Automatic pteridium aquilinum processing equipment

Abstract

The invention discloses automatic pteridium aquilinum processing equipment which comprises a preprocessing module, a conveying unit, a washing unit, a camera recognition module, an inferior-quality product collecting unit and a vibrating screen impurity removing unit which are linked in sequence, and further comprises an air drying unit and a central control system. The central control system adopts a master-slave control mode, takes the conveying unit as a core, and controls starting, stopping and parameter adjustment of all the modules in a linkage mode. Through the whole-process modular integrated design of pretreatment, conveying, washing, recognition, sorting, impurity removal through a vibrating screen, air drying and central control, the core pain points of high manual dependency degree, poor module connection, incomplete impurity removal, low recognition precision and high energy consumption in traditional pteridium aquilinum treatment are solved. The treatment efficiency is greatly improved; the product quality is guaranteed in multiple dimensions, and the defective rate is reduced; intelligent linkage control is achieved, and energy consumption and operation intensity are reduced; the structural design adapts to the characteristics of pteridium aquilinum, and material damage is reduced.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of agricultural product processing equipment, and particularly relates to a Pteridium aquilinum automatic processing equipment. BACKGROUND

[0002] As a kind of wild vegetable with rich nutritional value, Pteridium aquilinum needs to go through multiple processes such as root cutting, impurity removing, sorting and drying before processing. At present, Pteridium aquilinum processing mainly relies on manual operation or semi-automatic equipment, which has the following technical defects: Firstly, manual root cutting and sorting have low efficiency and high labor intensity, and the root cutting length is inconsistent and the sorting standard is not unified, which affects the product quality. Secondly, the modules of semi-automatic equipment are not well connected, and the materials are easy to accumulate, fall or be damaged. For example, when the bundled Pteridium aquilinum is fed, it is easy to be entangled, which causes the subsequent cleaning and identification processes to be unstable. Thirdly, the impurity removing effect is poor. Traditional washing can only remove the surface mud and sand, and the residual rate of small impurities is high. Moreover, the water on the surface of the cleaned materials affects the subsequent identification accuracy. Fourthly, sorting relies on manual visual judgment, which has low defect identification accuracy and slow speed, and cannot meet the needs of large-scale production. Fifthly, each module is independently controlled, which has high energy consumption and is complicated to operate and maintain, and lacks a unified intelligent linkage mechanism.

[0003] Therefore, there is an urgent need for an integrated, automated and intelligent Pteridium aquilinum processing equipment to solve the problems of low efficiency, poor quality and low intelligence in the prior art. SUMMARY

[0004] In view of the deficiencies in the above background art, the present application provides a Pteridium aquilinum automatic processing equipment, which aims to solve the technical problem of how to improve the processing efficiency and quality of Pteridium aquilinum.

[0005] The technical scheme of the present application is as follows: The fern automatic processing equipment, including pre-treatment module, conveying unit, washing unit, camera recognition module, substandard product collecting unit, vibration screen impurity removing unit, also including air drying unit and central control system; The pre-treatment module includes feed tank, cutting mechanism, material distribution guide assembly and waste tank, the feed tank is adapted to the cutting mechanism to realize the root of fern once cutting into the waste tank, the material distribution guide assembly includes comb material distributor, funnel guide port and infrared sensor, and the stem of fern is sequentially fed by cooperation; The conveying unit adopts the conveying belt with water-permeable holes, and the surface is provided with V-shaped guide groove and baffle, the stem after pretreatment is received and single-root interval conveying; The washing unit includes spray system and ultrasonic vibration device integrated below the conveying belt, realizes spray and ultrasonic double cleaning, and the cleaning waste is discharged through the water-permeable holes of the conveying belt; The camera recognition module is provided with a drying transition section between the washing unit, and the camera recognition module includes multiple industrial CCD cameras and machine vision algorithm, which is used for detecting stem appearance defects and size; The substandard product collecting unit includes transition plate driven by stepper motor and substandard product tank, the angle of transition plate is adjusted according to the recognition result of camera recognition module, and the automatic sorting of qualified material and substandard product is realized; The central control system adopts master-slave control mode, takes the conveying unit as the core, and links to control start-stop and parameter adjustment of each module.

[0006] The technical scheme solves the core pain points of traditional fern processing, such as high dependence on manual operation, poor module connection, incomplete impurity removal, low recognition accuracy and high energy consumption, through the modular integrated design of the whole process of "pretreatment-conveying-washing-identification-sorting-vibration screen impurity removing-air drying-central control", and has the following beneficial effects: 1. Full-process automation, greatly improving processing efficiency The pre-treatment module realizes the integration of "bundling feeding-precise root cutting-single-root feeding", avoiding the tediousness of manual material distribution; The conveying unit realizes the orderly arrangement of stems through V-shaped guide groove and baffle, eliminating material winding and accumulation; The washing, identification, sorting and vibration screen impurity removing processes are linked through the central control system without manual intervention, the processing efficiency is 5-8 times higher than manual operation, and the daily production demand of more than 500 kg can be met.

[0007] 2. Multi-dimensional guarantee of product quality, reducing the rate of substandard products The "one-time root cutting + single-root feeding" of pre-treatment ensures the integrity of the stem, avoiding the problem of inconsistent length caused by manual root cutting.

[0008] The "spray + ultrasonic double cleaning" of the washing unit can not only remove surface dirt, but also strip off small impurities in the stem wrinkles, and the impurity removal rate is improved to more than 98%, which is much higher than the traditional single washing with an impurity removal rate of about 60%.

[0009] The drying transition section cooperates with the camera recognition module to eliminate the interference of surface moisture after cleaning on detection, and the machine vision algorithm can accurately identify defects such as insect damage and mildew, with an identification accuracy of ≤0.5 mm, and the defective product rate is reduced from 15%-20% in manual sorting to below 3%.

[0010] The air drying unit covers the whole process except the flushing area, avoids mildew due to residual moisture, and prolongs the shelf life of the product.

[0011] 3. Intelligent linkage control, reducing energy consumption and operation intensity The central control system adopts a "master-slave control mode", and the conveying unit is the core of the linkage of each module: when the conveying unit detects no material, the energy-consuming modules such as flushing, ultrasonic, and air drying are automatically suspended to avoid idling energy consumption, saving 30% energy compared with independent control mode; orderly material dropping control: an infrared reflection sensor is arranged at the funnel-shaped guide port, which triggers a signal to make the material distributor pause for 0.5 seconds after one stem passes through, and then the material distributor starts to convey the next one after the previous one completely enters the lower conveying unit, realizing interval material dropping.

[0012] 4. Structure design adapts to the characteristics of Pteridium aquilinum, reducing material damage The comb-shaped material distributor and the funnel-shaped guide port of the pretreatment module are designed with rounded corners to avoid scratching the stems of Pteridium aquilinum; the V-shaped guide groove and the conical water-permeable hole of the conveying unit ensure smooth impurity removal and prevent the stems from being abraded by the hole edge; the arc transition of the transition plate and the food-grade aluminum alloy material further reduce the collision damage of the material during sorting, and the material integrity rate is improved to more than 95%.

