Animal food forming machine

Abstract

The invention discloses an animal food forming machine, which belongs to the technical field of forming machines and comprises a main roller, a slave roller, a conveying part, a secondary roller and a stirring part which are arranged on a base. Wherein a plurality of forming spaces are formed in the main roller, pushing elements extending into the main roller are arranged in the forming spaces, an extrusion part is arranged in the main roller and provided with an involute curved surface, a first gap is formed between the involute curved surface and the inner side wall of the main roller, and the pushing elements are extruded by the involute curved surface when entering the first gap; therefore, the residual materials in the forming space are ejected out. The device has the advantages that the main roller rotates to enable the different pushing elements to enter the first gap in sequence, and the pushing elements make contact with the involute curved surface of the first gap, so that the pushing elements are pushed step by step. And finally, the secondary roller is pushed to reset again. Therefore, the problem that excess materials are easy to remain in the groove of the forming machine in the prior art is solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of forming machines, and in particular to an animal food forming machine. Background Art

[0002] In the production of dried pet food (such as cat and dog food), the forming machine is a key piece of processing equipment. This equipment typically utilizes a pair of cooperating extrusion rollers to press the material into grooves of a predetermined shape and size, thereby forming pellets of a predetermined form. The formed pellets are then released from the grooves as the rollers rotate, where they are collected and transported to subsequent processing steps.

[0003] However, this type of molding machine has a significant technical flaw: the surface of the extrusion roller is distributed with molding grooves of various specifications, but the pellets lack an effective auxiliary demolding mechanism during the process of falling out of the grooves, relying solely on gravity. This single demolding method can easily cause pellets to be trapped in the grooves, causing blockage, which directly affects production efficiency and continuity. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the above-mentioned technical deficiencies, the purpose of the present invention is to provide an animal food forming machine to solve the problem in the prior art that gravity demoulding easily causes particles to be retained inside the groove, causing blockage.

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions: The present invention provides an animal food forming machine, comprising: a main roller, which is rotatably arranged on a base; a slave roller, which is also arranged on the base and is parallel to the main roller; a conveying part arranged on the base, the conveying part is located on the side of the main roller close to the base; a stirring part arranged on the base, the stirring part is located between the main roller and the slave roller, and is located on the side of the main roller away from the conveying part; wherein, a plurality of forming spaces are opened on the main roller, and a pushing element extending into the main roller is provided in the forming space, and an extrusion part is provided in the main roller, and the extrusion part has an involute surface, and a first gap is formed between the involute surface and the inner side wall of the main roller. When the pushing element enters the first gap, it is squeezed by the involute surface, thereby ejecting the residual material in the forming space; the main roller is also provided with a secondary roller.

[0006] Optionally, the main roller and the secondary roller are supported on the base via a first support frame; the stirring portion is supported on the base via a second support frame; and the secondary roller is supported on the base via a third support frame.

[0007] Optionally, the main roller, the slave roller and the stirring part are all connected to a motor via a transmission part and driven by the motor, and the slave roller and the secondary roller are also connected via a transmission part.

[0008] Optionally, a roller shaft is fixed on the main roller, the roller shaft is sleeved on the rotating shaft, the extrusion part is fixed on the rotating shaft, the rotating shaft is fixed on the first supporting frame, and the roller shaft is connected to the transmission part.

[0009] Optionally, a plurality of roller teeth are fixed on the secondary roller, and the roller teeth are used in conjunction with the forming space and the pushing element.

[0010] Optionally, the extrusion portion has a first oblique side and a second oblique side, the distance between the first oblique side and the inner side wall of the main roller is greater than the distance between the second oblique side and the inner side wall of the main roller, and the first oblique side extends toward the second oblique side to form the involute surface.

[0011] Optionally, the pushing element includes a pushing portion arranged in the molding space, a connecting portion is fixed on the pushing portion, a second through hole is further opened in the molding space, the connecting portion passes through the second through hole and is fixed with an abutting portion.

