Dried beancurd stick production system, dried beancurd stick forming equipment and dried beancurd stick production method

Abstract

The application provides a dried beancurd stick production system, a dried beancurd stick forming device and a dried beancurd stick production method. The dried beancurd stick production system comprises a soybean milk pot and a dried beancurd stick forming device. The dried beancurd stick forming device comprises a carrier and a synchronous conveying mechanism. The synchronous conveying mechanism is installed on the carrier. The carrier can drive the synchronous conveying mechanism to move along the longitudinal direction of the soybean milk pot. When the carrier moves, the synchronous conveying mechanism can move synchronously to lift the soybean milk crust in the soybean milk pot along the moving direction of the carrier and receive the lifted soybean milk crust. The application solves the technical problem that the soybean milk crust is easily pulled off during the production of dried beancurd sticks, which leads to difficulty in mechanized and unmanned production.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the technical field of soybean product processing, and in particular to a tofu skin production system, tofu skin forming equipment, and tofu skin production method. Background Technology

[0002] Heating soy milk will cause a thin film of protein and fat to form on its surface (hereinafter referred to as soy milk skin). This soy milk skin can be peeled off, stretched into strips, and dried to make dried bean curd sticks. Dried bean curd sticks are a common ingredient in people's lives, but their production methods are primitive and backward, with questionable production efficiency and hygiene.

[0003] The production of dried bean curd sticks is mainly done by hand. Factory-made dried bean curd sticks are made by making a double-layered soy milk heating pot. Soy milk is poured into the upper layer, and water is poured into the lower layer and heated with steam. After the soy milk in the upper layer is heated by the lower layer, it will naturally cool and form a skin on the surface. The skin is then peeled off by hand, stretched into strips, and hung on a rod to dry, thus forming the finished dried bean curd sticks.

[0004] Another semi-mechanical method involves lengthening the double-layered soy milk pot, typically making it a rectangle about 1 to 1.4 meters wide and over ten meters long. After a skin forms on the surface of the soy milk, a person manually lifts the skin from one end of the pot and places it onto a conveyor belt. The conveyor belt then slowly pulls the entire skin from one end of the pot and transports it elsewhere for shaping, cutting, and drying.

[0005] Whether processed manually or using semi-mechanical methods, there are many insurmountable pain points in processing dried bean curd sticks.

[0006] Because the steam heating boilers installed in the processing workshops often cover an area of ​​hundreds or even thousands of square meters, the workshop temperature often exceeds the limit that ordinary people can tolerate. Workers sweat profusely, the labor intensity is high, and the working conditions are extremely poor, making them prone to serious accidents such as heatstroke. In addition, the production efficiency of manual methods is very low, hygiene is difficult to guarantee, and the finished bean curd sticks are uneven in length and thickness and have poor appearance.

[0007] While semi-mechanized methods offer a slight improvement in production efficiency, they do not significantly improve labor costs or working conditions; in fact, they introduce many new pain points.

[0008] Firstly, the area and length of the soybean milk skin are much larger than those made by hand. When pulled from one end, the soybean milk skin is easily broken due to the force applied to the whole body. Moreover, the longer the soybean milk pot, the easier it is to break. Therefore, the length of the soybean milk pot is limited, which restricts the improvement of production efficiency.

[0009] Secondly, in order to improve the taste and nutritional structure of dried bean curd sticks, other nutritious materials need to be added to soy milk. However, adding other materials will change the protein structure and reduce the toughness of the soy milk skin, making it easier to break.

[0010] Third, after several hours of continuous production, the deposited soy milk particles will form at the bottom of the pot, causing the pot to burn. Cleaning the bottom of the pot not only wastes time and affects production efficiency, but also wastes a lot of soy milk (residual soy milk).

[0011] Due to these drawbacks, the aforementioned semi-mechanized method for producing dried bean curd sticks has not been widely adopted.

[0012] In summary, during the production of dried bean curd sticks, the skin formed by the soybean milk is easily broken, and the bottom of the pot is prone to burning, making it difficult to carry out mechanized and unmanned production. Summary of the Invention

[0013] The purpose of this invention is to provide a tofu skin production system, tofu skin forming equipment, and tofu skin production method to solve the technical bottleneck problem that the soybean milk skin is easily broken during the tofu skin production process, making it difficult to carry out mechanized and unmanned production.

[0014] The above-mentioned objectives of the present invention can be achieved by the following technical solutions:

[0015] This invention provides a tofu skin production system, including: a soy milk pot and tofu skin forming equipment;

[0016] The tofu skin forming equipment includes a carrier and a synchronous conveying mechanism. The synchronous conveying mechanism is installed on the carrier. The carrier can drive the synchronous conveying mechanism to move longitudinally along the soy milk pot. Furthermore, the synchronous conveying mechanism can move synchronously with the carrier to lift the soy milk skin in the soy milk pot along the direction of the carrier's movement and to receive the lifted soy milk skin.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment, the synchronous conveying mechanism includes a conveyor belt, a first roller, a second roller, and a one-way transmission device. The first roller and the second roller are mounted on the vehicle and arranged longitudinally along the soy milk pot. The conveyor belt is sleeved on the first roller and the second roller. The one-way transmission device is used to make the conveyor belt move synchronously with the vehicle when the vehicle is moving forward and remain stationary when the vehicle is moving backward.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment, the vehicle includes a vehicle body and a vehicle drive mechanism, the synchronous conveying mechanism is mounted on the vehicle body, and the vehicle drive mechanism is used to drive the vehicle body to move longitudinally along the soy milk pot.

[0019] In a preferred embodiment, the vehicle includes a power source, and the synchronous conveying mechanism and the vehicle driving mechanism are both connected to the power source via a transmission mechanism. The transmission mechanism is capable of making the speed of the conveyor belt equal to the speed of the vehicle when the vehicle is moving forward.

