Leveling cleaning device for tobacco material and control method

Abstract

The present application provides a kind of flat cleaning device and control method for tobacco material, the device includes turntable assembly, lift assembly connected to turntable assembly and with lift assembly connected extension arm assembly, extension arm assembly includes with lift assembly connected toothed belt drive mechanism and multiple brushes are set to toothed belt drive mechanism;Device also includes image recognition sensor and range sensor connected to extension arm assembly, for collecting image information and thickness information of material;Turntable assembly, lift assembly and toothed belt drive mechanism are based on image information and thickness information respectively adjust the azimuth of multiple brushes, radial distance and rotation information.This embodiment determines the form, flatness and thickness etc. of material by the collected image information and thickness information, and then controls the brush to carry out flat work on material, and then improves the working quality of the device when flat working.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of tobacco machinery technology, and in particular to a leveling and cleaning device and control method for tobacco materials. Background Technology

[0002] In the cigarette manufacturing process, tobacco material transfer and conveying systems, characterized by flat belt conveyors, connect various tobacco processing steps. The need for adjusting the shape of tobacco materials conveyed on these flat belts and for cleaning before and after processing has become an increasingly important focus for tobacco process and equipment developers, driven by advancements in testing technology and increased production automation. The cleaning of these conveyor belts is primarily accomplished through motor-driven roller brushes, vacuuming, or manual cleaning.

[0003] However, the above processing methods cannot be adjusted in a targeted manner according to the material transfer pattern.

[0004] Chinese invention patent (application number 202111424617.2) discloses a tobacco cleaning and collection device. Its main technical features include a slide rail mounted on a support, with a slider slidably mounted on the slide rail. The slider is equipped with a tobacco suction device and a rotating brush for cleaning and collecting the tobacco. This solves the problem of existing tobacco conveyor belts requiring manual cleaning after use and reduces labor costs. However, it still cannot adjust the cleaning based on the shape, thickness, and flatness of the material. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The summary section of this invention provides a brief overview of the concepts, which will be described in detail in the detailed description section that follows. This summary section is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed technical solutions, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the claimed technical solutions.

[0006] Some embodiments of the present invention provide a flattening and cleaning device and control method for tobacco materials to solve the technical problems mentioned in the background section above.

[0007] In a first aspect, some embodiments of the present invention provide a leveling and cleaning device for tobacco materials. The device includes a turntable assembly, a lifting assembly connected to the turntable assembly, and an extension arm assembly connected to the lifting assembly. The extension arm assembly includes a toothed belt drive mechanism connected to the lifting assembly and a plurality of brushes disposed on the toothed belt drive mechanism. The device also includes an image recognition sensor and a distance sensor connected to the extension arm assembly for acquiring image information and thickness information of the material. The turntable assembly, the lifting assembly, and the toothed belt drive mechanism adjust the azimuth angle, radial distance, and rotation information of the plurality of brushes based on the image information and thickness information, respectively.

[0008] Optionally, the turntable assembly is mounted on a fixed base, the turntable assembly including a rotary motor and a turntable pivotally connected to the fixed base, the upper end of the turntable being connected to the lifting assembly.

[0009] Optionally, the lifting assembly includes a lifting motor, a linear guide rail, a slider slidably connected to the linear guide rail, and a cantilever beam connected to the slider. The bottom of the linear guide rail is connected to the turntable, and the cantilever beam is connected to the toothed belt drive mechanism.

[0010] Optionally, the toothed belt drive mechanism includes a drive motor, a drive pulley, a driven pulley, a pulley bracket, and a toothed drive belt. The drive pulley and the driven pulley are pivotally connected to a first end and a second end of the pulley bracket, and the toothed drive belt wraps around the drive pulley and the driven pulley. The drive motor is disposed on a first side of the pulley bracket and connected to the drive pulley. The plurality of brushes are fixed to the toothed drive belt. The cantilever beam is fixedly connected to a second side of the pulley bracket.

[0011] Optionally, two image recognition sensors are provided, which are respectively connected to both sides of the pulley bracket.

[0012] Optionally, the image recognition sensor is a dual-vision camera.

[0013] Optionally, the device further includes a material splash guard, which includes a support portion, a horizontal portion, and an inclined portion connected together. The support portion is connected to the second end of the pulley bracket, and the inclined portion gradually slopes outward and downward.

[0014] Optionally, the ranging sensor is positioned at the bottom of the horizontal section.

