A continuous enzyme-added shaking withering unit

Abstract

This invention discloses a continuous enzyme-added withering and shaking machine unit, comprising a vibrating conveyor trough, a shaking machine, a wheel-type withering conveyor, and a withering and sun-drying withering machine arranged sequentially. The four units are arranged in a stepped configuration. The discharge port of the vibrating conveyor trough directly connects to the feed end of the shaking machine, the discharge port of the shaking machine connects to the withering feed hopper of the wheel-type withering conveyor, and the withering receiving hopper of the wheel-type withering conveyor directly connects to the feed end of the withering and sun-drying withering machine. This achieves continuous and automated production, reduces production costs, and minimizes the use of conveying equipment, thereby reducing the number of devices, lowering equipment costs, and reducing the floor space required. It can be widely applied in the field of tea processing technology.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of tea processing technology, and in particular to a continuous enzyme-added shaking withering machine. Background Technology

[0002] In the production and processing of fermented tea, tea leaves require processes such as shaking, spreading, and withering. To improve the quality of the processed tea, various withering methods are used, including hot air withering, cold air withering, and sun withering. Currently, each process in tea processing is operated independently, requiring manual handling, resulting in poor continuity, low efficiency, and large equipment footprint. Enzymatic reactions are also an effective way to improve tea quality, but existing equipment requires separate enzyme additives, which is cumbersome. Furthermore, most current sun-drying processes mimic sunlight, relying on a single light source and only involving a single drying cycle, leading to poor drying results. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a continuous processing unit that can simultaneously perform quantitative enzyme addition, shaking, spreading, and various sun-drying processes, improving production continuity, reducing production costs, and enhancing the uniformity of tea fermentation, thereby improving the overall quality of the processed tea. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide a continuous enzyme-added shaking and withering unit to solve the problems of low continuity, high processing cost, and large equipment space occupation in existing shaking, spreading, and withering processes.

[0004] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve its technical problem is: a continuous enzyme-adding shaking withering machine unit, including a shaking machine, wherein a wheel-type spreading conveyor is provided at the discharge end of the shaking machine, and a withering and sun-drying spreading machine is connected to the discharge end of the wheel-type spreading conveyor.

[0005] The wheeled foraging conveyor includes a feeding frame and an enzyme-adding foraging feeding fan rotatably mounted on the feeding frame. An foraging inlet hopper, which connects to the discharge port of the shaking foraging machine, is located on the upper side of the enzyme-adding foraging feeding fan. A foraging receiving hopper is located on the lower side of the enzyme-adding foraging feeding fan on the opposite side of the foraging inlet hopper. The enzyme-adding foraging feeding fan includes a grooved enzyme-adding foraging conveying wheel. A set of partitions is evenly arranged inside the grooved enzyme-adding foraging conveying wheel, dividing it into independent enzyme-adding foraging conveying hoppers. Both the grooved enzyme-adding spreading feed roller and the partition plate adopt a perforated plate structure; each enzyme-adding spreading feed hopper is equipped with a cover at the bottom, and the cover is connected to an air pipe. The air pipe is equipped with a shut-off valve. The enzyme-adding spreading feed fan is also equipped with an air suction plate and an enzyme addition plate. The air suction plate is connected to an air compressor, and the enzyme addition plate is connected to an ultrasonic enzyme addition machine; the air suction plate is equipped with a set of air suction branch pipes, and the enzyme addition plate is equipped with a set of enzyme addition branch pipes. Each air pipe is connected to one of the air suction branch pipes and one of the enzyme addition branch pipes, and a three-way valve is provided at the connection point.

[0006] The withering, sun-drying, and spreading machine includes a trough frame, a hot air withering trough located on the upper layer of the trough frame, a sun-drying layer located in the middle layer, and a cold air spreading layer located on the lower layer. A withering conveyor belt is installed at the bottom of the hot air withering trough, a sun-drying conveyor belt is installed in the sun-drying layer, and a spreading conveyor belt is installed in the cold air spreading layer. The discharge end of the withering conveyor belt is located above the feed end of the sun-drying conveyor belt, and the discharge end of the sun-drying conveyor belt is located above the feed end of the spreading conveyor belt.

[0007] To remove impurities from tea leaves before shaking, the feeding end of the shaking machine is equipped with a vibrating conveyor trough, which is arranged at an angle downwards. A weighing hopper is provided at the feeding end of the vibrating conveyor trough, the bottom of the vibrating conveyor trough is a screen structure, a debris collection layer is provided below the vibrating conveyor trough, and a glass cover is provided above the vibrating conveyor trough. A set of ion air suction fans are arranged at intervals on the glass cover, and dust collection bags are fitted on the ion air suction fans. A material turner is provided inside the vibrating conveyor trough below the ion air suction fans. The material turner includes a material turner shaft and a set of comb-shaped material turner claws installed on the material turner shaft.

[0008] The weighing hopper includes a feeding weighing hopper, a weighing device located at the bottom of the feeding weighing hopper, a weighing flap at the bottom of the weighing device, a rotating shaft connected to the weighing flap, and a servo motor that drives the rotating shaft to rotate. A feeding valve is provided between the feeding weighing hopper and the weighing device. A metal electromagnetic roller is provided inside the feeding weighing hopper.

