Automatic sorting device for foreign matters and sundries in plant leaves

Abstract

The automatic sorting device comprises a rack, a sorting frame is arranged on the rack in a springing mode, a vibration face is arranged in the sorting frame, a vibration source is further arranged on the sorting frame, and a detection mechanism and a sorting mechanism are sequentially arranged on the sorting frame in the material conveying direction. The detection mechanism is adapted to be capable of identifying materials on the vibration face, the sorting mechanism comprises an ejection unit and a suction rod arranged at the ejection end of the ejection unit, and the ejection unit is electrically connected with the detection mechanism. Materials on the vibration face of the sorting frame are recognized through the detection mechanism, and when it is recognized that the materials belong to foreign matter and sundries, the ejection unit is controlled by the ejection unit to eject out, so that the foreign matter and the sundries are adsorbed by the suction rod. Compared with the prior art, foreign matter and sundries are pre-removed in the vibration conveying link of the materials, so that the working pressure of a hyperspectral recognition and removal system located at the rear section of the high-speed belt conveyor is reduced, and the condition of missing removal is more unlikely to occur.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of sorting equipment, and in particular, to an automatic sorting device for foreign matters and sundries in plant leaves. Background Art

[0002] When products formed by plant leaves are produced, it is usually necessary to sort out foreign matters and sundries. For example, before tobacco (semi-finished products of cigarette raw materials such as tobacco leaves or tobacco stems) enters the tobacco leaf conditioning process, it is necessary to identify and remove tobacco impurities (foreign matters or unqualified tobacco) mixed in the tobacco to ensure the quality of the tobacco.

[0003] Currently, the Chinese patent with the publication number CN105396795B discloses a method for removing tobacco bends in tobacco stems based on machine vision. The method includes a vibrating conveyor, a high-speed belt conveyor connected to the vibrating conveyor, and a removal system arranged at the rear section of the high-speed belt conveyor; wherein, the removal system includes an image acquisition device, a lighting source, a background light source, an image processing system, a removal valve located at the rear end of the high-speed belt conveyor, a tobacco stem channel, and a tobacco bend channel. When in use, the vibrating conveyor vibrates and distributes the materials, and then the single-layered materials enter the high-speed belt conveyor and are thrown out. The removal system identifies foreign matters and controls the corresponding removal valve to spray gas to blow them into the tobacco bend channel.

[0004] However, the above-mentioned vibrating conveyor only has a conveying function and cannot pre-remove foreign matters in the materials, resulting in a large working pressure on the subsequent removal system and prone to missed removal. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art and provide an automatic sorting device for foreign matters and sundries in plant leaves.

[0006] The purpose of the present invention is achieved by the following technical solutions: An automatic sorting device for foreign matters and sundries in plant leaves includes a frame. A sorting frame is elastically arranged on the frame. The sorting frame has a vibrating surface inside, and a vibration source is also arranged on the sorting frame. A detection mechanism and a sorting mechanism are sequentially arranged on the sorting frame along the material conveying direction. The detection mechanism is adapted to be able to identify the materials on the vibrating surface. The sorting mechanism includes an ejecting unit and a suction rod arranged at the ejecting end of the ejecting unit. The ejecting unit is electrically connected to the detection mechanism.

[0007] Preferably, the suction rod adsorbs the materials through an air pump.

[0008] Preferably, the detection mechanism is adapted to identify the materials by judging the area of the materials.

[0009] Preferably, the detection mechanism includes a camera or an infrared sensor.

[0010] Preferably, through the ejection control of the ejection unit, the sorting device has at least: a vibrating mode, in which the ejection end of the ejection unit ejects at a preset speed so that the suction rod impacts the vibrating surface.

[0011] Preferably, the suction rod includes a fixed cylinder and an adsorption cylinder slidably arranged in the fixed cylinder. A spring is connected between the adsorption cylinder and the fixed cylinder. An airbag is also arranged in the fixed cylinder. The air inlet of the airbag is communicated with the adsorption cylinder. The bottom end of the airbag is fixed to the adsorption cylinder. The sorting device also has: a material suction mode. In the material suction mode, the opening of the adsorption cylinder is blocked by the material. The adsorption cylinder squeezes the airbag inward to discharge gas. As the ejection end of the ejection unit rises again, the airbag is stretched in a sealed state, thereby generating a negative pressure suction force on the material.

