Single station reverse vending machine
US5355987A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 6, 1993 |
| Grant date | Oct 18, 1994 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 6, 2013 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S209/93
- WIPO fieldControl
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A commodity collection, densification and storage assembly comprises a housing, an insert port in the housing for receiving a commodity, a gate mechanism adjacent the insert port movable between an open and closed position for allowing the commodity to pass therethrough into the housing, an intake device for drawing the commodity from the insert port through the gate mechanism, a first sensor device for sensing the presence of an object in the gate mechanism, a second sensor for verifying whether the inserted commodity is a participating commodity and for determining a composition of the commodity, a densification assembly for densifying the commodity, a storage compartment for storing the densified commodity according to its composition, a removal device for removing the densified commodity from the densifier to the storage compartment, and a timing device for coordinating a sequential operation of the intake device, gate mechanism, second sensor, densification assembly and removal device. The assembly may receive a plurality of various commodities while maintaining the separation of each type of inserted commodity.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.