[0013] On the basis of the above technical scheme, as a preferred technical scheme of the Pteridium aquilinum automatic processing equipment, the comb-shaped material distributor is made of food-grade nylon material, the comb tooth spacing is 12-15 mm, the top is rounded, and it is driven by a micro stepping motor at 5 r / min; the lower port of the funnel-shaped guide port is contracted into a 20 mm x 80 mm flat outlet, and the infrared sensor triggers the intermittent start and stop of the material distributor to realize 0.5 second interval material dropping.

[0014] The technical scheme is an optimized scheme of the comb-shaped material distributor and the funnel-shaped guide port, and further beneficial effects are as follows: Food safety and material protection: the food-grade nylon material meets the requirements of GB4806.7-2016 "National Food Safety Standard Plastic Materials and Products for Food Contact", avoiding possible rust pollution of metal materials; the rounded top of the comb teeth (radius R1.5 mm) can effectively prevent the stems of Pteridium aquilinum from being scratched during material distribution, reduce juice loss, and ensure taste.

[0015] Stability of feeding and process adaptability: the comb tooth spacing is 12-15 mm, which matches the mainstream bracken stem diameter of 5-15 mm in the market, can accurately scatter into bundled stems without winding; the micro stepping motor is driven at a low speed of 5 r / min to avoid material impact damage caused by high-speed rotation; the lower part of the funnel-shaped guide port is contracted into a 20 mm*80 mm flat outlet, forming a "single root" physical constraint, cooperating with the 0.5 second intermittent start-stop triggered by the infrared sensor, so that the interval of the stems on the conveying belt is stabilized at 10-15 cm, providing uniform feeding conditions for subsequent non-overlapping washing and non-shielding identification, solving the problems of incomplete cleaning and identification missed judgment caused by traditional feeding "uneven density".

[0016] On the basis of the above technical scheme, as a preferred technical scheme of the bracken automatic processing equipment, the water permeable hole is conical and located at the bottom of the V-shaped guide groove, and the large-diameter end of the water permeable hole contacts the stem; the width of the V-shaped guide groove is 20 mm, and the height of the baffle is 50 mm with an inner side round corner treatment; a water collecting disc is arranged below the conveying belt and is communicated with a waste box.

[0017] The technical scheme is an optimized scheme of the conveying belt and the water permeable hole, and further beneficial effects are: Damage prevention and impurity removal efficiency balance: the conical water permeable hole, the large-diameter end of which contacts the stem, is preferably 12 mm in diameter at the large-diameter end and 8 mm in diameter at the small-diameter end, which can avoid the accumulation of silt at the inlet of the water permeable hole, so that the impurities can be smoothly removed; at the same time, the conical structure makes it easier for silt and sewage to slide off, and the impurity removal speed is increased by 40% compared with a straight hole, avoiding blockage in the hole.

[0018] Material deviation prevention and equipment cleaning: the 20 mm wide V-shaped guide groove can force the stem to be arranged along the "vertical conveying belt direction", preventing the material from deviating and falling to the sides during conveying, and the deviation rate is reduced from 12% of the traditional flat conveying belt to below 1%; at the same time, the width of the V-shaped guide groove is greater than the diameter of the stem, and under the action of the washing unit and the drying unit, the stem can be turned over at a small angle, which not only facilitates full washing and drying, but also facilitates comprehensive identification by the camera identification module; the 50 mm high baffle with an inner side round corner R3 mm further blocks the material from falling off, while avoiding scratching the stem by the edge of the baffle; the water collecting disc below is communicated with the waste box, so that the cleaning wastewater and silt can be collected and treated, avoiding the pollution of the equipment and the workshop environment by the sewage, and reducing the cleaning and maintenance cost.

[0019] On the basis of the above technical scheme, as a preferred technical scheme of the bracken automatic processing equipment, the spraying system is arranged with a plurality of groups of fan-shaped spray heads along the length direction of the conveying belt, and each group of fan-shaped spray heads includes a plurality of fan-shaped nozzles arranged along the width direction of the conveying belt.

[0020] The technical scheme is an optimized scheme of the spraying system, and further beneficial effects are: Uniformity of rinsing and cleaning effect: 3-4 sets of fan-shaped spray heads are arranged along the length of the conveyor belt, with a spacing of 1.2m between each set. Each set contains 3 fan-shaped nozzles evenly distributed along the width direction, with a spacing of 100mm. The fan-shaped water flow diffusion angle is 60°, which can achieve full coverage of the conveyor belt. The 300mm wide conveyor belt is covered without dead corners. At the same time, there is a 10% overlap area between the water flow of adjacent spray heads, avoiding the problem of "incomplete rinsing in some areas". With the movement of the conveyor belt, every area of ​​the stem surface can be rinsed by water flow 2-3 times, and the surface mud and sand removal rate is increased to 99%.

[0021] Energy saving and adaptability: The fan-shaped nozzle has a concentrated water flow impact force and a pressure of 0.3-0.5MPa, which can achieve efficient rinsing with a low water volume and save 25% of water compared with traditional direct spray nozzles; and the spray pressure can be adjusted according to the cleanliness of the bracken, such as 0.3MPa for fresh bracken and 0.5MPa for bracken with more mud, adapting to different raw material conditions.

[0022] Based on the above technical solutions, as a preferred technical solution for the automated bracken processing equipment, a transparent windbreak is provided at the connection between the camera recognition module and the rinsing unit; an LED strip light source is provided above the industrial CCD camera, and an IP65-rated dustproof and waterproof cover is provided on the outside; the machine vision algorithm can identify quality defects such as insect infestation, mold, breakage, and spots, with a size detection range of 100-300mm in length and 5-15mm in diameter, a recognition accuracy of ≤0.5mm, and a recognition speed of ≤0.1 seconds / bracken.

[0023] This technical solution is a preferred solution for the camera recognition module, and its further beneficial effects are as follows: Ensuring recognition accuracy: The transparent windbreak is made of PC material with a thickness of 5mm, which can prevent water vapor from the rinsing unit from entering the recognition area and avoid fogging of the camera lens; the 5500K color temperature LED strip light source has a brightness of 1200lm, providing uniform white light, eliminating shadows on the stem surface, and reducing the shadow rate from 35% without light source to below 5%, ensuring clear images captured by the 20-megapixel CCD camera; the IP65 protection-rated dustproof and waterproof cover can isolate workshop dust and small amounts of splash water, extending the camera's service life.

[0024] Meets the needs of large-scale inspection: The machine vision algorithm can simultaneously identify defects such as insect infestation (≥1mm holes), mold (≥2mm mold spots), breakage (≥5mm cracks), and spots (≥3mm discoloration). Size detection covers lengths of 100-300mm (adapting to the mainstream length of ferns in the market) and diameters of 5-15mm. The recognition speed of 0.1 seconds per piece can match the default speed of the conveyor belt of 1m / s, and it can process 36,000 pieces per hour, which fully meets the inspection efficiency requirements of large-scale production.

[0025] Based on the above technical solutions, as a preferred technical solution for the automated bracken processing equipment, the transition plate is made of food-grade aluminum alloy, with a width greater than that of the conveyor belt, and an arc transition is provided at the connection with the conveyor belt. The deflection angle range is 0-30°, and the deflection response time is ≤0.2 seconds. A photoelectric sensor is provided at the entrance of the transition plate.

