A tea stem and leaf separation unit and control method for matcha production

Abstract

This invention discloses a tea stem and leaf separation unit and control method for matcha production, comprising: a stem and leaf separation unit for separating the stems and leaves of tea raw materials; a quantitative feeding unit located on one side of the stem and leaf separation unit for quantitatively conveying the tea raw materials to the stem and leaf separation unit; a stem and leaf cleaning unit located below the stem and leaf separation unit for cleaning the separated stems and leaves, achieving separation and cleaning of stems and leaves; and a stem return unit located on one side of the stem and leaf cleaning unit for re-conveying the tea stems to the quantitative feeding unit. This invention achieves stem and leaf separation, quantitative feeding, and stem and leaf cleaning of tea raw materials, resulting in high efficiency and good quality stem and leaf separation. Combined with the raw material conveying unit, stem conveying unit, and leaf conveying unit, it realizes automated and continuous production of the tea stem and leaf separation process, which is beneficial for achieving intelligent, clean, and continuous matcha production.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of matcha processing technology, and in particular to a tea stem and leaf separation unit and control method for matcha production. Background Technology

[0002] Matcha originated in China during the Wei and Jin Dynasties, and was later introduced to Japan where it gradually flourished. With the revival of tea culture in my country, matcha and matcha-based foods have become widely popular, showing great market potential. Matcha production mainly includes processes such as collecting tender tea leaves, cleaning, steaming, drying, and grinding. Currently, before grinding, tea leaves and stems are usually crushed together. However, the crushed tea leaves and stems are difficult to separate again. During subsequent grinding, the crushed tea leaves and stems are ground together into powder. But the inclusion of tea stems makes the finished matcha bitter and astringent, and the finished matcha also has discoloration due to the stems, reducing the appearance quality of the matcha product. In addition, current tea stem and leaf separation equipment is mostly in the form of single machines, which is not conducive to realizing the automation and continuous production of the tea stem and leaf separation process.

[0003] Therefore, for matcha production, separating tea leaves from stems and stalks to achieve continuous production of the tea stem and leaf separation process is of great significance for improving the quality of matcha products and forming a clean and continuous matcha production process. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Based on the technical problems existing in the background technology, the present invention proposes a tea stem and leaf separation unit and control method for matcha production, which realizes the automation and continuous production of tea stem and leaf separation process, and is conducive to realizing the intelligent, clean and continuous production of matcha.

[0005] This invention proposes a tea stem and leaf separation unit for matcha production, comprising:

[0006] The stem and leaf separation unit is used to separate the stems and leaves of tea raw materials;

[0007] A quantitative feeding unit is located on one side of the stem and leaf separation unit and is used to quantitatively feed tea raw materials to the stem and leaf separation unit.

[0008] The stem and leaf cleaning unit is located below the stem and leaf separation unit and is used to clean the separated stems and leaves to achieve the separation and cleaning of stems and leaves.

[0009] The stem and stalk return unit is located on one side of the stem and leaf cleaning unit and is used to re-transport the tea stems and stalks processed by the stem and leaf cleaning unit to the quantitative feeding unit.

[0010] Preferably, the stem-leaf separation unit includes an outer cylinder, the outer cylinder having a separation through hole on its peripheral sidewall, friction rings fixedly connected to the outer peripheral sidewalls at both ends of the outer cylinder, friction wheels frictionally connected to the outer peripheral sidewalls of the friction rings, the friction wheels fixedly connected to a first connecting shaft, the first connecting shaft being connected to a second connecting shaft via a coupling, a first pulley fixedly connected to the peripheral sidewall of the second connecting shaft, the first pulley being driven to a second pulley via a transmission belt, and the second pulley being fixedly connected to the main shaft of a first motor;

[0011] The inner cylinder is rotatably connected to the inner cylinder through a horizontal drive shaft. The outer peripheral sidewall of the inner cylinder is connected to a spiral scraper. The horizontal drive shaft is connected to the axis of the inner cylinder. The right end of the horizontal drive shaft is connected to the main shaft of the second motor through a coupling.

[0012] The cross-section of the separation through hole is arranged in an isosceles trapezoidal structure;

[0013] The spiral scraper has a helix angle of 55° and a pitch of 1760 mm. The outer diameter of the spiral scraper is smaller than the inner diameter of the separation outer cylinder.

[0014] Preferably, the quantitative feeding unit includes a feeding hopper with an open bottom. A weight sensor is fixedly connected to the bottom of the feeding hopper via a bracket. The weight sensor is connected to the stem and leaf separation unit via a connecting frame. An electric push rod is fixedly connected to the outer wall of the feeding hopper. An L-shaped baffle is connected to the output end of the electric push rod. One end of the L-shaped baffle is inserted into the feeding hopper and slidably connected to the feeding hopper. An agitator is fixedly connected to the upper side wall of the L-shaped baffle.

[0015] Preferably, the stem and leaf cleaning unit includes a cleaning tank, a stepped screen is provided in the cleaning tank, a first crankshaft and a second crankshaft are rotatably connected to the bottom of the cleaning tank respectively, one end of the first crankshaft is connected to the output shaft of a third motor through a coupling, and a centrifugal fan is also provided on one side of the cleaning tank.

[0016] Preferably, the first crankshaft crank arm AB, the center distance BC between the first crankshaft crank arm and the second crankshaft crank arm, the second crankshaft crank arm CD, and the center distance AD ​​between the first crankshaft and the second crankshaft constitute a double crank mechanism.

