An apparatus and method for promoting the after-ripening of fresh Camellia oleifera fruits

Abstract

The present invention discloses a device and a method for promoting the after-ripening of fresh oil-tea fruits. The device includes: a feeding device, an after-ripening box body, a heating device, an inert gas device and an annular conveyor belt. The annular conveyor belt is arranged in the after-ripening box body. The heating device and the inert gas device are respectively communicated with the treatment area. The after-ripening box body is provided with a feeding port and a discharging port, and the feeding device is connected to the feeding port. The method includes: creating an oxygen-deficient and after-ripening temperature and humidity environment; putting the tea fruits into the after-ripening box body for after-ripening treatment; during the after-ripening process, due to different mesh diameters of the annular conveyor belt, fresh oil-tea fruits with different fruit diameters are subjected to after-ripening simultaneously according to different treatment times. The present invention effectively improves the oil content rate of tea seeds through the constant temperature and humidity after-ripening treatment of tea fruits, and realizes large-scale and continuous production; during the after-ripening treatment process, the fresh oil-tea fruits are screened synchronously, and the after-ripening treatment time of tea fruits is automatically controlled according to different fruit diameters, effectively avoiding over-after-ripening of tea fruits and affecting the oil content rate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of processing camellia oleifera fruits, and particularly to a device and method for promoting the after-ripening of fresh camellia oleifera fruits. Background Art

[0002] Camellia oleifera belongs to the genus Camellia of the family Theaceae, and is known as one of the world's four major woody oil tree species together with Olea europaea, Elaeis guineensis, and Cocos nucifera, and is the most important woody oil plant in China. In the prior art, after the fresh camellia oleifera fruits are picked, they often need to be naturally piled up for 5 to 7 days for after-ripening treatment to improve the oil content of the tea seeds. The required treatment time is long, and it is easily restricted by the site, and large-scale and continuous production cannot be carried out. Moreover, due to the different diameters of the fresh camellia oleifera fruits and the different water contents in the fruits, the smaller camellia oleifera fruits have been dried, while the larger ones have not, so that the smaller camellia oleifera fruits can only be sun-dried together with the larger ones until after-ripening is completed, thereby increasing the sun-drying time of the smaller camellia oleifera fruits and reducing the production efficiency of camellia oil.

[0003] Chinese Patent CN209749777U discloses a device for promoting the after-ripening of camellia fruits and camellia seeds, including a drum, a feeding end, a discharging end, a driving device, a bracket, and an intelligent control box. The drum has a five-layer structure, which is successively a stainless steel outer seal, a heat insulation and heat preservation layer, an electric heating tube layer, a fluorescent lamp layer, and a transparent seal plate from the outside to the inside. The feeding door on the feeding end is communicated with the feeding port, the rotor at the discharging end is fixedly connected with the transparent seal plate, the discharging door is communicated with the discharging port, and a exhaust fan, a temperature sensor, and a humidity sensor are arranged on the discharging door. The roller of the driving device is connected with the motor through a shaft, and the roller is in free contact with the rolling ring. The feeding end, the stator, and the driving device are respectively fixedly connected with the bracket, and the intelligent control box is arranged on the bracket. This patent can automatically process the after-ripening process of camellia fruits and camellia seeds on a large scale by controlling the temperature, humidity, and light intensity in the drum, and avoid affecting production due to weather reasons. However, it does not solve the problem that due to the different diameters of the fresh camellia oleifera fruits, the required sun-drying time is also different, which easily leads to excessive drying of the camellia oleifera fruits with small diameters and affects the production efficiency.

[0004] Chinese Patent Application CN114886071A also discloses a continuous high-efficiency grading and after-ripening treatment equipment and method for fresh oil-tea fruits. The equipment includes a weighing and storage bin, a grading and after-ripening treatment device, a convective heating device and a control system. The oil-tea fruits are stored and fed by the weighing and storage bin, and undergo after-ripening treatment in the grading and after-ripening treatment device, are heated by the heating device, and the control system coordinates and automatically controls each functional mechanism. The treatment method includes: S1, grading of oil-tea fruits; S2, creating an oxygen-deficient and airtight environment; S3, staged temperature rise; S4, blowing air to reduce humidity; S5, microwave heating and drying. Before the after-ripening treatment, this patent first undergoes grading treatment through a grading cylinder, and then is batch-fed into the after-ripening treatment device for batch after-ripening. It is necessary to additionally add grading equipment for pre-treatment, and then adjust the after-ripening time according to different fruit diameter batches, and it is impossible to synchronously complete the after-ripening treatment for oil-tea fruits with different fruit diameters.

[0005] The disclosure of the above background technical content is only used to assist in understanding the concept and technical solution of the present invention, and it does not necessarily belong to the prior art of this patent application. Without clear evidence indicating that the above content was publicly available on the filing date of this patent application, the above background technology should not be used to evaluate the novelty and inventiveness of this application. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The main purpose of the present invention is to overcome the defects existing in the above background technology, and provide an equipment and method for promoting the after-ripening of fresh oil-tea fruits.