[0020] In a preferred embodiment, the tofu skin forming device includes a scraper that extends to and adheres closely to the bottom of the soy milk pot, and that the scraper can move longitudinally along the soy milk pot.

[0021] In a preferred embodiment, a plurality of scrapers are mounted on the vehicle, and the plurality of scrapers are distributed at intervals along the longitudinal direction of the soy milk pot.

[0022] In a preferred embodiment, the tofu skin forming equipment includes a peeling rod and a peeling mechanism, wherein the peeling rod extends along the width direction of the soy milk pot.

[0023] The peeling mechanism is connected to the peeling rod and is used to drive the peeling rod to move into the soy milk pot, or from the soy milk pot to the synchronous conveying mechanism to lift the soy milk skin and attach it to the synchronous conveying mechanism.

[0024] In a preferred embodiment, the bean curd forming equipment includes a cutting blade, a gathering mechanism, and a shaping wheel. The cutting blade, the gathering mechanism, and the shaping wheel are arranged sequentially. The cutting blade is used to cut the bean curd skin received by the synchronous conveying mechanism into multiple parts along the width direction of the bean curd skin. The gathering mechanism is used to gather the cut bean curd skin together. The shaping wheel is provided with an annular groove, and the gathered bean curd skin can enter the annular groove.

[0025] In a preferred embodiment, the cutting blade, the gathering mechanism, and the shaping wheel are all positioned above the synchronous conveying mechanism, and the soybean milk skin that has passed through the circumferential groove can return to the synchronous conveying mechanism.

[0026] This invention provides a method for producing dried bean curd sticks, using the aforementioned dried bean curd stick production system.

[0027] The method for producing dried bean curd sticks includes:

[0028] Step S10: Connect the skin formed in the soy milk pot to the synchronous conveying mechanism;

[0029] In step S20, the carrier drives the synchronous conveying mechanism to move along the longitudinal direction of the soy milk pot. The synchronous conveying mechanism moves synchronously to lift the soy milk skin in the soy milk pot along the direction of movement of the carrier and to receive the lifted soy milk skin.

[0030] In a preferred embodiment, in step S20, the speed of the conveyor belt in the synchronous conveying mechanism is equal to the speed of the vehicle, and the moving direction of the receiving surface of the conveyor belt and the moving direction of the vehicle both point to the same end of the soy milk pot.

[0031] In a preferred embodiment, the method for producing dried bean curd sticks includes: step S30, in which the vehicle drives the synchronous conveying mechanism to move backward along the longitudinal direction of the soy milk pot to return, while the synchronous conveying mechanism remains stationary.

[0032] This invention provides a tofu skin forming device, which is applied to the above-mentioned tofu skin production method.

[0033] The tofu skin forming equipment includes: a carrier and a synchronous conveying mechanism.

[0034] The synchronous conveying mechanism is installed on the carrier vehicle, which can drive the synchronous conveying mechanism to move longitudinally along the soy milk pot. Furthermore, the synchronous conveying mechanism can move synchronously with the movement of the carrier vehicle to lift the soy milk skin in the soy milk pot along the movement direction of the carrier vehicle and receive the lifted soy milk skin.

[0035] The features and advantages of this invention are:

[0036] The synchronous conveyor moves longitudinally along the soy milk pot with the carrier vehicle, lifting the soy milk skin from the pot. As it moves, the synchronous conveyor moves in sync, catching the lifted soy milk skin to reduce the length of the skin that is being pulled. This ensures that most of the soy milk skin remains either caught by the synchronous conveyor or still on the surface of the soy milk in the pot, with only a short section subjected to tension, thus effectively preventing it from breaking.

[0037] The bean curd skin production system provided by this invention prevents the bean curd skin from breaking during peeling, facilitating mechanized production. Furthermore, the longitudinal length of the bean curd pot is unrestricted, significantly improving production efficiency and reducing costs. The composition of the bean curd is also unrestricted, facilitating adjustments and research into the nutritional structure of the bean curd skin. It also helps improve the hygiene standards of the production site and food, improves working conditions, addresses labor shortages, reduces production costs, increases efficiency, and enhances the nutritional structure of the food. Attached Figure Description

[0038] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0039] Figure 1 A front view of the dried bean curd production system provided by the present invention;

[0040] Figure 2 A top view of the dried bean curd production system provided by the present invention;

[0041] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A magnified view of a portion of the image;

[0042] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the bean curd forming equipment provided by the present invention;

[0043] Figure 5 A schematic diagram illustrating the method for producing dried bean curd sticks provided by this invention;

[0044] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the control system of the bean curd production system provided by the present invention.

[0045] Explanation of icon numbers:

[0046] 1. Soy milk pot; 11. Heating layer; 12. Soy milk layer; 13. Soy milk skin formation;

[0047] 10. The longitudinal direction of the soy milk pot;

[0048] 2. Carrier vehicle; 22. Vehicle body;

[0049] 240. Vehicle drive mechanism; 24. Drive wheel; 25. Driven wheel;

[0050] 26. Cutting knife; 261. Circular blade;

[0051] 27. Gathering mechanism; 271. Guide plate;

[0052] 28. Shaping wheel; 281. Circumferential groove;

[0053] 29. Vertical cutter;

[0054] 210. Hanging pole robotic arm;

[0055] 21. Scraper; 211. Front scraper; 212. Rear scraper;

[0056] 3. Peeling mechanism; 31. Peeling rod.

