Automatic adjustment system for the expansion degree of expanded materials

Abstract

The invention discloses an automatic adjustment system for the expansion degree of expanded materials, including an online expansion degree detection device, an expansion degree adjustment device and a control device, wherein the sampling cylinder of the online expansion degree detection device is connected to the sampling bucket to drive the sampling bucket to extend from the sampling port into the discharge chute or withdraw from the discharge chute to the outside of the sampling port, and the weighing sensor weighs the sampling bucket withdrawn from the sampling port; a plurality of convergent sheets of the expansion degree adjustment device are evenly spaced along the circumference of the fixed ring and arranged on one surface of the fixed ring, the inner ends of the plurality of convergent sheets are surrounded to form a ring with a diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the fixed ring, a cam rotatably connected to the fixed ring is correspondingly arranged at the outer end of each convergent sheet, and the stepping motor drives all cams to rotate synchronously through a transmission member; the control device receives the weight signal of the weighing sensor, and controls the rotation of the stepping motor according to the weight signal. The invention can monitor the expansion degree online, and adjust the expansion degree of the expanded material produced by the extruder in real time according to production needs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of feed or food processing, and in particular relates to an automatic adjustment system for the puffing degree of puffed materials used in a puffing machine. Background Art

[0002] At present, in the feed or food processing industry, an extruder is usually used to make raw materials into fluffy particles. Figure 1 As shown, a twin-screw extruder commonly used in the related art includes an extrusion barrel 1', in which a pair of extrusion screws 2' are arranged, and a pressure ring 3' is arranged at the outlet end of the extrusion barrel 1'. The extrusion screw 2' rotates to convey, extrude, shear and mix the material in the extrusion barrel 1'. The material is matured under the action of high temperature and high pressure and then extruded out of the barrel from the pressure ring 3'. By changing the size of the inner hole diameter of the pressure ring, the expansion degree of the manufactured expanded material can be changed. However, the pressure ring aperture of the existing expander is not adjustable. To change the expansion degree, the pressure ring can only be replaced manually after the machine is shut down, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive, and will result in a large amount of expanded material whose expansion degree does not meet the requirements. In addition, during the production process of the expander, it is necessary to detect the expansion degree of the expanded material produced by the expander to determine whether to replace the pressure ring of the expander according to the expansion degree. However, the commonly used method for detecting the expansion degree at present is manual sampling detection, that is, manually sampling from the produced expanded material, and then detecting the expansion degree of the expanded material by observation or weighing. This method has a slow detection speed and low efficiency, and cannot achieve online real-time detection. Therefore, it is impossible to adjust the pressure ring of the extruder according to the expansion degree of the expanded material in time, and the expansion degree adjustment efficiency is relatively low, resulting in a lot of waste.

[0003] The above discussion is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of the technology that may be related to various aspects of the present invention that will be described and / or claimed below. It is believed that the discussion will help provide the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present invention. Therefore, it should be understood that these discussions are read from this perspective rather than as an admission of prior art. Summary of the invention

[0004] In order to solve at least one of the above technical problems, the present invention provides an automatic adjustment system for the expansion degree of expanded materials.

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0006] Provided is a system for automatically adjusting the expansion degree of expanded materials, comprising:

[0007] The device for online detection of expansion degree comprises a discharge chute, a sampling hopper, a sampling cylinder, a scraper and a weighing sensor. A sampling port is provided on the side wall of the discharge chute. The sampling cylinder is connected to the sampling hopper to drive the sampling hopper to extend from the sampling port into the discharge chute or to withdraw from the discharge chute to the outside of the sampling port. The scraper is arranged above the sampling port and the lower end surface of the scraper is in contact with the upper end surface of the sampling hopper. The weighing sensor is arranged outside the sampling port to weigh the sampling hopper withdrawn from the sampling port.

