Method and device for sorting materials
US5794788A · kind A · utility
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 30, 1995 |
| Grant date | Aug 18, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 30, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02W30/62
- WIPO fieldChemical engineering
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
To sort materials, in particular plastic parts, the items are carried at known conveying speed past a material recognition system which uses non-contact scanning, for example NIR spectroscopy, of each item to determine its material type and delivers a signal that identifies the type of material, which signal is used in sorting the items according to material type. To ensure that the determination of material type is done at a spot on the item that is not disturbed by a label, metal stamp or the like, the items are also conveyed past an imaging system which takes pictures of the items from which, using electronic image-processing techniques, features of colour and/or shape of the items are determined, from which in turn position data are derived about spots on the item at which an undisturbed determination of material type is possible. With the aid of these position data the determination of material type is then confined to such undisturbed spots.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.