[0015] Optionally, the device further includes a brush cleaning assembly, which includes a cleaning bracket and a plurality of nozzles disposed on the cleaning bracket, the cleaning bracket being obliquely connected to the support such that the plurality of nozzles face a second end of the pulley bracket.

[0016] Secondly, some embodiments of the present invention provide a control method for a leveling and cleaning device for tobacco materials. The method includes a turntable assembly driving an extension arm assembly to rotate, such that the acquisition range of an image recognition sensor covers the flat conveyor belt; in response to a leveling operation, based on the acquired image information and thickness information, the turntable assembly, the lifting assembly, and the toothed belt drive mechanism respectively adjust the azimuth angle, radial distance, and rotation information of the plurality of brushes; in response to a cleaning operation, the lifting assembly controls the plurality of brushes to descend to engage with the flat conveyor belt; and the turntable assembly drives the plurality of brushes to rotate to clean the material on the flat conveyor belt.

[0017] The above embodiments of the present invention have the following beneficial effects: The leveling and cleaning device for tobacco materials of the present invention can determine the shape, flatness, and thickness of the material through the collected image and thickness information, thereby enabling targeted control of the brushes to level the material, thus improving the working quality of the device during leveling and adapting to various situations during material transport. Specifically, the reason for the poor working quality of related cleaning devices is that the position or angle of the brushes cannot be adjusted according to the shape of the material on the conveyor belt; the cleaning state of the brushes is unchanging, lacking flexibility and targeting.

[0018] Based on this, some embodiments of the present invention provide a leveling and cleaning device for tobacco materials, in which a lifting assembly is mounted on a turntable assembly, and an extendable arm assembly including multiple brushes is connected to the lifting assembly. This allows the turntable assembly to drive the multiple brushes to rotate around the axis of the turntable assembly. Furthermore, the lifting assembly can drive the multiple brushes to move vertically up and down. In this way, the azimuth angle and radial height of the multiple brushes can be adjusted.

[0019] Furthermore, the device also includes an image recognition sensor and a distance measuring sensor. The image recognition sensor can acquire image information of the material, and by analyzing the image features, it can display the material's shape and flatness information. The distance measuring sensor can acquire the material's thickness information, and then, based on the shape, flatness, and thickness information, adjust the azimuth angle and radial height of multiple brushes through the turntable assembly and lifting assembly, thereby more effectively flattening and cleaning the material and improving work quality. Attached Figure Description

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the tobacco material leveling and cleaning device of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the tobacco material leveling and cleaning device of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of one embodiment of the brush cleaning assembly of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating some embodiments of a control method for a tobacco material leveling and cleaning apparatus according to the present invention.

[0025] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0026] 1: Fixed base; 21: Turntable; 31: Linear guide rail; 32: Slider; 33: Cantilever beam; 41: Drive motor; 42: Toothed transmission belt; 43: Pulley bracket; 44: Brush; 51: Image recognition sensor; 52: Distance sensor; 6: Material splash guard; 61: Support part; 62: Horizontal part; 63: Inclined part; 71: Cleaning bracket; 72: Nozzle; 8: Control power supply; 9: Indicator light. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The technical solution of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0028] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," and "counterclockwise," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limiting this invention.

[0029] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the stated features. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified. Furthermore, the terms "installed," "connected," and "linked" should be interpreted broadly; for example, they may refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they may refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they may refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they may refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0030] This disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0031] Please refer to the following first. Figure 1 and Figure 2 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the tobacco material leveling and cleaning device of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the tobacco material leveling and cleaning device of the present invention. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the device includes a turntable assembly, a lifting assembly, an extension arm assembly, an image recognition sensor 51, and a distance measuring sensor 52.

[0032] In some embodiments, the lifting assembly can be vertically mounted on the turntable assembly 2. The extendable arm assembly is connected to the lifting assembly. In operation, the turntable assembly can drive the lifting assembly and the extendable arm assembly to rotate around the axial direction of the turntable assembly. The lifting assembly can drive the extendable arm assembly to slide vertically.

[0033] In some alternative implementations, the turntable assembly can be mounted on a fixed base 1. The fixed base 1 supports the turntable assembly, the lifting assembly, and the extension arm assembly. The turntable assembly may include a rotary motor and a turntable 21. The rotary motor can be mounted on the fixed base 1, and its output shaft is connected to the turntable 21, which is pivotally connected to the fixed base 1. The upper end of the turntable 21 is connected to the bottom of the lifting assembly. In this way, during operation, the rotary motor can drive the turntable 21, the lifting assembly, and the extension arm assembly to rotate relative to the fixed base.