[0012] Optionally, the main roller includes an outer roller body and an inner roller body, a second gap is defined between the outer roller body and the inner roller body, a flexible portion is provided in the second gap, and the flexible portion, the outer roller body and the inner roller body are die-cast.

[0013] Optionally, a first through hole is provided on the outer roller body, a cavity is provided on the inner roller body at a position corresponding to the first through hole, the second through hole is provided in the cavity, and the cavity and the first through hole together form a molding space.

[0014] Optionally, the flexible portion is filled in the molding space, and the pushing element moves in the molding space to push the flexible portion.

[0015] The beneficial effects of the present invention are: The present invention provides a forming space for material molding on the main roller and disposes a movable pushing element inside it. The main roller adopts a hollow design, and an extrusion portion with a specific involute curved surface is installed inside it, forming a first gap between the extrusion portion and the inner wall of the main roller. When the main roller rotates around the fixed extrusion portion, the pushing element in the forming space moves accordingly and is subjected to continuous and stable radial extrusion by the involute curved surface at a specific position (i.e., when entering the first gap). This extrusion force is directly transmitted to the pushing element, driving it to move within the forming space, thereby ejecting material residue retained in the forming space. This overcomes the problem of residual material easily getting stuck and clogging caused by the existing technology that relies on gravity demolding, and significantly improves the continuity and efficiency of production.

[0016] At the same time, the present invention has also optimized the design of the main roller structure based on the aforementioned basic scheme. The improved main roller consists of an outer roller body and an inner roller body, with a second gap reserved between the two. During the manufacturing process, the flexible part is filled in the second gap through a die-casting process, and the flexible part also extends to fill the interior of the molding space. Under this structure, when the pushing element is in action, it does not directly act on the material residue, but pushes the flexible part to cause it to produce a controllable elastic deformation. The deformation of the flexible part then applies a uniform ejection force to the residual material in the molding space, thereby achieving the removal of the residual material. This indirect pushing mechanism effectively avoids direct physical contact between the pushing element and the material residue, reduces component wear, and improves the hygiene level of the equipment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0018] Figure 1 The overall structure of an animal food forming machine of the present invention Figure 1 .

[0019] Figure 2 The overall structure of an animal food forming machine of the present invention Figure 2 .

[0020] Figure 3 The present invention is a partial explosion of an animal food forming machine Figure 1 .

[0021] Figure 4 The present invention is a partial explosion of an animal food forming machine Figure 2 .

[0022] Figure 5 A side cross-sectional view of a main roller provided in one embodiment of an animal food forming machine of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 6 The present invention is an animal food forming machine Figure 5 Enlarged view of point A in the middle.

[0024] Figure 7 A side cross-sectional view of a main roller provided in another embodiment of an animal food forming machine of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 8 The present invention is an animal food forming machine Figure 7 Enlarged view of point B in the middle.

[0026] Figure 9 The present invention is an animal food forming machine Figure 7 Enlarged view of point C in the middle.

[0027] Figure 10 A side cross-sectional view of the main roller (excluding the thrust element) provided in another embodiment of an animal food forming machine according to the present invention.

[0028] Description of reference numerals: 1. Base; 2. Main roller; 21. First support frame; 22. Outer roller body; 23. Inner roller body; 24. Forming space; 241, first through hole; 242, chamber; 243, second through hole; 25, pushing element; 251, pushing portion; 252, connecting portion; 253, abutting portion; 26, roller; 27, first gap; 28, second gap; 3. Secondary roller; 31. Roller teeth; 4. Slave roller; 41. Third support frame; 5. Transmission department; 6. stirring portion; 61. second supporting frame; 7. Motor; 8. Transmission unit; 9. Extrusion portion; 91. Rotating shaft; 92. First oblique side; 93. Second oblique side. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0030] As mentioned above, existing molding machines suffer from a flaw: While the surfaces of their extrusion rollers are covered with various shaped grooves, the pellets lack an effective release mechanism and rely solely on gravity to release them. This single release method can easily lead to pellets becoming trapped within the grooves, causing blockages and directly impacting production efficiency and continuity.