[0007] To achieve the above object, an apparatus for promoting the after-ripening of fresh camellia oleifera fruits proposed by the present invention includes: a feeding device, an after-ripening box body, a heating device, an inert gas device, and several layers of annular conveyor belts. The several layers of annular conveyor belts are horizontally arranged in the after-ripening box body, and the conveying directions of adjacent annular conveyor belts are opposite. The interior of the after-ripening box body is divided into upper, middle, and lower three-layer treatment intervals by partitions, and one-way door panels are provided for communication between the treatment intervals. At least three layers of annular conveyor belts are provided inside each treatment interval. The heating device and the inert gas device are respectively connected to the treatment intervals. An inlet is opened at the top of the after-ripening box body, and an outlet is opened on the bottom side wall of the after-ripening box body. The feeding device is connected to the inlet. After pouring the fresh camellia oleifera fruits onto the feeding device, they are lifted and enter the after-ripening box body from the inlet, and fall onto the head end of the annular conveyor belt in the upper-layer treatment interval. As the annular conveyor belt runs towards the tail end, it falls onto the lower annular conveyor belt, enabling the fresh camellia oleifera fruits to be conveyed step by step downward and passing through the three treatment intervals in sequence for after-ripening treatment. After the heating device and the inert gas device create a constant-temperature, constant-humidity, and oxygen-deficient environment in the after-ripening box body, the fresh camellia oleifera fruits are put into the oxygen-deficient after-ripening box body to promote the after-ripening of the fresh camellia oleifera fruits, increase the oil content rate of the tea seeds, greatly shorten the processing time, avoid the limitations of the site and weather, achieve large-scale and continuous production, effectively improve production efficiency, and reduce production costs.

[0008] Preferably, the mesh diameters of the annular conveyor belts in each treatment interval decrease successively from top to bottom. A supporting plate is arranged between the outgoing and return trips of the annular conveyor belt. The supporting plate is inclined towards the tail end side of the annular conveyor belt and is connected with a conveying transition pipe on the inclined side. The conveying transition pipe is communicated with the head end of the adjacent lower-layer annular conveyor belt. During the process of conveying the fresh camellia oleifera fruits, the annular conveyor belt simultaneously screens the fresh camellia oleifera fruits, eliminating the need for an additional screening device. The fresh camellia oleifera fruits passing through the sieve reach the tail end of the annular conveyor belt earlier than those remaining on the sieve, reducing the processing time.

[0009] Preferably, blocking strips are respectively arranged at both ends of the supporting plate. The top parts of the blocking strips at both ends are respectively abutted against the bottom end of the working surface of the outgoing trip of the annular conveyor belt. A plurality of air-permeable holes are opened on the supporting plate, and the aperture of the air-permeable holes is less than 1 cm. The setting of the air holes is beneficial to the uniformity of temperature and humidity in the treatment interval, and the fresh camellia oleifera fruits falling on the supporting plate cannot fall through the air-permeable holes onto the return trip of the lower annular conveyor belt, causing the annular conveyor belt to jam.

[0010] Preferably, three layers of the annular conveyor belts are arranged inside each of the processing intervals. The mesh diameter of the upper annular conveyor belt is configured to be 4 cm, the mesh diameter of the middle annular conveyor belt is configured to be 3 cm, and the mesh diameter of the lower annular conveyor belt is configured to be less than 1 cm. When the fresh camellia oleifera fruits are conveyed on the upper annular conveyor belt, the fruits with a fruit diameter less than 4 cm fall along the mesh holes of the upper annular conveyor belt onto the lower supporting plate and roll to one side at the tail end of the upper annular conveyor belt, reducing the processing time. In this way, the fresh camellia oleifera fruits with different fruit diameters can enter the after-ripening box simultaneously and be subjected to after-ripening treatment at the same time according to different processing times.

[0011] Preferably, a raking device is arranged on the return working surface of the annular conveyor belt. The raking device includes rake teeth, a raking driving device, and a raking transmission device. The rake teeth are arranged across the inside of the after-ripening box, and both ends are slidably connected to the inner wall of the after-ripening box. The bottom is in contact with the return working surface of the annular conveyor belt. The raking transmission device is connected to the rake teeth, and the raking driving device is connected to the raking transmission device for driving the rake teeth to rake back and forth on the return working surface of the annular conveyor belt to turn over and rake the fresh camellia oleifera fruits on the annular conveyor belt, so that the fresh camellia oleifera fruits are evenly heated and it is beneficial to the screening effect of the fresh camellia oleifera fruits.

[0012] Preferably, the raking transmission device includes a fixed rod, a connecting rod, and a crankshaft. The crankshaft is rotatably connected to the after-ripening box. The conveying end of the raking driving device is connected to one end of the crankshaft. One end of the connecting rod is rotatably connected to the connecting rod journal on the crankshaft, and the other end is hinged to one end of the fixed rod. The other end of the fixed rod is fixedly connected to the rake teeth. The crankshaft is driven to rotate by the raking driving device, and the crankshaft drives the rake teeth to reciprocate for turning over and raking.

[0013] Preferably, the heating device includes an oil temperature machine, a heat exchange coil, a main oil inlet pipe, and a main oil return pipe. The oil temperature machine is arranged beside the after-ripening box. The main oil inlet pipe is connected to the oil outlet of the oil temperature machine, and the main oil return pipe is connected to the oil return port of the oil temperature machine. The inlet section of the heat exchange coil is communicated with the main oil inlet pipe, and the outlet section of the heat exchange coil is communicated with the main oil return pipe. The pipe body of the heat exchange coil is respectively attached to the bottom of the partition plate and / or the supporting plate. After the heat transfer oil is heated by the oil temperature machine, it enters the heat exchange coil from the main oil inlet pipe, and then returns to the inside of the oil temperature machine through the main oil return pipe for circulating heating to ensure temperature stability.

[0014] Preferably, an oil inlet main valve is provided on the main oil inlet pipe, a main oil return valve is provided on the main oil return pipe, an oil inlet proportional valve is respectively provided corresponding to the inlet section of the heat exchange coil pipe, a return oil valve is respectively provided corresponding to the outlet section of the heat exchange coil pipe, and a temperature measuring device and a humidity measuring device are respectively provided corresponding to each treatment interval. The temperature and humidity in each corresponding treatment interval can be separately controlled by adjusting the opening degree of the oil inlet proportional valve.

