Cake batter conveyor line

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of cake base conveying technology and discloses a cake base conveying line, including a base frame with a U-shaped structure. Multiple parallel and spaced horizontal plates are arranged on the upper surface of the base frame for placing the cake base. The line also includes a material conveying mechanism and a coating mechanism. The material conveying mechanism includes a lifting block disposed between two adjacent horizontal plates and a lifting assembly disposed on the side of the base frame closest to the ground. The coating mechanism includes a top frame disposed above the base frame, with a brush head in the center of the top frame. The bristles of the brush head face the base frame. When the cake base moves upward with the lifting block to a higher position, the cake base contacts the brush head. This invention, by having the brush head only contact the coating roller to pick up egg wash when the cake base rises to a higher position, fundamentally cuts off the continuous supply of egg wash, completely solving the problem of excess egg wash accumulating on the brush head and dripping and contaminating the conveying line and the products below in traditional devices.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of cake base conveying technology, specifically a cake base conveying line. Background Technology

[0002] Cake base conveyor lines are a core component of automated baking production lines, their basic function being to ensure the smooth and orderly flow of cake bases between various processing stations. In actual production, conveyor lines must meet multiple technological requirements, including: ensuring the cake bases retain their shape during transport and preventing deformation due to vibration or compression; maintaining good hygiene to prevent contamination; facilitating daily cleaning and maintenance; and seamlessly integrating with upstream baking and cooling processes as well as downstream cutting and packaging processes. Therefore, the structural design, operational stability, and ease of cleaning of the conveyor line directly affect the overall quality and production efficiency of baked goods.

[0003] However, some cake bases require an egg wash or other sauce to be applied before baking to improve the product's color and flavor. To accomplish this, some manufacturers simply install brushing devices, such as brushes or screens, above the conveyor line, relying on manual or mechanical methods to coat the cake bases. Due to a lack of effective control over excess liquid, the egg wash or sauce accumulated on the brush or screen easily drips onto the conveyor belt surface under gravity, causing secondary contamination of the conveyor line. This not only increases the difficulty of subsequent cleaning but may also affect the hygiene of other cake bases on the same conveyor line, posing a food safety hazard. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the structure of existing cake base conveyor lines to solve the contamination problem caused by liquid dripping during the coating process. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides a cake base conveying line that solves the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: A cake base conveying line includes a base frame with a U-shaped structure. Multiple material feeding plates are arranged parallel and spaced apart on the upper surface of the base frame for placing cake bases. The line also includes a material conveying mechanism and a spreading mechanism. The material conveying mechanism includes a lifting block disposed between two adjacent feeding horizontal plates, and a lifting assembly disposed on the side of the bottom frame near the ground. The lifting assembly is used to drive the lifting block to move along a circular trajectory. The rotation center of the circular trajectory is at the same height as the upper surface of the feeding horizontal plate. On the circular trajectory, two adjacent lifting blocks along the cake base conveying direction are at different phase angles. The coating mechanism includes a top frame disposed above the bottom frame, and a brush head disposed in the middle of the top frame. The bristles of the brush head face the bottom frame. When the cake base moves upward to a high position with the lifting block, the cake base comes into contact with the brush head.

[0006] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the lifting assembly includes a suspension plate disposed on the side wall of the bottom frame, the suspension plate is rotatably connected to a main shaft, a rotating head is fixedly connected to one end of the main shaft near the center of the bottom frame, a lifting shaft is disposed on the outer edge of the rotating head, the lifting shaft is rotatably connected to a lifting frame, a top rod is disposed in the middle of the lifting frame, and a lifting block is fixedly connected to the end of the top rod.

[0007] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the lifting frame has a U-shaped structure, with a counterweight block provided on the side closest to the ground. The overall center of gravity of the lifting frame, top rod, lifting block, and counterweight block is lower than the axis of the lifting shaft. When the lifting frame rotates with the rotating head, the top rod remains vertical and the lifting block remains horizontal.

[0008] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of rotating heads are evenly distributed on the same side of the bottom frame along the conveying direction, and a feeding drive device is provided on the side of the bottom frame to drive the plurality of rotating heads to rotate synchronously. Along the cake base conveying direction, the motion trajectories of two adjacent lifting blocks have an overlapping portion in the vertical projection.