[0017] Preferably, the stem reflux unit includes a lifting cylinder, a vertical drive shaft is rotatably connected to the axis of the lifting cylinder, a spiral blade is fixedly connected to the peripheral side wall of the vertical drive shaft, the upper end of the vertical drive shaft is connected to the output shaft of a fourth motor through a coupling, and the upper and lower ends of the lifting cylinder are respectively provided with a discharge port and a feed port, and the discharge port and feed port of the lifting cylinder are respectively fixedly connected with a discharge trough and a feed trough.

[0018] Preferably, a stem conveying unit is provided between the stem reflux unit and the stem and leaf cleaning unit. The stem conveying unit includes a first belt conveyor for conveying the tea stems processed by the stem and leaf cleaning unit to the stem reflux unit or for conveying the tea stems after secondary leaf separation to the stem collection area.

[0019] Preferably, the quantitative feeding unit is further connected to a raw material conveying unit, which includes a vertical belt conveyor for conveying tea raw materials into the quantitative feeding unit.

[0020] Preferably, a leaf conveying unit is also provided on one side of the stem and leaf cleaning unit. The leaf conveying unit includes a second belt conveyor for conveying the cleaned tea leaves to the leaf collection area.

[0021] The control method for the tea stem and leaf separator for matcha production proposed in this invention comprises the following steps:

[0022] S1: The control module starts the vertical belt elevator. The electromagnetic vibrating feeder at the feed end of the vertical belt elevator shakes the dried tea raw materials and feeds them evenly into the feed hopper of the quantitative feeding unit.

[0023] S2: The weight sensor senses the weight of the tea raw material in the feed hopper. The control module processes the readings of the four weight sensors and takes the average value. When the weight sensor senses that the raw material in the feed hopper reaches 2kg, the control module shuts down the vertical belt elevator and stops feeding the material into the feed hopper. Then the control module controls the extension rod of the electric push rod to extend, and the raw material slides into the feed end of the outer cylinder.

[0024] S3: The control module starts the first motor and the second motor, so that the outer cylinder and the spiral scraper rotate in opposite directions at different speeds. The separation through hole, together with the spiral scraper, continuously scrapes the raw material blades to separate the blades from the stems. At the same time, the spiral scraper continuously conveys the raw material to the discharge end of the outer cylinder.

[0025] S4: Synchronized with S3, the control module starts the third motor and centrifugal fan. The third motor drives the first crankshaft to rotate, thereby causing the cleaning tank and the stepped screen to swing back and forth. The separation of leaves and stems is achieved by combining air separation and screening. The control module controls the second belt conveyor to rotate its motor in the forward direction. The second belt conveyor transports the cleaned tea leaves to the leaf collection area.

[0026] S5: Synchronized with S3, the control module controls the first belt conveyor to rotate its motor forward. The tea stems and stalks that have been initially separated from the leaves are conveyed to the feed trough by the first belt conveyor. The control module starts the fourth motor, and the spiral blades convey the tea stems and stalks that have been initially separated from the leaves in the bottom feed trough upward. They flow into the feed hopper of the quantitative feeding unit through the discharge trough and re-enter the outer cylinder of the stem and leaf separation unit for separation of stems and leaves.

[0027] S6: When all the tea stems and stalks from the initial leaf separation have been conveyed through the feed hopper to the outer cylinder feed end, the control module controls the fourth motor to stop, the control module controls the first belt conveyor to reverse its motor, and the first belt conveyor to move its conveyor belt to the right to transport the tea stems and stalks after the secondary leaf separation to the stem collection area. The control module controls the extension rod of the electric push rod to retract, and repeats step S1 to feed material into the feed hopper.

[0028] Beneficial technical effects of the present invention:

[0029] 1. This invention achieves stem and leaf separation of tea raw materials through a specially designed stem and leaf separation unit. It includes an outer cylinder and an inner spiral scraper operating at opposite speeds, which makes the relative speed difference between the outer cylinder and the spiral scraper greater. The tea raw materials have a large relative speed in the outer cylinder, which facilitates the separation through holes on the outer cylinder to scrape the leaf parts off the stems in conjunction with the spiral scraper. The inner edge of the separation through holes arranged in a ring on the side wall of the outer cylinder continuously scrapes the leaf parts of the raw materials, causing the leaf parts to break. When the leaf parts of the raw materials are stuck in the separation through holes, the spiral scraper will cut off the leaf parts. In addition, when the stems are stuck in the gap between the spiral scraper and the outer cylinder, the stems and leaves are torn off when the outer cylinder and the spiral scraper operate at opposite speeds. By using multiple stem and leaf separation methods, the separation of stems and leaves is achieved, which effectively improves the efficiency and quality of tea stem and leaf separation.

[0030] The stem-leaf separation unit has a full-angle structure in its stem-leaf separation area. Under the same separation length, compared with stem-leaf separation devices with half-angle or small-angle structures, the stem-leaf separation unit of the present invention significantly increases the number of stem-leaf separations, effectively improving the efficiency and quality of stem-leaf separation.

[0031] 2. The present invention achieves quantitative feeding of tea leaves to the stem and leaf separation unit through a specially designed quantitative feeding unit. The quantitative feeding unit can weigh a quantitative amount of tea leaves and feed them into the feeding end of the outer cylinder of the stem and leaf separation unit, so that the amount of tea leaves separated by the stem and leaf separation unit is equal each time, avoiding uneven stem and leaf separation effect due to the unequal amount of tea leaves during stem and leaf separation.

[0032] 3. This invention utilizes a specially designed stem and leaf cleaning unit that combines air separation and screening to separate and clean stems and leaves. Since the stems have a relatively high water content and specific gravity, while the leaves have a relatively low water content and specific gravity, the principle of the difference in specific gravity between the stems and leaves is used to separate the mixed leaves from the stems through air separation. The centrifugal fan is arranged in parallel with the stem and leaf separation unit. A small amount of stems and broken leaves are directly air separated as they fall into the cleaning tank through the separation holes. The mixed leaves and stems also undergo air separation as they fall into the cleaning tank from the outer cylinder outlet. This prevents the leaves and stems that were already separated before air separation from gathering together again, which would not only affect the air separation effect but also require a more powerful centrifugal fan, resulting in higher energy consumption.