[0009] To achieve automatic enzyme addition and uniform mixing with tea leaves, an enzyme adder is installed at the discharge end of the vibrating conveyor trough. The enzyme adder includes a uniform hopper located below the discharge port of the vibrating conveyor trough, a leaf uniformizer installed inside the uniform hopper, and an ultrasonic atomizer fixed to the outside of the uniform hopper. The atomizing nozzle of the ultrasonic atomizer is aligned with the uniform hopper.

[0010] To ensure the quality of the shaking process and improve the service life of the shaking machine, the shaking machine has a double-layer structure, including a stainless steel outer shell and a bamboo shaking cage inside the stainless steel outer shell. The bamboo shaking cage is provided with a set of convex ribs arranged along the axial direction.

[0011] To enable multiple light colors for sun-drying, a set of variable light lamps is spaced at intervals on the top of the sun-drying layer. The variable light lamps can emit red, white, and orange light; an atomizer is also provided.

[0012] Specifically, the feed end of the hot air withering trough is provided with a funnel-shaped hot air outlet, the funnel-shaped hot air outlet is connected to a heating chamber, and the heating chamber is connected to a first blower.

[0013] To improve the uniformity of the outlet air temperature, a hot air conversion chamber is also provided between the first blower and the trumpet-shaped hot air outlet; a screen baffle is provided on the trumpet-shaped hot air outlet, and the screen baffle has a 10-mesh screen structure.

[0014] Specifically, the feed end of the cold air spreading layer is provided with a funnel-shaped cold air outlet, which is connected to a cold air conversion chamber. A refrigeration unit and a second blower are connected in sequence through pipes before the cold air conversion chamber.

[0015] To remove the broken and burnt tea leaves generated during hot air withering, a discharge vibrating screen is connected below the discharge end of the withering conveyor belt. The discharge vibrating screen has an 18-mesh screen structure.

[0016] To facilitate material feeding, partitions are provided between the hot air withering trough, the sun-drying layer, and the cold air spreading layer, and each partition has a feeding hole. A flat discharge pipe is provided in the feeding hole, and a conveying trough receiving hopper that connects to the tea outlet above is provided on the flat discharge pipe.

[0017] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: The discharge end of the withering machine of this invention is conveyed by a wheeled withering conveyor. The wheeled withering conveyor has the advantages of small footprint and long transmission distance, and generates a certain amount of air during rotation, thereby achieving the purpose of withering. At the same time, enzyme can be quantitatively added through the enzyme addition branch pipe, realizing three functions in one machine: conveying, enzyme addition, and withering. The withering and sun-drying withering machine can realize continuous operation of hot air withering, sun-drying, and cold air withering, and adopts a three-layer structure (upper, middle, and lower), resulting in a small footprint. The sun-drying layer utilizes variable-light lamps and ultrasonic atomizers, allowing for the setting of three light colors: red, white, and orange. This simulates natural light for sun-drying fresh tea leaves, meeting the different light color requirements of bud and leaf sun-drying. It also utilizes drifting water mist to simulate diffused light in the early morning and evening, overcoming the technical obstacles of traditional sun-drying methods that easily scorch tender buds and leaves and cannot be carried out in all weather conditions. This optimizes the effect of photothermal sun-drying and improves the quality of bud and leaf sun-drying. The shaking machine is equipped with a vibrating conveyor trough and a feeding weighing hopper, enabling quantitative shaking and removing impurities from the tea leaves to prevent them from affecting the quality of the shaking process. Furthermore, an enzyme adder is included for convenient enzyme addition and mixing, achieving enzyme-added shaking to improve the quality of the shaken leaves.

[0018] The present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 2This is a front view of the vibrating conveyor trough in this invention.

[0021] Figure 3 This is a front view of the weighing bucket on the vibrating conveyor trough in this invention.

[0022] Figure 4 This is a top view of the vibrating conveyor trough tilter in this invention.

[0023] Figure 5 This is a front view of the shaking machine in this invention.

[0024] Figure 6 This is a front view of the wheeled paving conveyor in this invention.

[0025] Figure 7 This is a side view of the assembly of the suction disc and enzyme addition disc on the wheeled greening conveyor of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 8 This is a front view of the withering and sun-drying machine of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 9 This is a front view of the discharge vibrating screen in this invention.

[0028] Figure 10 This is a top view of the "five-finger" material turner in this invention. Detailed Implementation

[0029] Examples, such as Figures 1 to 10 As shown, a continuous enzyme-added shaking and withering machine unit includes a vibrating conveyor 4, a shaking machine 1, a wheeled withering conveyor 2, and a withering and sun-drying withering machine 3 arranged sequentially. The four pieces of equipment are arranged in a stepped manner. The discharge port of the vibrating conveyor 4 is directly connected to the feed end of the shaking machine 1, the discharge port of the shaking machine 1 is connected to the withering feed hopper 23 of the wheeled withering conveyor 2, and the withering receiving hopper 24 of the wheeled withering conveyor 2 is directly connected to the feed end of the withering and sun-drying withering machine 3. This achieves continuous and automated production and processing, reduces production costs, and the arrangement can reduce the use of conveying equipment, thereby reducing the number of pieces of equipment, reducing equipment costs, and reducing the floor space required for the layout.

