A granulator for probiotic production

Abstract

The present invention relates to the technical field of granulators, and specifically discloses a granulator for probiotic production, comprising: an outer shell, a hopper, a screening component, and a spray component. The outer shell has an opening at the bottom, and a first partition plate is arranged in the hopper. The first partition plate divides the hopper into a discharge chamber and a first annular chamber, and the discharge chamber and the first annular chamber are both connected to the opening of the outer shell. The screening component comprises a screening cylinder, a first screen and a second screen. The screening cylinder is arranged in the outer shell, and the bottom end of the screening cylinder is stopped against the first partition plate. The first screen and the second screen are both arranged on the top of the screening cylinder, and the two are spaced apart from each other. One end of the spray component is located outside the outer shell, and the other end thereof extends to the inside of the screening cylinder. The granulator for probiotic production of the present invention screens the material to be made into particles through the first screen and the second screen, so as to improve the granulation finished product rate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of granulators, and in particular to a granulator for probiotic production. Background Art

[0002] Probiotic granulation is a key step in the probiotic production process. Its purpose is to combine probiotics with protective agents and other ingredients to form a relatively stable structure, improve its resistance to adverse environments, extend the shelf life, and thus improve the stability of probiotics. In related technologies, probiotic granulation methods include spray drying granulation, fluidized bed granulation, and extrusion granulation. Spray drying granulation requires the use of a boiling drying granulator to produce and process probiotics.

[0003] Fluidized bed drying granulator is a device that combines mixing, granulating and drying in the same closed container. Its working principle is: put the powdered material into the closed container of the hopper. Due to the effect of the hot air flow, the powder is suspended and circulated in a fluidized state to achieve uniform mixing. At the same time, a mist binder is sprayed into the container to moisten the powder, so that the powder is condensed into loose small particles. While granulating, the hot air flow efficiently dries it, the water evaporates continuously, and the powder solidifies continuously. The process is repeated to form ideal, uniform multi-porous spherical particles. The three processes of mixing, granulating and drying are completed in the container at one time.

[0004] The Chinese patent document with the publication number CN216704279U discloses a fluidized bed drying granulator, which is provided with an air outlet hole covered by an air outlet cover, which is conducive to closing the air outlet hole during feeding.

[0005] When boiling fluidization production is carried out, the airflow can effectively perform ventilation and fluidization while lifting the air outlet hood. The distribution hood is provided to facilitate the even distribution of the incoming fluidizing airflow through the distribution plate, effectively improving the uniformity of fluidization.

[0006] However, this type of boiling drying granulator cannot control the size of the particles during the granulation process, which will cause the particles to become larger and larger and the yield rate to be low. Summary of the invention

[0007] The invention provides a granulator for probiotic production, aiming to solve the problem in the related art that the existing boiling drying granulator cannot control the particle size and has a low yield.

[0008] The granulator for probiotic production of the present invention comprises: a shell, a hopper, a screening component, and a spray component;

[0009] The bottom of the shell is provided with an opening, and the top of the shell is provided with an air outlet;

[0010] A first partition plate is provided in the material hopper, and the first partition plate divides the material hopper into a discharge cavity and a first annular cavity, the discharge cavity and the first annular cavity are both connected to the opening of the shell, and a vent is provided at the bottom of the discharge cavity;

[0011] The screening assembly includes a screening drum, a first screen and a second screen. The screening drum is arranged in the outer shell. The bottom end of the screening drum abuts against the first partition plate. The interior of the screening drum is a granulation chamber and is connected to the discharge chamber. A second annular cavity is formed between the screening drum and the outer shell, and the second annular cavity is connected to the first annular cavity. The first screen and the second screen are both arranged on the top of the screening drum and are spaced apart from each other. A third annular cavity is formed between the second screen and the top of the screening drum, and ventilation holes are provided on the side walls of the third annular cavity. A fourth annular cavity is formed between the first screen and the second screen, and the third annular cavity is connected to the granulation chamber, and the fourth annular cavity is connected to the second annular cavity.

