An automatic feeder

Abstract

This utility model belongs to the field of tobacco curing technology and discloses an automatic feeder. The automatic feeder includes a casing, a hopper, a conveying trough, a conveying mechanism, and a control component. The casing includes a first chamber and a second chamber; the hopper is located on the top of the casing and communicates with the first chamber; the conveying trough is located on the side of the casing near the first chamber and communicates with the first chamber; the conveying mechanism includes a conveying component and a power component. The conveying component is located in the first chamber to convey fuel, and the power component is located in the second chamber and connected to the conveying component to drive the conveying component; the control component includes a controller and a curing barn controller, and the controller is communicatively connected to both the power component and the curing barn controller. In this application, the controller dynamically adjusts the power of the power component based on the curing barn temperature feedback from the curing barn controller, thereby controlling the fuel conveying speed, improving the temperature control accuracy and tobacco quality during tobacco curing, reducing manual labor intensity, and increasing tobacco curing efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of tobacco curing technology, and in particular to an automatic feeder. Background Technology

[0002] Biomass fuel, as an important form of resource utilization of agricultural and forestry waste, is processed into pellet fuel through crushing, mixing, extrusion, and drying, achieving clean and efficient utilization of agricultural and forestry waste. In the tobacco curing industry, large-particle biomass fuel, with its advantages of being renewable and low-cost, has gradually replaced traditional fossil fuels in curing barn heating systems. This fuel is manually fed into a chute and transported to the curing barn furnace. The heat released during combustion provides the necessary temperature and humidity environment for the tobacco curing process, which is a key factor in ensuring the quality of the cured tobacco.

[0003] However, existing processes rely on manual observation and experience to feed fuel into the furnace, making it difficult to accurately monitor fuel levels and combustion status in real time. This results in a lack of dynamic matching between the feeding amount and the temperature control requirements of the curing barn at different times. Specifically, when the curing barn needs to be heated, the temperature may lag due to untimely fuel replenishment; while during the heat preservation stage, excessive feeding may cause the temperature to exceed the limit. Both situations will adversely affect the transformation of chemical components and the formation of physical properties within the tobacco leaves, thereby reducing the color uniformity, aroma fullness, and combustion performance of the flue-cured tobacco.

[0004] In addition, manual feeding is labor-intensive and inefficient, and lacks an automated adjustment mechanism based on the temperature feedback of the curing barn, which cannot meet the refined and intelligent production requirements of modern tobacco curing. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide an automatic feeder to solve the problems of difficulty in dynamically matching manual feeding with the temperature control requirements of the drying room at different times, as well as the high labor intensity and low efficiency in the existing technology.

[0006] To achieve this objective, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] An automatic feeder is provided, comprising:

[0008] A housing, the housing comprising a first chamber and a second chamber;

[0009] A hopper is located at the top of the housing and communicates with the first chamber.

[0010] A material conveying trough is located on the side of the housing near the first chamber and communicates with the first chamber;

[0011] A conveying mechanism, comprising a conveying component and a power component, wherein the conveying component is disposed in the first chamber for conveying fuel, and the power component is disposed in the second chamber and connected to the conveying component for driving the conveying component;

[0012] The control component includes a controller and a drying oven controller, wherein the controller is communicatively connected to both the power component and the drying oven controller.

[0013] As an optional technical solution for an automatic feeder, the conveying assembly includes a rotating shaft and a spiral blade. The rotating shaft is rotatably disposed in the first chamber in a horizontal direction, the spiral blade is arranged around the circumference of the rotating shaft, and the conveying trough extends along the axial direction of the rotating shaft.

[0014] As an optional technical solution for an automatic feeder, the conveying mechanism further includes a reducer, the power component is a rotary motor, the power component is connected to the rotating shaft to drive the rotating shaft to rotate, and the reducer is disposed between the power component and the rotating shaft.

[0015] As an optional technical solution for an automatic feeder, the housing has a first through hole, and the cross-section of the feeding trough is semi-circular and its end fits against the bottom edge of the first through hole to receive the fuel.

[0016] As an optional technical solution for the automatic feeder, the automatic feeder also includes a protective component, which includes a baffle plate that can block the upper semicircular portion of the first through hole to limit the passage height of the fuel in the first through hole.

[0017] As an optional technical solution for the automatic feeder, the housing also includes a partition plate, which is placed between the first chamber and the second chamber. The partition plate and the baffle plate are provided with rotating shaft holes at corresponding positions, and the rotating shaft is rotatably disposed in the two rotating shaft holes.

