A flexible air classifier for filament production line blades to prevent clogging.

Abstract

This application discloses a flexible air-separating device for tobacco processing line blades to prevent material blockage, relating to the technical field of tobacco processing equipment. It includes: an air-separating device, a vibrating conveyor, an adjusting mechanism, a through-beam photoelectric sensor, and a controller. The vertical adjusting plate of the adjusting mechanism movably covers the material inlet. The photoelectric sensor's transmitting and receiving ends are respectively located on the left and right sidewalls of the inlet, with its optical axis horizontally spanning the space between the conveyor end and the inlet. The controller links the photoelectric signal with the raising and lowering of the adjusting plate. During use, this application achieves adaptive dynamic adjustment of the inlet opening through hardware coordination of precise photoelectric positioning and mechanical adjustment. When material conveying is overloaded, causing the accumulation height to reach the photoelectric detection area, the controller immediately drives the adjusting plate to rise and widen the inlet opening, effectively preventing equipment downtime caused by material blockage and significantly improving production continuity.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of tobacco processing equipment technology, specifically a flexible air separation device for tobacco processing line blades that prevents material blockage. Background Technology

[0002] In tobacco processing lines, flexible in-situ leaf air separators are key equipment used for separating tobacco leaves. This equipment is typically set with a rated process flow rate (e.g., 3000 kg / h) to ensure optimal separation efficiency and operational stability. Mechanical structures such as regulating plates are usually installed at the equipment inlet to control the material's entry.

[0003] However, in actual production and operation, a prominent technical problem is that when the material flow rate entering the flexible in-situ air classifier far exceeds its rated flow rate (for example, reaching about 4500 kg / h), material blockage is very likely to occur at the equipment inlet. This frequent blockage not only forces the equipment to stop, seriously affecting the continuity and efficiency of production, but also makes it difficult for manual personnel to detect and clear the blockage in real time by manually adjusting the mechanical regulating plate, resulting in a significant response lag, which ultimately has an adverse impact on product quality.

[0004] Therefore, this application proposes a flexible air classifier for filament production line blades to prevent material blockage. It can monitor the material accumulation height at the inlet in real time and automatically adjust the inlet opening to effectively prevent and eliminate the risk of material blockage in a timely manner, and ensure stable equipment operation and production continuity. Utility Model Content

[0005] The main objective of this application is to provide a flexible air classifier for tobacco processing line blades that prevents material blockage, aiming to solve the technical problem of material blockage at the inlet of the flexible air classifier for tobacco processing line blades due to material overload, and the serious lag in manual adjustment.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this application provides the following technical solution:

[0007] A flexible air classifier for a filament production line with anti-clogging blades includes:

[0008] The air separation equipment has a material inlet on its side wall;

[0009] A vibrating conveyor, wherein the output end of its conveying channel is mounted at the material inlet;

[0010] The adjustment mechanism includes an upright adjustment plate and a drive assembly for driving the adjustment plate to move up and down. The adjustment plate is movably covered outside the material inlet. The drive assembly is controlled to do work to push the adjustment plate to move up and down, thereby changing the opening degree of the material inlet.

[0011] A through-beam photoelectric sensor includes a transmitter and a receiver fixed to the left and right sides of the material inlet, respectively. The optical axis of the transmitter points horizontally to the receiver, and the line containing the optical axis is located in the space between the upper surface of the discharge end of the vibrating conveyor and the upper edge of the material inlet.

[0012] The controller is electrically connected to the receiver and the drive assembly respectively. The controller is configured to: when the receiver detects that the light signal intensity is lower than a preset threshold, output a control command to the drive assembly to drive the adjustment plate to move upward to expand the material inlet opening; when the receiver detects that the light signal intensity is higher than the preset threshold, drive the adjustment plate to move downward to reset to the initial opening.

[0013] As a further improvement of this application, the driving assembly includes a cylinder fixed to the outer wall of the air separator. The piston rod of the cylinder is vertically downward and rigidly connected to the upper end of the adjusting plate through a flange. The piston rod is extended / retracted to drive the adjusting plate to move down / up.