[0015] Preferably, the inert gas device includes a nitrogen generator, a nitrogen inlet pipe, an exhaust pipe, a suction fan and a gas-liquid separation device. The nitrogen generator is arranged beside the after-ripening box body. One end of the nitrogen inlet pipe is communicated with the air outlet of the nitrogen generator, and the other end is respectively communicated with each layer of the treatment interval. The exhaust pipe is arranged on the side opposite to the nitrogen inlet pipe and is respectively communicated with each layer of the treatment interval. The suction fan is communicated with the exhaust pipe. The inlet end of the gas-liquid separation device is communicated with the outlet end of the suction fan. The outlet end of the gas-liquid separation device is communicated with the inlet end of the nitrogen generator through a recovery pipe. An intake valve and an exhaust valve are respectively provided on the nitrogen inlet pipe and the exhaust pipe.

[0016] The present invention also discloses a method for promoting the after-ripening of fresh camellia oleifera fruits, comprising the following steps:

[0017] S1. Pour the fresh camellia oleifera fruits into the cleaning box of the feeding device for cleaning, and at the same time start the heating device and the inert gas device. The inert gas device replaces the original air inside the after-ripening box body, and the heating device heats the upper, middle and lower three-layer treatment intervals inside the after-ripening box body, so that the temperature in the upper, middle and lower three-layer treatment intervals gradually increases from top to bottom, and the temperature and humidity in each treatment interval are controlled to create an anoxic environment with constant temperature and humidity. The specific temperature and humidity values are: the temperature in the upper treatment interval is controlled at 30°C - 32°C, the humidity is controlled at 90% - 92%, the temperature in the middle treatment interval is controlled at 35°C - 37°C, the humidity is controlled at 93 - 95%, and the temperature in the lower treatment interval is controlled at 38°C - 40°C, the humidity is controlled at 96% - 98%;

[0018] S2. The fresh camellia oleifera fruits in the cleaning box are conveyed to the top of the after-ripening box body along the lifting conveyor belt and fall into the feed hopper. The bottom of the feed hopper is communicated with the feed inlet, so that the fresh camellia oleifera fruits enter the inside of the after-ripening box body and fall onto the head end of the annular conveyor belt in the upper treatment interval. As the annular conveyor belt runs towards the tail end, it falls onto the adjacent lower annular conveyor belt and is conveyed up and down step by step in the three-layer treatment interval.

[0019] S3. When the fresh camellia oleifera fruits are conveyed on the return working surface of the annular conveyor belt, the rake driving device drives the crankshaft of the rake transmission device to rotate, thereby driving the rake teeth to slide back and forth, turning over and raking the fresh camellia oleifera fruits on the return working surface of the annular conveyor belt, so that the fresh camellia oleifera fruits are evenly heated and easy to be graded. During the turning-over and raking process, the medium-sized and small fruits of the fresh camellia oleifera fruits smaller than 4 cm fall through the mesh holes of the annular conveyor belt onto the lower supporting plate, and roll to the tail end of the upper annular conveyor belt earlier than the large fruits, and then return to the head working surface of the middle annular conveyor belt through the conveying transition pipe. When being conveyed on the return working surface of the middle annular conveyor belt, the small fruits of the fresh camellia oleifera fruits smaller than 3 cm continue to fall through the mesh holes of the middle annular conveyor belt onto the lower supporting plate, and roll to the tail end of the middle annular conveyor belt earlier than the large fruits and medium-sized fruits, and then return to the head working surface of the lower annular conveyor belt through the conveying transition pipe. Thus, the large fruits with a fruit diameter greater than 4 cm need to pass through three layers of annular conveyor belts in each processing section, the medium-sized fruits with a fruit diameter of 3 cm - 4 cm pass through two layers of annular conveyor belts, and the small fruits with a fruit diameter of 1 cm - 3 cm pass through one layer of annular conveyor belt, realizing the automatic after-ripening treatment of fresh camellia oleifera fruits with different fruit diameters at the same time according to different treatment times;

[0020] S4. After the fresh camellia oleifera fruits are processed through three processing sections, they are discharged from the after-ripening box body through the discharge port, and the after-ripening treatment is completed.

[0021] The beneficial effects of the present invention include: through the combined use of the after-ripening box body, the heating device, the inert gas device and the annular conveyor belt, the fresh camellia oleifera fruits are put into the oxygen-deficient after-ripening box body, and the fresh camellia oleifera fruits in the after-ripening box body are subjected to three-stage constant temperature and humidity treatment, scientifically promoting the after-ripening of the fresh camellia oleifera fruits, increasing the oil content rate of the tea seeds, greatly shortening the long treatment time, avoiding the limitations of the site and weather, and realizing large-scale and continuous production; by setting the mesh holes on the annular conveyor belt to different apertures, arranging a supporting plate between the return and forward trips of the annular conveyor belt, and then cooperating with the use of the conveying transition pipe, the fresh camellia oleifera fruits can be screened synchronously during the after-ripening treatment process, without the need for batch after-ripening treatment, and the treatment time of the fresh camellia oleifera fruits passing through each processing section can be controlled according to different fruit diameters, effectively avoiding excessive drying of the fresh camellia oleifera fruits with medium and small fruit diameters and affecting the oil content rate. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0022] Figure 1 is the overall schematic diagram of the device for promoting the after-ripening of fresh camellia oleifera fruits in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 2 is the schematic diagram of the device for promoting the after-ripening of fresh camellia oleifera fruits in the embodiment of the present invention after removing the top cover of the after-ripening box body.

