Automatic cutting device for flower stems

Abstract

The application relates to a matching equipment for automatically cutting flower stems. The matching equipment comprises an intermittent motion conveying device, a combined container, a cutting device, a flower material arranging device and a control system. The intermittent motion conveying device is provided with two annular chains driven by the same driving mechanism. The combined container is hinged to the hinge pin shaft between the chain links of the two annular chains. The cutting device is correspondingly installed on the intermittent motion conveying device, so that the cutting device can cut the flower materials in the combined container. The flower material arranging device is correspondingly arranged on the intermittent motion conveying device, so that the arranged flower materials can be conveniently transferred into the combined container. The scheme provided by the application can realize fast stem cutting, ensure the cutting length of the flower materials and the consistency of the cross sections of the cut flower stems, and thus improve the quality of the processed flower materials by the adsorption method.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the technical field of preserved flower production equipment, specifically, it relates to an automated cutting equipment for flower stems. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, preserved flower materials such as herbaceous flowers and woody branches (hereinafter referred to as flower materials) are generally processed using the adsorption method, which relies on the principle of capillary action in the plant to deliver the dye solution to the herbaceous flowers and woody branches to achieve dyeing.

[0003] In the adsorption process of preserved flower materials such as herbaceous flowers and woody branches, the stems and stalks of herbaceous flowers and branches (collectively referred to as flower stems) are generally cut manually. This is not only labor-intensive and inefficient, but also makes it difficult to meet the production requirements of immersing the cut flower stem sections in the dye solution and filling a dyeing container in a short time (3-5 minutes). As a result, the capillaries on the cut flower material sections dry and deform, losing some of their capillary function, thus affecting the dyeing effect. Moreover, the manually cut flower material sections are usually close to the cross-section, affecting the efficiency of the adsorption process. At the same time, manual cutting can easily lead to inconsistent inclination of the cut flower material sections, resulting in inconsistent dyeing quality within the same batch of flowers. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the problems existing in the background technology, this application provides an automated cutting equipment for flower stems. This equipment can not only quickly cut the flower stems, but also ensure that the cutting length of the flower stems and the cut cross-section are consistent, thereby improving the quality of flower materials processed by the adsorption method.

[0005] This application provides an automated flower stem cutting device, including an intermittent motion conveyor, a combined tray, a cutting device, a flower sorting device, and a control system. The intermittent motion conveyor has two annular chains driven by the same drive mechanism. The combined tray is hinged to the hinge pins between the links of the two annular chains. The cutting device is correspondingly installed on the intermittent motion conveyor, enabling it to cut the flowers in the combined tray. The flower sorting device is correspondingly installed on the intermittent motion conveyor, allowing the sorted flowers to be transferred to the combined tray. The intermittent motion conveyor, the combined tray, and the cutting device are each equipped with corresponding detection components, and the output signals of the detection components are transmitted to the control system.

[0006] Optionally, the intermittent motion conveying device includes a first support column, a rotating shaft, sprockets, an annular chain, a first bracket, a first motor, a drive mechanism, a second bracket, a support plate, and a support roller. Two rotating shafts are provided, with sprockets symmetrically fitted and fixed to both sides of each shaft. An annular chain is fitted between the sprockets on the same side of the two shafts. The rotating shafts are connected to one end of the first support column via a rotating joint, and the other end of the first support column is fixed to the foundation plane. The first bracket is fixed to the foundation plane, and a first motor is mounted on the first bracket. The first motor transmits its motion and power to the rotating shaft through the drive mechanism. The second bracket is fixed to the foundation plane, and a support plate is provided on the second bracket. A support roller for supporting the annular chain is hinged to the support plate.

[0007] Furthermore, the drive mechanism includes an electromagnetic clutch, a bevel gear shaft, and a bevel gear. The output shaft of the first motor is equipped with a bevel gear shaft via the electromagnetic clutch, and a bevel gear meshing with the bevel gear shaft is mounted on the rotating shaft.

