Vertical tobacco stem moistening machine and tobacco stem mixing system

Abstract

The invention provides a vertical tobacco stem moistening machine and a tobacco stem mixing system, the vertical tobacco stem moistening machine comprises a vertical conical cylinder, a driving mechanism, a spraying mechanism and a spiral lifting mechanism, and the tobacco stem mixing system comprises the vertical tobacco stem moistening machine, a material storage device, a water storage device and a control device. And liquid materials conveyed by the material storage device and the water storage device can be uniformly mixed with tobacco stems. A weighing mechanism is further arranged, so that the application amount of various mixed media can be conveniently and accurately measured; and the spraying mechanism is provided with various spraying units, and independent control valves are arranged among the spraying units, so that the working efficiency of the equipment is improved, and the range of the liquid material applying amount is widened. The spiral lifting mechanism is provided with an arch breaking plate used for preventing the arch forming phenomenon, and meanwhile the spiral lifting mechanism is provided with a double-spiral rotor, so that the mixing efficiency of materials and tobacco stems is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This patent relates to the field of tobacco processing, specifically to a vertical stem-lubricating machine and a stem-mixing system. Background Technology

[0002] Tobacco stems are the raw material for tobacco processing. The soaking time of tobacco stems in aqueous solution directly determines their processing resistance and the quality of subsequent processing. Currently, traditional tobacco stem rehydration production lines mainly rely on multiple heating, humidification, and storage techniques. A typical process is "one soaking and one storage, two soakings and two storages," meaning the tobacco stem pretreatment requires two soakings and two storages to allow surface moisture to naturally penetrate into the stem core, achieving rehydration. This pretreatment process results in poor moisture penetration, ineffective control of the cut stem moisture content, a complex process flow, a long processing cycle, numerous pieces of equipment, high energy consumption, a large footprint, and high equipment investment and maintenance costs.

[0003] Currently, various tobacco stem warming and humidifying devices are used on tobacco production lines in my country, commonly including scraper-type rehumidifiers, tunnel-type rehumidifiers, and roller-type warming and humidifying machines. The main characteristics of these devices are as follows: tunnel-type rehumidifiers primarily warm and humidify the material by injecting steam through nozzles on the bottom plate of the trough; roller-type rehumidifiers primarily warm and humidify the material by injecting steam through the rollers and nozzles on them, but due to the limited steam humidification capacity, a water-cooled rehumidifier is required upstream for pre-humidification of the tobacco stems; scraper-type rehumidifiers warm and humidify the material through steam injected through nozzles on the scraper shaft and water nozzles inside the equipment, but because the warming and humidification time is short, the tobacco stems cannot be fully moistened, so all of these devices require downstream storage equipment.

[0004] Therefore, a vertical stem moistening machine and stem mixing system is needed that can complete the feeding, heating and humidification of tobacco stems in batch production, and continuously circulate, loosen and stir through a built-in spiral lifting mechanism to meet the process requirements of pressing or cutting stems. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To improve the efficiency of adding tobacco stems and increasing temperature and humidity, this patent provides the following technical solution:

[0006] In a first aspect, a vertical stem lubricator is provided, comprising a vertical cone, a drive mechanism, a spraying mechanism, and a spiral lifting mechanism. The spiral lifting mechanism is vertically disposed inside the vertical cone, and its top end passes through the vertical cone and is connected to the external drive mechanism. The spraying mechanism wets the material inside the vertical cone. The vertical cone comprises an upper shell and a lower shell, the upper shell being cylindrical and the lower shell being a cone with a gradually decreasing diameter. The wetted material enters the vertical cone and falls under the influence of gravity, and is then mixed evenly by the spiral lifting mechanism.

[0007] Furthermore, the vertical cone also includes a top cover, a feed inlet, a discharge outlet, and a maintenance port. The feed inlet and maintenance port are located on the top cover, and a spraying mechanism is provided near the feed inlet.

[0008] Furthermore, the spraying mechanism includes a feeding spraying unit, a feeding unit, a secondary spraying unit, and an automatic cleaning unit.