[0014] As a further improvement of this application, the drive assembly further includes an air supply pipe and an exhaust pipe fixed to the outer wall of the air separator. The cylinder is provided with an air inlet and an air outlet. One end of the air supply pipe is connected to the air inlet and the other end is connected to an external air source. One end of the exhaust pipe is connected to the air outlet and the other end is connected to an external negative pressure source. The on / off of the air supply pipe and the exhaust pipe are controlled respectively to introduce compressed air from the external air source into the cylinder or to extract the air in the cylinder to the external negative pressure source.

[0015] As a further improvement of this application, the drive assembly further includes a first solenoid valve disposed on the gas supply pipe and a second solenoid valve disposed on the exhaust pipe. Both the first and second solenoid valves are electrically connected to the controller and are initially in a closed state. The controller is configured to: when the receiver detects that the light signal intensity is lower than a preset threshold, control the first solenoid valve to close and the second solenoid valve to open; when the receiver detects that the light signal intensity is higher than a preset threshold, control the first solenoid valve to open and the second solenoid valve to close.

[0016] As a further improvement of this application, the flexible air classifier for the anti-clogging material spinning line blades also includes an audible and visual alarm fixed to the outer wall of the air classifier. The audible and visual alarm is electrically connected to the controller so as to issue an audible and visual alarm signal when the receiver detects that the light signal intensity is lower than a preset threshold.

[0017] As a further improvement of this application, the controller is a programmable controller, whose digital input module is connected to the signal output line of the receiving end, and whose digital output module is connected to the first solenoid valve coil, the second solenoid valve coil and the power circuit of the audible and visual alarm through a relay group.

[0018] The technical solution provided in this application may include the following beneficial effects:

[0019] In use, this application utilizes the coordinated structure of a vertically movable adjustment plate covering the material inlet and a drive assembly, combined with through-beam photoelectric sensors fixed to the left and right side walls of the inlet and precisely positioned at the optical axis height. Under the linkage of the controller, adaptive dynamic adjustment of the inlet opening is achieved. When the material conveying is overloaded and the accumulation height reaches the photoelectric detection area, the controller immediately drives the adjustment plate to rise and expand the inlet opening, effectively avoiding equipment downtime caused by material blockage and significantly improving production continuity. At the same time, the side wall mounting method of the photoelectric sensor and the horizontal optical axis design are precisely matched to the critical state of material blockage, completely eliminating the response lag of manual adjustment and ensuring the stable operation of the tobacco air separation process. The entire device solves the inherent defects of traditional mechanical baffles under overload conditions through pure hardware structural innovation, greatly improving the intelligence level of the tobacco processing line. Attached Figure Description

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0021] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of a flexible air classifier for a filament production line that prevents clogging. Figure 1 ;

[0022] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of a flexible air classifier for a filament production line that prevents clogging. Figure 2 ;

[0023] Figure label:

[0024] 1. Air separation equipment; 11. Material inlet; 2. Vibrating conveyor; 21. Conveying channel; 3. Adjusting mechanism; 31. Adjusting plate; 32. Drive assembly; 321. Cylinder; 322. Air supply pipe; 323. Exhaust pipe; 324. First solenoid valve; 325. Second solenoid valve; 4. Through-beam photoelectric sensor; 41. Transmitter; 42. Receiver; 5. Audible and visual alarm. Detailed Implementation

[0025] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the described embodiments are merely some, not all, of the embodiments of this application. Unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0026] Figure 1 An embodiment of a flexible air classifier for a filament production line with anti-clogging properties according to this application is shown. See [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 1 In this embodiment, the flexible air classifier for the filament production line blades of the anti-clogging material includes: air classifier 1, vibrating conveyor 2, adjustment mechanism 3, through-beam photoelectric sensor 4, and controller.

[0027] Among them, see Figure 1 The air classifier 1 has a material inlet 11 on its side wall. The output end of the conveying channel 21 of the vibrating conveyor 2 is mounted on the material inlet 11. The adjustment mechanism 3 includes an upright adjustment plate 31 and a drive assembly 32 that drives the adjustment plate 31 to move up and down. The adjustment plate 31 movably covers the outside of the material inlet 11. The drive assembly 32 is controlled to do work to push the adjustment plate 31 to move up and down, thereby changing the opening of the material inlet 11. The through-beam photoelectric sensor 4 includes a transmitter 41 and a receiver 42 fixed on the left and right sides of the material inlet 11, respectively. The optical axis of the transmitter 41 points horizontally to the receiver 42, and the straight line of the optical axis is located in the space between the lower surface of the discharge end of the vibrating conveyor 2 and the upper edge of the inlet. The controller is electrically connected to the receiver 42 and the drive assembly 32 respectively. The controller is configured to: when the receiver 42 detects that the light signal intensity is lower than the preset threshold, output a control command to the drive assembly 32 to drive the adjustment plate 31 to move upward to expand the opening of the material inlet 11; when the receiver 42 detects that the light signal intensity is higher than the preset threshold, drive the adjustment plate 31 to move downward to reset to the initial opening.

