An automated bacterial culture device

Abstract

This invention provides an automated microbial culture device for use in the cultivation of inoculated mycelium logs. It includes a piercing assembly and a turning assembly stacked vertically. The piercing assembly includes a first conveyor belt, which is a horizontally arranged annular conveyor belt. The first conveyor belt has a feeding mechanism at its upper part and a transfer mechanism at its lower end, as well as a piercing mechanism. The turning assembly includes a second conveyor belt arranged parallel to the first conveyor belt, with its upper head connected to the transfer mechanism and its lower tail connected to a discharge mechanism. This invention uses the first conveyor belt and the piercing mechanism to pierce the transported mycelium logs, then feeds them into the second conveyor belt for storage. During the storage of the mycelium logs on the second conveyor belt, the turning process is also automated, automating both the piercing and turning operations, greatly improving work efficiency and freeing up manpower.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of shiitake mushroom cultivation technology, and in particular to an automated spawn cultivation device. Background Technology

[0002] Shiitake mushrooms are a widely consumed food. Because they contain a lot of protein and amino acids, they are also known as a health food. The growth process of shiitake mushrooms is from spores to mature fungi. In artificial cultivation, the spores are usually inoculated on a suitable growth medium and kept in a suitable environment with appropriate temperature and humidity, so that the spores can grow naturally into edible shiitake mushrooms.

[0003] The production process of shiitake mushrooms mainly includes the following steps: substrate preparation, sterilization, cooling, inoculation, cultivation, and fruiting. Substrate preparation, sterilization, and cooling are all used to prepare the culture medium, i.e., substrate, for the production and development of shiitake mushroom spawn. The inoculation and cultivation processes involve inoculating the spawn onto the substrate, allowing the spawn to grow and develop into mycelium. Fruiting is the process of allowing the shiitake mushroom to fully grow and form an umbrella-shaped mushroom body.

[0004] Generally speaking, the cultivation of spawn on mushroom logs is one of the core steps in shiitake mushroom production. Temperature, ventilation, and light conditions vary at different stages. Properly controlling these factors has a significant impact on the growth and yield of shiitake mushrooms. Throughout the cultivation process, the mushroom logs need to be perforated to increase oxygen levels, expel waste gases generated during growth, promote rapid mycelial growth, and accelerate physiological maturity. Simultaneously, details such as temperature, light, humidity, turning, and perforation need careful management. The optimal temperature is 22-26℃; during the mycelial growth stage, the light should be dim; and the humidity should not exceed 70% throughout the process. The frequency and depth of turning and perforation should be adjusted according to the growth of the mushroom logs.

[0005] Currently, the inoculated mushroom spawn is typically piled on racks and left to develop naturally, with periodic manual intervention involving puncturing and turning the piles. This manual method is inefficient and cannot meet the demands of large-scale factory production. Furthermore, because the spawn is stacked vertically, the bottom spawn can have its pores blocked by the spawn above, leading to poor mycelial development. Therefore, a better equipment for cultivating shiitake mushroom spawn is needed. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides an automated microbial culture device that solves the problems of low efficiency in manual operation, difficulty in meeting the needs of large-scale industrial production, and the easy blockage of pores in the bottom of the mushroom sticks during stacking, leading to poor mycelial development.

[0007] According to an embodiment of the present invention, an automated microbial culture device is used in conjunction with the culture of inoculated microbial logs. It includes a piercing assembly and a turning assembly stacked on top of each other. The piercing assembly includes a first conveyor belt, which is a horizontally arranged annular conveyor belt. The first conveyor belt has vertical side plates on both sides and a top cover on the upper part, thereby forming an enclosed structure. The first end and the last end of the first conveyor belt are adjacent to each other. The upper part of the first end is provided with a feeding mechanism to place the microbial logs in, and the bottom of the last end is provided with a corresponding transfer mechanism to transport the microbial logs to the turning assembly located below. The first conveyor belt is also provided with a piercing mechanism.