[0024] Figure 3 is the installation schematic diagram of the annular conveyor belt, the supporting plate and the partition board in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the supporting plate in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the material raking device in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the heating device in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the inert gas device in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 8 It is a flowchart of the method for promoting the after-ripening of fresh camellia oleifera fruits in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Description of the drawings: 1 feeding device; 101 cleaning tank; 102 lifting conveyor belt; 103 feed hopper; 2 after-ripening box body; 201 partition board; 202 one-way door panel; 203 feed inlet; 204 discharge outlet; 3 heating device; 301 oil temperature machine; 302 heat exchange coil; 3021 oil inlet proportional valve; 303 main oil inlet pipe; 3031 main oil inlet valve; 304 main oil return pipe; 3041 main oil return valve; 4 inert gas device; 401 nitrogen generator; 402 nitrogen inlet pipe; 4021 intake valve; 403 exhaust pipe; 4031 exhaust valve; 404 exhaust fan; 405 gas-liquid separation device; 406 recovery pipe; 5 annular conveyor belt; 501 supporting plate; 5011 retaining strip; 5012 ventilation holes; 502 conveying transition pipe; 6 material raking device; 601 rake teeth; 602 material raking driving device; 603 fixed rod; 604 connecting rod; 605 crankshaft; 606 connecting rod journal; 7 temperature measuring device; 8 humidity measuring device. Detailed implementation manners

[0031] In order to make the technical problems, technical solutions and beneficial effects to be solved by the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be further described in detail below through experiments, in conjunction with the drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not used to limit the present invention.

[0032] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as "fixed to" or "disposed on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or indirectly on the other element. When an element is referred to as "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or indirectly connected to the other element. In addition, the connection can be for fixing or for circuit connection.

[0033] It should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by terms such as "length", "width", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings. It is only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, it should not be construed as a limitation to the present invention.

[0034] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are only used for descriptive purposes and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, the features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of such features. In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, "a plurality of" means two or more unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0035] Referring to Figures 1 to 7 , the device for promoting the post-ripening of fresh oil-tea fruits disclosed by the present invention includes: a feeding device 1, a post-ripening box body 2, a heating device 3, an inert gas device 4, and a plurality of layers of annular conveyor belts 5. The plurality of layers of annular conveyor belts 5 are horizontally arranged inside the post-ripening box body 2, and the conveying directions of adjacent annular conveyor belts 5 are opposite. The interior of the post-ripening box body 2 is divided into upper, middle, and lower three-layer processing intervals by a partition 201. The post-ripening box body 2 is integrally a hollow cuboid structure, with a length of 10 meters, a width of 2 meters, a height of 5 meters, and a volume of 100m 3, a one-way door panel 202 is provided for connection between the processing intervals. One end of the one-way door panel 202 is fixed to one end of the partition 201 through a spring-loaded hinge and can be turned downwards to open under the gravity of the fresh camellia oleifera fruits. At least three layers of annular conveyor belts 5 are provided inside each processing interval. Each group of annular conveyor belts 5 is equipped with an independent motor to drive the annular conveyor belt 5 to rotate. The heating device 3 and the inert gas device 4 are respectively connected to the processing interval. The inert gas device 4 can fill the inside of the after-ripening box body 2 with inert gas to replace the oxygen-containing gas originally in the after-ripening box body 2 to create an anoxic environment. An inlet 203 is opened at the top of the after-ripening box body 2, and an outlet 204 is opened on the bottom side wall of the after-ripening box body 2. The feeding device 1 is connected to the inlet 203. Specifically, the feeding device 1 includes a cleaning box 101, a lifting conveyor belt 102, and a feeding hopper 103. The outlet of the cleaning box 101 is connected to the bottom end of the lifting conveyor belt 102, and the feeding hopper 103 is connected to the inlet 203. A one-way valve is preferably provided at the inlet 203. The top end of the lifting conveyor belt 102 is connected to the feeding hopper 103. After the fresh camellia oleifera fruits are poured into the cleaning box 101 of the feeding device 1 for cleaning, they are lifted by the lifting conveyor belt 102 and conveyed to the feeding hopper 103, and then enter the after-ripening box body 2 from the inlet 203 and fall onto the head end of the annular conveyor belt 5 in the upper-layer processing interval. As the annular conveyor belt 5 runs towards the tail end, it falls onto the lower annular conveyor belt 5, enabling the fresh camellia oleifera fruits to be conveyed step by step downwards and successively undergoing after-ripening treatment in the upper, middle, and lower three-layer processing intervals. By putting the fresh camellia oleifera fruits into the anoxic after-ripening box body 2, heating the fresh camellia oleifera fruits in the after-ripening box body 2, and controlling the environmental temperature, humidity, and holding time, the present invention promotes the after-ripening of the fresh camellia oleifera fruits, increases the oil content rate of the tea seeds, greatly shortens the long processing time, avoids the limitations of the site and weather, realizes large-scale and continuous production, effectively improves the production efficiency, and reduces the production cost.

[0036] The mesh diameters of the annular conveyor belt 5 in each processing interval inside the after-ripening box body 2 decrease successively from top to bottom. A supporting plate 501 is provided between the outgoing and return trips of the annular conveyor belt 5. The supporting plate 501 inclines towards the tail-end side of the annular conveyor belt 5, and a conveying transition pipe 502 is connected to the inclined side. The conveying transition pipe 502 is communicated with the head end of the adjacent lower-layer annular conveyor belt 5. Thus, during the process of the annular conveyor belt 5 conveying the fresh camellia oleifera fruits, the fresh camellia oleifera fruits are sieved synchronously.

