A METHOD AND AN APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATIC SORTING OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF REFUSE

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for automatic sorting of refuse, said refuse being thrown away into containers (2) situated in a sorting apparatus (1) independent on the possibility to reuse the refuse (3'). When throwing away an object (3) it is subjected to an identification by means of an identification unit (4), which for an identified object (3) brings forward a container (2) intended to be used for just the actual object (3) or in case of an unidentified object (3) brings forward a container (2) for mixed material, whereafter the object is permitted to pass into the container, which has been brought forward, said container then being subjected to a sensing concerning the amount of refuse resulting in that the container is brought forward to a compression place (8) when the amount of refuse has reached a predetermined level in the container (2), whereafter a compression device (7) compresses the refuse to a minimum size and that when sening a full container in connection with the compression an indication is given that emptying shall take place so that the actual container will be brought forward to a position for emptying, whereupon the sorting apparatus (1) is again usable.

Description: A method and an apparatus for automatic sorting of different types of refuse The present invention relates to a method and an appa- ratus for automatic sorting of different types of refuse, said refuse being fed into containers situated in a sorting apparatus depending on the possibility of reusing said refuse. Today reuse of refuse will be more and more common and sorting of different types of refuse now occurs already in the consument stage. However, difficulties have arisen for the consumers always to sort the refuse in a correct way and wrongly sorted refuse will in a later stage during the reuse process create problems. The object of the present invention is to provide a method and an apparatus of the type mentioned above, where the above-mentioned drawbacks have been elimi- nated. The characterizing features of the invention are stated in the accompanying claims. Thanks to the invention a method and an apparatus have been provided which in an excellent way fulfil their purposes. Due to the fact that the sorting apparatus according to the invention automatically sorts the refuse in different predetermined groups and thereafter compresses it, emptying needs to take place very seldom and for a normal-sized family just every third week. This depends on the fact that the sorting apparatus automatically compresses the refuse to a minimum size, which results in less refuse. In this way the total volume of the refuse will become less. Also, the number of refuse transports will in this manner be reduced resulting in less discharge of exhaust gases and this means in addition thereto that the surroundings is taken care of. By using the sorting apparatus according to the invention the refuse collection taxes can also be reduced which involves that the cost for buying the sorting apparatus will very quickly pay itself. The invention will be described in a greater detail below by means of a preferred embodiment example, reference being made to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 illustrates a schematic perspective view of a sorting apparatus according to the present invention, Fig. 2 illustrates a lateral view, partly in section, of the sorting apparatus shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view along the line A-A in Fig. 2 through the sorting appara¬ tus and Fig. 4 illustrates a lateral view, partly in section, of the sorting apparatus shown in Figs. 1-3. The sorting apparatus according to the present inven- tion, which is illustrated on the drawing as an pre¬ ferred embodiment example, comprises a number of con¬ tainers 2 for collecting objects 3 in the form of waste or refuse 3 ' , said containers being at least to the number of two and in the illustrated example nine. Of course, dependent of the way of application, any elig¬ ible number of containers can be used in the sorting apparatus 1. The sorting apparatus 1 comprises an identification unit 4, which is accessibly placed in its frontal part and is intended to identify that or those objects 3, which shall be thrown into the sorting apparatus 1, the outer dimensions of which can corres¬ pond to those of a built-in dish washing machine. Further, there is a throw-in cover 16 and an emptying cover 17. Behind the throw-in cover 16 there is a screening-off, the function of which is to prevent an object 3 from getting into another container 2 than the one situated immediately beneath the cover 16. Blocking means can be arranged, which prevent that the refuse 3' will be placed in a wrong container and that the covers 16 and 17 cannot be opened when the sorting apparatus 1 is in function. In addition to a display 18 with a key set for operating certain functions the sorting appara¬ tus 1 is e.g. provided with on/off means, cooling of collected different types of refuse 3 * to prevent smell circulation and forced mechanical operations of normal¬ ly automatic function, which can be used if the auto- matics get stuck or in another way should not function normally. The identification unit 4 can consist of a bar code reader or scanner and connected to the reader there is a minor electronic controlling the mechanics of the sorting apparatus 1. The containers 2 in the sorting apparatus 1 are prefer¬ ably tube-formed but can, of course, have any other suitable form, e.g. quadratic, triangular, oval, cir¬ cular, etcetera. In those cases such containers 2 which have thin walls are used, an outer cover or supporting tube not illustrated on the drawing must be used at the place 8 in the sorting apparatus 1, where the compres¬ sion of the refuse in the containers 2 takes place, said outer supporting tube being able to take up the pressure, which occurs in a direction towards the side walls of the container during the compression of the refuse 3• . Such a thin-walled container will be both easier to handle and cheaper to manufacture than the container 2 first described, which does not require an outer tube casing at the compression place 8 in order to function in the sorting apparatus 1. If an outer tube casing is used at the compression place 8, it can be formed of two tube casing halves which can be opened laterally so that they can be fed towards and