[0057] 4. Synchronous conveying mechanism;

[0058] 41. First roller; 42. Second roller; 43. Conveyor belt;

[0059] 51. Controller; 52. Distribution cabinet;

[0060] 61. Power motor; 62. Solenoid valve; 63. Servo motor; 64. Cylinder;

[0061] 71. Frequency converter; 72. First sensor; 73. Second sensor; 74. Video recognition device; 75. Human-computer interaction device;

[0062] 81. Router; 82. Switch; 83. Remote client; 84. Central control room. Detailed Implementation

[0063] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. 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.

[0064] Option 1

[0065] This invention provides a tofu skin production system, including: a soy milk pot 1 and tofu skin forming equipment, such as... Figures 1-4 As shown, the tofu skin forming equipment includes a carrier 2 and a synchronous conveying mechanism 4. The synchronous conveying mechanism 4 is installed on the carrier 2. The carrier 2 can drive the synchronous conveying mechanism 4 to move along the longitudinal direction 10 of the soy milk pot. Furthermore, the synchronous conveying mechanism 4 can move synchronously when the carrier 2 moves, so as to lift the soy milk skin 13 in the soy milk pot 1 along the direction of movement of the carrier 2, and receive the lifted soy milk skin 13.

[0066] The synchronous conveying mechanism 4 moves along the longitudinal direction 10 of the soy milk pot together with the carrier 2, lifting the soy milk skin 13 from the pot. While moving, the synchronous conveying mechanism 4 moves synchronously to receive the lifted soy milk skin 13, thereby reducing the length of the soy milk skin 13 that is being pulled. This ensures that most of the soy milk skin 13 is kept in a state that has been received by the synchronous conveying mechanism 4 or is still spread on the liquid surface of the soy milk pot 1, with only a short section being subjected to tension, thus effectively preventing it from being pulled apart.

[0067] The bean curd skin production system provided by this invention makes it less likely for the soybean milk skin 13 to break during peeling, facilitating mechanized production. Furthermore, the longitudinal length of the soybean milk pot 1 is therefore unrestricted, significantly improving production efficiency and reducing costs. The composition of the soybean milk is also unrestricted, facilitating adjustments to the nutritional structure of the bean curd skin and subsequent research. It also helps improve the hygiene standards of the production site and food hygiene, improve working conditions for workers, solve labor shortages, reduce production costs, increase production efficiency, and improve the nutritional structure of food.

[0068] In one embodiment, the synchronous conveying mechanism 4 includes a conveyor belt 43, a first roller 41, a second roller 42, and a unidirectional drive device (not shown in the figure), such as Figure 1 and Figure 4As shown, the first roller 41 and the second roller 42 are mounted on the carrier 2 and arranged along the longitudinal direction 10 of the soy milk pot. The conveyor belt 43 is sleeved on the first roller 41 and the second roller 42. A one-way transmission device is used to make the conveyor belt move synchronously with the carrier when the carrier moves forward and remain stationary when the carrier moves backward. After the soy milk skin 13 is attached to the conveyor belt 43, as the conveyor belt 43 rotates, the soy milk skin 13 moves to the upper surface of the conveyor belt 43, and the upper surface of the conveyor belt 43 serves as the receiving surface to receive the soy milk skin 13. At the same time, the carrier 2 moves along the longitudinal direction 10 of the soy milk pot with the conveyor belt 43, peeling off the skin along the longitudinal direction 10 of the soy milk pot as it moves. Only the short section of the soy milk skin 13 that is peeled off from the surface of the soy milk bears its own slight weight. The soy milk skin 13 that has not been peeled off is not subjected to tension and is thus prevented from being torn apart by the overall force. The soybean milk skin 13 on the receiving surface of the conveyor belt 43 moves with the conveyor belt 43, but there is no relative movement between the conveyor belt 43 and the conveyor belt 43.

[0069] Furthermore, the upper surface of the conveyor belt 43 is parallel to the direction of movement of the vehicle 2. Longitudinally, the first roller 41 and the second roller 42 can be located at both ends of the vehicle 2. One of the first roller 41 and the second roller 42 can be a driving roller, and the other can be a driven roller. When the driving roller rotates, it drives the conveyor belt 43. Preferably, the first roller 41 is the driving roller, and a one-way transmission device can be installed between the driving roller and the power source, so that when the vehicle 2 reverses, the power from the power source cannot be transmitted to the driving roller, and the driving roller and the conveyor belt 43 do not rotate. The one-way transmission device can be a clutch or a ratchet mechanism. If necessary, guide rollers and tension rollers can also be provided between the driving roller and the driven roller.

[0070] In one embodiment, the carrier 2 includes a vehicle body 22 and a carrier drive mechanism 240. A synchronous conveying mechanism 4 is mounted on the vehicle body 22, and the carrier drive mechanism 240 drives the vehicle body 22 to move along the longitudinal direction 10 of the soy milk pot. The structure of the carrier drive mechanism 240 is not limited to one type; for example, the carrier drive mechanism 240 may include a lead screw mechanism, a rack and pinion mechanism, or wheels. Preferably, the carrier drive mechanism 240 includes wheels, specifically, as shown in... Figure 4 As shown, the vehicle drive mechanism 240 includes a drive wheel 24 and a driven wheel 25. The drive wheel 24 can rotate under the drive of the drive motor, thereby driving the vehicle body 22 to move along the longitudinal direction 10 of the soy milk pot.

[0071] Furthermore, when vehicle 2 is in the forward direction ( Figure 1 As shown in the left-to-right direction (i.e., the peeling direction), when the carrier 2 moves forward a certain distance (i.e., the circumference of the drive wheel 24 multiplied by the number of rotations), the conveyor belt 43 rotates clockwise by the same circumference under the drive of the first roller 41 and the second roller 42. The upper surface of the conveyor belt 43 moves a distance equal to the distance the carrier 2 moves in the same direction. Preferably, the carrier 2 moves backward ( Figure 1 When the direction is from right to left (as shown), the conveyor belt 43 does not rotate.