[0018] As an optional technical solution for the automatic feeder, the protective component further includes a protective cover, which is disposed on the periphery of the feed trough near the end of the housing. The inner wall of the protective cover abuts against the side wall of the feed trough to prevent the fuel from leaving the feed trough.

[0019] As an optional technical solution for the automatic feeder, the protective component also includes a heat insulation plate with clearance holes. The heat insulation plate is fitted around the protective cover and fixed to the side wall of the machine housing through the clearance holes.

[0020] As an optional technical solution for the automatic feeder, the automatic feeder also includes a support assembly, which includes a support frame and casters. The housing is placed on top of the support frame, and the casters are rotatably mounted on the bottom of the support frame.

[0021] As an optional technical solution for the automatic feeder, the control component further includes a servo driver, which is electrically connected to the power component, and the controller is communicatively connected to the servo driver.

[0022] The beneficial effects of this utility model are:

[0023] This application discloses an automatic feeder, including a housing, a hopper, a conveying trough, a conveying mechanism, and a control component. The housing includes a first chamber and a second chamber. The hopper is located on the top of the housing and communicates with the first chamber. The conveying trough is located on the side of the housing near the first chamber and communicates with it. The conveying mechanism includes a conveying component and a power component. The conveying component is located in the first chamber to convey fuel, and the power component is located in the second chamber and connected to the conveying component to drive it. The control component includes a controller and a curing barn controller, with the controller communicatively connected to both the power component and the curing barn controller. In this application, the controller dynamically adjusts the power of the power component based on the curing barn temperature feedback from the curing barn controller, thereby controlling the fuel conveying speed. This improves the temperature control accuracy and tobacco quality during tobacco curing, reduces manual labor intensity, and increases tobacco curing efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0024] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments of this utility model will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the content of the embodiments of this utility model and these drawings without creative effort.

[0025] Figure 1 This is an isometric view of the automatic feeder provided in this embodiment of the utility model;

[0026] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the automatic feeder provided in this embodiment of the utility model;

[0027] Figure 3 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of the automatic feeder provided in this embodiment of the utility model;

[0028] Figure 4 This is a partial structural connection diagram of the automatic feeder provided in this embodiment of the utility model.

[0029] In the picture:

[0030] 10. Housing; 11. First chamber; 12. Second chamber; 13. First through hole; 14. Partition;

[0031] 20. Hopper;

[0032] 30. Feed trough;

[0033] 41. Conveying assembly; 411. Rotating shaft; 412. Spiral blade; 42. Power component;

[0034] 50. Control components; 51. Controller; 52. Baking oven controller; 53. Servo driver; 54. Circuit breaker; 55. Filter; 56. AC contactor; 57. Switching power supply; 58. Braking resistor; 59. Power supply;

[0035] 61. Material baffle; 62. Protective cover; 63. Insulation board;

[0036] 70. Support components; 71. Support frame; 72. Casters. Detailed Implementation

[0037] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the present invention and not intended to limit it. Furthermore, it should be noted that, for ease of description, the accompanying drawings show only the parts relevant to the present invention, not the entire structure.

[0038] In the description of this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connected," "linked," and "fixed" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0039] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0040] In the description of this embodiment, the terms "upper," "lower," "right," etc., refer to the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for ease of description and simplification of operation, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are only used for distinction in description and have no special meaning.

[0041] In existing technologies, the tobacco curing process relies on manual observation and experience to feed fuel into the furnace, making it difficult to accurately monitor the fuel inventory and combustion status in real time. This results in a lack of dynamic matching between the feeding amount and the temperature control requirements of the curing barn at different times. Specifically, when the curing barn needs to be heated, the temperature may lag due to untimely fuel replenishment; while during the heat preservation stage, excessive feeding may cause the temperature to exceed the limit. Both situations will adversely affect the transformation of chemical components and the formation of physical properties within the tobacco leaves, thereby reducing the color uniformity, aroma fullness, and combustion performance of the flue-cured tobacco.

[0042] To address the aforementioned problems, this embodiment provides an automatic feeder, see reference. Figures 1-3 It includes a housing 10, a hopper 20, a conveying trough 30, a conveying mechanism, and a control component 50.

[0043] Furthermore, the housing 10 is a cuboid with a hollow interior, and includes a first chamber 11 and a second chamber 12. Specifically, the housing 10 is made of a metal material, such as iron, aluminum, or stainless steel.

[0044] Furthermore, the hopper 20 is located on the top of the housing 10 and communicates with the first chamber 11. Specifically, the hopper 20 includes a quadrangular pyramidal cylindrical part and a quadrangular prism part. The top of the housing 10 is provided with a receiving hole, and the quadrangular prism part can be inserted into the receiving hole and fixedly connected to the housing 10 by bolts.