[0008] Optionally, the combined tray has a parallelogram structure, including a first tray and a second tray; the first tray has an inclined long groove with an angle of 45 degrees between the long groove and the annular chain; the bottom of the first tray has four first single loops, which are respectively hinged to the inter-link hinge pins of the two annular chains; the bottom of the second tray has four second single loops, which are respectively hinged to the inter-link hinge pins of the two annular chains.

[0009] Optionally, the cutting device includes a third support, a pressing component, and a cutting component. The third support is fixedly installed on the second support, and the third support is equipped with a cutting component for cutting flower stems and a pressing component for properly pressing the flower material when cutting the flower stems.

[0010] Specifically, the pressing assembly includes an electric push rod and a pressure plate. The electric push rod is fixedly installed on the third bracket, and the pressure plate is fixedly installed on the telescopic rod of the electric push rod.

[0011] Specifically, the cutting assembly includes a second motor, a first gear, a second gear, a crank, and a cutter. There are two cranks, one end of which is hinged to the left and right sides of the third bracket by a pin, and the other end of which is hinged to the cutter. The crank is coaxially fixed to the second gear. The second motor is also installed on the third bracket, and the first gear meshing with the second gear is installed on the output shaft of the second motor.

[0012] Optionally, the flower arrangement device includes a second support column, a support plate, a support rod, a spring, an arrangement groove, and a vibration motor; the lower end of the second support column is fixedly connected to the foundation plane; the upper end of the second support column is fixedly connected to the support plate, the support rod is fixedly connected to the support plate, the top of the support rod is inclinedly installed with an arrangement groove by a spring, and a vibration motor is also installed on the arrangement groove.

[0013] Optionally, the lower end of the sorting trough is provided with a bottom plate at an inclination angle of 45 degrees.

[0014] The control system includes a controller, a touch screen, a reflective photoelectric switch connection circuit, a pressure sensor connection circuit, a first limit switch connection circuit, and a second limit switch connection circuit; the touch screen, the reflective photoelectric switch connection circuit, the pressure sensor connection circuit, the first limit switch connection circuit, and the second limit switch connection circuit are electrically connected to the controller, and the controller is a microcontroller.

[0015] The touch screen has buttons for pressing various types of herbaceous flowers and woody branches, a vibration motor switch button, and a cutting switch button.

[0016] Optionally, the reflective photoelectric switch includes a photoelectric sensor and a reflector. Each first tray has a reflector fixedly connected to its side. The photoelectric sensor is fixedly connected to the third bracket via a second cantilever beam. When the ring chain moves once, the reflector on the side of each first tray faces the photoelectric sensor once.

[0017] Specifically, the first limit switch is fixed to the third bracket to limit the continuous rotation in the same direction when the crank is in the horizontal position, and the second limit switch is fixed to the third bracket to limit the continuous rotation in the same direction when the crank is in the vertical position.

[0018] Specifically, the pressure sensor is installed between the telescopic rod of the electric push rod and the pressure plate, so that the pressure sensor can detect and control the pressure applied to the flower material by the pressure plate;

[0019] Specifically, the first motor, the second motor, the electric push rod, the reflective photoelectric switch, the pressure sensor, the first limit switch, and the second limit switch are all electrically connected to the controller.

[0020] The technical solution provided in this application has the following beneficial effects:

[0021] This application integrates sensor technology, a cutting device, a flower material sorting device, and a combined tray structure. It sets corresponding pressure values ​​for different flowers, effectively protecting the stems of herbaceous flowers and the branches of woody plants from being crushed. It achieves automated cutting of flowers, the length of flowers cut off, and 45-degree oblique cross-sections of the cut flowers. The automated cutting speed can complete the amount of flowers that can be held in a dyeing container within 3 minutes. Compared with the approximate cross-section of manually cut flower stems, the 45-degree oblique cross-section of the cut flower stems has a larger contact area between the capillaries and the dyeing solution, which effectively improves the efficiency and quality of flower material processing by adsorption method. Attached Figure Description

[0022] The above and other objects, features and advantages of this application will become more apparent from the more detailed description of exemplary embodiments thereof in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein the same reference numerals generally represent the same components in the exemplary embodiments thereof.

