Code disc machine capable of automatically taking materials

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of waste yeast treatment in a beer production line, in particular to an automatic material taking type tray stacking machine which comprises a tray frame, the top of the tray frame is provided with a supporting edge extending outwards in the circumferential direction, and a plurality of containing channels penetrating in the width direction of the tray frame are formed in the tray frame; the periphery of the bottom of the tackle is provided with a plurality of omnidirectional wheels and a walking motor for driving each omnidirectional wheel to move, and the center of the bottom of the tackle is also provided with an infrared array sensor; supporting frames are arranged at the top of the pulley corresponding to supporting edges at two ends of the plate rack and used for placing the plate rack, and displacement conveying belts are arranged at the top of the pulley corresponding to each operation groove; the mechanical arm is arranged at one end of the tackle through a base, a mechanical hand is arranged at the free end of the mechanical arm, and the mechanical hand is provided with a gravity sensor and a camera. According to the invention, the steps of conveying and packaging in the existing waste yeast treatment process are omitted, and the filtered by-products are directly stacked, so that the technical bottleneck in the traditional process is solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of waste yeast treatment technology in beer production lines, specifically to an automatic material handling and palletizing machine. Background Technology

[0002] The efficient treatment of byproducts in beer production, such as waste yeast and hop residue, is a key factor affecting production efficiency and environmental compliance.

[0003] Waste yeast and hop residue are characterized by high moisture content, strong viscosity, and easy spoilage. Waste yeast, in particular, can have a moisture content of 70%–80%, making it extremely prone to sticking to equipment. When conveying waste yeast using screw conveyors, the material easily adheres to the screw blades and the inner wall of the trough. Long-term accumulation can lead to blockages and corrosion, especially on carbon steel equipment, and cleaning is difficult. Conveyor belts also suffer from material leakage and belt slippage. The industry generally relies on manual intervention or high-pressure water guns for cleaning, which is inefficient and directly affects continuous production.

[0004] Large-scale breweries can generate hundreds of tons of waste yeast daily. Traditional handling methods, such as manual shoveling and intermittent conveying, are difficult to match production rhythms, becoming a bottleneck for capacity. For example, a report from a leading domestic brewery shows that downtime for cleaning and handling waste yeast accounts for 5% to 10% of production time.

[0005] Furthermore, the decay of residual materials can breed microorganisms, increasing odor and COD load in wastewater, failing to meet food safety production and environmental protection regulations. Some factories face environmental penalties due to substandard waste yeast treatment.

[0006] Adhesive waste yeast leads to uneven gripping by the packaging machine, high packaging damage rate, and significant leakage problems during transportation, increasing warehousing and transportation costs. Summary of the Invention

[0007] This invention provides an automatic material handling and palletizing machine that eliminates the transmission and packaging steps in existing waste yeast treatment processes, and directly pallets the filtered by-products, thereby solving the technical bottlenecks encountered by traditional processes.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: an automatic material handling tray stacking machine, comprising: a tray frame, wherein the top of the tray frame is provided with outwardly extending support edges in the circumferential direction, and the interior of the tray frame is provided with multiple placement channels extending along the width direction of the tray frame, each placement channel arranging multiple material bins, and each placement channel having a through operating groove in the center of its bottom along the length direction; a trolley, wherein the bottom of the trolley is provided with multiple omnidirectional wheels around its perimeter, and a travel motor driving each omnidirectional wheel, and an infrared array sensor is also provided in the center of the bottom of the trolley; the top of the trolley is provided with support edges corresponding to both ends of the tray frame. The trolley includes a support frame for placing the tray, and a transfer conveyor belt corresponding to each operating slot on the top of the trolley, with each transfer conveyor belt having a first stepper motor; a robotic arm, which is mounted on one end of the trolley via a base, and has a robotic hand at its free end, which is equipped with a gravity sensor and a camera; and a controller, which is located inside the trolley and includes a power supply and wireless communication module. The walking motor, the infrared array sensor, the first stepper motor, the robotic arm, the gravity sensor, and the camera are all electrically connected to the controller.

[0009] Preferably, the free end of the robotic arm is provided with a rotating seat, and extension arms are provided on opposite sides of the rotating seat. The robotic arms are arranged in pairs and are respectively located at the free ends of the extension arms.