[0034] In some alternative implementations, the lifting assembly may include a lifting motor, a linear guide rail 31, a slider 32, and a cantilever beam 33. The linear guide rail 31 is arranged vertically, and its bottom is connected to the turntable 21. The slider 32 is slidably connected to the linear guide rail 31. As an example, the linear guide rail 31 may be a linear motor slide rail, and the lifting motor may be a track-moving motor. The slider 32 may be mounted on the track-moving motor.

[0035] To prevent workers from entering the movement path of the slider 32 during the movement of the extension arm assembly, thus avoiding collisions, the lifting assembly may also include a safety interlock. This safety interlock includes a transmitter and a receiver, respectively located at the upper end of the turntable 21 and the bottom of the slider 32. The transmitter and receiver can be infrared transmitters and receivers, or laser transmitters and receivers. Taking an infrared transmitter and receiver as an example, in the installed state, the infrared receiver can receive infrared light emitted by the infrared transmitter. When a worker is between the slider 32 and the turntable 21, the infrared light is blocked, and the lifting motor stops operating. This prevents workers from being bumped by the slider 32, improving the safety of the device. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can select the specific models of the transmitter and receiver based on existing products or prior art. Furthermore, the cantilever beam 33 is fixedly connected to the slider 32, with the open end of the cantilever beam 33 positioned horizontally away from the slider 32. In the assembled state, the cantilever beam 33 is connected to the extension arm assembly.

[0036] Continue reading Figure 1 and Figure 2 The aforementioned extendable arm assembly may include a toothed belt drive mechanism and a plurality of brushes 44 disposed on the toothed belt drive mechanism. It should be noted that although the accompanying drawings show an example of 12 brushes arranged in a single row, the number and arrangement of the brushes are not unique. Those skilled in the art can adjust the number and arrangement of the brushes according to the actual situation, but such changes do not exceed the protection scope of this disclosure.

[0037] like Figure 2 As shown, the toothed belt drive mechanism may include a drive motor 41, a driving pulley, a driven pulley, a pulley bracket 43, and a toothed drive belt 42. The driving pulley and the driven pulley are pivotally connected to the first end of the pulley bracket 43. Figure 2 The end shown is near slider 32) and the second end ( Figure 2 (The end opposite to the slider 32 shown). The aforementioned drive motor 41 can be mounted in a housing, which is fixedly connected to the first side of the aforementioned pulley bracket 43 ( Figure 2 (Right side of the image). The output shaft of the aforementioned drive motor 41 can be connected to the aforementioned drive pulley via a coupling. The aforementioned toothed drive belt 42 surrounds and engages with the aforementioned drive pulley and driven pulley. The aforementioned plurality of brushes 44 are connected to the aforementioned toothed drive belt 42. In the working state, the aforementioned drive motor 41 can drive the drive pulley to rotate, thereby causing the driven pulley and the toothed drive belt 42 to drive the plurality of brushes 44 to rotate. Furthermore, the speed and direction of rotation of the brushes 44 can be changed by adjusting the output power and rotation direction of the drive motor 41.

[0038] In the assembled state, the cantilever beam 33 is fixedly connected to the second side of the pulley bracket 43 (the side opposite to the first side of the pulley bracket 43).

[0039] Continue reading Figure 2 Two image recognition sensors 51 can be provided, respectively installed on both sides of the pulley bracket 43. In operation, the image recognition sensors 51 face the flat conveyor belt. As an example, the image recognition sensors 51 may include, but are not limited to, industrial cameras, dual-vision cameras, etc.

[0040] The image recognition sensor 51 can acquire image information of tobacco material on a flat conveyor belt. The device may also include a control terminal, which is communicatively connected to the image recognition sensor 51. The control terminal can perform feature extraction and image analysis on the image information to determine the shape and flatness of the tobacco material. As an example, the control terminal may be a processor or chip including an image processing system. Those skilled in the art can make adjustments according to actual conditions.

[0041] In this way, during operation, the control terminal controls the turntable assembly to rotate based on the determined shape and flatness of the tobacco material, allowing the brush 44 to process tobacco material located at the edge of the conveyor belt or protruding from it. After processing, the image recognition sensor 51 continues to collect data on the shape and flatness of the tobacco material until the shape and flatness determined by the control terminal meet the preset requirements, at which point the brush 44 stops working. This makes the device more flexible and targeted.