[0033] The heavier raw material stems and some leaf fragments obscured by the stems fall onto the stepped screen in front of the cleaning tank. As the stepped screen swings, the raw material stems and some leaf fragments obscured by the stems are thrown up slightly. The leaf fragments fall through the screen holes to the lower side of the stepped screen or are blown by the wind to the back of the cleaning tank when they are thrown up. Finally, the raw material stems fall onto the conveyor belt of the first belt conveyor of the stem conveying unit. After air separation, they are screened again. This avoids the leaf fragments obscured by the stems from being mixed into the stem collection area during air separation, which helps to improve the sorting quality.

[0034] 4. The present invention uses a specially designed stem reflux unit to re-feed the tea stems after the initial leaf separation to the quantitative feeding unit, and then the stem-leaf separation unit further separates the remaining leaves on the tea stems to reduce the amount of leaves remaining on the raw material stems, which is beneficial to improving the separation quality and reducing the loss of tea leaves.

[0035] 5. This invention, through a specially designed raw material conveying unit, quantitative feeding unit, stem and leaf separation unit, stem and leaf cleaning unit, stem and stalk conveying unit, and leaf conveying unit, realizes the automation and continuous production of the tea stem and leaf separation process. This allows the tea stem and leaf separation process to be connected in series with the preceding and following tea drying and grinding processes to form a matcha processing production line. The operation of related equipment can be directly controlled through the control module, reducing manual intervention in the matcha production process, improving the hygienic quality of matcha production, and facilitating the realization of intelligent, clean, and continuous matcha production. Attached Figure Description

[0036] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a tea stem and leaf separation unit for matcha production proposed in this invention;

[0037] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the stalk-leaf separation unit proposed in this invention;

[0038] Figure 3 This is an enlarged view of point A in the stalk-leaf separation unit proposed in this invention;

[0039] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the outer cylinder structure proposed in this invention;

[0040] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection between the inner cylinder, the spiral scraper, and the horizontal drive shaft proposed in this invention.

[0041] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the quantitative feeding unit proposed in this invention;

[0042] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the quantitative feeding unit proposed in this invention;

[0043] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the stem and leaf cleaning unit proposed in this invention;

[0044] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection between the cleaning tank and the first crankshaft and the second crankshaft proposed in this invention;

[0045] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the cleaning tank proposed in this invention;

[0046] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the stalk reflux unit proposed in this invention.

[0047] In the diagram: 1-Stem-leaf separation unit, 11-Outer cylinder, 12-Separation through hole, 13-Friction ring, 14-Friction wheel, 15-First connecting shaft, 16-Second connecting shaft, 17-First pulley, 18-Transmission belt, 19-Second pulley, 110-First motor, 111-Horizontal transmission shaft, 112-Inner cylinder, 113-Spiral scraper, 114-Second motor, 115-First support seat, 116-Second support seat, 117-Support base frame, 2-Quantitative feeding unit, 21-Feeding hopper, 22-Bracket, 23-Weight sensor, 24-Electric push rod, 25-L-shaped stop Plate, 26-Agitator, 27-Connecting frame, 3-Stem and leaf cleaning unit, 31-Cleaning trough, 32-Step screen, 33-First crankshaft, 34-Second crankshaft, 35-Third motor, 36-Centrifugal fan, 37-Third support seat, 38-Support base, 4-Stem and stem return unit, 41-Lifting cylinder, 42-Vertical drive shaft, 43-Helical blade, 44-Fourth motor, 45-Discharge trough, 46-Feed trough, 5-Raw material conveying unit, 51-Vertical belt elevator, 6-Stem and stem conveying unit, 61-First belt conveyor, 7-Blade conveying unit, 71-Second belt conveyor. Detailed Implementation

[0048] The present invention will be further explained below with reference to specific embodiments.

[0049] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 6 , Figure 8 and Figure 11 The present invention proposes a tea stem and leaf separation unit for matcha production, comprising:

[0050] The stem and leaf separation unit 1 is used to separate the stems and leaves of tea raw materials.

[0051] The quantitative feeding unit 2 is located on one side of the stem and leaf separation unit 1 and is used to quantitatively transport tea raw materials to the stem and leaf separation unit 1.

[0052] The stem and leaf cleaning unit 3 is located below the stem and leaf separation unit 1 and is used to clean the separated stems and leaves to achieve the separation and cleaning of stems and leaves.

[0053] The stem and stem return unit 4 is located on one side of the stem and leaf cleaning unit 1. It is used to transport the tea stems and stems that have been separated from the leaves in the first step back to the quantitative feeding unit 2, where the stem and leaf separation unit 1 further separates the remaining leaves on the tea stems and stems.

[0054] The raw material conveying unit 5 is equipped with a vertical belt elevator 51. The feed end of the vertical belt elevator 51 is equipped with an electromagnetic vibrating feeder to ensure that the vertical belt elevator 51 feeds the material evenly into the feed hopper 21 of the quantitative feeding unit 2. The discharge end of the vertical belt elevator 51 is located above the feed hopper 21 of the quantitative feeding unit 2, and is used to convey the tea raw materials into the quantitative feeding unit 2. The raw materials are tea leaves that have been steamed and dried. The moisture content of the leaves is about 8-10%, and the moisture content of the stems is about 15-20%. It should be able to ensure that the leaves break when the leaves are rubbed by fingers, while the stems retain a certain toughness and do not break.

