Automatic machine for sorting or inspecting passing objects, equipped with a cleaning device

Abstract

An automatic machine (2) for processing objects (3) passing in a flow (F) on a conveyor (4) has a selective ejection device (1) with at least one bar (5) with nozzles (6) that is disposed transverse to the direction of said flow (F), after the outlet or tipping end of said conveyor (4), and having an active surface strip (7) that corresponds to the installation region of the outlet openings (6′) of the nozzles (6) of the pneumatic bar (5), this surface strip (7) being situated beneath the conveying plane (4″) of the conveyor (4). This machine has a device (8) for cleaning at least said surface strip (7), this cleaning device (8) having at least one cleaning head (9) that is able to move in translation along the longitudinal axis (AL) of the bar (5) and at least over the entire extent of the installation or overlap region, said or each cleaning head (9) comprising at least one scraping member (10), which moves in contact with at least said surface strip (7), and at least one nozzle for blowing air of which the pressurized jet is directed toward said surface strip (7) and precedes the scraping member (10) during the movement of the mobile cleaning head (9).

Claims

1. An automatic machine for processing, in particular sorting or inspecting, objects passing in a flow on a conveyor, this machine having either a selective ejection device with at least one pneumatic bar or rail with nozzles, or a radiation emitting and receiving device with at least one optical bar, this bar being disposed transverse to the direction of said flow, after the outlet or tipping end of said conveyor, and having an active surface strip that corresponds to the installation region of the outlet openings of the nozzles of the pneumatic bar or to a coverage or overlap region of the radiation emitting or receiving means of the optical bar, this surface strip being situated beneath the conveying plane of the conveyor, which machine also comprises a device for cleaning at least said surface strip, this cleaning device having at least one cleaning head that is able to move in translation along the longitudinal axis of the bar and at least over the entire extent of the installation or overlap region, said or each cleaning head comprising at least one scraping member, which moves in contact with at least said surface strip, and at least one nozzle for blowing air of which the pressurized jet is directed toward said surface strip and precedes the scraping member during the movement of the mobile cleaning head so as to process at least said surface strip in order to remove deposits present on the latter.

2. The machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cleaning device comprises a means for guiding and driving said at least one cleaning head, this guiding and driving means being able and intended to move the latter above and in parallel along the surface strip, said cleaning head having a plurality of blowing nozzles that are aligned transversely relative to its direction of movement, in at least one row, and the scraping member consisting of a flexible and elastically deformable blade.

3. The machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means for guiding and driving the cleaning head forms or is integrated into a gantry or a rail that extends above the bar, and is arranged so as not to interfere with the passing and ejected objects, wherein the scraping member in the form of a flexible blade is arranged in a plane substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the bar and has an edge of which the profile matches the transverse profile of at least the surface strip, and wherein the blowing nozzles are mounted in a support body of the cleaning head that bears said scraping member.

4. The machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the jets from the blowing nozzles are oriented and configured in such a way that the expelled air simultaneously strikes the surface strip and at least one of the faces of the scraping member in the form of a blade, being directed toward the edge of the latter, the processing by cleaning of the surface strip in order to remove the deposits present on the latter being carried out only in one of the two opposite directions of movement of the cleaning head.

5. The machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cleaning head has blowing nozzles on either side of the scraping member, the pressurized air jets coming from one row of blowing nozzles striking one of the two opposite faces of the scraping member in the form of a blade, the processing by cleaning of the surface strip in order to remove the deposits present on the latter being carried out in both directions of movement of the cleaning head.

6. The machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cleaning head has one or more scraping member(s) and a plurality of blowing nozzles that are arranged, dimensioned and configured to process all of the outer surfaces of the pneumatic or optical bar that are subject to the deposition of objects (3) or object debris falling from the conveyor, these surfaces including the surface strip.