[0042] Please refer to the following. Figure 3 And continue to refer to Figure 2 , Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of one embodiment of the brush cleaning assembly of the present invention. Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the device may also include a material splash guard 6 to prevent tobacco material from moving to a distance when the brush is leveling or sweeping it. Specifically, the material splash guard 6 is mounted to the second end of the pulley bracket 43. The material splash guard 6 includes a support portion 61, a horizontal portion 62, and an inclined portion 63 connected together. The support portion 61 is fixedly connected to both sides of the second end of the pulley bracket 43. The horizontal portion 62 connects the support portion 61 and the inclined portion 63. The inclined portion 63 is inclined to the right (…). Figure 3 As it extends (in the direction of the middle), it gradually slopes downward, i.e., it is set like an eaves. Thus, the material splash guard 6 can cover the second end of the pulley bracket 43, thereby blocking the tobacco material swept out by the brush 44 and preventing the tobacco material from splashing everywhere.

[0043] The aforementioned distance sensor 52 can be installed at the bottom of the horizontal section 62 to collect the thickness of the tobacco material. Specifically, the control terminal can store the distance from the distance sensor 52 to the horizontal conveyor belt, and determine the thickness of the tobacco material by subtracting the collected real-time distance from the aforementioned distance. The aforementioned distance sensor 52 may include, but is not limited to, laser distance sensors, infrared distance sensors, etc.

[0044] In this way, during operation, the control terminal controls the lifting assembly to lower the brush 44 and perform cleaning based on the thickness of the tobacco material collected by the distance sensor 52, until the thickness collected by the distance sensor 52 meets the preset thickness. This makes the device more flexible and targeted.

[0045] Continue reading Figure 3The device may also include a brush cleaning assembly. This assembly may include a cleaning bracket 71 and multiple nozzles 72. The cleaning bracket 71 is obliquely connected to the support portion 61. Multiple air nozzle seats may be mounted on the cleaning bracket 71. The multiple nozzles 72 are correspondingly mounted on the multiple air nozzle seats. The cleaning bracket 71 may be provided with air holes and air passages, allowing external gas to pass through the air nozzle seats and be ejected from the nozzles 72, thus spraying the tobacco on the brush 44 onto the material splash guard 6. The nozzles 72 may be positioned at an angle of 20°-45° to the vertical direction.

[0046] Revisit Figure 1 and Figure 2 The device may also include a control power supply 8 and an indicator light 9. The control power supply 8 can be located on one side of the linear guide rail 31, and is used to provide electrical energy. The indicator light 9 can be located on the linear guide rail 31, and can correspond to three working modes: when the light is off, it is in a power-off state; when it flashes at a low frequency, it is in a normal standby or shutdown state; when it is constantly lit, it is in a normal state; and when it flashes at a high frequency, it is in a fault reporting and shutdown state.

[0047] The present invention also provides a control method for a flat needle cleaning device for tobacco materials, which can be used in the flat needle cleaning devices for tobacco materials described in the above embodiments. Figure 4 The diagram shows a flowchart 400 of an embodiment of a control method for a flat needle cleaning device for tobacco materials provided by the present invention. The method may include the following steps:

[0048] Step 401: The turntable assembly drives the extension arm assembly to rotate, so that the image recognition sensor's acquisition range covers the flat conveyor belt.

[0049] In some embodiments, the entity executing the control method may be a control terminal. This control terminal is communicatively connected to the aforementioned turntable assembly, lifting assembly, extension arm assembly, image recognition sensor, and ranging sensor.

[0050] The control terminal can be either hardware or software. When the control terminal is hardware, it can be implemented as a distributed cluster consisting of multiple servers or terminal devices, or as a single server or a single terminal device. Specifically, the control terminal can be a terminal device that includes an information receiving unit with information transmission and reception functions, a processing unit with information processing functions, and an output information unit that outputs control signals. For example, it can include a real-time control PLC (Programmable Logic Controller), an image processing system for analyzing image information, and an industrial control computer for handling complex calculations and control tasks.

[0051] When a computing device is embodied as software, it can be installed within the hardware devices listed above. It can be implemented as multiple software programs or software modules, for example, to provide distributed services, or it can be implemented as a single software program or software module. No specific limitations are made here.

[0052] In some embodiments, the control terminal can preset a predetermined time for leveling and cleaning the conveyor belt. When the predetermined time is reached, the control terminal controls the rotary motor of the turntable assembly to drive the extension arm assembly to rotate. Alternatively, the control terminal is communicatively connected to the conveyor belt, and when it detects that the conveyor belt has started, the control terminal controls the rotary motor of the turntable assembly to drive the extension arm assembly to rotate.