[0009] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the coating mechanism includes a vertical plate fixedly connected to the top frame, a rotating rod rotatably connected to the vertical plate, a brush head fixedly connected to the side of the rotating rod near the bottom frame, a coating roller rotatably connected to the top frame on the side of the vertical plate near the cake base conveying direction, and a liquid storage component fixedly connected to the top frame on the side of the coating roller near the bottom frame. The liquid storage component contains egg liquid, and the egg liquid is in contact with the bottom of the coating roller. When the cake base contacts the brush head, the brush head deflects toward the coating roller, and the bristles of the brush head abut against the outer wall of the coating roller. When the cake base separates from the brush head, the brush head deflects away from the coating roller under the action of gravity, and the brush head separates from the coating roller.

[0010] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the liquid storage assembly includes a fixing plate fixedly connected to the top frame, a material storage box with an upward opening fixedly connected to the fixing plate, and a clearance gap between the end of the material storage box near the brush head and the paint roller, the width of the clearance gap being greater than the thickness of the liquid adhering to the surface of the paint roller.

[0011] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of paint rollers and brush heads are evenly distributed on the top frame along the cake base conveying direction, the distance between two adjacent paint rollers is an integer multiple of the distance between two adjacent rotating heads, and a paint driving device for driving the plurality of paint rollers to rotate synchronously is provided on the side of the top frame.

[0012] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a guide plate is provided at one end of the bottom frame near the cake base conveying direction, and the end of the guide plate away from the bottom frame is inclined toward the ground.

[0013] The present invention has the following advantages: 1. Smooth conveying, effectively preventing product deformation: By adopting a self-balancing support frame structure with counterweights, the support blocks remain horizontal at all times during circular trajectory movement. Simultaneously, the overlapping design of adjacent support block trajectories enables seamless step-by-step transfer of cake dough between workstations, avoiding damage, deformation, or falling of cake dough caused by impact, tilting, or slippage in traditional conveying methods, significantly improving product qualification rate.

[0014] 2. Uniform coating without liquid dripping or contamination: Utilizing the brush head's gravity-driven automatic reset characteristic, it passively deflects and contacts the coating roller to pick up the egg wash only when the cake base rises to a high position; once the cake base descends and leaves, the brush head automatically resets, completely detaching from the coating roller and cutting off the continuous supply of egg wash. This ingenious design fundamentally solves the problem of excess egg wash accumulating on the brush head and dripping, thus contaminating the conveyor line and the cake base below, greatly improving the cleanliness and food safety of the production process.

[0015] 3. Clean and safe liquid supply system: The clearance gap in the liquid storage component prevents the egg liquid adsorbed on the surface of the coating roller from being scraped off by the edge of the storage box. This ensures the uniformity of liquid supply from the coating roller and eliminates the risk of dripping caused by scraped egg liquid. The storage box can be completely disassembled, and a drain port is provided at the bottom for easy and thorough cleaning and disinfection, meeting strict food hygiene standards.

[0016] 4. Precise Synchronization of Stepping and Coating Cycles: The PLC controller synchronously controls the feeding drive and coating drive, and optimizes the integer multiple relationship between the coating roller spacing and the rotating head spacing, ensuring a perfect match between the cake base conveying cycle and the coating action. This not only achieves high-quality coating with no missed areas or misalignments, but also enables multiple coating units to work in parallel and perform multiple coating operations, improving production efficiency and process flexibility.

[0017] 5. Compact structure and convenient maintenance: The entire conveyor line integrates multiple functions such as step conveying, gravity-reset brushing, and anti-drip liquid supply, with a compact structural design. Key wear parts and components requiring frequent cleaning, such as brush heads, lifting blocks, and storage boxes, adopt a modular design, which is convenient for disassembly and assembly, greatly reducing the difficulty and time cost of daily maintenance and cleaning.

[0018] 6. Energy saving and low operating costs: The deflection and reset of the brush head are achieved entirely by gravity, eliminating the need for additional pneumatic or electric drive components, thus reducing equipment energy consumption and manufacturing costs. Simultaneously, the precise liquid supply and coating design effectively reduces egg liquid waste, saving material costs. Attached Figure Description

[0019] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the 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.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a cake base conveyor line.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a front view of a cake base conveyor line.

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a cake base and a brush head in a cake base conveyor line.

[0023] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the material conveying mechanism in a cake base conveying line.

[0024] Figure 5 for Figure 4 Top view.

[0025] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the lifting component in a cake base conveying line.