[0055] The stem conveying unit 6 is equipped with a first belt conveyor 61, which is used to convey the tea stems after the initial leaf separation to the stem return unit 4 or to the stem collection area after the secondary leaf separation. The first belt conveyor 61 is located below the discharge end of the front side of the cleaning trough 31 of the stem and leaf cleaning unit 3. The left end of the first belt conveyor 61 is located above the feed trough 46 of the stem return unit 4. When the motor of the first belt conveyor 61 rotates forward, its conveyor belt drives to the left to convey the tea stems after the initial leaf separation to the feed trough 46 of the stem return unit 4. When the motor of the first belt conveyor 61 rotates in reverse, its conveyor belt drives to the right to convey the tea stems after the secondary leaf separation to the stem collection area.

[0056] The leaf conveying unit 7 is equipped with a second belt conveyor 71, which is used to transport the cleaned tea leaves to the leaf collection area. The second belt conveyor 71 is located below the discharge end of the cleaning trough 31 of the stem and leaf cleaning unit 3. The motor of the second belt conveyor 71 rotates in the forward direction, and its conveyor belt transports the cleaned tea leaves to the leaf collection area.

[0057] Reference Figure 2-5 The stem-leaf separation unit 1 includes an outer cylinder 11, a separation through hole 12, a friction ring 13, a friction wheel 14, a first connecting shaft 15, a second connecting shaft 16, a first pulley 17, a transmission belt 18, a second pulley 19, a first motor 110, a horizontal transmission shaft 111, an inner cylinder 112, a second motor 114, a spiral scraper 113, a first support seat 115, a second support seat 116, and a support base 117. The outer cylinder 11 has a separation through hole 12 on its peripheral sidewall, and the separation through hole 12 is annular. The separation through holes 12 are evenly distributed and processed by punching. The cross-section of the separation through holes 12 is set in an isosceles trapezoidal structure. The outer diameter of the separation through holes 12 is larger than the inner diameter of the separation through holes 12. The outer diameter of the separation through holes 12 is 20mm and the inner diameter of the separation through holes 12 is 16mm. The outer diameter of the separation through holes 12 is larger than the inner diameter of the separation through holes 12. The easily broken raw material blades fall into the cleaning tank 31 through the separation through holes 12, so as to avoid the broken raw material blades getting stuck inside the separation through holes 12 and affecting the separation efficiency.

[0058] Friction rings 13 are fixedly connected to the outer peripheral sidewalls at both ends of the outer cylinder 11. There are two friction rings 13 in total. The outer peripheral sidewalls of the friction rings 13 are rubbed with the friction wheels 14. There are four friction rings 13 and four first support seats 115. The friction rings 13 are arranged symmetrically with the outer cylinder 11 as the center. The friction wheels 14 are fixedly connected to the first connecting shaft 15. The first connecting shaft 15 is rotatably connected to the first support seat 115 through a bearing. The first connecting shaft 15 at the left front end is fixedly connected to the second connecting shaft 16 through a coupling. The second connecting shaft 16 is rotatably connected to the second support seat 116 through a bearing. The peripheral sidewall of the second connecting shaft 16 is fixedly connected to the first pulley 17. The first pulley 17 is connected to the second pulley 19 through a transmission belt 18. The second pulley 19 is fixedly connected to the main shaft of the first motor 110. The first support seat 115, the second support seat 116, and the first motor 110 are all fixedly connected to the support base frame 117 by bolts.

[0059] A baffle is fixedly connected to the portion of the outer cylinder 11 below 2 / 3 of its height at the feed end. The right end of the feed hopper 21 extends into the interior of the outer cylinder 11's feed end to prevent tea leaves from spilling. An inner cylinder 112 is rotatably connected to the interior of the outer cylinder 11 via a horizontal drive shaft 111. The inner cylinder 112 is hollow. Mounting brackets for mounting the horizontal drive shaft 111 are fixedly connected to both ends of the outer cylinder 11. The horizontal drive shaft 111 is rotatably connected to the mounting brackets inside the outer cylinder 11 via bearings. A spiral scraper 113 is fixedly connected to the outer peripheral wall of the cylinder 112. Three spiral scrapers 113 are arranged equidistantly in a ring. The spiral helix angle of the spiral scraper 113 is 55°, the pitch of the spiral scraper 113 is 1760mm, and the outer diameter of the spiral scraper 113 is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the outer cylinder 11. The outer cylinder 11 is 1850mm long and has an inner diameter of 390mm. The outer diameter of the inner cylinder 112 is 150mm, and the outer diameter of the spiral scraper 113 is 385mm. A horizontal drive shaft 111 is fixedly connected to the axis of the inner cylinder 112. The right end of the horizontal drive shaft 111 is fixedly connected to the main shaft of the second motor 114 via a coupling. The second motor 114 is fixedly connected to the support base 117 by bolts.

[0060] The raw material is conveyed to the feed end of the outer cylinder 11 through the quantitative feeding unit 2. The second motor 114 drives the horizontal transmission shaft 111, the inner cylinder 112 and the spiral scraper 113 to rotate clockwise through the coupling. The spiral scraper 113 conveys the raw material that has just entered the outer cylinder 11 to the discharge end of the outer cylinder 11. At the same time, the first motor 110 drives the second pulley 19 to rotate. The second pulley 19 drives the first pulley 17 to rotate through the transmission belt 18, which further drives the friction wheel 14 to rotate. The friction wheel 14 drives the friction ring 13 and the outer cylinder 11 to rotate, so that the outer cylinder 11 rotates counterclockwise. The outer cylinder 11 and the spiral scraper 113 rotate in opposite directions at different speeds.

