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EP-4448195-B1 - WASTE SORTING APPARATUS AND METHOD

EP4448195B1EP 4448195 B1EP4448195 B1EP 4448195B1EP-4448195-B1

Inventors

  • BRIMMO, Ayoola
  • PILSCHEUR, Benedikt
  • GLIA, Walid

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20221209

Claims (15)

  1. A waste sorting apparatus (10), comprising: - a receiving compartment (20) for receiving at least one object (W1, W2, W3, W4) disposed by a user; - object detection means (22) associated with the receiving compartment (20) and configured to classify said object (W1, W2, W3, W4) in one of a plurality of predetermined types of object; and - sorting means associated with the receiving compartment (20) arranged for selectively directing said object (W1, W2, W3, W4) to a respective one of a plurality of collecting receptacles (28) based on the classification of said object (W1, W2, W3, W4), wherein said object detection means (22) are further configured to identify the location of said object (W1, W2, W3, W4) in the receiving compartment (20); and characterized in that said sorting means further include holding means (32; B; B1-B4) for holding one or more object (W2, W3, W4) in the receiving compartment (20) when selectively directing one or more other objects (W1) to a respective destination collecting receptacle (28), in case multiple objects (W1, W2, W3, W4) of different types are detected in the receiving compartment (20).
  2. The waste sorting apparatus (10)according to claim 1, wherein said sorting means include at least a moving or configurable base plate (26; P) of the receiving compartment (20) arranged for receiving said object (W1, W2, W3, W4) and for selectively dropping said object (W1, W2, W3, W4) to a respective one of a plurality of collecting receptacles (28; R1, R2; R1-R4) based on the classification of said object (W1, W2, W3, W4).
  3. The waste sorting apparatus (10) according to claim 1, wherein said sorting means include displacing means configured for selectively moving said object (W1, W2, W3, W4) across a stationary base plate of the receiving compartment (20) to a respective one of a plurality of collecting receptacles (28) based on the classification of said object (W1, W2, W3, W4).
  4. The waste sorting apparatus (10) according to claim 2, further including processing means (34) configured for controlling actuation of said at least a moving base plate (26; P) and for selectively actuating said holding means (32; B; B1-B4) based on the classification and location of said objects (W1, W2, W3, W4) and the controlled actuation of said at least a moving plate (26; P).
  5. The waste sorting apparatus (10) according to claim 3, further including processing means (34) configured for controlling actuation of said displacing means and for selectively actuating said holding means (32; B; B1-B4) based on the classification and location of said objects (W1, W2, W3, W4) and the controlled actuation of said displacing means.
  6. The waste sorting apparatus (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said holding means include barriers (32; B; B 1-B4) raising from the surface of the moving plate (26; P), wherein said barriers (32; B; B1-B4) raising from the surface of the moving plate (26; P) include one of collapsible walls and slidable walls, wherein said slidable walls are movable on grid-based guides.
  7. The waste sorting apparatus (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said holding means include at least one of: - devices configured to selectively generate a material specific holding force field, wherein said material specific holding force field includes one of a magnetic field, an electrostatic field and a fluidodynamic pressure field; - materials configured to selectively generate an adhesion force to said objects, wherein said materials configured to selectively generate an adhesion force to said objects preferably include an electrically actuated glue; - devices configured to selectively mechanically clamp said objects.
  8. The waste sorting apparatus (10) according to claim 2, wherein said sorting means further include displacing means (H) configured for displacing said object on the moving plate (P) based on the classification and location of said objects (W1, W2, W3, W4) and the controlled actuation of said at least a moving plate (P).
  9. The waste sorting apparatus (10) according to claim 3 or 8, wherein said displacing means include at least one of: - pushing members (H); - a plurality of multi-axis rollers embedded in the stationary base plate or in the moving plate; - devices configured to selectively generate a material specific displacing force field, wherein said material specific displacing force field include one of a magnetic field, an electrostatic field and a fluidodynamic pressure field.
  10. The waste sorting apparatus (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said object detection means (22) are configured to classify said object (W1, W2, W3, W4) in one of a plurality of predetermined types of object depending on the material thereof.
  11. The waste sorting apparatus (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said object detection means (22) include one of optical recognition means, metal detection means and weight detection means.
  12. The waste sorting apparatus (10) according to claim 2, wherein said moving plate (P) is one of: - a tilting plate (P) configured to selectively tilt around a predetermined axis (X) to a first disposal position, wherein an object is dropped to a first one (R1) of said plurality of collecting receptacles (R1, R2), and to a second disposal position, wherein an object is dropped to a second one (R2)of said plurality of collecting receptacles (R1, R2), - a plate (P) coupled with a plurality of linear actuators arranged at edges of the moving plate and configured to selectively act on a respective edge so as to tilt said plate (P) around a corresponding axis (X1-X4) to a respective disposal position wherein an object (W1, W2, W3, W4) is dropped to a respective collecting receptacle (R1-R4), and - a plate (P) including a plurality of divisions (Q1-Q4), each division having disposing means configured to selectively drop an object to a collecting receptacle associated with said plate division, wherein said disposing means preferably include a flipping plate or drop door configured to selectively flip or open to a disposal position.
  13. The waste sorting apparatus (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, further including motion detecting means (24) configured for detecting introduction of at least an object (W1, W2, W3, W4) disposed by a user in the receiving compartment (20) and for activating said object detection means (22).
  14. The waste sorting apparatus (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising rewarding means for a user coupled to said object detection means (22) and configured to issue a reward or drive a waging machine depending upon the classification of said object (W1, W2, W3, W4) in one of a plurality of predetermined types of object.
  15. A method of operating a waste sorting apparatus (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 14, comprising the steps of: - detecting (110) introduction of at least an object (W1, W2, W3, W4) disposed by a user in the receiving compartment (20); - activating (120) the object detection means (22); - identifying (180) the location of said object (W1, W2, W3, W4) in the receiving compartment (20); - classifying said at least an object (W1, W2, W3, W4) in a respective one of a plurality of predetermined types of object; and - selectively directing (170) each object (W1, W2, W3, W4) to a respective one of a plurality of collecting receptacles (28; R1, R2; R1-R4) based on the classification of said object (W1, W2, W3, W4) by holding (190) one or more object (W2, W3, W4) in the receiving compartment (20) when selectively directing one or more other objects (W1) to a respective destination collecting receptacle (28; R1), in case multiple objects (W1, W2, W3, W4) of different types are detected in the receiving compartment (20).