[0010] Preferably, a feeding conveyor belt is provided on one side of the top of the trolley corresponding to the tray frame, and a receiving conveyor belt is provided on the other side. The outer walls of the feeding conveyor belt and the receiving conveyor belt are respectively provided with paddles at intervals above the shifting conveyor belt, and the distance between any two adjacent paddles is greater than the outer diameter of the material barrel. The feeding conveyor belt is provided with a second stepper motor, and the receiving conveyor belt is provided with a third stepper motor. The second stepper motor and the third stepper motor are respectively electrically connected to the controller.

[0011] Preferably, guide plates are provided on both sides of the trolley corresponding to the feeding conveyor belt and the receiving conveyor belt, respectively. The feeding conveyor belt has a feeding gripping port on the guide plate at one end of the robotic arm, and the receiving conveyor belt has a receiving release port on the guide plate at one end of the robotic arm. The ends of the two guide plates away from the robotic arm are provided with flow guide covers connected to the support frame.

[0012] Preferably, the trolley is also equipped with multiple obstacle avoidance sensors around it, and each obstacle avoidance sensor is electrically connected to the controller.

[0013] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: This palletizing machine, through the coordinated design of modular pallet racks, material bins, intelligent moving trolleys, and robotic arms, effectively solves the problems encountered in the existing transmission and packaging processes of beer by-products. Furthermore, this palletizing machine eliminates the transmission and packaging steps in existing processes, directly palletizing the filtered by-products, thereby overcoming the technical bottlenecks encountered in traditional processes. Through the above process, the equipment transforms discrete manual operations into fully enclosed automated operations, significantly improving the efficiency and standardization of beer by-product processing. Attached Figure Description

[0014] 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.

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the top structure of the trolley of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the disk frame structure of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the feeding conveyor belt driving method of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the working state of the present invention.

[0020] In the diagram: 1. Pan frame; 2. Support side; 3. Placement channel; 4. Material bucket; 5. Operating slot; 6. Trolley; 7. Omnidirectional wheel; 8. Travel motor; 9. Infrared array sensor; 10. Support frame; 11. Shifting conveyor belt; 12. First stepper motor; 13. Robotic arm; 14. Robotic hand; 15. Gravity sensor; 16. Camera; 17. Rotary seat; 18. Extension arm; 19. Feeding conveyor belt; 20. Second stepper motor; 21. Receiving conveyor belt; 23. Guide plate; 24. Feeding gripper; 25. Receiving release port; 26. Flow guide; 27. Obstacle avoidance sensor; 28. Paddle. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The technical solution of the present invention will now be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0022] according to Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 As shown, an automatic material handling and stacking machine includes a tray frame 1, a trolley 6, a robotic arm 13, and a controller.

[0023] The top of the tray frame 1 is provided with an outwardly extending support edge 2, and the interior of the tray frame 1 is provided with multiple placement channels 3 that run through the width of the tray frame 1. Multiple material buckets 4 are arranged in each placement channel 3, and a through operating groove 5 is provided in the center of the bottom of each placement channel 3 along the length direction. The material of the material buckets 4 can be customized according to the subsequent processing requirements of the waste yeast. For example, it can be made of corrosion-resistant nylon, glass or stainless steel, or it can be made of biodegradable disposable material. The inner diameter of the material buckets 4 is larger than the diameter of the discharge port at the bottom of the waste yeast tank.

[0024] The trolley 6 has multiple omnidirectional wheels 7 around its bottom and a travel motor 8 that drives each of the omnidirectional wheels 7. An infrared array sensor 9 is also located at the center of the bottom of the trolley 6. Support frames 10 are provided on the top of the trolley 6 corresponding to the support edges 2 at both ends of the tray frame 1, for placing the tray frame 1. A shift conveyor belt 11 is also provided on the top of the trolley 6 corresponding to each operating slot 5, and each shift conveyor belt 11 is equipped with a first stepper motor 12. A feeding conveyor belt 19 is provided on one side of the top of the trolley 6 corresponding to the tray frame 1, and a receiving conveyor belt 21 is provided on the other side. The outer walls of the feeding conveyor belt 19 and the receiving conveyor belt 21 are respectively provided with paddles 28 spaced apart above the shift conveyor belt 11, with the distance between any two adjacent paddles 28 being greater than the outer diameter of the material barrel 4. The feeding conveyor belt 19 is equipped with a second stepper motor 20, and the receiving conveyor belt 21 is equipped with a third stepper motor. In addition, multiple obstacle avoidance sensors 27 are also provided around the trolley 6. Guide plates 23 are respectively provided on both sides of the trolley 6 corresponding to the feeding conveyor belt 19 and the receiving conveyor belt 21. The feeding conveyor belt 19 is provided with a feeding gripping port 24 on the guide plate 23 at one end of the robotic arm 13. The receiving conveyor belt 21 is provided with a receiving release port 25 on the guide plate 23 at one end of the robotic arm 13. The ends of the two guide plates 23 away from the robotic arm 13 are provided with a flow guide shroud 26 connected to the support frame 10.