[0031] To address this issue, the present invention provides a molding machine for preparing animal feed, which solves the problem of easy material jamming in the prior art by installing a push structure in the molding chamber. The present invention solves this problem in the following manner.

[0032] Example 1: Please refer to the instruction manual Figures 1 to 6As shown in the figure, this embodiment provides an animal food forming machine, which includes a main roller 2 and a slave roller 4 arranged in front and back (for the convenience of expression, the end where the main roller 2 is located is the front end, and the end where the slave roller 4 is located is the rear end, and it has upper and lower ends and left and right ends accordingly). The main roller 2 is a horizontally placed hollow cylindrical structure, and a rotating shaft 91 is provided inside it. The main roller 2 extends from both ends of the rotating shaft 91, and is fixed with a first support frame 21 (the first support frame 21 is fixed on the base 1). Roller shafts 26 are fixed on both sides (left and right ends) of the main roller 2, and the roller shaft 26 is connected to the rotating shaft 91 through bearings. The base 1 is fixed with the following Figure 1 The motor 7 shown is connected to the roller shaft 26 via a transmission part 8 (the transmission part 8 can be a device with a transmission function, such as a chain sprocket, a belt pulley, etc.). When the motor 7 is powered on, the main roller 2 can rotate relative to the rotating shaft 91.

[0033] In this embodiment 1, Figures 5 and 6 As shown, the main roller 2 has a certain thickness, and a number of evenly distributed forming spaces 24 are opened on its outer roller wall. The forming space 24 is a groove structure, and a second through hole 243 is opened near the center of the main roller 2. At the same time, an I-shaped pushing element 25 (such as Figure 8 (As shown in the black filled portion in the figure), the pushing element 25 includes a pushing portion 251 disposed within the molding space 24. A connecting portion 252 is fixed to the pushing portion 251. The connecting portion 252 passes through the second through-hole 243 and fixes the abutting portion 253. When material is stuck in the molding space 24, the position of the pushing element 25 can be adjusted to push the stuck material.

[0034] In this embodiment 1, Figure 5 As shown, the extrusion portion 9 has a first oblique edge 92 and a second oblique edge 93, the distance between the first oblique edge 92 and the inner side wall of the main roller 2 is greater than the distance between the second oblique edge 93 and the inner side wall of the main roller 2, the first oblique edge 92 extends toward the second oblique edge 93, thereby forming an involute surface, and this involute surface is arranged close to the inner roller wall of the main roller 2, and is surrounded by the inner side wall of the main roller 2 to form a first gap 27, and the first gap 27 has a first opening and a second opening, the first opening faces the first oblique edge 92, and the second opening faces the second oblique edge 93, and the first opening is larger than the second opening.

[0035] In the preparation state, the pushing portion 251 is tightly against the side of the molding space 24 close to the second through hole 243, and the connecting portion 252 with the abutting portion 253 protrudes from a part of the inner wall of the main roller 2. Figure 5When the dashed arrow b rotates, the pushing element 25 enters the first gap 27 from the first opening, and the abutting portion 253 contacts the involute surface of the extruding portion 9. As the main roller 2 continues to rotate, the first opening gradually narrows to the second opening, and the abutting portion 253 continues to slide on the extruding portion 9, so that the abutment of the involute surface changes the position of the entire pushing element 25, thereby pushing the pushing portion 251 outward away from the main roller 2. At this time, if the inside of the forming space 24 has a blocked excess material, it will be pushed out. Thus, blocking is avoided.

[0036] As shown in Figure 3 or Figure 5 or Figure 7 In this embodiment, a secondary roller 3 is arranged above the main roller 2, the secondary roller 3 is connected to the first support frame 21 through a bearing, and a plurality of roller teeth 31 are fixed on the secondary roller 3. The roller teeth 31 are columnar structures, and form a tooth-like structure with the forming space 24 (but in order to avoid being stuck during relative rotation, the size of the roller teeth 31 is smaller than the size of the forming space 24). After the pushing element 25 pushes out the excess material, it will stay at this position and rotate with the main roller 2 (for example, the main roller 2 rotates in the direction of the dashed arrow b as shown in Figure 5 , then the secondary roller 3 rotates in the direction of the dashed arrow a as shown in Figure 5 ). Until it contacts the roller teeth 31, under the influence of the tooth-like structure, the roller teeth 31 will push the pushing element 25 back to its original position, so that the next round of forming preparation work can be carried out.

