An intelligent delivery system

Abstract

This invention discloses an intelligent conveying system, relating to the field of food processing dried vegetable seasoning conveying technology. The intelligent conveying system includes a cover plate assembly, a hopper assembly, and a rotary lifting mechanism. The cover plate assembly includes a working cover plate and multiple spare cover plates. The working cover plate is equipped with a suction pipe, an exhaust pipe, and a feed pipe. The upper end of the suction pipe is connected to a vacuum device, the upper end of the exhaust pipe is connected to an exhaust device, and the upper end of the feed pipe is connected to a storage bin. A filter bag is installed on the bottom surface of the working cover plate. The lower ends of the suction pipe and the exhaust pipe extend into the filter bag, and the lower end of the feed pipe passes through the filter bag. The hopper assembly is located below the cover plate assembly and includes multiple hoppers. The rotary lifting mechanism can drive the cover plate assembly to rotate and also lift it. This invention uses pneumatic methods to suck materials from the storage bin, achieving very high conveying efficiency. It is highly suitable for conveying granular or blocky seasonings, greatly reducing repetitive labor for operators.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of food processing dried vegetable seasoning conveying technology, and in particular to an intelligent conveying system. Background Technology

[0002] Dried food seasonings are made primarily from vegetables, melons, and fruits, processed into granular or block-shaped seasonings. In the food production industry, many raw materials or finished products are in granular or block form. In the production of dried food seasonings, existing transportation methods, including mechanical handling, conveyor belts, and manual labor, are not efficient enough, resulting in low transportation efficiency and insufficient production capacity. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This invention aims to at least solve the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, this invention proposes an intelligent conveying system that uses pneumatics to suck materials out of a storage bin, achieving very high conveying efficiency. It is highly suitable for conveying granular or blocky seasonings and greatly reduces repetitive labor for operators.

[0004] An intelligent conveying system according to a first aspect embodiment of the present invention includes:

[0005] A cover plate assembly includes a working cover plate and multiple spare cover plates, arranged circumferentially. The working cover plate is equipped with a suction pipe, an exhaust pipe, and a feed pipe. The upper end of the suction pipe is connected to a vacuum device and has a suction valve for opening or closing the suction pipe. The upper end of the exhaust pipe is connected to an exhaust device and has an exhaust valve for opening or closing the exhaust pipe. The upper end of the feed pipe is connected to a storage tank and has a feed valve for opening or closing the feed pipe. A filter bag is provided on the bottom surface of the working cover plate. The lower ends of the suction pipe and the exhaust pipe extend into the filter bag, and the lower end of the feed pipe passes through the filter bag.

[0006] A hopper set is located below the cover plate set. The hopper set includes multiple hoppers arranged circumferentially and corresponding one-to-one with the working cover plate and multiple spare cover plates. The upper end of each hopper has an opening, and a rotatable discharge spring plate is provided inside the hopper. The discharge spring plate is equipped with an elastic element, and the bottom of the hopper has a discharge port. The discharge spring plate has an open position and a closed position. In the open position, the discharge spring plate opens the discharge port, and in the closed position, the discharge spring plate closes the discharge port. In a natural state, the discharge spring plate is held in the closed position by the elastic force of the elastic element. When the hopper is under negative pressure, the discharge spring plate is in the closed position. When the hopper is under normal pressure and there is a certain amount of material in the hopper, the discharge spring plate rotates downward under the gravity of the material and switches to the open position.

[0007] The intelligent conveying system according to embodiments of the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0008] During the feeding operation, the rotary lifting mechanism drives the cover plate assembly to rotate circumferentially, moving the working cover plate to the hopper requiring feeding. Then, the rotary lifting mechanism lowers the cover plate assembly, causing the bottom of the working cover plate to seal against the opening at the top of the hopper, forming a tight seal. The suction valve and feed valve are then opened, while the outlet valve is closed. The suction pipe and feed pipe are connected, while the outlet pipe is blocked. The vacuum device is then activated, drawing air from inside the hopper through the suction pipe, creating a negative pressure state inside the hopper. The discharge spring plate is held closed by suction, thus maintaining a sealed discharge port. At this time, the material in the storage bin is drawn into the feed pipe and then into the hopper. This process, where material is pneumatically drawn from the storage bin, achieves very high transmission efficiency, making it ideal for conveying granular or lumpy seasonings. It significantly reduces repetitive labor for operators. Furthermore, the filter bag separates the material from the suction pipe, preventing material from being sucked into the suction pipe. In addition, after the material suction is completed, the feed valve can be closed for a very short time and then the suction valve can be closed quickly. At this time, the process of cleaning the feed pipe begins. The remaining material in the pipe from the feed pipe to the feed valve is sucked into the hopper due to the original vacuum in the hopper, thus achieving the purpose of cleaning the feed pipe. Then, the air outlet valve is opened to eliminate the negative pressure inside the hopper. At this time, since there is a certain amount of material in the hopper, the weight of the material is greater than the elastic force of the elastic element, which causes the discharge plate to rotate downward to the open position. The discharge plate opens the discharge port, allowing the material to leave the hopper through the discharge port, thus achieving discharge.