[0061] As the raw material blades move towards the discharge end of the outer cylinder 11, the inner edge of the annularly arranged separation through-holes 12 continuously scrapes against them. The separation through-holes 12 at various locations on the sidewalls of the outer cylinder 11 can separate the stems and leaves from the raw material, effectively improving the separation efficiency. Because the stems have a relatively high water content, the dry, brittle raw material blades break, while the more resilient stems do not. When some raw material blades become stuck in the separation through-holes 12, they are broken off by the spiral scraper 113. Additionally, some stems are easily trapped in the gap between the spiral scraper 113 and the outer cylinder 11. During the relative rotation of the outer cylinder 11 and the spiral scraper 113, the stems and leaves are torn apart, thus achieving the separation of stems and leaves. As the raw material is continuously pushed towards the discharge end of the outer cylinder 11 by the spiral scraper 113, the raw material blades are constantly scraped and broken during the process of being pushed to the discharge end of the outer cylinder 11. A small amount of raw material stems and broken raw material blades fall into the cleaning tank 31 through the separation through hole 12, where they are cleaned by the stem and leaf cleaning unit 3. A large amount of raw material stems are left to continuously move towards the discharge end of the outer cylinder 11. At the discharge end of the outer cylinder 11, some broken raw material blades and raw material stems are mixed together and fall into the cleaning tank 31 together from the discharge end of the outer cylinder 11. They are cleaned by the stem and leaf cleaning unit 3. Utilizing the principle that the raw material stems and raw material blades have different specific gravities, the mixed raw material blades and raw material stems are separated from each other by air separation.

[0062] Reference Figure 6 and Figure 7 The quantitative feeding unit 2 includes a feeding hopper 21, a support 22, a weight sensor 23, an electric push rod 24, an L-shaped baffle 25, a stirring rod 26, and a connecting frame 27. The weight sensor 23 is fixedly connected to the bottom of the feeding hopper 21 through the support 22. There are four weight sensors 23 in total. The weight sensors 23 are arranged symmetrically with the feeding hopper 21 as the center. The weight sensors 23 are fixed on the connecting frame 27. The connecting frame 27 is fixedly connected to the support base 117 by bolts. The electric push rod 24 is fixedly connected to the right side wall of the feeding hopper 21. The L-shaped baffle 25 is slidably connected inside the feeding hopper 21. The L-shaped baffle 25 penetrates the right side wall of the feeding hopper 21. The telescopic end of the electric push rod 24 is fixedly connected to the right end of the L-shaped baffle 25. The stirring rod 26 is fixedly connected to the upper side wall of the L-shaped baffle 25. There are three stirring rods 26 equidistantly arranged.

[0063] The system operates in 8-minute cycles. Tea leaves are conveyed to the feed hopper 21 via the vertical belt conveyor 51 of the raw material conveying unit 5. At this time, the telescopic rod of the electric push rod 24 retracts to the bottom, and the left end of the L-shaped baffle 25 abuts against the inner wall of the feed hopper 21. Weight sensors 23 detect the weight of the raw materials in the feed hopper 21. The control module processes the readings from the four weight sensors 23. When the weight sensor 23 detects that the weight of the raw materials in the feed hopper 21 has reached 2 kg, the vertical belt conveyor 51 stops. Feeding material into the feed hopper 21 is initiated, followed by the extension of the electric push rod 24, which moves the L-shaped baffle 25 to the upper right, creating a gap between the left end of the L-shaped baffle 25 and the inner wall of the feed hopper 21. The raw material then falls through this gap into the feed end of the outer cylinder 11. Simultaneously, the stirring rod 26 on the L-shaped baffle 25 agitates the tea raw material in the feed hopper 21, loosening it and facilitating its smooth sliding into the feed end of the outer cylinder 11. At this point, the electric push rod 24 remains extended until... All the tea stems and stalks from the initial leaf separation that require secondary peeling are returned to the feed end of the outer cylinder 11. At this time, the time is 5 minutes. The control module controls the fourth motor 44 to stop, and the control module controls the telescopic rod of the electric push rod 24 to retract. At the same time, the control module issues a command to control the motor of the first belt conveyor 61 to reverse and transport the tea stems and stalks after the secondary leaf separation to the stem collection area, and add raw materials back into the feed hopper 21. However, at this time and thereafter, when the reading of the weight sensor 23 reaches 2kg, the telescopic rod of the electric push rod 24 will no longer extend directly, but will wait for 3 minutes. When entering the next operating cycle, the control module controls the telescopic rod of the electric push rod 24 to extend and transport the raw materials to the feed end of the outer cylinder 11. The tea stems and stalks from the initial leaf separation also pass through the stem and leaf separation unit 1 and the stem and leaf cleaning unit 3 during these 3 minutes, completing the secondary separation and cleaning of the stems and leaves. When entering the next operating cycle, the control module controls the fourth motor 44 to restart, and the motor of the first belt conveyor 61 rotates forward.