[0037] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2 , the from roller 4 is arranged behind the main roller 2 and has a certain distance from the main roller 2. The third support frame 41 is arranged on both sides of the from roller 4 through bearings and rotates, and the third support frame 41 is fixed on the base 1 like the first support frame 21. A motor 7 is arranged on the base 1 corresponding to the position of the from roller 4, and the motor 7 and the from roller 4 are connected through the transmission part 8. At the same time, the from roller 4 and the secondary roller 3 are also connected together through the transmission part 8 on the side away from the transmission part 8.

[0038] Therefore, for example, as shown in Figure 2 , in Figure 2 , the from roller 4 rotates towards the main roller 2 (i.e. counterclockwise), then under the drive of the transmission part 8, the secondary roller 3 also rotates counterclockwise. In order to achieve the effect of compression molding, the main roller 2 must rotate clockwise. That is, the main roller 2 simultaneously rotates the secondary roller 3 and the from roller 4 in opposite clockwise directions, which makes the main roller 2 and the from roller 4 after compression molding, the pushing element 25 pushes the excess material, the main roller 2 can timely rotate the forming space 24 to the secondary roller 3 for resetting, and the next round of forming preparation process is put into operation.

[0039] In this embodiment 1, Figure 1 or Figure 2 As shown, a stirring portion 6 is provided above the secondary roller 4 and the main roller 2. The stirring portion 6 has a through-shell, the upward portion of which is the feed port, and the downward portion of which is the discharge port. A stirring roller is rotatably connected to the interior of the shell. A motor 7 is also provided at a position on the base 1 corresponding to the stirring portion 6. Similarly, the motor 7 is connected to the stirring roller via a transmission portion 8. The shell of the stirring portion 6 is fixed to a second support frame 61, which is fixed to the base 1.

[0040] Below the slave roller 4 and the main roller 2, a conveyor 5 (e.g., a motor-driven belt) is located on the base 1. Therefore, in the specific implementation of this first embodiment, the animal feed raw materials to be formed are poured into the inlet of the stirring section 6. After being crushed and stirred by the stirring section 6, the raw materials flow out of the discharge port of the outer shell and enter between the main roller 2 and the slave roller 4. The main roller 2 and the slave roller 4 rotate in opposite directions, pressing the stirred raw materials into the forming space 24. At this time, the main roller 2 continues to rotate. Under the influence of gravity, a portion of the formed raw materials naturally falls onto the conveyor 5 and is transported to the next process. However, some residual material may remain in the forming space 24 and cannot be removed in time. At this time, the main roller 2 continues to rotate, causing the pushing element 25 in the forming space 24 to abut against the extrusion section 9. The pushing element 25 then pushes out the residual material, completing the material removal. This solves the problem of material clogging in the extrusion rollers of the existing forming machine, effectively improving the efficiency of the equipment. When the main roller 2 continues to rotate until it is in meshing contact with the secondary roller 3, the roller teeth 31 push the pushing element 25 back to its original position and rotate it to the side of the secondary roller 4 to carry out the next round of forming process.

[0041] Example 2: Based on the above embodiment, in order to further explain the technical solution clearly and completely, the present invention also provides a second embodiment. In this second embodiment, the main roller 2 of the above embodiment 1 is improved while other conditions remain unchanged. Figures 7 to 10 As shown, in the second embodiment, the main roller 2 includes an outer roller body 22 and an inner roller body 23, and a second gap 28 is provided between the outer roller body 22 and the inner roller body 23. A flexible portion (not shown in the figure) is provided in the second gap 28. The flexible portion has a certain deformation and stretching ability (such as food-grade silicone, rubber, etc.), and is die-cast between the outer roller body 22 and the inner roller body 23, and the flexible portion is enclosed in the second gap 28.