[0009] The intelligent conveying system in this embodiment can not only efficiently transport materials, but also clean the filter bags. After the feeding operation is completed, some material will stick to the filter bags and need to be cleaned. During the cleaning operation, the suction pipe and the feeding pipe are blocked, the exhaust pipe is opened, and then the exhaust device is turned on. The exhaust device blows airflow into the inner cavity of the filter bag through the exhaust pipe, causing the filter bag to expand. At this time, the material on the outer wall of the filter bag is pushed open and falls off, thereby achieving the cleaning effect of the filter bag.

[0010] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the rotary lifting mechanism includes a screw, a nut, a connecting frame, a fixed base, a first motor, and a second motor. The nut is threadedly connected to the screw, the connecting frame is fixedly connected to the nut, the connecting frame is fixedly connected to the cover plate assembly, the output shaft of the first motor is fixedly connected to the screw, the first motor is fixedly connected to the fixed base, and the output shaft of the second motor is fixedly connected to the bottom of the fixed base.

[0011] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the nut has an upper extension rod at its top and a lower extension rod at its bottom. The upper side of the fixing seat is provided with a first infrared sensor and the lower side of the fixing seat is provided with a second infrared sensor. When the first infrared sensor detects the upper extension rod or the second infrared sensor detects the lower extension rod, the first motor stops working.

[0012] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the screw is located inside the fixed base, the outer wall of the fixed base is provided with a limiting groove extending in the vertical direction, and the connecting frame passes through the limiting groove.

[0013] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the intelligent conveying system further includes a controller, the controller being configured to:

[0014] In response to receiving a cleaning signal, a cleaning operation is performed, which includes closing the feed valve and waiting for a first time value before closing the suction valve, waiting for a second time value before opening the air outlet device, and continuing to open the air outlet valve for a second time value before closing the air outlet valve.

[0015] According to some embodiments of the present invention, each of the hoppers has a unique corresponding serial number, and the serial numbers of the plurality of hoppers increase in the circumferential direction of the hopper set. Each hopper is provided with a third infrared sensor, and the discharge spring plate is provided with a spring plate follow-up extension rod. When the discharge spring plate is in the closed position, the third infrared sensor detects the spring plate follow-up extension rod. After the cleaning operation is completed and the third infrared sensor detects the spring plate follow-up extension rod, the third infrared sensor sends a feeding signal to the controller. The controller is configured to:

[0016] In response to receiving feeding signals from multiple third infrared sensors in sequence, the multiple feeding signals are queued according to the order in which they appear. Feeding and cleaning operations are performed on the hoppers corresponding to the multiple third infrared sensors in sequence according to the queue. The feeding operation includes controlling the rotary lifting mechanism to drive the working cover to close the opening of the corresponding hopper, opening the suction valve and the feeding valve, closing the air outlet valve, and opening the vacuum device.

[0017] In response to receiving feeding signals from multiple third infrared sensors simultaneously, the feed hoppers corresponding to the multiple third infrared sensors are queued according to their sequence numbers, and the feeding operation and the cleaning operation are performed sequentially on the multiple hoppers corresponding to the sequence numbers according to the queue.

[0018] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the working cover plate is provided with a cover plate extension rod, and each hopper is provided with a fourth infrared sensor, the fourth infrared sensor being used to detect the cover plate extension rod. In the feeding operation, after the step of controlling the rotary lifting mechanism to drive the working cover plate to close the opening of the corresponding hopper, the method further includes:

[0019] And the fourth infrared sensor detects the cover plate extension rod.

[0020] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the controller includes a CPU module, an input module, and an output module, and the intelligent conveying system further includes a touch screen, which is electrically connected to the controller.