[0028] In this embodiment, the solution utilizes the coordinated structure of the adjusting plate 31, which vertically covers the material inlet 11, and the driving component 32. Combined with the through-beam photoelectric sensor 4, which is fixed to the left and right side walls of the inlet and has a precisely positioned optical axis, the adaptive dynamic adjustment of the inlet opening is achieved under the linkage of the controller. When the material conveying is overloaded and the accumulation height touches the photoelectric detection area, the controller immediately drives the adjusting plate 31 to raise and expand the inlet opening, effectively avoiding equipment downtime caused by material blockage and significantly improving production continuity. At the same time, the side wall mounting method of the photoelectric sensor and the horizontal optical axis design are precisely matched to the critical state of material blockage, completely eliminating the response lag of manual adjustment and ensuring the stable operation of the tobacco air separation process. The entire device solves the inherent defects of traditional mechanical baffles under overload conditions through pure hardware structural innovation, and greatly improves the intelligence level of the tobacco processing line.

[0029] Optionally, the vertical distance H1 between the optical axis of the transmitting end 41 and the receiving end 42 from the upper surface of the discharge end of the vibrating conveyor 2 is 20-30cm, and the vertical distance H2 from the upper edge of the material inlet 11 is 5-10cm; and the parallelism error between the optical axis and the horizontal plane is ≤0.5°.

[0030] Further, see Figure 2 The drive assembly 32 includes a cylinder 321 fixed to the outer wall of the air classifier 1. The piston rod of the cylinder 321 is vertically downward and rigidly connected to the upper end of the adjusting plate 31 through a flange. The piston rod is extended / retracted to drive the adjusting plate 31 to move down / up. The direct connection structure eliminates the response delay of the traditional transmission mechanism, ensuring that the adjusting plate 31 can immediately perform lifting and lowering actions when the blockage signal is triggered, fundamentally avoiding downtime caused by material accumulation.

[0031] Further, see Figure 2 The drive assembly 32 also includes an air supply pipe 322 and an exhaust pipe 323 fixed to the outer wall of the air separator 1. The cylinder 321 has an air inlet and an air outlet. One end of the air supply pipe 322 is connected to the air inlet and the other end is connected to an external air source. One end of the exhaust pipe 323 is connected to the air outlet and the other end is connected to an external negative pressure source. The on / off of the air supply pipe 322 and the exhaust pipe 323 are controlled respectively to introduce compressed air from the external air source into the cylinder 321 or to extract air from the cylinder 321 to the external negative pressure source. This increases the piston rod retraction speed, ensuring that overloaded materials can be cleared instantly, while reducing energy consumption.

[0032] Further, see Figure 2The drive assembly 32 also includes a first solenoid valve 324 located on the air supply pipe 322 and a second solenoid valve 325 located on the exhaust pipe 323. Both the first solenoid valve 324 and the second solenoid valve 325 are electrically connected to the controller and are initially in a closed state. The controller is configured to: when the receiver 42 detects that the light signal intensity is lower than a preset threshold, control the first solenoid valve 324 to close and the second solenoid valve 325 to open; when the receiver 42 detects that the light signal intensity is higher than the preset threshold, control the first solenoid valve 324 to open and the second solenoid valve 325 to close. The mutual exclusion on / off mechanism of the dual solenoid valves ensures zero delay in the switching action of the cylinder 321, ensuring that the regulating plate 31 can respond and lift in a very short time when material blockage occurs, completely avoiding severe material blockage shutdown caused by continuous material accumulation.

[0033] Further, see Figure 2 The flexible air classifier for the filament production line blades of the anti-clogging material also includes an audible and visual alarm 5 fixed on the outer wall of the air classifier 1. The audible and visual alarm 5 is electrically connected to the controller so that when the receiver 42 detects that the light signal intensity is lower than a preset threshold, it will issue an audible and visual alarm signal.