[0042] At the same time, a first through hole 241 is opened on the outer roller body 22 (such as Figure 8As shown in the figure, a cavity 242 is formed in the inner roller body 23 at a position corresponding to the first through hole 241. A second through hole 243 is formed in the cavity 242. The cavity 242 and the first through hole 241 together form a molding space 24. The flexible portion fills the molding space 24 and is arranged in contact with the inner cavity of the molding space 24. The pushing portion 251 of the pushing element 25 is located between the flexible portion and the molding space 24. When the main roller 2 rotates and performs extrusion molding between the secondary roller 4, the raw material of the animal feed is wrapped in the flexible portion and molded. When it is necessary to clear the blockage, the pushing element 25 moves in the molding space 24 and pushes the flexible portion. At this time, the flexible portion deforms and protrudes from the molding space 24. Finally, the blockage is ejected. The secondary roller 3 also pushes the flexible portion back into the molding space 24 through the roller teeth 31 in conjunction with the rotation of the main roller 2, so that the next step can be carried out.

[0043] Example 3: Based on the above embodiment, in order to further explain the technical solution clearly and completely, the present invention also provides a third embodiment. In this third embodiment, Figure 5 As shown, when the main roller 2 is Figure 5 When rotating in the direction of the dashed arrow b, the thrust element 25 enters the first opening of the first gap 27 (described in detail in Example 1). At this point, the thrust portion 251 of the thrust element 25 first contacts one end of the involute surface of the extrusion portion 9 (for convenience, this is referred to as the first end; the other end is the second end). This end surface has a gradually inclined, chamfered, and circularly angled end. The thrust portion 251 defines a plurality of ball grooves, each containing a plurality of balls. Therefore, when the extrusion portion 9 and the thrust element 25 come into contact, the balls first contact the involute surface. The rolling of the balls reduces friction, allowing the thrust portion 251 to be ejected more efficiently.

[0044] Therefore, in summary, the present invention and its various embodiments have the following advantages over the prior art, including but not limited to: The present invention provides a forming space 24 for material forming on the main roller 2, and disposes a movable pushing element 25 inside the forming space 24. The main roller 2 adopts a hollow design, and an extrusion portion 9 with a specific involute curved surface is installed inside the main roller 2. A first gap 27 is formed between the extrusion portion 9 and the inner wall of the main roller 2. When the main roller 2 rotates around the fixed extrusion portion 9, the pushing element 25 in the forming space 24 moves accordingly and is subjected to continuous and stable radial extrusion of the involute curved surface at a specific position (i.e., when entering the first gap 27). This extrusion force is directly transmitted to the pushing element 25, driving it to displace in the forming space 24, thereby ejecting the material residue retained in the forming space 24. This overcomes the problem of residual material easily getting stuck and blocked due to the existing technology relying on gravity demolding, and significantly improves the continuity and efficiency of production.

[0045] At the same time, the present invention has also optimized the design of the structure of the main roller 2 on the basis of the aforementioned basic scheme. The improved main roller 2 is composed of an outer roller body 22 and an inner roller body 23, with a second gap 28 reserved between the two. During the manufacturing process, the flexible part is filled in the second gap 28 through a die-casting process, and the flexible part also extends to fill the inside of the molding space 24. Under this structure, when the pushing element 25 is in action, it does not directly act on the material residue, but pushes the flexible part to cause it to produce a controllable elastic deformation. The deformation of the flexible part then applies a uniform ejection force to the residual material in the molding space 24, thereby achieving the removal of the residual material. This indirect pushing mechanism effectively avoids direct physical contact between the pushing element 25 and the material residue, reduces component wear, and improves the hygiene level of the equipment.

[0046] Furthermore, the present invention incorporates a ball bearing structure on the thrust portion 251 of the thrust element 25. The thrust portion 251 features an inclined end face with a ball groove, into which the balls are mounted. When the main roller 2 rotates, the thrust element 25 enters the first gap 27 and contacts the involute surface of the extrusion portion 9. The balls preferentially contact the curved surface through rolling, significantly reducing frictional resistance. This makes the displacement of the thrust portion 251 smoother and more efficient, not only increasing the ejection speed of the scrap material, but also reducing wear on the thrust element 25 and the extrusion portion 9.

