Food distribution device and distribution method

Abstract

The invention relates to a food distribution device and a distribution method thereof, the food distribution device is used for distributing blocky food, the food distribution device comprises a roller, a plurality of grooves are distributed in the peripheral surface of the roller, and the grooves are configured to be suitable for containing the blocky food; the material pushing mechanism is arranged on one side of the roller, and the material pushing mechanism comprises a material pushing plate capable of doing reciprocating motion; the pushing plate is configured to push the blocky food towards the direction of the roller through reciprocating motion, so that at least part of the blocky food enters the groove; the roller is configured to convey the blocky food contained in the groove to a target position through rotation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of food dispensing technology, and more specifically to a dispensing device and feeding equipment for dispensing block-shaped food. Background Technology

[0002] To achieve fully automated food preparation and improve cooking and serving efficiency, food dispensing devices and feeding equipment have been widely used in the commercial food processing industry. On typical automated frying or sorting production lines, the quantitative dispensing device plays a crucial role in transporting raw materials from storage containers to the next process; its stability and accuracy directly affect production cycle time and finished product quality.

[0003] However, most food dispensing devices currently in use are designed for long and thin foods such as French fries, and their holding and guiding structures often rely on the regular shape and low stacking density of the food. When applied directly to block-shaped foods (such as frozen chicken nuggets, candy cubes, potato chunks, fish chunks, chocolate chunks, etc.), especially for block-shaped foods of regular shape and uniform size, problems such as inaccurate dispensing, jamming, and accumulation are likely to occur.

[0004] Therefore, we hope to develop a feeding device suitable for block-shaped foods that can not only achieve single-piece, quantitative feeding, but also reduce the possibility of jamming and accumulation in terms of structure, so as to achieve stable and controllable feeding operations. Summary of the Invention

[0005] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a food dispensing apparatus is provided for dispensing block-shaped food, comprising: a roller having a plurality of grooves distributed on its outer peripheral surface, the grooves being configured to accommodate the block-shaped food; a pushing mechanism disposed on one side of the roller, the pushing mechanism including a reciprocating pushing plate; wherein the pushing plate is configured to push the block-shaped food toward the roller by reciprocating motion, so that at least a portion of the block-shaped food enters the grooves; the roller is configured to transport the block-shaped food contained in the grooves to a target position by rotating.

[0006] In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes a sweeping wheel that rotates in the same direction as the drum and is rotatably disposed above or to the side of the drum. The sweeping wheel is configured to sweep up blocky food items located on the outer peripheral surface of the drum that have not entered the groove during rotation, so as to promote their entry into the groove.

[0007] In some embodiments, the accommodating space of a single recess is configured such that a single recess can only accommodate one block of food.

[0008] In some embodiments, in a plurality of grooves, at least some adjacent grooves differ from each other in opening width and / or length to guide block food into the grooves and achieve dispensing.

[0009] In some embodiments, each groove has a front end and a rear end along the rotation direction of the roller, the depth of each groove at the front end is greater than the depth at the rear end, the depth of the front end is greater than the thickness of the block food, and the depth of the rear end is less than the thickness of the block food; the width of the groove is greater than the width of the block food and less than the length of the block food.

[0010] In some embodiments, the groove is formed by a bottom wall and a front wall, a rear wall, and two parallel side walls extending downward from the outer periphery of the roller. The inclination angle of the front wall relative to the bottom wall is greater than the inclination angle of the rear wall relative to the bottom wall, and the groove depth at the front wall is greater than the groove depth at the rear wall.

[0011] In some embodiments, the plurality of grooves includes a first groove and a second groove that has a different size and / or shape than the first groove.

[0012] In some embodiments, the plurality of grooves are arranged in multiple rows along the axial direction of the roller, and the grooves in adjacent rows are staggered in the circumferential direction of the roller.

[0013] In some embodiments, each groove in a row at least partially spans the gap region between two adjacent grooves in an adjacent row in the circumferential direction of the roller.

[0014] In some embodiments, the pushing mechanism includes a linkage mechanism, the pushing plate is connected to the linkage mechanism, and the linkage mechanism can drive the pushing plate to reciprocate.

[0015] In some embodiments, the pushing mechanism further includes a guide plate that is inclined relative to the vertical direction, with the bottom side of the guide plate facing the roller and at least partially disposed above the roller, the pushing plate being supported on the upper surface of the guide plate and capable of reciprocating along the guide plate.

[0016] In some embodiments, the pushing mechanism further includes a baffle that is angled to the guide plate. The pushing plate is disposed between the baffle and the guide plate. The pushing plate has a first position during its reciprocating motion. When the pushing plate moves to the first position, the top surface of the pushing plate is flush with the upper side surface of the baffle.