[0021] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the suction pipe, the exhaust pipe and the feed pipe are configured as food-grade transparent PVC steel wire hoses.

[0022] According to some embodiments of the present invention, both the working cover plate and the spare cover plate are sealed to the corresponding hopper by sealing rings.

[0023] Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0024] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments, wherein:

[0025] Figure 1 This is a top view of a cover plate set for an intelligent conveying system according to some embodiments of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2This is a schematic diagram of the working cover plate of an intelligent conveying system according to some embodiments of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the rotary lifting mechanism of an intelligent conveying system according to some embodiments of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the hopper of an intelligent conveying system according to some embodiments of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the working cover plate and hopper of an intelligent conveying system according to some embodiments of the present invention (the discharge spring plate is in the closed position).

[0030] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the working cover plate and hopper of an intelligent conveying system according to some embodiments of the present invention (the discharge spring plate is in the open position).

[0031] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the functional modules of the controller of an intelligent conveying system according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0032] Figure label:

[0033] Workbench 0, Working cover plate 1, Spare cover plate 2, Connecting frame 3, First motor 4, Output shaft of first motor 41, Second motor 5, Rotary lifting mechanism 6, Nut 60, Screw 61, First infrared sensor 62, Upper extension rod 63, Lower extension rod 64, Second infrared sensor 65, Fixed seat 66, Sealing ring 11, Working cover plate surface 12, Suction pipe 13, Exhaust pipe 14, Mechanical connecting component 15, Feed pipe 16, Working cover plate 17, Filter bag 18, Cover plate extension rod 19, Fourth infrared sensor 191, Suction pipe 131, Exhaust pipe 141, Feed pipe 161, Suction valve 132, Exhaust valve 142, Feed valve 162, Hopper 7, Discharge port 71, Spring plate follow-up extension rod 72, Discharge spring plate 73, Connector 74, Connecting rod 75, Third infrared sensor 721. Detailed Implementation

[0034] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0035] This invention provides an intelligent conveying system, comprising a workbench 0, a cover plate assembly, a hopper assembly, and a rotary lifting mechanism 6. This invention primarily relates to the field of conveying dried food processing ingredients.

[0036] Reference Figure 1 As shown, the workbench 0 has a ring-shaped structure, and the cover plate set is located above the workbench 0. The cover plate set includes a working cover plate 1 and multiple spare cover plates 2. The working cover plate 1 and the multiple spare cover plates 2 are arranged along the circumference. The working cover plate 1 and the spare cover plates 2 have a circular structure. There is one working cover plate 1 and five spare cover plates 2. (Refer to...) Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, both the working cover plate 17 and the spare cover plate 2 are equipped with sealing rings 11 at their bottoms. The sealing rings 11 are used to seal with the hopper 7. The working cover plate 1 is provided with a suction pipe 13, an exhaust pipe 14, and a feed pipe 16. The bottom surface of the working cover plate 1 is covered with a filter bag 18. The upper end of the suction pipe 13 is connected to a vacuum device, and the lower end of the suction pipe 13 extends into the filter bag 18 to communicate with the inner cavity of the filter bag 18. The suction pipe 131 is equipped with a suction valve 132, which is used to open or close the suction pipe 131. The upper end of the air outlet pipe 14 is connected to the air outlet device, and the lower end of the air outlet pipe 14 extends into the filter bag 18 to communicate with the inner cavity of the filter bag 18. The air outlet pipe 141 is equipped with an air outlet valve 142, which is used to open or close the air outlet pipe 141. The upper end of the feed pipe 16 is connected to the storage box, and the lower end of the feed pipe 16 passes through the filter bag 18. The feed pipe 16 is not directly connected to the inner cavity of the filter bag 18. The feed pipe 161 is equipped with a feed valve 162, which is used to open or close the feed pipe 161. The working cover plate 1 has a feeding function, and the other spare cover plates 2 are mainly used to seal the hopper 7.

[0037] Understandably, the suction pipe 13, the exhaust pipe 14, and the feed pipe 16 are made of food-grade thickened transparent PVC steel wire hoses, which will not contaminate the materials.