[0045] Furthermore, the feed trough 30 is located on the side of the housing 10 near the first chamber 11 and communicates with the first chamber 11. Specifically, the housing 10 has a first through hole 13, and the feed trough 30 has a semi-circular cross-section with its end fitting against the bottom edge of the first through hole 13 to receive fuel. In this embodiment, the feed trough 30 extends horizontally, with the fuel at the rear pushing the fuel at the front. In other embodiments, the feed trough 30 may be slightly inclined downwards to increase the smoothness of fuel movement.

[0046] Further, the conveying mechanism includes a conveying assembly 41 and a power component 42. The conveying assembly 41 is disposed in the first chamber 11 to convey fuel, and the power component 42 is disposed in the second chamber 12 and connected to the conveying assembly 41 to drive the conveying assembly 41. Specifically, the conveying assembly 41 includes a rotating shaft 411 and a helical blade 412. The rotating shaft 411 is rotatably disposed in the first chamber 11 in a horizontal direction, and the helical blade 412 is arranged around the circumference of the rotating shaft 411. The conveying trough 30 extends axially along the rotating shaft 411. Specifically, the helical direction of the helical blade 412 is opposite to the rotation direction of the rotating shaft 411 to achieve fuel conveying. In other embodiments, the conveying assembly 41 may be configured as a push rod and a stepper motor or cylinder to achieve fuel conveying.

[0047] Furthermore, the conveying mechanism also includes a reducer. The power component 42 is a rotary motor, which is connected to the rotating shaft 411 to drive the rotating shaft 411 to rotate. The reducer is located between the power component 42 and the rotating shaft 411. The reducer is positioned between the rotary motor and the rotating shaft 411 to reduce the rotary motor's speed, thereby increasing torque. This allows the rotary motor to drive a large load with less power, improving transmission accuracy and stability. Specifically, the reducer is a planetary gear reducer.

[0048] Furthermore, the automatic feeder also includes a protective component, which includes a baffle plate 61. The baffle plate 61 can block the upper semicircular portion of the first through hole 13 to limit the passage height of fuel in the first through hole 13, thereby preventing fuel spillage. Specifically, the baffle plate 61 is welded or glued to the housing 10.

[0049] Furthermore, the housing 10 also includes a partition 14, which is positioned between the first chamber 11 and the second chamber 12. The partition 14 and the baffle plate 61 each have corresponding pivot holes, and the pivot 411 is rotatably mounted in both pivot holes. Specifically, bearings or ball bearings can be installed between the pivot 411 and the pivot holes to increase the smoothness of the pivot 411's rotation.

[0050] Furthermore, the protective assembly also includes a protective cover 62, which covers the periphery of the feed trough 30 near the end of the housing 10. The inner wall of the protective cover 62 abuts against the side wall of the feed trough 30 to prevent fuel from leaving the feed trough 30. Specifically, the protective cover 62 is cylindrical, and the protective cover 62 and the housing 10 can be welded or glued together. The inner wall of the protective cover 62 can prevent fuel from accumulating due to excessively fast fuel output speed, causing fuel to overflow from both sides of the feed trough 30.

[0051] Furthermore, the protective assembly also includes a heat insulation plate 63, which has clearance holes. The heat insulation plate 63 is fitted around the protective cover 62 and fixed to the side wall of the housing 10 through the clearance holes to prevent the temperature of the baking oven from being transferred into the housing 10 and thus damaging the conveying mechanism. Specifically, the heat insulation plate 63 can be made of polyurethane, polystyrene, or phenolic foam board, etc. It should be noted that the heat insulation plate 63 is selectively welded or glued to the housing 10.

[0052] Furthermore, the automatic feeder also includes a support assembly 70, which includes a support frame 71 and casters 72. The housing 10 is placed on top of the support frame 71, and the casters 72 are rotatably mounted on the bottom of the support frame 71. It should be noted that the casters 72 and the support frame 71 are existing technologies and will not be described in detail here.

[0053] Further, see Figure 4 The control component 50 includes a controller 51 and a drying oven controller 52. The controller 51 is communicatively connected to both the power component 42 and the drying oven controller 52. Specifically, the controller 51 is located on the exterior of the housing 10 near the power component 42. The control component 50 also includes a servo driver 53, which is electrically connected to the power component 42, and the controller 51 is communicatively connected to the servo driver 53. The controller 51 is connected to the drying oven controller 52. Based on the feedback of the internal temperature of the drying oven from the drying oven controller 52, the controller 51 sends a pulse frequency to the servo driver 53. The servo driver 53 adjusts the current of the power component 42 according to the pulse frequency, thereby adjusting the rotational speed of the power component 42 and achieving automatic control of the fuel feeding speed.

