Intelligent betel nut gourd ladle seed shaping machine

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of food processing machinery, and discloses an intelligent betel nut ladle seed shaping machine which comprises a betel nut ladle seed double-outlet feeding machine, a microwave heating machine and a betel nut shaping machine main machine which are connected in sequence. The areca seed double-outlet feeding machine comprises a feeding vibration disc, a feeding conveying belt, a photographing assembly and a parallel robot, the inner wall of the feeding vibration disc is provided with a vibration channel structure used for enabling openings of areca seeds to be output downwards, and the discharging end of the feeding vibration disc is in butt joint with the feeding end of the feeding conveying belt; the photographing assembly is fixedly arranged over the feeding conveying belt and used for collecting posture data of betel nut gourd seeds on the conveying belt. By constructing an intelligent feeding system of'posture screening, circulating backflow and material shortage early warning ', the problems that traditional manual feeding postures are disordered, materials are wasted and procedures are interrupted are effectively solved, and in addition, by means of the integrated automatic design of'heating softening, automatic shaping and automatic cleaning', the shaping efficiency and quality consistency of betel nut ladle seeds are remarkably improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of food processing machinery technology, specifically to an intelligent areca nut seed shaping machine. Background Technology

[0002] In the areca nut processing industry, the shaping process of areca nut seeds is a crucial step in ensuring product consistency and meeting the standardized requirements of subsequent packaging and seasoning processes. Currently, the industry has established a core processing flow centered on feeding, heating and softening, and extrusion shaping, equipped with corresponding auxiliary equipment. The feeding stage primarily utilizes vibratory feeders and conveyor belts for material transport. Some equipment has experimented with manually adjusting the seed shape using simple mechanical structures to adapt to subsequent processing needs. The heating stage mainly uses microwave heating devices to soften the areca nut seeds, ensuring good shaping plasticity. The shaping stage uses mechanical extrusion structures to adjust the shape of the softened seeds, thus initially achieving mechanized operation of areca nut seed shaping.

[0003] However, in actual large-scale production, there is still room for further optimization of existing technologies: On the one hand, existing feeding equipment relies heavily on manual judgment or a single mechanical structure in the posture screening stage, making it difficult to accurately and efficiently achieve a uniform posture output with the areca nut seeds facing downwards. Furthermore, a complete recycling mechanism for unqualified posture materials has not been established, resulting in room for improvement in the continuity and efficiency of material processing. On the other hand, material transfer between the heating device and the shaping device still requires manual assistance in some aspects, making it difficult to achieve a seamless connection between heating softening and extrusion shaping, affecting the continuity of the overall processing flow. At the same time, the cleaning of the core working components of existing shaping equipment relies heavily on manual assistance, and the cleaning efficiency and standardization are difficult to fully match the hygiene management requirements under large-scale production in the food processing field. Moreover, the cyclic movement and positioning control of the shaping components still need further improvement in terms of automation and collaboration to better adapt to the needs of high-capacity production.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a betel nut seed shaping equipment that can integrate feeding, heating, shaping and cleaning processes, and optimize the coordination and intelligence of each process, so as to further improve the efficiency, standardization and hygiene of betel nut seed processing. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides an intelligent areca nut seed shaping machine, which solves the technical problems of inconsistent feeding posture, inability to circulate and return unqualified materials, poor connection between material transfer and shaping after heating, and low degree of automation in cleaning shaping components during areca nut seed processing.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention is implemented through the following technical solution: an intelligent areca nut seed shaping machine, comprising a areca nut seed double-outlet feeding machine, a microwave heating machine and an areca nut shaping machine main unit connected in sequence; The areca nut seed dual-outlet feeding machine includes a feeding vibratory plate, a feeding conveyor belt, a camera component, and a parallel robot. The inner wall of the feeding vibratory plate is provided with a vibration channel structure for outputting areca nut seeds with the opening facing downwards. The discharge end of the feeding vibratory plate is connected to the inlet end of the feeding conveyor belt. The camera component is fixedly installed directly above the feeding conveyor belt to collect the posture data of the areca nut seeds on the conveyor belt. The parallel robot is located above the feeding conveyor belt on the side away from the feeding vibratory plate, and the gripping range of the parallel robot covers the discharge end of the feeding conveyor belt. The microwave heating machine includes a microwave heating conveyor belt and a areca nut transfer robot, and the feeding end of the microwave heating conveyor belt corresponds to the placement range of the parallel robot.