[0012] One end of the spray assembly is located outside the shell, and the other end thereof passes through the shell and the sieve cylinder and extends to the inside of the sieve cylinder.

[0013] The first screen and the second screen can screen the material to be made into pellets, so as to control the size of the pellets and improve the yield of the finished product.

[0014] Preferably, a pressure block is provided in the third annular cavity, the pressure block is slidably matched with the screening cylinder, and moves relative to the screening cylinder in the up and down directions, a first driving member is provided on the top of the outer shell, a connecting rod is provided on the upper end of the pressure block, the connecting rod passes through the top of the screening cylinder and is connected to the first driving member.

[0015] The briquetting can crush the granules in the third annular cavity that are larger than the standard particle size requirement, and the crushed materials can be returned to the granulation cavity for re-granulation.

[0016] Preferably, the second screen mesh is rotationally matched with the screening drum, and the screening drum is provided with a second driving member, and the second driving member drives the second screen mesh to rotate relative to the screening drum.

[0017] The rotation of the second screen mesh and the pressing block can realize the rubbing of the material particles in the third annular cavity, and can further crush the material particles.

[0018] Preferably, a first spiral plate and a second spiral plate are provided in the second annular cavity, the first spiral plate and the second spiral plate are spaced apart, a first channel and a second channel are formed between the screening cylinder, the outer shell, the first spiral plate and the second spiral plate, a plurality of spaced apart sieve holes are provided on the first spiral plate, the first channel is connected to the third annular cavity, the first channel and the second channel are connected through the sieve holes, a second partition plate is provided in the first annular cavity, the second partition plate divides the first annular cavity into a first arc cavity and a second arc cavity, the first channel is connected to the first arc cavity, and the second channel is connected to the second arc cavity.

[0019] The material agglomerates enter the second arc cavity along the first channel, and the material powder adhered to the material agglomerates can enter the second channel through the sieve holes on the first spiral plate, and enter the second arc cavity along the second channel for collection, thereby preventing the finished material agglomerates from adhering to the material powder.

[0020] Preferably, a transfer assembly is provided at the bottom of the hopper, and the transfer assembly is respectively connected to the second arc cavity and the discharge cavity, and the transfer assembly is used to transport the powder in the second arc cavity to the discharge cavity.

[0021] The transfer component can transfer the material powder in the second arc cavity to the discharge cavity, thereby improving the utilization efficiency of the material.

[0022] Preferably, the transfer assembly includes a turntable, a rotating shaft and blades. The turntable is rotatably engaged with the bottom of the hopper. Part of the turntable is located in the second arc cavity, and the other part is located in the discharge cavity. The turntable is provided with a plurality of discharge holes distributed at intervals along its circumference. The rotating shaft is fixedly connected to the turntable, and the rotating shaft is rotatably engaged with the hopper. There are multiple blades, which are distributed on the rotating shaft at intervals along the circumference, and the blades are located below the vent.

[0023] Preferably, a third driving member is provided on the screening drum, and the third driving member is used to drive the screening drum to vibrate.

[0024] Preferably, a filter bag is provided in the outer shell, the filter bag is arranged above the screening cylinder, and the filter bag is sleeved on the connecting rod.

[0025] The filter bag is used to prevent material powder from being discharged from the housing along with the hot air flow, thus preventing material waste.

[0026] Preferably, a ventilation plate is connected to the bottom of the filter bag, and the ventilation plate is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the outer shell. The ventilation plate is slidably matched with the connecting rod. A damper is provided at the top of the filter bag, and the damper is slidably matched with the connecting rod. An elastic member is provided in the filter bag, and the two ends of the elastic member are respectively connected to the upper end and the lower end of the filter bag.

[0027] Preferably, a bracket is provided next to the shell, and the shell is fixedly connected to the bracket.