[0038] The hopper set is located on the workbench 0, below the cover plate set. The hopper set includes multiple hoppers 7, arranged circumferentially and corresponding one-to-one with the working cover plate 1 and multiple spare cover plates 2. There are six hoppers 7, each corresponding to one of the six cover plates. (Refer to...) Figure 4 As shown, the hopper 7 has an opening at its upper end, and a rotatable discharge spring plate 73 is provided inside the hopper 7. An inclined connecting rod 75 is also provided inside the hopper 7. The discharge spring plate 73 is rotatably connected to the connecting rod 75 via a connector 74. An elastic element, such as a torsion spring, can be arranged between the discharge spring plate 73 and the connector 74 to provide torsional force to the discharge spring plate 73. The bottom of the hopper 7 has a discharge port 71, and the discharge spring plate 73 has an open position and a closed position. Figure 4 In the middle, the discharge spring plate 73 is in the closed position, and the discharge spring plate 73 closes the discharge port 71. Figure 6 In the middle, the discharge spring plate 73 is in the open position, and the discharge spring plate 73 opens the discharge port 71. In the natural state, the discharge spring plate 73 is kept in the closed position by the elastic force of the torsion spring.

[0039] The rotary lifting mechanism 6 can drive the cover plate set to rotate in a circumferential direction, and can also drive the cover plate set to perform lifting and lowering movements, so that the working cover plate 1 is sealed and engaged with the opening of one of the hoppers 7. At the same time, multiple spare cover plates 2 are sealed and engaged with the openings of other hoppers 7 one by one.

[0040] During the feeding operation, the rotary lifting mechanism 6 drives the cover plate assembly to rotate circumferentially, causing the working cover plate 1 to move to the hopper 7 where feeding is required. Then, the rotary lifting mechanism 6 drives the cover plate assembly to descend, as shown below. Figure 5 As shown, the bottom of the working cover plate 1 covers the opening at the top of the hopper 7 to form a sealed fit. Then, the suction valve 132 and the feed valve 162 are opened, and the outlet valve 142 is closed. The suction pipe 13 and the feed pipe 16 are connected, and the outlet pipe 14 is blocked. Then, the vacuum device is started. The vacuum device draws air from the inside of the hopper 7 through the suction pipe 13, so that the inside of the hopper 7 is in a negative pressure state. The discharge spring plate 73 is held in the closed position by the suction force, thereby keeping the discharge port 71 closed. At this time, the material in the storage box is sucked into the feed pipe 16 by the suction force, and thus enters the hopper 7. During this process, materials are pneumatically drawn from the storage bin, resulting in very high transmission efficiency. This method is particularly suitable for transporting granular or lumpy condiments, significantly reducing repetitive labor for operators. Furthermore, the filter bag 18 separates the material from the suction pipe 13. The filter bag 18 has small pores, allowing only air to pass through, preventing material from being drawn into the suction pipe 13. Additionally, after feeding, the feed valve 162 can be closed for a very short time before the suction valve 132 is quickly closed. For example, closing the feed valve 162 for a few hundred milliseconds before closing the suction valve 132 initiates the cleaning process for the feed pipe 16. The remaining material in the section from the feed pipe 16 to the feed valve 162 is drawn into the hopper 7 due to the existing vacuum, thus cleaning the feed pipe 16. Then, the outlet valve 142 is opened to eliminate the negative pressure inside the hopper 7. Figure 6 As shown, since there is a certain amount of material in the hopper 7, the weight of the material is greater than the elastic force of the torsion spring, causing the discharge spring plate 73 to rotate downward to the open position. The discharge spring plate 73 opens the discharge port 71, allowing the material to leave the hopper 7 through the discharge port 71, thereby realizing the discharge.

[0041] The intelligent conveying system of this embodiment can not only efficiently transport materials, but also clean the filter bag 18. After the feeding operation is completed, some material will adhere to the filter bag 18, requiring cleaning. During the cleaning operation, the air outlet valve 142 is opened first, and then the air suction valve 132 and the feed valve 162 are closed. The air suction pipe 13 and the feed pipe 16 are blocked, while the air outlet pipe 14 is opened. Then, the air outlet device is opened, and the air outlet device blows airflow into the inner cavity of the filter bag 18 through the air outlet pipe 14, causing the filter bag 18 to expand. At this time, the material on the outer wall of the filter bag 18 is pushed open and falls off, thereby achieving the cleaning effect of the filter bag 18.

[0042] In addition, the hopper 7 in this embodiment can automatically discharge materials through the discharge spring plate 73, without the need for an additional drive device to move the discharge spring plate 73, which can save manufacturing costs.