[0037] At both ends of the supporting plate 501, there are respectively provided with retaining bars 5011. The top parts of the retaining bars 5011 at both ends are respectively abutted against the bottom end of the return working surface of the annular conveyor belt 5. The retaining bars 5011 can prevent the oil-tea fresh fruits that fall on the supporting plate 501 from being rolled into the sprocket of the annular conveyor belt 5 and causing the conveyor belt to jam. A number of ventilation holes 5012 are opened on the supporting plate 501. The aperture of the ventilation holes 5012 is less than 1 cm, so as to prevent the oil-tea fresh fruits from passing through the ventilation holes 5012. The arrangement of the ventilation holes 5012 is conducive to the uniformity of temperature and humidity in the same treatment area, and the oil-tea fresh fruits that fall on the supporting plate 501 cannot pass through the ventilation holes 5012 and fall onto the return journey of the lower annular conveyor belt 5, causing the annular conveyor belt 5 to jam.

[0038] Inside each treatment area, there are three layers of annular conveyor belts 5. The mesh diameter of the upper annular conveyor belt 5 is configured to be 4 cm, the mesh diameter of the middle annular conveyor belt 5 is configured to be 3 cm, and the mesh diameter of the lower annular conveyor belt 5 is configured to be less than 1 cm. When the oil-tea fresh fruits are conveyed on the upper annular conveyor belt 5, the medium-sized fruits and small fruits with a fruit diameter less than 4 cm will fall along the mesh holes of the upper annular conveyor belt 5 onto the lower supporting plate 501. Since the supporting plate 501 is inclined towards the tail end side of the annular conveyor belt 5, the medium-sized fruits and small fruits roll to the tail end side of the upper annular conveyor belt 5, and then return to the head end of the middle annular conveyor belt 5 through the conveying transition pipe 502. When being conveyed on the middle annular conveyor belt 5, the small fruits continue to fall along the mesh holes of the middle annular conveyor belt 5 onto another supporting plate 501 below, and return to the head end of the lower annular conveyor belt 5 through another conveying transition pipe 502. In this way, the oil-tea fresh fruits with different fruit diameters mixed together can enter the after-ripening box body 2 at the same time and can be subjected to after-ripening treatment according to different treatment times. In this embodiment, it is set that the fruit diameter greater than 4 cm is a large fruit, the fruit diameter between 3 cm and 4 cm is a medium-sized fruit, and the fruit diameter between 1 cm and 3 cm is a small fruit. The large fruits need to complete the journey of the three layers of annular conveyor belts 5 in each treatment area, the medium-sized fruits need to complete the journey of the two layers of annular conveyor belts 5 in each treatment area, and the small fruits only need to complete the journey of one layer of annular conveyor belt 5 in each treatment area, realizing the automatic treatment of different fruit diameters according to different times.

[0039] On the return working surface of each layer of annular conveyor belt 5, there is provided a raking device 6. The raking device 6 includes rake teeth 601, a raking driving device 602 and a raking transmission device. The rake teeth 601 are horizontally arranged inside the after-ripening box body 2, and both ends are slidably connected to the inner wall of the after-ripening box body 2, and the bottom is abutted against the return working surface of the annular conveyor belt 5. The raking transmission device is connected to the rake teeth 601, and the raking driving device 602 is connected to the raking transmission device for driving the rake teeth 601 to rake back and forth on the return working surface of the annular conveyor belt 5 to turn over and rake the oil-tea fresh fruits on the annular conveyor belt 5, so that the oil-tea fresh fruits are heated evenly and it is beneficial to the automatic screening effect of the oil-tea fresh fruits.

[0040] In a preferred embodiment, the rake material transmission device includes a fixed rod 603, a connecting rod 604, and a crankshaft 605. The crankshaft 605 is rotatably connected to the after-ripening box body 2. The conveying end of the rake material driving device 602 is connected to one end of the crankshaft 605. One end of the connecting rod 604 is rotatably connected to the connecting rod journal 606 on the crankshaft 605, and the other end is hinged to one end of the fixed rod 603. The other end of the fixed rod 603 is fixedly connected to the rake teeth 601. The rake material driving device 602 uses an electric motor. The electric motor drives the crankshaft 605 to rotate, and then drives the rake teeth 601 to slide back and forth to rake the oil-tea fresh fruits on the return working surface of the annular conveyor belt 5; in this embodiment, the crankshaft 605 horizontally straddles both sides of the after-ripening box body 2. The crankshaft 605 is provided with two groups of connecting rod journals 606, and two groups of rake teeth 601 are also provided, which are respectively arranged along the conveying direction of the annular conveyor belt 5. The same crankshaft 605 can drive the two groups of rake teeth 601 to rake back and forth in the oil-tea fresh fruit transmission direction for turning and raking.