[0017] In some embodiments, the sweeping wheel includes a wheel body and a plurality of sweeping blades arranged circumferentially along the wheel body; the ends of the sweeping blades have a first gap with the outer peripheral surface of the roller, the first gap being less than the thickness of the block food; or the ends of the sweeping blades are in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the roller.

[0018] In some embodiments, the pusher plate has a second position during its reciprocating motion. When the pusher plate moves to the second position, the pusher mechanism pushes the block food located in the first area defined by the pusher mechanism and the baffle to the second area defined by the sweeping wheel, the roller and the guide plate.

[0019] In some embodiments, the device further includes: a first blocking member disposed on the side of the roller opposite to the pusher plate, for preventing blocky food from falling directly without entering the groove of the roller.

[0020] In some embodiments, the device further includes a second blocking member disposed at an angle to the guide plate, the second blocking member being disposed between the guide plate and the roller, for preventing the block food from falling toward the linkage mechanism side.

[0021] In some embodiments, the roller, the pushing mechanism, and the sweeping wheel are driven by the same drive mechanism.

[0022] In some embodiments, the device further includes a housing and a hopper, with a roller, a pushing mechanism, and a sweeping wheel fixed to the side wall of the housing, and the hopper disposed in the upper region of the housing, the hopper being used to receive and feed block-shaped food to the pushing mechanism.

[0023] In some embodiments, the bottom wall of the housing has a through hole, and the roller is disposed above the through hole.

[0024] In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes: a weighing hopper disposed at a target position below the roller for receiving blocky food falling from the roller; and a weight sensor disposed in the weighing hopper for detecting the total weight of the blocky food in the weighing hopper.

[0025] In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes a refrigeration device for maintaining a low temperature inside the enclosure.

[0026] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a method for dispensing block-shaped food is provided, applicable to the aforementioned food dispensing device, including a roller, a pushing mechanism including a pusher plate, and a sweeping wheel, comprising the following steps: supplying block-shaped food to a first region adjacent to the pushing mechanism; pushing block-shaped food in the first region in batches to a second region adjacent to the roller by controlling the reciprocating motion of the pusher plate; keeping the roller rotating to cause block-shaped food located in the second region to enter grooves on the outer peripheral surface of the roller; using the rotation of the sweeping wheel to sweep block-shaped food in the second region that has not entered the grooves to promote their entry into the grooves; and conveying the block-shaped food contained in the grooves to a target position by rotating the roller.

[0027] The food dispensing device for block-shaped foods according to embodiments of this disclosure can combine the size and shape characteristics of the food and achieve precise single-block dispensing through specially designed grooves in the rollers. The block-shaped food is conveyed through the grooves, maintaining a uniform posture and reducing tilting, flipping, or rolling. This effectively avoids problems such as jamming, accumulation, and unstable posture throughout the dispensing process. Furthermore, since the block-shaped food only falls into the target position through the roller grooves, combined with subsequent metering or weighing devices, the quantity and weight can be accurately counted, ensuring dispensing accuracy. Attached Figure Description

[0028] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and exemplary embodiments, wherein: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a block food dispensing device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 2 for Figure 1 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of the rollers in the block food dispensing device shown; Figure 3 for Figure 1 A top view of the rollers in the block food dispensing device shown; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a food dispensing system with a block food dispensing device according to other embodiments of this disclosure; Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for dispensing block-shaped food according to some embodiments of this disclosure.

[0029] Explanation of markings in the attached diagram: 10 For dispensing block-shaped food; 20 Pushing mechanism; 30 Food dispensing system; 100 Roller; 110 Pushing plate; 120 Guide plate; 130 Baffle; 140 Groove; 141 First groove; 142 Second groove; 150 Bottom wall; 160 Front wall; 170 Rear wall; 180 Side wall; 190 Linkage mechanism; 195 First area; 200 Sweeping wheel; 210 First blocking element; 220 Second blocking element; 230 Through hole; 240 Weighing hopper; 250 Elastic sweeping plate; 310 enclosure; 320 enclosure sidewalls. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details will be set forth in the following description, which are intended to enable those skilled in the art to gain a more comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the technical solutions and practical application value of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific implementations of the present invention do not necessarily depend entirely on some or all of these specific details, but can be appropriately adjusted and optimized according to actual application needs and production conditions.

[0031] Furthermore, it should be clearly understood that the scope of protection of this invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described below. Instead, any reasonable combination of the various features and technical elements described below can be considered to implement this invention. Therefore, the technical features, specific embodiments, and resulting technical advantages detailed below are for illustrative and exemplary purposes only and should not be considered as specific elements or limitations of the scope of protection defined in the claims, unless the corresponding technical features or limitations are explicitly and specifically stated in the claims.

[0032] In this disclosure and claims, unless otherwise expressly defined: "vertical direction" refers to the direction along the direction of gravity; "horizontal direction" refers to the direction perpendicular to the vertical direction; and "circumferential direction" refers to the circumferential direction around the axis of the roller. It should be noted that these directional terms are used only for convenience in describing the relative positional relationships of the structures and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this invention.