[0023] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the entire invention.

[0024] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the intermittent motion conveying device of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the driving mechanism of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the cutting device of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 5 For the present invention Figure 4 A magnified 3D schematic diagram of a portion of point A in the middle.

[0028] Figure 6 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the stem-cutting state of the cutting device of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 7 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the double-crank parallel four-bar linkage of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 8 This is a top view of the combined serving dish of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 9 This is a front view of the combined serving dish of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 10 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the flower material sorting device of the present invention. Figure 1 .

[0033] Figure 11 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the flower material sorting device of the present invention. Figure 2 .

[0034] Figure 12 This is a schematic block diagram of the control system of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 13 This is a pin diagram of the microcontroller of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the electromagnetic clutch control circuit of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of the motor control circuit of the present invention.

[0038] Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram of the reflective photoelectric switch connection circuit of the present invention.

[0039] Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram of the pressure sensor connection circuit of the present invention.

[0040] Figure 18 This is a schematic diagram of the limit switch circuit of the present invention.

[0041] Figure label:

[0042] 1-Intermittent motion conveying device, 11-First support column, 12-Rotating shaft, 13-Sprocket, 14-Annular chain, 15-First bracket, 151-First crossbeam, 152-First cantilever beam, 16-Drive mechanism, 161-Electromagnetic clutch, 162-Bevel gear shaft, 163-Bevel gear, 17-Support roller, 18-Second bracket, 181-Second crossbeam, 182-Support plate, 19-First motor;

[0043] 2-Combined serving dish, 21-First serving dish, 211-Long groove, 212-First single earring, 22-Second serving dish, 221-Second single earring;

[0044] 3-Cutting device, 31-Third bracket, 311-Third crossbeam, 312-Double earrings, 313-First mounting plate, 314-Slide rail, 315-Second cantilever beam, 32-Pressing assembly, 321-Electric push rod, 322-Pressure plate, 33-Cutting assembly, 331-Second motor, 332-First gear, 333-Second gear, 334-Crank, 335-Cutter, 336-Third single earring;

[0045] 4-Flower material sorting device, 41-First support column, 42-Support plate, 43-Support rod, 44-Spring, 45-Sorting groove, 451-Groove bottom plate, 452-Second mounting plate, 46-Vibration motor;

[0046] 5-Guard plate;

[0047] 6-Control system, 61-Controller, 62-Reflective photoelectric switch, 621-Photoelectric sensor, 622-Reflector, 63-Pressure sensor, 64-First limit switch, 65-Second limit switch;

[0048] 7- Flower stem collection box. Detailed Implementation

[0049] Embodiments of this application will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While embodiments of this application are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that this application may be implemented in various forms and should not be limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to make this application more thorough and complete, and to fully convey the scope of this application to those skilled in the art.

[0050] It should be understood that although the terms "first," "second," "third," etc., may be used in this application to describe various information, this information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish information of the same type from one another. For example, without departing from the scope of this application, first information may also be referred to as second information, and similarly, second information may also be referred to as first information. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0051] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "length", "width", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application 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, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0052] Unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0053] In some implementations, such as Figure 1-11As shown, the automated flower stem cutting equipment provided in this application includes an intermittent motion conveyor 1, a combined tray 2, a cutting device 3, a flower sorting device 4, a protective plate 5, a control system 6, and a flower stem collection box 7.

[0054] In some embodiments, the intermittent motion conveying device 1 includes a first support column 11, a rotating shaft 12, a sprocket 13, an annular chain 14, a first bracket 15, a drive mechanism 16, a support roller 17, a second bracket 18, and a first motor 19. Two sets of first support columns 11 are installed along the front-rear direction, with two columns in each set. The two first support columns 11 are symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides, and the first support columns 11 in the same set are connected to the rotating shaft 12 through a rotating joint. Sprockets 13 are fixedly connected to both the left and right sides of the rotating shaft 12, and two annular chains 14 are respectively sleeved on the two sprockets 13 on the same side of the two rotating shafts 12.