7. The machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the outer surface(s) of the bar that is/are processed by the cleaning head during its movement above said bar and along its longitudinal axis, i.e. at least the surface strip, is/are extended continuously, at least at one of the longitudinal ends of said bar, by an additional surface that forms a discharge region for the deposits removed from at least the surface strip and driven by the scraping member during travel of the cleaning head along said bar, this or each discharge region being advantageously provided with means for evacuating the deposits brought by the scraping member, which can move as far as this or these discharge region(s).

8. The machine as claimed in claim 7, wherein the evacuation means of the or each discharge region are pneumatic and advantageously consist of at least one, preferably a plurality of, blowing nozzle(s) of which the outlets open at the or each additional surface, and that emit jets of pressurized air in a manner that is permanent, cyclic or controlled depending on the movement of the cleaning head.

9. The machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cleaning device forms with the pneumatic bar or the optical bar a unit that is modular, structurally and functionally, integrated into said machine for automatically sorting or inspecting objects, in particular waste.

10. A modular unit for a machine for automatically sorting or inspecting objects passing in a planar flow on a conveyor, this machine having either a selective ejection device with at least one pneumatic rail or bar with nozzles, or a radiation emitting or receiving device with at least one optical bar, this bar being disposed transverse to the direction of said flow, after the outlet or tipping end of said conveyor, and having an active surface strip that corresponds to the installation region of the outlet openings of the nozzles of the pneumatic bar or to a coverage or overlap region of the radiation emitting and receiving means of the optical bar, this surface strip being situated beneath the conveying plane of the conveyor, which modular unit comprises a cleaning device that forms part of a machine as claimed in claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] The invention will be better understood by virtue of the following description, which relates to preferred embodiments that are given by way of non-limiting example and explained with reference to the appended schematic drawings, in which:

[0027] [FIG. 1] is a partial schematic perspective view of a sorting machine as mentioned above, equipped with an ejection device with a cleaning device according to a first embodiment of the invention;

[0028] [FIG. 2] is a partial perspective view of the cleaning device shown in FIG. 1 and of the surface strip that is cleaned by this device;

[0029] [FIG. 3] is a view in cross section on a plane perpendicular to the surface strip and parallel to the direction of movement of the cleaning head of the cleaning device that is partially shown in FIG. 2;

[0030] [FIG. 4] is a view in cross section on B-B of the object shown in FIG. 3;

[0031] [FIG. 5] is a view similar to that of FIG. 2, illustrating another embodiment of the cleaning device according to the invention, and

[0032] [FIG. 6] is a view similar to that of FIG. 1, illustrating an inspection machine operating in transmission mode and equipped with a detection device with an associated cleaning device according to a second embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] FIGS. 1 and 6 partially illustrate a machine 2 for processing objects 3, in particular waste, namely a sorting machine 2 (FIG. 1) and an inspection machine (FIG. 6) respectively.

[0034] The objects 3 to be sorted or inspected pass in a substantially planar flow F on a belt conveyor 4.

[0035] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, such a machine 2 has, depending on its type (sorting or inspection), either a selective ejection device 1 with at least one pneumatic bar 5 with nozzles 6, or a radiation emitting and receiving device 1 (detection device comprising the emitting means 18 and receiving means 18′) with at least one optical bar 5, this bar 5 being disposed transverse to the direction of said flow F, after the outlet or tipping end of said conveyor 4. This lower bar 5 has an active surface strip 7 that corresponds to the installation region of the outlet openings 6′ of the nozzles 6 of the pneumatic bar 5 or to a coverage or overlap region of the radiation emitting or receiving means 18, 18′ of the optical bar 5, this surface strip 7 being situated beneath the conveying plane 4″ of the conveyor 4.

[0036] In accordance with the invention, the machine 2 also comprises a device 8 for cleaning at least said surface strip 7, this cleaning device 8 having at least one cleaning head 9 that is able to move in translation along the longitudinal axis AL of the bar 5 and at least over the entire extent of the installation or overlap region, said or each cleaning head 9 comprising at least one scraping member 10, which moves in contact with at least said surface strip 7, and at least one nozzle 11 for blowing air of which the pressurized jet 11′ is directed toward said surface strip 7 and precedes the scraping member 10 during the movement of the mobile cleaning head 9 so as to process at least said surface strip 7 in order to remove deposits 12 present on the latter.