[0007] Preferably, the areca nut seed dual-outlet feeding machine further includes a return vibrating track, a return conveyor belt, and a return distribution guide plate. The inlet end of the return vibrating track is located on the side of the feeding conveyor belt near the parallel robot. The return vibrating track is used to receive areca nuts that have not been grabbed by the parallel robot. The outlet end of the return vibrating track is fixedly connected to the inlet end of the return conveyor belt. The outlet end of the return conveyor belt is connected to the inlet end of the return distribution guide plate. The two outlet ends of the return distribution guide plate correspond to the two inlets of the feeding vibrating plate, respectively, and are used to guide the returned areca nuts back to the feeding vibrating plate.

[0008] Preferably, a photoelectric sensor is fixedly installed on the upper part of the inner side wall of the feeding vibratory feeder. The photoelectric sensor is connected to an external control terminal and is used to detect the height of the remaining material in the feeding vibratory feeder. When the height of the remaining material is lower than a preset threshold, a feeding reminder signal is sent to the external control terminal.

[0009] Preferably, the imaging component includes an industrial camera and a light source module. The lens of the industrial camera faces the feeding conveyor belt directly below, and the light source module is arranged around the lens of the industrial camera. The imaging component is connected to an external control computer and can transmit the collected areca nut seed posture data to the external control computer in real time.

[0010] Preferably, the areca nut transfer robot includes a multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm and a vacuum suction cup. The vacuum suction cup is fixedly installed at the execution end of the multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm. The vacuum suction cup is connected to an external negative pressure generating device through an air pipe, which can generate negative pressure to adsorb the softened areca nut seeds at the discharge end of the microwave-heated conveyor belt, and under the drive of the multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm, the areca nut seeds are stably placed on the preset work position of the connecting line moving trolley.

[0011] Preferably, the main body of the areca nut shaping machine includes a feeding lifting assembly, a connecting line moving trolley, a shift fork drive assembly, a return lifting assembly, and a receiving box. The connecting line moving trolley is slidably mounted on a preset circulating track and is located between the feeding lifting assembly and the return lifting assembly. The shift fork drive assembly is adapted to the connecting line moving trolley and is used to drive the trolley to move along the track. The receiving box is located at the end of the main body of the areca nut shaping machine away from the microwave heating machine and below the end of the circulating track. The areca nut transferring robot is located between the microwave heating conveyor belt discharge end and the connecting line moving trolley, and its gripping range covers both the microwave heating conveyor belt discharge end and the connecting line moving trolley.

[0012] Preferably, the main unit of the areca nut shaping machine also includes an ultrasonic cleaner. The cleaning tank of the ultrasonic cleaner has an upward-facing opening. The return lifting component is controlled by an external control terminal to drive the connecting line moving trolley to descend, so that the trolley is immersed in the cleaning tank of the ultrasonic cleaner. The connecting line moving trolley is cleaned by ultrasonic vibration. After cleaning, the return lifting component drives the trolley to reset, and the cleaning of all connecting line moving trolleys is completed in sequence.

[0013] Preferably, the feeding lifting assembly includes a lifting platform and a lifting cylinder. The lifting platform is slidably adapted to the circulating track. The piston rod of the lifting cylinder is fixedly connected to the bottom of the lifting platform. When the lifting platform is driven to rise by the lifting cylinder, it can drive the connecting line moving trolley to rise to the upper track of the circulating line of the areca nut shaping machine main unit. The structure of the return lifting assembly is the same as that of the feeding lifting assembly. When its lifting platform falls, it can drive the connecting line moving trolley to fall to the lower track of the circulating line, realizing the cyclic movement of the connecting line moving trolley between the upper and lower tracks of the circulating line.

[0014] This invention provides an intelligent areca nut seed shaping machine. It has the following beneficial effects: 1. This invention effectively solves the problems of chaotic posture, material waste, and process interruption caused by traditional manual feeding by constructing an intelligent feeding system of "posture screening - recycling and return - material shortage warning". The special vibration channel on the inner wall of the feeding vibratory plate allows areca nut seeds to be output with their openings facing downwards. In conjunction with the photo-taking component above the feeding conveyor belt to collect posture data, the parallel robot only grabs the seeds with their openings facing downwards to ensure uniform feeding posture. The seeds with their openings facing upwards that are not grabbed are returned to the feeding vibratory plate through the return vibration channel, return conveyor belt, and return distribution guide plate for recycling. The photoelectric sensor of the feeding vibratory plate can also detect the remaining material in real time and issue an early warning when it is insufficient. This not only reduces the cost of manual sorting and material waste, but also provides raw materials with consistent posture for subsequent processing, ensuring continuous process.

