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Filter and filter cleaning system for a reverse vending machine

  • US 5,477,953 A
  • Filed: 11/08/1993
  • Issued: 12/26/1995
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/16/1992
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A commodity densification and storage assembly, comprising:

  • a housing having an insert port for receiving commodities;

    sensor means, adjacent the insert port, for sensing at least one feature of the commodities;

    a densification mechanism disposed in the housing downstream of the insert port for densifying the commodities, the densification mechanism including one of a crushing mechanism for crushing glass commodities and a shredding mechanism for shredding at least one of plastic and aluminum commodities;

    a plurality of separate storage compartments, each for storing the densified commodities according to its sensed feature; and

    pneumatic means for conveying the densified commodities to the storage compartments, the pneumatic means including;

    a. an inlet pipe for receiving the densified commodities from the densification mechanism and being in communication between the densification mechanism and each of the storage compartments;

    b. a blower in communication with the storage compartments for creating suction, the blower drawing the densified commodities to the storage compartments through the inlet pipe; and

    c. a filter system for preventing densified commodities from entering the blower, the filter system comprising;

    a filter positioned so that air passing through the inlet pipe and the storage compartments, passes through the filter in a first direction; and

    means for storing and delivering fluid under pressure to the filter causing the introduced fluid to pass through the filter in a second direction opposite the first direction for cleaning the filter.

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