[0009] Furthermore, the upper and lower shells are equipped with observation windows made of transparent and moisture-proof material; the lower shell includes a heating layer and an insulation layer, and the heating layer can heat the material according to its real-time temperature.

[0010] Furthermore, the spiral lifting mechanism includes a protective sleeve, a rotating shaft, a rotor, and an arch-breaking plate. The protective sleeve is disposed on the outermost layer of the rotating shaft and the rotor. The rotor is disposed around the rotating shaft in the longitudinal direction, and the arch-breaking plate is disposed below the protective sleeve in the longitudinal direction.

[0011] Furthermore, the anti-arch plate is used to prevent arching at the bottom of the vertical cone when the rotor mixes materials; the rotor has a double-helix structure.

[0012] Furthermore, the screw conveyor can lift and mix materials when rotating forward, and discharge materials when rotating in reverse.

[0013] Furthermore, the vertical stem lubricator also includes a weighing mechanism, which is used to precisely control the amount of liquid applied.

[0014] Secondly, a tobacco stem mixing system includes the aforementioned vertical stem moistening machine. The tobacco stem mixing system also includes a water storage device, a material storage device, and a control device. The control device independently controls the water storage device and the material storage device to supply the required liquid material to the vertical stem moistening machine. The control device also has a heating function.

[0015] Furthermore, the vertical stem lubricator includes a vertical cone, a drive mechanism, a spraying mechanism, and a spiral lifting mechanism. The spiral lifting mechanism is vertically installed inside the vertical cone, and its top end passes through the vertical cone and connects to the external drive mechanism. The control mechanism's pipeline is connected to the spraying mechanism, allowing liquid to enter the vertical cone from the spraying mechanism. The spraying mechanism wets the material inside the vertical cone. The vertical cone includes an upper shell and a lower shell. The upper shell is cylindrical, and the lower shell is a cone with a gradually decreasing diameter. The wetted material enters the vertical cone and falls under gravity, then is mixed evenly by the spiral lifting mechanism.

[0016] This patent has the following beneficial effects:

[0017] 1. This patent provides a vertical stem moistening machine and a tobacco stem mixing system. The vertical stem moistening machine includes a vertical cone, a drive mechanism, a spraying mechanism, and a spiral lifting mechanism. The tobacco stem mixing system includes a vertical stem moistening machine, a material storage device, a water storage device, and a control device. Through the special shape of the vertical cone and the coordinated operation of the spiral lifting mechanism, the liquid material transported by the material storage device and the water storage device can be uniformly mixed with the raw materials.

[0018] 2. In this patent, a weighing mechanism is also provided to facilitate the accurate application of various mixed media; the spraying mechanism has multiple spraying units, and each spraying unit has an individual control valve, which improves the working efficiency of the equipment and the range of liquid application.

[0019] 3. In this patent, the spiral lifting mechanism is equipped with an arch-breaking plate to prevent arching, and the spiral lifting mechanism is equipped with a double spiral rotor to improve the mixing efficiency of materials and liquids.

[0020] 4. The conical lower shell's sandwich design integrates heating and insulation functions. Zoned temperature control of the heating elements ensures uniform heat radiation from bottom to top, significantly reducing heat loss compared to steam systems. The vertical stem lubrication machine integrates a three-stage process: pre-wetting, secondary feeding, and circulating mixing, eliminating the need for multiple independent devices in traditional production lines. Combined with liquid preheating and closed-loop temperature management, it achieves a triple energy efficiency gain: process energy saving, structural energy reduction, and heat recovery.

[0021] Servo motor

[0022] A servo motor is an engine that controls the operation of mechanical components in a servo system; it is a type of auxiliary motor with indirect speed change.

[0023] Servo motors can control speed and position with extremely high accuracy. They convert voltage signals into torque and speed to drive the controlled object. The rotor speed of a servo motor is controlled by the input signal and can respond quickly. In automatic control systems, they are used as actuators and have characteristics such as a small electromechanical time constant and high linearity. They can convert received electrical signals into angular displacement or angular velocity output on the motor shaft. Servo motors are divided into two main categories: DC and AC servo motors. Their main characteristic is that they do not rotate when the signal voltage is zero, and their speed decreases uniformly as the torque increases.