[0028] Beneficial effects:

[0029] According to the granulator for probiotic production of the present invention, the second screen can screen out materials larger than the standard particle size and retain them in the third annular cavity, the first screen can screen out materials smaller than the standard particle size, the materials smaller than the standard particle size pass through the first screen and re-enter the granulation cavity for granulation, the material granules that meet the requirements remain in the fourth annular cavity, and enter the second annular cavity through the fourth annular cavity for storage. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Figure 1 It is an external schematic diagram of a granulator for probiotic production according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 2 It is a front cross-sectional view of a granulator for probiotic production according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 3 It is a side sectional view of a granulator for probiotic production according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the second screen transmission according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of a screening assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of a material hopper according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the transfer component of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] Reference numerals:

[0038] 1. Shell; 2. Hopper; 3. First partition plate; 41. Screening cylinder; 42. First screen; 43. Second screen; 5. Spray assembly; 6. Press block; 7. Connecting rod; 8. First driving member; 9. Second driving member; 10. Half gear; 11. Third driving member; 12. First spiral plate; 13. Second spiral plate; 14. Second partition plate; 15. Transfer assembly; 151. Turntable; 152. Rotating shaft; 153. Blade; 154. Discharge hole; 16. Filter bag; 17. Ventilation plate; 18. Elastic member; 19. Damper; 20. Bracket; 21. Air outlet;

[0039] 100, discharge cavity; 200, first annular cavity; 201, first arc cavity; 202, second arc cavity; 300, granulation cavity; 400, second annular cavity; 401, first channel; 402, second channel; 500, third annular cavity; 600, fourth annular cavity. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, and examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and intended to be used to explain the present invention, but should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0041] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the granulator for probiotic production of the present invention comprises: a shell 1, a hopper 2, a screening component and a spray component 5.

[0042] Specifically, the housing 1 is cylindrical, with an opening at the bottom and an air outlet 21 at the top. A bracket 20 is provided outside the housing 1, and the housing 1 is fixedly connected to the bracket 20, and the housing 1 is fixed to the ground through the bracket 20.

[0043] A first partition plate 3 is provided inside the hopper 2. The first partition plate 3 is in a truncated cone shape and divides the hopper 2 into a discharge chamber 100 and a first annular chamber 200. The discharge chamber 100 is located at the center of the hopper 2. The first annular chamber 200 is outside the discharge chamber 100. The top of the hopper 2 corresponds to the opening at the bottom of the shell 1. The top of the hopper 2 is detachably connected to the bottom of the shell 1 by bolts. A vent is provided at the bottom of the discharge chamber 100, and the bottom of the hopper 2 is connected to the ventilation pipeline.

[0044] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the screening assembly includes a screening drum 41, a first screen 42 and a second screen 43. The screening drum 41 is located in the housing 1 and is coaxially distributed with the housing 1. The bottom end of the screening drum 41 abuts against the top end of the first partition plate 3. The screening drum 41 contains a granulation cavity 300, which is connected to the discharge cavity 100. A second annular cavity 400 is formed between the screening drum 41 and the inner wall of the housing 1, and the second annular cavity 400 is connected to the first annular cavity 200. The first screen 42 and the second screen 43 are both arranged at the top of the screening drum 41, and the first screen 42 and the second screen 43 are spaced apart in the up and down direction. The first screen 42 is arranged below the second screen 43, and the sieve hole aperture on the first screen 42 is smaller than the sieve hole aperture on the second screen 43. A third annular cavity 500 is formed between the second screen 43 and the top of the screening drum 41, and the third annular cavity 500 is connected to the granulation cavity 300. A fourth annular cavity 600 is formed between the first sieve 42 and the second sieve 43 , and an opening is provided on the side wall of the sieving cylinder 41 , so that the fourth annular cavity 600 can communicate with the second annular cavity 400 .

[0045] One end of the spray assembly 5 is located outside the housing 1, and the other end thereof passes through the housing 1 and the screening cylinder 41 and extends into the granulation chamber 300. The spray assembly 5 is used to spray the binder so that the particles in the granulation chamber 300 are aggregated into granules containing the binder.