[0008] The turning assembly includes a second conveyor belt arranged vertically alongside the first conveyor belt. The second conveyor belt is a horizontal annular conveyor belt with side plates on both sides and a top cover on the top. The first and second conveyor belts are coaxially arranged. The first and second ends of the second conveyor belt are adjacent to each other. The upper part of the first end is connected to the transfer mechanism, and the bottom of the tail end is provided with a discharge mechanism. The discharge mechanism transports the mushroom sticks to the outside of the second conveyor belt.

[0009] Furthermore, the surface of the first or second conveyor belt is provided with a plurality of placement slots perpendicular to the conveying direction. The placement slots are arranged adjacent to each other in sequence, so that when the mushroom sticks are located inside the placement slots, they are along the radial direction of the first or second conveyor belt.

[0010] Furthermore, the feeding mechanism includes a feeding conveyor belt and a feeding funnel. The transport direction of the feeding conveyor belt corresponds to the length direction of the mushroom stick. The feeding funnel is located between the end of the feeding conveyor belt and the beginning of the first conveyor belt. The bottom cross-sectional shape of the feeding funnel is a strip shape corresponding to the shape of the mushroom stick, so that when the mushroom stick falls onto the surface of the first conveyor belt through the feeding funnel, its length direction is perpendicular to the transport direction of the first conveyor belt.

[0011] Furthermore, the diameter of the second conveyor belt is smaller than that of the first conveyor belt, such that the projections of the tail end of the first conveyor belt and the head end of the second conveyor belt on the horizontal plane form a staggered adjacent state on the same diameter.

[0012] Furthermore, the transfer mechanism includes a pusher, a push plate, and a transfer funnel. The push plate is correspondingly disposed at the tail end of the first conveyor belt. The push plate is vertical and perpendicular to the radial direction of the first conveyor belt. The pusher drives the push plate to move radially along the first conveyor belt. The side plate on the inner side of the tail end of the first conveyor belt is open to form an opening. The top of the transfer funnel corresponds to the area below the inner side of the opening on the side plate, and the bottom end is connected to the top of the head end of the second conveyor belt. The bottom cross-sectional shape of the transfer funnel is a strip corresponding to the shape of the mushroom stick, so that when the mushroom stick falls onto the surface of the second conveyor belt through the transfer funnel, its length direction is perpendicular to the transport direction of the second conveyor belt.

[0013] Furthermore, the puncture mechanism includes a connecting plate horizontally disposed above the top cover of the first conveyor belt. The bottom of the connecting plate is provided with a plurality of needles, the bottom ends of which penetrate the top cover and extend into the surface of the first conveyor belt. A telescopic rod is also provided between the top cover and the connecting plate. The telescopic rod is vertically disposed, thereby driving the connecting plate and the needles to move in the vertical direction.

[0014] Furthermore, a cover is provided above the connecting plate, which encloses both the connecting plate and the needle above the top cover.

[0015] Furthermore, the bottom of the top cover is also provided with a friction strip. The friction strip is an elastic structure, and the distance between its bottom surface and the upper surface of the first conveyor belt is smaller than the diameter of the mushroom stick. The friction strip and the piercing mechanism are alternately arranged along the conveying direction.

[0016] Furthermore, the placement groove is an arc-shaped groove, and its arc shape corresponds to the curvature of the side of the mushroom stick.

[0017] Furthermore, the surface of the placement groove is provided with several rollers, which are parallel to the placement groove and partially embedded in the placement groove, with only the top protruding.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0019] 1. The present invention has a piercing component and a turning component arranged side by side, wherein the piercing component includes a horizontally annular first conveyor belt and the turning component includes a horizontally annular second conveyor belt. That is, the transported mushroom sticks are pierced by the first conveyor belt and the piercing mechanism provided thereon, and then sent into the second conveyor belt for storage. During the storage of mushroom sticks on the second conveyor belt, the turning work can also be automatically realized by the movement of the second conveyor belt, thereby automating the piercing and turning operations of mushroom sticks, which can greatly improve work efficiency and free up manpower.