[0033] The inventors noted that most food dispensing devices in related technologies are designed for long and thin foods such as French fries, and their holding and guiding structures often rely on the regular shape and low stacking density of the food. When directly applied to block-shaped foods (such as frozen chicken nuggets, candy cubes, potato chunks, fish chunks, chocolate chunks, etc.), multiple food pieces fall at the same time. Since the length, width, and thickness of the block-shaped foods are similar, existing grooves or conveying structures cannot effectively restrict the entry of a single piece, resulting in excessive material being dispensed at once, affecting the quantitative accuracy. In addition, it is easy for the food to get stuck or pile up. When multiple food pieces enter a narrow channel at the same time, they are prone to jamming each other, causing the roller to stop or the drive mechanism to overload.

[0034] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a block food dispensing device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The block food dispensing device 10 is installed inside the housing of the feeding device 30 and is used to precisely and quantitatively deliver various block foods (such as frozen chicken nuggets, candy cubes, potato chunks, fish chunks, chocolate chunks, etc.) and stably deliver them to a target location, such as a weighing hopper 240 for weighing. In one embodiment, the block foods are initially supplied by a refrigerator to ensure freshness and temperature control. A hopper is positioned above the housing to receive the food and guide it into a pushing mechanism or roller, causing the block foods to sequentially enter the grooves of the roller. After dispensing, the block foods can be guided to a weighing device, such as the weighing hopper 240, for weight or quantity detection to ensure that the dispensing accuracy meets order requirements. After weighing, the block foods are accurately dispensed into downstream frying baskets via a door opening mechanism or a flip-up device. Through the above configuration, the entire distribution process achieves closed-loop control from storage, import, roller distribution, weighing to final dispensing, ensuring high precision, high efficiency, and stability in food distribution, while avoiding problems such as food accumulation, jamming, or unstable posture. Figure 1 As shown, a food dispensing device for dispensing block food includes: a roller 100, with a plurality of grooves 140 distributed on its outer peripheral surface for receiving block food, such as chicken nuggets, the grooves 140 being configured to receive block food; a pushing mechanism 20 disposed on one side of the roller 100, the pushing mechanism 20 including a reciprocating pushing plate 110; wherein the pushing plate 110 is configured to push the block food toward the roller 100 by reciprocating motion, so that at least a portion of the block food enters the grooves 140; the roller 100 is configured to transport the block food contained in the grooves 140 to a target position by rotation. In some embodiments, the dispensing device further includes a sweeping wheel 200, which rotates in the same direction as the roller 100 and is rotatably disposed above or to the side of the roller 100, the sweeping wheel 200 being configured to sweep block food located on the outer peripheral surface of the roller 100 that has not entered the grooves 140 during rotation, to promote their entry into the grooves 140.

[0035] The device's roller 100, pushing mechanism 20, and sweeping wheel 200 are responsible for distributing, feeding, and cleaning, respectively, and are structurally matched to ensure a smooth and precise material feeding process. The roller 100 is responsible for single-piece separation and conveying, the pushing mechanism 20 guides the food to be fed into the groove of the roller 100 in an orderly manner, and the sweeping wheel 200 continuously cleans up any remaining material during each round of conveying, thus forming a closed-loop material feeding process.

[0036] For a clearer understanding of the structural features of roller 100, please refer to [further details]. Figure 2 , it is Figure 1 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of the middle roller 100 shows multiple grooves 140 distributed around its outer periphery. Each groove 140 is formed by a bottom wall 150, a front wall 160, a rear wall 170, and parallel side walls 180 on both sides. These grooves are precisely molded, and the dimensional tolerance of the grooves is strictly controlled within ±8mm to ensure that rollers produced in different batches maintain the same feeding accuracy during replacement or maintenance. The accommodating space of a single groove 140 is configured so that a single groove can only hold one block of food, preventing multiple pieces of food from entering the same groove at the same time. The accommodating space of the groove 140 is limited by preset dimensions and shapes to accommodate block of food with roughly the same shape and size, thus ensuring that a single groove can only hold one block of food. This "one groove, one food" structural design is equivalent to physical sorting at the mechanical level, enabling precise quantitative delivery of block of food, reducing the reliance on subsequent weighing accuracy, and is more suitable for quantitative distribution of block of food with relatively uniform shapes.

[0037] Compared with the prior art, in this embodiment of the present disclosure, the groove 140 of the roller 100 can ensure that only one piece of food lies flat in the groove, thereby preventing multiple pieces of food from falling at the same time or lying horizontally in the groove, and thus preventing the feeding device from jamming.

[0038] In addition, the inner wall of the groove can be treated with a food-grade non-stick coating, which can significantly reduce the adhesion of frost or syrup-like substances in low-temperature environments, further reducing the probability of food residue or blockage.

