TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a device for crushing of glass items, which will find application in the glass processing industry and in particular for crushing of glass items such as bottles, jars, and the like.

BACKGROUND ART

From S86565 is known a device for crushing of glass items as bottles and jars, which includes a housing, in the middle of which a first bottom is mounted, and a second bottom is mounted in the lower part of the housing. Between the first bottom and the second bottom there is a chamber with a crushed glass collecting container. The housing is closed with a front panel and side panels, and a top panel is mounted on the top of the housing. On the front panel through openings are displayed an alarm signalization, a start button and a stop button, which are connected to the power supply and control unit. At the lower part of the front panel there is a door for access to the crushed glass collecting container, located on a removable tray. At the upper part of the front panel there is an inlet opening for inserting of glass items with a safety flap which is limited by a trigger and closing mechanism. A pyramidal opening is formed in the center of the first bottom, which is composed of a plurality of plates. A cylindrical ring is placed around the pyramidal opening and closed with a cover. On the cover a central opening for working shaft and an oval opening for receiving of glass items are formed. The inlet opening is connected by means of a rigid plastic tubular element to the oval opening of the cover. The working shaft is located in a bearing unit fixed to a base plate mounted on the cover. At least two hammers are fixed at the lower end of the working shaft between an upper and lower disc by means of washers. The upper end of the working shaft is mounted to a first belt pulley connected by a belt to a second belt pulley which is mounted to an electric motor. The electric motor is placed on an additional plate with ribs mounted on the cover. A weight sensor is mounted under the tray and on the second bottom, which is mechanical and is including a switch and a pair of springs located under the tray and causing resistance.

The device for crushing of glass items known from S86565 is less effective, as the hammers cannot break the harder parts of the glass items and in particular the bottom and the neck of the bottles and jars and especially, when the harder parts are wrapped by a specialized foil, like the ones of most wine bottles. In addition, the known device causes difficulties regarding the size of certain glass items, which cannot be received in, because on one side the movement of the safety flap is limited by the trigger, which is in the form of a solenoid switch with limited movement, resulting in difficulties when passing longer items, and on the other side the rigid plastic tubular element is curved at an angle of 90 ^° , which leads to jamming of certain items at the curve.

Also, the known device does not allow precise adjustment of the weight of the processed glass items, as the weight sensor is of mechanical type and is including a pair of springs positioned under the tray, which cause a resistance. After overcoming the resistance of the springs, the tray touches the switch, which activates the closing mechanism in the form of a pin. In this case, the actuation of the closing mechanism depends only on the resistance of the springs, which must be replaced, if the user prefers different kilograms of crushed glass in the crushed glass collecting container.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

The object of the invention is to provide bettered and improved device for crushing of glass items such as bottles, jars and the likes, in which the customer has more options in the selection of the appropriate glass items and at the same time to ensure more reliable and complete crushing of all parts of the glass items and especially the harder ones, for example the neck and the bottom of the bottles and jars.

The object of the invention is solved by a device for crushing of glass items, including a housing in the middie of which a first bottom is mounted, and a second bottom is mounted in the lower part of the housing. Between the first bottom and the second bottom there is a chamber with a crushed glass collecting container. The housing is closed with a front panel and side panels, and a top panel is mounted on the top of the housing. On the front panel through openings are displayed an alarm signalization, a start button and a stop button, which are connected to the power supply and control unit. At the lower part of the front panel there is a door for access to the crushed glass collecting container, which is placed on a removable tray. At the upper part of the front panel there is an inlet opening for inserting of glass items with a safety flap, which is limited by a trigger and closing mechanism. A pyramidal opening is formed in the center of the first bottom, which is composed of a plurality of plates. Around the pyramidal opening is mounted a cylindrical ring, closed with a cover. On the cover a central opening for working shaft and an oval opening for glass items are formed. The inlet opening is connected by a rigid plastic tubular element to the oval opening of the cover. The working shaft is located in a bearing unit fixed to a base plate, mounted on the cover. At least two hammers are fixed at the lower end of the working shaft between upper and lower disc by washers. The upper end of the working shaft is mounted to a first belt pulley, connected by a belt to a second belt pulley, which is connected to an electric motor. The electric motor is placed on an additional plate with ribs mounted on the cover. A weight sensor is mounted under the tray and on the second bottom.