[0055] A first bracket 15 is also installed next to one of the rotating shafts 12. The first bracket 15 is fixedly installed on the ground, and a first motor 19 is fixedly installed on the first crossbeam 151 of the first bracket 15. The first motor 19 drives one of the rotating shafts 12 through the drive mechanism 16.

[0056] The drive mechanism 16 includes an electromagnetic clutch 161, a bevel gear shaft 162, and a bevel gear 163. The output shaft of the first motor 19 is mounted on the bevel gear shaft 162 via the electromagnetic clutch 161. The bevel gear 163, meshing with the bevel gear shaft 162, is sleeved on the rotating shaft 12. When the electromagnetic clutch 161 is energized and engaged, the first motor 19 drives the bevel gear shaft 162 to rotate, causing the annular chain 14 to move and thus moving the combined tray 2. When the electromagnetic clutch 161 is de-energized and disengaged, the power between the first motor 19 and the bevel gear shaft 162 is cut off, the annular chain 14 stops moving, and the combined tray 2 stops moving. A first cantilever beam 152 is also fixedly connected to the first support 15 to support the bevel gear shaft 162 and ensure the stability of the bevel gear shaft 162 during rotation.

[0057] A second support 18 is provided between the two rotating shafts 12. The second support 18 is fixed on the foundation plane, and a support plate 182 is fixedly installed on the second crossbeam 181 of the second support 18. Several rollers 17 are hinged on the support plate 182 so that the outer cylindrical surface of the rollers 17 is in tangential contact with the lower side of the upper chain of the two annular chains 14. This is used to support the annular chains 14 and prevent them from sagging due to gravity, thus ensuring the stability of the combined tray 2 during cutting and ensuring the effect of cutting flower stems.

[0058] Protective plates 5 are fixedly installed on both the left and right sides of the first support 15 and the second support 18 to prevent workers from contacting the ring chain 14 and improve the safety of the production process.

[0059] In some implementations, such as Figure 8 , 9 As shown, the combined serving dish 2 has a parallelogram structure with an included angle of 45 degrees, including a first serving dish 21 and a second serving dish 22.

[0060] The first serving dish 21 has an inclined long groove 211, which facilitates the cutting of flower stems. The angle between the long groove 211 and the ring chain 14 is 45 degrees, so that the long groove 211 is parallel to the left and right sides of the parallelogram of the combined serving dish 2, thereby ensuring that the length of the flower stems cut off is consistent.

[0061] The bottom of the first tray 21 is provided with four first single earrings 212, two on each side, and the first single earrings 212 on the left and right sides are respectively hinged to the hinge pins between the links of the two annular chains 14; the bottom of the second tray 22 is provided with four second single earrings 221, two on each side, and the second single earrings 221 on the left and right sides of the second tray 22 are respectively hinged to the hinge pins between the links of the two annular chains 14.

[0062] like Figure 8 As shown, during processing, the staff places the arranged flowers into the combined tray 2, with one end of the flower stem facing left and touching the left side wall of the first tray 21; with one end of the flower facing right, it is placed in the second tray 22. The flower stem is cut by the cutting device 3 corresponding to the long groove 211, so that the cut part of the flower stem forms a 45-degree oblique section to improve the dyeing efficiency of the flowers.

[0063] In some embodiments, the cutting device 3 includes a third support 31, a pressing assembly 32, and a cutting assembly 33; such as Figure 4 As shown, the third bracket 31 is fixedly installed on the second bracket 18, and the third crossbeam 311 of the third bracket 31 is equipped with a cutting component 33 for cutting flower stems and a pressing component 32 for pressing the flower material during cutting.

[0064] The pressing assembly 32 includes an electric push rod 321 and a pressure plate 322. The electric push rod 321 is fixedly connected to the bottom of the third crossbeam 311, and the pressure plate 322 is fixedly installed on the telescopic rod of the electric push rod 321. During operation, the electric push rod 321 extends, causing the pressure plate 322 to move down and press the flower material to be cut, preventing the flower material from slipping during the cutting process and ensuring the cutting quality. Furthermore, in order to prevent the pressure plate 322 from damaging the flower material, a layer of silicone pad is fixed on the bottom surface of the pressure plate 322, thereby protecting the stems of herbaceous flowers or woody branches from being crushed.