[0072] In one embodiment, the vehicle 2 includes a power source (not shown in the figure). The synchronous conveying mechanism 4 and the vehicle drive mechanism 240 are both connected to the power source via a transmission mechanism (not shown in the figure). The transmission mechanism ensures that the speed of the conveyor belt 43 is equal to the speed of the vehicle 2 when the vehicle moves forward. The synchronous conveying mechanism 4 shares the same power source as the vehicle 2. The transmission mechanism can employ a gear set or other speed-changing mechanism. By combining the diameter of the wheels with the diameter of the drive roller, synchronization is achieved through a reasonable speed ratio matching, ensuring that the conveyor belt 43 rotates clockwise by the same circumference for every distance the vehicle 2 moves forward. Figure 1 As shown, the upper surface of the conveyor belt 43 moves in the same direction as the vehicle body 22, and the linear velocity of the conveyor belt 43 rotating around the first roller 41 (or the second roller 42) is equal to the velocity of the vehicle body 22 moving longitudinally. The one-way transmission device can be set in the transmission mechanism. For example, the transmission mechanism includes multiple gear sets, and the one-way transmission device is connected in series between two gear sets; alternatively, the power source, transmission mechanism, one-way transmission device, and drive roller can be connected in series in sequence.

[0073] In another embodiment, the synchronous conveying mechanism 4 and the vehicle drive mechanism 240 can also be driven independently, and their movements can be kept synchronized through speed control. For example, the synchronous conveying mechanism 4 includes a first motor and a first reducer, and the drive roller rotates under the power provided by the first motor; the vehicle drive mechanism 240 includes a second motor and a second reducer, and the drive wheel 24 rotates under the power provided by the second motor; the speed and start / stop of the first motor and the second motor are controlled respectively to keep the movement of the conveyor belt 43 synchronized with the movement of the vehicle body 22.

[0074] Preferably, the synchronous conveying mechanism 4 and the carrier vehicle 2 share a power source, which includes a drive motor and a reduction gear. The drive motor can be a variable frequency motor. The transmission mechanism enables the transmission belt 43 to move synchronously with the carrier vehicle 2. The transmission mechanism adopts a mechanical structure, which reduces electrical components, simplifies control, and improves the reliability of the operation.

[0075] like Figure 1As shown, the carrier 2 is positioned above the soy milk pot 1. A track extending longitudinally along the upper edge of the soy milk pot 1 can be provided, allowing the carrier 2 to move linearly along the track. When the carrier 2 moves forward, the upper surface of the conveyor belt 43 rotates in the same direction as the carrier 2, and the circumference of the rotation is always consistent with the length of the linear movement of the carrier 2. Along the longitudinal direction 10 of the soy milk pot, the carrier 2 moves from one end of the soy milk pot 1 to the other end. After completing one cycle, the carrier 2 returns to the starting point, ready for the next cycle of peeling. Preferably, the carrier 2 moves at a uniform linear speed, and the conveyor belt 43 rotates at a uniform speed; the speed of the carrier 2 when returning is higher than the speed of its forward movement, and the conveyor belt 43 remains stationary during the return.

[0076] In one embodiment, the tofu skin forming equipment includes a scraper 21, which can extend to the bottom of the soy milk pot 1 and be in close contact with the bottom of the soy milk pot 1. The scraper 21 can move along the longitudinal direction 10 of the soy milk pot. The scraper 21 stirs the soy milk and cleans the soy milk particles that have not yet formed a burnt pot on the bottom of the soy milk pot 1, so as to avoid burning the pot and realize that the bottom of the pot does not need to be cleaned for a long time, reducing soy milk waste and improving production efficiency.

[0077] Furthermore, multiple scrapers 21 are installed on the carrier 2, and the multiple scrapers 21 are distributed at intervals along the longitudinal direction 10 of the soy milk pot. The carrier 2 moves together with the scrapers 21 along the longitudinal direction 10 of the soy milk pot, and during the movement, the scrapers 21 are used to stir the soy milk and clean up the deposited soy milk particles; the multiple scrapers 21 cooperate to cover the longitudinal range of the soy milk pot 1. Preferably, the scrapers 21 are installed on the lower part of the vehicle body 22 and distributed at the front and rear ends of the vehicle body 22.

[0078] The scraper 21 can be submerged below the surface of the soy milk and moves with the carrier 2 to scrape away the soy milk particles deposited at the bottom of the pot. Preferably, the scraper 21 is submerged below the surface of the soy milk and closely adheres to the bottom of the soy milk pot 1. When the carrier 2 moves back and forth, the scraper 21 will scrape up and stir the soy milk particles deposited at the bottom of the pot, keeping the soy milk uniform and preventing it from burning. The scraper 21 can be made of silicone or other materials to allow it to elastically adhere to the bottom of the soy milk pot 1.

[0079] In one embodiment, the scraper 21 can rotate up and down around an axis to change its angle to adapt to the bottom of the soy milk pot 1, improving the fit with the bottom of the pot. Further, the scraper 21 can be adjusted up and down around an axis perpendicular to the direction of movement of the vehicle 2, driven by a motor, to adapt to the bottom of the soy milk pot 1. Preferably, it is located at the front end (…). Figure 1 The front scraper 211 (shown on the right end) can also be flipped up to leave the soy milk when the carrier 2 is moving forward, and submerged under the surface of the soy milk to scrape the bottom of the pot when the carrier 2 is returning.

[0080] The scraper 21 can also have its own drive mechanism, that is, the scraper 21 and the carrier 2 can be separate. The scraper 21 does not move with the carrier 2, but moves along the longitudinal direction 10 of the soy milk pot under the drive of its own drive mechanism. The drive mechanism of the scraper 21 can be a lead screw mechanism, a rack and pinion mechanism, or a wheel, etc.