[0020] 2. This invention allows the mushroom logs to be laid flat on the second conveyor belt for storage and cultivation. There is no stacking between the logs, so the problem of the pores of the bottom logs being blocked due to excessive local density, resulting in mycelial hypoxia and poor development, can be avoided, thus improving the yield of shiitake mushrooms. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 2 This is a top view of the first conveyor belt in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 3 This is a side view of the puncture mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 4 This is a lateral schematic diagram of the friction strip in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 5 This is a side view of the placement slot in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] In the above attached figures: 1. First conveyor belt; 2. Second conveyor belt; 3. Feed conveyor belt; 4. Feed hopper; 5. Transfer hopper; 6. Cover; 7. Placement trough; 8. Needle; 9. Friction strip; 11. Telescopic push rod; 12. Push plate; 13. Opening; 14. Top cover; 71. Roller; 81. Connecting plate; 82. Telescopic rod. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The technical solutions of the present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0028] like Figure 1 As shown in the figure, this embodiment of the invention proposes an automated microbial culture device, which is used in conjunction with the cultivation of inoculated mycelium. Specifically, the microbial culture device in this embodiment includes a puncture assembly and a turning assembly arranged in layers, and an external support is provided to support the puncture assembly and the turning assembly on the ground.

[0029] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the piercing assembly includes a first conveyor belt 1, which is a horizontally arranged annular conveyor belt with a completely connected front-to-back structure. The first conveyor belt 1 has vertical side plates on both sides and a top cover 14 on its upper part, thus forming a closed, enclosed structure. Adjacent beginning and end points are set on the first conveyor belt 1. The beginning point has a feeding mechanism at its upper part to insert the mushroom logs, and the end point has a corresponding transfer mechanism at its bottom to transport the mushroom logs to the turning assembly located below.

[0030] The turning assembly includes a second conveyor belt 2 arranged vertically alongside the first conveyor belt 1. The second conveyor belt 2 is a horizontal annular conveyor belt similar to the first conveyor belt 1, with side plates on both sides and a top cover 14 on the top. The first conveyor belt 1 and the second conveyor belt 2 are coaxially arranged. The first end and the last end of the second conveyor belt 2 are adjacent to each other. The upper part of the first end is connected to the transfer mechanism, and the bottom of the last end is provided with a discharge mechanism. The discharge mechanism transports the mushroom sticks to the outside of the second conveyor belt 2.

[0031] like Figure 3As shown, the first conveyor belt 1 is also equipped with a piercing mechanism, which includes a connecting plate 81 horizontally arranged above the top cover 14 of the first conveyor belt 1. The bottom of the connecting plate 81 is provided with a plurality of needles 8, which are evenly distributed along the radial direction of the first conveyor belt 1 (here and in the following text, radial direction refers to the radial direction of the circle formed by the first conveyor belt 1 or the second conveyor belt 2) and the transport direction. The bottom end of the needles 8 penetrates the top cover 14 and extends into the surface of the first conveyor belt 1. A telescopic rod 82 is also provided between the top cover 14 and the connecting plate 81. In this embodiment, there are two vertically arranged telescopic rods 82, located at both ends of the connecting plate 81, thereby driving the connecting plate 81 and the needles 8 to move vertically. A cover 6 is also provided above the connecting plate 81, which encloses both the connecting plate 81 and the needles 8 above the top cover 14, preventing external dust and other impurities from entering the substrate through the needles 8 and contaminating the internal culture medium.

[0032] like Figure 4 As shown, preferably, the bottom of the top cover 14 is also provided with a friction strip 9. The friction strip 9 is an elastic structure, preferably made of sponge material. The distance between its bottom surface and the upper surface of the first conveyor belt 1 is smaller than the diameter of the mushroom stick. When the mushroom stick moves to the position of the friction strip 9, its top surface makes full contact with the friction strip 9, thereby being driven to rotate by the friction strip 9. In addition, the friction strip 9 has contact sections on both sides with a gradually decreasing arc, so that the friction strip 9 can make better contact with the mushroom stick without directly blocking the movement of the mushroom stick. The friction strip 9 and the piercing mechanism are alternately arranged along the conveying direction. That is, after piercing, the mushroom stick is flipped by the friction strip 9 before the next piercing is performed, so that the piercing holes are more evenly distributed and not concentrated on one side of the mushroom stick.