[0008] The expansion degree adjustment device comprises a fixed ring, a transmission member, a plurality of convergent sheets, a plurality of cams and a stepping motor, wherein the plurality of convergent sheets are evenly spaced on one surface of the fixed ring along the circumference of the fixed ring, and each convergent sheet is slidably arranged along the radial direction of the fixed ring, the inner ends of the plurality of convergent sheets enclose a ring whose diameter is smaller than the inner diameter of the fixed ring, a cam rotatably connected to the fixed ring is correspondingly arranged at the outer end of each convergent sheet, the contour surface of the cam abuts against the outer end surface of the corresponding convergent sheet, and the stepping motor drives all the cams to rotate synchronously through the transmission member;

[0009] The control device is connected with the weighing sensor and the stepping motor. The control device receives the weight signal of the weighing sensor and outputs a control signal according to the weight signal to control the rotation of the stepping motor.

[0010] As a further improvement, the transmission member is a rotatable gear ring, which is coaxially arranged with the fixed ring, and the inner circumference of the gear ring is provided with an internal tooth surface, and each cam is provided with a cam gear meshing with the internal tooth surface.

[0011] As a further improvement, the outer periphery of the gear ring is provided with an external tooth surface, and the motor shaft of the stepping motor is provided with a motor gear meshing with the external tooth surface.

[0012] As a further improvement, the outer end surface of the convergent piece is an arc-shaped surface.

[0013] As a further improvement, the number of the convergent plates and cams is 10-20.

[0014] As a further improvement, the number of the convergent plates and cams is 15.

[0015] As a further improvement, the sampling cylinder drives the sampling hopper to extend from the outside of the sampling port into the discharge chute in a horizontal direction or to withdraw from the discharge chute to the outside of the sampling port.

[0016] As a further improvement, the front end surface of the sampling hopper is adapted to the shape of the sampling port, and when the sampling hopper is withdrawn from the discharge chute to the outside of the sampling port, the front end surface of the sampling hopper closes the sampling port.

[0017] As a further improvement, the volume of the sampling bucket is 1 liter.

[0018] The present invention provides an automatic adjustment system for the expansion degree of expanded materials, comprising: an online expansion degree detection device, comprising a discharge chute, a sampling bucket, a sampling cylinder, a scraper and a weighing sensor, a sampling port is provided on the side wall of the discharge chute, the sampling cylinder is connected with the sampling bucket to drive the sampling bucket to extend from the sampling port into the discharge chute or withdraw from the discharge chute to the outside of the sampling port, the scraper is arranged above the sampling port and the lower end surface of the scraper is in contact with the upper end surface of the sampling bucket, and the weighing sensor is arranged outside the sampling port to weigh the sampling bucket withdrawn from the sampling port;

[0019] The expansion degree adjustment device comprises a fixed ring, a transmission member, a plurality of convergent sheets, a plurality of cams and a stepping motor, wherein the plurality of convergent sheets are evenly spaced on one surface of the fixed ring along the circumference of the fixed ring, and each convergent sheet is slidably arranged along the radial direction of the fixed ring, the inner ends of the plurality of convergent sheets enclose a ring whose diameter is smaller than the inner diameter of the fixed ring, a cam rotatably connected to the fixed ring is correspondingly arranged at the outer end of each convergent sheet, the contour surface of the cam abuts against the outer end surface of the corresponding convergent sheet, and the stepping motor drives all the cams to rotate synchronously through the transmission member;

[0020] The control device is connected with the weighing sensor and the stepping motor. The control device receives the weight signal of the weighing sensor and outputs a control signal according to the weight signal to control the rotation of the stepping motor.