[0041] In a preferred embodiment, the heating device 3 includes an oil temperature machine 301, a heat exchange coil 302, a main oil inlet pipe 303, and a main oil return pipe 304. The oil temperature machine 301 is arranged beside the after-ripening box body 2. The main oil inlet pipe 303 is connected to the oil outlet of the oil temperature machine 301, and the main oil return pipe 304 is connected to the oil return port of the oil temperature machine 301. The inlet section of the heat exchange coil 302 is communicated with the main oil inlet pipe 303, and the outlet section of the heat exchange coil 302 is communicated with the main oil return pipe 304. The pipe body of the heat exchange coil 302 is respectively attached to the bottom of the partition plate 201 and / or the supporting plate 501. After the heat-conducting oil is heated and raised in temperature by the oil temperature machine 301, it enters the heat exchange coil 302 from the main oil inlet pipe 303, and then returns to the inside of the oil temperature machine 301 through the main oil return pipe 304 for circulating heating to ensure that the temperature of each processing interval in the after-ripening box body 2 is constant; an oil inlet main valve 3031 is provided on the main oil inlet pipe 303, a return oil main valve 3041 is provided on the main oil return pipe 304, and an oil inlet proportional valve 3021 is respectively provided corresponding to the inlet section of each section of the heat exchange coil 302, and a return oil valve 3022 is respectively provided corresponding to the outlet section of the heat exchange coil 302. A temperature measuring device 7 and a humidity measuring device 8 are respectively provided for each processing interval. According to the temperature and humidity data detected by the temperature measuring device 7 and the humidity measuring device 8, the opening degree of the corresponding oil inlet proportional valve 3021 can be adjusted to control the temperature and humidity in each corresponding processing interval. In this embodiment, the temperature in the upper processing interval is controlled at 30°C - 32°C, the humidity is controlled at 90% - 92%, the temperature in the middle processing interval is controlled at 35°C - 37°C, the humidity is controlled at 93 - 95%, and the temperature in the lower processing interval is controlled at 38°C - 40°C, the humidity is controlled at 96% - 98%.

[0042] In a preferred embodiment, the inert gas device 4 includes a nitrogen generator 401, a nitrogen inlet pipe 402, an exhaust pipe 403, a suction fan 404 and a gas-liquid separation device 405. The nitrogen generator 401 is arranged beside the after-ripening box body 2. One end of the nitrogen inlet pipe 402 is communicated with the air outlet of the nitrogen generator 401, and the other end of the nitrogen inlet pipe 402 is respectively communicated with each processing interval of each layer. The exhaust pipe 403 is arranged on the side opposite to the nitrogen inlet pipe 402 and is respectively communicated with each processing interval of each layer. The suction fan 404 is communicated with the exhaust pipe 403. The inlet end of the gas-liquid separation device 405 is communicated with the outlet end of the suction fan 404. The outlet end of the gas-liquid separation device 405 is communicated with the inlet end of the nitrogen generator 401 through a recovery pipe 406. An intake valve 4021 and an exhaust valve 4031 are respectively arranged on the nitrogen inlet pipe 402 and the exhaust pipe 403. Nitrogen is generated by the nitrogen generator 401 and then injected into the after-ripening box body 2 through the nitrogen inlet pipe 402 to replace the original air in the after-ripening box body 2 to create an anoxic environment. Each processing interval corresponds to the nitrogen inlet pipe 402 to avoid the situation that nitrogen cannot completely replace the original air in the after-ripening box body 2 due to the layering partition in the after-ripening box body 2. At the same time, the waste gas generated during the after-ripening process can be discharged through the exhaust pipe 403 and the suction fan 404. The extracted waste gas is mixed with liquid, nitrogen and carbon dioxide. After being separated by the gas-liquid separation device 405, the liquid is discharged externally, and the nitrogen and carbon dioxide mixture gas returns to the nitrogen generator 401 for further purification to make nitrogen, saving the nitrogen production cost. Of course, the inert gas device 4 can also be linked and controlled with the temperature measuring device 7 and the humidity measuring device 8, and circulated through the suction fan 404 to make the temperature and humidity inside the after-ripening box body 2 more evenly distributed.

[0043] Please refer to Figures 1 to 8 The present invention also discloses a method for promoting the after-ripening of oil-tea fresh fruits, including the following steps: S1. Pour the oil-tea fresh fruits into the cleaning box 101 of the feeding device 1 for cleaning, and at the same time start the heating device 3 and the inert gas device 4. The inert gas device 4 replaces the original air inside the after-ripening box body 2, and the heating device 3 heats and raises the temperature of the upper, middle and lower three-layer processing intervals inside the after-ripening box body 2, so that the temperature in the upper, middle and lower three-layer processing intervals gradually increases from top to bottom, and the temperature and humidity in each processing interval are controlled to create a constant temperature and humidity anoxic environment. Through long-term production practice, the applicant finally determines that in step S1 of the present invention, the temperature in the upper-layer processing interval inside the after-ripening box body 2 is controlled at 30°C - 32°C, the humidity is controlled at 90% - 92%, the temperature in the middle-layer processing interval is controlled at 35°C - 37°C, the humidity is controlled at 93 - 95%, the temperature in the lower-layer processing interval is controlled at 38°C - 40°C, and the humidity is controlled at 96% - 98%. The setting of this temperature and humidity is most conducive to production use, which can ensure the after-ripening effect and improve the oil content rate of tea seeds while ensuring the production efficiency.

[0044] S2. The washed fresh oil-tea fruits are conveyed by the lifting conveyor belt 102 to the top of the after-ripening box body 2 and fall into the feed hopper 103, then enter the interior of the after-ripening box body 2 and fall onto the head end of the annular conveyor belt 5 in the upper processing area. As the annular conveyor belt 5 runs towards the tail end, they gradually fall onto the adjacent lower annular conveyor belt 5 below for reciprocating conveyance, enabling the fresh oil-tea fruits to undergo after-ripening treatment through three processing areas with different temperature and humidity conditions;

