Method and device for sorting materials
First Claim
1. A method for sorting materials, in particular plastic parts, comprising:
- conveying items at known conveying speed past a material recognition system which uses non-contact scanning of each item to determine its material type in a measuring field and delivers a signal that identifies the material type and is used in sorting the items according to material type;
conveying the items past an imaging system which takes pictures of the items;
detecting features of colour and/or shape of the items from the pictures using electronic image processing techniques;
deriving position data from the features of colour and/or shape regarding spots on the item at which an undisturbed determination of the material type is possible without disturbance by other material types; and
determining the material type using the material recognition system, wherein determination of the material type is confined to such undisturbed spots as identified by the position data.
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Accused Products
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.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method for sorting materials, in particular plastic parts, comprising:
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conveying items at known conveying speed past a material recognition system which uses non-contact scanning of each item to determine its material type in a measuring field and delivers a signal that identifies the material type and is used in sorting the items according to material type; conveying the items past an imaging system which takes pictures of the items; detecting features of colour and/or shape of the items from the pictures using electronic image processing techniques; deriving position data from the features of colour and/or shape regarding spots on the item at which an undisturbed determination of the material type is possible without disturbance by other material types; and determining the material type using the material recognition system, wherein determination of the material type is confined to such undisturbed spots as identified by the position data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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- 12. A device for sorting materials, in particular plastic parts, comprising a conveying device for the slip-free conveyance of the items at a known speed, an imaging system past which the items are conveyed and which takes pictures of the items and converts these into electrical image signals, an image computer which determines features of colour and/or shape of the items from the electrical image signals, a material recognition system past which the items are conveyed and which contains a material sensor for non-contact scanning of each item in a measuring field and a material recognition computer which by processing the output signals of the material sensor determines the material type in the measuring field and delivers a signal that identifies the material type, and a sorting device which sorts the items on the basis of the signals supplied by the imaging system and by the material recognition system according to fixed sorting categories, wherein the image computer derives, from the features of colour and/or shape obtained, position data about spots on the items at which an unequivocal determination of material type is possible without disturbance by other material types, and wherein the material recognition computer receives the position data from the image computer and, based on the position data received, confines the determination of the material type to the undisturbed spots identified by the position data.
Specification