[0081] like Figures 1-4 As shown, the synchronous conveying mechanism 4 cooperates with the carrier 2 to achieve simultaneous movement and peeling of the bean curd skin. Because the speed of the bean curd skin 13 and the conveyor belt 43 in the synchronous conveying mechanism 4 are synchronized with the carrier 2, the bean curd skin 13 is not subjected to force when peeled off, and it is not easy for the bean curd skin 13 to be torn. The scraper 21, which is embedded in the bottom of the bean curd pot 1, can move with the carrier 2 and continuously scrape the bottom of the pot, thereby preventing the pot from burning. The application of this bean curd skin forming equipment has removed technical bottlenecks and obstacles to realize digital and unmanned production of bean curd skin, and has also made it possible to improve and study the nutritional structure of bean curd skin.

[0082] In one embodiment, the tofu skin forming equipment includes a peeling rod 31 and a peeling mechanism 3. The peeling rod 31 extends along the width direction of the soy milk pot 1, and the peeling mechanism 3 is connected to the peeling rod 31 to drive the peeling rod 31 to move into the soy milk pot 1, or from the soy milk pot 1 to the synchronous conveying mechanism 4 to lift the soy milk skin 13 and attach it to the synchronous conveying mechanism 4. Figure 1 As shown, the peeling rod 31 and the peeling mechanism 3 are positioned at the starting point of the forward movement of the carrier 2 or on the carrier itself. After the soybean milk skin 13 is formed, the peeling rod 31 lifts the soybean milk skin 13 and places it on the synchronous conveyor belt. Preferably, the extension direction of the peeling rod 31 is perpendicular to the moving direction of the carrier 2, and the length of the peeling rod 31 is equal to the width of the soybean milk pot 1. The peeling rod 31 can be submerged below the surface of the soybean milk before peeling begins and after peeling is completed.

[0083] In one embodiment, the peeling mechanism 3 can drive the peeling rod 31 to move up and down and horizontally. After a skin forms on the surface of the soy milk, the peeling mechanism 3 drives the peeling rod 31 to move upward, lifting the soy milk skin 13. The peeling mechanism 3 also drives the peeling rod 31 to move horizontally so that the peeled soy milk skin can be placed on the conveyor belt 43. After placing the soy milk skin 13 on the conveyor belt 43, the peeling rod 31 returns to the starting position and re-enters the bottom of the soy milk pot 1. Preferably, as shown in the following embodiment... Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the composite motion trajectory of the peeling rod 31 is as follows: Figure 1 As shown by the dashed line L.

[0084] Specifically, the peeling mechanism 3 can be a peeling robotic arm, which includes a servo motor 63, a lead screw or a synchronous belt, etc. Driven by the servo motor 63, the peeling robotic arm can drive the peeling rod 31 to move up and down and horizontally. When the soy milk skin 13 is formed, the control program causes the robotic arm to move upward to lift the peeling rod 31. The peeling rod 31 rises from under the soy milk to pick up the soy milk skin 13.

[0085] In another embodiment, the peeling rod 31 is mounted at the rear end of the vehicle body 22. Figure 1 The scraper 21 (or the vehicle body 22 at the left end) and the peeling rod 31 flip upwards to load the soybean milk skin 13 onto the conveyor belt 43. Specifically, the peeling rod 31 can flip up and down around an axis perpendicular to the direction of movement of the vehicle body 22. Preferably, the scraper 21 includes a front scraper 211 and a rear scraper 212. The rear scraper 212 is installed at the rear end of the vehicle body 22, and the peeling rod 31 is installed on the rear scraper 212. The peeling mechanism 3 drives the rear scraper 212 to flip, thereby causing the peeling rod 31 to flip as well.

[0086] In one embodiment, the bean curd forming equipment includes a cutting blade 26, a gathering mechanism 27, and a shaping wheel 28. The cutting blade 26, gathering mechanism 27, and shaping wheel 28 are arranged sequentially. The cutting blade 26 is used to cut the bean curd skin 13 received by the synchronous conveying mechanism 4 into multiple parts along the width direction of the bean curd skin 13. The gathering mechanism 27 is used to gather the cut bean curd skin 13. The shaping wheel 28 is provided with an annular groove 281, allowing the gathered bean curd skin 13 to enter the annular groove 281. Figures 1-3 As shown, the soy milk skin 13, after being lifted, passes sequentially through a cutter 26, a gathering mechanism 27, and a shaping wheel 28. The cutter 26 divides the soy milk skin 13 into multiple parts along its width direction, and the gathering mechanism 27 gathers the soy milk skin 13 along its width direction, allowing it to smoothly enter the circumferential groove 281 for shaping. Figure 2 As shown, the gathering mechanism 27 may include two guide plates 271 arranged in a V-shape, with the small openings of the two guide plates 271 facing the shaping wheel 28; multiple gathering mechanisms 27 are distributed at intervals along the width direction of the soy milk skin 13 to correspond to the multiple pieces of soy milk skin 13 cut by the cutter 26.

[0087] Furthermore, the cutting blade 26, the gathering mechanism 27, and the shaping wheel 28 are all positioned above the synchronous conveying mechanism 4. The soybean milk skin 13, after passing through the circumferential groove 281, can return to the synchronous conveying mechanism 4, allowing the soybean milk skin 13 to move under the drive of the synchronous conveying mechanism 4, which helps simplify the structure. Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the cutting blade 26, the gathering mechanism 27, and the shaping wheel 28 are positioned above the upper surface of the conveyor belt 43 and are distributed sequentially along the direction of movement of the upper surface of the conveyor belt 43. The conveyor belt 43 provides the power for the skin to move forward. The rotation of the conveyor belt 43 causes the soybean skin 13 to pass through the cutting, gathering, and shaping processes in sequence. Since most of the soybean skin 13 on the conveyor belt 43 is attached to the upper surface of the conveyor belt 43, there is no relative movement between the two, and the soybean skin 13 will not be pulled apart. Moreover, this makes the overall structure of the tofu skin forming equipment more compact, which is conducive to ensuring the long-term stable operation of the conveyor belt 43, the cutting blade 26, the gathering mechanism 27, and the shaping wheel 28.