[0026] This technical solution is a preferred solution for the transition plate, and its further beneficial effects are as follows: Sorting accuracy and material protection: Made of food-grade 6061-T6 aluminum alloy, lightweight, 40% lighter than stainless steel, resulting in a stepper motor drive deflection response time of ≤0.2 seconds. This ensures angle adjustment is completed before the stem reaches the transition plate, reducing the sorting delay rate from 8% for a 0.5-second response to less than 1% for a 0.2-second response. The transition plate is wider than the conveyor belt to prevent the stem from falling off the sides during transfer. The rounded transition with a radius of R20mm reduces collisions between the stem and the edge of the transition plate, lowering the damage rate.

[0027] Positioning accuracy: The photoelectric sensor at the entrance of the transition plate has a detection distance of 50mm and a response time of 1ms, which can accurately capture the arrival time of the stem. It is linked with the camera recognition data (stem quality) and the conveyor belt speed. The central control system can calculate the center of gravity position of the stem in advance to ensure that the transition plate completes the deflection when the center of gravity of the stem arrives, improving the sorting accuracy to 99.5%. At the same time, after the qualified stems fall onto the transition plate, the transition plate is inclined and connected between the conveyor belt and the vibrating screen impurity removal unit. The stems will roll on the smooth transition plate, which allows the stems to flip. This provides favorable conditions for vibrating screen impurity removal and facilitates the full drying of the air drying unit.

[0028] Based on the above technical solutions, as a preferred technical solution for the automated bracken processing equipment, the vibrating screen removal unit is a linear vibrating screen.

[0029] Based on the above technical solutions, as a preferred technical solution for the automated processing equipment for bracken fern, the screen mesh of the linear vibrating screen has a larger aperture than the water-permeable holes, and the vibration frequency is adjustable from 20 to 50 Hz; the linear vibrating screen is provided with side guards on both sides, a dustproof cover plate on the top, an inclined guide plate at the discharge end, and a collection hopper at the bottom.

[0030] This technical solution is a preferred solution for the vibrating screen impurity removal unit, and its further beneficial effects are: Thoroughness of secondary impurity removal: The screen aperture of the linear vibrating screen is larger than the water-permeable holes of the conveyor belt, which can remove small impurities remaining on the stem, such as broken leaves and small sand particles. After secondary impurity removal, the impurity residue rate is ≤0.5%, which solves the problem that single rinsing cannot remove "small impurities attached to the folds of the stem". The vibration frequency is adjustable from 20-50Hz, which can be adjusted according to the impurity content. If there are many impurities, the frequency is 50Hz, and if there are few impurities, it is 20Hz. This avoids stem breakage caused by high-frequency vibration, and the breakage rate is ≤0.3%.

[0031] Contamination prevention and material transition: Side guards and top dust cover prevent impurities from splashing and contaminating the workshop during vibration; 20° inclined guide plate is seamlessly connected to the discharge end of vibrating screen, allowing bracken to smoothly enter subsequent processes. If there is a weighing module, it will be connected for weighing; otherwise, it will directly enter the packaging process, avoiding material drop and loss, with a loss rate of ≤0.2%.

[0032] Based on the above technical solutions, as a preferred technical solution for the automated bracken processing equipment, the air-drying unit covers the entire conveying path except for the rinsing unit, and adopts a combination design of air knife and axial flow fan.

[0033] This technical solution is a preferred solution for the air-drying unit, and its further beneficial effects are as follows: Drying efficiency and quality assurance: The air knife covers the conveyor belt (4 sets, 1.5m spacing), the transition plate (1 set), and the vibrating screen impurity removal unit (3 sets). The 8 sets of air knives form a "full-process drying path". The 2mm wide air knife outlet generates a high-speed airflow, which can not only quickly blow away the surface moisture of the stem, but also shorten the drying time from 30 minutes of natural air drying to 10 seconds, avoiding mold caused by residual moisture. At the same time, the high-speed airflow can gently blow the stem, causing the stem to turn over at an angle of 15-30°.

[0034] Specifically, under the action of the air knife, the stems are orderly deflected within the V-shaped guide groove of the conveyor belt, significantly tumbled on the transition plate, and continuously tumbled on the vibrating screen impurity removal unit. This not only ensures that both sides of the stems are dried, increasing the drying uniformity to 98%, but also allows the camera recognition module 4 to fully identify them. Simultaneously, the air knife above the transition plate not only ensures that qualified stems quickly and reliably enter the vibrating screen impurity removal unit, but also ensures that defective stems quickly and reliably enter the defective product box. It is important to note that the camera recognition module 4 is located in an independent space, isolated from the air drying unit 8, to prevent the camera recognition module from failing to accurately and efficiently identify the stem quality due to the blowing action of the air drying unit 8.

[0035] Energy saving and adaptability: Independent control switches are divided by area. For example, when only the conveying section is processed, the air knife in the vibrating screen area can be turned off. It can be flexibly adjusted according to the production process, saving 35% energy compared to the continuous operation of the entire area. The wind speed is adjustable. High wind speed is used in humid environments and low wind speed is used in dry environments to adapt to different workshop humidity and avoid the stem epidermis from losing water and wrinkling due to excessive wind speed.

[0036] Based on the above technical solutions, as a preferred technical solution for the automated processing equipment for bracken fern, the air-drying unit is equipped with several sets of air knives, including at least three sets above the conveyor belt, at least one set above the transition plate, and at least three sets above the vibrating screen impurity removal unit. The air outlet width of the air knife is 2mm, and the air speed is adjustable from 5 to 10m / s. The air-drying unit is equipped with an air guide hood and an exhaust port, with independent control switches for different areas.

[0037] This invention, through its "modular integration + intelligent linkage" design, fundamentally solves the core problems of "low efficiency, poor quality, high energy consumption, and cumbersome operation" in traditional manual or semi-automated bracken processing. The overall beneficial effects can be summarized in the following five aspects: Efficiency Improvement: The entire process of large-scale production is automated, requiring no manual intervention from feeding to sorting and impurity removal. The processing efficiency is 5-8 times higher than manual processing, and the daily processing capacity of a single machine can reach 500-800 kg, meeting the large-scale production needs of small and medium-sized bracken processing enterprises. The modules are seamlessly connected, such as the orderly arrangement of feeding and conveying of pre-processed bracken, and the synchronization of sorting signals and transition plate actions for rinsing, drying and identification. There is no material accumulation waiting time, and the equipment utilization rate is increased to over 90%.

[0038] Quality Assurance: From "Qualified" to "High-Quality", from "Precise Root Cutting + Non-Damaging Feeding" in pretreatment, to "Double Cleaning" in rinsing, to "High-Precision Defect Detection" for identification, and finally to "Full-Process Drying", a "Full-Process Quality Control Chain" is formed. The product defect rate has been reduced from the traditional 15%-20% to below 3%, the material integrity rate is ≥95%, and the impurity residue rate is ≤0.5%, which fully complies with GB / T18407.1-2001 "Safety Requirements for Pollution-Free Vegetables in Agricultural Product Safety".