there¬ after enclose the actual container just before and during the compression proper, whereafter the tube casing halves are opened and are retracted back in an open state to their starting position so that the sheet 14 on which the containers 2 are situated can again rotate freely. The containers 2 are provided with a bar code informing about the identity of each container 2. The lower edges of the containers 2 can be folded inwards and function as a stop for a sheet forming a bottom, said sheet being movable or pressable upwards and downwards inside the container 2. In a preferred embodiment example the containers 2 can, if they are circular, have a diameter of about 150 mm and a height of about 500 mm. The containers 2 stand vertically on the sheet 14, which is rotatably arranged at the bottom 13 of the sorting apparatus 1. Above the containers 2 there is provided a compression device 7 comprising a piston unit 9, which is operated by air pressure or mechanical gears and having a diameter which is somewhat less than the diameter of the containers and which is depressable into the respective containers 2 in a vertical direc¬ tion for compressing the refuse 3' . The piston unit 9 is pressed at the most downwards 40% of the total height of the container tubes. Under the position for compression or the compression place 8 there is an additional reinforcement, a holding-up means, in order to resist the pressure exterted by the piston unit 9 against the bottom 13 of the sorting apparatus 1. Detectors in the form of volume detectors 6 sense the amount of refuse 3' in the containers 2. In the sorting apparatus 1 there is also provided a motor 21 not illustrated in detail on the drawing, which can operate both the container feeding means 5 in the form of the rotatable sheet 14 and the compression device 7 together with its piston unit 9. At an upper part of the front side of the sorting apparatus 1 there are also some boxes 19 for temporary storage of e.g. batteries, electric bulbs, etcetera, and the sorting is here carried out in such a way that a small sign is placed at the bottom of each box, which symbolizes what is going to be put therein. Behind the covers 20 at the lower part of the front side con¬ tainers can be provided for temporary storage of biolo¬ gically decomposable refuse. The sorting apparatus 1 according to the invention functions in the following manner. Identifying - sort¬ ing - putting-in - volume detecting - compressing - emptying - filling up. When an object 3 is thrown away it is fed past or is kept in front of the identification unit 4, which will identify it. A display lamp can show if the object 3 has been identified, which means that the sorting apparatus 1 is able to sort said object 3. If the object 3 cannot be identified, a button on the display 18, for material which cannot be identified, can be pressed or a container 2 under the throw-in cover 16 for mixed material can automatically be brought for¬ ward. When the sorting apparatus 1 has registered the type of material, of which the object 3 consists, the correct container 2 is circulated towards a place under the throw-in cover 16 and the sorting process has thereby taken place. If the button for such material which cannot be identified has been pressed, the container for mixed material is rotated forward (see above) . When the correct container 2 is in position the object 3 can be fed downwards into its container. Alternative¬ ly, the sorting apparatus 1 can automatically unlock the throw-in cover 16, whereupon the object 3 can be put into the sorting apparatus 1, it being possible to connect the cover 16 to exactly that container 2 which is placed under it so that it will not be possible to put the object 3 somewhere else. After having thrown in the object 3, the cover 16 is closed, which will then automatically be locked by the sorting apparatus 1. When the cover 16 is locked, a sensing starts for controlling the amount of objects 3 or refuse 3' in the container 2. If the container 2 in question is full, the sorting apparatus 1 moves the container 2 into position for compression at the compression place 8. When the actual container 2 has stopped at the compres- sion place 8, the compression will start, if not thin- walled containers have been placed in the sorting apparatus 1, which at the compression are first en¬ circled by the outer tube casing, a piston unit 9 being pressed downwards into the container 2 and compresses the objects 3 to a minimum size. The piston unit 9 will then move to its starting position and the sorting apparatus 1 can again circulate its containers 2. If the container 2 is still full after the compression, the sorting apparatus 1 will give a signal via a lamp on the display that the container in question is full. Then the piston for emptying is pressed or everything will take place automatically. The sorting apparatus 1 will then move the full container 2 into position for emptying. When the container 2 is placed in position the sorting apparatus 1 releases the security lock and it will be possible to open the emptying cover 17 and take out the container 2. Also, the last-mentioned steps can, of course, take place automatically. The sorting apparatus 1 senses and keeps a check on which container place 12 that are not occupied on the rotatable sheet 14. When it is desired to put in an empty container 2, the button for container filling placed at the display 18 is pressed. The sorting appa¬ ratus 1 will then rotate the sheet 14 so that a free container place 12 is brought into position at the cover 17. When this has taken place, the sorting appa¬ ratus 1 will unlock the cover 17, which can be opened. When the cover 17 has been opened, the container 2 is put into the free place and the cover 17 is closed. When the cover 17 has been closed, the sorting appara¬ tus 1 will lock it and senses the identity of the container 2, which has been put in. If all of the container places 12 should not have been occupied with containers, the sorting apparatus 1 will still func- tion, as it is the bar code marking on each container 2 which is sensed for the identification and feeding thereof. The above-mentioned sensing of free container places 12 is carried out by a container detector 11. The volume detector 6 at the compression device 7 will in addition to the compression device 7 also control a signal transmitter 10 in order to indicate when a container 2 is full and must be emptied at the same time as the container 2 is fed forwards to its emptying position in the sorting apparatus 1.