[0026] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a lifting frame and a top rod in a cake base conveying line.

[0027] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the coating mechanism in a cake base conveying line.

[0028] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the liquid storage component in a cake base conveying line.

[0029] Figure 10 for Figure 9 The front view.

[0030] In the diagram: 1. Base frame; 2. Feeding plate; 3. Cake base; 4. Spreading mechanism; 5. Material conveying mechanism; 6. Guide plate; 7. Support; 8. Feeding drive device; 9. Lifting frame; 10. Top rod; 11. Lifting block; 12. Counterweight; 13. Rotating head; 14. Suspension plate; 15. Main shaft; 16. Lifting shaft; 17. Paint roller; 18. Vertical plate; 19. Rotating rod; 20. Brush head; 21. Liquid storage assembly; 22. Fixing plate; 23. Material storage box; 24. Clearance gap; 25. Top frame; 26. Paint drive device; 27. Lifting assembly. Detailed Implementation

[0031] 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 embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0032] In one embodiment, see Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 A cake base conveying line, the cake base 3 conveying line described in this embodiment, is adapted to the surface egg liquid coating and continuous conveying process of cake base 3 before baking in an industrial baking production line. The overall design complies with the requirements of the "National Food Safety Standard General Hygiene Specification for Food Production". All parts in contact with food are made of food-grade 304 stainless steel.

[0033] The cake base 3 conveyor line includes a base frame 1 as a basic load-bearing component. The base frame 1 is preferably a U-shaped frame structure, welded from 304 stainless steel square tubing with a wall thickness of 3mm. Its overall length can be customized according to the spacing between upstream (e.g., forming machine) and downstream (e.g., baking oven) workstations and production capacity requirements. To facilitate on-site installation and ensure the stability of the conveying process, height-adjustable feet are provided at the four corners of the bottom of the base frame 1, allowing for leveling of the equipment according to the actual flatness of the workshop floor. Multiple feeding horizontal plates 2 are welded parallel and spaced apart on the upper surface of the base frame 1. The feeding horizontal plates 2 are arranged horizontally and evenly spaced back and forth. The gap between two adjacent feeding horizontal plates 2 is set to be less than the outer diameter of the cake base 3 to be processed, ensuring that the cake base 3 can be stably placed on the feeding horizontal plates 2 without falling through the gaps. The upper surface of the feeding horizontal plates 2 is a smooth, polished plane, used to stably place and support the cake base 3 to be conveyed and coated, and also facilitates heat dissipation of the cake base 3. In addition, this conveyor line also includes a material conveying mechanism 5 for realizing the step-by-step conveying of the cake base 3, and a coating mechanism 4 for coating the upper surface of the cake base 3 with egg liquid.

[0034] In one instance of this embodiment, please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 The material conveying mechanism 5 is the core of realizing the smooth and intermittent forward movement of the cake base 3. It includes a lifting block 11 set in the gap between two adjacent feeding horizontal plates 2, and a lifting component 27 set on the side of the bottom frame 1 near the ground.

[0035] The lifting block 11 is elongated and oriented horizontally, with its width slightly smaller than the gap between two adjacent feeding horizontal plates 2. This ensures that the lifting block 11 can move freely up and down and left and right within the gap without mechanically interfering with the feeding horizontal plates 2. To increase friction and prevent damage to the cake base 3, a food-grade silicone anti-slip layer is adhered to the upper surface of the lifting block 11.

[0036] The lifting assembly 27 drives all the lifting blocks 11 to move synchronously along a closed circular trajectory. The center of rotation of this circular trajectory is flush with the upper surface of the feeding cross plate 2 in the vertical direction. Specifically, the lifting assembly 27 includes suspension plates 14 bolted to the outer surfaces of the front and rear side walls of the base frame 1. Each suspension plate 14 is rotatably connected to a main shaft 15 extending horizontally in the front-rear direction via a bearing with a mounting seat. A circular rotating head 13 is fixedly connected to one end of the main shaft 15 near the center of the base frame 1 via a flat key. A lifting shaft 16 parallel to the main shaft 15 is welded to the outer edge of the rotating head 13. A lifting frame 9 is rotatably connected to the lifting shaft 16 via a food-grade self-lubricating bearing. The lifting frame 9 has a U-shaped structure, opening upwards and extending in the front-rear direction. The rotating heads 13 on the front and rear sides drive the same lifting frame 9 through their respective lifting shafts 16, enabling it to move in a circle around the central axis of the rotating head 13.