According to the invention, on the front panel through an additional opening is displayed an electronic panel with a display and function buttons, which are connected to the power supply and control unit. Furthermore, the plurality of plates of the pyramidal opening are arranged in a stepwise manner so that an edge is formed between each two adjacent plates. On the inner surface of the cylindrical ring along its height is fixed at least one counter-knife. Along the length of the plates of the pyramidal opening is arranged at least one additional counter-knife. Likewise, the rigid plastic tubular element is spirally curved at an angle of 45 ^° . The trigger is a distal switching mechanism and the closing mechanism is an electric stepper motor. The weight sensor is an electronic scale which is connected to the power supply and control unit, which has a weight adjustment module and is connected to the trigger, the closing mechanism and the electric motor.

In one embodiment of the device for crushing of glass items according to the invention, the power supply and control unit has an Internet connection module.

The device for crushing of glass items according to the invention, allows complete crushing of the incoming bottles, jars, or the like, being able to separate the glass even from the elements, which are difficult to be broken, such as the neck of wine bottles, which is usually further reinforced by covering foil. This is achieved by the counter-knifes and the specific construction of the pyramidal opening, that generally improve the efficiency of the device. The trigger by the flap of the inlet opening and the curve of the rigid plastic tubular element eliminate the limitations and difficulties, which are arising by glass items with more elongated shape. The provided electronic scale together with the weight adjustment module allow the users to adjust the kilograms of crushed glass, collected in the crushed glass collecting container, according to their own preferences. The device allows remote monitoring via Internet, which makes it convenient and practical to use in locations without permanently engaged staff. In addition, the device for crushing of glass items improves the recycling conditions of glass for the users, because it allows collecting of larger weight of crushed glass in a less used volume. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The device for crushing of glass items according to the invention is disclosed in details on the accompanying figure, which presents an exploded view.

MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

On the accompanying figure is shown one embodiment of the device for crushing of glass items, which is including a housing 1 in the middle of which a first bottom 2 is mounted, and a second bottom 3 is mounted in the lower part of the housing 1. Between the first bottom 2 and the second bottom 3 there is a chamber 4 with a crushed glass collecting container 5. The housing 1 is closed with a front panel 6 and side panels 7, and a top panel 8 is mounted on the top of the housing 1.

On the front panel 6 through openings are displayed an alarm signalization 9, a start button 10 and a stop button 11, which are connected to the power supply and control unit 12. Furthermore, on the front panel 6 through an additional opening is displayed an electronic panel 40 with a display 41 and function buttons 42, which are connected to the power supply and control unit 12. At the lower part of the front panel 6 there is a door 13 for access to the crushed glass collecting container 5, which is placed on a removable tray 14. At the upper part of the front panel 6 there is an inlet opening 15 for inserting of glass items with. a safety flap 16, which is limited by a trigger 17 and electric stepper motor 18.

A pyramidal opening 19 is formed in the center of the first bottom 2, which is composed of a plurality of plates 20. The plurality of plates 20 of the pyramidal opening 19 are arranged in a stepwise manner so that an edge is formed between each two adjacent plates 20. A cylindrical ring 21 is closed around the pyramidal opening 19, closed with a cover 22. On the inner surface of the cylindrical ring 21 along its height is fixed at least one counter-knife 43. On the plates 20 of the pyramidal opening 19 at least one additional counter-knife 44 is arranged along their length.

On the cover 22 a central opening 23 for working shaft 25 and an oval opening 24 for receiving of glass items are formed. The inlet opening 15 is connected by means of a rigid plastic tubular element 26 to the oval opening 24 of the cover 22. The rigid plastic tubular element 26 is spirally curved at an angle of 45°. The working shaft 25 is located in a bearing unit 27 fixed to a base plate 28, mounted on the cover 22. At least two hammers 32 are fixed at the lower end of the working shaft 25 between upper and lower disc 29, 30 by washers 31. The upper end of the working shaft 25 is mounted to a first belt pulley 33 connected by a belt 35 to a second belt pulley 34, which is connected to an electric motor 36. The electric motor 36 is placed on an additional plate 37 with ribs 38 mounted on the cover 22.