[0043] The specific structure of the rotary lifting mechanism 6 is described below, referring to... Figure 3 As shown, the rotary lifting mechanism 6 includes a screw 61, a nut 60, a connecting frame 3, a fixed base 66, a first motor 4, and a second motor 5. The nut 60 is threadedly connected to the screw 61, the connecting frame 3 is fixedly connected to the nut 60, and the connecting frame 3 is fixedly connected to the cover plate. The first motor 4 is fixedly connected to the fixed base 66, and the output shaft of the first motor 4 is fixedly connected to the screw 61. The output shaft of the second motor 5 is fixedly connected to the bottom of the fixed base 66. The screw 61 is located inside the fixed base 66. The outer wall of the fixed base 66 is provided with a limiting groove extending in the vertical direction. The connecting frame 3 passes through the limiting groove, so that the connecting frame 3 can only move up and down relative to the fixed base 66. When the screw 61 rotates, due to the limiting effect of the limiting groove, the nut 60 will rotate relative to the screw 61. When the second motor 5 drives the screw 61 to rotate, the nut 60 can only move up and down. (Refer to...) Figure 2 As shown, the cover plate is connected to the connecting frame 3 via mechanical connecting member 15.

[0044] During operation, to raise or lower the cover plate assembly, the first motor 4 is started. The output shaft of the first motor 4 drives the screw 61 to rotate, causing the nut 60 to slide up and down relative to the screw 61, thereby raising or lowering the cover plate assembly through the connecting frame 3. To rotate the cover plate assembly, the second motor 5 is started. The output shaft of the second motor 5 drives the fixed base 66 to rotate, thereby causing the entire cover plate assembly to rotate in a circumferential direction.

[0045] In some other embodiments, the rotary lifting mechanism 6 may also employ other mechanisms to achieve the rotary lifting function.

[0046] Reference Figure 3As shown, in order to detect the lifting and lowering of the cover plate assembly, the top of the nut 60 is provided with an upper extension rod 63, the bottom of the nut 60 is provided with a lower extension rod 64, the upper side of the fixed base 66 is provided with a first infrared sensor 62, and the lower side of the fixed base 66 is provided with a second infrared sensor 65. When the first infrared sensor 62 detects the upper extension rod 63, it indicates that the cover plate assembly has risen to the correct position; or when the second infrared sensor 65 detects the lower extension rod 64, it indicates that the cover plate assembly has descended to the correct position. In both cases, the first motor 4 is controlled to stop working.

[0047] In some embodiments, the intelligent conveying system further includes a controller for controlling feeding and cleaning operations, the controller being configured to perform the following steps:

[0048] Step S100: In response to receiving a cleaning signal, perform a cleaning operation, which includes closing the feed valve 162 and waiting for a first time value before closing the suction valve 132, waiting for a second time value before opening the air outlet device, continuously opening the air outlet valve 142, and closing the air outlet valve 142 after a third time value.

[0049] In this embodiment, the cleaning operation is performed after the material suction is completed. During the cleaning operation, the feed valve 162 can be closed for a very short time and then the suction valve 132 can be closed quickly. At this time, the cleaning of the feed pipe 16 is started. The remaining material in the pipe from the feed pipe 16 to the feed valve 162 is sucked into the hopper 7 due to the original vacuum in the hopper 7, thus achieving the purpose of cleaning the feed pipe 16. The third time value can be 1s to 3s, the first time value can be 500ms to 800ms, and the second time value can be 500ms to 800ms.

[0050] In some embodiments, each hopper 7 has a unique corresponding serial number, and the serial numbers of multiple hoppers 7 increase sequentially along the circumference of the hopper set. For example, multiple hoppers 7 are assigned serial numbers ①, ②, ③, ④, ⑤, and ⑥, respectively. Figure 3 As shown, the discharge plate 73 is equipped with a follower extension rod 72. When the discharge plate 73 rotates, the follower extension rod 72 rotates along with the discharge plate 73. Each hopper 7 is equipped with a third infrared sensor 721, meaning there are multiple third infrared sensors 721. The angle between the follower extension rod 72 and the horizontal plane is 30° to 60°. (Refer to...) Figure 5 As shown, when the included angle is 30°, the discharge plate 73 completely closes the discharge port 71, that is, the discharge plate 73 is in the closed position. At this time, the third infrared sensor 721 can detect the plate's follow-up extension rod 72, indicating that the hopper 7 is in an empty state; refer to Figure 6As shown, when the included angle is greater than 30°, the spring plate follow-up extension rod 72 is located outside the position of the third infrared sensor 721. The third infrared sensor 721 cannot detect the spring plate follow-up extension rod 72, indicating that the hopper 7 contains material. The gravity of the material causes the discharge spring plate 73 to rotate downwards, partially or fully opening the discharge port 71. That is, the third infrared sensor 721 can be used to detect whether the hopper 7 is empty. When the cleaning operation is completed and the third infrared sensor 721 detects that the hopper 7 is empty, it indicates that the hopper 7 has a feeding demand. The third infrared sensor 721 will send a feeding signal to the controller, and the controller will then perform a feeding operation on the corresponding hopper 7 based on the feeding signal. The controller will continuously collect signals from the third infrared sensors 721 in multiple hoppers 7 to determine whether multiple hoppers 7 are short of material.