[0046] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, a pressure block 6 is further provided in the third annular cavity 500, and there are two pressure blocks 6. The bottom end of each pressure block 6 is semicircular, and the two pressure blocks 6 abut against each other. The side wall of the bottom end of each pressure block 6 is slidably matched with the inner wall of the screening cylinder 41, and a connecting rod 7 is provided at the top of each pressure block 6. Two first driving members 8 corresponding to the pressure blocks 6 are provided on the top of the outer shell 1. The top of the connecting rod 7 is fixedly connected to the first driving member 8. The first driving member 8 is a hydraulic cylinder, and the first driving member 8 can drive the pressure block 6 to move up and down.

[0047] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the second screen 43 is rotatably matched with the screening drum 41, and the bottom end of the second screen 43 is provided with an extension plate extending downward, and a driving groove is provided on the extension plate, and the upper and lower ends of the driving groove are provided with tooth grooves. A second driving member 9 is fixedly connected to the outer wall of the screening drum 41, and the second driving member 9 is a motor, and a half gear 10 is provided on its output shaft, and the half gear 10 can be engaged with the driving groove. The second driving member 9 drives the half gear 10 to rotate, and the half gear 10 can periodically engage with the upper and lower ends of the driving groove. When the half gear 10 is engaged with the upper end of the driving groove, the half gear 10 can drive the second screen 43 to rotate forward relative to the screening drum 41, and when the half gear 10 is engaged with the lower end of the driving groove, the half gear 10 can drive the second screen 43 to reverse relative to the screening drum 41, thereby realizing the rotation of the second screen 43 relative to the screening drum 41.

[0048] like Figure 3 As shown, the screening drum 41 is also provided with a third driving member 11, which is a vibration motor, and the third driving member 11 can drive the screening drum 41 to vibrate. Vibration can improve the screening efficiency of the first screen 42 and the second screen 43, and can also promote the movement of materials in the fourth annular cavity 600 into the second annular cavity 400.

[0049] like Figure 5 As shown, the second annular cavity 400 is provided with a first spiral plate 12 and a second spiral plate 13. The first spiral plate 12 and the second spiral plate 13 are evenly spaced in the up and down directions, and a first channel 401 and a second channel 402 can be formed between the screening cylinder 41, the housing 1, the first spiral plate 12 and the second spiral plate 13. The first spiral plate 12 is provided with sieve holes spaced apart, the first channel 401 is located above the second channel 402, and the first channel 401 and the second channel 402 can be connected through the sieve holes. The first channel 401 is connected to the third annular cavity 500.

[0050] like Figure 6 As shown, two symmetrically distributed second partition plates 14 are provided in the first annular cavity 200 , and the second partition plates 14 divide the second annular cavity 400 into a first arc cavity 201 and a second arc cavity 202 . The first arc cavity 201 is connected to the first channel 401 , and the second arc cavity 202 is connected to the second channel 402 .

[0051] like Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, a transfer assembly 15 is provided at the bottom of the hopper 2. The transfer assembly 15 includes a turntable 151, a rotating shaft 152 and blades 153. The turntable 151 is rotatably fitted on the bottom surface of the hopper 2. A portion of the turntable 151 is located in the first annular cavity 200, and the other portion is located in the discharge cavity 100. The turntable 151 is provided with a plurality of discharge holes 154 evenly spaced along its circumference. The top end of the rotating shaft 152 is fixedly connected to the center of the turntable 151. The rotating shaft 152 passes through the bottom surface of the hopper 2 and extends downward into the ventilation duct. There are a plurality of blades 153, which are evenly spaced along the circumference on the side wall of the rotating shaft 152. The ventilation duct blows air upward, thereby driving the blades 153 to rotate around the rotating shaft 152. The turntable 151, the rotating shaft 152 and the blades 153 rotate synchronously, so that the discharge holes 154 on the turntable 151 rotate.