[0088] After the soy milk skin 13 is lifted and placed on the conveyor belt 43, it is a single sheet. The soy milk skin 13 is the same width as or slightly narrower than the conveyor belt 43. Therefore, it needs to be cut into appropriate widths according to the diameter of the finished tofu skin. In one embodiment, the cutter 26 includes several coaxial, non-powered rotating circular blades 261. The multiple circular blades 261 are coaxially and equidistantly mounted horizontally above the conveyor belt 43, pressing down on the conveyor belt 43 by their own weight. When the conveyor belt 43 rotates clockwise, the blades also rotate, and the soy milk skin 13 passes between the conveyor belt 43 and the blades, being cut into several pieces of equal width. The number of blades is determined according to the cutting width and cutting quantity of the soy milk skin 13.

[0089] The shaping wheel 28 can be a U-shaped shaping wheel 28. The annular sidewall of the U-shaped shaping wheel 28 is recessed inward to form an annular groove 281. After the soy milk skin 13 is lifted and loaded onto the conveyor belt 43, the cutter 26 cuts the soy milk skin 13 into the corresponding width. Then, the cut soy milk skin 13 is gradually gathered to a certain width by the gathering mechanism 27 and then placed into the U-shaped shaping wheel 28 for shaping, so that it becomes a round strip of the finished tofu skin.

[0090] The gathering mechanism 27 can be a gathering robot. The gathering robot gathers the cut soy milk skin 13 and lifts it into the U-shaped shaping wheel 28. One strip is placed in the circumferential groove 281 of each U-shaped shaping wheel 28. The width of the circumferential groove 281 of the U-shaped shaping wheel 28 is designed according to the diameter requirements of the finished tofu skin. When the conveyor belt 43 drives the soy milk skin 13 through the circumferential groove 281, the soy milk skin 13 becomes several strips of tofu skin to be cut.

[0091] Furthermore, the tofu skin forming equipment includes a vertical cutter 29, a cutting blade 26, a gathering mechanism 27, a shaping wheel 28, and the vertical cutter 29 arranged sequentially. The tofu skin strips, shaped by the shaping wheel 28, continue to move along the rotating conveyor belt 43 and are cut into multiple segments by the vertical cutter 29. The operating interval of the vertical cutter 29 is set; when consecutive tofu skin strips move forward for a set time, they are cut by the cutter, thus cutting the tofu skin strips into a set length.

[0092] In one embodiment, the bean curd stick production system also includes a hanging robot 210, which can grasp bean curd sticks. The bean curd stick strips continue to move along the rotating conveyor belt 43 and are cut by the vertical cutter 29. The hanging robot 210 picks up the cut bean curd stick strips and hangs them on the hanging rod. The rotation of the conveyor belt 43 causes the soybean milk skin 13 to pass through the cutting, shaping, cutting and hanging in sequence. After the hanging rod is full of bean curd sticks, it is sent to the drying room to dry into finished bean curd sticks. The peeling, shaping, cutting and hanging are all automated, thereby realizing unmanned production and solving the labor problem.

[0093] The conveyor belt 43 can be a transmission belt or a stainless steel belt. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the soy milk pot 1 is designed with two layers. The lower layer is the heating layer 11, which needs to be filled with water and heated to approximately 100°C using a heat source. After the upper soy milk layer 12 is heated by the lower layer, a thin film, namely the soy milk skin 13, will form on the surface of the soy milk after cooling. Temperature sensors are installed on both the lower and upper layers, and a liquid level sensor is also installed on the upper layer. Based on actual needs such as manufacturing cost and convenient transportation, the soy milk pot 1 is designed to be 25 to 35 meters long and installed in sections. One side of the soy milk pot 1 is equipped with a water inlet, water outlet, air inlet, and pressure relief valve, etc., and the internal water circulation and heating pipes are installed. Preferably, the soy milk pot 1, the body 22, the drum, etc. are made of stainless steel. Other parts are made of stainless steel as much as possible according to needs and actual conditions to adapt to the high humidity application environment.

[0094] In one embodiment of the present invention, the dried bean curd production system includes a control system, which controls the working procedures and working states of the entire system, such as... Figure 6 As shown, the control system includes a controller 51 and a communication system. The controller 51 includes a PLC and a host computer. The controller 51 stores the control program and is electrically connected to the power distribution cabinet 52. It is also equipped with a human-machine interface device 75. Various sensors, such as the first sensor 72 and the second sensor 73, are electrically connected to the controller 51. Specifically, the first sensor 72 and the second sensor 73 can be one or a combination of proximity sensors, photoelectric sensors, speed sensors, or temperature sensors. The communication system includes a router 81 and a switch 82.