[0024] A servo motor is a motor used in servo systems to drive mechanical components. By inputting control signals and processing them through a servo controller, the servo motor is ultimately driven to output motion. A servo system is an automatic control system that enables the output controlled variables, such as the position, orientation, and state of an object, to follow any changes in the input target. The working principle of a servo motor is based on its ability to rotate by a corresponding angle upon receiving a pulse, thereby achieving precise displacement control. This characteristic allows the servo motor to convert voltage signals into torque and speed to drive the controlled object.

[0025] The working mechanism of a servo motor can be summarized in the following steps:

[0026] A. Input control signals: First, the external system sends control signals to the servo controller. These signals usually contain commands such as position, speed, or torque.

[0027] B. Signal processing: After receiving the control signal, the servo controller processes it and converts it into a voltage or current signal suitable for driving the servo motor.

[0028] C. Drive Motor: The processed signal is sent to the servo motor, which then begins to rotate. The rotor of the servo motor starts to rotate under the influence of the electromagnetic field, while the encoder built into the motor provides real-time feedback on the rotor's position.

[0029] D. Feedback and Adjustment: The encoder feeds back the actual position information of the rotor to the servo controller. The servo controller compares the feedback position information with the target position information. If a deviation is found, it adjusts the output signal to make the servo motor continue to rotate until the target position is reached.

[0030] E. Output Motion: Through continuous feedback and adjustment, the servo motor ultimately outputs precise motion, achieving precise position control of the object.

[0031] drive motor

[0032] The drive motor system is the part that directly converts electrical energy into mechanical energy, and it determines the performance indicators of the equipment. The drive motor system consists of a drive motor (DM), a drive motor controller (MCU), and a cooling system. It is electrically and thermally connected to other systems through high and low voltage wiring harnesses and cooling pipes.

[0033] The drive motor includes a permanent magnet synchronous motor, a rotary transformer, and a temperature sensor.

[0034] Permanent magnet synchronous motor: A typical drive motor with advantages such as high efficiency, small size, and high reliability. It is the actuator of a power system and the carrier of electrical energy converted into mechanical energy. It relies on a built-in rotary transformer and temperature sensor to provide the motor's operating status information and sends the motor's operating status information to the MCU in real time.

[0035] Rotary transformer: It detects the position of the motor rotor. After the rotary transformer decoder in the motor controller decodes the position, the motor controller can know the current position of the motor rotor, thereby controlling the corresponding IGBT power transistors to conduct, energizing the three coils of the stator in sequence, and driving the motor to rotate.

[0036] Temperature sensor: Its function is to detect the temperature of the motor windings and provide the information to the MCU. The MCU then transmits the information to the VCU via the CAN line, thereby controlling the water pump, water circulation, cooling fan operation, and regulating the motor operating temperature. Attached Figure Description

[0037] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this patent, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this patent and should not be regarded as a limitation of the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0038] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a vertical stem-lubricating machine;

[0039] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of a vertical stem-wetting machine;

[0040] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the upper and lower shells;

[0041] Figure 4 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the top of a vertical stem-lubricating machine;

[0042] Figure 5 This is a magnified view of a portion of the spiral lifting mechanism;

[0043] Figure 6 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the rotor and rotating shaft;

[0044] Figure 7 This is a plan view of a tobacco stem mixing system.

[0045] The reference numerals in the attached figures are explained as follows:

[0046] 1000: Vertical stem-curing machine;

[0047] 1100: Vertical cone;

[0048] 1110: Feed inlet;

[0049] 1111: Lighting unit;

[0050] 1120: Inspection port;

[0051] 1121: Inspection window;

[0052] 1130: Discharge port;

[0053] 1140: Upper casing;

[0054] 1141: Upper observation window;

[0055] 1150: Lower housing;

[0056] 1151: Lower observation window;

[0057] 1160: Top cover;

[0058] 1200: Screw lifting mechanism;

[0059] 1210: Casing;

[0060] 1220: Rotation axis;

[0061] 1230: Rotor;

[0062] 1231: First rotor;

[0063] 1232: Second rotor;

[0064] 1240: Broken arch board;

[0065] 1241: concave part;

[0066] 1242: Blade section;