[0030] Specifically:

[0031] The vibrating conveyor trough 4 is a stainless steel trough, 1.2-1.5m long, 0.4-0.5m wide, and 0.5-0.6m deep. The bottom of the vibrating conveyor trough 4 has a screen structure, preferably a 10-mesh screen. To better remove impurities and convey fresh tea leaves, the vibrating conveyor trough 4 is arranged at a 7-9 degree downward inclination. A JMC-30 ratchet-type pneumatic vibrator is connected to the vibrating conveyor 4. The JMC-30 ratchet-type pneumatic vibrator drives the trough to vibrate, using the 10-mesh screen to remove insect eggs, mud, dust, and other impurities from the fresh tea leaves. Simultaneously, the inclined vibration conveys the cleaned tea leaves to the feed end of the shaking machine 1. A debris collection layer 41 is provided below the vibrating conveyor trough 4 to collect debris falling from the bottom of the trough 4 for easy cleaning.

[0032] To further improve the impurity removal capability, a glass cover 42 is also provided above the vibrating conveyor trough 4. A set of ion air suction fans 43 are arranged at intervals on the glass cover 42. The ion air suction fans 43 are fitted with dust collection bags 44. The ion air suction fans 43 are MST-A02A type ion air suction fans, which use ion air to absorb fibers, hair, dust and other impurities carried in the fresh tea leaves. To better remove impurities, a material turner 45 is provided below the ion air suction fans 43 in the vibrating conveyor trough 4. The material turner 45 includes a material turner shaft 451 and a set of comb-shaped material turner claws 452 installed on the material turner shaft 451. By rotating the material turner shaft 451, the comb-shaped material turner claws 452 turn the tea leaves, turning up the fibers, hair, dust and other impurities carried in the fresh tea leaves, so as to facilitate the ion air suction.

[0033] To achieve quantitative conveying, a weighing hopper 5 is provided at the feed end of the vibrating conveyor trough 4. The weighing hopper 5 includes a stainless steel trumpet-shaped feed weighing hopper 51 mounted on the frame 410 of the vibrating conveyor trough, a weighing device 52 located at the bottom of the feed weighing hopper 51, and a weighing flip plate 53 at the bottom of the weighing device 52. The weighing flip plate 53 is connected to a rotating shaft 54, and a servo motor 55 is also provided to drive the rotating shaft 54 ​​to rotate. A feed valve 56 is provided between the feed weighing hopper 51 and the weighing device 52. When the weight of the tea leaves in the weighing device 52 meets the requirements, the feed valve 56 closes, and the servo motor 55 drives the rotating shaft 54 ​​to rotate, causing the weighing flip plate 53 to flip open. This structure can control the opening degree of the weighing flip plate 53 as needed, thereby controlling the speed of material falling, which is adapted to the conveying speed of the vibrating conveyor trough 4, so that the tea leaves are evenly spread on the vibrating conveyor trough 4 and conveyed forward. After the material is discharged, the servo motor 55 drives the weighing flap 53 to close, and the feeding valve 56 opens to allow feeding. To remove metallic impurities, a metal electromagnetic roller 57 is also installed inside the feeding weighing hopper 51, positioned 10-15cm inside the hopper. When fresh tea leaves are fed in, an electromagnetic field is generated, causing the roller to rotate and attract magnetic metallic impurities carried in the tea leaves. This type of weighing hopper requires only one feeding weighing hopper to integrate fresh tea leaf feeding, weighing, and removal of metallic impurities, significantly improving equipment utilization and reducing workshop space requirements.

[0034] To achieve automatic enzyme addition before shaking, an enzyme adder 6 is connected to the discharge end of the vibrating conveyor trough 4 to quantitatively add enzymes and mix the weighed tea leaves. The enzyme adder 6 includes a uniform hopper 61 located below the discharge port of the vibrating conveyor trough 4, a leaf uniformizer 62 disposed within the uniform hopper 61, and an ultrasonic atomizer 63 fixed to the outside of the uniform hopper 61. The atomizing nozzle of the ultrasonic atomizer 63 is aligned with the uniform hopper 61. The leaf uniformizer 62 has a fan-shaped structure, and slow rotation causes the tea leaves to tumble and fully mix with the enzyme solution sprayed from the atomizing nozzle. A conveying pipe extending into the shaking machine 1 is provided at the bottom of the uniform hopper 61 to send the enzyme-added and mixed tea leaves into the shaking machine 1 for shaking.