[0065] The cutting assembly 33 includes a second motor 331, a first gear 332, a second gear 333, a crank 334, and a cutter 335;

[0066] Double earrings 312 are provided on the left and right sides of the third crossbeam 311. One end of each of the two cranks 334 is hinged to the two double earrings 312 by a pin. The second gear 333 is sleeved on the pin of one of the cranks 334 and is fixedly connected to the crank 334. A third single earring 336 is provided on both the left and right sides of the cutter 335. A slide 314 is provided on both the left and right sides of the third support 31. The cutter 335 passes through the slide 314. The other ends of the two cranks 334 are hinged to the two third single earrings 336 on the cutter 335, so that the cutter 335 is parallel to the inclined long groove 211 of the first tray. Thus, the third crossbeam 311 of the third support 31, the two cranks 334 and the cutter 335 form a double-crank parallel four-bar linkage. A second motor 331 is also fixedly installed on the third crossbeam 311. A first gear 332 that meshes with the second gear 333 is fixedly installed on the output shaft of the second motor 331. When working, the second motor 331 is started, the first gear 332 meshes with the second gear 333 for transmission, the second gear 333 drives the crank 334 to rotate, and the cutter 335 begins to move horizontally.

[0067] In some embodiments, the flower arrangement device 4 includes a first support column 41, a support plate 42, a support rod 43, a spring 44, an arrangement groove 45, and a vibration motor 46;

[0068] The lower end of the first support column 41 is fixed to the foundation plane via a flange; the upper end of the first support column 41 is fixed to the support plate 42 via a flange. Four support rods 43 are fixedly installed on the support plate 42, two long and two short. The top of the four support rods 43 is equipped with a sorting groove 45 via a spring 44, so that the sorting groove 45 is set at an angle to facilitate the sorting of flowers. A horizontal second mounting plate 452 is also provided at the bottom of the sorting groove 45. A vibration motor 46 is fixedly installed on the second mounting plate 452, so that the sorting groove 45 vibrates vertically. In order to sort the flowers so that the ends of the flower stems are stacked against the left side wall of the combined serving dish 2, the lower end of the sorting groove 45 is provided with a 45-degree inclined groove bottom plate 451 (when the four side plates are perpendicular to the horizontal plane, the angle between the groove bottom plate 451 and the horizontal plane is 45 degrees). When in use, the flowers are placed in the sorting groove 45 and the vibration motor 46 is started so that the distribution shape of the flower stem ends is consistent with the inclined shape of the left side wall of the combined serving dish 2. Staff can simply remove the flowers and place them into the modular tray 2, leveling them out. There is no need to rearrange the flowers in the modular tray 2 again, making it convenient and quick. After the flowers are arranged, the vibration motor 46 is turned off.

[0069] In some embodiments, the detection components include a reflective photoelectric switch 62, a pressure sensor 63, a first limit switch 64, and a second limit switch 65;

[0070] The reflective photoelectric switch 62 consists of a photoelectric sensor 621 and a reflector 622. The photoelectric sensor 621 is fixed to the third bracket 31 via the second cantilever beam 315. A reflector 622 at the corresponding height of the photoelectric sensor 621 is fixed to the side of each first tray 21. Each rotation of the ring chain 14 causes the reflector 622 on the side of each first tray 21 to align with the photoelectric sensor 621 once. The output signal of the photoelectric sensor 621 is transmitted to the control system 6.

[0071] like Figure 7 As shown, the first limit switch 64 is fixed to the third bracket 31 to limit the continuous rotation in the same direction when the crank 334 is in the horizontal position. The second limit switch 65 is fixed to the third bracket 31 through the first mounting plate 313 to limit the continuous rotation in the same direction when the crank 334 is in the vertical position. The first limit switch 64 and the second limit switch 65 are electrically connected to the control system 6 respectively.