Claims: Claims 1. A method for automatic sorting of refuse, the refuse being put into containers (2) placed in a sort- ing apparatus (1) which as a separate unit is placeable in a kitchen, which refuse (3') can be thrown away into said containers depending on the reusing possibility, characterized in that when throwing away an object (3) it is directly at that place and immediately before it is thrown into the sorting apparatus (1) subjected to an identification by an identification unit (4) in the sorting apparatus, which after having identified an object (3) brings forward a container (2) which is placed in the sorting apparatus and intended for exact- ly this actual object or when not being able to identi¬ fy an object (3) brings forward a container (2) for mixed material, whereupon the object is permitted to pass into the actual container (2) , which is then subjected to a sensing as to its amount of refuse resulting in that the container (2) being brought forward to a compression place (8) in the sorting apparatus (1) , when the amount of refuse has reached a predetermined level in the container (2) , whereupon a compression device (7) compresses the refuse (3 1 ) to a minimum size and that when having sensed a full con¬ tainer in connection with the compression an indication is given that emptying shall take place, whereby the actual container (2) is brought forward to a position for emptying, whereafter the sorting apparatus (l) is again usable. 2. An apparatus for automatic sorting of refuse and which is formed as a separate unit, which is preferably placed in a kitchen, in which unit the refuse is put into different containers (2) dependent on the possibi¬ lity to reuse the refuse (3'), characterized in that the sorting apparatus (1) comprises an identification unit (4) for identifying an object (3) to be put into the sorting apparatus (1) immediately before it is thrown away, a container feeding means (5) for bringing forward a container (2) intended for the actual object (3) , at least one volume detector (6) for sensing and controlling the amount of refuse (3') in the containers (2) and which controls a compression device (7) for compressing the refuse (3') in the containers (2) as well as a signal transmitter (10) for indicating when a container (2) is full and must be emptied at the same time as the container in question can be brought for¬ ward to its emptying position in the sorting apparatus (1). 3. An apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the sorting apparatus further comprises a container detector (11) , which controls which container places (12) in the sorting apparatus (1) that are free, whereby a free container place (12) is movable in a direction forward for replacing an empty container (2) , whereupon the container detector (11) senses the iden¬ tity of the replaced container (2) for the subsequent collection of the refuse intended for exactly this container (2) . 4. An apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the containers (2) are tube-formed and support¬ ed by a rotatable sheet (14) provided at the bottom (13) of the sorting apparatus (1). 5. An apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the lower edges of the containers (2) are folded inwards and function as a stop for a sheet formed as a bottom, said sheet being movable or press- able in a direction upwards and downwards in the con¬ tainers (2) . 6. An apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the compression device (7) comprises a piston unit (9) operated by air pressure or mechanical gears, said unit having a diameter which is somewhat smaller than the container diameter and being pressable down¬ wards into the respective container (2) in a vertical direction in order to compress the refuse (3' ) . 7. An apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that in connection to the compression device (7) for compressing the refuse in the container there is an outer or supporting tube situated at a compression place (8) consisting of two tube casing halves, which can be opened laterally and are arranged during the compression to encircle the actual container in order to take up the lateral pressure created against the container wall during the compression. 8. An apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the sorting apparatus (1) comprises blocking functions which prevent that the refuse (3') is put in a wrong container (2) and that the compression or feeding forwards of the actual container (2) to the filling or emptying position can only take place when the throw-in or emptying covers (16, 17) of the sorting apparatus (1) are in their closed position.

Inventors: NYMAN MATS, NYMAN, MATS
Applicants: NYMAN MATS, NYMAN, MATS
Application year: 1996
Main classification: B65F1
IPC codes: B65F1