An electronic scale 39 is mounted under the tray 14 and to the second bottom 3, which is connected to the power supply and control unit 12, which has a weight adjustment module and is connected to the trigger 17, the closing mechanism 18 and the electric motor 36.

In another embodiment of the device for crushing of glass items according to the invention, the power supply and control unit 12 may have an Internet connection module.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY OF INVENTION

The device for crushing of glass items is designed for crushing of standard glass packaging such as bottles, jars and the like. In order to work, the device for crushing of glass items must be power supplied by the electrical grid. Before the start of the work, the crushed glass collecting container 5 must be placed in the chamber 4. By pressing the start button 10, the hammers 32 in the device begin to rotate. The electronic display 41 of the electronic panel 40 indicates that the device is working and a dial is visualized.

The glass items in the device for crushing of glass items are crushed based on the principle of a hammer mill. This is happening in a dedicated crushing section, which is between the first bottom 2 with the pyramidal opening 19, the cylindrical ring 21 and the cover 22. In this section are located the hammers 32, at least one counter-knife 43 and at least one additional counter ^¬ knife 44. The hammers 32 together with the working shaft 25 form a crushing mechanism. The working shaft 25 via belt drive is rotated by the electric motor 36, which causes rotation of the hammers 32 in the crushing section. The rotational movement of the hammers 32 breaks the glass items, while the pieces of glass are swirled in this section. The swirling causes collisions between the glass pieces themself and with the counter-knives 43, 44 as well as collisions with the edges, formed between the plates 20. As a result of these collisions, the glass pieces break into smaller crushed glass particles and through the pyramidal opening 19 are led to a suitable crushed glass collecting container 5 in the chamber 4. The electronic scale 39, mounted under the crushed glass collecting container 5, continuously reports the amount of collected crushed glass.

The glass items are inserted through the safety flap 16 of the inlet opening 15, where they enter the rigid plastic tubular element 26. The rigid plastic tubular element 26 leads them through the oval opening 24 for receiving of glass items on the cover 22 to the crushing section of the device. It is recommended the bottles and the jars to be fed through the inlet opening 15 with the neck part forward and the next glass items for crushing to be fed after the previous item is completely crushed. The electronic display 41 begins to display in kilograms the amount of crushed glass, collected in the crushed glass collecting container 5.

The device will accept glass items until it reaches the maximum set weight, which is predetermined to be placed in the crushed glass collecting container 5 or until the stop button 11 is pressed. A certain time after crushing of the last glass item, the device will go into standby mode, in which the electric motor 36 stops working and the hammers 32 go to rest, respectively. When the device is in operation or in standby mode, the safety flap 16 of the inlet opening 15 remains in free position and additional items can be fed. If a glass item is fed when the machine is in standby mode, the opening of the safety flap 16 activates the trigger 17, which activates the electric motor 36 via the power supply and control unit 12.

The maximum pre-set weight of the crushed glass in the crushed glass collecting container 5 is 15 kg, but it can be changed to more or less via the electronic panel 40, depending on the user's preferences. When the maximum pre-set weight is reached or when the stop button 11 is pressed, the safety flap 16 of the inlet opening 15 will be blocked (will not be movable) by the electric stepper motor and insertion of glass items will not be allowed. Also, when the maximum pre-set weight is reached, the alarm signalization 9 lights up and there is sound signal. The crushing mechanism must be in working mode, when the glass items are inserted through the safety flap 16. if the crushing mechanism is not in working mode, but glass items are inserted, accumulation and jamming can occur, which will interfere the proper further operation of the device.

When the maximum pre-set weight is reached and after the alarm signalization 9 has been activated, it is necessary to stop the device by the stop button 11 and to wait for the crushing mechanism to stop working. The crushed glass collecting container 5 can be removed from the device chamber 4 through the door 13. The crushed glass collecting container 5 can be returned to chamber 4 after emptying.

The maximum admissible weight is set by the electronic panel 40, which sends the preferred set to the weight adjustment module in the power supply and control unit 12. The settings are selected by the function buttons 42 on the panel 40 and the desired weight is visualized on the dial of display 41. This allows users to choose the desired maximum weight according to their personal preferences.

There is a possibility for remote connection of the device through the power supply and control unit 12, which has an Internet connection module. This allows the condition of the device to be monitored remotely and to empty the crushed glass collecting container 5 in time, when needed.