[0053] The aforementioned control terminal can set the initial position and working position of the device. Specifically, when the device is in the initial position, it does not operate. The length direction of the aforementioned extendable arm assembly can be parallel to the transmission direction of the flat conveyor belt. This avoids occupying the space above the flat conveyor belt, facilitating maintenance and repair work.

[0054] The aforementioned working position can be a position where the length direction of the extendable arm assembly is perpendicular to the transmission direction of the flat conveyor belt. In actual operation, the control terminal controls the rotation of the rotary motor connected to the turntable assembly via an encoder, causing the extendable arm assembly to rotate 90°. Furthermore, to ensure the acquisition quality of the image recognition sensor, an image of the flat conveyor belt can be acquired after rotating the extendable arm assembly. The control terminal compares this image with a sample image of the flat conveyor belt, determines the deviation angle, and then controls the rotary motor to rotate again, ensuring that the image recognition sensor's acquisition range covers the flat conveyor belt. This ensures the accuracy of image acquisition.

[0055] Step 402: In response to the leveling operation, based on the acquired image information and thickness information, the turntable assembly, lifting assembly, and toothed belt drive mechanism respectively adjust the azimuth angle, radial distance, and rotation information of multiple brushes.

[0056] In some embodiments, the control terminal can determine whether a leveling or cleaning operation is required through various methods. For example, the device can communicate with a human-machine interface (HMI). The HMI interface can have corresponding buttons for leveling and cleaning the conveyor belt. When a worker clicks the leveling button, the control terminal detects this control information and determines that a leveling operation is needed. As another example, the operating cycle of the conveyor belt can be input into the control terminal, which can then divide the cycle into a leveling cycle and a cleaning cycle, and perform the corresponding operation.

[0057] During the leveling of the conveyor belt, image recognition sensors transmit the image information of the collected tobacco material to the image processing system included in the control terminal. This image processing system extracts and analyzes the features of the image information. These features may include range information, contour information, grayscale information, etc., contained in the image information. Next, the image processing system compares the range information, contour information, grayscale information, etc., with the image of a sample or the features of the sample to determine the shape and flatness of the tobacco material.

[0058] The aforementioned distance sensor can acquire the distance to the tobacco material. By inputting the distance between the distance sensor and the flat conveyor belt into the control terminal, the control terminal can calculate the difference between the two distances to determine the thickness of the tobacco material.

[0059] Next, the control terminal controls the lifting assembly to lower the extension arm assembly according to the determined thickness, thereby adjusting the radial distance of the brush so that the brush contacts the tobacco material.

[0060] The control terminal determines whether there is any tobacco material overflowing or about to exceed the range of the flat conveyor belt based on the shape of the tobacco material. At this time, the control terminal controls the turntable assembly to rotate and adjusts the azimuth angle of the brush so that the brush can act on the tobacco material that needs to be leveled.

[0061] The control terminal can also control the transmission speed of the toothed belt drive mechanism. Specifically, when the thickness of the tobacco material differs significantly from the preset thickness, the control terminal can increase the transmission speed of the toothed belt drive mechanism, thereby increasing the leveling efficiency. When the thickness of the tobacco material differs slightly from the preset thickness, the controller can decrease the transmission speed of the toothed belt drive mechanism. It should be noted that the preset thickness can be determined by those skilled in the art based on experiments or relevant indicators. Furthermore, the difference range between the thickness of the tobacco material and the preset thickness can be determined, and a correspondence table between the difference range and the brush drive speed can be established. In this way, after the control terminal determines the difference between the thickness of the tobacco material and the preset thickness, it determines the brush drive speed corresponding to the difference range to which the difference belongs, and then controls the drive motor.

[0062] In step 403, in response to the cleaning operation, the lifting assembly controls multiple brushes to descend and engage with the flat conveyor belt; the turntable assembly drives multiple brushes to rotate to clean the material on the flat conveyor belt.

[0063] Step 402 explains how the control terminal determines the implementation method of the cleaning operation, which will not be repeated here. During the cleaning of the flat conveyor belt, the control terminal controls the lifting assembly to lower the extended arm assembly, causing the brush to engage with the flat conveyor belt. Specifically, the aforementioned distance sensor can collect the distance to the flat conveyor belt, and by subtracting the distance between the distance sensor and the bottom of the brush, the lowering distance of the lifting arm assembly is determined. It should be noted that the distance between the distance sensor and the bottom of the brush can be pre-input into the control terminal.