[0045] S3. When the fresh oil-tea fruits are conveyed on the outgoing working surface of the annular conveyor belt 5, the crankshaft 605 of the rake driving device 602 drives the rake transmission device to rotate, thereby driving the rake teeth 601 to slide back and forth in the conveying direction of the fresh oil-tea fruits, turning over the fresh oil-tea fruits on the outgoing working surface of the annular conveyor belt 5. This enables the fresh oil-tea fruits to be evenly heated and facilitates grading. During the turning-over process, the medium-sized and small fruits of the fresh oil-tea fruits smaller than 4 cm fall through the mesh holes of the annular conveyor belt 5 onto the lower supporting plate 501 below, and roll onto the tail end of the upper annular conveyor belt 5 earlier than the large fruits. Then, they return to the head end working surface of the middle-layer annular conveyor belt 5 via the conveying transition pipe 502. When conveyed on the outgoing working surface of the middle-layer annular conveyor belt 5, the small fruits of the fresh oil-tea fruits smaller than 3 cm continue to fall through the mesh holes of the middle-layer annular conveyor belt 5 onto the lower supporting plate 501 below, and roll onto the tail end of the middle-layer annular conveyor belt 5 earlier than the large fruits and medium-sized fruits. Then, they return to the head end working surface of the lower-layer annular conveyor belt 5 through the conveying transition pipe 502 again. Thus, the large fruits with a fruit diameter greater than 4 cm need to travel through three layers of the annular conveyor belt 5 in each processing area, the medium-sized fruits with a fruit diameter of 3 cm - 4 cm travel through two layers of the annular conveyor belt 5, and the small fruits with a fruit diameter of 1 cm - 3 cm only need to travel through one layer of the annular conveyor belt 5, achieving the simultaneous after-ripening treatment of fresh oil-tea fruits with different fruit diameters according to different treatment times. Of course, when the fresh oil-tea fruits are conveyed in the three processing areas, the rotation speed of the annular conveyor belt 5 in each processing area can also be adjusted to adjust the overall residence time of the fresh oil-tea fruits in each processing area, thereby doubly adjusting the residence time of the fresh oil-tea fruits inside the after-ripening box body 2 and further improving the after-ripening treatment efficiency;

[0046] S4. After being processed through the three processing areas, the fresh oil-tea fruits are discharged from the discharge port 204 outside the after-ripening box body 2 to complete the after-ripening treatment. By using the above method to continuously after-ripen the fresh oil-tea fruits, it conforms to the physiological characteristics of the oil-tea fruits, is easy to operate, has a high degree of automation, operates safely, and has a high treatment effect.

[0047] The background part of the present invention may include background information about the problems or environment of the present invention, rather than necessarily describing the prior art. Therefore, the content included in the background art section is not an admission by the applicant of the prior art.

[0048] The above content is a further detailed description of the present invention in combination with specific / preferred embodiments, and it cannot be determined that the specific implementation of the present invention is only limited to these descriptions. For those of ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present invention pertains, without departing from the concept of the present invention, several alternatives or modifications can be made to these described embodiments, and these alternative or modified forms should all be regarded as belonging to the protection scope of the present invention. In the description of this specification, the description with reference to terms such as "an embodiment", "some embodiments", "preferred embodiments", "examples", "specific examples" or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in connection with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic representation of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described can be combined in a suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples. Without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and combine the different embodiments or examples described in this specification and the features of different embodiments or examples. Although the embodiments of the present invention and their advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the scope of protection of the patent application.

Claims

1. An apparatus for promoting the after-ripening of fresh Camellia oleifera fruits, characterized in that, Including: A feeding device, a post-ripening box body, a heating device, an inert gas device and several layers of annular conveyor belts. The several layers of annular conveyor belts are horizontally arranged in the post-ripening box body, and the conveying directions of adjacent annular conveyor belts are opposite. The interior of the post-ripening box body is divided into upper, middle and lower three-layer processing intervals by partition plates. One-way door panels are provided for connection between the processing intervals. At least three layers of annular conveyor belts are provided inside each processing interval. The heating device and the inert gas device are respectively connected to the processing intervals. An inlet is opened at the top of the post-ripening box body, and an outlet is opened on the bottom side wall of the post-ripening box body. The feeding device is connected to the inlet. After the oil-tea camellia fresh fruits are poured onto the feeding device, they are lifted and enter the post-ripening box body from the inlet, and fall onto the head end of the annular conveyor belt in the upper-layer processing interval. As the annular conveyor belt runs towards the tail end, it falls onto the lower annular conveyor belt, enabling the oil-tea camellia fresh fruits to be conveyed step by step downward and successively undergo post-ripening treatment through the three-layer processing intervals; the mesh diameters of the annular conveyor belts in each processing interval decrease successively from top to bottom. A supporting plate is arranged between the forward and return trips of the annular conveyor belt. The supporting plate inclines towards the tail end side of the annular conveyor belt and is connected with a conveying transition pipe on the inclined side. The conveying transition pipe is communicated with the head end of the adjacent lower-layer annular conveyor belt.

2. The device for promoting the after-ripening of fresh Camellia oleifera fruits according to claim 1, wherein: Blocking strips are respectively arranged at both ends of the supporting plate. The top parts of the blocking strips at both ends are respectively abutted against the bottom end of the forward working surface of the annular conveyor belt. A plurality of air holes are opened on the supporting plate, and the aperture of the air holes is less than 1 cm.

3. The device for promoting the after-ripening of fresh Camellia oleifera fruits according to claim 2, wherein: Three layers of annular conveyor belts are provided inside each processing interval. The mesh diameter of the upper-layer annular conveyor belt is configured to be 4 cm, the mesh diameter of the middle-layer annular conveyor belt is configured to be 3 cm, and the mesh diameter of the lower-layer annular conveyor belt is configured to be less than 1 cm.

4. The device for promoting the after-ripening of fresh Camellia oleifera fruits according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: A raking device is arranged on the forward working surface of the annular conveyor belt. The raking device includes rake teeth, a raking driving device and a raking transmission device. The rake teeth are transversely arranged in the post-ripening box body, and both ends are slidably connected to the inner wall of the post-ripening box body, and the bottom is abutted against the forward working surface of the annular conveyor belt. The raking transmission device is connected with the rake teeth, and the raking driving device is connected with the raking transmission device for driving the rake teeth to rake back and forth on the forward working surface of the annular conveyor belt.