[0072] like Figure 6 As shown, pressure sensor 63 is installed between electric push rod 321 and pressure plate 322, allowing pressure sensor 63 to detect the pressure applied by pressure plate 322 to the flowers, thus preventing damage to the flowers. Pressure sensor 63 is electrically connected to control system 6, and the output signal of pressure sensor 63 is transmitted to control system 6.

[0073] In the initial state, the cutter 335 is at its highest position, and the crank 334 is in contact with the first limit switch 64. When the reflector 622 moves with the first tray 21 to a position directly opposite the photoelectric sensor 621, the long slot 211 is directly opposite the cutter 335. The second motor 331 starts to rotate forward and drives the crank 334 to rotate through gear transmission, causing the cutter 335 to begin translating and cutting the flower material. When the crank 334 contacts the second limit switch 65, the cutter 335 moves to its lowest position, completing the cut. The second motor 331 then starts to rotate in the reverse direction, raising the cutter 335 again, ready for the next cut. The first motor 19 and the second motor 331 are geared motors, and the first motor 19 and the second motor 331 are electrically connected to the control system 6.

[0074] The control system 6 includes a controller 61, a touch screen, an electromagnetic clutch 161 control circuit, a first motor 19 control circuit, a second motor 331 control circuit, a vibration motor 46 control circuit, a reflective photoelectric switch 62 connection circuit, a pressure sensor 63 connection circuit, a first limit switch 64 circuit, and a second limit switch 65 circuit.

[0075] The touch screen, the control circuit of the electromagnetic clutch 161, the control circuit of the first motor 19, the control circuit of the second motor 331, the control circuit of the vibration motor 46, the connection circuit of the reflective photoelectric switch 62, the connection circuit of the pressure sensor 63, the circuit of the first limit switch 64, and the circuit of the second limit switch 65 are electrically connected to the controller 61 respectively.

[0076] The controller 61 is a 32-bit microcontroller, and its pin diagram is as follows: Figure 13 As shown.

[0077] See Figure 14 The electromagnetic clutch 161 is electrically connected to the controller 61 via an electromagnetic clutch 161 control circuit. T1 is a transformer, K is a selector switch, button, or contactor contact, DLD is the clutch coil, R is a resistor, D1 is a diode, and C is a capacitor. Controlled by an optocoupler switch circuit, when there is no pulse signal input, transistor Q1 is in the off state, the LED has no current flowing through it and does not emit light, so the output resistance of the optocoupler is very high, equivalent to the switch being "open". When a pulse signal is applied to the input, transistor Q1 conducts, the LED emits light, and the output resistance of the optocoupler becomes very low, equivalent to the switch being "closed". Therefore, the switch is said to be in a normally open state when there is no signal.

[0078] See Figure 15 The first motor 19 is electrically connected to the controller 61 through the first motor 19 control circuit, the second motor 331 is electrically connected to the controller 61 through the second motor 331 control circuit, and the vibration motor 46 is electrically connected to the controller 61 through the vibration motor 46 control circuit. The first motor 19, the second motor 331, and the vibration motor 46 use the same control circuit. The principle is that the motor is driven by the L298N motor drive module, and the microcontroller outputs PWM pulse signals to the L298N motor drive module to control the motor speed.

[0079] See Figure 16 The reflective photoelectric switch 62 is electrically connected to the controller 61 through the reflective photoelectric switch 62 connection circuit. The timer uses the built-in timer of the microcontroller. Port1 is connected to the output terminal of the microcontroller, and Port2 is connected to the input terminal of the microcontroller.

[0080] See Figure 17 The pressure sensor 63 processes and amplifies the signal through the pressure sensor 63 connection circuit, and then transmits it to the controller 61.

[0081] See Figure 18The first limit switch 64 and the second limit switch 65 are electrically connected to the controller 61 through the first limit switch 64 connection circuit and the second limit switch 65 connection circuit, respectively. The first limit switch 64 and the second limit switch 65 use the same control circuit.

[0082] The electric actuator 321 is electrically connected to the controller 61.

[0083] The touch screen has buttons for pressing various types of herbaceous flowers and woody branches, a vibration motor 46 switch button, and a cutting switch button.