[0012] Preferably, a first air outlet is arranged beside the air inlet of the airbag. A second air outlet is also arranged on the airbag. Pressure valves are arranged in both the first air outlet and the second air outlet. The pressure threshold of the pressure valve in the second air outlet is greater than that of the pressure valve in the first air outlet. A connecting ring is rotatably arranged at the bottom of the adsorption cylinder. A sweeping rod is arranged on the outer wall of the connecting ring. A blade is coaxially arranged in the connecting ring. The sorting device also has: a sweeping mode. In the sweeping mode, the opening of the adsorption cylinder is in an open state. The adsorption cylinder squeezes the airbag inward and drives the gas to be discharged from the first air outlet. The blade drives the connecting ring to rotate under the push of the air flow so that the sweeping rod sweeps the materials on the periphery of the adsorption cylinder.

[0013] Preferably, a fixing member is arranged on the inner wall of the top of the adsorption cylinder. The fixing member is adapted to be releasably fixed to the air inlet of the airbag.

[0014] Preferably, the fixing member includes an electromagnet, which can adsorb the air inlet of the airbag after being energized.

[0015] Preferably, the vibrating surface is a mesh structure.

[0016] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: 1. The detection mechanism identifies the materials on the vibrating surface of the sorting rack. When it is identified that the materials are foreign objects or sundries, the ejection unit will control the ejection unit to eject, so that the suction rod adsorbs the foreign objects and sundries. Compared with the prior art, the present invention pre-removes foreign objects and sundries in the vibrating material conveying link, which reduces the working pressure of the rejection system at the rear section of the high-speed belt conveyor and makes it less likely to miss rejection.

[0017] 2. The sorting device of the present invention has a vibrating material, suction material, and sweeping material modes, and the three modes have a low dependence on electrification and high mechanical reliability. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of an existing rejection device; Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of an embodiment; Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a suction rod.

[0019] Reference numerals: 1, frame; 2, sorting frame; 3, vibrating surface; 4, detection mechanism; 5, sorting mechanism; 6, ejection unit; 7, suction rod; 8, fixed cylinder; 9, adsorption cylinder; 10, spring; 11, airbag; 12, air inlet nozzle; 13, first air outlet; 14, second air outlet; 15, pressure valve; 16, connecting ring; 17, sweeping rod; 18, blade; 19, fixing member; 20, vibrating conveyor; 21, high-speed belt conveyor; 22, rejection system; 23, mounting pipe. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0020] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative efforts belong to the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0021] In the prior art, the method of blowing with air flow is usually used to blow foreign matters and sundries in plant leaves. Especially for tobacco leaves and tea leaves, the air flow will not affect the properties of the plant leaves themselves, thereby ensuring the taste or inhalation feeling of the plant leaves.

[0022] As Figure 1 shown, the device using air flow blowing may include a vibrating conveyor 20, a high-speed belt conveyor 21 connected to the vibrating conveyor 20, and a rejection system 22 provided at the rear section of the high-speed belt conveyor 21. Among them, the vibrating conveyor 20 can vibrate and flatten the materials, and then the single-layered materials enter the high-speed belt conveyor 21 and are thrown out. The rejection system 22 identifies foreign matters and controls the corresponding rejection valve to spray gas to blow them into the foreign matter channel.

[0023] The rejection system 22 generally includes an image acquisition device, a lighting source, a background light source, an image processing system, a rejection valve located at the rear end of the high-speed belt conveyor 21, a blade channel, and a foreign object channel. When the single-layered material is thrown out from the high-speed belt conveyor 21, the image acquisition device takes pictures of the material, for example, it can identify the shape and color of the material. After being processed by the image processing system, it is judged whether it belongs to foreign objects or sundries, and then the rejection valve is controlled to eject gas to blow the foreign objects and sundries into the foreign object channel.

[0024] Among them, the image processing system can judge foreign objects through hyperspectral recognition of the material. For example, it can also combine AI to realize the classification and automatic judgment of foreign objects, and gradually improve the accuracy of judging and recognizing foreign objects.

[0025] However, the above-mentioned vibrating conveyor 20 only has a conveying function, and it cannot pre-reject foreign objects in the material, resulting in a large working pressure on the subsequent rejection system 22 and prone to the situation of missed rejection.

[0026] In response to this, as Figure 2 、 Figure 3 shown, the present invention proposes an automatic sorting device for foreign objects and sundries in plant leaves, including a frame 1. A sorting frame 2 is elastically arranged on the frame 1 through a spring 10, and a vibration source (not shown in the figure) is also arranged on the sorting frame 2. For example, the vibration source can be a vibration motor. Under the vibration force of the vibration motor, the material on the vibrating surface 3 entering the sorting frame 2 will be output to the side of the high-speed belt conveyor 21.