[0039] See Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, the roller 100 includes a first groove 141 and a second groove 142 distributed along its outer periphery. The first groove 141 and the second groove 142 have different sizes and / or shapes, designed to accommodate the different postures of blocky food (such as chicken nuggets) when falling into the roller. In some embodiments, at least some adjacent grooves in the plurality of grooves differ from each other in opening width and / or length to guide blocky food into the grooves and achieve dispensing. By setting the difference in length and width between adjacent grooves, the probability of blocky food falling into the grooves quickly can be increased, thereby improving the accuracy and stability of dispensing. As shown, the length of the first groove 141 is greater than that of the second groove 142, and the width is smaller than that of the second groove 142. The first groove 141 is used to accommodate elongated blocky food, and the second groove 142 is used to accommodate short and thick blocky food.

[0040] See also Figure 1 The roller 100 includes at least one pair of first grooves 141 and at least one pair of second grooves 142. Each pair of first grooves 141 is arranged radially opposite to each other along the roller 100, and each pair of second grooves 142 is arranged radially opposite to each other along the roller 100, with each second groove 142 disposed between two first grooves. In some embodiments, each pair of first grooves 141 has the same shape and size, and each pair of second grooves 142 has the same shape and size. In this way, a balance is achieved between the roller 100 itself and the transport of block-shaped food, ensuring smooth operation of the roller 100.

[0041] The front walls of the multiple grooves 140 are evenly spaced along the circumferential direction of the roller. As a result, the roller 100 can rotate at a constant speed and receive block-shaped food items pushed by the feeding mechanism 20 at predetermined intervals.

[0042] In some other embodiments, each of the plurality of grooves 140 may have the same size and shape. The plurality of grooves 140 of the same size and shape are evenly distributed along the outer periphery of the roller 100.

[0043] As described above, the groove 140 is formed by a bottom wall 150, a front wall 160 extending downward from the outer periphery of the roller, a rear wall 170, and two parallel side walls 180. In some embodiments, each groove 140 has a front end and a rear end along the rotation direction of the roller 100, the angle of inclination of the front wall 160 relative to the bottom wall 150 is greater than the angle of inclination of the rear wall 170 relative to the bottom wall 150, and the depth of each groove at the front end is greater than the depth at the rear end, for example, see... Figure 1 The angle of inclination of the front wall 160 of the first groove 141 relative to the bottom wall 150 is greater than the angle of inclination of the rear wall 170 relative to the bottom wall 150. Similarly, the angle of inclination of the front wall of the second groove 142 relative to the bottom wall is also greater than the angle of inclination of the rear wall relative to the bottom wall. This "deep front end, shallow rear end" design has the following advantages: 1. The front side wall is basically radially perpendicular to the bottom wall, which is beneficial for guiding the chicken pieces during the feeding process, allowing them to accurately enter the target position; 2. The relatively shallow rear end facilitates the smooth removal of stacked chicken pieces during the sweeping process, thus avoiding residue. Therefore, when the roller 100 rotates above the through hole 230, it helps the block food to slide down naturally. This difference in inclination angle not only provides a natural gravity unloading ramp, but also, to a certain extent, prevents the block food from moving due to the rotation of the roller before reaching the position corresponding to the through hole 230, thus ensuring the consistency of the feeding direction.

[0044] More specifically, see Figure 2 Taking the first groove 141 as an example, the depth D of the first groove at the front end along the rotation direction of the roller is... f The thickness is greater than that of the block-shaped food, at a depth D at the rear end. b The thickness of the food pieces is less than the front thickness and the back thickness, creating a design that is deeper at the front and shallower at the back. This ensures that the food is stably supported during transport and slides naturally at the unloading point, preventing it from getting stuck in the groove due to friction or posture issues. The width W of the groove is designed to be greater than the width of the food pieces but less than their length, ensuring that each piece of food is accommodated in a flat position within the groove, preventing it from rotating or flipping over. This structural design not only guarantees the stability of the food pieces during rotating transport but also prevents them from getting stuck due to instability when the roller 100 rotates to a position near the side wall of the housing, thus avoiding disruption to the normal operation of the entire unloading device.

[0045] To further improve conveying efficiency, the multiple grooves 140 of the roller 100 can be arranged in multiple rows along its axial direction, preferably three rows, with the grooves in adjacent rows staggered in the circumferential direction of the roller 100. This staggered design allows each piece of food (especially chicken nuggets) to more easily find its corresponding groove position when falling, thus quickly entering the groove and improving the feeding efficiency. At the same time, this design increases the overall load capacity and conveying frequency of the roller 100 while ensuring the accuracy of individual piece feeding. This three-row staggered structure comprehensively considers the roller diameter, groove volume, food size, and rotational inertia during design, not only increasing the number of foods that can be carried per unit time but also avoiding mutual squeezing or interference caused by excessively dense food. This staggered design can improve the overall load capacity and conveying frequency of the roller 100 while ensuring the accuracy of individual piece feeding. Tests have shown that this design improves the feeding efficiency by approximately 38% to 56% for typical frozen foods (such as chicken nuggets) while maintaining a weighing accuracy error of less than ±20g.