[0052] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, a filter bag 16 is also provided in the housing 1, and the filter bag 16 is provided above the screening cylinder 41. There are two filter bags 16, which are respectively sleeved on two connecting rods 7. A ventilation plate 17 is fixedly connected to the bottom of the filter bag 16, and the ventilation plate 17 is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the housing 1. A damper 19 is provided at the top of the filter bag 16, and the damper 19 is frictionally matched with the connecting rod 7. An elastic member 18 is also provided in the filter bag 16, and the elastic member 18 is a spring, and its two ends are fixedly connected to the upper end and the lower end of the filter bag 16 respectively. The filter bag 16 can absorb the material blown to the top of the housing 1 by the hot air, thereby preventing material waste. When the second driving member 9 drives the connecting rod 7 to move downward, the damper 19 and the connecting rod 7 are frictionally matched, so that the filter bag 16 is compressed, and the elastic member 18 in the filter bag 16 is compressed, and then the elastic member 18 stretches, pushing the damper 19 to overcome the friction force and move upward, thereby achieving the shaking of the filter bag 16, and the powder attached to the filter bag 16 can be shaken off to prevent the filter bag 16 from being blocked. The shaken powder falls into the first channel 401, enters the second channel 402 through the sieve hole on the first spiral plate 12, and enters the second arc cavity 202 along the second channel 402.

[0053] According to the granulator for probiotic production of the embodiment of the present invention, the powder material is placed in the discharge chamber 100, and the ventilation pipeline blows hot air upward from the bottom of the discharge chamber 100, so that the material is distributed in the granulation chamber 300 and the discharge chamber 100 in an irregular fluidized state. The spray assembly 5 sprays the adhesive into the granulation chamber 300, and the adhesive binds the powder material into granules. The granulated material enters the third annular cavity 500 after drying. After entering the third annular cavity 500, the hot air enters the upper part of the housing 1 through the ventilation holes on the side wall of the third annular cavity 500, and the hot air passes through the filter bag 16 and is discharged from the ventilation port on the top of the housing 1. The third driving member 11 drives the screening cylinder 41 to vibrate, and after screening by the second screen 43, the granules larger than the standard particle size can be left in the third annular cavity 500, and the remaining materials enter the fourth annular cavity 600. The second driving member 9 drives the pressing block 6 to move downward, thereby crushing the material in the third annular cavity 500. The second driving member 9 drives the second screen 43 to rotate, rubbing the material while crushing, so that the large particle material that is bonded into agglomerates turns into powder again and enters the fourth annular cavity 600.

[0054] The first screen 42 screens the material in the fourth annular cavity 600. The powder and small particles pass through the first screen 42 and re-enter the granulation cavity 300 for granulation. The particles of the materials that meet the standards remain in the fourth annular cavity 600 and enter the first channel 401 from the opening of the side wall of the screening cylinder 41. The bottom surface of the first channel 401 is the first spiral plate 12. The first spiral plate 12 is provided with sieve holes, which can further screen the powder remaining in the material in the first channel 401. The sieved aggregates enter the first arc cavity 201 along the first channel 401, and the powder enters the second channel 402 and enters the second arc cavity 202 along the second channel 402. The powder in the second arc cavity 202 moves to the discharge hole 154 on the rotating disk 151 under the action of gravity. The rotating disk 151 rotates to transfer the powder in the second arc cavity 202 to the discharge cavity 100, and the powder in the discharge hole 154 is blown into the granulation cavity 300 by the hot air blowing upward.