[0051] In some embodiments, the controller is configured to perform the following steps.

[0052] Step S200: In response to receiving feeding signals from multiple third infrared sensors 721 in sequence, the multiple feeding signals are queued according to their chronological order. Feeding and cleaning operations are performed on the hoppers 7 corresponding to the multiple third infrared sensors 721 in sequence according to the queue. The feeding operation includes controlling the rotary lifting mechanism 6 to drive the working cover plate 171 to close the opening of the corresponding hopper 7, opening the suction valve 132 and the feeding valve 162, closing the air outlet valve 142, and turning on the vacuum device.

[0053] In this step, if multiple feeding signals from the third infrared sensor 721 are received in sequence, they can be queued according to the order in which the feeding signals appear. Each feeding signal represents that one of the hoppers 7 has a feeding demand. The controller performs feeding and cleaning operations on the multiple queued hoppers 7 in sequence according to the order after queuing. After the cleaning operation is completed, the multiple third infrared sensors 721 detect whether the hopper 7 is in an empty state.

[0054] Step S300: In response to receiving feeding signals from multiple third infrared sensors 721 simultaneously, the feed hoppers 7 corresponding to the multiple third infrared sensors 721 are queued according to their sequence numbers, and feeding and cleaning operations are performed on the feed hoppers 7 corresponding to the multiple sequence numbers in sequence according to the queue.

[0055] In this step, if multiple feeding signals from the third infrared sensor 721 are received simultaneously, the hoppers 7 can be queued according to their serial numbers. The controller then performs feeding and cleaning operations on the queued hoppers 7 in sequence according to the order of the serial numbers. For example, feeding and cleaning operations are performed on the hoppers 7 corresponding to serial numbers ①, ②, ③, ④, ⑤, and ⑥ in order from smallest to largest. After the cleaning operation is completed, the multiple third infrared sensors 721 then detect whether the hoppers 7 are empty.

[0056] It should also be noted that, regarding steps S200 and S300 above, after each pair of hoppers 7 has completed the feeding and cleaning operations, multiple third infrared sensors 721 perform an empty material detection on other hoppers 7 outside the queue. When an empty hopper 7 is detected outside the queue, the corresponding third infrared sensor 721 will send a feeding signal. If these feeding signals are sent sequentially, the controller will sequentially place these hoppers 7 into a new queue according to the order in which they appear. If these feeding signals are sent simultaneously, the controller will sequentially place these hoppers 7 into a new queue according to their serial numbers. Hopper 7 is added to a new queue. That is, after each pair of hoppers 7 has completed the feeding and cleaning operations, a new queue may be formed. This depends on whether the other hoppers 7 are empty at this time. It should be noted that this new queue is located at the end of the previous queue. After the controller finishes executing the previously arranged queue, it executes the new queue. It can also be understood that the currently detected empty hopper 7 is added to the end of the queue of the previously detected empty hopper 7. In this way, feeding and cleaning operations are performed on multiple empty hoppers 7 in sequence. This allows for reasonable planning of control operations, thereby improving transportation efficiency.

[0057] Reference Figure 5 As shown, in some embodiments, the working cover plate 1 is provided with a cover plate extension rod 19, and each hopper 7 is provided with a fourth infrared sensor 191 at its upper end. The fourth infrared sensor 191 is used to detect the cover plate extension rod 19, thereby determining whether the working cover plate 1 has moved into position, so that the working cover plate 1 corresponds to the position of the hopper 7 that needs to be fed. In the above feeding operation step, the rotating lifting mechanism 6 is controlled to drive the working cover plate 1 to close the opening of the corresponding hopper 7. After this step, the following is also included:

[0058] Step S110: Make the fourth infrared sensor 191 detect the cover plate extension rod 19.

