Apparatus and method for separating material

• US 9,381,546 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2014
• Issued: 07/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Miyasaka, Masatoshi, Kojima, Tamao, Ueda, Hideshi, Hatta, Kenichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodriguez, Joseph C
• Application Number:
  US14/365,674
• Publication Number:
  US 20150231671A1
• Time in Patent Office: 894 Days
• Field of Search: 209/44.2, 209/639, 209/644, 209/932
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 2501/0054 Sorting of waste or refuse
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 5/02 Measures preceding sorting, e.g. arranging articles in a stream orientating sorting and transport of caps B67B3/06
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 5/34 Sorting according to other particular properties material testing per se G01N; quality control G07C3/14
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 5/365 using a single separation means
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 17/02 Separating plastics from other materials
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 2017/0203 Separating plastics from plastics
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 2017/0234 using gravity, e.g. separating by weight differences in a wind sifter
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/52 Mechanical processing of waste for the recovery of materials, e.g. crushing, shredding, separation or disassembly
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/62 Plastics recycling; Rubber recycling

Abstract

A separation method includes: conveying a separation subject comprising a group of pieces placed on a conveyor in one direction; detecting, by a detecting device, compositions of pieces in the group of pieces placed on the conveyor; generating, by a blower, airflow at an end portion of the conveyor in a conveying direction in which the conveyor conveys the separation subject, the airflow having a velocity matching or substantially matching a conveying speed of the conveyor; stabilizing the airflow by a current plate placed along a trajectory of the group of pieces; and by a jetting device, obtaining position information of a piece of a particular material detected, and jetting pulse air toward the piece of the particular material when the piece of the particular material, which is travelling through air from the conveyor and whose travel is assisted by the airflow, passes by the jetting device.

Claims

1. A separation method for separating a piece of a particular material and a piece of other material which are mixed in a separation subject, the separation method comprising:

placing the separation subject on a first end portion or a middle portion of a conveyor;

conveying the separation subject placed on the conveyor in a conveying direction toward a second end portion of the conveyor;

detecting, by a detecting device, a composition of the piece of the particular material placed on the conveyor;

generating, by a blower above the second end portion of the conveyor, an airflow having a velocity matching or substantially matching a conveying speed of the conveyor;

stabilizing the airflow by current plates disposed along a trajectory of the separation subject by sandwiching the trajectory of the separation subject in a vertical direction, using an upper current plate and a lower current plate which are included in the current plates, the upper current plate covering an area ranging from the blower above the second end portion to a jetting device, the lower current plate being provided below the trajectory of the separation subject and protruding downward in the conveying direction from the second end portion; and

by the jetting device, obtaining position information of the piece of the particular material detected, and jetting pulse air toward the piece of the particular material when the piece of the particular material, which is travelling through air from the conveyor and whose travel is assisted by the airflow, passes by the jetting device,

wherein, the jetting device includes a first group of nozzles and a second group of nozzles,

wherein the upper current plate is one of a plurality of upper current plates,

and

wherein a first one of the upper current plates is disposed between the blower and the first group of nozzles and a second one of the upper current plates is disposed between the first group of nozzles and the second group of nozzles.

2. A separation method for separating a piece of a particular material and a piece of other material which are mixed in a separation subject, the separation method comprising:

placing the separation subject on a first end portion or a middle portion of a conveyor;

conveying the separation subject placed on the conveyor in a conveying direction toward a second end portion of the conveyor;

detecting, by a detecting device, a composition of the piece of the particular material placed on the conveyor;

generating, by a blower above the second end portion of the conveyor, an airflow having a velocity matching or substantially matching a conveying speed of the conveyor;

stabilizing the airflow by current plates disposed along a trajectory of the separation subject by sandwiching the trajectory of the separation subject in a vertical direction, using an upper current plate and a lower current plate which are included in the current plates, the upper current plate covering an area ranging from the blower above the second end portion to a jetting device, the lower current plate being provided below the trajectory of the separation subject and protruding downward in the conveying direction from the second end portion; and

by the jetting device, obtaining position information of the piece of the particular material detected, and jetting pulse air toward the piece of the particular material when the piece of the particular material, which is travelling through air from the conveyor and whose travel is assisted by the airflow, passes by the jetting device,

wherein, the jetting device includes a first group of nozzles and a second group of nozzles,

wherein the upper current plate is one of a plurality of upper current plates,

wherein a first one of the upper current plates is disposed between the blower and the first group of nozzles and a second one of the upper current plates is disposed between the first group of nozzles and the second group of nozzles, and

wherein a distance from the second end portion to the second group of nozzles is a maximum of 450 mm.