[0067] 1300: Drive mechanism;

[0068] 1400: Weighing mechanism;

[0069] 1500: Spraying mechanism;

[0070] 1510: Feed spray unit;

[0071] 1520: Feeding unit;

[0072] 1530: Secondary spray unit;

[0073] 1540: Automatic cleaning unit;

[0074] 2000: Control device;

[0075] 3000: Storage device;

[0076] 4000: Water storage device. Detailed Implementation

[0077] The detailed features and advantages of this application are described below in the specific embodiments. The content of this description is sufficient to enable any person skilled in the art to understand the technical content of this application and implement it accordingly. Based on the specification, claims and drawings disclosed in this specification, a person skilled in the art can easily understand the related objectives and advantages of this application.

[0078] The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which similar reference numerals denote similar elements. While specific structures and arrangements are discussed, it should be understood that this is done merely for illustrative purposes. Those skilled in the art will recognize that other structures and arrangements can be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention can also be used in a variety of other applications.

[0079] In this specification and claims, several terms will be used, and unless otherwise indicated, these terms will be defined to have the following meanings:

[0080] The singular forms “a” and “the” include their corresponding plural forms. “At least one” means one or more, and “more” means two or more. “At least one of the following” or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can be expressed as: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0081] All figures used to represent component amounts, properties (e.g., molecular weight), reaction conditions, etc., should be considered to be modified in all cases by the terms "within the unavoidable margin of error" or "about". Therefore, the numerical values ​​set forth herein are approximate and may vary depending on the desired properties sought to be obtained by the present invention. The principle of equivalents, which is applied to a minimum and not intended to limit the scope of the claims, should be applied, for example, each value should be interpreted at least according to the reported significant digits and by applying conventional rounding techniques.

[0082] It should be understood that the term "and / or" in this article is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. A and B can be singular or plural. Additionally, the character " / " in this article generally indicates an "or" relationship between the preceding and following related objects, but it can also represent an "and / or" relationship. Please refer to the context for a more accurate understanding.

[0083] In the description of this embodiment, it should be noted that the terms "upper", "lower", "inner", "bottom", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship in which the product is usually placed during use. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0084] Unless otherwise indicated, the following abbreviations have the following meanings, and any other abbreviations used herein but not defined have their generally accepted standard meanings:

[0085] All other terms used herein for special definition are intended to have the general meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, and in particular, meaning that one of ordinary skill in the art, upon reading the claims, specification and drawings of this patent, can directly and without doubt determine how the technical solution of this patent can be implemented.

[0086] Even if there are incomplete descriptions, omissions, or ambiguities in the grammar, words, punctuation, graphics, symbols, etc. of the claims, specification, and drawings of this patent, a person skilled in the art can still arrive at the only correct understanding by reading the claims, specification, and drawings as a whole without extensive reasoning or experimentation, and effectively exclude various incorrect interpretations that are not aimed at achieving the purpose of this patent.

[0087] Those skilled in the art would first choose to read the claims, specification, and drawings of this patent to reasonably interpret the terms; secondly, they would choose to refer to the relevant definitions in other documents published by the applicant before the filing date to reasonably interpret the terms; thirdly, they would choose the references cited in this patent to reasonably interpret the terms; and finally, they would choose to combine the technical dictionaries, technical manuals, reference books, textbooks, national or industry technical standards, etc., commonly used by those skilled in the art to reasonably interpret the terms.

[0088] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the embodiments of this application will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0089] A vertical stem-curing machine 1000, please refer to Figures 1-2The system includes a vertical cone 1100, a drive mechanism 1300, a spraying mechanism 1500, a weighing mechanism 1400, and a screw conveyor 1200. The screw conveyor 1200 is vertically arranged inside the vertical cone 1100, and its top end passes through the vertical cone 1100 and connects to the external drive mechanism 1300. The spraying mechanism 1500 and the weighing mechanism 1400 are located outside the vertical cone 1100 and act on the materials and liquids entering the vertical cone 1100. The spraying mechanism 1500 wets the materials inside the vertical cone 1100, specifically the materials that have just entered the vertical cone 1100. The weighing mechanism 1400 can accurately calculate the amount of liquids and materials entering the vertical cone 1100.