[0055] In the description of the present invention, it is to be understood that the terms “center”, “longitudinal”, “lateral”, “length”, “width”, “thickness”, “up”, “down”, “front”, “back”, “left”, “right”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, “top”, “bottom”, “inside”, “outside”, “clockwise”, “counterclockwise”, “axial”, “radial”, “circumferential”, etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0056] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of the present invention, the meaning of "plurality" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0057] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it is to be understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and are not to be construed as limitations of the present invention. A person skilled in the art may change, modify, replace and vary the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A granulator for probiotic production, comprising: A housing, wherein the bottom of the housing has an opening, and the top of the housing is provided with an air outlet; The invention is characterized in that it also comprises a material hopper, a first partition plate is arranged in the material hopper, the first partition plate divides the material hopper into a discharge cavity and a first annular cavity, the discharge cavity and the first annular cavity are both connected to the opening of the shell, and a vent is arranged at the bottom of the discharge cavity; A screening component, the screening component comprises a screening drum, a first screen and a second screen, the screening drum is arranged in the outer shell, the bottom end of the screening drum abuts against the first partition plate, the interior of the screening drum is a granulation cavity, and is communicated with the discharge cavity, a second annular cavity is formed between the screening drum and the outer shell, the second annular cavity is communicated with the first annular cavity, the first screen and the second screen are both arranged on the top of the screening drum, and the two are spaced apart from each other, a third annular cavity is formed between the second screen and the top of the screening drum, a fourth annular cavity is formed between the first screen and the second screen, the third annular cavity is communicated with the granulation cavity, and the fourth annular cavity is communicated with the second annular cavity; A spray assembly, one end of which is located outside the housing, and the other end of which passes through the housing and the sieving cylinder and extends into the interior of the sieving cylinder; A pressing block is arranged in the third annular cavity, the pressing block is slidably matched with the screening cylinder, and moves relative to the screening cylinder in the up-down direction. A first driving member is arranged on the top of the housing, and a connecting rod is arranged on the upper end of the pressing block, which passes through the top of the screening cylinder and is connected to the first driving member. The second screen mesh is rotatably matched with the screening drum, and a second driving member is provided on the screening drum, and the second driving member drives the second screen mesh to rotate relative to the screening drum; A first spiral plate and a second spiral plate are provided in the second annular cavity, the first spiral plate and the second spiral plate are spaced apart, a first channel and a second channel are formed between the screening cylinder, the housing, the first spiral plate and the second spiral plate, a plurality of spaced apart sieve holes are provided on the first spiral plate, the first channel is connected to the third annular cavity, the first channel and the second channel are connected through the sieve holes, a second partition plate is provided in the first annular cavity, the second partition plate divides the first annular cavity into a first arc cavity and a second arc cavity, the first channel is connected to the first arc cavity, and the second channel is connected to the second arc cavity; A third driving member is provided on the screening drum, and the third driving member is used for driving the screening drum to vibrate.

2. The granulator for probiotic production according to claim 1, characterized in that: A transfer assembly is provided at the bottom of the hopper, and the transfer assembly is communicated with the second arc cavity and the discharge cavity respectively, and the transfer assembly is used to transport the powder in the second arc cavity to the discharge cavity.

3. The granulator for probiotic production according to claim 2, characterized in that: The transfer assembly includes a turntable, a rotating shaft and blades. The turntable is rotatably engaged with the bottom of the hopper. Part of the turntable is located in the second arc cavity, and the other part is located in the discharge cavity. The turntable is provided with a plurality of discharge holes distributed at intervals along its circumference. The rotating shaft is fixedly connected to the turntable, and the rotating shaft is rotatably engaged with the hopper. There are a plurality of blades, which are distributed on the rotating shaft at intervals along the circumference, and the blades are located below the vent.

4. The granulator for probiotic production according to claim 1, characterized in that: A filter bag is arranged in the shell, the filter bag is arranged above the screening cylinder, and the filter bag is sleeved on the connecting rod.

5. The granulator for probiotic production according to claim 4, characterized in that: A ventilation plate is connected to the bottom of the filter bag, and the ventilation plate is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the shell. The ventilation plate is slidably matched with the connecting rod. A damper is provided at the top of the filter bag, and the damper is slidably matched with the connecting rod. An elastic member is provided in the filter bag, and both ends of the elastic member are respectively connected to the upper end and the lower end of the filter bag.

6. The granulator for probiotic production according to claim 1, characterized in that: A bracket is arranged beside the shell, and the shell is fixedly connected to the bracket.

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