[0046] In some embodiments, each of the grooves in a row at least partially spans the gap region between two adjacent grooves in an adjacent row in the circumferential direction of the roller. Figure 2 In the example shown, each groove 140 in the second row spans the gap between two adjacent grooves 140 in the first row in the circumferential direction of the roller 100, and simultaneously spans the gap between two adjacent grooves 140 in the third row. This staggered arrangement ensures that during the rotation of the roller 100, incomplete filling or double filling caused by the feeding position deviation of the pushing mechanism can be reduced.

[0047] This design increases the load capacity per load while reducing the probability of interference between adjacent food items. Especially in high humidity and low temperature environments, the surface of blocky foods may have slight frost or a solidified syrup layer; the staggered arrangement can effectively reduce the risk of jamming caused by these surface irregularities.

[0048] In some embodiments, the feeding mechanism 20 includes a linkage mechanism 190, and the feeding plate 110 is connected to the linkage mechanism 190. The linkage mechanism 190 can drive the feeding plate 110 to reciprocate. The feeding mechanism 20 may also include a guide plate 120 inclined relative to the vertical direction, the bottom side of the guide plate 120 facing the roller 100 and at least partially disposed above the roller 100, the feeding plate 110 being supported on the upper surface of the guide plate 120 and capable of reciprocating along the guide plate 120. The feeding mechanism 20 may also include a baffle 130 angled to the guide plate 120, the feeding plate 110 being disposed between the baffle 130 and the guide plate 120, the feeding plate 110 having a first position during its reciprocating motion, when the feeding plate 110 moves to the first position, its top surface is flush with the upper side surface of the guide plate 120, and block-shaped food such as chicken nuggets can fall from the hopper into the first area. The first area is defined by the pushing mechanism 20, the hopper and the sweeping wheel 200, and is a temporary allocation space before the block food is pushed.

[0049] See Figure 1 The pushing mechanism 20, consisting of a pushing plate 110, a guide plate 120, a baffle 130, and a linkage mechanism 190, is located on one side of the roller 100. Its main function is to push the blocky food accumulated in the first area 195 to the second area above the roller 100 in batches through reciprocating motion when the roller 100 rotates, so that it falls into the groove 140. The second area is jointly defined by the sweeping wheel 150, the roller 100, the guide plate 120, and the second blocking member 220, and is a controlled space for the blocky food before it falls into the roller groove. In this area, the food can smoothly and accurately enter the roller groove through reasonable spatial guidance and positioning, preventing it from tipping over or piling up, while ensuring the continuity and accuracy of the falling. One end of the linkage mechanism 190 is connected to the pushing plate 110, and the other end is connected to the drive system, thereby driving the pushing plate 110 to reciprocate along a set trajectory to realize the batch pushing of blocky food, such as chicken nuggets.

[0050] Furthermore, by controlling the movement rhythm of the linkage mechanism 190, the frequency of the reciprocating motion of the pusher plate 110 is matched with the rotational speed of the roller 100. The pusher plate 110 has a second position during its reciprocating motion. When the pusher plate 110 moves to the second position, the pusher mechanism 20 pushes the blocky food located in the first area defined by the pusher mechanism 20 and the baffle 130 into the second area jointly defined by the sweeping wheel 150, the roller 100, and the guide plate 120. Through this matching setting, the pushed blocky food can fall into the groove as directly as possible, thereby reducing the accumulation of blocky food above the roller 100 and the occurrence of empty grooves in the roller 100. However, due to certain differences in food size, shape, and falling posture, a small amount of accumulation or empty grooves may still occur, but the overall continuity and accuracy of the falling process are significantly improved.

[0051] A pusher plate 110 is mounted on the upper side of a guide plate 120, which is inclined relative to the vertical direction. Its bottom side is close to the roller 100 and partially above it. Supported by the guide plate 120, the pusher plate 110 reciprocates along the inclined direction of the guide plate 120. The angle of inclination allows blocky food items to fall sequentially into the roller 100 if too much is added, preventing excessive accumulation of blocky food items above the roller 100. This provides a buffer while pushing the blocky food items, allowing items such as chicken nuggets to enter the groove 140 of the roller 100 more smoothly and preventing the feeding device from jamming. In some embodiments, the inclination angle of the guide plate 120 relative to the vertical direction ranges from 12° to 38°. Within this range, gravity can be used to naturally divert the food, and the frictional resistance between the pusher plate and the food can be reduced, thus reducing energy consumption and wear.