Description

The present invention generally relates to waste sorting and specifically to a waste sorting apparatus according to the preamble of claim 1. Solid municipality waste is a proven leading cause of environmental pollution. Since majority of today's waste materials also do not easily degrade, their management in landfills is very tedious and costly. Recycling of such materials serves as a viable solution as it transforms otherwise polluting materials to a useful state. This renews the financial value of the material and eradicates the cost of managing these materials as waste in the landfill. However, since transformation to a new use comes has its own cost, it is critical to minimize this cost in order to achieve financial sustainability. Sorting of recyclables accounts for a large proportion of the overall recycling cost. Conventionally, this process is carried out in bulk, downstream of the waste collection process, which requires very costly machineries. Bulk collection of waste for downstream sorting also results in contamination of recyclables to increase the cleaning related energy cost of the waste transformation process. Color coded recycling bins were introduced as a response to these problems, in order to achieve source sorting of recyclables. However, in the absence of any monitoring system, up to 40% of users dispose non recyclables and contaminations into these bins, which could be attributed to carelessness and/or lack of knowledge. In recent times, so called smart bins and reverse vending machines have been introduced to detect and sort waste items right at the point of disposal. However, all of the available technologies still rely on the user to dispose one material type at a time or a bulky downstream conveyor belt sorting system. This significantly increases the time commitment of the user and could be a discouragement for subsequent use - hence why these technologies are dependent on incentive offerings to users. US 5,248,102 discloses a device for handling empty beverage containers, comprising a rotatable revolver-type barrel with a plurality of container receiving compartments therein, means for detecting characteristic features of said containers upon rotation of said revolver-type barrel, means for comparing said detected features with predetermined feature data and to provide control signals as a function thereof, and two or more outlet means for discharging a container based on said control signals. DE 20 2019 103055 discloses an automatic waste sorting device, comprising an image capture unit a turntable and a plurality of receiving spaces below the turntable, wherein a piece of waste resting on the turntable is photographed by the image capture unit and a category information of the piece of waste is obtained, and the turntable is controlled to rotate to introduce the piece of waste into a corresponding receiving space according to the category information to complete the waste sorting. DE 100 31 260 discloses a method of sorting and separating waste based on magnetic sorting, eddy current sorting and weight sorting. The aim of the present invention is to provide a solution that avoids the drawbacks of the prior art. Particularly, an aim of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method that allows for automatic waste sorting in a simple and efficient manner, thus joining the simplicity of use by people with the efficiency of sorting different waste typology. A further aim of the present invention is to provide a waste sorting system that is capable of sorting items of different typology that are disposed at the same time by a user into a waste sorting apparatus. According to the invention, these aims are achieved by a waste sorting apparatus having the features claimed in claim 1. Preferred embodiments are defined in the dependent claims, whose content is also to be considered an integral part of the present description. A further subject of the invention is a method of operating a waste sorting apparatus as claimed. In summary, the present invention is based on a position-based approach for sorting multiple material waste items that are simultaneously introduced into a receiving compartment of a so called smart bin or any similar waste sorting apparatus, when disposed by a user. The position based approach is implemented through the provision of detection means of waste items/objects, which are arranged for locating and classifying the disposed items/objects that are introduced into the receiving compartment of the waste sorting apparatus, and holding means acting for selectively holding one or more of the simultaneously disposed items/objects when others items/objects of a different type are directed to a respective collecting receptacle. In a currently preferred embodiment, upon introduction of waste items into the waste sorting apparatus of the invention, the items are held on a base plate of the receiving compartment where object detection, such as image recogniti