[0034] Optionally, the wall-mounted installation position of the audible and visual alarm 5 is at a 45° angle to the material inlet 11, so that the sound wave coverage area and the flashing light warning area are precisely matched with the production inspection path, ensuring that the blockage signal can reach the on-site operator within 0.5 seconds, achieving zero delay in fault response.

[0035] Furthermore, the controller is a programmable controller, whose digital input module is connected to the signal output line of the receiver 42, and the digital output module is connected to the coil of the first solenoid valve 324, the coil of the second solenoid valve 325, and the power circuit of the audible and visual alarm 5 through a relay group respectively; the power supply terminal of the programmable controller is connected to a 24VDC industrial power supply, and its housing is fixed in the electrical control cabinet of the air classifier 1 through a mounting base plate.

[0036] Optionally, the programmable controller is a Siemens S7-200 series PLC, with the digital input module model EM221 (8-point DC input) and the digital output module model EM222 (8-point relay output). The mounting base is made of 2mm thick galvanized steel plate and is fixed to the back panel of the control cabinet with M6 bolts. The relay group includes three OMRONMY2N-GS relays, which control the first solenoid valve 324, the second solenoid valve 325, and the 5-circuit audible and visual alarm, respectively.

[0037] For example, the working principle of the flexible air classifier blades in the anti-clogging material filament production line is as follows:

[0038] When the vibrating conveyor 2 conveys tobacco leaves to the material inlet 11 of the air classifier 1, the transmitting end 41 of the through-beam photoelectric sensor 4 continuously emits a horizontal beam of light, and the receiving end 42 monitors the light signal intensity in real time. Under the rated flow condition, when the tobacco leaf accumulation height is lower than the optical axis position, the receiving end 42 outputs a high-level signal to the controller. At this time, the controller maintains the first solenoid valve 324 open and the second solenoid valve 325 closed. The external air source supplies air to the cylinder 321 through the air supply pipe 322, and the piston rod extends to keep the adjusting plate 31 in the first opening position to ensure that the material passes through smoothly.

[0039] When the tobacco leaf flow rate is overloaded, causing the accumulation to reach the optical axis height, the light signal intensity at receiver 42 drops sharply, triggering a preset threshold. The controller immediately executes a three-way response:

[0040] 1. Close the first solenoid valve 324 to cut off the air supply to cylinder 321;

[0041] 2. Open the second solenoid valve 325. The gas in the cylinder 321 is rapidly drawn away by the negative pressure source through the exhaust pipe 323. The piston rod retracts and lifts the adjusting plate 31 to the second opening position. The inlet opening is instantly expanded to clear the blockage.

[0042] 3. Activate the audible and visual alarm 5 to send audible and visual signals along the inspection path.

[0043] After the blockage is cleared, the height of the tobacco leaves decreases, restoring the intensity of the light signal. The controller switches the first solenoid valve 324 to open and the second solenoid valve 325 to close, allowing the gas source to supply gas again and push the piston rod to extend. The adjusting plate 31 is reset to the first opening position, and the audible and visual alarm 5 is turned off. The system returns to steady-state operation.

[0044] It should be noted that the air-separating equipment 1 (such as a flexible in-situ air-separating machine with blades, or a vertical air-separating cabinet) and the vibrating conveying equipment 2 (such as an eccentric wheel vibrating trough, or an electromagnetic vibrating feeder) involved in this application are both implemented using mature existing technologies in the tobacco processing field. Their specific mechanical structures, power parameters, and control logic are not the core improvements of this application. The inventive concept of this application focuses on solving the technical problem of material blockage at the inlet of the flexible air-separating machine with blades in tobacco processing lines due to material overload, and the severe lag in manual adjustment. Therefore, the specification and claims only specify the spatial position and functional connection of the above-mentioned equipment in this solution (e.g., the discharge end of the vibrating conveying equipment 2 extends above the material inlet 11 of the air-separating equipment 1), without elaborating on their internal structures. Those skilled in the art can directly select suitable models of air-separating equipment 1 and vibrating conveying equipment 2 (such as the Kunming Shipbuilding Industry Co., Ltd. YCX series air-separating machine, or the Saite Company ZDJ type vibrating conveyor) to implement this solution based on common knowledge, without affecting the realization of the innovative features.