5. The device for promoting the after-ripening of Camellia oleifera fresh fruits according to claim 4, wherein: The raking transmission device includes a fixed rod, a connecting rod and a crankshaft. The crankshaft is rotatably connected to the post-ripening box body. The conveying end of the raking driving device is connected with one end of the crankshaft. One end of the connecting rod is rotatably connected with the connecting rod journal on the crankshaft, and the other end is hinged with one end of the fixed rod. The other end of the fixed rod is fixedly connected with the rake teeth.

6. The device for promoting the after-ripening of Camellia oleifera fresh fruits according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The heating device includes an oil temperature machine, a heat exchange coil, a main oil inlet pipe and a main oil return pipe. The oil temperature machine is arranged next to the post-ripening box, the main oil inlet pipe is connected to the oil outlet of the oil temperature machine, the main oil return pipe is connected to the oil return port of the oil temperature machine, the inlet section of the heat exchange coil is connected to the main oil inlet pipe, the outlet section of the heat exchange coil is connected to the main oil return pipe, and the tube body of the heat exchange coil is respectively fitted and arranged on the bottom of the partition and / or the support plate.

7. The device for promoting the after-ripening of fresh Camellia oleifera fruits according to claim 6, characterized in that: The main oil inlet pipe is provided with an oil inlet main valve, the main oil return pipe is provided with an oil return main valve, the inlet section of the heat exchange coil is provided with an oil inlet proportional valve, the outlet section of the heat exchange coil is provided with an oil return valve, and each of the processing intervals is provided with a temperature measuring device and a humidity measuring device.

8. The device for promoting the after-ripening of fresh Camellia oleifera fruits according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The inert gas device comprises a nitrogen generator, a nitrogen inlet pipe, an exhaust pipe, an exhaust fan and a gas-liquid separation device. The nitrogen generator is arranged beside the post-ripening box. One end of the nitrogen inlet pipe is communicated with the gas outlet of the nitrogen generator, and the other end is respectively communicated with the processing intervals of each layer. The exhaust pipe is arranged on the side opposite to the nitrogen inlet pipe and is respectively communicated with the processing intervals of each layer. The exhaust fan is communicated with the exhaust pipe. The inlet end of the gas-liquid separation device is communicated with the outlet end of the exhaust fan. The gas outlet end of the gas-liquid separation device is communicated with the inlet end of the nitrogen generator through a recovery pipe. The nitrogen inlet pipe and the exhaust pipe are respectively provided with an inlet valve and an exhaust valve.

9. A method for promoting the after-ripening of fresh Camellia oleifera fruits, characterized in that: The method of using the device for promoting the ripening of fresh camellia oil fruits as claimed in claim 3 to process fresh camellia oil fruits comprises the following steps: S1. Pour the fresh oil-tea fruit into the cleaning box of the feeding device for cleaning, and start the heating device and the inert gas device at the same time. The inert gas device replaces the original air inside the ripening box, and the heating device heats the upper, middle and lower processing intervals in the ripening box, so that the temperature in the upper, middle and lower processing intervals increases layer by layer from top to bottom, and the temperature and humidity in each processing interval are controlled to create a constant temperature and humidity oxygen-deficient environment; S2. The fresh oil-tea fruits in the cleaning box are conveyed to the top of the ripening box by the lifting conveyor belt and fall into the feed hopper. The bottom of the feed hopper is connected with the feed port, so that the fresh oil-tea fruits enter the ripening box and fall onto the head end of the ring conveyor belt in the upper processing zone. As the ring conveyor belt moves toward the tail end, it falls onto the adjacent ring conveyor belt below and is conveyed back and forth step by step downward in the three-layer processing zone. S3. When the fresh oil-tea fruits are conveyed on the return working surface of the annular conveyor belt, the rake driving device drives the crankshaft of the rake transmission device to rotate, and then drives the rake teeth to slide back and forth, turning over and raking the fresh oil-tea fruits on the return working surface of the annular conveyor belt, so that the fresh oil-tea fruits are evenly heated and easy to be graded. During the turning-over and raking process, the medium-sized and small fruits with a fruit diameter less than or equal to 4 cm of the fresh oil-tea fruits fall through the mesh holes of the annular conveyor belt onto the lower supporting plate, and roll to the tail end of the upper annular conveyor belt earlier than the large fruits, and then return to the head working surface of the middle annular conveyor belt through the conveying transition pipe. When being conveyed on the return working surface of the middle annular conveyor belt, the small fruits with a fruit diameter less than or equal to 3 cm of the fresh oil-tea fruits continue to fall through the mesh holes of the middle annular conveyor belt onto the lower supporting plate, and roll to the tail end of the middle annular conveyor belt earlier than the large fruits and medium-sized fruits, and then return to the head working surface of the lower annular conveyor belt through the conveying transition pipe again. As a result, the large fruits with a fruit diameter greater than 4 cm need to travel through three layers of annular conveyor belts in each processing section, the medium-sized fruits with a fruit diameter greater than 3 cm and less than or equal to 4 cm travel through two layers of annular conveyor belts, and the small fruits with a fruit diameter greater than 1 cm and less than or equal to 3 cm travel through one layer of annular conveyor belt. The fresh oil-tea fruits with different fruit diameters are subjected to after-ripening treatment simultaneously according to different treatment times; S4. After the fresh oil-tea fruits are treated in three processing sections, they are discharged from the after-ripening box body through the discharge port, and the after-ripening treatment is completed.

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