[0037] The bottom of the lifting frame 9 (i.e., the bottom edge of the U-shape) is sequentially connected with multiple vertically extending top rods 10 along its length (from front to back). Each top rod 10 has a lifting block 11 fixedly connected to its upper end. To achieve stable lifting, a counterweight 12 is bolted to the bottom of the lifting frame 9 near the ground. The counterweight 12 is made of high-density stainless steel. Through precise design, the counterweight 12 ensures that the center of gravity of the entire assembly of the lifting frame 9, top rods 10, lifting blocks 11, and counterweight 12 is always lower than the axis of the lifting shaft 16. This self-balancing structure, similar to a "roly-poly toy," ensures that when the rotating head 13 drives the lifting frame 9 to rotate, regardless of its position on the circular trajectory, the top rods 10 automatically maintain a vertically upward state under the action of gravitational torque, thus keeping the top lifting block 11 horizontal and preventing tilting. This fundamentally ensures the stability of the cake base 3 when it is being supported, and effectively prevents the cake base 3 from slipping or being deformed due to local stress caused by the tilt of the supporting surface.

[0038] All the extended ends of the main shafts 15 located on the same side of the base frame 1 are connected to the same synchronous belt via synchronous pulleys. A feeding drive device 8 is fixedly installed at the feeding end (right side) of the side wall of the base frame 1. The feeding drive device 8 is preferably a 0.75kW servo geared motor, whose output shaft is connected to the synchronous pulley, and is used to drive all the main shafts 15 and the rotating head 13 to achieve precise synchronous rotation.

[0039] A key structural feature is that, along the conveying direction of the cake base 3 (from right to left), the phase angles of the lifting shafts 16 on two adjacent rotating heads 13 differ by 90° in the circumferential direction. This design ensures that the heights of two adjacent lifting blocks 11 relative to the upper surface of the feeding plate 2 are always different along the conveying direction. For example, when the lifting shaft 16 of the first rotating head 13 rotates to its highest point (12 o'clock position), its corresponding lifting block 11 is at its highest position; at this time, the lifting shaft 16 of the second rotating head 13 rotates to the right side (3 o'clock position) horizontally with the center, and its corresponding lifting block 11 is in the middle rising position; the lifting shaft 16 of the third rotating head 13 rotates to its lowest point (6 o'clock position), and its corresponding lifting block 11 is in the lowest position; the lifting shaft 16 of the fourth rotating head 13 rotates to the left side (9 o'clock position) horizontally with the center, and its corresponding lifting block 11 is in the middle falling position, and so on.

[0040] More importantly, the vertical projections of the movement trajectories of two adjacent lifting blocks 11 overlap. This means that when a lifting block 11 on the right rear completes its lifting and conveys the cake base 3 forward and to the left, begins to descend and place the cake base 3 on the feeding plate 2, the adjacent lifting block 11 on its left front has already begun to rise and can just catch the bottom of the same cake base 3 from below. This seamless action enables continuous, impact-free step-by-step conveying of the cake base 3, completely avoiding the cake base 3 falling or deforming due to violent collision with the feeding plate 2 caused by conveying gaps. The lifting block 11 itself is long enough, so there is a partial overlap in the projections of the left and right lifting blocks 11. In the attached figure, to show the different angles corresponding to the lifting shaft 16, the rotating head 13 is designed as a disc. To avoid interference between two adjacent rotating heads 13, the rotating head 13 can be designed as a rod, so that the overlapping part of the left and right lifting blocks 11 can completely cover the length of the lifting block 11.

[0041] In one instance of this embodiment, please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 3 , Figure 8 , Figure 9 and Figure 10 The coating mechanism 4 is located above the bottom frame 1. Its core function is to evenly coat the upper surface of the cake base 3 with egg liquid during the stepping conveyor process.

[0042] The coating mechanism 4 includes a top frame 25 fixed to the front and rear side walls of the base frame 1 by four stainless steel supports 7. The top frame 25 is also a U-shaped frame structure corresponding to the base frame 1. Along the conveying direction of the cake base 3, three or more sets of coating units are evenly arranged in the middle of the top frame 25 to adapt to production lines of different lengths. Each coating unit includes a vertical plate 18, a rotating rod 19, a brush head 20, a coating roller 17, and a liquid storage assembly 21.