[0084] Specific work process:

[0085] First, the operator presses the pressure button on the touch screen to set the pressure (20-200N) of the silicone pressure plate 322 corresponding to the flower material;

[0086] The operator presses the vibration motor 46 switch button on the touch screen, and the microcontroller controls the vibration motor 46 to start rotating. An appropriate amount of flowers is placed into the sorting trough 45. After several tens of seconds of vibration, when the stem ends of the flowers are all in contact with the bottom plate 451 of the trough, the operator removes the flowers and places them into the first tray 21, ensuring that the stem ends of the flowers are all in contact with the left side wall of the first tray 21. This process is repeated, placing the flowers removed from the sorting trough 45 into two or more consecutive combined trays 2. The operator then presses the stem-cutting switch button on the touch screen, and the microcontroller controls the electromagnetic clutch 161 to engage, starting the first motor 19 to rotate. The bevel gear shaft 162 and bevel gear 163... The meshing transmission causes the rotating shaft 12 to drive two sprockets 13, which in turn drive two annular chains 14 to move the combined tray 2. When the first tray 21 moves to the position where the reflector 622 is directly opposite the photoelectric sensor 621, the light beam emitted by the photoelectric sensor 621 of the reflective photoelectric switch 62 shines on the reflector 622 and is reflected back. The light signal received by the photoelectric sensor 621 is converted into an electrical signal and transmitted to the microcontroller. The microcontroller controls the electromagnetic clutch 161 to disengage, and the combined tray 2 stops moving. The microcontroller then controls the extension rod of the electric push rod 321 to extend, causing the pressure plate 322 to move down and contact the flower material. The dynamic pressure value detected by the pressure sensor 63 is then measured. When the set pressure value for the corresponding flower material is reached, the electric push rod 321 stops extending, and the microcontroller controls the second motor 331 to start rotating forward. The cutter 335 moves downward to contact the flower stem and begins to slide. Compared with straight cutting, sliding cutting is not only less labor-intensive, but also effectively avoids tearing the cut surface of the flower material, improving the cutting effect. When the crank 334 contacts the second limit switch 65, the blade of the cutter 335 moves into the long groove 211 of the first tray 21, and the second motor 331 stops rotating forward. The flower stem cutting is completed. The microcontroller controls the second motor 331 to start rotating in reverse. When the crank 334 contacts the first limit switch 64, the second motor 331 stops rotating in reverse, and the cutter 335 moves upward horizontally. The flower stems move to their highest point, awaiting the next cut. Simultaneously, the microcontroller controls the electromagnetic clutch 161 to engage, and the two ring chains 14 carry the combined tray 2 to begin moving. When the reflector 622 on the next first tray 21 is aligned with the photoelectric sensor 621, the microcontroller controls the electromagnetic clutch 161 to disengage, repeating the aforementioned flower stem cutting control operation. Another operator collects the cut flowers from the combined tray 2 and places them into the dyeing container until the flower cutting is complete. Once the cut flower stems from the first tray 21 are poured into the flower stem collection box 7, the operator presses the vibration motor switch button and the cutting switch button on the touch screen to complete the flower stem cutting operation.

[0087] Finally, it should be noted that the above preferred embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application and are not intended to limit it. Although this application has been described in detail through the above preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that various changes can be made to it in form and detail without departing from the scope defined by the claims of this application; the dimensions of the drawings are not related to the specific physical object, and the physical object dimensions can be arbitrarily changed.

[0088] Finally, it should be noted that in this document, relationships such as "first" and "second" are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "include," "contain," or any other variations are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus.