[0035] The shaking machine 1 has a double-layer structure, including a stainless steel outer shell 101 and a bamboo shaking cage 102 fitted inside the stainless steel outer shell 101. It also includes a transmission device and a control device, allowing for intelligent shaking by automatically setting the shaking speed and shaking time. The bamboo shaking cage 102 has a set of axially arranged protruding ribs 103, and the stainless steel outer shell 101 has evenly distributed ventilation slots. The stainless steel outer shell 101 increases the strength of the shaking cage, enabling it to withstand greater tea weight and ensuring the cage's durability. Simultaneously, the protruding ribs 103 on the inner wall of the bamboo shaking cage 102 rub against the edges of the buds and leaves, causing damage to the leaf edge cells, promoting the release of grassy aromas and the development of floral fragrances. This also facilitates the entry of exogenous enzymes into the inner layer of the buds and leaves for enzymatic reactions, enhancing the aroma of the tea.

[0036] The wheeled withering conveyor 2 includes a feeding frame 21 and an enzyme-adding withering feeding fan 22 rotatably mounted on the feeding frame 21. The enzyme-adding withering feeding fan 22 has a withering inlet hopper 23 connected to the discharge port of the shaking withering machine 1 on its upper side. The enzyme-adding withering feeding fan 22 has a withering receiving hopper 24 on its lower side relative to the withering inlet hopper 23. The discharge port of the withering receiving hopper 24 is connected to the inlet of the withering and sun-drying withering machine 3.

[0037] The enzyme-adding and spreading feeding fan 22 includes an enzyme-adding and spreading rotating shaft 224 in the middle and a grooved enzyme-adding and spreading conveying wheel 221 at the outermost edge, and a set of connecting support rods 225 for connecting the enzyme-adding and spreading rotating shaft 224 and the grooved enzyme-adding and spreading conveying wheel 221. A set of partitions 222 are evenly arranged inside the grooved enzyme-adding and spreading conveying wheel 221, dividing it into independent enzyme-adding and spreading hoppers 223. Tea leaves are placed in the enzyme-adding and spreading conveying hoppers 223 and conveyed forward with the rotation of the enzyme-adding and spreading feeding fan 222. To facilitate heat dissipation of the tea leaves in the enzyme-adding and spreading hoppers 223 during conveying, both the grooved enzyme-adding and spreading conveying wheel 221 and the partitions 222 adopt a perforated plate structure. The airflow generated during rotation and conveying is blown into the enzyme-adding and spreading hoppers 223 to spread and spread the tea leaves. This feeding fan structure can extend the feeding distance and time within a limited layout space, completing the withering and conveying of tea leaves.

[0038] To facilitate feeding and discharging, a downward-sloping tea outlet 231 is provided at the bottom of the tea feeding hopper 23. The outlet of the tea outlet 231 is located above and to the side of the enzyme-adding tea feeding fan 22 and aligned with the enzyme-adding tea feeding hopper 223, thereby accurately feeding the tea leaves into the enzyme-adding tea feeding hopper 223 and conveying them forward. The tea receiving hopper 24 is located below and to the side of the enzyme-adding tea feeding fan 222. When the enzyme-adding tea feeding hopper 223 rotates to the lower right, the opening of the enzyme-adding tea feeding hopper 223 gradually faces downward, allowing the tea leaves to immediately fall from the enzyme-adding tea feeding hopper 223 into the tea receiving hopper 24 below.

[0039] To meet the requirement of quantitative output, an electronic weighing device 26 is provided at the bottom of the tea feeding hopper 23. The electronic weighing device 26 has a cylindrical structure. A feeding valve 261 is provided above the electronic weighing device 26, and a weighing base plate 262 is provided at the bottom. A flipping shaft 263 is connected to the weighing base plate 262. Initially, the weighing base plate 262 is placed horizontally, blocking the inlet of the tea outlet 231, and the feed valve 261 is open. When the weighing base plate 262 detects that the tea has reached the required weight, the feed valve 261 closes, and the weighing base plate 262 flips to an inclined angle to connect with the tea outlet 231. The tea slides into the tea outlet 231 and enters the enzyme-adding and spreading conveying hopper 223 along the tea outlet 231. When feeding into the enzyme-adding and spreading conveying hopper 223, the machine can be stopped for feeding, or the tea output per unit time of the tea outlet 231 and the rotation speed of the enzyme-adding and spreading conveying fan 22 can be adjusted to achieve feeding during movement, while the enzyme-adding and spreading conveying fan 22 continues to rotate. The flipping shaft 263 of the weighing base plate 262 can be driven by a motor or pushed and pulled by a cylinder to flip the shaft 263.