[0052] Figure 1 The feeding mechanism also includes a baffle 130, which is fixed to the side wall of the housing, such as the left and rear side walls, and is arranged at a certain angle to the guide plate 120. This baffle structure prevents food from "flying" or overflowing laterally, while also forming a stable lateral guiding channel. In some embodiments, the feeding plate 110 is disposed between the baffle 130 and the guide plate 120. At its lower limit position of reciprocating motion, its top surface is flush with or lower than the upper side surface of the baffle 130, so that the accumulated blocky food can fall onto the top surface of the feeding plate 110; at its upper limit position of reciprocating motion, i.e., the second position, its top surface is flush with or higher than the upper side surface of the guide plate 120, so that the pushed blocky food can fall onto the roller 100.

[0053] exist Figure 1 In the example shown, the sweeping wheel 200 is mounted above the roller 100 and rotates in the same direction as the roller 100. It is used to sweep away any accumulated lumps of food that have not fully entered the grooves, for example, sweeping them into the next groove, thus preventing blockage and jamming of the feeding device. It is understood that the sweeping wheel 200 can also be mounted on the side of the roller 100 (not shown in the figure), and its function is basically the same as that in this embodiment, and will not be described again here. Figure 1As shown, the sweeping wheel 200 includes a wheel body and a plurality of sweeping blades 250, such as elastic sweeping blades, arranged circumferentially along the wheel body. Each sweeping blade 250 has a first gap or contact with the outer circumferential surface of the roller 100, the first gap being smaller than the thickness of the food block, to prevent food blocks that have not fallen into the grooves from crossing the sweeping wheel 200 and entering other areas on the side of the container. The sweeping blades 250 are made of food-grade high-elasticity material, which maintains flexibility at low temperatures without causing significant damage to the food surface. When rotating, the sweeping blades 250 gently sweep away food blocks that have not fully entered the grooves on the roller 100, causing them to fall back into the first area and, as far as possible, into the subsequent empty grooves 140, thereby preventing multiple food blocks from stacking in the same groove.

[0054] To further prevent blocky food from getting stuck during the feeding process. Figure 1 The illustrated embodiment also includes a first blocking member 210 and a second blocking member 220. The first blocking member 210 is located on the side of the roller 100 opposite to the pusher plate 110. Its function is to prevent blocky food items from falling directly into the weighing hopper 240 without entering the groove of the roller 100, ensuring that only single pieces of food completely contained within the groove can enter the target position. If blocky food items fall directly without being distributed through the groove of the roller 100, the following problems will occur: Reduced measurement accuracy: Since the weighing or counting device usually works in conjunction with the receiving action of the roller groove, if the food does not pass through the groove, it is impossible to accurately count the quantity or weight of a single food item, thus affecting the accurate execution of orders; Impaired distribution accuracy: If the food falls directly, it may fail to enter the target position, resulting in offset, accumulation, or scattering, reducing distribution accuracy; Insufficient quality assurance: The groove conveying ensures that food items are distributed one by one in an orderly manner, avoiding collisions or damage caused by multiple food items falling simultaneously. Therefore, the first blocking member 210 ensures that all blocky food items are distributed through the groove of the roller 100, thereby achieving high accuracy in metering and distribution and stability in system operation. The first blocking member 210 is, for example, a slender rod-shaped member, fixed between the front and rear side walls of the housing and positioned close to the roller 100. The second blocking member 220 is positioned between the guide plate 120 and the roller 100, at a certain angle to the guide plate 120. Its function is to prevent blocky food items from falling towards the linkage mechanism of the pushing mechanism, reducing the risk of foreign objects entering the drive components and causing malfunctions. In some embodiments, the gap between the baffle 130 and the pushing plate 110 is set to prevent blocky food items from passing through, ensuring that all blocky food items are guided to the roller groove 140 or the second area during the feeding process, preventing food from escaping or entering unexpected positions, thereby ensuring the continuity and accuracy of feeding while avoiding equipment malfunctions. The layout of these two blocking members can be optimized through simulation to ensure a smooth movement trajectory of the food under restricted guidance and to minimize mechanical interference.

[0055] In some embodiments, the roller 100, the pushing mechanism 20, and the sweeping wheel 200 are driven by the same drive mechanism. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the pushing mechanism 20 and the sweeping wheel 200 are respectively installed near the roller 100. The feeding 100 is driven by a drive mechanism located outside the housing 310, and the drive mechanism is connected to the pushing mechanism 20 and the sweeping wheel 200 through a transmission mechanism outside the housing 310, such as a gearbox structure (not shown). That is, the pushing mechanism 20 and the sweeping wheel 200 share the same rotational power with the roller 100. Through precise matching of the speed ratio, it can be ensured that when the pushing plate 110 moves to the top of its stroke position to drop the material, a groove on the roller 100 is always accurately located at the receiving position. This integrated power distribution structure not only reduces the number of independent drive motors, but also reduces equipment maintenance costs and failure rates.