[0039] It is important to note that the V-shaped guide groove for conveying stems one by one, the rinsing unit and water-permeable holes on the conveyor belt for primary impurity removal, the air-drying unit for air drying, the camera recognition module for identifying stem quality, the transition plate for screening qualified products, and the vibrating screen for secondary impurity removal all work in a synergistic and coupled manner. This synergistic coupling is not a sequential connection in the process flow of "conveyance-rinsing-drying-identification-sorting-vibrating screen," but rather involves overlapping and mutually reinforcing effects between individual functions: for example, air drying is not merely about removing stem impurities. The process involves not only removing surface moisture but also assisting the stems in tumbling within the V-shaped guide groove, allowing for comprehensive recognition by the camera module. This results in higher drying efficiency from the subsequent air knife and more thorough and efficient secondary impurity removal by the linear vibrating screen. Simultaneously, it assists qualified stems in tumbling onto the transition plate before entering the linear vibrating screen, improving sorting efficiency, accuracy of qualified product discharge, and accuracy of defective product discharge. This also enhances the thoroughness and efficiency of secondary impurity removal by the linear vibrating screen and improves the drying efficiency of the subsequent air knife. Furthermore, the tumbling of qualified stems on the linear vibrating screen, coupled with vibration, accelerates secondary impurity removal and drying. For example, the rinsing impurity removal process is not merely rinsing; it assists the stems in entering the V-shaped guide groove more precisely and tumbling within it, enabling comprehensive recognition by the camera module. The tumbling also removes impurities from below the stems, facilitating subsequent air knife drying and secondary impurity removal by the linear vibrating screen.

[0040] Intelligentization: Reduced operation and management costs. The central control system achieves "one-click start / stop + parameter preset + fault alarm". Operators only need to replenish materials and clean the waste bins, without the need for professional skills training. The training time is shortened from 1 week to 1 day. The system automatically records production data, such as processing volume, defect rate and energy consumption. Reports can be exported via USB, which facilitates production management and quality traceability. The master-slave control mode avoids module idling. Energy consumption is reduced by 30% compared with independent control, saving about 20,000 to 30,000 yuan in electricity costs per year, based on an average daily operation of 8 hours per unit.

[0041] Safety: All parts that come into contact with materials, such as the feed box, distributor, conveyor belt, transition plate, and vibrating screen, are made of food-grade materials, such as 304 stainless steel, food-grade nylon, and 6061-T6 aluminum alloy, in compliance with food safety and equipment safety standards. There is no risk of heavy metal migration. The equipment is designed with protective features, such as a camera dustproof and waterproof cover, a vibrating screen dustproof cover, and rounded corners, which protect the equipment's lifespan and prevent operators from being scratched by sharp parts. This complies with GB12265.1-2021 "Safety of Machinery - Safe Distances to Prevent Upper Limbs from Touching Dangerous Areas".

[0042] Flexibility: Adaptable to different raw materials and key parameters of working conditions, the speed of the comb-shaped feeder, the speed of the conveyor belt, the spray pressure, the vibration frequency, and the wind speed are all adjustable. It can process different varieties (such as fern shoots and ferns) and different states (fresh and semi-dried) of ferns. Modules can be flexibly added or removed, such as adding a weighing module to realize quantitative packaging, adding a cutting module to realize pre-processing cutting, adapting to different production needs of enterprises, with strong equipment versatility and high return on investment. Attached Figure Description

[0043] To more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0044] Figure 1 This is a top view of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a side view schematic diagram of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the present invention with the frame omitted; Figure 4 for Figure 1 Enlarged view of point A in the middle; Figure 5 for Figure 3 Enlarged diagram of point B in the middle.

[0045] Explanation of icon numbers: 1-Pre-treatment module, 11-Feeding box, 12-Cutting mechanism, 13-Comb-shaped feeder, 14-Funnel-type guide port, 15-Infrared sensor, 16-Waste bin, 17-Root outlet, 18-Push plate; 2-Conveying unit, 21-Conveyor belt, 22-V-shaped guide groove, 23-Side guard, 24-Water collection tray, 25-Water permeable hole; 3-Flushing unit, 31-Spray head, 32-Ultrasonic vibration device, 33-Drain pipe; 4-Camera recognition module, 41-Industrial CCD camera, 42-LED strip light source, 43-Dustproof and waterproof cover, 44-Drying transition section, 45-Axial flow fan, 46-Transparent wind baffle; 5-Defective product collection unit, 51-Transition plate, 52-Stepper motor, 53-Defective product box, 54-Photoelectric sensor; 6-Vibrating screen for removing impurities, 61-Linear vibrating screen, 62-Impact collection hopper, 63-Guide plate; 7 - Central control system; 71 - Touchscreen display; 8-Drying unit, 81-Air knife, 82-Air guide shroud. Detailed Implementation

[0046] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the core concept of the present invention and the following embodiments, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0047] These embodiments are provided to make the application thorough and complete, and to fully express the scope of the application to those skilled in the art. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement of components and steps, material composition, numerical expressions, and values ​​illustrated in these embodiments should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as limiting.

[0048] Techniques, methods, and equipment known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, they should be considered part of the specification.

[0049] As a preferred embodiment of automated bracken processing equipment, such as Figures 1 to 5 As shown: Full-process equipment integration and operation.

[0050] 1. Overall structure and assembly relationship of the equipment The automated bracken processing equipment disclosed in this embodiment integrates a pretreatment module 1, a conveying unit 2, a rinsing unit 3, a camera recognition module 4, a defective product collection unit 5, and a vibrating screen impurity removal unit 6 sequentially along the material flow direction. It also includes a drying unit 8 and a central control system 7. Each module is fixed by the equipment frame to ensure the stability of the overall structure. The specific structural features and assembly details are as follows: Preprocessing module The pre-processing module 1 serves as the core of the equipment for feeding and initial processing, and includes a feeding box 11, a cutting mechanism 12, a material distribution and guiding component, and a waste bin 16.

[0051] The feeding box 11 is made of food-grade 304 stainless steel, with external dimensions of 800mm long × 600mm wide × 500mm high. The inner wall is mechanically polished to effectively prevent the bracken stems from sticking together. The cutting mechanism 12 is mounted on one side of the feeding box 11. The bracken is moved to the cutting mechanism 12 by a push plate 18 driven by an electric screw. The push plate 18 has clearance holes corresponding to the cutting blades of the cutting mechanism 12, thus achieving uniform cutting of the bracken roots. Below one side of the cutting mechanism 12 is a root outlet 17 connected to the waste bin 16, and below the other side is a stem outlet for discharging material.

[0052] The material distribution and guiding assembly is located below the stem outlet and is the key structure for achieving "root-by-root feeding". It includes a comb-shaped distributor 13, a funnel-shaped guide port 14 and an infrared beam sensor 15.

[0053] The comb-shaped feeder 13 is made of food-grade nylon, with 10 teeth and a tooth spacing of 12mm. The top is rounded with an R1.5mm radius to avoid scratching the stem. The feeder is driven by a micro stepper motor, which is fixed to the equipment frame by a bracket. The output shaft is connected to the feeder's rotating shaft by a key to ensure stable transmission.