[0043] The upright plates 18 are arranged in pairs, vertically welded to the side wall of the top frame 25, and symmetrically arranged front and back. A rotating rod 19 extending horizontally in the front-back direction is rotatably connected between the two upright plates 18 via a bearing with a seat. A brush head 20 is fixedly connected to the lower part of the rotating rod 19, with the bristles of the brush head 20 pointing vertically downward toward the bottom frame 1. The bristles are made of food-grade nylon material, and their softness has been adapted to ensure both coating effect and without scratching the loose surface of the cake base 3.

[0044] No additional drive or return spring is provided between the rotating rod 19 and the upright plate 18; its return relies entirely on its own weight and the weight of the brush head 20. In its natural state, the brush head 20 hangs down under the influence of gravity, in its initial position away from the paint roller 17.

[0045] On the left side of the upright plate 18 (i.e., downstream of the cake base 3 in the conveying direction), a coating roller 17 is rotatably connected to the top frame 25. The coating roller 17 is cylindrical and made of food-grade materials (such as food-grade silicone or a roller with an absorbent sponge layer) to evenly absorb and carry the egg liquid. The axis of the coating roller 17 is parallel to the axis of the rotating rod 19.

[0046] A liquid storage assembly 21 is disposed below the paint roller 17. The liquid storage assembly 21 includes a vertical fixing plate 22 fixedly connected to the lower surface of the top frame 25. An elongated storage box 23 with an upward opening is welded to the lower end of the fixing plate 22. The length of the storage box 23 is the same as the axial length of the paint roller 17, and it contains egg liquid. The bottom of the paint roller 17 is immersed in the egg liquid to ensure that it can evenly absorb the egg liquid during continuous rotation. A drain port with a valve can be provided at the bottom of the storage box 23 for easy cleaning and maintenance.

[0047] A key anti-contamination structure is that a clearance 24 is provided between the upper edge of the end of the material storage box 23 near the brush head 20 and the outer wall of the paint roller 17. The width of this clearance 24 is designed to be greater than the thickness of the egg wash layer adhering to the surface of the paint roller 17 due to tension. In this way, when the paint roller 17 rotates, the egg wash layer carried on its surface will not come into contact with or scratch the end of the material storage box 23, thereby preventing the egg wash from being accidentally scraped off and dripping, and also preventing uneven coating caused by scratching.

[0048] As the stepping conveyor lifts the cake base 3 to a high position, the upper surface of the cake base 3 comes into contact with the bristles of the brush head 20 from right to left. As the cake base 3 continues to move upward, it pushes up the brush head 20, overcoming its own weight, causing it to deflect to the left (i.e., toward the coating roller 17) around the axis of the rotating rod 19. This deflection causes the bristles of the brush head 20 to press firmly against the outer wall of the continuously rotating coating roller 17. The egg wash evenly absorbed on the coating roller 17 is then transferred to the bristles, and at the same time, the egg wash-covered bristles fully contact and brush the upper surface of the cake base 3, thereby evenly coating the surface of the cake base 3 with egg wash.

[0049] As the lifting block 11 lowers the cake base 3, the upper surface of the cake base 3 gradually loses contact with the brush head 20. Losing external support, the brush head 20, under its own weight, automatically rotates the rotating rod 19 to the right (away from the coating roller 17) to reset, completely disengaging the brush head 20 from the coating roller 17. At this point, the bristles of the brush head 20 no longer receive continuous egg wash, thus preventing excess egg wash accumulation and dripping. This design solves the technical problem of secondary contamination caused by liquid dripping in traditional coating devices from the root of the operational logic.

[0050] A paint driving device 26 is fixedly installed at the end of the side wall of the top frame 25. The paint driving device 26 is preferably a 0.55kW servo geared motor, whose output shaft is connected to the end of all paint rollers 17 via a synchronous belt, and is used to drive multiple paint rollers 17 to rotate clockwise synchronously and uniformly at a set speed.

[0051] In terms of layout, along the conveying direction of the cake base 3, the center distance between two adjacent coating rollers 17 is set to an integer multiple (e.g., 4 times, 8 times) of the center distance between two adjacent rotating heads 13. This way, when one cake base 3 is lifted to a high position and contacts a brush head 20, the other cake base 3 in front of it is also lifted to a high position and contacts the next adjacent brush head 20. This achieves synchronous and continuous coating of multiple cake bases 3 by multiple coating units, improving production efficiency and achieving a more uniform egg wash coverage through multiple coatings. The feeding drive device 8 and the coating drive device 26 are synchronously controlled by a PLC controller, ensuring precise matching between the stepping conveying rhythm of the cake base 3 and the coating rhythm of the brush head 20, achieving no missed coatings and no misalignment.