[0056] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the overall structure of a food dispensing system 30 equipped with the aforementioned block food dispensing device is shown. The food dispensing system 30 includes multiple dispensing devices, wherein at least one of the dispensing devices is for dispensing block food. Figure 4 As shown, the food dispensing system 30 includes three dispensing devices, one for dispensing block-shaped foods and the other two for dispensing strip-shaped foods (such as French fries, sweet potato fries, etc.). The block-shaped food dispensing device includes a housing 310, a hopper, a roller 100, a pushing mechanism 20, a sweeping wheel 200, and a weighing hopper 240. The roller 100, the pushing mechanism 20, and the sweeping wheel 200 are fixed inside the housing 310, for example, fixed to the rear side wall 320 of the housing 310. The hopper is located in the upper area inside the housing 310 and is used to receive and guide block-shaped foods to the pushing mechanism. The bottom of the container has a through hole 230, and the roller 100 is located above the through hole 230. This allows blocky food to fall directly into the weighing hopper 240 below for weighing. The through hole 230 is located below the lower space defined by the pushing mechanism 20, the roller 100, and the sweeping wheel 200, preventing blocky food in the first area 195 from falling directly into the through hole 230 and affecting the accurate quantitative delivery of the blocky food. The weighing hopper 240 is positioned at a target location below the roller 100 to receive blocky food falling from the roller 100. A weight sensor, configured in the weighing hopper 240, detects the total weight of the blocky food in the weighing hopper. The weight sensor enables precise weight control, allowing the food dispensing system to monitor the cumulative weight of the blocky food in the weighing hopper 240 in real time according to a preset target weight. When the target weight is reached, the dispensing process is automatically stopped, and the weighed blocky food is further distributed into containers such as frying baskets for subsequent processing such as frying. This control mode based on real-time weight feedback can effectively reduce the rate of excessive material dropping, and is particularly suitable for automatic food processing equipment with high requirements for metering accuracy.

[0057] Figure 4 The food dispensing system shown also includes a freezing device to maintain a low temperature inside the container, preventing food from softening or sticking during operation and further ensuring smooth feeding. The freezing device has a temperature control range of -20°C to -0°C and is equipped with an automatic defrosting function to prevent icing from affecting the rotation of the roller 100 and the movement of the feeding mechanism 20.

[0058] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for dispensing block-shaped food according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method 500 for dispensing block-shaped food, applicable to the food dispensing device described in the above embodiments, including a roller, a pushing mechanism including a pusher plate, and a sweeping wheel. The dispensing method includes: step S510, supplying block-shaped food to a first area adjacent to the pusher mechanism; step S520, controlling the reciprocating motion of the pusher plate to push the block-shaped food in the first area in batches to a second area adjacent to the roller; step S530, keeping the roller rotating to cause the block-shaped food located in the second area to enter a groove on the outer circumferential surface of the roller; step S540, using the rotation of the sweeping wheel to sweep away block-shaped food in the second area that has not entered the groove, thereby promoting their entry into the groove; and step S550, conveying the block-shaped food contained in the groove to a target position by the rotation of the roller. One or more embodiments of this disclosure achieve stable single-piece feeding of block-shaped food through grooves on the roller surface, batch feeding by the feeding mechanism, continuous cleaning by the sweeping wheel, and limiting action by the blocking component. Furthermore, the speed matching between the mechanisms effectively avoids accumulation and jamming, improving the reliability and accuracy of block-shaped food feeding. Compared with the prior art, the feeding efficiency of the embodiments of this disclosure can be increased by more than 30%, while significantly reducing the probability of production interruptions caused by jamming or incorrect feeding. It is also suitable for use in automated food processing equipment, contributing to improved operational stability and economic efficiency of the entire production line.

[0059] It should be understood that in this specification, the terms "first," "second," "third," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first," "second," or "third" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this disclosure, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0060] In this disclosure, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," "installation," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to an installation connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a communication connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0061] In this disclosure, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0062] Although this disclosure has been described and illustrated in detail in the accompanying drawings and the foregoing description, such description and illustration should be considered illustrative and suggestive, not restrictive; this disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. By studying the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims, those skilled in the art will be able to understand and implement variations of the disclosed embodiments in practice with respect to the claimed subject matter. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps not listed, the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality, the term "a plurality" means two or more, and the term "based on" should be interpreted as "at least partially based on". The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be beneficial.