[0054] Specifically, the control component 50 also includes a circuit breaker 54, a filter 55, an AC contactor 56, a switching power supply 57, and a braking resistor 58. The AC power supply 59 is connected to the circuit breaker 54. The downstream end of the circuit breaker 54 is connected to the switching power supply 57 and the filter 55 via transmission lines. The downstream end of the filter 55 is connected to the AC contactor 56 via transmission lines. The downstream end of the AC contactor 56 is connected to the servo driver 53. The downstream end of the switching power supply 57 is connected to the servo driver 53 to supply power to the servo driver 53. The servo driver 53 is also connected to the braking resistor 58 to consume the energy generated by braking.

[0055] In the automatic feeder provided in this example, the controller 51 dynamically adjusts the power of the power component 42 according to the curing barn temperature fed back by the curing barn controller 52, thereby controlling the fuel delivery speed, improving the temperature control accuracy and tobacco quality during tobacco curing, reducing manual labor intensity, and improving tobacco curing efficiency.

[0056] Obviously, the above embodiments of this utility model are merely examples for clearly illustrating the present utility model, and are not intended to limit the implementation of the present utility model. Those skilled in the art can make various obvious changes, readjustments, and substitutions without departing from the protection scope of this utility model. It is neither necessary nor possible to exhaustively describe all embodiments here. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of this utility model should be included within the protection scope of the claims of this utility model.

Claims

1. An automatic feeder, characterized in that, include: The housing (10) includes a first chamber (11) and a second chamber (12); A hopper (20) is located on the top of the housing (10) and communicates with the first chamber (11); A material conveying trough (30) is provided on the side of the housing (10) near the first chamber (11) and communicates with the first chamber (11); The conveying mechanism includes a conveying component (41) and a power component (42). The conveying component (41) is disposed in the first chamber (11) to convey fuel, and the power component (42) is disposed in the second chamber (12) and connected to the conveying component (41) to drive the conveying component (41). The control component (50) includes a controller (51) and a drying oven controller (52), wherein the controller (51) is communicatively connected to both the power unit (42) and the drying oven controller (52).

2. The automatic feeder according to claim 1, characterized in that, The conveying assembly (41) includes a rotating shaft (411) and a spiral blade (412). The rotating shaft (411) is rotatably disposed in the first chamber (11) in the horizontal direction. The spiral blade (412) is arranged around the circumference of the rotating shaft (411). The conveying trough (30) extends along the axial direction of the rotating shaft (411).

3. The automatic feeder according to claim 2, characterized in that, The conveying mechanism also includes a reducer. The power component (42) is a rotary motor. The power component (42) is connected to the rotating shaft (411) to drive the rotating shaft (411) to rotate. The reducer is disposed between the power component (42) and the rotating shaft (411).

4. The automatic feeder according to claim 2, characterized in that, The housing (10) has a first through hole (13), and the cross-section of the feed trough (30) is semi-circular and its end fits against the bottom edge of the first through hole (13) to receive the fuel.

5. The automatic feeder according to claim 4, characterized in that, The automatic feeder also includes a protective component, which includes a baffle plate (61) that can block the upper semicircular portion of the first through hole (13) to limit the passage height of the fuel in the first through hole (13).

6. The automatic feeder according to claim 5, characterized in that, The housing (10) also includes a partition (14), which is placed between the first chamber (11) and the second chamber (12). The partition (14) and the baffle plate (61) are provided with rotating shaft holes at corresponding positions. The rotating shaft (411) is rotatably disposed in the two rotating shaft holes.

7. The automatic feeder according to claim 5, characterized in that, The protective assembly also includes a protective cover (62), which covers the periphery of the feed trough (30) near the end of the housing (10). The inner wall of the protective cover (62) abuts against the side wall of the feed trough (30) to restrict the fuel from leaving the feed trough (30).

8. The automatic feeder according to claim 7, characterized in that, The protective assembly also includes a heat insulation plate (63), which has a clearance hole. The heat insulation plate (63) is fitted around the protective cover (62) through the clearance hole and fixed to the side wall of the housing (10).

9. The automatic feeder according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The automatic feeder also includes a support assembly (70), which includes a support frame (71) and casters (72). The housing (10) is placed on top of the support frame (71), and the casters (72) are rotatably disposed at the bottom of the support frame (71).

10. The automatic feeder according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The control component (50) further includes a servo driver (53), which is electrically connected to the power component (42), and the controller (51) is communicatively connected to the servo driver (53).

Images