[0027] And a detection mechanism 4 and a sorting mechanism 5 are sequentially arranged on the sorting frame 2 along the material conveying direction. Among them, the detection mechanism 4 can identify the material on the vibrating surface 3. For example, it can judge whether the material belongs to foreign objects or sundries by judging the area of the material. For conventional plant leaves, they usually present a slender shape after processes such as baking, while foreign objects are usually sheet-shaped. Therefore, foreign objects usually have more prominent area characteristics than plant leaves.

[0028] In a possible example, the detection mechanism 4 can include a camera or an infrared sensor (not shown in the figure). Different from the above-mentioned image acquisition device, the camera in this example can be adapted to only identify the area characteristics of the material, without the need to identify characteristics such as color, which makes the camera in this example more in line with the original intention of pre-rejecting the material. In the example of the infrared sensor, the vibrating surface 3 can preferably be a mesh structure, and the infrared emitter and receiver are respectively arranged on the upper and lower sides of the vibrating surface 3, and the area characteristics of the material are judged by whether the rays emitted by the infrared emitter are received by the receiver.

[0029] The sorting mechanism 5 may include an ejecting unit 6 and a suction rod 7 disposed at the ejecting end of the ejecting unit 6. For example, the ejecting unit 6 may be a linear ejecting source such as an electric cylinder or a cylinder. After the detection mechanism 4 determines that the material is a foreign object or sundry, the detection mechanism 4 transmits an electrical signal to a controller connected to the ejecting unit 6 together. Subsequently, the controller will control the ejecting unit 6 to eject the suction rod 7, and the end of the suction rod 7 will abut against the material and adsorb it.

[0030] A plurality of sorting mechanisms 5 may be arranged at equal intervals along the transverse direction of the vibrating surface 3. Thus, a plurality of feeding channels can be defined on the vibrating surface 3 through the arrangement positions of the plurality of sorting mechanisms 5. The detection mechanism 4 can determine in which feeding channel the foreign object or sundry is specifically located. Subsequently, the controller controls the corresponding suction rod 7 to eject and adsorb it.

[0031] In some embodiments, an air pump (not shown in the figure) may be connected to the suction rod 7 to achieve the adsorption of the material through the air pump. As for the adsorbed material, it can be removed manually, or it can be achieved through other automated mechanical mechanisms. For example, a storage hopper (not shown in the figure) can be slidably arranged on the sorting rack 2, and the sliding of the storage hopper can be achieved through a linear motor. When the suction rod 7 descends, the storage hopper is misaligned with it; when the suction rod 7 rises again, the storage hopper slides to be opposite to it, and the material can fall downward and be stored in the storage hopper.

[0032] Through the ejection control of the ejection unit 6, the sorting device of the present invention has: A vibrating material mode. In the vibrating material mode, the ejection end of the ejection unit 6 ejects at a preset speed, which causes the suction rod 7 to impact the vibrating surface 3. At this time, the materials on the vibrating surface 3 will be more dispersed under the action of the impact force, and it is less likely that the materials will enter the high-speed belt conveyor 21 in a clustered state.

[0033] As another solution, the suction rod 7 may include a fixed cylinder 8 and an adsorption cylinder 9 slidably disposed in the fixed cylinder 8, and a spring 10 is also connected between the adsorption cylinder 9 and the fixed cylinder 8. Under the elastic force of the spring 10, the adsorption cylinder 9 always tends to eject from the fixed cylinder 8. In addition, an airbag 11 is also disposed in the fixed cylinder 8. The airbag 11 at least includes an air inlet nozzle 12, and the air inlet nozzle 12 is communicated with the adsorption cylinder 9, and the bottom end of the airbag 11 is adapted to be fixed to the adsorption cylinder 9.

[0034] Therefore, the sorting device of the present invention may have: Suction material mode. In the suction material mode, the ejection unit 6 ejects under the control of the controller. The adsorption cylinder 9 will abut against the material on the vibration surface 3. Since the foreign object has a relatively large area, the opening of the adsorption cylinder 9 will be blocked by the material. As the ejection end of the ejection unit 6 continues to eject, the fixed cylinder 8 moves downward, and the adsorption cylinder 9 relatively extends into the fixed cylinder 8 and squeezes the airbag 11, causing the gas in the airbag 11 to be discharged. Then, the ejection end of the ejection unit 6 rises again, and the adsorption cylinder 9 will extend out of the fixed cylinder 8 again under the action of the spring 10. At this time, the airbag 11 will be stretched in a sealed state, and finally a negative pressure suction force is exerted on the material.

