PROCESSING A USED CONTAINER

Abstract

A method for processing a used container is disclosed. The method can include automatically dissecting the used container into a first portion and a second portion; removing the first or second closable access from the respective surface; removing at least a residual from the inside of the container; reducing the volume of the container by folding one surface onto another surface; and loading the container into a baler.

Claims

1. A method for processing a used container, the method comprising: feeding the container along a feeding path; dissecting the container into a first portion and a second portion; removing the first or second closable access from the respective surface; removing at least a residual from the inside of the container; reducing the volume of the container by folding one surface onto another surface; and loading the container into a baler, wherein the used container comprises a rigid container wall having at least a first and a second surface, the first surface and the second surface extending in different planes, the first surface comprising a first opening and the second surface comprising a second opening, the first opening being part of a first closable access to the container and the second opening being part of a second closable access to the container.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of dissecting the container into a first portion and a second portion is done by a cutting tool, especially by a horizontally oriented bandsaw, and a pushing element which pushes the container against the cutting tool.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of dissecting the container into a first portion and a second portion comprises the step of supporting the first portion as well as the second portion by different supports, especially arranged one above the other.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of removing the first or second closable access is done by a removing access tool, especially a cutting tool, most preferably a hole saw.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of removing at least a residual from the first or the second portion of the container is done by squeegeeing of the residual out of the first or second portion of the container by a squeegeeing tool.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of reducing the volume of the container by folding one surface down another surface is done by a robot's arm.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein before folding the surface down, the surface which is folded down is at least partially cut into to separate at least partially adjacent surfaces from the surface which is folded down.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein loading the container into a baler comprises loading two portions into the baler which are differently processed.

9. A station for processing a used container, the used container comprising a rigid container wall having at least a first and a second surface, the first surface and the second surface extending in different planes, the first surface comprising a first opening and the second surface comprising a second opening, the first opening being part of a first closable access to the container and the second opening being part of a second closable access to the container, wherein the station is adapted to carry out at least one of the following actions in an automatic manner: dissecting the container into a first portion and a second portion; removing the first or second closable access from the respective surface; removing at least a residual from the inside of the container; reducing the volume of the container by folding one surface down another surface; and loading the container into a baler.

10. The station of claim 9, wherein the dissecting of the container into a first portion (10) and a second portion (11) is done by a cutting tool (12), especially by a horizontally oriented bandsaw, and a pushing element (19) which pushes the container (1) against the cutting tool (12).

11. The station of claim 10, wherein the dissecting of the container (1) into a first portion (10) and a second portion (11) comprises the step of supporting the first portion (10) as well as the second portion (11) by different supports, especially arranged one above the other.

12. The station of claim 9, wherein removing the first or second closable access is done by a removing access tool, especially a cutting tool, most preferably a hole saw.

13. The station of claim 9, wherein removing at least a residual from the first or the second portion of the container is done by squeegeeing of the residual out of the first or second portion of the container by a squeegeeing tool.

14. The station of claim 9, wherein reducing the volume of the container by folding one surface down another surface is done by a robot's arm.

15. The station of claim 9, wherein before folding the surface down, the surface which is folded down is at least partially cut into in order to separate at least partially adjacent surfaces from the surface which is folded down.

16. The station of claim 9, wherein loading the container into a baler comprises loading two portions into the baler which are differently processed.

17. A processing path comprising at least one station according to claim 9, wherein the container is transported near or adjacent to the station and transported away from the station.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0056] The disclosed technology will be explained and described in more detail below with reference to an exemplary embodiment which is illustrated schematically in the drawings, in which:

[0057] FIG. 1 shows a processing path of a container;

[0058] FIG. 2a shows a container processed in FIG. 1;

[0059] FIG. 2b shows a first and a second portion of the container after dissecting the container shown in FIG. 2a;

[0060] FIG. 2c shows the first portion of the container according to FIG. 2b after removing a closable access;

[0061] FIG. 2d shows the second portion of the container according to FIG. 2b and cutting lines in the second portion;

[0062] FIG. 2e shows the second portion according to FIG. 2d after folding surfaces of the container down the bottom surface.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0063] FIG. 1 schematically shows a processing path 2 for processing a used container 1 which is in the shown embodiment a bottle of a bottle and cage arrangement.