[0052] In one instance of this embodiment, please refer to Figure 1 A guide ramp 6 is bolted to the end (left end) of the base frame 1 near the conveying direction of the cake base 3. The guide ramp 6 is set in the left-right direction and is made of food-grade stainless steel plate. The guide ramp 6 is aligned with the feeding horizontal plate 2 to ensure that the lifting block 11 can also pass through the gap between adjacent guide ramps 6 to complete the feeding action. The guide ramp 6 is inclined downward (i.e., to the lower left), with an inclination angle preferably of 20°. The lower end of the guide ramp 6 connects to the feed inlet of the downstream baking production line, and is used to smoothly convey the coated cake base 3 to the next process by sliding down, avoiding deformation or damage to the cake base 3 caused by free fall or manual handling.

[0053] This embodiment includes the following steps during implementation: Step 1: Pre-production preparation 1. Cleaning and disinfection: In accordance with food safety regulations, all parts that come into contact with food (including feeding plate 2, lifting block 11, brush head 20, paint roller 17, storage box 23, guide plate 6, etc.) are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected at high temperature to ensure that there are no residual stains or foreign objects.

[0054] 2. Material preparation: Pour the pre-prepared whole egg liquid into the storage box 23, and ensure that the liquid level completely covers the bottom of the paint roller 17. At the same time, close the drain valve at the bottom of the storage box 23.

[0055] 3. Parameter Setting: Set the operating parameters through the PLC control system. For example, set the rotation speed of the feeding drive device 8 to 10 rpm, which corresponds to a theoretical conveying speed of approximately 6 meters per minute for the cake base 3. Set the rotation speed of the coating drive device 26 to 15 rpm. Finally, confirm that the synchronization control parameters between the two are correctly matched to complete the pre-start debugging.

[0056] Step Two: Feeding and Stepping Conveyor 1. Initial Placement: The cake base 3 to be processed is placed stably on the feeding plate 2 on the right side of the feeding end of the bottom frame 1 by the upstream forming process equipment or manual operation. Ensure that the cake base 3 is placed in the center and that the bottom is in full contact with the upper surface of the feeding plate 2.

[0057] 2. Start the conveyor: Start the feeding drive device 8. The motor drives all the main shafts 15 and the rotating head 13 to rotate synchronously via the synchronous belt.

[0058] 3. Lifting Action: Taking the first lifting block 11 at the feeding end as an example. When the rotating head 13 drives its lifting shaft 16 to rotate to the rising section of the circular trajectory, the lifting frame 9 drives the top rod 10 and the lifting block 11 to move smoothly upward through the gap between the two adjacent feeding horizontal plates 2. The silicone layer on the upper surface of the lifting block 11 contacts the bottom of the cake base 3 and slowly lifts it from the feeding horizontal plate 2 until the cake base 3 is completely separated from the feeding horizontal plate 2.

[0059] 4. Lateral forward movement: The rotating head 13 continues to rotate, and the lifting block 11 carries the cake base 3 along the upper half of the circular trajectory, moving horizontally from right to left (i.e., the conveying direction).

[0060] 5. Lowering action: When the lifting block 11 moves to the lowering section of the circular trajectory, it begins to descend smoothly, accurately placing the cake base 3 on the left side of the feeding plate 2.

[0061] 6. Step-by-step relay: After the first lifting block 11 descends and detaches from the cake base 3, due to the 90° phase angle difference between adjacent rotating heads 13, the corresponding next (left) lifting block 11 just enters the rising section and quickly catches the bottom of the same cake base 3 from below. Subsequently, the second lifting block 11 repeats the action of (lifting-moving forward-lowering), continuing to transport the cake base 3 forward one station.

[0062] 7. Stable Conveying: This process is repeated continuously, achieving a smooth and steady step-by-step forward movement of the cake base 3. Due to the self-balancing effect of the counterweight 12, the lifting block 11 always remains horizontal, regardless of the angle at which the rotating head 13 rotates, ensuring that the cake base 3 does not tilt, slip, or impact during the entire conveying process, thus maintaining its shape integrity to the maximum extent.