[0035] For example, a fixing member 19 is also adaptively provided on the inner wall of the top of the adsorption cylinder 9, and the fixing member 19 is adapted to be releasably fixed to the air inlet nozzle 12 of the airbag 11. That is, the above-mentioned "the bottom end of the airbag 11 is also adapted to be fixed to the adsorption cylinder 9" is realized by the attachment of the air inlet nozzle 12 and the fixing member 19.

[0036] In the suction material mode, the ejection unit 6 is lifted back to the initial height. At this time, the fixing member 19 can be controlled to release the air inlet nozzle 12. Under the action of the elastic force restoring force of the airbag 11, the air inlet nozzle 12 will automatically disengage from the adsorption cylinder 9, and the negative pressure state in the adsorption cylinder 9 is released. The material will automatically separate from the bottom of the adsorption cylinder 9, and the separated material can be collected manually or fall into the above-mentioned aggregate hopper.

[0037] In a possible example, the fixing member 19 may include an electromagnet, and the electromagnet is adapted to be able to adsorb the air inlet nozzle 12 of the airbag 11 after being energized. After the air inlet nozzle 12 disengages from the adsorption cylinder 9, air can be filled into the airbag 11 through the air inlet of the airbag 11. When the sorting device re-executes the suction material mode, the adsorption cylinder 9 will gradually approach the airbag 11 until the air inlet nozzle 12 is re-adapted to the top of the adsorption cylinder 9, and then controlling the electromagnet to be energized can realize the fixation of the airbag 11 and the adsorption cylinder 9.

[0038] In a possible approach, the negative pressure suction force can also be released by actively inflating the airbag 11 through an inflation device such as an air pump (not shown in the figure).

[0039] In a preferred example, the bottom end of the airbag 11 may be specifically provided with an installation pipe 23. The air inlet nozzle 12 of the airbag 11 is located inside the installation pipe 23, and a first air outlet 13 is also provided inside the airbag 11 within the installation pipe 23. Additionally, a second air outlet 14 is provided on the airbag 11. Pressure valves 15 are provided in both the first air outlet 13 and the second air outlet 14. The pressure threshold of the pressure valve 15 in the second air outlet 14 is greater than the pressure threshold of the pressure valve 15 in the first air outlet 13. The term "pressure threshold" refers to the lowest threshold at which gas can pass through the pressure valve 15. Generally speaking, compared to the second air outlet 14, gas is more likely to escape from the airbag 11 at the first air outlet 13.

[0040] In addition, a connecting ring 16 is rotatably provided at the bottom of the adsorption cylinder 9. A material sweeping rod 17 is provided on the outer wall of the connecting rod, and a blade 18 is coaxially provided on the inner wall. Based on this, the sorting device of the present invention can have: A material sweeping mode. In the material sweeping mode, the opening of the adsorption cylinder 9 is in an open state, that is, the adsorption cylinder 9 does not abut against foreign objects and sundries on the vibration surface 3. At this time, the extrusion of the adsorption cylinder 9 on the airbag 11 will drive the gas to be discharged from the first air outlet 13, which causes an air flow to blow from top to bottom to be formed inside the adsorption cylinder 9. The blade 18 will drive the connecting ring 16 to rotate under the push of the air flow, and finally the material sweeping rod 17 can clean the materials on the periphery of the adsorption cylinder 9.

[0041] It can be understood that in this example, the material suction mode can still be carried out. For example, after the opening of the adsorption cylinder 9 is blocked by foreign objects and sundries, the gas is first discharged through the first air outlet 13. However, due to the blockage of the opening, the gas in the airbag 11 cannot be continuously discharged, but gradually increases in pressure as the airbag 11 is compressed. Eventually, the gas will escape from the second air outlet 14. The remaining process is the same as the above material suction mode, so it will not be elaborated here.

[0042] The material sweeping mode is particularly suitable for untangling agglomerated plant leaves. This is because in the judgment mechanism of the detection mechanism 4, agglomerated plant leaves will also be judged to have a large area feature. At this time, the downward pressure of the suction rod 7 will adaptively execute the material sweeping mode. By cleaning the materials with the material sweeping rod 17, the materials can be driven to spread out and are not likely to enter the high-speed belt conveyor 21 in an agglomerated state, thereby making it less likely for the rejection system 22 to make incorrect rejections.