[0015] 2. This invention significantly improves shaping efficiency and quality consistency through an integrated automated design of "heating and softening - automatic shaping - automatic cleaning," while meeting food processing hygiene requirements. The microwave heating machine softens the areca nuts by heating them to a certain temperature, ensuring the shaping effect. A robotic arm smoothly transports the softened areca nuts using a vacuum suction cup. The connecting line of the areca nut shaping machine's main unit uses a mold-closing structure to complete the extrusion shaping. The trolley moves cyclically with the help of a fork drive assembly and a lifting assembly. After shaping, the areca nuts are automatically dropped. After each day's work, the return lifting assembly drives the trolley to be immersed in an ultrasonic cleaner for automatic cleaning, avoiding damage and contamination from manual handling, ensuring uniform shape and opening of the shaped areca nuts, and simplifying the cleaning process. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a front view of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a top view of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a perspective view of the areca nut seed double-outlet feeding machine of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a front view of the areca nut seed double-outlet feeding machine of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the photographing component structure of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the microwave heating machine of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a top view of the microwave heating machine of the present invention; Figure 8 This is a perspective view of the main unit of the areca nut shaping machine of the present invention; Figure 9 This is a plan view of the main unit of the areca nut shaping machine of the present invention; Figure 10 This is a side view of the main unit of the areca nut shaping machine of the present invention.

[0017] Among them, 1. Areca nut seed double-outlet feeding machine; 101. Feeding vibratory plate; 102. Feeding conveyor belt; 103. Photo taking component; 104. Parallel robot; 105. Return material vibratory track; 106. Return material conveyor belt; 107. Return material distribution guide plate; 2. Microwave heating machine; 201. Microwave heating conveyor belt; 202. Areca nut transfer robot; 3. Areca nut shaping machine main unit; 301. Feeding lifting component; 302. Connecting line moving trolley; 303. Fork drive component; 304. Return lifting component; 305. Ultrasonic cleaning machine; 306. Receiving box. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0019] Please see the appendix Figure 1 - Appendix Figure 10 The present invention provides an intelligent areca nut seed shaping machine, comprising a areca nut seed double-outlet feeding machine 1, a microwave heating machine 2, and an areca nut shaping machine main unit 3 connected in sequence; The areca nut seed dual-outlet feeding machine 1 includes a feeding vibratory plate 101, a feeding conveyor belt 102, a camera component 103, and a parallel robot 104. The inner wall of the feeding vibratory plate 101 is provided with a vibration channel structure for outputting areca nut seeds with the opening facing downwards. The discharge end of the feeding vibratory plate 101 is connected to the feed end of the feeding conveyor belt 102. The camera component 103 is fixedly installed above the feeding conveyor belt 102 to collect the posture data of the areca nut seeds on the conveyor belt. The parallel robot 104 is located above the side of the feeding conveyor belt 102 away from the feeding vibratory plate 101, and the gripping range of the parallel robot 104 covers the discharge end of the feeding conveyor belt 102. Specifically, the vibration channel structure on the inner wall of the feeding vibratory plate 101 utilizes the physical characteristic that the "center of gravity of the open and closed ends of the areca nut seeds is different," combined with the high-frequency, small-amplitude vibration generated by the vibration source at the bottom of the vibratory plate. This allows the seeds, whose center of gravity is biased towards the closed end, to stably adhere to the bottom surface of the vibration channel and slide in an "open-to-down" posture as they spiral upwards along the channel. Seeds whose center of gravity is biased towards the open end, due to imbalance, slide to the bottom of the plate for readjustment, thus initially achieving pre-screening with the seeds facing downwards. The precise docking between the discharge end of the feeding vibratory plate 101 and the inlet end of the feeding conveyor belt 102 prevents posture deviation during seed transport. Furthermore, the constant speed of the feeding conveyor belt 102 provides a stable material flow rhythm for subsequent detection and grasping. The camera component 103, fixed directly above the feeding conveyor belt 102, captures the complete shape of the top surface of the areca nut seeds from a vertical perspective, collects posture data in real time, and transmits it to an external control terminal, providing a basis for grasping judgment. The parallel robot 104, located above the side of the feeding conveyor belt 102 away from the feeding vibratory plate 101, avoids interference from the vibration of the vibratory plate on the positioning accuracy of the robotic arm. Its gripping range covering the discharge end of the conveyor belt ensures that no qualified materials are missed. Based on the posture data transmitted by the camera component 103, it can accurately grab qualified seeds with the opening facing down, completing the transformation from disordered raw materials to directional conveying, laying the foundation for the subsequent microwave heating process.