[0059] In this embodiment, it can be ensured that the working cover plate 1 moves into place during the feeding process, ensuring that the subsequent closing of the hopper 7 is in place, ensuring good sealing, and avoiding air leakage.

[0060] Reference Figure 7 As shown, in some embodiments, the controller includes a CPU module, an input module, and an output module. The intelligent conveying system also includes a touch screen, which is electrically connected to the controller. The input module is electrically connected to the aforementioned infrared sensors to receive signal input. The output module is electrically connected to the first motor 4, the second motor 5, the suction valve 132, the exhaust valve 142, and the feed valve 162 to output control signals to control the actions of each component. The touch screen can display various information statuses to achieve effective monitoring. The touch screen can also input control signals to control each component.

[0061] The following embodiments will provide the complete control flow of the controller.

[0062] Step S1: Initialize the cover plate assembly, close the suction valve 132, the exhaust valve 142 and the feed valve 162, control the first motor 4 to drive the cover plate assembly to rise and control the second motor 5 to drive the cover plate assembly to rotate, so that the cover plate assembly moves to the initialization position.

[0063] Step S2: Collect the material level signal of the third infrared sensor 721 of the hopper 7, sort them according to the order of material shortage in the hopper 7, determine the hopper 7 currently corresponding to the working cover plate 1, and plan the movement path of the working cover plate 1 accordingly.

[0064] Step S3: Control the second motor 5 to drive the working cover plate 1 to rotate to the position of the hopper 7, control the first motor 4 to drive the working cover plate 1 to descend, and cause the lower extension rod 64 of the nut 60 to descend to the second infrared sensor 65, so that the working cover plate 1 is in close contact with the current hopper 7 to achieve a sealing effect;

[0065] Step S4: Open the suction valve 132 to create a negative pressure in the hopper 7. At the same time, open the feed valve 162 to suck up the material. Suction takes 15-20 seconds. Then clean the feed pipe 16. First, close the feed valve 162. After 5-7 seconds, close the suction valve 132 and the vacuum device. The remaining material in the section from the feed pipe 16 to the feed valve 162 will be sucked into the hopper 7 due to the original vacuum in the hopper 7, thus achieving the purpose of cleaning the feed pipe 16.

[0066] Step S5: After the process of cleaning the feed pipe 16 is completed, wait 1 second before opening the air outlet valve 142 to clean the filter bag 18 and eliminate the negative pressure in the hopper 7. This process takes 500ms-800ms.

[0067] Step S6: After cleaning the filter bag 18, close the suction valve 132 and at the same time determine whether the hopper 7 is still short of material;

[0068] Step S7: If the hopper 7 is short of material, repeat steps S4, S5, and S6;

[0069] Step S8: If the hopper 7 is not short of material, determine whether other hoppers 7 are short of material through the sorting system;

[0070] Step S9: If other hoppers 7 are short of material, repeat steps S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S7, and S8.

[0071] Step S10: If the other hoppers 7 are not short of material, repeat step S1.

[0072] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the orientation descriptions, such as up, down, front, back, left, right, etc., are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limiting this invention.

[0073] In the description of this invention, "several" means one or more, "more than" means two or more, "greater than," "less than," and "exceeding" are understood to exclude the stated number, while "above," "below," and "within" are understood to include the stated number. The use of "first" and "second" in the description is merely for distinguishing technical features and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features, or implicitly indicating the order of the indicated technical features.

[0074] In the description of this invention, unless otherwise explicitly defined, terms such as "setting," "installing," and "connecting" should be interpreted broadly, and those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention in conjunction with the specific content of the technical solution.