[0090] For details, please refer to Figures 3-4 The vertical conical cylinder 1100 includes an inlet 1110, an outlet 1130, an inspection port 1120, an upper shell 1140, a top cover 1160, and a lower shell 1150. The upper shell 1140 is cylindrical, while the lower shell 1150 is a conical cylinder with a gradually decreasing diameter. The top cover 1160 is a removable circular sealing cover plate, and its diameter is equal to that of the upper shell 1140. 0. The top cover 1160 and the lower shell 1150 are combined to form the outer shell of the vertical cone 1100. The feed port 1110 and the inspection port 1120 are provided on the top cover 1160. The material to be wetted is fed into the vertical cone 1100 through the feed port 1110. The internal components of the vertical cone 1100 are monitored in real time through the inspection port 1120 and faulty components are repaired. The vertical cone 1100 is equipped with a lighting unit 1111.

[0091] Specifically, the shape of the vertical cone 1100 is designed to increase the thickness of the material at the bottom of the vertical cone 1100, so that the spiral lifting mechanism 1200 can lift the material well. When the spiral lifting mechanism 1200 lifts the material to the upper outlet of the protective cylinder 1210, it will form a uniformly scattered material curtain in all directions under the action of centrifugal force. This material curtain helps to uniformly humidify the material.

[0092] Specifically, the access port 1120 is a quick-release type, and the access port 1120 is circular, with a transparent access window 1121 and a safety switch.

[0093] Specifically, the inspection window 1121 may be made of polycarbonate, polymethyl methacrylate, polyethersulfone, polyarylate, polysulfone, tempered glass, chemically tempered glass, laminated glass, quartz glass, monocrystalline alumina, or PC / PMMA co-extruded board, but this patent is not limited to these materials.

[0094] Specifically, the upper shell 1140 is provided with upper observation windows 1141 evenly on its side. The upper observation windows 1141 and the upper shell 1140 are supported and fixed by stainless steel welded parts. The upper observation windows 1141 are used to observe the reaction of the material inside the vertical cone 1100. There are 2 to 5 upper observation windows 1141. The upper observation windows 1141 are made of transparent and moisture-proof material, and the upper shell 1140 is made of moisture-proof, heat-resistant and corrosion-resistant material.

[0095] Specifically, the upper observation window 1141 may be made of polycarbonate, polymethyl methacrylate, polyethersulfone, polyarylate, polysulfone, tempered glass, chemically tempered glass, laminated glass, quartz glass, monocrystalline alumina, or PC / PMMA co-extruded board, but this patent is not limited to these materials.

[0096] Specifically, the upper housing 1140 may be made of stainless steel, duplex stainless steel, Hastelloy, special aluminum alloy, reinforced polypropylene, polyvinylidene fluoride, polyphenylene sulfide, or glass fiber reinforced epoxy resin, but this patent is not limited to these materials.

[0097] Specifically, the lower housing 1150 is provided with lower observation windows 1151 evenly on its side. The lower observation windows 1151 are used to conveniently observe the reaction of the material inside the vertical cone 1100. The lower observation windows 1151 are strip windows and are assembled and embedded in the lower housing 1150. The two ends of the lower observation windows 1151 are provided with handles for easy opening. The number of lower observation windows 1151 is 4 to 10. The lower observation windows 1151 are made of transparent moisture-proof material.

[0098] Specifically, the lower observation window 1151 may be made of polycarbonate, polymethyl methacrylate, polyethersulfone, polyarylate, polysulfone, tempered glass, chemically tempered glass, laminated glass, quartz glass, monocrystalline alumina, or PC / PMMA co-extruded board, but this patent is not limited to these materials.

[0099] Preferably, the size of the lower observation window 1151 is 100mm × 400mm.

[0100] Specifically, the lower shell 1150 has a double-layer structure, including a heating layer and an insulation layer. The heating layer is located outside the insulation layer, and a temperature control device 2000 is installed in the heating layer to control the heating switch according to the real-time temperature, so that the heating layer can heat according to the real-time temperature of the material.

