Patent · US Expired

Method for sorting post-consumed bottles and apparatus thereof

US5641072A · kind A · utility

29Cited by
14References
13Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateDec 13, 1994
Grant dateJun 24, 1997
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 13, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S209/934
  • WIPO fieldChemical engineering
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for sorting post-consumed bottles exactly and efficiently and an apparatus for carrying out the method. The sorting apparatus comprises a supply section, a separating section, a detecting section comprising a first image pickup camera for detecting the size and contour of each post-consumed bottle and a second image pickup camera for high speed detection of color by a defined image pickup utilizing data from the first image pickup camera, a sorting section for sorting and discharging only post-consumed bottles already classified to sorting containers preliminarily placed in accordance with data received from the detecting section, and a control section for controlling a series of operations timely. Since the scope of the image pickup for detecting color of the post-consumed bottles is defined in accordance with the data from the detecting section, picture processing at a high speed is achieved resulting in remarkable sorting performance.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.