[0025] The robotic arm 13 is mounted on one end of the trolley 6 via a base, and the free end of the robotic arm 13 is provided with a robotic hand 14, which is equipped with a gravity sensor 15 and a camera 16. In addition, the free end of the robotic arm 13 is provided with a rotating seat 17, and extension arms 18 are respectively provided on opposite sides of the rotating seat 17. The robotic hands 14 are arranged in pairs and are respectively located at the free ends of the extension arms 18.

[0026] The controller is located inside the trolley 6 and is equipped with a power supply and wireless communication module. The walking motor 8, infrared array sensor 9, first stepper motor 12, robotic arm 13, robotic hand 14, gravity sensor 15, camera 16, second stepper motor 20, third stepper motor and each obstacle avoidance sensor 27 are electrically connected to the controller. The power supply provides operating current for the controller and various electrical control and electric components. The wireless communication module is used for communication between the controller and the control system of the beer production line. The infrared array sensor 9 is used to locate the movement path of the trolley 6 in the workshop. The controller, together with the infrared array sensor 9 and various obstacle avoidance sensors 27, controls the walking motor 8 to coordinate the rotation of each omnidirectional wheel 7, so that the trolley 6 moves in the workshop according to the set route. The first stepper motor 12, the second stepper motor 20, and the third stepper motor realize the flexible movement of the material tank 4 in the trolley 6 according to the number of pulses issued by the controller. At the same time, the controller is equipped with an image edge algorithm for locating the outlet of the waste yeast tank and providing coordinate parameters for the movement of the robotic arm 13 and the robotic hand 14. The gravity sensor 15 collects the weight of the material tank 4 to ensure that each material tank 4 carries the same amount of waste yeast.

[0027] Among them, the discharge port at the bottom of the waste yeast tank is modified with an electrically controlled valve, and the electrically controlled valve communicates with the control system of the beer production line. The controller of the trolley 6 sends a valve opening signal to the control system through a wireless communication module to control the opening and closing of the electrically controlled valve.

[0028] This palletizing machine, through the coordinated design of modular pallet frame 1, material bucket 4, intelligent moving trolley 6, and robotic arm 13, effectively solves the problems encountered in the existing transmission and packaging of beer by-products. By eliminating the transmission and packaging steps in the existing process, the machine directly pallets the filtered by-products, thus overcoming the technical bottlenecks encountered in the traditional process.

[0029] During the operation, the workers pre-arrange the empty material buckets 4 in the placement channel 3 of the tray rack 1, place the tray rack 1 on the trolley 6, and constrain the horizontal position of the tray rack 1 by the support frame 10. At this time, the transfer conveyor belt 11 protruding from the top of the trolley 6 slightly lifts the material buckets 4 in each placement channel 3 through the operating groove 5 and supports each material bucket 4. The trolley 6 identifies the workshop floor markings through the omnidirectional wheels 7 and the infrared array sensor 9, and adjusts the path in real time with the obstacle avoidance sensor 27 to move to the preset work position below the waste yeast tank.

[0030] The controller controls one of the first stepper motors 12 and the second stepper motor 20 in a set sequence to make the displacement conveyor belt and the feeding conveyor belt 19 work simultaneously. At this time, the corresponding material buckets 4 in the placement channel 3 are sequentially carried out by the paddle 28 of the feeding conveyor belt 19 until the material buckets 4 reach the feeding gripper 24, at which point the first stepper motor 12 and the second stepper motor 20 stop.

[0031] The robotic arm 13 moves the robotic hand 14 to allow the camera 16 to capture the position of the waste yeast tank outlet. The controller establishes the receiving coordinates through a graphic algorithm, and then coordinates the robotic arm 13 and robotic hand 14 to clamp the material bucket 4 at the feeding gripper 24 and move it below the waste yeast tank outlet. The controller sends a valve opening signal to the beer production line control system through the wireless communication module. At this time, the electric control valve opens, and the waste yeast falls into the material bucket 4. Then, the controller sends a valve closing signal based on the feedback value of the gravity sensor 15. After the electric control valve closes, the controller coordinates the robotic arm 13 and robotic hand 14 to place the full material bucket 4 into the receiving and releasing port 25. At this time, the third stepper motor works and transports the material bucket 4 to the empty placement channel 3 through the receiving conveyor belt 21. Then, the corresponding first stepper motor 12 works and sends the material bucket 4 into the placement channel 3 through the shift conveyor belt 11. After that, the process of picking up, receiving, and returning the next material bucket 4 is carried out. When the robotic arm 13 adopts dual robotic arms 14, the two robotic arms 14 work together with the movement of the trolley 6 to achieve the following steps: while one robotic arm 14 is receiving waste yeast in the material tank 4, the other robotic arm 14 can grab a new material tank 4 or release a fully loaded material tank 4, thereby greatly improving work efficiency.