[0054] The funnel-shaped guide port 14 is also made of food-grade 304 stainless steel. The upper opening is 500mm×100mm, and the lower opening is narrowed to a flat outlet of 50mm×80mm, forming a physical constraint of "single stem passing through at a time". Infrared beam sensors are embedded on both sides of the lower opening of the guide port to detect the stem passing through.

[0055] Conveying unit Conveying unit 2 receives the bracken stems output from pretreatment module 1, achieving "single-stem interval conveying." It includes a conveyor belt 21, a V-shaped guide trough 22, side guards 23, and a water collection tray 24. The conveyor belt 21 is made of food-grade PVC, 300mm wide, with evenly distributed conical permeable holes on its surface—10mm diameter at the larger end, contacting the stem, and 8mm diameter at the smaller end, facing the water collection tray. The holes are spaced 15mm apart, and all permeable holes are located at the bottom of the V-shaped guide trough 22, ensuring smooth discharge of wastewater and sediment while preventing damage to the stems from the edges of the holes. The V-shaped guide trough 22 is integrally extruded with the conveyor belt 21, 20mm wide and 5mm deep, forcing the bracken stems to align perpendicular to the conveyor belt's direction, preventing material deviation during transport. Both sides of the conveyor belt 21 are bolted to 50mm high side guards with a 3mm rounded corner on the inner side, further preventing stems from falling or being scratched.

[0056] The conveyor belt 21 is tensioned by a drive roller and a driven roller. The drive roller is driven by a variable frequency motor, and the speed can be adjusted from 0.3 to 1.0 m / s through a frequency converter. The default operating speed is 0.5 m / s, ensuring that the stem spacing is stable at 10-15 cm. The water collection tray 24 is welded to the frame below the conveyor belt 21, and a 30° inclined sewage pipe is installed at the bottom, which is connected to the waste bin 16, so that the sewage and silt generated during washing can be collected and discharged into the waste bin.

[0057] Flushing unit The rinsing unit 3 is located in the middle of the conveying unit 2. It achieves primary impurity removal through a dual action of "spraying + ultrasonic waves," and includes a spraying system and an ultrasonic vibration device 32. The spraying system has three sets of fan-shaped spray heads 31 arranged along the length of the conveyor belt 21, with a spacing of 1.2m between each set. Each set contains three fan-shaped nozzles, evenly distributed along the width of the conveyor belt. The nozzles are fixed to the frame above the conveyor belt 21 by brackets, with the nozzle axis forming a 45° angle with the surface of the conveyor belt and a distance of 150mm from the surface. This ensures that the water flow completely covers the width of the conveyor belt and allows the stem to rotate at a small angle of approximately 15°, achieving all-around rinsing. The solenoid valves of the spraying system are controlled by the central control system.

[0058] The ultrasonic vibration device 32 is integrated into the idler group below the conveyor belt 21. It adopts a 40kHz high-frequency ultrasonic generator and the vibration area is 1.2m long. The generator is fixed to the equipment frame by a bracket. The idler is in close contact with the lower surface of the conveyor belt 21. The vibration energy can be directly transmitted to the conveyor belt, so that the fine mud and sand with a diameter of ≤0.5mm attached to the surface of the bracken stems are removed and thoroughly washed away with the spray water flow.

[0059] Camera recognition module The camera recognition module 4 is located behind the rinsing unit 3 and is used to detect appearance defects and dimensions of the bracken stem. It includes an industrial CCD camera 41, an LED strip light source 42, a dustproof and waterproof cover 43, a drying transition section 44, and a transparent windbreak 46. To prevent moisture from the rinsing unit from affecting the detection accuracy, a 1.5m long drying transition section 44 is set between the module and the rinsing unit. An axial flow fan 45 is installed above the transition section, which can quickly dry the residual moisture on the surface of the stem and at the same time slightly blow the stem to rotate about 20°, ensuring that both sides of the stem can be captured by the camera. A transparent windbreak is vertically welded at the junction of the transition section and the rinsing unit to further isolate moisture.

[0060] The camera recognition module 4 consists of two industrial CCD cameras 41, model MV-CA020-10GM, with a resolution of 20 megapixels, arranged 500mm apart along the conveyor belt axis. The front camera lens is perpendicular to the conveyor belt surface and is used to photograph the front of the stem to detect mold, spots, breaks, and length; the rear camera lens is parallel to the conveyor belt surface and is used to photograph the side of the stem. Each camera is equipped with an LED strip light source 42, model KeyenceCA-DRW3, with a color temperature of 5500K, a brightness of 1200lm, and a length of 300mm. Uniform illumination is achieved through a diffuser plate to eliminate shadows during shooting. The cameras and light sources are covered with dustproof and waterproof covers 43 to prevent dust and moisture corrosion.

[0061] Preferably, the axial flow fan 45 of the drying transition section 44 is fixed to the frame above the transition section by a bracket. The fan outlet faces the surface of the conveyor belt, the wind speed is 3m / s, and the airflow direction is opposite to the conveying direction of the conveyor belt, which can quickly dry the moisture on the surface of the stem. The transparent baffle plate 46 is vertically welded to the connection between the transition section and the rinsing unit, with a height of 300mm, which not only blocks water vapor but also does not affect the conveying of the stem.

[0062] Defective Product Collection Unit The defective product collection unit 5 is located at the end of the conveyor unit 2. Based on camera recognition results, it automatically sorts qualified materials into defective products. It includes a transition plate 51, a stepper motor 52, a defective product box 53, and a photoelectric sensor 54. The transition plate 51 is made of food-grade aluminum alloy, with a length of 500mm and a width of 320mm, exceeding the conveyor belt width by 300mm to prevent the stem from falling off. It has a 20mm radius rounded transition at the connection point with the conveyor belt 21 to reduce material collision damage. The transition plate 51 is connected to a bearing housing via a rotating shaft. The bearing housing is fixed to the equipment frame. One end of the rotating shaft is connected to the output shaft of the stepper motor 52 (model 42HS40, torque 1.2N·m) via a coupling. The motor can drive the transition plate to deflect 0-30°, with a deflection response time ≤0.2 seconds.

[0063] The defective product box 53 is located below the deflection side of the transition plate 51. An EVA cushioning pad is laid inside the box to prevent damage to the stems of defective products from impact. A diffuse reflection photoelectric sensor 54, model E3F-DS30C4, is fixed on the bracket above the entrance end of the transition plate 51. With a detection distance of 50mm, it can accurately capture the arrival time of the stem and link with the camera recognition data to ensure accurate sorting.

[0064] Vibrating screen impurity removal unit The vibrating screen impurity removal unit 6 is located behind the defective product collection unit 5, realizing two-stage impurity removal. It includes a linear vibrating screen 61, an impurity collection hopper 62, and a guide plate 63. The main body of the linear vibrating screen 61 is made of 304 stainless steel, with a screen surface size of 1.5m long × 300mm wide. The screen mesh is made of 304 stainless steel woven mesh with a 5mm aperture and a 0.8mm wire diameter, which can remove small impurities with a diameter of 2-5mm remaining on the stem, such as broken leaves and small sand particles. The vibrating screen is driven by a vibrating motor. By adjusting the angle of the motor eccentric block, the vibration frequency can be adjusted from 20-50Hz, with a default frequency of 35Hz, which can ensure that impurities are fully separated while avoiding stem breakage caused by high-frequency vibration.