[0064] Next, the control terminal can control the turntable assembly to drive the extension arm assembly to rotate back and forth, so that the brush can swing and the extension arm assembly can move in a fan shape, thereby increasing the cleaning area.

[0065] Then, the image recognition sensor acquires image information of the flat conveyor belt, and the image processing system compares this image information with an image of a clean flat conveyor belt of the sample. If the comparison result indicates that the cleaning is qualified, the control terminal controls the air supply device to supply air to the nozzles, thereby performing multiple air jet cleaning on the brush.

[0066] Finally, the control terminal stops the drive motor from rotating. The control lifting assembly raises the extension arm assembly to the initial radial distance. This initial radial distance can be determined by those skilled in the art based on actual conditions or through repeated experiments. The control turntable assembly drives the extension arm assembly to rotate, causing the device to return to its initial position and enter standby mode.

[0067] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A leveling and cleaning device for tobacco materials, characterized in that, It includes a turntable assembly, a lifting assembly connected to the turntable assembly, and an extendable arm assembly connected to the lifting assembly, wherein, The extendable arm assembly includes a toothed belt drive mechanism connected to the lifting assembly and a plurality of brushes disposed on the toothed belt drive mechanism. The device also includes an image recognition sensor and a distance sensor connected to the extender arm assembly, for acquiring image information and thickness information of the material; The turntable assembly, the lifting assembly, and the toothed belt drive mechanism adjust the azimuth angle, radial distance, and rotation information of the plurality of brushes based on the image information and thickness information, respectively.

2. The leveling and cleaning device for tobacco materials according to claim 1, characterized in that, The turntable assembly is mounted on a fixed base. The turntable assembly includes a rotary motor and a turntable pivotally connected to the fixed base. The upper end of the turntable is connected to the lifting assembly.

3. The leveling and cleaning device for tobacco materials according to claim 2, characterized in that, The lifting assembly includes a lifting motor, a linear guide rail, a slider slidably connected to the linear guide rail, and a cantilever beam connected to the slider. The bottom of the linear guide rail is connected to the turntable, and the cantilever beam is connected to the toothed belt drive mechanism.

4. The leveling and cleaning device for tobacco materials according to claim 3, characterized in that, The toothed belt drive mechanism includes a drive motor, a drive pulley, a driven pulley, a pulley bracket, and a toothed drive belt. The drive pulley and the driven pulley are pivotally connected to a first end and a second end of the pulley bracket. The toothed drive belt wraps around the drive pulley and the driven pulley. The drive motor is disposed on a first side of the pulley bracket and connected to the drive pulley. The plurality of brushes are fixed to the toothed drive belt. The cantilever beam is fixedly connected to a second side of the pulley bracket.

5. The leveling and cleaning device for tobacco materials according to claim 4, characterized in that, Two image recognition sensors are provided, which are respectively connected to both sides of the pulley bracket.

6. The leveling and cleaning device for tobacco materials according to claim 5, characterized in that, The image recognition sensor is a dual-vision camera.

7. The leveling and cleaning device for tobacco materials according to claim 4, characterized in that, The device also includes a material splash guard, which includes a support part, a horizontal part and an inclined part connected together. The support part is connected to the second end of the pulley bracket, and the inclined part gradually tilts outward and downward.

8. The leveling and cleaning device for tobacco materials according to claim 7, characterized in that, The ranging sensor is positioned at the bottom of the horizontal section.

9. The leveling and cleaning device for tobacco materials according to claim 7, characterized in that, The device also includes a brush cleaning assembly comprising a cleaning bracket and a plurality of nozzles disposed on the cleaning bracket, the cleaning bracket being obliquely connected to the support such that the plurality of nozzles face a second end of the pulley bracket.

10. A control method for a leveling and cleaning device for tobacco materials as described in any one of claims 1-9, the method comprising: The turntable assembly drives the extension arm assembly to rotate, so that the image recognition sensor's acquisition range covers the flat conveyor belt; In response to the leveling operation, based on the acquired image information and thickness information, the turntable assembly, the lifting assembly, and the toothed belt drive mechanism respectively adjust the azimuth angle, radial distance, and rotation information of the plurality of brushes; In response to a cleaning operation, the lifting assembly controls the plurality of brushes to descend and engage with the flat conveyor belt; the turntable assembly drives the plurality of brushes to rotate to clean the material on the flat conveyor belt.

Images