Empty bottle reverse vending device

0001The invention relates to an empty bottle collector with a housing, with at least one through a closable accessible infeed opening from outside, Intake chamber for empty bottles with the input chamber subsequent empty bottle store, with a motor-driven conveyor for transport individual empty bottles from the input chamber the empty bottle store, with an area in the input chamber contained device for bottle detection and with a preferably on output signals of the Bottle detection means responsive controller for driving the conveyor, and optionally a pledge teller, said input chamber a footprint to accommodate an upright positioned empty bottle and the empty bottle store a located on the amount of floor space Magazinboden for receiving of upstanding empty bottles.

0002Such empty bottle collector is made of EP-A2-567 732 known. There, the empty bottles in various are Levels above separately loadable input chambers entered into stationary magazine compartments. In each entry chamber is its own bottles recognizer provided. Once the magazine is full, it must on the premises Location can be emptied by individual removal of the bottles.

0003To avoid this disadvantage, it is in an empty bottle redemption device known per se (DE-C-33 20 266) the empty bottle store in a in a magazine chamber the housing retractable chassis to arrange. The Empty bottle store has a by a chain drive there sliding in the chassis in height Magazine base, whose height top by a adjustable limit switches contacting bottle into magazine is. The bottles are lying in the entry chamber inserted and an acceptance rotor on a forming on the magazine bottom bottles pyramid stored. By automatic adjustment of ground level is avoided that upon impact of the bottles comes on the bottles pyramid to a glass breakage. Once the mobile bottle store is full, it will replaced with a magazine blank. By lying However bottle storage there is a risk that residual liquid leaving the bottles and to a may cause contamination of the bottle magazine. in addition is that the indiscriminate in bottle store messed up lying bottles in the sampling and subsequent Order require considerable work.

0004Proceeding from this, the invention has the object, an empty bottle collector of the initially to develop the kind specified, the easy handling allows the loading and unloading of empty bottles magazine.

0005To achieve this object, the in patent claim 1 stated features proposed. Advantageous embodiments yield and further developments of the invention themselves. from the dependent claims

0006With the measures according to the invention is a particularly achieved more easily and rapidly exchange bottles by that the empty bottle store in a in a Magazine chamber of the housing retractable undercarriage , said the magazine bottom of the empty bottle magazine when set in the magazine chamber Chassis with the footprint of the associated input chamber flees. The latter is according to the invention made possible in that the chassis and / or on the housing at least one side on the side of the input chambers provided arranged guide or support rollers are, on the chassis when entering the Magazine chamber at least with their input chamber side Castors off the ground in a defined position within is the housing lifted off.

0007A further preferred embodiment of the invention provides that the housing has at least two superimposed arranged, each with a sensor slide and a transverse slide equipped input chambers and the chassis a corresponding number arranged one above the other having empty bottles Magazine.

0008Suitably, the store floors a substantially rectangular boundary edge as a stop for the Empty bottles on. For signaling the filling state can in the end opposite the passage opening Boundary edge area a on a deferred Empty Bottle appealing, preferably housing-fixed sensor element are arranged, for example, as to formed a vertical axis pivotable lever may be the one in the beam path of a reflection light barrier reflector arranged wearing or Microswitch actuated.

0009In the following the invention will be one in the Drawing schematically illustrated embodiment explained in more detail. Show it<dl tsize="6"><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 shell;</dd><dt>Fig. 4</dt><dd>a representation corresponding to FIG. 3 for a modified embodiment of a empty bottle collector device.</dd></dl>

0010The shown in the drawing empty bottle collector consists essentially of a housing 10, two superimposed arranged in the housing, on a Entry opening 11 closable by a respective sliding door 12 Input chambers 14 standing upright for Empty bottles 16, one in an open forward magazine chamber 18 of the housing adjustable chassis 20 with two superposed magazines empty bottles 22, and a control panel 24 with Bontaste 26, Receipt issue 28 and display 30th

0011In the embodiment of Fig. 3 contain the stationary input chambers 14 a housing-footprint 32, the forward and backward by a respective Einstellschwelle 34 and a rear abutment wall 36 is limited. The footprint 32 of the input chambers 14 is connected via a passage opening 38 with the adjacent connected empty bottle store 22 of the chassis 20 and aligned with the magazine floor plate 40. The passage opening 38 by the same time as a sliding door trained boom 42 of the sensor slide 44 closed. One the first boom 42 opposite Boom 46 of the sensor slide bears near its front end more than optoelectronic Transceiver designed sensors 48, which together with the mirrors 50 on the boom 42 Retroreflective form for scanning the bottle contour. Of the Sensor slide 44 is by means of a geared motor 52, a gear 54 and a rack 56 between a front, shown in solid lines Input position and a rearward, in dashed Lines end position horizontally in the direction shown the double arrow slide back and forth 58th The Empty Bottle 16 remains while moving the sensor slide 44 on its stand 32 in the intake chamber 14 stand. On the displacement distance sensors hike 48 on the bottle over and keys whose diameter at different heights above the floor space 32 from. In addition, the gear motor drives 52 with its output shaft 60 a as a gear 62 of magnetizable material and a magnetic probe 64 formed incremental Transducer in which in cooperation with the Sensors 48 contributes to the bottle detection. In the rear End position is the sliding-boom 42 the sensor slide 44, the passage opening dates 38th In this end position, the entry in the chamber 14 located empty bottle 16 by means of a motor 66 driven cross slide 68, the displacement of the the sensor slide 44 in the intake chamber 14 crosses through the opening 38 therethrough are pushed into the empty bottle store 22nd