[0045] To further clarify, the through-beam photoelectric sensor 4, the first solenoid valve 324, the second solenoid valve 325, and the controller involved in this application all adopt common standard equipment in the field of industrial detection and control. Their core sensing principles (such as infrared light emission-reception intensity detection) and signal processing logic are well-known technologies in this field. The inventive contribution of this patent does not lie in the internal structure or algorithm innovation of these units, but in the hardware reconstruction of the specific spatial layout and gas path topology. The through-beam photoelectric sensor is horizontally installed on the inlet sidewall, the optical axis height is precisely set as the critical point of material blockage, and the cylinder 321 is driven by a single air source + negative pressure source dual pipeline to realize the bidirectional action of the piston rod. The mutual exclusion on / off mechanism of the solenoid valve is directly bound to the photoelectric signal. Therefore, the specification and claims only clarify the functional roles and communication relationships of the above-mentioned devices in the system (such as the photoelectric receiver 42 signal being directly connected to the controller input terminal, and the controller output terminal driving the solenoid valve coil through a relay), without elaborating on the specific circuit design or software protocol. Those skilled in the art can select commercially available mature instruments (such as SICK's WTB4 photoelectric sensor or ASCO's EF8210G solenoid valve) to achieve the same effect based on actual working conditions, without affecting the implementation of the core innovative features of this solution.

[0046] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A non-clogging tow line blade flexible air separation device characterized by, include: The air separation equipment has a material inlet on its side wall; A vibrating conveyor, wherein the output end of its conveying channel is mounted at the material inlet; The adjustment mechanism includes an upright adjustment plate and a drive assembly for driving the adjustment plate to move up and down. The adjustment plate is movably covered outside the material inlet. The drive assembly is controlled to do work to push the adjustment plate to move up and down, thereby changing the opening degree of the material inlet. A through-beam photoelectric sensor includes a transmitter and a receiver fixed to the left and right sides of the material inlet, respectively. The optical axis of the transmitter points horizontally to the receiver, and the line containing the optical axis is located in the space between the upper surface of the discharge end of the vibrating conveyor and the upper edge of the material inlet. The controller is electrically connected to both the receiver and the drive assembly.

2. The anti-plugging tow line blade flexible air aspirator device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drive assembly includes a cylinder fixed to the outer wall of the air separator. The piston rod of the cylinder is vertically downward and rigidly connected to the upper end of the adjustment plate through a flange. The piston rod is extended / retracted to drive the adjustment plate to move down / up.

3. The anti-plugging tow line blade flexible air aspirator device according to claim 2, wherein, The drive assembly also includes an air supply pipe and an exhaust pipe fixed to the outer wall of the air separator. The cylinder has an air inlet and an air outlet. One end of the air supply pipe is connected to the air inlet and the other end is connected to an external air source. One end of the exhaust pipe is connected to the air outlet and the other end is connected to an external negative pressure source. The on / off of the air supply pipe and the exhaust pipe are controlled respectively to introduce compressed air from the external air source into the cylinder or to extract the air in the cylinder to the external negative pressure source.

4. The anti-plugging tow line blade flexible air aspirator device according to claim 3, wherein, The drive assembly further includes a first solenoid valve disposed on the gas supply pipe and a second solenoid valve disposed on the exhaust pipe. Both the first and second solenoid valves are electrically connected to the controller and are initially in a closed state. The controller is configured to: when the receiver detects that the light signal intensity is lower than a preset threshold, control the first solenoid valve to close and the second solenoid valve to open; when the receiver detects that the light signal intensity is higher than the preset threshold, control the first solenoid valve to open and the second solenoid valve to close.

5. The anti-plugging tow line blade flexible air aspirator device according to claim 4, wherein, It also includes an audible and visual alarm fixed to the outer wall of the air separator, which is electrically connected to the controller so as to issue an audible and visual alarm signal when the receiver detects that the light signal intensity is lower than a preset threshold.

6. The anti-plugging tow line blade flexible air aspirator device according to claim 5, wherein, The controller is a programmable controller. Its digital input module is connected to the signal output line of the receiving end, and its digital output module is connected to the first solenoid valve coil, the second solenoid valve coil, and the power circuit of the audible and visual alarm through a relay group.

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