[0040] To facilitate enzyme addition to the tea leaves in the enzyme-adding and spreading feed hopper 223 during the initial feeding stage and to prevent the tea leaves from slipping off when the hopper 223 rotates to an downward tilting position until it reaches the designated position, each enzyme-adding and spreading feed hopper 223 is equipped with a cover 226 at its bottom. The cover 226 is connected to an air pipe 27, which is equipped with a shut-off valve 271 to control the airflow. The enzyme-adding and spreading feed fan 22 is also equipped with an air suction plate 28 and an enzyme addition plate 29. The air suction plate 28 is connected to an air compressor 210, and the enzyme addition plate 29 is connected to an ultrasonic enzyme adder 211, which employs an ultrasonic atomizer structure. The suction plate 28 is equipped with a set of suction branch pipes 281, and the enzyme addition plate 29 is equipped with a set of enzyme addition branch pipes 291. Each air pipe 27 is connected to one of the suction branch pipes 281 and one of the enzyme addition branch pipes 291, and a three-way valve 212 is provided at the connection. When enzyme addition is required, the three-way valve 212 controls the connection between the enzyme addition branch pipe 291 and the air pipe 27 to add enzyme to the corresponding enzyme spreading and feeding hopper 223. The advantage of adding enzyme from the bottom of the tea leaves through this structure is that it utilizes the principle of automatic upward movement of the atomized enzyme solution to slowly moisten the tea leaves, thereby ensuring that the enzyme solution and tea leaves are fully mixed. When the enzyme-adding spreading hopper 223 rotates to the point where the opening is tilted downwards and the tea leaves may spill, the three-way valve 212 controls the air intake branch pipe 281 to connect with the air pipe 27, thereby drawing air from the bottom of the enzyme-adding spreading hopper 223. This causes the tea leaves to adhere to the inside of the enzyme-adding spreading hopper 223 and continue to be conveyed downwards. When it reaches the top of the spreading receiving hopper 24, the shut-off valve 271 is closed, and the tea leaves fall into the spreading receiving hopper 24 below under their own gravity, thus realizing the transfer of the tea leaves.

[0041] In addition, a PLC control system is set up to control the rotation of the feeding fan 22 and the opening and closing of the shut-off valve 271 and the three-way valve 212. At the same time, it controls the opening and closing of the feeding valve on the tea hopper and the flipping of the weighing base plate.

[0042] The withering, sun-drying, and spreading machine 3 has a three-layer structure, including a trough frame 31, a hot air withering trough 32 set on the upper layer of the trough frame 31, a light sun-drying layer 33 set on the middle layer, and a cold air spreading layer 34 set on the lower layer. The tea leaves pass through the hot air withering trough 32, the light sun-drying layer 33, and the cold air spreading layer 34 in sequence to complete the hot air withering, light sun-drying, and cold air spreading operations.

[0043] The hot air withering trough 32 has a depth of 0.5m and a withering conveyor belt 321 at the bottom. The withering conveyor belt 321 rotates clockwise. A feed hopper is located on the upper left side of the hot air withering trough 32. The outlet of the feed hopper is a flat opening adapted to the width of the withering conveyor belt 321, and a toothed feeder is installed inside the feed hopper to facilitate the even spreading of buds and leaves on the withering conveyor belt 321. A discharge vibrating screen 327 is connected below the discharge end of the withering conveyor belt 321. The discharge vibrating screen 327 has an 18-mesh screen structure, a length of 0.6m, a width of 20-25cm, and is arranged at an inclination of 6-8 degrees to remove broken and charred tea leaves produced during hot air withering.

[0044] To prevent mutual interference between withering, sun-drying, and spreading, partitions 35 are installed between the hot air withering trough 32, the sun-drying layer 33, and the cold air spreading layer 34. Each partition 35 has a discharge hole 36, and a flat discharge pipe 37 is installed within the discharge hole 36. A conveying trough receiving hopper 38, which connects to the upper tea outlet, is installed on the flat discharge pipe 37. A conveying trough receiving hopper 38 is located below the discharge port of the discharge vibrating screen 327.

[0045] The sun-drying layer 33 is equipped with a counter-clockwise rotating sun-drying conveyor belt 331, and the cold-air spreading layer 34 is equipped with a clockwise rotating spreading conveyor belt 341. A feeding trough hopper 38 and a flat discharge pipe 37 are located below the discharge end of the sun-drying conveyor belt 331 to feed the tea leaves onto the spreading conveyor belt 341 below. The withering conveyor belt 321, sun-drying conveyor belt 331, and spreading conveyor belt 341 are all 20-mesh stainless steel screen conveyor belts. To ensure the uniformity of the tea leaves, a "five-finger" turning device 328 is installed above each of the withering conveyor belt 321, sun-drying conveyor belt 331, and spreading conveyor belt 341. The "five-finger" turning device 328 consists of a rotating shaft 3281 and "five-finger turning claws" 3282. The length of the rotating shaft 3281 is equal to the width of the conveyor belt, and they are arranged laterally in the trough at 2-meter intervals. There are three “five-finger turning claws” 3282, which are installed on the rotating shaft 3281 at 35cm intervals. The rotating shaft rotates clockwise or counterclockwise, which drives the “five-finger turning claws” 3282 to imitate the human hand turning the buds and leaves in the trough, so that the buds and leaves are evenly withered, dried and spread.

