Means in a reverse vending machine (rvm) for receiving, handling, sorting and storing returnable items or objects
AssigneeTomra Systems ASA
InventorsGeir Saether, Ronald Sivertsen, Tom Lunde
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention relates to means in a reverse vending machine (RVM) for receiving, handling, sorting and storing returnable items or objects. The RVM includes an item supporting, rotating, sorting and conveyor unit, an upright storage chamber for such items, a safety apparatus to avoid operational hazards, a camera aided detection device for detecting at least one of a bar code on and other characteristics, e.g. contour, of an item, a simplified token system, and a drive system with a releasable power coupling for operating the sorting device and a further storage device.
Claims48
Upwardly oriented storage (100) having an interior space (110, 112) for storing height-wise returnable items (10), such as bottles, cans and the like of plastic, glass or metal, said storage comprising:
- a) a bottom (120, 121, 122) and at least one side wall (130, 131, 132), wherein the storage further comprises:
- b) a feed opening (140, 142) arranged
- i) in the bottom or
- ii) in the sidewall and at a relatively short distance height-wise from the bottom such that a substantial part of the storage space is located above the feed opening, and
- c) a conveyor means (200) adjacent to the feed opening and adapted to force a returnable item towards the feed opening, and
- wherein the storage space exhibits a width dimension (111) being a multiple of the width dimension or in excess of a length dimension of a returnable item for storage in said upwardly oriented storage, whereby a plurality of returnable items can be accommodated in said interior space as one of more of:
- substantially side b) side, at least in part side by side, and in a random “criss-cross” manner.
48-196. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.