[0043] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the form disclosed herein, should not be regarded as excluding other embodiments, but can be used in various other combinations, modifications, and environments, and can be modified within the scope of the concept described herein through the above teachings or the technology or knowledge in related fields. Any modifications and changes made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention shall fall within the protection scope of the appended claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automatic sorting device for foreign matter and sundries in plant leaves, comprising a frame (1), a sorting frame (2) being movably arranged on the frame (1), a vibration surface (3) being arranged inside the sorting frame (2), and a vibration source being further arranged on the sorting frame (2), wherein: The sorting frame (2) is provided with a detection mechanism (4) and a sorting mechanism (5) in sequence along the material feeding direction; the detection mechanism (4) is adapted to be able to identify the material on the vibration surface (3); the sorting mechanism (5) comprises an ejection unit (6) and a suction rod (7) arranged on the ejection end of the ejection unit (6); the ejection unit (6) is electrically connected to the detection mechanism (4).

2. The automatic sorting device for foreign matter and sundries in plant leaves according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The suction rod (7) realizes adsorption of the material through an air pump.

3. The automatic sorting device for foreign matter and sundries in plant leaves according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The detection mechanism (4) is adapted to identify the material by determining the area of ​​the material.

4. The automatic sorting device for foreign matter and sundries in plant leaves according to claim 3 is characterized by: The detection mechanism (4) comprises a camera or an infrared sensor.

5. The automatic sorting device for foreign matter and sundries in plant leaves according to claim 1 is characterized by: By controlling the ejection of the ejection unit (6), the sorting device at least has: A material vibration mode, in which the ejection end of the ejection unit (6) ejects at a preset speed so that the suction rod (7) impacts the vibration surface (3).

6. The automatic sorting device for foreign matter and sundries in plant leaves according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that: The suction rod (7) comprises a fixed cylinder (8) and an adsorption cylinder (9) slidably arranged in the fixed cylinder (8), a spring (10) is connected between the adsorption cylinder (9) and the fixed cylinder (8), an air bag (11) is also arranged in the fixed cylinder (8), an air inlet nozzle (12) of the air bag (11) is connected to the adsorption cylinder (9), and the bottom end of the air bag (11) is fixed to the adsorption cylinder (9), and the sorting device further has: Suction mode, in which the opening of the adsorption cylinder (9) is closed by the material, the adsorption cylinder (9) presses the airbag (11) inward to discharge the gas, and as the ejection end of the ejection unit (6) rises again, the airbag (11) is stretched in a sealed state, thereby exerting negative pressure suction on the material.

7. The automatic sorting device for foreign matter and sundries in plant leaves according to claim 6 is characterized by: A first air outlet (13) is arranged beside the air inlet nozzle (12) of the airbag (11), and a second air outlet (14) is also arranged on the airbag (11). Pressure valves (15) are arranged in both the first air outlet (13) and the second air outlet (14), and a pressure threshold of the pressure valve (15) in the second air outlet (14) is greater than a pressure threshold of the pressure valve (15) in the first air outlet (13); A connecting ring (16) is rotatably provided at the bottom of the adsorption cylinder (9), a sweeping rod (17) is provided on the outer wall of the connecting ring (16), and a blade (18) is coaxially provided inside the connecting ring (16). The sorting device further comprises: A material sweeping mode, in which the opening of the adsorption cylinder (9) is in an open state, the adsorption cylinder (9) presses the air bag (11) inwardly and drives the gas to be discharged from the first gas outlet (13), and the blade (18) drives the connecting ring (16) to rotate under the impetus of the airflow, so that the sweeping rod (17) sweeps the material around the adsorption cylinder (9).

8. The automatic sorting device for foreign matter and sundries in plant leaves according to claim 6 is characterized by: A fixing part (19) is arranged on the top inner wall of the adsorption cylinder (9), and the fixing part (19) is adapted to be releasably fixed to the air inlet nozzle (12) of the airbag (11).

9. The automatic sorting device for foreign matter and sundries in plant leaves according to claim 8 is characterized by: The fixing member (19) comprises an electromagnet, and the electromagnet is capable of adsorbing the air inlet nozzle (12) of the airbag (11) when energized.

10. The automatic sorting device for foreign matter and sundries in plant leaves according to claim 1 is characterized by: The vibration surface (3) is a mesh structure.

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