[0037] By implementing two dry cleaning means, with different natures and of which the actions combine to remove the deposits 12, simultaneously in a single device 8, the invention allows automatic and effective cleaning of the exposed and sensitive region of the bar 5, without interfering with the operation of the machine 2 and without risk for the operator. Furthermore, the invention does not require any consumable, advantageously makes use of a resource (compressed air) that is already present in the machine 2 (at least in the case of a sorting machine) and has a simple and compact construction that is easy to maintain.

[0038] According to an advantageous feature of the invention, the cleaning device 8 comprises a means 13 for guiding and driving said at least one cleaning head 9, this guiding and driving means being able and intended to move the latter above and in parallel along the surface strip 7, said cleaning head 9 having a plurality of blowing nozzles 11 that are aligned transversely relative to its direction of movement, in at least one row, and the scraping member 10 consisting of a flexible and elastically deformable blade.

[0039] Thus, apart from the simple translational movement of the cleaning head 9, no other movement is required in order to clear and defoul at least the surface strip 7.

[0040] In accordance with a preferred construction of the invention that becomes apparent in particular from FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6, it may be provided that the means 13 for guiding and driving the cleaning head 9 forms or is integrated into a gantry or a rail that extends above the bar 5 (and parallel to the latter), and is arranged so as not to interfere with the passing and ejected objects 3, that the scraping member 10 in the form of a flexible blade is arranged in a plane substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction AL of the bar 5 and has an edge 10′ of which the profile matches (by cutting and/or by deformation) the transverse profile of at least the surface strip 7, and wherein the blowing nozzles 11 are mounted in a support body 9′ of the cleaning head 9 that bears said scraping member 10. The gantry 13 may enclose the means for driving the cleaning head 9 in translation (with a rack, with a chain, etc.), as well as the circuit for supplying the blowing nozzles 11 (not shown).

[0041] In accordance with a first variant embodiment of the invention, shown in the attached FIGS. 1 to 4 and 6 and designed to ensure unidirectional processing, the jets 11′ from the blowing nozzles 11 are oriented and configured in such a way that the expelled air simultaneously strikes the surface strip 7 and at least one of the faces 10″ of the scraping member 10 in the form of a blade, being directed toward the edge 10′ of the latter, the processing by cleaning of the surface strip 7 in order to remove the deposits 12 present on the latter being carried out only in one of the two opposite directions of movement of the cleaning head 9 (direction in which the jets 11′ precede the scraping member 10 during the movement).

[0042] In accordance with a second variant embodiment of the invention, shown in the attached FIG. 5 and designed for bidirectional processing, the cleaning head 9 has blowing nozzles 11 on either side of the scraping member 10, the pressurized air jets 11′ coming from one row of blowing nozzles 11 striking one of the two opposite faces 10″ of the scraping member 10 in the form of a blade, the processing by cleaning of the surface strip 7 in order to remove the deposits 12 present on the latter being carried out in both directions of movement of the cleaning head 9.

[0043] This second constructional variant is preferred since it is more effective and does not depend on a direction of movement of the head 9. In this case, the deposits 12 driven by the member 10 are discharged at each end of travel at the two opposite ends of the strip 7 and of the bar 5.

[0044] When one or more outer surface(s) of the rod 5 other than the surface strip 7 is/are subject to deposits 12, for example a surface 7′ situated facing the outlet end 4′ of the conveyor 4, the cleaning head 9 advantageously has one or more scraping member(s) 10 and a plurality of blowing nozzles 11 that are arranged, dimensioned and configured to process all of the outer surfaces 7, 7′ of the pneumatic or optical bar 5 that are subject to the deposition of objects 3 (or similar) falling from the conveyor 4, these surfaces including the surface strip 7.