[0063] Step 3: Synchronous Coating Operation 1. Contact Trigger: When the cake base 3 is conveyed stepwise by the lifting block 11 to the area below the first coating unit, the lifting block 11 moves it upward to a higher position. At this time, the upper surface of the cake base 3 comes into contact with the bristles of the brush head 20.

[0064] 2. Deflection and Dipping: As the cake base 3 continues to be lifted upwards, its top pushes up the brush head 20, overcoming gravity to deflect the rotating rod 19 to the left (towards the coating roller 17). Finally, the bristles of the brush head 20 press firmly against the outer wall of the continuously clockwise rotating coating roller 17. The egg wash carried on the surface of the coating roller 17 is then evenly transferred to the brush bristles.

[0065] 3. Uniform Coating: As the brush bristles, soaked in egg wash, come into contact with the upper surface of the cake base 3, the egg wash is evenly applied to the surface of the cake base 3 as the cake base 3 moves slightly (or the brush bristles deform elastically). Because the conveying and coating rhythm is precisely controlled by PLC, it ensures that the coating is thorough and the thickness is uniform. (For some larger cake bases 3, the brush bristles on one side cannot completely coat the entire upper surface of the cake base 3. In this case, the feeding drive device 8 can be controlled to make a small left-right reciprocating swing when the cake base 3 is lifted to the highest point, so that the brush bristles of the brush head 20 can coat the upper surface of the cake base 3 from both sides.)

[0066] 4. Automatic Reset: When the lifting block 11 carries the cake base 3 into the descending section of the circular trajectory, the upper surface of the cake base 3 gradually loses contact with the brush head 20. The brush head 20 loses external support and, under its own gravity, drives the rotating rod 19 to automatically deflect to the right (away from the paint roller 17), returning to the initial hanging state and completely separating from the paint roller 17.

[0067] 5. Anti-drip mechanism: During the entire non-working period after the brush head 20 separates from the cake base 3, since the brush head 20 is no longer in contact with the coating roller 17, its bristles will not continuously receive egg liquid replenishment, thus preventing egg liquid accumulation, oversaturation, and dripping. At the same time, the clearance 24 of the material storage box 23 also ensures that the egg liquid layer on the surface of the coating roller 17 will not be scraped off when it is idling, eliminating contamination at the source.

[0068] 6. Continuous Operation: Cake base 3 continues to be conveyed to the subsequent second and third coating units, repeating the above process (contact-deflection dipping-coating-separation and resetting). The design of multiple coating units can achieve both a complete coating in one go and multiple thin coatings stacked, improving coating quality and flexibility.

[0069] Step 4: Discharge and Connection After completing all coating operations, the cake base 3 continues to be conveyed stepwise by the material conveying mechanism 5 to the discharge end (left end) of the bottom frame 1. The last lifting block 11 places it smoothly at the starting position on the upper right of the guide ramp 6. Subsequently, relying on the component of its own gravity, the cake base 3 slides smoothly down the smooth guide ramp 6 with an inclination angle of 20° and accurately enters the feed port of the downstream baking production line, completing all operations of this process and preparing for the baking stage.

[0070] Step 5: Shutdown and Cleaning After completing the day's production tasks, shut down the feeding drive device 8 and the paint drive device 26 in sequence. Open the drain valve at the bottom of the storage box 23 to drain the remaining egg liquid. Then, remove easily detachable parts such as the brush head 20, paint roller 17, storage box 23, and lifting block 11, and send them to the cleaning area for thorough cleaning and disinfection. After drying, they can be used for future reference or reinstalled. At the same time, clean and disinfect fixed parts such as the bottom frame 1, feeding cross plate 2, top frame 25, and guide inclined plate 6 on-site, and remove any remaining debris and stains from the equipment to ensure that the equipment is in a clean state and ready for the next production run.

[0071] This invention provides a cake base conveyor line. Through a structure design where the brush head 20 automatically resets due to gravity, the brush head 20 only contacts the coating roller 17 to pick up egg liquid when the cake base 3 rises to a high position. After the cake base 3 descends and detaches, it automatically resets and separates from the coating roller 17, thus cutting off the continuous supply of egg liquid at the source. This completely solves the problem of excess egg liquid accumulating on the brush head 20 and dripping and contaminating the conveyor line and the products below in traditional devices, significantly improving the cleanliness and food safety of the production process. Simultaneously, the self-balancing support frame 9 of the counterweight block 12 and the seamless stepping transition of the overlapping motion trajectories of adjacent support blocks 11 ensure smooth conveying of the cake base 3 without impact deformation. Combined with PLC synchronous control and an integer multiple spacing layout, precise matching of the conveying and coating cycle is achieved, guaranteeing a high-quality coating effect with no missed coatings and no misalignments.