[0020] The areca nut seed double-outlet feeding machine 1 also includes a return vibrating channel 105, a return conveyor belt 106, and a return distribution guide plate 107. The feeding end of the return vibrating channel 105 is located on the side of the feeding conveyor belt 102 close to the parallel robot 104. The return vibrating channel 105 is used to receive areca nuts that are not grabbed by the parallel robot 104. The discharge end of the return vibrating channel 105 is fixedly connected to the feeding end of the return conveyor belt 106. The discharge end of the return conveyor belt 106 is connected to the feeding end of the return distribution guide plate 107. The two discharge ends of the return distribution guide plate 107 correspond to the two feeding ports of the feeding vibrating plate 101, respectively, and are used to guide the returned areca nuts back to the feeding vibrating plate 101. A photoelectric sensor 108 is fixedly installed on the upper part of the inner side wall of the feeding vibratory plate 101. The photoelectric sensor 108 is connected to an external control terminal. The photoelectric sensor 108 is used to detect the height of the remaining material in the feeding vibratory plate 101. When the height of the remaining material is lower than a preset threshold, a feeding reminder signal is sent to the external control terminal.

[0021] Specifically, the feed end of the return vibrating channel 105 is located on the side of the feeding conveyor belt 102 near the parallel robot 104. This is because the parallel robot 104 only picks up qualified seeds that are determined by the camera component 103 to be "opening downwards". The unqualified seeds that are not picked up will be transported to the end of the feeding conveyor belt 102 and fall into the return vibrating channel 105. Through vibration, the unqualified seeds are smoothly transported to the return conveyor belt 106. The return conveyor belt 106 uses a directional transmission function to send the seeds to the return distribution guide plate 107. The return distribution guide plate 107 has two discharge ends that are respectively connected to the two feed ports of the feeding vibrating plate 101. This can realize the uniform distribution of the returned seeds into the vibrating plate, avoid the accumulation of material on one side of the vibrating plate, and ensure the stability of the subsequent "opening downwards" pre-position guidance of the inner wall of the vibrating channel. This forms a recycling system of "unqualified material - recycling - re-screening" and reduces material waste. Meanwhile, the photoelectric sensor 108 on the upper inner wall of the feeding vibratory plate 101 uses the principle of light signal reflection and blocking to detect the height of the remaining material in the plate in real time. Its signal connection with the external control terminal can send a feeding reminder signal in time when the height of the remaining material is lower than the preset threshold, so as to prevent the feeding conveyor belt 102 from breaking due to the lack of material in the vibratory plate, thereby avoiding the interruption of subsequent microwave heating and shaping processes and ensuring the continuity of the overall production process.

[0022] The photographing component 103 includes an industrial camera and a light source module. The lens of the industrial camera faces the feeding conveyor belt 102 directly below, and the light source module is arranged around the lens of the industrial camera. The photographing component 103 is connected to an external control computer and can transmit the collected areca nut seed posture data to the external control computer in real time.

[0023] Specifically, the camera component 103 is connected to the signal of the external control computer, which can transmit the collected posture data to the control computer in real time. The principle is to achieve low-latency transmission of image data by relying on the data transmission link, so that the control computer can quickly analyze and judge the posture of the ladle through the preset image recognition algorithm, and then send the grasping command to the parallel robot 104 in a timely manner to ensure synchronization with the transmission rhythm of the feeding conveyor belt 102, avoid qualified ladles being missed or misgrabbed due to data transmission delay, and ensure the accuracy and smoothness of the feeding process.

[0024] The microwave heating machine 2 includes a microwave heating conveyor belt 201 and a areca nut transfer robot 202. The feeding end of the microwave heating conveyor belt 201 corresponds to the placement range of the parallel robot 104. The areca nut transfer robot 202 includes a multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm and a vacuum suction cup. The vacuum suction cup is fixedly installed at the execution end of the multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm. The vacuum suction cup is connected to an external negative pressure generating device through an air pipe, which can generate negative pressure to adsorb the softened areca nut seeds at the discharge end of the microwave heating conveyor belt 201, and under the drive of the multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm, the areca nut seeds are stably placed on the preset work position of the connecting line moving trolley 302.