[0045] In accordance with a very beneficial feature of the invention, the outer surface(s) of the bar 5 that is/are processed by the cleaning head 9 during its movement above said bar and along its longitudinal axis AL, i.e. at least the surface strip 7, is/are extended continuously, at least at one of the longitudinal ends of said bar 5, by an additional surface 14 that forms a discharge region for the deposits 12 removed from at least the surface strip 7 and driven by the scraping member 10 during travel of the cleaning head 9, this or each discharge region 14 being advantageously provided with means 15 for evacuating the deposits 12 brought by the scraping member 10, which can move as far as this or these discharge region(s) 14 (and preferentially enter them).

[0046] Preferentially, the evacuation means 15 of the or each discharge region 14 are pneumatic. They can advantageously consist of at least one, preferably a plurality of, blowing nozzle(s) of which the outlets open at the or each additional surface 14, and that emit jets 15′ of pressurized air in a manner that is permanent, cyclic or controlled depending on the movement of the cleaning head 9. The or each discharge region 14 may or may not form part of the rod 5 and its blowing nozzles 15 may or may not be supplied by the same compressed air supply circuit as the ejection nozzles 6.

[0047] The surface strip 7 may be planar and flat (as shown in FIG. 1) or be curved, or even domed (as shown in FIG. 6), in a plane containing the longitudinal axis AL of the rod 5 or perpendicular to this plane. In both cases, the profile of the edge of the blade 10 has a corresponding shape (straight/curved).

[0048] The angle A of the jets 11′ from the blowing nozzles 11 with the surface strip 7 is advantageously less than or equal to 90°. At each end of this surface strip 7, at the discharge region(s) 14, the cleaning head 9 stops for a determined length of time so that the scraped and accumulated deposits 12 are not too voluminous and can be evacuated.

[0049] The cleaning operation is advantageously performed during a phase of operation in which the flow F is interrupted.

[0050] Of course, the ejection or inspection device 1 (with the cleaning device 8) can be entirely integrated into the structure of the machine 2.

[0051] As a variant, however, it may also be provided that it is in the form of a unit that is modular, structurally and functionally, integrated into a machine 2 for automatically sorting objects, in particular waste.

[0052] When the machine 2 is a sorting machine, the solenoid valves 10 that control the jets of air 6″, 11′, 15′ are all controlled by a management and control unit 17 of said machine 2, a single pressurized air production unit (not shown) advantageously supplying all of said ejection and blowing nozzles 6, 11, 15. In the case of the inspection machine in FIG. 6, the nozzles 11 and 15 are controlled by the unit 17 and supplied, where appropriate, by a particular pressurized air source.

[0053] A person skilled in the art will understand, upon comparing FIGS. 1 and 6, that the sorting machine in FIG. 1 has a device for detection by reflection of which the components (illumination 18 and camera 18′) are situated above the flow and in front of the outlet end 4′ of the conveyor 4, whereas the machine for inspection by transmission in FIG. 6 comprises a device 1 for detection by transmission of which one of the components (illumination bar 18) is situated beneath the flow F and beyond the outlet end 4′ of the conveyor 4 and of which the other component (camera 18′) is situated facing and above the flow F.

[0054] A further subject of the invention is a modular unit for a machine 2 for automatically sorting or inspecting objects 3 passing in a planar flow F on a conveyor 4, this machine 2 having either a selective ejection device 1 with at least one rail or bar 5 with nozzles 6, or a radiation emitting or receiving device 1 with at least one optical bar 5, this bar 5 being disposed transverse to the direction of said flow F, after the outlet or tipping end of said conveyor 4, and having an active surface strip 7 that corresponds to the installation region of the outlet openings 6′ of the nozzles 6 of the pneumatic bar 5 or to a coverage or overlap region of the radiation emitting and receiving means of the optical bar 5, this surface strip 7 being situated beneath the conveying plane 4″ of the conveyor 4. This modular unit comprises a cleaning device 8 that forms part of a sorting machine as described above therewith.

[0055] Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiments that are described and shown in the appended drawings. Modifications remain possible, particularly from the point of view of the composition of the various elements or by substituting technical equivalents, without in so doing departing from the scope of protection of the invention.