[0064] The processing path 2 comprises conveying systems 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 for at least partially conveying or transporting the container 1 along the processing path 2. Further, the processing path 2 comprises stations 9, 13, 14, 15, 16 for processing the container 1 and/or portions 10, 11 of the container 1.

[0065] The processing path 2 comprises an entrance E at which the container 1 can be fed into the processing path 2. Due to the dimensions of the entrance E the container 1 can only be oriented in such a way that the side surfaces of the container 1 extend in the direction of transport at the entrance E. A worker can place the container 1 onto the conveyor system 3 in such a way that the container 1 rests on the bottom surface and the front surface is oriented in the direction of transport (the outward pointing surface normal of the front side essentially coincides with the transport direction).

[0066] Schematically shown is a station 9 for dissecting the container 1 into a first portion 10 of the container 1 and a second portion 11 of the container 1. The station 9 comprises a horizontally oriented cutting tool 12 which is configured as a bandsaw. For moving the container into station 9 and through station 9, a pushing element 19 is provided. The pushing element 19 pushes container 1 against the cutting tool 12 after the container 1 has been transported near to or adjacent to station 9 which is depicted as position 20. Further, station 9 comprises a support on which the first portion 10 may rest during and after cutting.

[0067] The processing path 2 branches after station 9 for dissecting the container 1. In branch 18 the first portion 10 of the container 1 is processed and in branch 17 the second portion 11 of the container 1 is processed.

[0068] Branch 18 comprises the conveyor systems 4, 5 for transporting the first portion 10 of the container 1 adjacent or near to the station 15 for reducing the volume of the container 1 by folding one surface onto another surface of the container 1.

[0069] Before processing the first portion 10 in station 15, the first portion 10 is turned over so that the first portion 10 comes to rest on the top surface of the container 1. The first portion 10 of the container 1 is processed in station 15 by two arms 19, 20 which each comprise a cutting tool and a folding tool. The two arms 19, 20 substantially work in unison to cut the first portion 10 near the top surface as well in the corner area such that the surfaces of the first portion 10 of the container 1 can be folded onto the top surface. During the cutting and folding, the first portion 10 of the container 1 is held in place by a clamping element which is inserted from the bottom through the opening of the top surface of the container 1. One or two fingers of the clamping element are brought into contact with inner side of the top surface of the container 1.

[0070] The first portion 10 of the container 1 is transported from a position near or adjacent to the station 15 by the two arms 19, 20.

[0071] Branch 17 comprises the conveyor system 8 for transporting the second portion 11 of the container 1 adjacent or near to the station 13 for removing the first or second closable access from the respective surface of the second portion 11 of the container 1.

[0072] Station 13 for removing the first or second closable access from the respective surface comprises a cutting tool 21 which is adapted as a hole saw. The cutting tool 21 can be used to remove the closable access as a whole.

[0073] Next, the second portion 11 is transported to station 14 for removing at least a residual from the inside of the container 1. The residual is drawn off through an opening by means of a squeegeeing tool 22 at an end of a robot's arm. Here, the opening resulting from application of the cutting tool 21 in station 13 is used.

[0074] After station 15 and station 14, the first portion 10 and the second portion 11 of the container 1 are transported into station 16 which comprises a baler.

[0075] FIG. 2a to 2e show a container 1 that is processed in the processing path 2 shown in FIG. 1. The container 1 is a container for use in shipping, storing, and dispensing a liquid, a semi-liquid fluid or a solid (bulk cargo, for example in the form of granulated or powdered material), which is used as an inner container or bottle in a bottle and cage arrangement. The bottle and cage arrangement is also known as pallet container or Intermediate Bulk Container (IBC). The container 1 is of cubic-shape or cuboid-shape, the container comprises a top surface 100, a bottom surface 101, two side surfaces 102, 103, a front surface 104 and a rear surface 105. The container 1 shown in FIG. 2a to 2e has an opening 106 at the top surface 100. Further, the container 1 shown in FIG. 2a to 2e has an opening 107 at the front surface 104, which is spaced apart from the top surface 100.