[0089] The various embodiments of this application have been described above. These descriptions are exemplary and not exhaustive, nor are they limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein is chosen to best explain the principles, practical application, or improvement of the technology in the market, or to enable others skilled in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

1. An automated cutting equipment for flower stems, characterized in that: Includes intermittent motion conveyor, combined tray, cutting device, flower material handling device, and control system; The intermittent motion conveying device is equipped with two annular chains driven by the same drive mechanism; The combined tray is hinged to the hinge pin between the links of two annular chains. The cutting device is installed on the intermittent motion conveyor, so that the cutting device can cut the flowers in the combined tray; The flower sorting device is configured to correspond to the intermittent motion conveyor device, so that the sorted flowers can be easily transferred to the combined serving dish; The intermittent motion conveying device, the combined tray and the cutting device are each equipped with corresponding detection components, and the output signals of the detection components are transmitted to the control system. The combined serving dish has a parallelogram structure and includes a first serving dish and a second serving dish. The first tray has an inclined long groove, and the angle between the long groove and the annular chain is 45 degrees. The bottom of the first tray is provided with a first single loop, which is hinged to the inter-link hinge pins of two annular chains respectively; the bottom of the second tray is provided with a second single loop, which is hinged to the inter-link hinge pins of two annular chains respectively. The cutting device includes a third support, a pressing component, and a cutting component. The third support is fixedly installed on the second support, and the third support is equipped with a cutting component for cutting flower stems and a pressing component for pressing the flower material during cutting. The pressing assembly includes an electric push rod and a pressure plate. The electric push rod is fixedly installed on the third bracket, and the pressure plate is fixedly installed on the telescopic rod of the electric push rod. The cutting assembly includes a second motor, a first gear, a second gear, a crank, and a cutter. There are two cranks, one end of which is hinged to the left and right sides of the third bracket by a pin, and the other end of which is hinged to the cutter. The crank is coaxially fixed to the second gear. The second motor is also mounted on the third bracket, and the first gear meshing with the second gear is mounted on the output shaft of the second motor.

2. The automated flower stem cutting equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The intermittent motion conveying device includes a first support column, a rotating shaft, a sprocket, a ring chain, a first bracket, a first motor, a drive mechanism, a second bracket, a support plate, and a support roller; The rotating shaft is provided with two shafts, and sprockets are symmetrically fitted and fixed on both sides of the two shafts. A ring chain is fitted between the sprockets on the same side of the two shafts. The shafts are connected to one end of the first support column via a rotating joint, and the other end of the first support column is fixed to the foundation plane. The first bracket is fixed to the foundation plane, and a first motor is installed on the first bracket. The first motor transmits its motion and power to the rotating shaft through a drive mechanism. The second bracket is fixed to the foundation plane, and a support plate is provided on the second bracket. A roller for supporting the ring chain is hinged on the support plate.

3. The automated flower stem cutting equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: The drive mechanism includes an electromagnetic clutch, a bevel gear shaft, and a bevel gear. The output shaft of the first motor is equipped with a bevel gear shaft via the electromagnetic clutch, and a bevel gear that meshes with the bevel gear shaft is mounted on the rotating shaft.

4. The automated flower stem cutting equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flower material sorting device includes a second support column, a support plate, a support rod, a spring, a sorting groove, and a vibration motor; The lower end of the second support column is fixed to the foundation plane; the upper end of the second support column is fixed to a support plate, a support rod is fixed to the support plate, and a sorting groove is installed at the top of the support rod by means of a spring. A vibration motor is also installed on the sorting groove.

5. The automated flower stem cutting equipment according to claim 4, characterized in that: The lower end of the sorting trough is provided with an inclined bottom plate at an angle of 45 degrees.

6. The automated flower stem cutting equipment according to claim 1 or 5, characterized in that: The detection components include a reflective photoelectric switch, a pressure sensor, a first limit switch, and a second limit switch; The reflective photoelectric switch includes a photoelectric sensor and a reflector. A reflector is fixed to the side of each first tray. The photoelectric sensor is fixed to the third bracket through a second cantilever beam, and the photoelectric sensor and the reflector correspond to each other. The first limit switch is fixed to the third bracket to limit the continuous rotation in the same direction when the crank is in the horizontal position, and the second limit switch is fixed to the third bracket to limit the continuous rotation in the same direction when the crank is in the vertical position. The pressure sensor is installed between the electric push rod and the pressure plate, so that the pressure sensor can detect the pressure value applied to the flower material by the pressure plate.

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