[0046] The hot air withering trough 32 has a funnel-shaped hot air outlet 322 at its feed end, which is embedded in the front end of the trough. A heating chamber 324 is connected to the funnel-shaped hot air outlet 322, and a first blower 323 is connected to the heating chamber 324. To improve temperature uniformity, a hot air conversion chamber 325 is also provided between the heating chamber 324 and the funnel-shaped hot air outlet 322. The heating chamber 324 is a channel-shaped cast iron structure, and a set of electric heating plates generates electric heat inside. The first blower 323 is a DF-3B centrifugal blower, installed at the rear end of the heating chamber 324. The first blower 323 blows hot air at 35-55℃ at a volume of 100-150 m³ / min through a hot air pipe into the hot air conversion chamber 325. After neutralization and conversion in the hot air conversion chamber 325, the air is then blown into the hot air withering trough 32. The hot air conversion chamber 325 is a spherical structure made of stainless steel. Its function is to convert the hot air blown by the first blower 323 into uniformly heated air through the spherical rotation within the chamber, allowing it to be blown into the hot air withering trough 32. This process withers the tea buds and leaves, promoting dehydration and activating various biological enzymes to react with the tea polyphenols, amino acids, caffeine, chlorophyll, polysaccharides, and other biochemical substances. A 10-mesh screen baffle 326 is also installed on the funnel-shaped hot air outlet 322 to ensure that the hot air is evenly distributed into the hot air withering trough 32.

[0047] The top of the sun-drying layer 33 is equipped with six variable-color LED lights 332, which emit red, white, and orange light. The lights are spaced 1.5 meters apart. Each LED light has a rectangular frame with a blast-proof glass bottom. A color sensor connected to a spectral control platform converter is located on the frame's edge. The platform allows for the conversion of light colors (red, white, orange) to mimic natural sunlight during the sun-drying process. The top of the sun-drying layer 33 also features an atomizer 333, a DRS-09A ultrasonic atomizer. This atomizer uses high-frequency vibrations to convert water into a mist, simulating natural fog. The atomizer 333 is connected to two ultrasonic mist nozzles 3331, which are spaced 50-60cm apart and installed at the feed inlet of the sun-dried layer 33. The nozzles spray water mist into the sun-dried layer 33 to block the light, thereby forming a cloud-like diffused light to irradiate the buds and leaves. This not only overcomes the technical obstacle of traditional sunlight irradiation that easily scorches tender buds and leaves, but also promotes the efficient enzymatic hydrolysis reaction of added exogenous enzymes and tea polyphenol oxidase.

[0048] The cold air spreading layer 34 has a funnel-shaped cold air outlet 342 at its feed end, which is embedded in the front end of the cold air spreading layer 34. A cold air conversion chamber 343 is connected to the funnel-shaped cold air outlet 342. A refrigeration unit 345 and a second blower 344 are sequentially connected to the cold air conversion chamber 343 via pipes. The refrigeration unit 345 is an AMS-10AD type circulating low-temperature refrigeration unit, capable of producing cold air at 12-18℃. The generated cold air is neutralized and converted by the cold air conversion chamber 343 before being blown into the cold air spreading layer 34. The cold air conversion chamber 343 is also a spherical structure made of stainless steel. Its function is to convert the cold air blown by the second blower 344 into cold air of a uniform temperature through rotation and neutralization within the cold air conversion chamber 343. It can convert cold air with a blowing volume of 80-100 m³ / min into cold air of ≥15℃, and then blow it into the cold air spreading layer 34 through the air outlet to spread the buds and leaves with cold air, dissipate the humid heat, lower the leaf temperature, and make the leaf texture soft. The trumpet-shaped cold air outlet 342 is also equipped with a 10-mesh screen baffle 326 to ensure that the cold air is blown evenly into the cold air spreading layer 34.

[0049] A temperature and humidity sensor 329 is installed in the middle of the hot air withering trough 32, the sun-drying layer 33 and the cold air spreading layer 34. The sensor is an RS485 high-precision temperature and humidity sensor. The temperature and humidity sensor 329 is connected to the PLC control system to transmit the detected temperature and humidity signals to the PLC control system so as to control the temperature and humidity of withering, sun-drying and spreading in a timely manner.

[0050] The discharge vibrating screen 327 includes an inclined vibrating trough 3271 and a vibrating device that drives the vibrating trough 3271 to vibrate. The vibrating device includes a vibrating motor 3272 and an eccentric wheel 3273 mounted on the output shaft of the vibrating motor 3272. A rocker arm 3274 is provided between the eccentric wheel 3273 and the vibrating trough 3271. One end of the rocker arm 3274 is eccentrically mounted on the eccentric wheel 3273, and the other end is mounted on the mounting base of the vibrating trough 3271 via a movable pin. The rotation of the vibrating motor 3272 drives the eccentric wheel 3273 to rotate, thereby causing the vibrating trough 3271 to vibrate up and down. The vibration frequency of the vibrating trough 3271 can be controlled by controlling the rotation speed of the vibrating motor 3272. Through the vibration of the 18-mesh screen, tea dust, dust, and other impurities are removed.

[0051] Example 2: The operation method of shaking, withering, sun-drying, and spreading the forage using the present invention is as follows:

[0052] 1) Weighing and removing impurities: Turn on the vibrating conveyor 4, weigher 52, metal electromagnetic roller 57, and ion air impurity suction fan 43. Input the tea buds and leaves into the feeding weighing hopper 51. Set the weighing weight of each batch to 75-85kg. First, weigh to remove metal impurities. Then, use the vibrating conveyor 4 and ion air impurity suction fan 43 to remove small insects, insect eggs, mud, sand, fibers, hair, dust and other impurities carried in the fresh tea leaves. After weighing and removing impurities, transport the fresh tea leaves to the shaking machine 1.