[0021] When the present invention is used, the upper end of the discharge chute of the online expansion degree detection device is connected to the discharge port of the extruder, and the expansion degree adjustment device is fixedly installed at the discharge end of the screw extrusion extruder as the pressure ring of the extruder. During the production of the extruder, the online expansion degree detection device drives the sampling bucket from the outside of the sampling port to the discharge chute through the sampling cylinder. After the sampling bucket is filled with expanded material, the sampling bucket is driven by the sampling cylinder to withdraw from the discharge chute to the outside of the sampling port. During the withdrawal of the sampling bucket, the scraper above the sampling bucket scrapes the expanded material accumulated in the sampling bucket higher than the upper end surface of the sampling bucket, thereby ensuring that the expanded material in the sampling bucket is a fixed volume. After the sampling bucket withdraws, the weighing sensor weighs the sampling bucket and measures the weight of the expanded material in the sampling bucket. Because the volume is known, the expansion degree of the expanded material can be calculated by the control device, thereby realizing online real-time monitoring of the expansion degree, controlling the expansion degree in real time, and having fast detection speed and high efficiency. Since each convergent sheet of the expansion degree adjustment device can slide along the radial direction of the fixed ring, the stepper motor can drive all cams to rotate synchronously through the transmission member, and the contour surface of the cam squeezes or relaxes the outer end surface of the convergent sheet, thereby adjusting the aperture of the inner hole surrounded by the inner ends of the multiple convergent sheets, and by changing the aperture of the inner hole, the expansion degree of the expanded material produced by the extruder is changed. In this way, the extruder does not need to stop to manually replace the pressure ring, and the expansion degree adjustment is time-saving and labor-saving, and the expansion degree adjustment efficiency is high. After the control device of the present invention obtains the expansion degree of the expanded material produced by the extruder, it controls the rotation of the stepper motor according to the expansion degree output control signal, and adjusts the aperture of the inner hole surrounded by the inner ends of the multiple convergent sheets in real time, thereby adjusting the aperture value required to achieve the target expansion degree. The present invention can realize online real-time monitoring of the expansion degree, and adjust the expansion degree of the expanded material produced by the extruder in real time according to production needs, saving time and labor and with very little waste. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The present invention is further described using the accompanying drawings, but the embodiments in the accompanying drawings do not constitute any limitation to the present invention. A person skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on the following drawings without creative work.

[0023] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the discharge end of a twin-screw extruder.

[0024] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of an automatic adjustment system for the puffing degree of puffed materials.

[0025] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the puffing degree online detection device of the puffing degree automatic adjustment system of puffed materials during sampling. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of the present invention, the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that the embodiments of the present application and the features therein can be combined with each other without conflict.

[0027] Combination Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, an automatic adjustment system for the expansion degree of expanded materials provided by an embodiment of the present invention comprises an online expansion degree detection device 1, an expansion degree adjustment device 2, and a control device 3. Among them:

[0028] The online detection device 1 of the expansion degree comprises a discharge chute 11, a sampling hopper 12, a sampling cylinder 13, a scraper 14 and a weighing sensor 15. The upper end of the discharge chute is connected to the discharge port of the extruder. A sampling port 16 is provided on the side wall of the discharge chute 11. The sampling cylinder 13 is connected to the sampling hopper 12 to drive the sampling hopper 12 to extend from the sampling port 16 into the discharge chute 11 or to withdraw from the discharge chute 11 to the outside of the sampling port 16. The scraper 14 is arranged above the sampling port 16 and the lower end surface of the scraper 14 is in contact with the upper end surface of the sampling hopper 12. The weighing sensor 15 is arranged It is placed outside the sampling port 16 to weigh the sampling hopper 12 withdrawn from the sampling port 16; when the extruder is in production, the online detection device for the expansion degree drives the sampling hopper 12 from the sampling port 16 to the discharge chute 11 through the sampling cylinder 13. After the sampling hopper 12 is filled with expanded material, the sampling hopper 12 is driven by the sampling cylinder 13 to withdraw from the discharge chute 11 to the sampling port 16. During the withdrawal of the sampling hopper 12, the scraper 14 above the sampling hopper 12 scrapes the expanded material accumulated in the sampling hopper 12 that is higher than the upper end surface of the sampling hopper, thereby ensuring that the expanded material in the sampling hopper 12 is a fixed volume. After the sampling hopper 12 withdraws, the weighing sensor 15 weighs the sampling hopper 12 to measure the weight of the expanded material in the sampling hopper. Because the volume is known, the expansion degree of the expanded material can be calculated, realizing online real-time monitoring of the expansion degree.