[0065] A collection hopper 62 is installed below the screen of the linear vibrating screen 61. A 20° inclined guide plate 63 is welded to the discharge end of the vibrating screen. The surface of the guide plate is polished to ensure that the stem slides out smoothly and can be directly connected to the subsequent packaging process or weighing module. 80mm high guardrails are set on both sides of the vibrating screen, and the top is covered with a dustproof cover to prevent impurities from splashing and polluting the workshop environment during vibration.

[0066] air drying unit The air-drying unit 8 covers the entire conveying path except for the rinsing unit 3, and is used to remove surface moisture from the stem. It includes air knives 81, air guide hoods 82, and axial flow fans 45. There are 8 sets of air knives 81, all made of aluminum alloy, model Leister6100, with an outlet width of 2mm and a length of 300mm. They are arranged along the material flow direction—4 sets above the conveyor belt 21 at a spacing of 1m, 1 set above the transition plate 51, and 3 sets above the linear vibrating screen 61. Each set of air knives is fixed to the equipment frame by a bracket. The inlet end of the air knife is connected to a high-pressure fan, model HB-750, with an air pressure of 0.6MPa and an air volume of 750m³ / h. The air speed can be adjusted from 1-5m / s through the regulating valve, with a default air speed of 2m / s.

[0067] The air knife 81 is externally covered by an air guide hood 82, which concentrates the airflow onto the bracken stems, improving drying efficiency. An exhaust duct is connected to the side of the air guide hood to expel humid air from the workshop, preventing moisture buildup inside the equipment. The drying unit is divided into three independent control zones: the conveyor belt zone, the transition plate zone, and the vibrating screen zone. Each control zone has an independent switch, allowing for flexible operation according to production needs and reducing energy consumption.

[0068] Central control system The central control system 7 is the core control unit of the equipment. The cabinet is fixed to the side frame of the equipment and contains a PLC (model S7-200SMARTSR60, 24 inputs / 16 outputs), a 10-inch touchscreen display 71 (model MT8102iE, Chinese interface), and an audible and visual alarm (model LTE-1101J, 80dB volume, red LED). The touchscreen display 71 can display the real-time operating status of each module, such as conveyor belt speed, spray pressure, ultrasonic power, and defective product quantity. It supports one-click setting and saving of key parameters, such as comb feeder speed, identification size range, spray pressure, wind speed, and vibration frequency. The PLC is connected to the sensors and actuators of each module via signal lines, adopting a "master-slave control mode"—with conveyor unit 2 as the core. When the conveyor belt starts, it automatically activates modules such as washing, drying, and vibrating screen; when the conveyor belt stops, it shuts down other modules after a 10-second delay to avoid material accumulation or idling energy consumption.

[0069] 2. Working principle The equipment operates according to a fully automated process logic of "raw material input → pretreatment → conveying → rinsing → drying → identification → sorting → secondary impurity removal → air drying → output", which is uniformly controlled by the central control system 7. The specific steps are as follows: Feeding and pretreatment: Root cutting + individual feeding The operator places bundles of bracken fern, each weighing 5-10 kg, removes any obvious dead leaves, and places them into the feeding box 11 of the pretreatment module 1. After closing the box door, the door limit switch sends a signal to the PLC. The PLC first controls the electric lead screw to push the push plate 18, moving the bracken fern towards the cutting mechanism 12 to complete one root cutting. The root waste generated from cutting falls into the waste bin 16 through a 45° chute, while the stems after root cutting fall into the comb-shaped distributor 13 below.

[0070] To ensure that all waste material falls into the waste bin, 3 seconds after the root cutting action ends, the PLC controls a micro stepper motor to drive the comb-shaped feeder 13 to rotate at 10 r / min. The feeder teeth break up the bundled stems, which then enter the funnel-shaped guide inlet 14 as the feeder rotates. When the infrared beam sensor 15 detects a stem passing through the bottom of the guide inlet, it immediately sends a signal to the PLC. The PLC controls the feeder to pause for 0.5 seconds. After the previous stem has completely fallen into the conveyor belt 21, the feeder restarts, achieving "intermittent feeding" of stems, with the spacing between stems on the conveyor belt remaining stable at 10-15 cm. If the infrared sensor does not detect a stem passing through for 2 consecutive seconds, the PLC determines that the feed bin is low on material, and the touch screen displays a "replenish material" message.

[0071] Conveying and double rinsing: primary impurity removal The variable frequency motor of conveying unit 2 drives the conveyor belt 21 to run at a default speed of 1m / s. The V-shaped guide groove 22 forces the stems to be arranged perpendicular to the conveying direction, and the side guards 23 prevent the stems from falling off. When the photoelectric sensor on the conveyor belt 21 at the inlet of the rinsing unit detects the stems, it sends a signal to the PLC. The PLC immediately controls the solenoid valve of the spray system to open and the ultrasonic vibration device 32 to start.

[0072] The fan-shaped spray nozzles 31 spray a stream of water that covers the surface of the stem, washing away surface mud and sand. At the same time, the ultrasonic vibration device generates high-frequency vibrations, causing fine mud and sand in the folds of the stem to detach, achieving efficient impurity removal through this dual action. The wastewater and mud generated during cleaning fall into the collection tray 24 below through the conical permeable holes at the bottom of the conveyor belt 21. The wastewater in the collection tray is then guided into the waste bin 16 along the drain pipe 33, completing the first stage of impurity removal.

[0073] Drying and Camera Recognition: Defect + Size Inspection After rinsing, the stem enters the drying transition section 44 via conveyor belt 21. The PLC controls the axial flow fan 45 above the transition section to operate at a speed of 3 m / s, quickly drying any remaining moisture on the stem surface. Simultaneously, the airflow gently rotates the stem approximately 20°, ensuring no moisture remains on either side. A transparent baffle 46 prevents moisture from the rinsing unit from entering the recognition area, providing a dry environment for camera recognition.

[0074] After drying, the stem enters the camera recognition module 4. The PLC controls two industrial CCD cameras 41 to simultaneously capture images—the front camera captures the front of the stem, detecting defects such as mold (mold area ≥ 2mm²), spots (color spots area ≥ 3mm²), and cracks (crack length ≥ 5mm). Simultaneously, the stem length is calculated using pixel counting, with a detection range of 100-300mm. The rear camera captures the side of the stem, calculating the stem diameter using an edge detection algorithm, with a detection range of 5-15mm. An LED strip light source 42 provides uniform illumination, avoiding shadows that could affect detection accuracy. Detection data is transmitted to the PLC in real-time via Ethernet, with a recognition speed ≤ 0.1 seconds / stem and a recognition accuracy ≤ 0.5mm.

[0075] Intelligent sorting and defective product collection When the stem is about to reach the defective product collection unit 5, the photoelectric sensor 54 at the inlet end of the transition plate 51 detects the stem and sends a signal to the PLC. The PLC combines the camera's recognition result (qualified / defective) with the conveyor belt speed of 1m / s to calculate the time it takes for the stem to reach the transition plate 51, which is approximately 0.5 seconds. The PLC then drives the stepper motor 52 in advance to adjust the angle of the transition plate: if it is a qualified stem, the transition plate maintains the default angle of 0°, and the stem slides smoothly into the vibrating screen impurity removal unit 6 along the transition plate; if it is a defective stem, the transition plate deflects to 30° 0.2 seconds before the stem arrives, and the stem falls into the defective product box 53 along the inclined transition plate.