[0075] The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Within the scope of knowledge possessed by those skilled in the art, various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. An intelligent conveying system, characterized in that, include: A cover plate assembly includes a working cover plate and multiple spare cover plates, arranged circumferentially. The working cover plate is equipped with a suction pipe, an exhaust pipe, and a feed pipe. The upper end of the suction pipe is connected to a vacuum device and has a suction valve for opening or closing the suction pipe. The upper end of the exhaust pipe is connected to an exhaust device and has an exhaust valve for opening or closing the exhaust pipe. The upper end of the feed pipe is connected to a storage tank and has a feed valve for opening or closing the feed pipe. A filter bag is provided on the bottom surface of the working cover plate. The lower ends of the suction pipe and the exhaust pipe extend into the filter bag, and the lower end of the feed pipe passes through the filter bag. A hopper set is located below the cover plate set. The hopper set includes multiple hoppers arranged circumferentially and corresponding one-to-one with the working cover plate and multiple spare cover plates. The upper end of each hopper has an opening, and a rotatable discharge spring plate is provided inside the hopper. The discharge spring plate is equipped with an elastic element, and the bottom of the hopper has a discharge port. The discharge spring plate has an open position and a closed position. In the open position, the discharge spring plate opens the discharge port, and in the closed position, the discharge spring plate closes the discharge port. In a natural state, the discharge spring plate is held in the closed position by the elastic force of the elastic element. When the hopper is under negative pressure, the discharge spring plate is in the closed position. When the hopper is under normal pressure and there is a certain amount of material in the hopper, the discharge spring plate rotates downward under the gravity of the material and switches to the open position. The rotary lifting mechanism can drive the cover plate assembly to rotate along the circumferential direction and also drive the cover plate assembly to perform lifting movements, so that the working cover plate is sealed with the opening of one of the hoppers. At the same time, multiple spare cover plates are sealed with the openings of other hoppers one by one. The rotary lifting mechanism includes a screw, a nut, a connecting frame, a fixed base, a first motor and a second motor. The nut is threadedly connected to the screw, the connecting frame is fixedly connected to the nut and the connecting frame is fixedly connected to the cover plate assembly, the output shaft of the first motor is fixedly connected to the screw, the first motor is fixedly connected to the fixed base, and the output shaft of the second motor is fixedly connected to the bottom of the fixed base.

2. The intelligent conveying system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The nut has an upper extension rod at the top and a lower extension rod at the bottom. The upper side of the fixing base has a first infrared sensor and the lower side of the fixing base has a second infrared sensor. When the first infrared sensor detects the upper extension rod or the second infrared sensor detects the lower extension rod, the first motor stops working.

3. The intelligent conveying system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The screw is located inside the fixed base, and the outer wall of the fixed base is provided with a limiting groove extending in the vertical direction. The connecting frame passes through the limiting groove.

4. The intelligent conveying system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The intelligent conveying system also includes a controller, which is configured to: In response to receiving a cleaning signal, a cleaning operation is performed, which includes closing the feed valve and waiting for a first time value before closing the suction valve, waiting for a second time value before opening the air outlet device, and continuing to open the air outlet valve until a third time value is reached before closing the air outlet valve.

5. The intelligent conveying system according to claim 4, characterized in that, Each hopper has a unique serial number, and the serial numbers of the multiple hoppers increase sequentially along the circumferential direction of the hopper set. Each hopper is equipped with a third infrared sensor. The discharge spring plate is equipped with a spring plate follow-up extension rod. When the discharge spring plate is in the closed position, the third infrared sensor detects the spring plate follow-up extension rod. After the cleaning operation is completed and the third infrared sensor detects the spring plate follow-up extension rod, the third infrared sensor sends a feeding signal to the controller. The controller is configured to: In response to receiving feeding signals from multiple third infrared sensors in sequence, the multiple feeding signals are queued according to the order in which they appear. Feeding and cleaning operations are performed on the hoppers corresponding to the multiple third infrared sensors in sequence according to the queue. The feeding operation includes controlling the rotary lifting mechanism to drive the working cover to close the opening of the corresponding hopper, opening the suction valve and the feeding valve, closing the air outlet valve, and opening the vacuum device. In response to receiving feeding signals from multiple third infrared sensors simultaneously, the feed hoppers corresponding to the multiple third infrared sensors are queued according to their sequence numbers, and the feeding operation and the cleaning operation are performed sequentially on the multiple hoppers corresponding to the sequence numbers according to the queue.

6. The intelligent conveying system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The working cover plate is provided with a cover plate extension rod, and each hopper is provided with a fourth infrared sensor. The fourth infrared sensor is used to detect the cover plate extension rod. In the feeding operation, after the step of controlling the rotary lifting mechanism to drive the working cover plate to close the opening of the corresponding hopper, the following is also included: The fourth infrared sensor detects the cover plate extension rod.

7. The intelligent conveying system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The controller includes a CPU module, an input module, and an output module. The intelligent conveying system also includes a touch screen, which is electrically connected to the controller.

8. The intelligent conveying system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The suction pipe, the exhaust pipe, and the feed pipe are made of food-grade transparent PVC steel wire hose.

9. The intelligent conveying system according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both the working cover plate and the spare cover plate are sealed to the corresponding hoppers by sealing rings.

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