[0095] In this tofu skin production system, sensors and a video recognition device 74 detect the temperature, level, and skin formation status of the soy milk, as well as the walking speed and position of the carrier 2. A PLC controls the operating status and position of the carrier 2, the amount of soy milk added, the heating temperature, and the movement trajectory and actions of the peeling rod 31 and the hanging robot arm 210. Specifically, the video recognition device 74 detects the skin formation status of the soy milk through video recognition; temperature and level sensors detect the temperature and level of the soy milk; proximity sensors, photoelectric sensors, and speed sensors detect the motor speed, the movement position and speed of the carrier 2 and the conveyor belt 43; relays, contactors, and a frequency converter 71 control the movement status of the carrier 2; a servo control system controls the power motors 61 and servo motors 63 of each robot arm and robot hand, thereby controlling their respective running trajectories and actions; a solenoid valve 62 controls the cylinder 64 and the vertical cutter 29; and an electric valve controls the water temperature and soy milk level of the soy milk pot 1.

[0096] The tofu skin production system also includes a central control room 84 for the entire workshop and factory, as well as remote clients 83 (mobile phones or computers). Through the communication system, users can view and monitor the working status of the entire system at any time through the central control room 84 and remote clients 83, and receive various status communications and alarms.

[0097] The control process of this dried bean curd production system includes:

[0098] (1) The control program sequentially turns on the heating switch and solenoid valve 62 according to the sensor detection data to inject water into the soy milk pot 1 for heating, and injects soy milk when it is close to 100°C and continues to heat. The liquid level sensor controls the height of the soy milk liquid level, and the carrier 2 is in the starting position.

[0099] (2) When the video recognition device 74 detects that the soybean milk skin 13 has been formed, the control program starts the peeling robot arm or the rear scraper 212 to flip upward, and the peeling rod 31 picks up the soybean milk skin 13 and loads it onto the conveyor belt 43 of the carrier 2.

[0100] (3) The control program starts the carrier 2. The carrier 2 moves forward at a constant speed on the track of the soy milk pot 1. The conveyor belt 43 rotates clockwise at a constant speed and keeps in sync with the carrier 2.

[0101] When moving forward, the front scraper 211 can flip up and lift away from the surface of the soy milk, or it can be submerged under the surface of the soy milk, depending on the actual effect.

[0102] The soybean milk skin 13 loaded onto the conveyor belt 43 is cut, divided, shaped, and segmented in sequence, and then picked up by the hanging robot arm 210.

[0103] (4) After the vehicle 2 reaches the end of the soy milk pot 1, it quickly returns and the scraper 21 dives into the soy milk liquid and sticks to the bottom of the pot to start the next cycle of work.

[0104] During the above process, the host computer sends the system's working status information to the central control room 84 and the remote client 83 at any time via the network. Users can understand or set the system's working status in real time and receive relevant alarm information through the central control room 84 or the remote client 83 (computer or mobile phone).

[0105] By utilizing modern technologies such as digital technology, artificial intelligence, and advanced manufacturing, we can transform and upgrade traditional methods and processes for producing dried bean curd sticks, enabling unmanned, automated, and intelligent production, and facilitating improvements to issues such as the limited nutritional structure of dried bean curd sticks.

[0106] Option 2

[0107] This invention provides a method for producing dried bean curd sticks, using the aforementioned dried bean curd stick production system, such as... Figure 5 As shown, the method for producing dried bean curd includes: step S10, attaching the soy milk skin 13 in the soy milk pot 1 to the synchronous conveying mechanism 4; step S20, the carrier 2 drives the synchronous conveying mechanism 4 to move forward along the longitudinal direction 10 of the soy milk pot, and the synchronous conveying mechanism 4 moves synchronously to lift the soy milk skin 13 in the soy milk pot 1 along the movement direction of the carrier 2, and to receive the lifted soy milk skin 13.

[0108] This method for producing dried bean curd has all or at least some of the technical features and effects of the aforementioned dried bean curd production system, which will not be elaborated here.

[0109] Furthermore, in step S20, the speed of the conveyor belt 43 in the synchronous conveying mechanism 4 is equal to the speed of the carrier 2, and the moving direction of the receiving surface of the conveyor belt 43 and the moving direction of the carrier 2 both point to the same end of the soy milk pot 1, so that the receiving surface of the conveyor belt 43 and the carrier 2 move synchronously at the same speed. The moving direction of the receiving surface of the conveyor belt 43 and the moving direction of the carrier 2 can be completely parallel or there can be a certain angle. When the moving direction of the receiving surface of the conveyor belt 43 and the moving direction of the carrier 2 are completely parallel, the moving direction of the receiving surface of the conveyor belt 43 and the moving direction of the carrier 2 are exactly the same and at the same speed.

[0110] The method for producing dried bean curd sticks provided by this invention adopts a synchronous motion peeling method. Along the longitudinal direction of the soybean milk skin 13, the skin is peeled off while moving. During the movement, the soybean milk skin 13 is peeled off. The speed or length at which the soybean milk skin 13 is peeled off is always synchronized with the speed or length of the forward movement. That is, at any moment, the length of the soybean milk skin 13 peeled off is always equal to the length of the forward movement. This ensures that only the short section of the soybean milk skin 13 that is peeled off from the surface of the soybean milk bears its own slight weight, while the soybean milk skin 13 that has not yet been peeled off is not subjected to tension and is thus prevented from being broken by the overall force.

[0111] The method for producing dried bean curd sticks also includes: step S30, where the carrier moves the synchronous conveyor mechanism backward along the longitudinal direction of the soy milk pot to return, while the synchronous conveyor mechanism remains stationary. After the carrier and synchronous conveyor mechanism return to the starting point, once the soy milk skin in the soy milk pot has formed, the next cycle of peeling off the skin continues, and the remaining part of the soy milk skin from the previous cycle is integrated with the soy milk skin in the soy milk pot, which is beneficial for continuous operation.