[0047] Obviously, those skilled in the art may make various changes and modifications to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Thus, if these modifications and variations of the present invention fall within the scope of the present invention and its equivalents, the present invention is also intended to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. An animal food forming machine, characterized in that: include: A main roller (2), the main roller (2) being rotatably disposed on the base (1); A slave roller (4), the slave roller (4) is also arranged on the base (1) and is parallel to the main roller (2); a conveying portion (5) provided on the base (1), the conveying portion (5) being located on a side of the main roller (2) close to the base (1); a stirring portion (6) provided on the base (1), the stirring portion (6) being located between the main roller (2) and the slave roller (4), and being located on a side of the main roller (2) away from the conveying portion (5); The main roller (2) is provided with a plurality of forming spaces (24), the forming spaces (24) are provided with a pushing element (25) extending into the main roller (2), the main roller (2) is provided with an extrusion portion (9), the extrusion portion (9) has an involute curved surface, a first gap (27) is formed between the involute curved surface and the inner side wall of the main roller (2), and the pushing element (25) is squeezed by the involute curved surface when entering the first gap (27), thereby ejecting the residual material in the forming space (24); A secondary roller (3) is also provided on the main roller (2).

2. The animal food forming machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The main roller (2) and the secondary roller (3) are supported on the base (1) via a first support frame (21); The stirring portion (6) is supported on the base (1) via a second support frame (61); The slave roller (4) is supported on the base (1) via a third support frame (41).

3. The animal food forming machine according to claim 2, wherein: The main roller (2), the slave roller (4) and the stirring part (6) are all connected to the motor (7) via a transmission part (8) and driven by the motor (7). The slave roller (4) and the secondary roller (3) are also connected via a transmission part (8).

4. The animal food forming machine according to claim 3, characterized in that: A roller shaft (26) is fixed on the main roller (2), the roller shaft (26) is sleeved on the rotating shaft (91), the extrusion part (9) is fixed on the rotating shaft (91), the rotating shaft (91) is fixed on the first support frame (21), and the roller shaft (26) is connected to the transmission part (8).

5. The animal food forming machine according to claim 1, wherein: A plurality of roller teeth (31) are fixed on the secondary roller (3), and the roller teeth (31) are used in conjunction with the forming space (24) and the pushing element (25).

6. The animal food forming machine according to claim 1, wherein: The extrusion portion (9) has a first oblique edge (92) and a second oblique edge (93), the distance between the first oblique edge (92) and the inner side wall of the main roller (2) is greater than the distance between the second oblique edge (93) and the inner side wall of the main roller (2), and the first oblique edge (92) extends toward the second oblique edge (93), thereby forming the involute curved surface.

7. The animal food forming machine according to claim 1, wherein: The pushing element (25) comprises a pushing portion (251) arranged in the molding space (24), a connecting portion (252) being fixed on the pushing portion (251), a second through hole (243) being further provided in the molding space (24), and the connecting portion (252) passing through the second through hole (243) and being fixed with an abutting portion (253).

8. The animal food forming machine according to claim 1, wherein: The main roller (2) comprises an outer roller body (22) and an inner roller body (23), a second gap (28) is provided between the outer roller body (22) and the inner roller body (23), a flexible portion is provided in the second gap (28), and the flexible portion, the outer roller body (22), and the inner roller body (23) are die-casted.

9. The animal food forming machine according to claim 8, characterized in that: A first through hole (241) is provided on the outer roller body (22), a cavity (242) is provided on the inner roller body (23) at a position corresponding to the first through hole (241), the second through hole (243) is provided in the cavity (242), and the cavity (242) and the first through hole (241) together form a molding space (24).

10. The animal food forming machine according to claim 9, characterized in that: The flexible portion is filled in the molding space (24), and the pushing element (25) moves in the molding space (24) and pushes the flexible portion.

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