[0025] The feeding end of the microwave heating conveyor belt 201 corresponds to the placement range of the parallel robot 104. The principle is to ensure that the qualified areca nuts with the "opening downward" gripped by the parallel robot 104 can be directly and stably placed on the microwave heating conveyor belt 201, avoiding material falling or posture deviation due to misalignment of workstations, realizing seamless connection between the feeding and heating stages, and ensuring the continuity of material transmission. The areca nut transfer robot 202 adopts a multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm, which is based on its characteristic of being able to flexibly adjust the spatial position of the execution end. The multi-degree-of-freedom design can adapt to the spatial position differences between the two workstations, ensuring precise alignment. The vacuum suction cup at the execution end is connected to an external negative pressure generating device through an air pipe. Its principle is to use the air pressure difference generated by negative pressure to form an adsorption force. Since the areca nut seeds are in a softened state after microwave heating, mechanical clamping can easily damage their shape. Vacuum adsorption can steadily grasp the softened seeds through uniform negative pressure force, avoiding material damage. At the same time, with the stable drive of the multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm, the softened seeds can be accurately and stably placed at the preset workstation of the connecting line moving trolley 302, providing the processing material with complete shape and accurate position for the subsequent extrusion and shaping process, ensuring efficient connection between the heating and shaping processes.

[0026] The main body 3 of the areca nut shaping machine includes a feeding lifting assembly 301, a connecting line moving trolley 302, a shift fork drive assembly 303, a return lifting assembly 304, and a receiving box 306. The connecting line moving trolley 302 is slidably mounted on a preset circulating track and is located between the feeding lifting assembly 301 and the return lifting assembly 304. The shift fork drive assembly 303 is adapted to the connecting line moving trolley 302 and is used to drive the trolley to move along the track. The receiving box 306 is located at the end of the main body 3 of the areca nut shaping machine away from the microwave heating machine 2 and is located below the end of the circulating track. The areca nut transfer robot 202 is located between the discharge end of the microwave heating conveyor belt 201 and the connecting line moving trolley 302, and its gripping range covers both the discharge end of the microwave heating conveyor belt 201 and the connecting line moving trolley 302.

[0027] Specifically, the trolley is driven to move along the circulating track at a preset rhythm to avoid deviation or jamming, ensuring the shaping process proceeds in sequence. The receiving box 306 is located at the end of the areca nut shaping machine 3 away from the microwave heating machine 2 and below the end of the circulating track. This is because when the trolley moves to the end of the track, the shaped areca nuts will be released from the trolley's constraint and fall naturally under gravity. The receiving box 306 below can accurately receive the finished product, preventing material spillage or contamination. The areca nut transfer robot 202 is located between the discharge end of the microwave heating conveyor belt 201 and the connecting line moving trolley 302, and its gripping range covers both. Its principle is to accurately transfer the softened areca nuts after microwave heating from the conveyor belt to the preset work position of the trolley through spatial adaptation, realizing a seamless connection between the "heating-shaping" process, ensuring that the softened nuts can quickly enter the shaping process, and avoiding the hardening of the nuts due to transfer delays, which would affect the shaping effect.

[0028] The main unit 3 of the areca nut shaping machine also includes an ultrasonic cleaner 305. The cleaning tank of the ultrasonic cleaner 305 has an upward opening. The return lifting component 304 is controlled by an external control terminal to drive the connecting line moving trolley 302 to descend, so that the trolley is immersed in the cleaning tank of the ultrasonic cleaner 305. The connecting line moving trolley 302 is cleaned by ultrasonic vibration. After cleaning, the return lifting component 304 drives the trolley to reset, and the cleaning of all connecting line moving trolleys 302 is completed in sequence.