[0033] It should be noted that friction strips 9 are also intermittently provided below the top cover 14 of the second conveyor belt 2. At the same time, when the second conveyor belt 2 is working, it rotates regularly in opposite directions, clockwise and counterclockwise, so that the mushroom sticks inside pass through the position of the friction strips 9 every once in a while, thereby completing the flipping and achieving the effect of turning the pile.

[0034] In a further embodiment, the surface of the first conveyor belt 1 or the second conveyor belt 2 is provided with a plurality of placement grooves 7 perpendicular to the conveying direction. The placement grooves 7 are arranged sequentially adjacent to each other, such that when the mushroom sticks are located inside the placement grooves 7, they are radially aligned with the first conveyor belt 1 or the second conveyor belt 2. This ensures that the mushroom sticks are placed one-to-one with the placement grooves 7, resulting in more stable placement and reducing the likelihood of skewing. Preferably, in this embodiment, the placement groove 7 is an arc-shaped groove, with its arc surface corresponding to the curvature of the side of the mushroom stick. That is, the placement groove 7 contacts the cylindrical mushroom stick through its arc surface, making it easier for the mushroom stick to rotate. Figure 5As shown, in a further preferred embodiment, the surface of the placement groove 7 is provided with a plurality of rollers 71, the rollers 71 being parallel to the placement groove 7, and the rollers 71 being partially embedded in the placement groove 7, with only the tops protruding. The rollers 71 can better improve the rotation performance of the mushroom sticks and reduce the situation where the mushroom sticks are difficult to rotate into place due to friction on the surface of the placement groove 7.

[0035] In this embodiment, the feeding mechanism further includes a feeding conveyor belt 3 and a feeding funnel 4. The transport direction of the feeding conveyor belt 3 corresponds to the length direction of the mushroom stick. The feeding funnel 4 is disposed between the end of the feeding conveyor belt 3 and the beginning of the first conveyor belt 1. The bottom cross-sectional shape of the feeding funnel 4 is a strip shape corresponding to the shape of the mushroom stick, so that when the mushroom stick falls onto the surface of the first conveyor belt 1 through the feeding funnel 4, its length direction is perpendicular to the transport direction of the first conveyor belt 1.

[0036] In this embodiment, as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the diameter of the second conveyor belt 2 is smaller than that of the first conveyor belt 1, so that the projections of the tail end of the first conveyor belt 1 and the head end of the second conveyor belt 2 on the horizontal plane form a staggered adjacent state on the same diameter. Correspondingly, the transfer mechanism includes a pusher, a push plate 12, and a transfer funnel 5. In this embodiment, the pusher is a telescopic push rod 11. The push plate 12 is correspondingly set at the tail end of the first conveyor belt 1. The push plate 12 is vertical and perpendicular to the radial direction of the first conveyor belt 1. The pusher drives the push plate 12 to move radially along the first conveyor belt 1. The side plate on the inner side of the tail end of the first conveyor belt 1 is open to form an opening 13. The top of the transfer funnel 5 corresponds to the area below the inner side of the opening 13 on the side plate, and the bottom end is connected to the top of the head end of the second conveyor belt 2. The bottom cross-sectional shape of the transfer funnel 5 is a strip corresponding to the shape of the mushroom stick, so that when the mushroom stick falls onto the surface of the second conveyor belt 2 through the transfer funnel 5, its length direction is perpendicular to the transport direction of the second conveyor belt 2. It should be noted that when the mushroom sticks move to the end on the first conveyor belt 1, the pusher drives the push plate 12 to move toward the opening 13, pushing the mushroom sticks out of the opening 13, so that the mushroom sticks fall into the transfer funnel 5, and then fall into the placement groove 7 on the surface of the second conveyor belt 2.

[0037] The discharge mechanism in this embodiment is similar to the transfer mechanism, using a push plate 12 and a funnel structure. The push plate 12 pushes the mushroom sticks into the funnel for discharge. The specific method is the same as that of the transfer mechanism, and will not be described in detail here.