[0053] 2) Enzyme-added shaking: Dilute the added biological enzyme to an 85% solution according to the set dosage, place it in the ultrasonic atomizer 63, and aim the atomizing nozzle at the uniform hopper 61 to add the enzyme. Set the shaking speed of the shaking cage 1 to 12-16 rpm and the time to 8-14 minutes for enzyme-added shaking. Utilize the bamboo ridges 103 on the inner wall of the bamboo shaking cage 102 to rub the edges of the buds and leaves, thereby damaging the leaf edge cells, promoting the release of grassy aroma and the appearance of floral fragrance, and at the same time, promoting the exogenous enzyme to enter the inner layer of the buds and leaves for enzymatic hydrolysis.

[0054] 3) Secondary enzyme addition and spreading: Dilute the added biological enzyme to an 85% solution according to the set addition amount, put it into the ultrasonic enzyme adder 211, set the rotation speed of the enzyme addition and spreading feeding fan 22 to 6-8 rpm, and carry out the rotating enzyme addition and spreading conveying.

[0055] 4) Hot air withering: After enzyme-added shaking, the tea buds and leaves are fed into the hot air withering trough 32. The leaf thickness is set to 15-20cm, the hot air temperature to 38-45℃, the hot air flow rate to 45-55 cubic meters / min, and the hot air withering time to 80-120min. The hot air promotes the rapid and substantial evaporation of water from both the inside and outside of the fresh tea leaves, causing the tea buds and leaves to wither and lose moisture. It also enhances the activity of various biological enzymes, accelerating the decomposition and polymerization reactions of the contained tea polyphenols, amino acids, caffeine, chlorophyll, polysaccharides, and other biochemical substances.

[0056] 5) Multi-sunlight sun-drying: After hot air withering, the buds and leaves are placed in a 33-layer light-sun-drying layer. An ultrasonic atomizer is activated to spray and shade the buds and leaves. The leaf thickness is set to 12-16cm. First, red light is used to simulate morning sunlight for 30-40 minutes, then white light is used to simulate midday sunlight for 10-15 minutes, and finally orange light is used to simulate evening sunlight for 25-40 minutes. Different light levels promote moisture evaporation from the buds and leaves, causing the leaf edges to turn red, and accelerate the enzymatic reaction of polyphenol oxidase, thus forming the unique floral aroma and flavor of sun-dried white tea.

[0057] 6) Cold Air Spreading: After the multi-colored sun-dried buds and leaves have turned green, introduce them into the cold air spreading layer 34. Turn on the cold air device, set the spreading thickness to 10-14cm, the cold air temperature to 12-15℃, the cold air flow rate to 80-100 cubic meters / min, and the spreading time to 40-50min. This cold air spreading process inhibits oxidation, preventing the buds and leaves from turning red, while also dissipating the sun-dried aroma and humid heat, lowering the leaf temperature, and softening the leaf texture.

[0058] The present invention has been described above by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the specific implementation of the present invention is not limited to the above-described manner. Any non-substantial improvements made using the inventive concept and technical solution; or the direct application of the inventive concept and technical solution to other situations without modification, are all within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A continuous enzyme-added shaking withering unit, comprising a shaking machine (1), characterized in that: The discharge end of the shaking machine (1) is equipped with a wheeled spreading conveyor (2), and the discharge end of the wheeled spreading conveyor (2) is connected to a withering and sun-drying spreading machine (3); the feed end of the shaking machine (1) is equipped with a vibrating conveyor trough (4), and the vibrating conveyor trough (4), shaking machine (1), wheeled spreading conveyor (2) and withering and sun-drying spreading machine (3) are arranged in a stepped manner. The shaking machine (1) has a double-layer structure, including a stainless steel shell (101) and a bamboo shaking cage (102) inside the stainless steel shell (101). The bamboo shaking cage (102) is provided with a set of convex ribs (103) arranged along the axial direction. The wheeled foraging conveyor (2) includes a feeding frame (21) and an enzyme-adding foraging feeding fan (22) rotatably mounted on the feeding frame (21). An foraging feed hopper (23) is provided on the upper side of the enzyme-adding foraging feeding fan (22) and connects to the discharge port of the shaking machine (1). A foraging receiving hopper (24) is provided on the lower side of the enzyme-adding foraging feeding fan (22) on the opposite side of the foraging feed hopper (23). The enzyme-adding foraging feeding fan (22) includes a grooved enzyme-adding foraging conveying wheel (221). A set of partitions (222) is evenly arranged inside the grooved enzyme-adding foraging conveying wheel (221). The partitions (222) divide the grooved enzyme-adding foraging conveying wheel (221) into individual enzyme-adding foraging conveying hoppers (223). The grooved enzyme-adding foraging conveying wheel (221) and the partitions (222) form a series of independent enzyme-adding foraging conveying hoppers (223). Plate 1 (222) adopts a porous plate structure; each of the enzyme-adding spreading feed hoppers (223) is provided with a cover (226) at the bottom, and the cover (226) is connected to an air pipe (27). The air pipe (27) is provided with a shut-off valve (271). The enzyme-adding spreading feed fan (22) is also provided with an air suction plate (28) and an enzyme addition plate (29). The air suction plate (28) is connected to an air compressor (210), and the enzyme addition plate (29) is connected to an ultrasonic enzyme addition machine (211). The air suction plate (28) is provided with a set of air suction branch pipes (281), and the enzyme addition plate (29) is provided with a set of enzyme addition branch pipes (291). Each air pipe (27) is connected to one of the air suction branch pipes (281) and one of the enzyme addition branch pipes (291), and a three-way valve (212) is provided at the connection. The withering, sun-drying, and spreading machine (3) includes a trough frame (31), a hot air withering trough (32) set on the upper layer of the trough frame (31), a light sun-drying layer (33) set in the middle layer, and a cold air spreading layer (34) set in the lower layer; a withering conveyor belt (321) is set at the bottom of the hot air withering trough (32), a sun-drying conveyor belt (331) is set in the light sun-drying layer (33), and a spreading conveyor belt (341) is set in the cold air spreading layer (34). The discharge end of the withering conveyor belt (321) is located above the feed end of the sun-drying conveyor belt (331), and the discharge end of the sun-drying conveyor belt (331) is located above the feed end of the spreading conveyor belt (341). The top of the light-exposed green layer (33) is provided with a set of variable light lamps (332) at intervals, which can emit red, white and orange light; and an atomizer (333) is also provided.

