on the ground and forming the collecting chamber into which the containers are introduced through loading openings. The collecting station according to a first embodiment of the invention is distinguished by the features of the characterising portion of claim 1. For interventions in the collecting chamber, if required, an upper inspection door 4 has been foreseen. The introduced container reachs the bottom of the collecting chamber 5 by slipping on the inclined perforated metal plate 6 and stops against the wall 7 having an angle opposed to that of the inclined perforated metal plate 6 located at lowest point of metal plate 6 in order to form with said perforated metal plate 6 a suction point for the containers which are subsequently charged in. Located above the afore-mentioned suction point is the suction duct inlet 8 with suction duct 9 equipped with a suction duct outlet 10 which is provided with directional control and check valves 11. Alternatively, in order to increase the suction effect an extraction funnel 12 is foreseen to let into the extraction suction duct outlet 10. Said suction duct outlet 10 is equipped with a telescopic deph register enabling to regulate its height. Execution versions of the above mentioned device are illustrated in the drawings of sheet 1. With reference to this sheet, fig. 1 is the side view of a station in parallelepipedic shape. Fig. 2 is section view of the same collecting station as per fig. 1 to show the inside conveying system on an inclined perforated metal plate 6 which lets the containers reach the wall 7. In this position, the containers are sucked through th suction duct inlet 8 into duct 9. Furthermore through the perforated metale plate 6, the liquid remained into the used containers pass as a charge into the lower small tank 13 of chamber 14. For checking the flux, the adjustable regulator 15 has been foreseen which can be fitted on door 16. A schematic view of the emptying system for a collecting station, according to the version with sucking duct fitted outside the collecting chamber can be observed in fig. 5. With reference to this last figure, the mobile operative suction compartment 17, on line 18, empties the ground station by means of the suction element inserted in the suction duct outlet 10. It is also known from document FR-A-2555146 (corresponding to the preamble of claim 7) to provide a collecting station with a containment body consisting of a cylindrical intermediate part fitted between a cover portion and a lower hopper-shaped portion. The collecting station according to a second embodiment of the invention is distinguished by the features of the characterising portion of claim 7. Centrally in a suspended position in the collecting chamber is foreseen the suction duct 24 which is firmly held by a radial system consisting of three bars 25 with a lower adjustable suction duct inlet 26 to regulate the power and/or the tilting of the air flux according to the requirements and an upper suction duct outlet 27 to be precluded by means of check and directional control door/valve 28. The used containers are put into the openings 29, slide towards the perforated metal base 30 and reach the bottom of the hopper-shaped portion 22 while the liquids therein contained flow downwards. The extraction opening 26 can be regulated in its depth through a telescope means. An execution version of the above cited station is illustrated in the drawings of sheet 2. With reference to this sheet fig. 6 is the section view of the station to point out the particular position of the suction duct and the position of the bolted porthole 32, of the inspection fixed light 33 and of the adjustable ventilation porthole 34. Fig. 7 is the side view of the same station to point out a hypothetic container in sucking position on the bottom in perforated metal base 30. Fig. 8 is the station viewed from above to allow to note the cover portion 21 equipped with three loading openings 29. Fig. 9 is the lower view of the same station to point out its base structure 35 which with the raised outer structure 36 determines the parallelepipedic-shaped base with rounded corners foreseen for the device containment. Furthermore the part 37 containing the recovery oil as well as the possible extraction openings 38 can be seen. The emtying system of a collecting station, according to the version with a sucking duct built in the collectin chamber, can be noted in a schematic view in fig. 10. With reference to this last one, the same mobile operative suction compartment 17 empties the ground station on line 18 by means of the sucking element 19 fitted in the suction duct 27. In the executions: the stations can be carried out in different ways and properly equipped according to the different requirements.

Claims: Selective collecting station for used plastic containers with a substantially parallelepipedic body (2), forming a collecting chamber (5), loading openings (3) formed in the upper part of the side wall and a base (1) characterized in that the station further comprises an upper inspection door (4), an inclined perforated metal plate (6) and, located at the lowest point of the plate (6), a wall (7) having an angle opposed to that of the plate (6), also a suction duct (9) having an inlet (8) located directly above the point where the plate (6) coincides with the wall (7), and a suction duct outlet (10) provided with directional control and check valves (11), the collecting station can be fitted on the ground and nearly instantaneously emptied through a suction air flux at high speed coming from the sucking element with automatic coupling of a mobile suction unit which then transforms the containers into recovery product to be recycled and in which the containers arrive on the bottom of the collecting chamber (5) by sliding on the inclined perforated metal plate (6) and stop against the wall (7) and from this point the containers are sucked up through the suction duct inlet (8), along the suction duct (9) and out the suction duct outlet (10). Selective collecting station for used plastic containers as per claim 1), characterized in that to increase the suction effect, an extraction funnel (12) is provided which puts into the suction duct outlet (10). Selective collecting station for used plastic containers as per claim 1), characterized in that through the perforated metal plate (6) the liquid contained in the used containers passes from the collecting chamber (5) into the underlying tank (13) fitted in an additional chamber (14). Selective collecting station for used plastic containers as per claim 1), characterized in that the liquid of the used containers can flow together and be discharged into a special tank and delivered outwards by conventional suction means. Selective collecting station for used plastic containers as per claim 1), characterized in that in order to check the suction air flux a regulator (15) is provided on the door (16). Selective collecting station for used plastic containers as per claim 1), characterized in that by means of door (16) it is possible to intervene in the zone below the inclined plate (6) to suck out the liquid collecting tank (13). Selective collecting station for used plastic containers having a body forming a collecting chamber, loading openings (29) formed in the upper part of the collecting station, the body comprising a substantially cylindrical intermediate part (20), a cover portion (21) and a base structure (35) characterized in that the containing body consists of an intermediate part (20), with a bolted inspection porthole (32), fitted between a cover portion (21) and a lower hopper-shaped portion (22) at the bottom of which is located a perforated metal plate, the collecting chamber further comprising, a built-in suction duct (24) which is fixed by means of three bars (25) and equipped with a lower adjustable suction duct inlet (26), which is located directly above the perforated metal plate (30), and an upper suction duct outlet (27) closed by means of check and directional control door/valve (28), whereby the containers put into the collecting station, through the openings (29), slide toward the perforated metal plate (30) at the bottom of the hopper-shaped portion (22) whereas the liquids contained therein flow downwards. Selective collecting station for used plastic containers as per claim 7), characterized in that the station further comprises an inspection fixed light (33) and an adjustable ventilation porthole (34) and moreover the cover portion (21) is equipped with three loading openings (29), and whereby the encasing structure uses a flat base part (35) which, with the outer structure (36), forms the parallelepiped base part of this, and whereby a part (37) of the base containing the oils can be taken away, the base also having been provided with openings (38) of possible extraction.

Inventors: GULMINI, CARLO
Applicants: GOVONI SPA
Application year: 1989
Main classification: B65F1
IPC codes: B65F1