[0029] The expansion degree adjustment device 2 includes a fixed ring 21, a transmission member 22, a plurality of convergent plates 23, a plurality of cams 24 and a stepping motor 25. The fixed ring 21 is in a circular ring shape. When in use, the fixed ring 21 is fixedly mounted on the discharge end of the screw extruder. The plurality of convergent plates 23 are evenly spaced along the circumference of the fixed ring 21 and arranged on one surface of the fixed ring 21. Each convergent plate 23 is slidably arranged along the radial direction of the fixed ring 21. The convergent plates 23 can be slidably guided by radial convergent plate slide grooves arranged on one surface of the fixed ring 21. The inner ends of the multiple convergent sheets 23 form a ring whose diameter is smaller than the inner diameter of the fixed ring 21. A cam 24 rotatably connected to the fixed ring 21 is correspondingly arranged at the outer end of each convergent sheet 23. The contour surface of the cam 24 abuts against the outer end surface of the corresponding convergent sheet 23. The stepper motor 25 drives all the cams 24 to rotate synchronously through the transmission member 22. Since each convergent sheet 23 of the expansion degree adjustment device can slide along the radial direction of the fixed ring 21, the stepper motor 25 can drive all the cams 24 to rotate synchronously through the transmission member 22. The contour surface of the cam 24 squeezes or relaxes the outer end surface of the convergent sheet 23, thereby adjusting the aperture D of the inner hole surrounded by the inner ends of the multiple convergent sheets 23. By changing the aperture of the inner hole, the expansion degree of the expanded material produced by the extruder is changed. In this way, the extruder does not need to stop to manually replace the pressure ring, and the adjustment of the expansion degree is time-saving and labor-saving, and the expansion degree adjustment efficiency is high.

[0030] The control device 3 adopts a PLC (programmable controller), and the control device 3 is connected to the weighing sensor 15 and the stepping motor 25. The control device 3 receives the weight signal of the weighing sensor 15. Since the volume of the expanded material in the sampling bucket 12 is known, the control device 3 can calculate the expansion degree of the expanded material, realize the online real-time monitoring of the expansion degree, and output a control signal according to the weight signal to control the rotation of the stepping motor 25, and adjust the aperture D of the inner hole surrounded by the inner ends of the multiple convergent sheets in real time, so as to adjust the aperture value required to achieve the target expansion degree. For example, when the expansion degree is less than the target expansion degree, the aperture D is adjusted to a smaller value, and when the expansion degree is greater than the target expansion degree, the aperture D is adjusted to a larger value. After the control device obtains the expansion degree of the expanded material produced by the extruder, it outputs a control signal according to the expansion degree to control the rotation of the stepping motor, and adjusts the extruder in real time according to the expansion degree of the expanded material, which saves time and effort and has very little waste.

[0031] As a further preferred embodiment, the transmission member 22 is a rotatable gear ring, which is coaxially arranged with the fixed ring 21 and can rotate relative to the fixed ring 21. When in use, the gear ring is rotatably installed at the discharge end of the screw extruder, and the inner circumference of the gear ring is provided with an annular inner tooth surface 26, each cam 24 is arranged along the inner circumference of the gear ring, and each cam 24 is provided with a cam gear 27 meshing with the inner tooth surface 26. The transmission member 22 is a gear ring, so that the transmission structure is stable, the synchronization of the rotation of the cam 24 is good, and it is convenient to accurately control the direction and angle of the rotation of the cam 24, so as to accurately adjust the aperture D of the inner hole surrounded by the inner ends of multiple convergent plates. After the gear ring rotates, the cam is driven to rotate by the gear on the cam, thereby adjusting the movement of the convergent plate, and then changing the aperture D of the inner hole composed of the empty part of the inner end of the convergent plate.