[0032] Furthermore, under the action of guide plate 23 and flow guide shroud 26, both empty and full material buckets 4 can be stacked and arranged on trolley 6 via transfer conveyor belt 11, feeding conveyor belt 19 and receiving conveyor belt 21. Therefore, after the waste yeast in the material bucket 4 settles, the controller coordinates the robotic arm 13 and camera 16 to collect images of each material bucket 4 in the tray rack 1, change the position of the material buckets 4 that are not full, and perform secondary filling.

[0033] When each material bucket 4 in the tray rack 1 is full, the trolley 6 moves to the stacking area according to the set path. At this time, the full tray rack 1 is lifted and hoisted by manual labor or equipment for further processing of waste yeast.

[0034] Through the above process, the equipment transforms discrete manual operations into fully enclosed automated operations, significantly improving the efficiency and standardization of beer by-product processing.

[0035] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An automatic material handling and stacking machine, characterized in that... ,include: The tray frame (1) has an outwardly extending support edge (2) on the top of the tray frame (1) and a plurality of placement channels (3) running through the width of the tray frame (1) are provided inside the tray frame (1). A plurality of material buckets (4) are arranged in each placement channel (3). A through operating groove (5) is provided in the center of the bottom of each placement channel (3) along the length direction. The trolley (6) has multiple omnidirectional wheels (7) around its bottom and a walking motor (8) that drives each omnidirectional wheel (7) to move. An infrared array sensor (9) is also provided in the center of the bottom of the trolley (6). A support frame (10) is provided on the top of the trolley (6) corresponding to the support edges (2) at both ends of the disc frame (1) for placing the disc frame (1). A shift conveyor belt (11) is also provided on the top of the trolley (6) corresponding to each of the operating slots (5), and each shift conveyor belt (11) is provided with a first stepper motor (12). A robotic arm (13) is mounted on one end of the trolley (6) via a base, and a robotic hand (14) is provided at the free end of the robotic arm (13). The robotic hand (14) is equipped with a gravity sensor (15) and a camera (16). The controller is located inside the trolley (6) and is equipped with a power supply and wireless communication module. The walking motor (8), the infrared array sensor (9), the first stepper motor (12), the robotic arm (13), the gravity sensor (15), and the camera (16) are electrically connected to the controller.

2. The automatic material handling and stacking machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The free end of the robotic arm (13) is provided with a rotating seat (17), and the two sides of the rotating seat (17) are respectively provided with extension arms (18). The robotic hands (14) are arranged in pairs and are respectively located at the free ends of the extension arms (18).

3. The automatic material handling and stacking machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The top of the trolley (6) is provided with a feeding conveyor belt (19) on one side corresponding to the tray frame (1), and a receiving conveyor belt (21) on the other side. The outer walls of the feeding conveyor belt (19) and the receiving conveyor belt (21) are respectively provided with paddles (28) at intervals above the shifting conveyor belt (11). The distance between any two adjacent paddles (28) is greater than the outer diameter of the material barrel (4). The feeding conveyor belt (19) is provided with a second stepper motor (20), and the receiving conveyor belt (21) is provided with a third stepper motor. The second stepper motor (20) and the third stepper motor are respectively electrically connected to the controller.

4. The automatic material handling and stacking machine according to claim 3, characterized in that: The trolley (6) is provided with guide plates (23) on both sides corresponding to the feeding conveyor belt (19) and the receiving conveyor belt (21). The feeding conveyor belt (19) is provided with a feeding gripping port (24) on the guide plate (23) at one end of the robotic arm (13). The receiving conveyor belt (21) is provided with a receiving release port (25) on the guide plate (23) at one end of the robotic arm (13). The two guide plates (23) are provided with a flow guide shroud (26) connected to the support frame (10) at the end away from the robotic arm (13).

5. The automatic material handling and stacking machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The trolley (6) is also equipped with multiple obstacle avoidance sensors (27) around it, and each obstacle avoidance sensor (27) is electrically connected to the controller.

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