[0064] Reference Figure 8-10The stem and leaf cleaning unit 3 includes a cleaning tank 31, a stepped screen 32, a first crankshaft 33, a second crankshaft 34, a third motor 35, a centrifugal fan 36, a third support 37, and a support base 38. The cleaning tank 31 is 2100mm long. The bottom wall of the front side of the cleaning tank 31 is inclined forward, and the bottom wall of the rear side of the cleaning tank 31 is inclined backward. The stepped screen 32 consists of three parallel inclined screen surfaces. The angle between the stepped screen 32 and the horizontal plane is 15°. The screen surface of the stepped screen 32 is parallel to the bottom wall of the front side of the cleaning tank 31. The stepped screen 32 is fixedly connected to the front side of the cleaning tank 31. The bottom of the cleaning tank 31 is rotatably connected to the first crankshaft 33 and the second crankshaft 34. The first crankshaft 33 and the second crankshaft 34 are of equal length. The crank arm AB of the first crankshaft 33 is 35mm long. The crank arm CD is 35mm long. The center distance BC between the crank arm of the first crankshaft 33 and the crank arm of the second crankshaft 34 is 480mm. The center distance AD ​​between the first crankshaft 33 and the second crankshaft 34 is 480mm. The crank arm AB of the first crankshaft 33, the center distance BC between the crank arm of the first crankshaft 33 and the crank arm of the second crankshaft 34, the crank arm CD of the second crankshaft 34, and the center distance AD ​​between the first crankshaft 33 and the second crankshaft 34 constitute a double crank mechanism. One end of the first crankshaft 33 is fixedly connected to the main shaft of the third motor 35 through a coupling. The first crankshaft 33 and the second crankshaft 34 are rotatably connected to the third support 37 through bearings. There are four third support 37s. The third support 37s are fixedly connected to the support base 38 by bolts. The third motor 35 is fixedly connected to the support base 38 by bolts.

[0065] A centrifugal fan 36 is installed on the front side of the cleaning tank 31. The left end of the air outlet of the centrifugal fan 36 is flush with the left end of the cleaning tank 31. The length of the air outlet of the centrifugal fan 36 is 2000mm. The bottom of the air outlet of the centrifugal fan 36 is parallel to the bottom wall of the front side of the cleaning tank 31. A perforated high baffle is installed on the rear side wall of the cleaning tank 31. The diameter of the holes on the high baffle is 2mm to ensure that the tea leaves separated by the air passing through the high baffle cannot pass through, thus preventing the tea leaves from overflowing.

[0066] The third motor 35 drives the first crankshaft 33 to rotate. The double crank mechanism formed by the crank arm AB of the first crankshaft 33, the center distance BC between the crank arm of the first crankshaft 33 and the crank arm of the second crankshaft 34, the crank arm CD of the second crankshaft 34, and the center distance AD ​​between the first crankshaft 33 and the second crankshaft 34 begins to move. The crank arm of the first crankshaft 33 is regarded as the driving crank of the four-bar linkage, the second crankshaft 34 is regarded as the driven crank arm of the four-bar linkage, and the cleaning tank 31 is regarded as the connecting rod of the four-bar linkage, causing the cleaning tank 31 and the stepped screen 32 to swing back and forth. The air outlet of the centrifugal fan 36 blows air into the cleaning tank 31.

[0067] A small amount of raw material stems and broken raw material leaves are directly air-separated as they fall into the cleaning tank 31 through the separation through-hole 12. The raw material leaves and raw material stems mixed together undergo air separation as they fall into the cleaning tank 31 from the discharge end of the outer cylinder 11. Since the raw material stems have a relatively high water content and a relatively high specific gravity, while the raw material leaves have a relatively low water content and a relatively low specific gravity, the raw material leaves and raw material stems are separated from each other by air separation based on the principle of the difference in specific gravity between the raw material stems and raw material leaves.

[0068] Lighter, crushed raw material blades are blown directly towards the rear of the cleaning tank 31 by the wind. The area behind the bottom wall of the cleaning tank 31 is sheltered from the wind. As the cleaning tank 31 moves, the raw material blades fall onto the conveyor belt of the second belt conveyor 71 in the blade conveying unit 7. The second belt conveyor 71 then transports the cleaned raw material blades to the blade collection area. Heavier raw material stems and some blade fragments obscured by stems during air separation fall onto the stepped screen 32 in front of the cleaning tank 31. These stems and fragments are slightly thrown up during the oscillation of the stepped screen 32. The tea stems and stalks move upward and downward on the screen surface of the stepped screen 32, but the overall downward trend of the stems and stalks is greater than the upward trend. When the raw material leaf fragments fall through the screen holes to the lower side of the stepped screen 32 or are thrown up, they are blown by the wind to the rear of the cleaning tank 31. Finally, the raw material stems and stalks slide down onto the conveyor belt of the first belt conveyor 61 of the stem and stalk conveying unit 6 during the movement of the cleaning tank 31. The motor of the first belt conveyor 61 rotates forward, and the conveyor belt of the first belt conveyor 61 drives to the left to transport the tea stems and stalks after the initial separation of leaves to the feed trough 46 of the stem and stalk return unit 4. The motor of the first belt conveyor 61 rotates in reverse, and the conveyor belt of the first belt conveyor 61 drives to the right to transport the tea stems and stalks after the secondary separation of leaves to the stem and stalk collection area.

[0069] Reference Figure 11 The stem reflux unit 4 includes a lifting cylinder 41. A vertical drive shaft 42 is rotatably connected to the axis of the lifting cylinder 41. The lower end of the vertical drive shaft 42 is rotatably connected to the bottom wall of the lifting cylinder 41 through a bearing. A spiral blade 43 is fixedly connected to the circumferential wall of the vertical drive shaft 42. The upper end of the vertical drive shaft 42 is fixedly connected to the main shaft of the fourth motor 44 through a coupling. The fourth motor 44 is fixedly connected to the top of the lifting cylinder 41 by bolts. The main shaft of the fourth motor 44 passes through the top wall of the lifting cylinder 41. The upper and lower ends of the lifting cylinder 41 are respectively provided with a discharge port and a feed port. The discharge port and feed port of the lifting cylinder 41 are respectively fixedly connected with a discharge trough 45 and a feed trough 46. The discharge end of the discharge trough 45 is located above the feed hopper 21 of the quantitative feeding unit 2.