[0032] As a further preferred embodiment, the outer periphery of the gear ring is provided with an annular outer tooth surface 28, and the motor shaft of the stepper motor 25 is provided with a motor gear 29 meshing with the outer tooth surface 28. In this way, the transmission structure between the stepper motor 25 and the gear ring is stable, and it is convenient to accurately control the direction and angle of rotation of the gear ring.

[0033] As a further preferred embodiment, the outer end surface of the convergent piece 23 is an arcuate surface, which matches the contour surface of the cam 24. In this way, when the contour surface of the cam 24 squeezes or relaxes the outer end surface of the convergent piece 23, the transmission force is transmitted more stably.

[0034] As a further preferred embodiment, the number of the convergent pieces 23 and the cam 24 is 10-20. In this embodiment, the number of the convergent pieces 23 and the cam 24 is 15. The number of the convergent pieces 23 and the cam 24 can also be set according to actual needs. Generally speaking, the more the number, the smoother the edge of the inner hole, but the more complex the structure. Selecting 10-20 can better balance the simplicity of the structure and the smoothness of the edge of the inner hole.

[0035] As a further preferred embodiment, the sampling cylinder 13 drives the sampling hopper 12 to extend horizontally from the sampling port 16 into the discharge chute 11 or to withdraw from the discharge chute 11 to the outside of the sampling port 16, so that the sampling hopper 12 can be filled with expanded material before withdrawing.

[0036] As a further preferred embodiment, the front end face of the sampling hopper 12 is adapted to the shape of the sampling port 16. When the sampling hopper 12 withdraws from the discharge chute 11 to the outside of the sampling port 16, the front end face of the sampling hopper 12 closes the sampling port 16. In this way, after the sampling is completed, the expanded material in the discharge chute can be prevented from flowing out of the sampling port 16.

[0037] As a further preferred embodiment, the volume of the sampling hopper 12 is 1 liter, so that it is convenient for the control device to calculate the expansion degree of the expanded material, and the calculation amount is small.

[0038] When the automatic adjustment system for the expansion degree of expanded material provided by the embodiment of the present invention is in use, the upper end of the discharge chute of the online expansion degree detection device is connected to the discharge port of the expander, and the expansion degree adjustment device is fixedly installed at the discharge end of the screw extrusion expander as the pressure ring of the expander. When the expander is in production, the online expansion degree detection device drives the sampling bucket from the outside of the sampling port to the discharge chute through the sampling cylinder. After the sampling bucket is filled with expanded material, the sampling bucket is driven by the sampling cylinder to withdraw from the discharge chute to the outside of the sampling port. During the withdrawal of the sampling bucket, the scraper above the sampling bucket scrapes the expanded material accumulated in the sampling bucket that is higher than the upper end surface of the sampling bucket, thereby ensuring that the expanded material in the sampling bucket is a fixed volume. After the sampling bucket is withdrawn, the weighing sensor weighs the sampling bucket and measures the weight of the expanded material in the sampling bucket. Because the volume is known, the expansion degree of the expanded material can be calculated by the control device, realizing online real-time monitoring of the expansion degree, and controlling the expansion degree in real time, with fast detection speed and high efficiency. Since each convergence sheet of the expansion degree adjustment device can slide along the radial direction of the fixed ring, the stepper motor can drive all cams to rotate synchronously through the transmission member, and the contour surface of the cam squeezes or relaxes the outer end face of the convergence sheet, thereby adjusting the aperture of the inner hole surrounded by the inner ends of the multiple convergence sheets, and by changing the aperture of the inner hole, the expansion degree of the expanded material produced by the extruder is changed. In this way, the extruder does not need to stop to manually replace the pressure ring, and the adjustment of the expansion degree saves time and effort, and the expansion degree adjustment efficiency is high. After obtaining the expansion degree of the expanded material produced by the expander, the control device of the present invention controls the rotation of the stepper motor according to the expansion degree output control signal, and adjusts the aperture of the inner hole surrounded by the inner ends of the plurality of convergent sheets in real time, thereby adjusting the aperture value required to achieve the target expansion degree. The present invention can realize online real-time monitoring of the expansion degree, and adjust the expander in real time according to the expansion degree of the expanded material, saving time and labor and with very little waste.