[0038] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention, and all such modifications or substitutions should be covered within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automated microbial culture device, used in conjunction with inoculated mycelial logs for cultivation, characterized in that: The device includes a piercing assembly and a turning assembly stacked on top of each other. The piercing assembly includes a first conveyor belt, which is a horizontally arranged annular conveyor belt. The first conveyor belt has vertical side plates on both sides and a top cover on the top, thus forming an enclosed structure. The first end and the last end of the first conveyor belt are adjacent. The upper part of the first end is provided with a feeding mechanism to place the mushroom sticks in, and the bottom of the last end is provided with a corresponding transfer mechanism to transport the mushroom sticks to the turning assembly located below. The first conveyor belt is also provided with a piercing mechanism. The turning assembly includes a second conveyor belt arranged vertically and horizontally with the first conveyor belt. The second conveyor belt is a horizontal annular conveyor belt similar to the first conveyor belt, with side plates on both sides and a top cover on the top. The first and second conveyor belts are coaxially arranged. The first and second conveyor belts are adjacent to each other. The upper part of the first end is connected to the transfer mechanism, and the bottom of the tail end is provided with a discharge mechanism. The discharge mechanism transports the mushroom sticks to the outside of the second conveyor belt. The surface of the first or second conveyor belt is provided with a plurality of placement slots perpendicular to the conveying direction. The placement slots are arranged adjacent to each other in sequence, so that when the mushroom stick is located inside the placement slot, it is along the radial direction of the first or second conveyor belt. The bottom of the top cover is also provided with a friction strip. The friction strip is an elastic structure, and the distance between its bottom surface and the upper surface of the first conveyor belt is smaller than the diameter of the mushroom stick. The friction strip and the piercing mechanism are alternately arranged along the conveying direction. The placement groove is an arc-shaped groove, and its arc shape corresponds to the curvature of the side of the mushroom stick; The surface of the placement groove is provided with several rollers, which are parallel to the placement groove and are partially embedded in the placement groove, with only the top protruding. The diameter of the second conveyor belt is smaller than that of the first conveyor belt, so that the projections of the tail end of the first conveyor belt and the head end of the second conveyor belt on the horizontal plane form a staggered adjacent state on the same diameter. The transfer mechanism includes a pusher, a push plate, and a transfer funnel. The push plate is positioned at the tail end of the first conveyor belt, and is vertical and perpendicular to the radial direction of the first conveyor belt. The pusher drives the push plate to move radially along the first conveyor belt. The side plate on the inner side of the tail end of the first conveyor belt is open to form an opening. The top of the transfer funnel corresponds to the area below the inner side of the opening on the side plate, and the bottom end connects to the top of the head end of the second conveyor belt. The bottom cross-sectional shape of the transfer funnel is a strip shape corresponding to the shape of the mushroom stick, so that when the mushroom stick falls onto the surface of the second conveyor belt through the transfer funnel, its length direction is perpendicular to the transport direction of the second conveyor belt.

2. The automated seed culture device of claim 1, wherein: The feeding mechanism includes a feeding conveyor belt and a feeding funnel. The transport direction of the feeding conveyor belt corresponds to the length direction of the mushroom stick. The feeding funnel is located between the end of the feeding conveyor belt and the beginning of the first conveyor belt. The bottom cross-sectional shape of the feeding funnel is a strip shape corresponding to the shape of the mushroom stick, so that when the mushroom stick falls onto the surface of the first conveyor belt through the feeding funnel, its length direction is perpendicular to the transport direction of the first conveyor belt.

3. The automated seed culture device of claim 1, wherein: The puncture mechanism includes a connecting plate horizontally disposed above the top cover of the first conveyor belt. The bottom of the connecting plate is provided with a plurality of needles, the bottom ends of which penetrate the top cover and extend into the surface of the first conveyor belt. A telescopic rod is also provided between the top cover and the connecting plate. The telescopic rod is vertically disposed, thereby driving the connecting plate and the needles to move in the vertical direction.

4. The automated seed culture device of claim 3, wherein: A cover is also provided above the connecting plate, which encloses both the connecting plate and the needle above the top cover.

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