Home recycling machine

Abstract

A device for recycling a plastic container includes a housing with an opening to receive the plastic container. A moving part is movably arranged within the housing on which, in a first position of the moving part, the plastic container is placed such that a first portion of the plastic container is arranged inside the housing and a second portion of the plastic container is arranged outside the housing. An ultraviolet (UV) light device including a UV light emitter and a UV light detector is arranged in proximity to the opening and configured such that a UV light beam emitted by the UV light emitter radiates through the plastic container which is detected by the UV light detector. A controller is in communication with the UV light device and the moving part. The moving part is configured to move to a second position in which the plastic container is entirely placed inside the housing in response to a control signal from the controller indicating that the plastic container can be recycled. A first cutter is rotatably arranged in the housing and configured to separate an upper portion of the plastic container from an intermediate portion of the plastic container. A second cutter is rotatably arranged in the housing and configured to separate a lower portion of the plastic container from the intermediate portion of the plastic container. A third cutter is rotatably arranged in the housing and configured to cut the intermediate portion of the plastic container in an axial direction such that the intermediate portion, when it is rolled out to a flat form, has a rectangular shape. A mold unit has a first press mold part and a second press mold part. A robot unit is configured to roll out the intermediate portion of the plastic container, to move the intermediate portion of the plastic container to the mold unit, and to place the intermediate portion of the plastic container between the first press mold part and the second press mold part.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.