[0101] Specifically, a pipe is installed at the bottom of the discharge port 1130, through which the material is discharged.

[0102] For details, please refer to Figures 5-6The spiral lifting mechanism 1200 includes a protective sleeve 1210, a rotating shaft 1220, a rotor 1230, and an arch-breaking plate 1240. The protective sleeve 1210 is disposed on the outermost layer of the rotating shaft 1220 and the rotor 1230. The rotor 1230 is disposed around the rotating shaft 1220 in the longitudinal direction. The arch-breaking plate 1240 is disposed below the rotor 1230 in the longitudinal direction.

[0103] Specifically, the protective sleeve 1210 has a cylindrical structure. The protective sleeve 1210 is vertically installed inside the vertical cone 1100 and sleeved on the outside of the rotating shaft 1220 and the rotor 1230. The length is slightly shorter than the height of the vertical cone 1100. The inner diameter of the protective sleeve 1210 is larger than the diameter of the rotor 1230 and the rotating shaft 1220, so that the material will not be blocked on the inner wall of the protective sleeve 1210 when it is lifted, ensuring smooth material lifting.

[0104] Specifically, the rotor 1230 includes a first rotor 1231 and a second rotor 1232. The first rotor 1231 and the second rotor 1232 are arranged in a double helix structure in the same direction and are arranged around the rotating shaft 1220 in the longitudinal direction. The length of the rotating shaft 1220 is equal to the height of the vertical cone 1100. One end of the rotating shaft 1220 protrudes from the top cover 1160 and is connected to the drive mechanism 1300. The other end of the rotating shaft 1220 is connected to the bottom of the vertical cone 1100. The rotating shaft 1220 can rotate forward and reverse under the drive of the drive mechanism 1300. The first rotor 1231 and the second rotor 1232, which are fixedly connected to the rotating shaft, rotate in the same direction as the rotating shaft 1220.

[0105] Specifically, the arch-breaking plate 1240 is located below the protective cylinder 1210 and is fixedly positioned between the first rotor 1231 and the second rotor 1232. The arch-breaking plate 1240 includes a recess 1241 and a blade 1242. The recess 1241 is located in the middle of the arch-breaking plate 1240, and the blade 1242 is located on the longest side of the arch-breaking plate 1240. The rotor 1230 is located below the arch-breaking plate 1240, in the recess 1241, and in the blade 1242. In particular, the rotor 1230 drives the blade 1242 to rotate via the rotating shaft 1220, and the blade 1242 can scrape off the bottom position of the vertical cone cylinder 1100 where arching is likely to occur.

[0106] Specifically, when the spiral lifting mechanism 1200 rotates forward, it can lift and mix the material, and when the spiral lifting mechanism 1200 rotates in reverse, it discharges the material.

[0107] The drive mechanism 1300 can be selected from hysteresis synchronous motors, voice coil motors, ultrasonic motors, linear motors, servo motors, stepper motors, asynchronous motors, synchronous motors, brushed DC motors, and brushless DC motors.

[0108] Preferably, the drive mechanism 1300 is formed into a geared motor by adding a gearbox.

[0109] Specifically, the weighing mechanism 1400 is located at the connection between the upper housing 1140 and the lower housing 1150. The number of weighing mechanisms 1400 is 1 to 4. The weighing mechanism 1400 has a built-in weighing sensor and is used to accurately control the amount of liquid applied.

[0110] The spraying mechanism 1500 is mounted on the top cover 1160. The spraying mechanism 1500 includes a feeding spraying unit 1510, a feeding unit 1520, a secondary spraying unit 1530, and an automatic cleaning unit 1540. The feeding spraying unit 1510 is mounted on the feed inlet 1110 and performs preliminary wetting on the material fed into the feed inlet 1110. The feeding unit 1520 is mounted next to the feed inlet 1110 and can add liquid material into the feed inlet 1110. The secondary spraying unit 1530 and the automatic cleaning unit 1540 are fixed on the top cover 1160 and perform secondary addition of liquid material and cleaning of the inner wall of the vertical cone 1100. The automatic cleaning unit 1540 is equipped with an automatic rotating cleaning head, which can spray water jets in all directions through rotation for cleaning.