[0112] Option 3

[0113] This invention provides a tofu skin forming device, applicable to the aforementioned tofu skin production method, such as... Figure 4 As shown, the tofu skin forming equipment includes: a carrier 2 and a synchronous conveying mechanism 4. The synchronous conveying mechanism 4 is installed on the carrier 2. The carrier 2 can drive the synchronous conveying mechanism 4 to move along the longitudinal direction 10 of the soy milk pot. The synchronous conveying mechanism 4 can move synchronously when the carrier 2 moves, so as to lift the soy milk skin 13 in the soy milk pot 1 along the direction of movement of the carrier 2, and receive the lifted soy milk skin 13.

[0114] The tofu skin forming equipment can be installed above the soy milk pot 1. The tofu skin forming equipment has at least some of the technical features and effects of the above-mentioned tofu skin production system, which will not be described in detail here.

[0115] The tofu skin forming equipment and the soy milk pot 1 can be integrated as one unit or separate units.

[0116] In one embodiment, the tofu skin forming equipment includes a scraper 21 that extends to the bottom of the soy milk pot 1 and can move along the longitudinal direction 10 of the soy milk pot. The scraper 21 stirs the soy milk and cleans up the soy milk particles that have not yet formed a scorched pot at the bottom of the soy milk pot 1, thus preventing the pot from scorching and allowing the pot bottom to be cleaned for a longer period of time, reducing soy milk waste and improving production efficiency. The tofu skin forming equipment provided by the present invention overcomes two technical bottlenecks in the tofu skin production process: (1) no matter how large or long the soy milk skin 13 is, it is not easy to break when it is lifted and pulled; (2) the soy milk pot 1 will not scorch during long-term continuous production, and the pot bottom does not need to be cleaned, making unmanned tofu skin production possible.

[0117] The above descriptions are merely a few embodiments of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications or variations to the embodiments of the present invention based on the content disclosed in the application documents without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A system for producing dried bean curd sticks, characterized in that, include: Soy milk pot and dried bean curd forming equipment; The tofu skin forming equipment includes a carrier and a synchronous conveying mechanism. The synchronous conveying mechanism is installed on the carrier. The carrier can drive the synchronous conveying mechanism to move longitudinally along the soy milk pot. Furthermore, the synchronous conveying mechanism can move synchronously with the carrier to lift the soy milk skin in the soy milk pot along the direction of the carrier's movement and to receive the lifted soy milk skin. The synchronous conveying mechanism includes a conveyor belt, a first roller, a second roller, and a one-way transmission device. The first roller and the second roller are mounted on the carrier and arranged longitudinally along the soy milk pot. The conveyor belt is sleeved on the first roller and the second roller. The one-way transmission device is used to make the conveyor belt move synchronously with the carrier when the carrier moves forward and remain stationary when the carrier moves backward, so that the remaining soy milk skin at the rear of the carrier returns to the starting point with the carrier and can be connected with the soy milk skin formed in the next cycle in the soy milk pot at the starting point. The tofu skin forming equipment includes a scraper that can extend to the bottom of the soy milk pot and be in close contact with the bottom of the soy milk pot. The scraper can move longitudinally along the soy milk pot. The scraper is configured to flip up and leave the soy milk when the vehicle is moving forward, and to dive under the surface of the soy milk to scrape the bottom of the pot when the vehicle is moving backward. The tofu skin forming equipment includes a cutting blade, a gathering mechanism, and a shaping wheel, which are arranged sequentially. The cutting blade is used to cut the soybean milk skin received by the synchronous conveying mechanism into multiple parts along the width direction of the soybean milk skin. The gathering mechanism is used to gather the cut soybean milk skin together. The shaping wheel is provided with an annular groove, into which the gathered soybean milk skin can enter; The cutting blade, the gathering mechanism, and the shaping wheel are all positioned above the synchronous conveying mechanism, and the soybean milk skin that passes through the circumferential groove can return to the synchronous conveying mechanism. The tofu skin forming equipment includes a peeling rod and a peeling mechanism. The peeling rod extends along the width of the soy milk pot. The peeling mechanism is connected to the peeling rod and is used to drive the peeling rod to move into the soy milk pot, or from the soy milk pot to the synchronous conveying mechanism to lift the soy milk skin and attach it to the synchronous conveying mechanism. The vehicle includes a power source, and the synchronous conveying mechanism and the vehicle drive mechanism are both connected to the power source via a transmission mechanism. The transmission mechanism can make the speed of the conveyor belt equal to the speed of the vehicle when the vehicle is moving forward.

2. The dried bean curd production system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The vehicle includes a vehicle body and a vehicle drive mechanism. The synchronous conveying mechanism is installed on the vehicle body, and the vehicle drive mechanism is used to drive the vehicle body to move longitudinally along the soy milk pot.

3. The dried bean curd production system according to claim 1, characterized in that, Multiple scrapers are installed on the vehicle, and the multiple scrapers are distributed at intervals along the longitudinal direction of the soy milk pot.

4. A method for producing dried bean curd sticks, characterized in that, Using the dried bean curd production system according to any one of claims 1-3, The method for producing dried bean curd sticks includes: Step S10: Connect the skin formed in the soy milk pot to the synchronous conveying mechanism; Step S20: The carrier drives the synchronous conveying mechanism to move along the longitudinal direction of the soy milk pot. The synchronous conveying mechanism moves synchronously to lift the soy milk skin in the soy milk pot along the direction of movement of the carrier and to receive the lifted soy milk skin. In step S30, the carrier vehicle drives the synchronous conveying mechanism to move backward along the longitudinal direction of the soy milk pot to return, while the synchronous conveying mechanism remains stationary, so that the remaining part of the soy milk skin from the previous cycle can be connected with the soy milk skin produced in the next cycle in the soy milk pot. In step S20, the speed of the conveyor belt in the synchronous conveying mechanism is equal to the speed of the vehicle, and the moving direction of the receiving surface of the conveyor belt and the moving direction of the vehicle both point to the same end of the soy milk pot.

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