2. The continuous enzyme-addition shaking withering unit as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The vibrating conveyor trough (4) is arranged at an angle downwards. A weighing hopper (5) is provided at the feed end of the vibrating conveyor trough (4). The bottom of the vibrating conveyor trough (4) is a screen structure. A debris collection layer (41) is provided below the vibrating conveyor trough (4). A glass cover (42) is also provided above the vibrating conveyor trough (4). A set of ion wind suction fans (43) are arranged at intervals on the glass cover (42). A dust collection bag (44) is fitted on the ion wind suction fans (43). A material turner (45) is provided inside the vibrating conveyor trough (4) below the ion wind suction fans (43). The material turner (45) includes a material turner shaft (451) and a set of comb-shaped material turner claws (452) installed on the material turner shaft (451). The weighing hopper (5) includes a feeding weighing hopper (51), a weighing device (52) located at the bottom of the feeding weighing hopper (51), a weighing flip plate (53) provided at the bottom of the weighing device (52), a rotating shaft (54) connected to the weighing flip plate (53), and a servo motor (55) for driving the rotating shaft (54) to rotate. A feeding valve (56) is provided between the feeding weighing hopper (51) and the weighing device (52). A metal electromagnetic roller (57) is provided inside the feeding weighing hopper (51).

3. The continuous enzyme-addition shaking withering unit as described in claim 1, characterized in that: An enzyme adder (6) is connected to the discharge end of the vibrating conveying trough (4). The enzyme adder (6) includes a uniform hopper (61) located below the discharge port of the vibrating conveying trough (4), a uniform leaf device (62) set in the uniform hopper (61), and an ultrasonic atomizer (63) fixed on the outside of the uniform hopper (61). The atomizing nozzle of the ultrasonic atomizer (63) is aligned with the uniform hopper (61).

4. The continuous enzyme-addition shaking withering unit as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The feed end of the hot air withering trough (32) is provided with a funnel-shaped hot air outlet (322), and a heating chamber (324) is connected to the funnel-shaped hot air outlet (322). A first blower (323) is connected to the heating chamber (324).

5. The continuous enzyme-addition shaking withering unit as described in claim 4, characterized in that: A hot air conversion chamber (325) is also provided between the first blower (323) and the flared hot air outlet (322); The funnel-shaped hot air outlet (322) is provided with a screen baffle plate (326), which is a 10-mesh screen structure.

6. The continuous enzyme-addition shaking withering unit as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The cold air spreading layer (34) has a flared cold air outlet (342) at the feed end. The flared cold air outlet (342) is connected to a cold air conversion chamber (343). A refrigeration unit (345) and a second blower (344) are connected in sequence before the cold air conversion chamber (343).

7. The continuous enzyme-addition shaking withering unit as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The withering conveyor belt (321) is connected to a discharge vibrating screen (327) below the discharge end. The discharge vibrating screen (327) has an 18-mesh screen structure.

8. The continuous enzyme-addition shaking withering unit as described in claim 1, characterized in that: Each of the hot air withering trough (32), the sun-drying layer (33), and the cold air spreading layer (34) is provided with a partition plate (35), and each partition plate (35) is provided with a material drop hole (36). A flat discharge pipe (37) is provided in the material drop hole (36), and a conveying trough receiving hopper (38) is provided on the flat discharge pipe (37) to connect with the tea outlet above.

Images