[0111] Specifically, the feeding spray unit 1510, the feeding unit 1520, the secondary spray unit 1530 and the automatic cleaning unit 1540 are all equipped with separate control valves to precisely control the input liquid material. The main body of the secondary spray unit 1530 is a disc with two spray pipes extending from the bottom. The nozzles at the end of the spray pipes can spray liquid material in all directions, and the spray coverage is wide.

[0112] A tobacco stem mixing system, please refer to Figure 7 The system includes a vertical stem lubricator 1000, a water storage device 4000, a material storage device 3000, and a control device 2000. The water storage device 4000 is used to provide water to the vertical stem lubricator 1000, the material storage device 3000 is used to provide liquid material to the vertical stem lubricator 1000, and the control device 2000 independently controls the water storage device 4000 and the material storage device 3000 to provide the required liquid material to the vertical stem lubricator 1000. The control device 2000 can also heat the liquid material passing through.

[0113] It is easy to understand that the water storage device 4000 and the material storage device 3000 should also have separate control valves, which are opened or closed under the control of the control device 2000.

[0114] The wetted material enters the vertical cone 1100 and falls under the influence of gravity, and is then mixed evenly by the screw lifting mechanism 1200.

[0115] The preferred material is tobacco stems.

[0116] The liquid material is preferably steam, solution, or compressed air.

[0117] Specifically, when the tobacco stems fall from the feed inlet 1110, they are pre-wetted by the feed spray unit 1510, and the weighing mechanism 1400 simultaneously measures the weight of the liquid material to be added. After the tobacco stems fall to the bottom of the vertical cone 1100, the spiral lifting mechanism 1200 rotates forward to lift the material to the top of the vertical cone 1100 and then falls freely. The secondary spray unit 1530 injects liquid material during the falling process. The heating layer of the lower shell 1150 adjusts the working temperature inside the vertical cone 1100. After mixing is completed, the spiral lifting mechanism 1200 reverses, and the material is discharged from the outlet valve 1130. Finally, the vertical cone 1100 is cleaned by automatic cleaning.

[0118] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed devices, apparatus and methods can be implemented in other ways.

[0119] For example, the device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another device, or some features may be ignored or not executed.

[0120] Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be an indirect coupling or communication connection through some interface, device or unit, and can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0121] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0122] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0123] In this specification, references to "an embodiment" or "a specific implementation" mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment / specific implementation is included in at least one embodiment / specific implementation of the invention. Therefore, the phrase "in one embodiment / specific implementation" appearing in various places in this specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment / setting, but rather to potentially different embodiments. Furthermore, specific features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in one or more embodiments / settings in any suitable manner, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.

[0124] Similarly, it should be understood that in the above description of exemplary embodiments / specific implementations of the invention, various features of the invention are sometimes combined in a single embodiment / specific implementation or its figures and description, with the aim of simplifying the disclosure and aiding in the understanding of one or more of the various aspects of the invention. However, except for expressly stated instructions to the contrary or obvious technical contradictions or exclusions, the method of description in this patent should not be construed as reflecting an intention that the claimed features of the invention are more than those expressly stated in each claim.

[0125] Conversely, the inventive aspect reflected in the claims lies in not all the features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment / specification. Therefore, the claims following the detailed description are expressly incorporated herein, each claim existing independently as a separate embodiment / specification of the invention.

[0126] Furthermore, while some embodiments / specific implementations described herein include, but are not limited to, other features included in other embodiments / specific implementations, combinations of features from different embodiments / specific implementations are intended to be within the scope of the invention and form different embodiments / specific implementations, as will be understood by those skilled in the art. For example, in the following claims, embodiments / specific implementations of any claim can be used in any combination.

[0127] The terms and expressions used in this specification are for illustrative purposes and not for limitation. In using these terms and expressions, it is not intended to exclude any equivalents of the features or portions thereof shown and described, but rather to recognize that various modifications may be possible within the scope of the invention.

[0128] Therefore, it should be understood that although the invention has been specifically disclosed through preferred embodiments, exemplary embodiments and optional features, those skilled in the art may take variations or modifications of the concepts disclosed herein, and such variations and modifications are therefore considered to be within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

[0129] The specific embodiments given in this specification are examples of useful implementations of the present invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention can be implemented using many variations of the devices, device components, and method steps disclosed in this specification.