0012The intake chamber 14 is retracted, cross slide 68 in the lower part by the slide temple 116 limited, while in the upper part either by a housing-fixed or fixed sensor slide by Boundary wall is limited. If necessary, the punch 116 and the boundary wall above it not shown sensor diaphragm for the Passage of the sensor light recessed.

0013Since the upright on the floor 108 casters 110 the chassis 20 are subject to a gradual wear, Steps must be taken that a wear-independent alignment between Shelves 32 entering chambers 14 on the one hand and the magazine shelves 40 of the chassis 20 on the other hand Inserted into the magazine chamber 18 Chassis 20 guarantee. To this end, on the side of the input chambers 14 engaging in the magazine chamber 18 supporting rollers 112 provided, on the chassis 20 at Insertion into the magazine chamber 18 under the lifting input chamber side driving rollers 110 with a guide groove 114 runs.

0014The embodiment of FIG. 4 differs from that of Fig. 3 in particular, characterized in that the designed as optoelectronic transceivers sensors 148 and its mirror 50 fixed to the housing in the area disposed of the displacement path of the cross slide 68 are such that the sensor slide 44 is omitted. The transverse slide 68 is with the aid of the geared motor 66, a Gear 67 and a rack 68 between a rear, in solid lines input position shown and a front, in dashed lines End position horizontally in the direction of the illustrated Double arrow 69 slide back and forth. also drives the geared motor 66 with its output shaft 160 a magnetizable as gear 162 from material and a magnetic probe 164 formed incremental Transducer in which in cooperation with the sensors 148 contributes to the bottle detection. The transverse slide 68 has a slider fixed platform 120, as Space for the adjusted empty bottle 16 serves. Side of the drive motor 66 through a slider fixed Boundary wall 116 is provided, while the rear wall 36 entering chamber is fixed to the housing. The platform 120 engages the located on it Bottle 16 over the displacement through the passage opening 38 and into the empty bottle store 22 and is along the path of movement for bottle detection contactless scanned by the sensors 148th The actual transfer of the empty bottle 16 into the empty bottle store 22 carried out by a scraper 124 in the extended transverse slide 116 by means of a drive motor on the platform 120 away before the 126 Opening 38 is moved so that during the subsequent Retraction of the transverse slide 116 Empty Bottle 16 is stripped from the platform 120th The Flaschenabstreifer 124 used in this embodiment at the same time as a closure door for the passage opening 42. In order for open entry chamber 14 a passage to the sensors 148 and the passage opening to prevent 38, is also a Baffle 128 provided rigidly with the stripper 124. and displaced together with this can be.

0015The magazine shelves 40 have a substantially rectangular Boundary edge 118 that shown in the Embodiments of the vertical outer walls is the chassis 20 is formed. The passage openings 38 are then connected by a wall opening in the input side Wall portion of the chassis 20 is formed, under the action of a spring, not shown, When removing the chassis from the magazine chamber 18 closed automatically.

0016Once one of the magazine shelves 40 is full, is over the operated by an incident empty bottle 16 housing-fixed sensor element 120, the reflective light barrier 122 or a micro switch with release of a triggered "full" signal and the sliding door 12 of the relevant Input chamber 14 blocked. This can only nor the other input chamber 14 charged with empty bottles be until even the empty bottle store 22 is full. Further operation is then only possible again when the chassis 20 with the full bottles magazines 22 is replaced by an empty magazines becomes. In order to ensure easy maneuverability, the chassis 20 with relatively large wheels 110 is provided. To empty the bottles 16 first from the upper magazine base 40 from above removed and, where appropriate, into waiting bottle crates sorted. To empty the lower magazine bottom 40, the previously emptied upper magazine bottom 40, for example at a hinge joint according to folded up in order from the top to the dates in question to approach bottles 16th

0017In summary the following can be stated: The invention refers to an empty bottle collector with an input chamber 14 for empty bottles 16 and a Chassis 20 as changing magazine 22. To a simple Handling during loading and unloading of the changing magazine to ensure 22, is the empty bottle store 22 aligned on a transverse to the input port 11 closable opening 38 of the stationary input chamber 14 accessible. Next is a conveyor provided a transverse to Input direction by the intake chamber 14 into Direction through opening back and herverschiebbaren 38 Cross slide 68 has. In order regardless of the state of wear the driving rollers 110 a smooth transition between the intake chamber 14 and the chassis-side Magazine bottom to ensure 40, are arrangements for aligning the magazine bottom with the footprint the associated input chamber in the magazine chamber Inserted chassis 20 hit.