[0039] Many specific details are set forth in the above description to facilitate a full understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention may also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein, and therefore, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0040] In summary, although the present invention lists the above-mentioned preferred embodiments, it should be noted that although technicians in this field can make various changes and modifications, unless such changes and modifications deviate from the scope of the present invention, they should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automatic adjustment system for the expansion degree of expanded materials, characterized in that: include: An online expansion degree detection device (1) comprises a discharge chute (11), a sampling hopper (12), a sampling cylinder (13), a scraper (14) and a weighing sensor (15). A sampling port (16) is provided on the side wall of the discharge chute (11). The sampling cylinder (13) is connected to the sampling hopper (12) to drive the sampling hopper (12) to extend from the sampling port (16) into the discharge chute (11) or to withdraw from the discharge chute (11) to the outside of the sampling port (16). The scraper (14) is arranged above the sampling port (16) and the lower end surface of the scraper (14) is in contact with the upper end surface of the sampling hopper (12). The weighing sensor (15) is arranged outside the sampling port (16) to weigh the sampling hopper (12) withdrawn from the sampling port (16). The expansion degree adjustment device (2) comprises a fixed ring (21), a transmission member (22), a plurality of convergent plates (23), a plurality of cams (24) and a stepping motor (25), wherein the plurality of convergent plates (23) are evenly spaced on one surface of the fixed ring (21) along the circumference of the fixed ring (21), and each convergent plate (23) is slidably arranged along the radial direction of the fixed ring (21), the inner ends of the plurality of convergent plates (23) enclose a ring whose diameter is smaller than the inner diameter of the fixed ring (21), a cam (24) rotatably connected to the fixed ring (21) is correspondingly arranged at the outer end of each convergent plate (23), the contour surface of the cam (24) abuts against the outer end surface of the corresponding convergent plate (23), and the stepping motor (25) drives all the cams (24) to rotate synchronously through the transmission member (22); The control device (3) is connected to the weighing sensor (15) and the stepping motor (25). The control device (3) receives a weight signal from the weighing sensor (15) and outputs a control signal according to the weight signal to control the rotation of the stepping motor (25).

2. The automatic adjustment system for the expansion degree of expanded materials according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transmission member (22) is a rotatable gear ring, which is coaxially arranged with the fixed ring (21). An inner tooth surface (26) is arranged on the inner periphery of the gear ring, and each cam (24) is provided with a cam gear (27) meshing with the inner tooth surface (26).

3. The automatic adjustment system for the expansion degree of expanded materials according to claim 2, characterized in that: An outer tooth surface (28) is arranged on the outer periphery of the gear ring, and a motor gear (29) meshing with the outer tooth surface (28) is arranged on the motor shaft of the stepping motor (25).

4. The automatic adjustment system for the expansion degree of expanded materials according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer end surface of the convergent piece (23) is an arc-shaped surface.

5. The automatic adjustment system for the expansion degree of expanded materials according to claim 1, characterized in that: The number of the convergent plates (23) and the cams (24) is 10-20.

6. The automatic adjustment system for the expansion degree of expanded materials according to claim 5, characterized in that: The number of the convergence plates (23) and cams (24) is 15.

7. The system for automatically adjusting the puffing degree of puffed materials according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The sampling cylinder (13) drives the sampling hopper (12) to extend from the outside of the sampling port (16) into the discharge chute (11) in a horizontal direction or to withdraw from the discharge chute (11) to the outside of the sampling port (16).

8. The automatic adjustment system for the expansion degree of expanded materials according to claim 7, characterized in that: The front end surface of the sampling hopper (12) is adapted to the shape of the sampling port (16). When the sampling hopper (12) is withdrawn from the discharge chute (11) to the outside of the sampling port (16), the front end surface of the sampling hopper (12) closes the sampling port (16).

9. The system for automatically adjusting the expansion degree of expanded materials according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The volume of the sampling hopper (12) is 1 liter.

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