[0072] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that the invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of the invention. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered in all respects as exemplary and non-limiting, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. Thus, it is intended that all variations falling within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the claims be included within the present invention.

Claims

1. A cake base conveyor line, comprising a base frame with a U-shaped structure, wherein a plurality of feeding horizontal plates are arranged parallel and at intervals on the upper surface of the base frame for placing cake bases, characterized in that, It also includes a material conveying mechanism and a coating mechanism; The material conveying mechanism includes a lifting block disposed between two adjacent feeding horizontal plates, and a lifting assembly disposed on the side of the bottom frame near the ground. The lifting assembly is used to drive the lifting block to move along a circular trajectory. The rotation center of the circular trajectory is at the same height as the upper surface of the feeding horizontal plate. On the circular trajectory, two adjacent lifting blocks along the cake base conveying direction are at different phase angles. The coating mechanism includes a top frame disposed above the bottom frame, and a brush head disposed in the middle of the top frame. The bristles of the brush head face the bottom frame. When the cake base moves upward to a high position with the lifting block, the cake base comes into contact with the brush head.

2. The cake base conveying line according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lifting assembly includes a suspension plate disposed on the side wall of the bottom frame. The suspension plate is rotatably connected to a main shaft. A rotating head is fixedly connected to one end of the main shaft near the center of the bottom frame. A lifting shaft is disposed on the outer edge of the rotating head. The lifting shaft is rotatably connected to a lifting frame. A top rod is disposed in the middle of the lifting frame. A lifting block is fixedly connected to the end of the top rod.

3. A cake base conveying line according to claim 2, characterized in that, The lifting frame has a U-shaped structure, with a counterweight on the side closest to the ground. The overall center of gravity of the lifting frame, top rod, lifting block, and counterweight is lower than the axis of the lifting shaft. When the lifting frame rotates with the rotating head, the top rod remains vertical and the lifting block remains horizontal.

4. A cake base conveying line according to claim 2, characterized in that, Multiple rotating heads are evenly distributed on the same side of the bottom frame along the conveying direction. A feeding drive device is provided on the side of the bottom frame to drive the multiple rotating heads to rotate synchronously. Along the cake base conveying direction, the motion trajectories of two adjacent lifting blocks have an overlapping part in the vertical projection.

5. A cake base conveying line according to claim 4, characterized in that, The coating mechanism includes a vertical plate fixedly connected to the top frame, a rotating rod rotatably connected to the vertical plate, and a brush head fixedly connected to the side of the rotating rod near the bottom frame. A coating roller rotatably connected to the top frame is provided on the side of the vertical plate near the cake base conveying direction. A liquid storage component fixedly connected to the top frame is provided on the side of the coating roller near the bottom frame. The liquid storage component contains egg liquid, and the egg liquid is in contact with the bottom of the coating roller. When the cake base contacts the brush head, the brush head deflects towards the coating roller, and the bristles of the brush head abut against the outer wall of the coating roller. When the cake base separates from the brush head, the brush head deflects away from the coating roller under the action of gravity, and the brush head separates from the coating roller.

6. A cake base conveying line according to claim 5, characterized in that, The liquid storage assembly includes a fixing plate fixedly connected to the top frame, a material storage box with an upward opening fixedly connected to the fixing plate, and a clearance gap between the end of the material storage box near the brush head and the paint roller, the width of which is greater than the thickness of the liquid adhering to the surface of the paint roller.

7. A cake base conveying line according to claim 5, characterized in that, Multiple paint rollers and brush heads are evenly distributed on the top frame along the cake base conveying direction. The distance between two adjacent paint rollers is an integer multiple of the distance between two adjacent rotating heads. A paint driving device for driving multiple paint rollers to rotate synchronously is provided on the side of the top frame.

8. A cake base conveying line according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom frame is provided with a guide plate at one end near the cake base conveying direction, and the end of the guide plate away from the bottom frame is inclined toward the ground.

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