[0076] After sorting is completed, the PLC-controlled transition plate automatically resets to 0°, waiting for the next stem to be sorted.

[0077] Secondary impurity removal and full-process air drying Qualified stems enter the linear vibrating screen 61 of the vibrating screen impurity removal unit 6. The PLC controls the vibrating motor to run at a default frequency of 35Hz. The screen vibration causes the remaining fine impurities such as broken leaves and small sand particles on the stems to fall through the screen into the collection hopper 62 below, achieving a secondary impurity removal impurity residue rate of ≤0.5%. After impurity removal, the stems slide out along the 20° inclined guide plate 63 at the discharge end of the vibrating screen. The surface of the guide plate is polished to prevent the stems from getting stuck.

[0078] Throughout the entire process of stem conveying, identification, sorting, and secondary impurity removal, the air-drying unit 8 operates continuously, except for the rinsing unit. Four sets of air knives above the conveyor belt 21, one set above the transition plate 51, and three sets above the vibrating screen 61 blow high-speed airflow at a default wind speed of 8 m / s, directly acting on the stem surface to quickly remove residual moisture, resulting in a final surface moisture content of ≤5%. The air guide hood 82 concentrates the airflow, and the exhaust pipe vents the humid air out of the workshop, preventing moisture accumulation that could lead to mold growth on the stem. The air-drying unit supports zoned control; if only materials in the conveyor section need to be processed, the air knives in the vibrating screen area can be turned off to reduce energy consumption.

[0079] Fault alarms and equipment protection During equipment operation, if a module malfunctions, the corresponding sensor sends a fault signal to the PLC. The PLC immediately triggers an audible and visual alarm, and the touchscreen displays the fault location and troubleshooting suggestions. In the event of a serious fault, such as motor overload, the PLC automatically cuts off the power to the corresponding module to protect the equipment. After the fault is cleared, the operator can reset the system via the touchscreen before the equipment can be restarted.

[0080] 3. How to use Equipment commissioning: before first use or batch production change 1. Pre-power-on inspection: Confirm that all modules are securely connected, such as the conveyor belt tension, the air knife bracket is fixed, the signal cable plug, the waste bin 16 and the defective product bin 53 are empty, and the water level in the sprinkler system water tank is ≥2 / 3 of the standard.

[0081] 2. Parameter setting: Turn on the power of the central control system 7, enter the "Parameter Setting" interface through the touch screen, and set the key parameters: conveyor belt speed 1m / s, spray pressure 0.4MPa, ultrasonic power 500W, vibrating screen frequency 35Hz, air knife wind speed 8m / s, and qualified bracken size range: length 120-280mm, diameter 6-14mm. Save the parameters after setting.

[0082] 3. No-load test run: Click the "No-load start" button on the touch screen. The equipment will start in the order of "conveyor belt → rinsing → air drying → vibrating screen" and run for 5 minutes. Observe whether each module is normal. If the conveyor belt does not deviate, the spray does not leak water, and the ultrasonic waves do not have abnormal noise, stop the machine immediately for adjustment if any problems are found.

[0083] Formal production: Batch processing of bracken fern 1. Feeding Operation: When the touch screen displays "Prepare to Feed," open door 11 of the feeding box of pretreatment module 1, put in bundles of bracken, close the door, and the equipment will automatically start the pretreatment process, cutting the roots and feeding them one by one. Operators need to pay attention to the "Replenish" prompt on the display screen in real time and replenish the bracken in a timely manner to avoid the equipment running idle.

[0084] 2. Waste material removal: When the display shows "Waste bin full" or "Defective product bin full", click the "Pause" button. The equipment will keep the conveyor belt running to avoid material accumulation. Remove the waste bin / defective product bin, empty the waste / defective products, and reset it. Click the "Continue" button to resume production.

[0085] 3. Quality spot check: Stop the machine once every hour and take 10 ferns from the discharge end of the vibrating screen impurity removal unit 6 to check the stem integrity: damage rate ≤0.5%, impurity residue: no obvious impurities, moisture content: no dampness to the touch. If it does not meet the requirements, enter the "parameter setting" interface for fine adjustment, such as increasing the air knife speed or increasing the vibrating screen frequency.

[0086] As a preferred embodiment for "defect + size inspection" Structural features and parameters This embodiment optimizes the hardware configuration and algorithm model to meet the "high-precision detection" requirement of camera recognition module 4. The specific structural features and parameters are as follows: The industrial CCD camera 41 uses the Hikvision MV-CA020-10GM model, with a resolution of 20 million pixels (5472×3648), a frame rate of 15fps, and supports global shutter with an exposure time of 1-10000μs, which can avoid image blurring caused by conveyor belt movement. The camera lens uses the Computar M1614-MP2 model, with a focal length of 16mm, an aperture of F1.4, and a field of view of 28°. At a working distance of 200mm, the field of view is 300mm, which matches the width of the conveyor belt to ensure coverage of the entire conveyor belt width without any blind spots.

[0087] The LED strip light source 42 uses the Keyence CA-DRW3 model with a color temperature of 5500K, which is close to natural light and restores the true color of the bracken, avoiding misjudgment of defects caused by color deviation. The brightness is adjustable from 500 to 2000 lm, and uniform illumination is achieved through a diffuser plate, with an illumination uniformity of ≥90%. The relative position of the light source and the camera is "45° oblique illumination from both sides" - the two light sources are located on both sides of the camera, forming a 45° angle with the camera axis, to avoid reflection of direct light on the stem surface, which would affect defect identification.

[0088] The machine vision algorithm is based on the deep learning framework (TensorFlow). The training samples include 10,000 images of ferns, covering common defects such as insect infestation, mold, breakage, and spots. Each defect has ≥1,000 samples. The algorithm combines the "YOLOv5" object detection model with the "Canny edge detection" size measurement algorithm: During defect detection, the model outputs the defect type and location, and the judgment threshold is set to "defect area ≥2mm² is judged as defective"; During size measurement, the stem contour is extracted through edge detection, and the length is calculated as: number of pixels × pixel spacing, pixel spacing = field width / image width = 300mm / 5472 ≈ 0.055mm / pixel; The diameter is calculated as the maximum width of the stem in the side image, with a measurement error ≤ ±0.3mm.

[0089] Working principle After rinsing, the stem enters the drying transition section 44 along the conveyor belt 21. The reverse airflow generated by the axial flow fan 45 quickly dries the surface moisture of the stem and at the same time gently blows the stem to rotate about 20° to ensure that there is no moisture residue on the front and back of the stem, thus avoiding image reflection or blurring caused by moisture. The transparent baffle 46 blocks water vapor from the rinsing unit from entering the recognition area, maintaining a dry environment in the recognition area with a relative humidity of ≤60%.

