Optical paper sorting system, method and apparatus
AssigneeHanaar Corp.
InventorsSheldon Greenspan, Jose Sequeira, James Arthur Daniels
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An optical paper sorting system uses diffuse reflectance to identify a sheet of paper, conveyed on a conveyor, as either white or groundwood grade, or white, colour, or mixed grade. In sorting, paper that does not meet a specified minimum requirement, for example, having less than a maximum amount of lignin, is mechanically diverted from a stream of input paper waste to a rejection bin. Otherwise, the paper is directed to a collection bin. The optical paper sorting method may be used to sort paper into different grades that is then recombined to produce a predetermined grade of sorted waste paper.
Claims18
1-20. (canceled)
A method for sorting input paper waste to produce at least one of a plurality of sorted paper grades, the method comprising the steps of
- sorting input paper waste into at least one of a plurality of input paper waste categories, wherein the plurality of input paper waste categories comprises at least one higher and at least one lower quality input paper waste categories;
- determining the quantity of the sorted input paper waste in each of the plurality of input paper waste categories;
- and
- determining an amount of at least one sorted paper grade to be produced from the sorted input paper waste such that a value of the sorted input paper waste is maximized, wherein each sorted paper grade comprises a minimum content of one of the at least one higher quality input paper waste categories and a maximum content of one of the at least one lower quality input paper waste categories, and each sorted paper grade is associated with a value per unit quantity;
- and
- combining quantities of the sorted input paper waste to produce the determined amount of at least one sorted paper grade.
25-30. (canceled)
(canceled)
A system for sorting input paper waste to produce at least one of a plurality of sorted paper grades, comprising a computer program product comprising program code which, when executed by a computing device, is operative to:
- sort input paper waste into at least one of a plurality of input paper waste categories, wherein the plurality of input paper waste categories comprises at least one higher and at least one lower quality input paper waste categories;
- determine the quantity of the sorted input paper waste in each of the plurality of input paper waste categories;
- and
- determine an amount of at least one sorted paper grade to be produced from the sorted input paper waste such that a value of the sorted input paper waste is maximized, wherein each sorted paper grade comprises a minimum content of one of the at least one higher quality input paper waste categories and a maximum content of one of the at least one lower quality input paper waste categories. and each sorted paper grade is associated with a value per unit quantity;
- and
- combine quantities of the sorted input paper waste to produce the determined amount of at least one sorted paper grade.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.