[0070] The tea stems and stalks after the initial leaf separation are conveyed to the feed trough 46 by the first belt conveyor 61. The fourth motor 44 drives the vertical transmission shaft 42 and the spiral blades 43 to rotate through the coupling. The spiral blades 43 convey the tea stems and stalks after the initial leaf separation in the bottom feed trough 46 upwards, and flow into the feed hopper 21 of the quantitative feeding unit 2 through the discharge trough 45. They then re-enter the outer cylinder 11 of the stem and leaf separation unit 1 to separate the stems and stalks from the leaves, thereby reducing the loss of tea leaves.

[0071] The present invention proposes a control method for a tea stem and leaf separation unit used in matcha production, as detailed below:

[0072] S1: The dried tea leaves are conveyed to the feed end of the vertical belt elevator 51 by the belt conveyor. The control module starts the vertical belt elevator 51. The electromagnetic vibrating feeder at the feed end of the vertical belt elevator 51 shakes the dried tea leaves and feeds them evenly into the feed hopper 21 of the quantitative feeding unit 2.

[0073] S2: The weight sensor 23 senses the weight of the tea raw material in the feed hopper 21. The control module processes the readings of the four weight sensors 23 and takes the average value. When the weight sensor 23 senses that the raw material in the feed hopper 21 reaches 2kg, the control module shuts down the vertical belt elevator 51 and stops feeding material into the feed hopper 21. Then the control module controls the extension rod of the electric push rod 24 to extend, and the raw material slides into the feed end of the outer cylinder 11.

[0074] S3: The control module starts the first motor 110 and the second motor 114, so that the outer cylinder 11 and the spiral scraper 113 operate in opposite directions at different speeds. The separation through hole 12 works with the spiral scraper 113 to continuously scrape the raw material blades, thereby separating the blades from the stems. At the same time, the spiral scraper 113 continuously conveys the raw material to the discharge end of the outer cylinder 11.

[0075] S4: Synchronized with S3, the control module starts the third motor 35 and the centrifugal fan 36. The third motor 35 drives the first crankshaft 33 to rotate, thereby causing the cleaning tank 31 and the stepped screen 32 to swing back and forth. A small amount of raw material stems and broken raw material leaves are directly air-separated as they fall into the cleaning tank 31 through the separation through-hole 12. The mixed raw material leaves and raw material stems undergo air separation as they fall into the cleaning tank 31 from the discharge end of the outer cylinder 11, thus achieving the separation of leaves and stems. The control module controls the second belt conveyor 71 to rotate its motor forward, and the conveyor belt of the second belt conveyor 71 transports the cleaned tea leaves to the leaf collection area.

[0076] S5: Synchronized with S3, the control module controls the first belt conveyor 61 to rotate forward. The tea stems and stalks that have been initially separated from the leaves are conveyed to the feed trough 46 by the first belt conveyor 61. The control module starts the fourth motor 44, and the spiral blades 43 convey the tea stems and stalks that have been initially separated from the leaves in the bottom feed trough 46 upward. They flow into the feed hopper 21 of the quantitative feeding unit 2 through the discharge trough 45 and re-enter the outer cylinder 11 of the stem and leaf separation unit 1 for separation of stems and leaves.

[0077] S6: When all the tea stems and stalks from the initial leaf separation are conveyed through the feed hopper 21 to the feed end of the outer cylinder 11, the control module controls the fourth motor 44 to stop, the control module controls the first belt conveyor 61 to reverse its motor, and the first belt conveyor 61 drives its conveyor belt to the right to convey the tea stems and stalks after the secondary leaf separation to the stem collection area. The control module controls the telescopic rod of the electric push rod 24 to retract, and repeats step S1 to feed material into the feed hopper 21.

Claims

1. A tea stem and leaf separation unit for matcha production, characterized in that, include: The stem and leaf separation unit (1) is used to separate the stems and leaves of tea raw materials; A quantitative feeding unit (2) is set on one side of the stem and leaf separation unit (1) for quantitatively conveying tea raw materials to the stem and leaf separation unit (1). The stem and leaf cleaning unit (3) is located below the stem and leaf separation unit (1) and is used to clean the separated stems and leaves to achieve the separation and cleaning of stems and leaves. The stem and stem return unit (4) is located on one side of the stem and leaf cleaning unit (3) and is used to re-transport the tea stems and stems processed by the stem and leaf cleaning unit (3) back to the quantitative feeding unit (2). The stem and leaf cleaning unit (3) includes a cleaning tank (31), a stepped screen (32) is provided in the cleaning tank (31), a first crankshaft (33) and a second crankshaft (34) are rotatably connected to the bottom of the cleaning tank (31), one end of the first crankshaft (33) is connected to the output shaft of the third motor (35) through a coupling, and a centrifugal fan (36) is also provided on one side of the cleaning tank (31). The crank arm AB of the first crankshaft (33), the center distance BC between the crank arm of the first crankshaft (33) and the crank arm of the second crankshaft (34), the crank arm CD of the second crankshaft (34), and the center distance AD ​​between the first crankshaft (33) and the second crankshaft (34) constitute a double crank mechanism; The stem reflux unit (4) includes a lifting cylinder (41), a vertical drive shaft (42) is rotatably connected to the axis of the lifting cylinder (41), a spiral blade (43) is fixedly connected to the peripheral side wall of the vertical drive shaft (42), the upper end of the vertical drive shaft (42) is connected to the output shaft of the fourth motor (44) through a coupling, and the upper and lower ends of the lifting cylinder (41) are respectively provided with a discharge port and a feed port, and the discharge port and feed port of the lifting cylinder (41) are respectively fixedly connected with a discharge trough (45) and a feed trough (46).