[0090] When the stem enters the camera's recognition area, the front camera captures a frontal image of the stem, with LED light providing uniform illumination. The image is transmitted to the PLC via Ethernet. The machine vision algorithm first preprocesses the image: grayscale conversion, noise reduction, and enhancement. Then, it uses the YOLOv5 model to detect defects such as insect infestation, mold, breakage, and spots. If the defect area is ≥2mm², it is judged as a defective product, and the stem length is calculated: the contour length perpendicular to the conveying direction. Simultaneously, the rear camera captures a side image of the stem. The algorithm extracts the stem contour using Canny edge detection and calculates the stem diameter. If the size exceeds the set range (length 120-280mm, diameter 6-14mm), it is also judged as a defective product.

[0091] The inspection data (pass / fail, defect type, size parameters) is transmitted to the PLC in real time. The PLC, combined with the signal from the photoelectric sensor 54 at the entrance of the transition plate, calculates the time it takes for the stem to reach the sorting position, providing accurate data support for subsequent sorting. During the inspection process, if the image captured by the camera is blurry, the algorithm will automatically send an "image quality poor" signal to the PLC, and the touch screen will prompt "clean the dust cover" to ensure inspection accuracy.

[0092] Implementation effect The optimizations in this embodiment significantly improve the detection performance of the camera recognition module 4, fully meeting the requirements of mass production: - Recognition speed: 0.08 seconds / root (15fps frame rate, processing 1 stem per frame, faster than the design requirement of ≤0.1 seconds / root). - Defect identification accuracy: 99.1% (only 9 out of 1000 defective stems were missed, with no false positives). - Dimensional inspection accuracy: ±0.3mm (better than the design requirement of ≤0.5mm, meeting the requirement for uniform product dimensions); -Environmental adaptability: The detection accuracy remains largely unchanged within a relative humidity range of 30%-80% and a temperature range of 5-40℃, demonstrating strong stability.

[0093] All aspects not detailed in this invention are conventional technical means known to those skilled in the art.

[0094] The above content shows and describes the basic principles, main features, and beneficial effects of the present invention. The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, or improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automated processing apparatus for Pteridium aquilinum, characterized in that, It comprises a pretreatment module (1), a conveying unit (2), a flushing unit (3), a camera recognition module (4), a defective product collecting unit (5), a vibrating screen impurity removing unit (6), a air-drying unit (8) and a central control system (7) linked in sequence. The pretreatment module (1) comprises a feeding box (11), a cutting mechanism (12), a material distribution guide assembly and a waste box (16), the feeding box (11) is adapted to the cutting mechanism (12) to realize one-time cutting of the root of the bracken fern into the waste box (16), the material distribution guide assembly comprises a comb-shaped material distributor (13), a funnel-shaped guide port (14) and an infrared sensor (15), and is matched to realize interval feeding of the stem of the bracken fern root by root. The conveying unit (2) adopts a conveying belt (21) with water-permeable holes, and a V-shaped guide groove (22) and a baffle (23) are arranged on the surface of the conveying belt (21) to support and interval convey the stem after pretreatment. The flushing unit (3) comprises a spraying system and an ultrasonic vibration device (32) integrated below the conveying belt (21) to realize double cleaning of spraying and ultrasonic vibration, and the cleaning waste is discharged through the water-permeable holes of the conveying belt (21). A dry transition section (44) is arranged between the camera recognition module (4) and the flushing unit (3), the camera recognition module (4) comprises a plurality of industrial CCD cameras (41) and a machine vision algorithm for detecting the appearance defects and size of the stem. The defective product collecting unit (5) comprises a transition plate (51) driven by a stepping motor (52) and a defective product box (53), the angle of the transition plate (51) is adjusted according to the recognition result of the camera recognition module (4) to realize automatic sorting of qualified materials and defective products. The central control system (7) adopts a master-slave control mode, takes the conveying unit (2) as the core, and links to control the start and stop and parameter adjustment of each module.

2. The Pteridium aquilinum automated processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The comb-shaped material distributor (13) is made of food-grade nylon material, the comb teeth have a spacing of 12-15 mm, the top is rounded, and is driven by a micro stepping motor at 5 r / min; the funnel-shaped guide port (14) has a narrowed lower port into a 20 mm*80 mm flat outlet, and the infrared sensor (15) triggers the intermittent start and stop of the material distributor (13) to realize 0.5 second interval feeding.

3. The Pteridium aquilinum automated processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The water-permeable hole is conical and located at the bottom of the V-shaped guide groove (22), and the large-diameter end of the water-permeable hole contacts the stem; the V-shaped guide groove (22) has a width of 20 mm, and the baffle (23) has a height of 50 mm and an inner rounded corner; a water collecting tray (24) is arranged below the conveying belt (21) and is communicated with the waste box (16).

4. The Pteridium aquilinum automated processing apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, The spraying system is arranged with a plurality of groups of fan-shaped spray heads (31) along the length direction of the conveying belt (21), and each group of fan-shaped spray heads (31) comprises a plurality of fan-shaped nozzles arranged along the width direction of the conveying belt (21).

5. The Pteridium aquilinum automated processing plant according to any of claims 1, 2, 4, characterized in that, The camera recognition module (4) is provided with a transparent wind shield (46) at the joint with the flushing unit (3); the industrial CCD camera (41) is provided with an LED strip light source (42) above, and an IP65 protection level dustproof and waterproof cover (43) is externally provided; the machine vision algorithm can identify quality defects such as insect damage, mildew, fracture and spot, the size detection range is 100-300mm in length and 5-15mm in diameter, the identification accuracy is ≤0.5mm, and the identification speed is ≤0.1s / root.

6. The Pteridium aquilinum automated processing apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that, The transition plate (51) is made of food-grade aluminum alloy material, the width is greater than that of the conveying belt (21), a circular arc transition is arranged at the joint with the conveying belt (21), the deflection angle range is 0-30°, and the deflection response time is ≤0.2s; the photoelectric sensor (54) is arranged at the inlet of the transition plate (51).

7. The Pteridium aquilinum automated processing apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that, The vibration screen impurity removal unit (6) is a linear vibration screen (61).

8. The Pteridium aquilinum automated processing apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that, The aperture of the screen mesh of the linear vibration screen (61) is greater than the water permeable hole, and the vibration frequency is 20-50Hz adjustable; the linear vibration screen (61) is provided with a baffle on both sides, a dustproof cover plate on the top, an inclined guide plate (63) at the discharge end, and a miscellaneous hopper (62) below.

9. The Pteridium aquilinum automated processing plant according to any of claims 1, 2, 4, 6-8, characterized in that, The air drying unit (8) covers the whole conveying path except the flushing unit (3), and is designed in combination of an air knife (81) and an axial flow fan (45).

10. The Pteridium aquilinum automated processing apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that, The air drying unit (8) is provided with a plurality of groups of air knives (81), at least three groups of which are arranged above the conveying belt (21), at least one group of which is arranged above the transition plate (51), and at least three groups of which are arranged above the vibration screen impurity removal unit (6); the air knife (81) is provided with an air outlet with a width of 2mm, and the air speed is 5-10m / s adjustable; the air drying unit (8) is provided with a wind guide cover (82) and an air outlet, and is independently controlled by a switch according to the area.

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