The present application is the U.S. national stage application of International Application PCT/NO00/00116, filed Apr. 11, 2000, which international application was published on Nov. 9, 2000 as International Publication WO 00/67211 in the English language. The International Application claims priority of Norwegian Patent Application 19991853, filed Apr. 19, 1999.
This invention relates to reverse vending machines, and more particularly it concerns a device for a reverse vending machine for bottles and/or cans, wherein the machine construction has a front cover, which is formed with a hole therethrough for the bottles and cans, and which covers the mechanisms behind; the mechanism handles bottles and cans fed through the feed opening; counts the number and types thereof and calculates and supplies the customer, in return, with a note stating the sum due to him/her.
The bottles and cans accepted by ordinary reverse vending machines have essentially served as containers for drinks, and it is quite common for them to contain some remaining drops, which desirably should not be brought with the bottle or can into the structure of the reverse vending machine.
Therefore, a sink is often provided near reverse vending machines of this kind, into which sink bottles and cans containing any remnants of drinks, can be emptied before the bottles and cans are put into the reverse vending machine.
However, it is expensive to install a particular sink at each reverse vending machine. The sink will seldom blend in with the immediate surroundings in the shop, and, although the sink is placed near the reverse vending machine, even a relatively short distance will involve emptying bottles and cans and will be considered a separate operation considerably slowing down the bottle depositing process.
Another drawback of reverse vending machines of the kind in question is that the dismantling of the machine construction is relatively complicated, as individual parts have been assembled and secured to one another, so that dismantling will often have to be started from the back side, i.e. opposite the machine's feed opening for bottles and cans.
According to the invention the objectives have been realized in that the reverse vending machine is formed and arranged in accordance with the subject matter of the claims.
According to the present invention, near the bottle/can feed opening the front cover of the reverse vending machine is formed with a particular drain opening for remnants, which does not communicate with the fixtures within the reverse vending machine through joined pipes and pipe bends, with the drain opening possibly being provided with a bowl with a freely ending drain pipe socket at the back, which pipe socket may have its end opening above a fixed drain channel located within the reverse vending machine and having an outlet of its own, but being without connection to the front cover.
The drain channel may conveniently be placed under the bottle feed opening as well as the drain opening for remnants, so that also any remnants of drinks from the bottles and cans put through the feed opening, could land in the drain channel and from there into the outlet. Thus, the drain channel with outlet works like a draining device for the entire reverse vending machine construction.
Thus, according to the invention, a more reasonable and convenient positioning of the place for pouring out remnants is achieved, while at the same time the front cover of the machine can be hinged for full uncovering of the internal mechanisms of the reverse vending machine, for example for repair or maintenance purposes. Such a constructional solution, in which the front cover has no connection at all to fixtures in the form of pipe systems etc. is advantageous for repairs on the machine construction. The hinges of the front cover may be dual hinges and the front cover may be provided with a lock device.
A non-limiting example of a preferred embodiment will be explained in the following with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
In the drawings the reference numeral 10 identifies a wall that has a recess 12, e.g. rectangular, therethrough (
The reverse vending machine's 16 bottle- and can-handling equipment and electronics for calculating the return are well known in connection with such reverse vending machines, and are not objects of the present invention, which essentially concerns the front cover 14.
Below the bottle/can feed opening 22 of the front cover 14, which is secured to the wall 10 or directly to the housing 18 by means of hinges 24, is provided, according to the invention, with a hole therethrough with an upward open bowl 26 underneath, merging at the rear surface of the front cover 14 into a drain pipe socket 28 at the back. The bowl 26 allows remnants of drinks from bottles and cans to be emptied in the immediate vicinity of the feed opening 22, thereby simplifying the operations, especially when many bottles and/or cans are involved; whereas earlier, with the use of a separate sink, a certain number of bottles first had to be subjected to one type of operation (emptying of remnants), then the same bottles had to be subjected to the main operation (insertion into the reverse vending machine). Now, each bottle with a remnant can first be emptied and then immediately be inserted into the feed opening 22.
The feed opening 22 has no communication with the internal apparatus 16, 18 of the reverse vending machine. The same applies to the drain pipe socket 28, whose free end opening is open above a fixed, upward open transversal drain channel 30.
The drain channel 30 preferably extends horizontally underneath the internal apparatus 16,18 of the reverse vending machine, so that any type of liquid from bottles and cans, that might be running down in the area behind the front cover, could land in this drain channel 30, which is connected to a separate outlet 32. It is of advantage that the front cover 14 has no fixed connection to fixtures, pipes, cables etc., so that it can be opened and possibly lifted off its hinges 24 to uncover the internal mechanisms and apparatus of the reverse vending machine after a possible lock device has been unlocked.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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19991853 | Apr 1999 | NO | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/NO00/00116 | 4/11/2000 | WO | 00 | 5/1/2002 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
WO00/67211 | 11/9/2000 | WO | A |
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4318388 | Dec 1994 | DE |
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