2. The tea stem and leaf separator for matcha production according to claim 1, characterized in that, The stem-leaf separation unit (1) includes an outer cylinder (11), the outer cylinder (11) has a separation through hole (12) on its peripheral sidewall, friction rings (13) are fixedly connected to the outer peripheral sidewalls at both ends of the outer cylinder (11), friction wheels (14) are frictionally connected to the outer peripheral sidewalls of the friction rings (13), the friction wheels (14) are fixedly connected to a first connecting shaft (15), the first connecting shaft (15) is connected to a second connecting shaft (16) through a coupling, the peripheral sidewall of the second connecting shaft (16) is fixedly connected to a first pulley (17), the first pulley (17) is connected to a second pulley (19) through a transmission belt (18), and the second pulley (19) is fixedly connected to the main shaft of a first motor (110); The inner cylinder (112) is rotatably connected to the inner cylinder (112) through a horizontal drive shaft (111). The outer peripheral sidewall of the inner cylinder (112) is connected to a spiral scraper (113). The horizontal drive shaft (111) is connected to the axis of the inner cylinder (112). The right end of the horizontal drive shaft (111) is connected to the main shaft of the second motor (114) through a coupling. The cross-section of the separation through hole (12) is arranged in an isosceles trapezoidal structure; The spiral helix angle of the spiral scraper (113) is 55° and the pitch is 1760mm. The outer diameter of the spiral scraper (113) is smaller than the inner diameter of the outer cylinder (11).

3. The tea stem and leaf separator for matcha production according to claim 1, characterized in that, The quantitative feeding unit (2) includes a feeding hopper (21) with an opening at the lower end. A weight sensor (23) is fixedly connected to the bottom of the feeding hopper (21) via a bracket (22). The weight sensor (23) is connected to the stem and leaf separation unit (1) via a connecting frame (27). An electric push rod (24) is fixedly connected to the outer wall of the feeding hopper (21). An L-shaped baffle (25) is connected to the output end of the electric push rod (24). One end of the L-shaped baffle (25) is inserted into the feeding hopper (21) and slidably connected to the feeding hopper (21). An agitator (26) is fixedly connected to the upper side wall of the L-shaped baffle (25).

4. The tea stem and leaf separator for matcha production according to claim 1, characterized in that, A stem conveying unit (6) is also provided between the stem return unit (4) and the stem and leaf cleaning unit (3). The stem conveying unit (6) includes a first belt conveyor (61) for conveying the tea stems after processing by the stem and leaf cleaning unit (3) to the stem return unit (4) or for conveying the tea stems after secondary leaf separation to the stem collection area.

5. A tea stem and leaf separator for matcha production according to claim 1, characterized in that, The quantitative feeding unit (2) is also connected to a raw material conveying unit (5), which includes a vertical belt elevator (51) for conveying tea raw materials into the quantitative feeding unit (2).

6. The tea stem and leaf separator for matcha production according to claim 1, characterized in that, A leaf conveying unit (7) is also provided on one side of the stem and leaf cleaning unit (3). The leaf conveying unit (7) includes a second belt conveyor (71) for conveying the cleaned tea leaves to the leaf collection area.

7. The control method for a tea stem and leaf separator for matcha production according to claim 1, characterized in that, The steps are as follows: S1: The control module starts the vertical belt elevator (51). The electromagnetic vibrating feeder at the feed end of the vertical belt elevator (51) shakes the dried tea raw materials and feeds them evenly into the feed hopper (21) of the quantitative feeding unit (2). S2: The weight sensor (23) senses the weight of the tea raw material in the feed hopper (21). The control module takes the average value of the readings of the four weight sensors (23). When the weight sensor (23) senses that the raw material in the feed hopper (21) reaches 2kg, the control module shuts down the vertical belt elevator (51) and stops feeding the material into the feed hopper (21). Then the control module controls the extension rod of the electric push rod (24) to extend, and the raw material slides into the feed end of the outer cylinder (11). S3: The control module starts the first motor (110) and the second motor (114), so that the outer cylinder (11) and the spiral scraper (113) rotate in opposite directions at different speeds. The separation through hole (12) works with the spiral scraper (113) to continuously scrape the raw material blades, thereby separating the blades from the stems. At the same time, the spiral scraper (113) continuously conveys the raw material to the discharge end of the outer cylinder (11). S4: Synchronized with S3, the control module starts the third motor (35) and centrifugal fan (36). The third motor (35) drives the first crankshaft (33) to rotate, thereby causing the cleaning tank (31) and the stepped screen (32) to swing back and forth. The separation of leaves and stems is achieved by combining air separation and screening. The control module controls the second belt conveyor (71) to rotate its motor in the forward direction. The second belt conveyor (71) transports the cleaned tea leaves to the leaf collection area. S5: Synchronized with S3, the control module controls the first belt conveyor (61) to rotate its motor forward. The tea stems and stalks that have been separated from the leaves for the first time are conveyed to the feed trough (46) by the first belt conveyor (61). The control module starts the fourth motor (44), and the spiral blades (43) convey the tea stems and stalks that have been separated from the leaves for the first time in the bottom feed trough (46) upward. They flow into the feed hopper (21) of the quantitative feed unit (2) through the discharge trough (45) and re-enter the outer cylinder (11) of the stem and leaf separation unit (1) for separation of stems and leaves. S6: When all the tea stems and stalks from the initial leaf separation are transported to the feed end of the outer cylinder (11) through the feed hopper (21), the control module controls the fourth motor (44) to stop, the control module controls the first belt conveyor (61) to reverse its motor, and the first belt conveyor (61) drives its conveyor belt to the right to transport the tea stems and stalks after the secondary leaf separation to the stem collection area. The control module controls the telescopic rod of the electric push rod (24) to retract, and repeats step S1 to feed material into the feed hopper (21).

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