Empty bottle reverse vending device

p0001The invention relates to an empty bottle collector comprising a housing having at least one through a closable insertion opening from the outside accessible intake chamber for empty bottles with a subsequent to the entry chamber empty bottle store, with a motor-driven conveyor for the transport of individual empty bottles from the intake chamber into the empty bottle store, with an in-range of the input chamber means for bottle detection and with a preferably responsive to output signals of the bottle detection device controller for controlling the conveyor and optionally a deposit teller, said input chamber located a footprint for receiving an upstanding empty bottle and the empty bottle store a level with the floor space exhibit magazine bottom for receiving upstanding empty bottles.

p0002In a known empty bottle collector of this type (EP-A2-567 732) the empty bottles can be entered in different levels via separately loadable input chambers in stationary magazine compartments. In each input chamber own bottle detection device is provided with the contour of the set empty bottle. Once the magazine is full, it must be emptied in place by individual removal of the bottles.

p0003To avoid this disadvantage, it is known (DE-C-33 20 266) in an empty bottle redemption device per se to arrange the empty bottle store in an insertable into a cartridge chamber of the housing chassis. The empty bottle store has there on a sliding by a chain drive in the chassis in height magazine floor whose height can be adjusted by the top, a limit switch contacting bottle into its magazine. The bottles are lying inserted in the input chamber and stored by an assumption on a rotor forming on the magazine bottom bottles pyramid. By the automatic setting of the ground level is avoided, that it depends on the bottles pyramid when hitting the bottle to a glass breakage. Once the mobile bottle store is full, it is replaced with an empty magazine. By lying bottle storage but there is a danger that residual liquid leaving the bottle and can lead to contamination of the bottle magazine. In addition, the bottles at random by-side in the bottle store require a considerable amount of work during the removal and subsequent Order.

p0004Proceeding from this, the invention has the object to develop an empty bottle collector of the type described, which allows easy handling during loading and unloading.

p0005To achieve this object the features specified in claim 1 are proposed. Advantageous refinements and developments of the invention result from the dependent claims.

p0006With the measures according to the invention, a particularly simple and rapid bottle exchange is achieved in that the empty bottle store is arranged in an insertable into a cartridge chamber of the housing chassis, the magazine bottom of the empty bottle magazine flush when set in the magazine chamber chassis with the footprint of the associated intake chamber. The latter is according to the invention made possible in that arranged on the side of the input chambers guide or support rollers are provided on the chassis and / or on the housing at least on one side, on the chassis when moving into the store chamber at least with their input chamber side driving rollers from the floor into a defined position within the housing can be lifted off.

p0007A further preferred embodiment of the invention provides that the housing at least two superposed, each with a sensor slide and a transverse slide-equipped input chambers and the chassis has a corresponding number of superposed magazines empty bottles.

p0008Suitably, the store floors an essentially rectangular boundary edge as a stop for the empty bottles. For signaling the state of filling an appealing a deferred empty bottle, preferably housing-fixed sensor element, in the boundary edge area opposite the passage opening are arranged, which can for example be designed as a vertical axis pivotable lever carrying a disposed in the beam path of a reflection light barrier reflector or activates a microswitch ,

p0009The invention is illustrated with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawings in a schematic way. Show it<dl id="dl0001"><dt>Fig. 1</dt><dd>a front view of a closed empty bottle collector device;</dd><dt>FIG. 2</dt><dd>a front view of the empty bottle collector device with removed chassis bezel;</dd><dt>Fig. 3</dt><dd>a top view of the empty bottle collector with the housing upper part;</dd><dt>Fig. 4</dt><dd>an illustration corresponding to Fig. 3 for an alternative embodiment of an empty bottle collector device.</dd></dl>

p0010The shown in the drawing empty bottle collector consists essentially of a housing 10, two superimposed arranged in the housing, at an input opening 11 closable by a respective sliding door 12 input chambers 14 for upright empty bottle 16, one in an open forward magazine chamber 18 of the housing adjustable chassis 20 with two superposed magazines empty bottle 22, as well as a control panel 24 with Bontaste 26, receipt printing and display 28 30th

p0011In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the stationary input chambers 14 include a housing-footprint 32 which is bounded fore and aft by a respective Einstellschwelle 34 and a rear abutment wall 36. The footprint 32 of the input chambers 14 is connected via a passage opening 38 with the adjacent empty bottle store 22 of the chassis 20 and is aligned with the magazine bottom 40. The opening 38 is closed by the same time designed as a sliding arm 42 of the sensor slide 44th A first arm 42 opposite arm 46 of the sensor slide carries near its forward end a plurality, formed as optoelectronic transceiver sensors 48, which together with the mirrors 50 on the boom 42 of reflective light barriers for scanning the bottle contour. The sensor slide 44 is horizontally slide back and forth by means of a geared motor 52, a gear 54 and a rack 56 between a forward, in solid lines input position shown and a rear, shown in dashed lines end position in the direction of the double arrow 58th The empty bottle 16 remains while moving the sensor slide 44 on its stand 32 in the intake chamber 14 are. On the displacement distance sensors hiking 48 past the bottle and keys whose diameter at different heights above the floor space 32 from. In addition, the geared motor 52 drives with its output shaft 60 to a gear 62 formed as of magnetizable material and a magnetic probe 64 incremental position transducer, which contributes, in conjunction with the sensors 48 to the bottle detection. In the rear end position of the sliding boom are 42 of the sensor slide 44, the opening 38 free. In this end position the located in the input chamber 14 empty bottle 16 can with the aid of the driven with a motor 66 the transverse slide 68, of the 44 crosses the movement path of the sensor slide in the area of ​​the input chamber 14, through the passage aperture 38 can be pushed into the empty bottle store 22nd