Claims

1. A food dispensing device for dispensing block-shaped food, characterized in that, include: A roller, wherein a plurality of grooves are distributed on the outer peripheral surface of the roller, the plurality of grooves being configured to accommodate the block-shaped food; A pushing mechanism is disposed on one side of the roller, and the pushing mechanism includes a pushing plate that can reciprocate. The pusher plate is configured to push the block food towards the roller via reciprocating motion, so that at least part of the block food enters the groove; the roller is configured to transport the block food contained in the groove to a target position by rotating.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A sweeping wheel, rotating in the same direction as the drum, is rotatably disposed above or to the side of the drum. The sweeping wheel is configured to sweep up blocky food items located on the outer circumferential surface of the drum that have not entered the groove during rotation, so as to promote their entry into the groove.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The accommodating space of a single groove is configured such that a single groove can only accommodate one of the block-shaped food items.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, In the plurality of grooves, at least some of the adjacent grooves differ from each other in opening width and / or length, in order to guide the block food into the groove and achieve dispensing.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, Each groove has a front end and a rear end along the rotation direction of the roller. The depth of each groove at the front end is greater than the depth at the rear end. The depth of the front end is greater than the thickness of the block food, and the depth of the rear end is less than the thickness of the block food. The width of each groove is greater than the width of the block food and less than the length of the block food.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that, The groove is formed by a bottom wall and a front wall, a rear wall, and two parallel side walls extending downward from the outer periphery of the roller. The inclination angle of the front wall relative to the bottom wall is greater than the inclination angle of the rear wall relative to the bottom wall, and the groove depth at the front wall is greater than the groove depth at the rear wall.

7. The apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, The plurality of grooves includes a first groove and a second groove that has a different size and / or shape than the first groove.

8. The apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, The plurality of grooves are arranged in multiple rows along the axial direction of the roller, and the grooves in adjacent rows are staggered in the circumferential direction of the roller.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that, Each of the grooves in a row at least partially spans the gap region between two adjacent grooves in an adjacent row in the circumferential direction of the roller.

10. The apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, The pushing mechanism includes a linkage mechanism, the pushing plate is connected to the linkage mechanism, and the linkage mechanism can drive the pushing plate to reciprocate.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that, The pushing mechanism also includes a guide plate that is inclined relative to the vertical direction. The bottom side of the guide plate faces the roller and is at least partially disposed above the roller. The pushing plate is supported on the upper surface of the guide plate and can reciprocate along the guide plate.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that, The pushing mechanism further includes a baffle that is angled to the guide plate. The pushing plate is disposed between the baffle and the guide plate. The pushing plate has a first position during its reciprocating motion. When the pushing plate moves to the first position, the top surface of the pushing plate is flush with the upper side surface of the baffle.

13. The apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, The sweeping wheel includes a wheel body and a plurality of sweeping blades arranged circumferentially along the wheel body; the end of the sweeping blade has a first gap with the outer peripheral surface of the roller, the first gap being smaller than the thickness of the block food; or the end of the sweeping blade contacts the outer peripheral surface of the roller.

14. The apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that, The pusher plate has a second position during its reciprocating motion. When the pusher plate moves to the second position, the pusher mechanism pushes the block food located in the first area defined by the pusher mechanism and the baffle to the second area defined by the sweeping wheel, the roller and the guide plate.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 10, characterized in that, Also includes: The first blocking element is disposed on the side of the roller opposite to the pusher plate, and is used to prevent the block food from falling directly without entering the groove of the roller.

16. The apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that, Also includes: A second blocking member is provided at an angle to the guide plate, and the second blocking member is disposed between the guide plate and the roller to prevent the block food from falling towards the linkage mechanism.

17. The apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, The roller, the pushing mechanism, and the sweeping wheel are driven by the same drive mechanism.

18. The apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, It also includes a box and a hopper. The roller, the pushing mechanism, and the sweeping wheel are fixed to the side wall of the box, and the hopper is located in the upper part of the box. The hopper is used to receive and feed the block food into the pushing mechanism.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, characterized in that, The bottom wall of the box has a through hole, and the roller is disposed above the through hole.

20. The apparatus according to claim 18 or 19, characterized in that, Also includes: A weighing hopper, located at a target position below the roller, is used to receive the block-shaped food falling from the roller; a weight sensor, configured in the weighing hopper, is used to detect the total weight of the block-shaped food in the weighing hopper.

21. The apparatus according to claim 18, characterized in that, Also includes: A refrigeration device used to keep the interior of the enclosure at a low temperature.

22. A method for dispensing block-shaped food products, characterized in that: A food dispensing device according to any one of claims 1 to 21, comprising a roller, a pushing mechanism including a pushing plate, and a sweeping wheel, includes the following steps: The block-shaped food is fed to the first area adjacent to the feeding mechanism; By controlling the reciprocating motion of the pusher plate, the blocky food in the first area is pushed in batches to the second area adjacent to the roller; The roller is kept rotating, causing the blocky food located in the second region to enter the groove on the outer peripheral surface of the roller; The rotation of the sweeping wheel is used to sweep the blocky food that has not entered the groove in the second area, so as to promote its entry into the groove; The rotation of the rollers transports the block-shaped food contained in the grooves to the target location.

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