[0130] The foregoing description of specific embodiments fully discloses the general features of the present invention, enabling others to easily modify and / or adapt such specific embodiments for various applications by applying knowledge within the scope of the art, without conducting excessive experimentation and without departing from the general concept of the present invention.

[0131] Therefore, based on the teachings and guidance provided herein, it is intended that such modifications and alterations be included within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It should be understood that the wording or terminology used herein is for descriptive purposes and is not intended to be limiting; thus, the wording or terminology in this specification will be interpreted by those skilled in the art based on the foregoing teachings and guidance.

[0132] Furthermore, the scope of the invention should not be limited to any of the exemplary embodiments described above, but only to the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A vertical stem-curing machine, characterized in that, The vertical stem lubricator includes a vertical cone, a drive mechanism, a spraying mechanism, and a spiral lifting mechanism. The spiral lifting mechanism is vertically arranged inside the vertical cone, and the top end of the spiral lifting mechanism passes through the vertical cone and is connected to the external drive mechanism. The spraying mechanism wets the material inside the vertical cone. The vertical cone includes an upper shell and a lower shell. The upper shell is cylindrical and the lower shell is a cone with a gradually decreasing diameter. The wetted material enters the vertical cone and falls under the action of gravity, and is then mixed evenly by the spiral lifting mechanism.

2. The vertical stem-wetting machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The vertical cone also includes a top cover, a feed inlet, a discharge outlet, and a maintenance port. The feed inlet and the maintenance port are located on the top cover, and the spraying mechanism is located near the feed inlet.

3. The vertical stem-wetting machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The spraying mechanism includes a feeding spraying unit, a feeding unit, a secondary spraying unit, and an automatic cleaning unit.

4. The vertical stem-wetting machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper and lower shells are provided with observation windows, which are made of transparent and moisture-proof material; the lower shell includes a heating layer and an insulation layer, and the heating layer can heat the material according to its real-time temperature.

5. The vertical stem-wetting machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The spiral lifting mechanism includes a protective cylinder, a rotating shaft, a rotor, and an arch-breaking plate. The protective cylinder is disposed on the outermost layer of the rotating shaft and the rotor. The rotor is arranged around the rotating shaft in the longitudinal direction. The arch-breaking plate is disposed below the protective cylinder in the longitudinal direction.

6. The vertical stem-wetting machine according to claim 5, characterized in that, The arch-breaking plate is used to prevent arching at the bottom of the vertical cone when the rotor mixes the material. The rotor has a double-helix structure.

7. The vertical stem-wetting machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the spiral lifting mechanism rotates forward, it can lift and mix the material; when the spiral lifting mechanism rotates in reverse, it discharges the material.

8. The vertical stem-wetting machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The vertical stem lubricator also includes a weighing mechanism, which is used to precisely control the amount of liquid applied.

9. A tobacco stem mixing system, characterized in that, The tobacco stem mixing system includes the vertical stem moistening machine as described in any one of claims 1 to 8. The tobacco stem mixing system further includes a water storage device, a material storage device, and a control device. The control device independently controls the water storage device and the material storage device to provide the required liquid material to the vertical stem moistening machine. The control device also has a heating function.

10. The tobacco stem mixing system according to claim 9, characterized in that, The vertical stem-wetting machine includes a vertical cone, a drive mechanism, a spraying mechanism, and a spiral lifting mechanism. The spiral lifting mechanism is vertically arranged inside the vertical cone. The top end of the spiral lifting mechanism passes through the vertical cone and is connected to the external drive mechanism. The pipeline of the control device is connected to the spraying mechanism, allowing the liquid material to enter the interior of the vertical cone from the spraying mechanism. The spraying mechanism wets the material inside the vertical cone. The vertical cone includes an upper shell and a lower shell. The upper shell is cylindrical and the lower shell is a cone with a gradually decreasing diameter. The wetted material enters the vertical cone and falls under the action of gravity, and is then mixed evenly by the spiral lifting mechanism.

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