p0012The intake chamber 14 is defined at a retracted cross slide 68 in the lower part by the slide temple 116, while it is limited in the upper part either by a housing-fixed or by a sensor slide solid boundary wall. Where necessary, are cut out, not shown in the punch 116, and in the boundary wall located above sensor aperture for the passage of the sensor light.

p0013Since the upright on the floor 108 casters 110 of the chassis 20 are subject to a gradual wear, precautions must be taken that a wear-independent alignment between the shelves 32 of the input chambers 14 on the one hand and the magazine shelves 40 of the chassis 20 on the other hand, when inserted into the magazine chamber 18 Chassis 20 guarantee. To this end 14 engaging in the magazine chamber 18 supporting rollers 112 are provided on the side of the input chambers on the chassis 20 when inserted into the magazine chamber 18 110 runs under lifting of the input chamber side castors with a guide trough 114th

p0014The embodiment of FIG. 4 differs from that of FIG. 3 mainly in that the designed as optoelectronic transceivers sensors 148 and its mirror 50 fixed to the housing in the area of ​​the displacement path of the cross slide 68 are arranged so that the sensor slide 44 is omitted. The cross slide 68 is horizontally back by means of the geared motor 66, a gear 67 and a rack 68 between a rear, in solid lines input position shown and a front, shown in dashed lines end position in the direction of the double arrow 69 and herverschiebbar. In addition, the geared motor drives 66 with its output shaft 160, a gear 162 formed as of magnetizable material and a magnetic probe 164 to incremental displacement transducer which contributes, in conjunction with the sensors 148 to the bottle detection. The cross slide 68 has a slider fixed platform 120, which serves as a space for the adjusted Empty Bottle 16th Side of the drive motor 66 through a slide fixed boundary wall 116 is provided, while the rear wall 36 of the intake chamber is fixed to the housing. The platform 120 engages with the bottle 16 located on it over the displacement path through the opening 38 and into the empty bottle store 22 and is scanned without contact along the displacement path for bottle detection by the sensors 148th The actual transfer of the empty bottle 16 into the empty bottle store 22 is carried out by a scraper 124, which is moved in the extended transverse slide 116 by means of a drive motor 126 on the platform 120 away before the passage opening 38, so that during the subsequent retraction of the transverse slide 116, the empty bottle 16 of the platform 120 is stripped. The Flaschenabstreifer 124 used in this embodiment, at the same time as a closure door for the passage opening 42. In order to prevent open intake chamber 14 a passage to the sensors 148 and the opening 38, a partition wall 128 is additionally provided, which is rigidly connected to the stripper 124 and together with this may be displaced.

p0015The store floors 40 have an essentially rectangular boundary edge 118 which is formed in the illustrated embodiments, the vertical outer walls of the chassis 20th The passage openings 38 are each formed by a wall opening in the input-side wall portion of the chassis 20, which are under the effect of a non-illustrated spring when removing the chassis closed automatically from the magazine chamber 18th

p0016Once one of the magazine shelves 40 is full, the reflection light barrier 122 or a micro switch with release of a "full" is about 16 operated by an incident empty bottle housing-fixed sensor element 120 triggered signal and the sliding door 12 of the respective feed chamber 14 blocked. Thus, only the other input chamber 14 charged with empty bottles, to even the empty bottle store 22 is full. Further operation is then only possible again when the chassis 20 is replaced with the full bottles magazines 22 by an empty magazines. To ensure easy maneuverability, the chassis 20 is provided with relatively large wheels 110th To empty the bottles are 16 first removed from the upper magazine base 40 from above and optionally sorted into waiting crates. To empty the lower magazine bottom 40 of the previously emptied upper magazine bottom 40 is, for example, worked on a hinge upwards to approach from above dates to the respective bottles 16 can.

p0017In summary the following can be stated: The invention relates to an empty bottle collector with an input chamber 14 for empty bottles 16 and to ensure a chassis 20 as a removable magazine 22 for easy handling during loading and unloading of the changing magazine 22, the empty bottle store 22 is a transverse for the input opening 11 aligned closable opening 38 of the stationary feed chamber 14 made available. Next a conveyor is provided, the back a transverse to the insertion direction by the intake chamber 14 into the direction of the opening 38 and has transverse slide herverschiebbaren 68th To 110 guarantee regardless of the wear of the casters for a smooth transition between the input chamber 14 and the chassis-side magazine bottom 40, arrangements for aligning the magazine bottom with the footprint of the associated input chamber are taken Inserted into the magazine chamber Chassis 20th