[0029] Specifically, the ultrasonic cleaner 305 has its cleaning tank opening facing upwards, structurally compatible with the vertical lifting and lowering action of the trolley driven by the return lifting assembly 304. This eliminates the need for an additional horizontal transfer mechanism, preventing collisions between the trolley and the cleaning tank and simplifying the cleaning process. The external control terminal controls the return lifting assembly 304 to lower the trolley, utilizing the inherent lifting and adjustment function of the assembly itself. This achieves functional reuse, reduces additional drive components, and lowers costs. After the trolley is immersed in the cleaning tank, the ultrasonic cleaner 305 operates through ultrasonic vibration. The principle is that ultrasonic waves generate high-frequency vibrations when propagating in the cleaning fluid, causing the cleaning fluid to form tiny bubbles. The impact force released when the bubble bursts can penetrate deep into the gaps of the shaping station and the mold contact surface of the moving trolley 302 on the connecting line, which are difficult to reach by manual cleaning, and thoroughly remove residual areca nut residue to meet the hygiene requirements of the food processing industry. After cleaning, the return lifting component 304 drives the trolley to reset, so as to send the cleaned trolley back to the circulation track and ensure that the trolley can participate in the material shaping process normally during subsequent production. The design of "cleaning all trolleys in sequence" can be automatically executed during production breaks or after the end of each day's production through the timing control of the external control terminal, without the need for manual intervention. This improves cleaning efficiency and avoids the tediousness and hygiene hazards of manual cleaning.

[0030] The feeding lifting assembly 301 includes a lifting platform and a lifting cylinder. The lifting platform is slidably adapted to the circulating track. The piston rod of the lifting cylinder is fixedly connected to the bottom of the lifting platform. When the lifting platform is driven to rise by the lifting cylinder, it can drive the connecting line moving trolley 302 to rise to the upper track of the circulating line of the areca nut shaping machine main unit 3. The return lifting assembly 304 has the same structure as the feeding lifting assembly 301. When its lifting platform falls, it can drive the connecting line moving trolley 302 to fall to the lower track of the circulating line, realizing the cyclic movement of the connecting line moving trolley 302 between the upper and lower tracks of the circulating line.

[0031] Specifically, the lifting platform of the feeding lifting assembly 301 is slidably adapted to the circulating track, structurally ensuring that the lifting platform will not deviate from the track direction when moving the trolley, thus guaranteeing movement stability. Its lifting cylinder is fixedly connected to the bottom of the lifting platform through a piston rod, and uses the principle of air pressure to drive the piston rod to extend and retract, realizing the vertical lifting of the lifting platform. When the lifting cylinder drives the lifting platform to rise, it can simultaneously drive the connecting line moving trolley 302 placed on the lifting platform to rise until the trolley track is at the same height as the upper track of the circulating line of the areca nut shaping machine main unit 3, and the track interface is aligned, i.e., "parallel track", so that the trolley can smoothly enter the upper track to participate in the process. The shaping process; the return lifting assembly 304 has the same structure and lifting drive logic as the loading lifting assembly 301, but its core function is to lower the trolley by lowering the lifting platform after the trolley completes the shaping and unloading, so that the trolley track is aligned with the lower track of the circulating line, and the trolley returns to the initial receiving position along the lower track, thus forming a cyclic path of "upper track working - lower track resetting"; the two work together to lift and lower, and to move up and down, so that the connecting line moving trolley 302 can automatically switch between different tracks without manual intervention, ensuring the continuous operation of the shaping process and improving the overall operating efficiency of the equipment.

[0032] Working principle: Before starting the machine each day, the operator manually pours the areca nut seeds to be processed into the feeding vibratory plate 101; after starting the machine, the feeding vibratory plate 101 starts, and the special vibration track preset on its inner wall, through the coordination of vibration frequency and track slope, makes the areca nut seeds automatically adjust their posture as they slide along the vibration track, and finally slide out from the discharge end of the feeding vibratory plate 101 with the "opening facing down" uniform posture, and accurately connect to the feed end of the feeding conveyor belt 102; The feeding conveyor belt 102 transports areca nuts at a constant speed. When the nuts pass directly under the camera component 103, the camera component 103 starts taking pictures and collects posture data such as the opening orientation and placement angle of the nuts in real time. The data is then transmitted to an external control computer via a data cable. The light source module can eliminate ambient light interference and ensure the accuracy of posture data acquisition. The external control computer analyzes the posture data. If it determines that the ladle is in a qualified posture with the opening facing down, it sends a grasping command to the parallel robot 104. The parallel robot 104 adjusts the angle of the robotic arm and the grasping position according to the command, accurately grasps the qualified ladle, and places it stably on the preset station at the feeding end of the microwave heating conveyor belt 201 of the microwave heating machine 2, thus completing the connection between the feeding stage and the heating stage.

[0033] If the external control computer determines that the grains are in an unqualified "opening upwards" position, it will not send a grasping command to the parallel robot 104. The unqualified grains continue to move with the feeding conveyor belt 102 and eventually slide off the discharge end of the feeding conveyor belt 102, entering the return vibrating channel 105. The return vibrating channel 105 conveys the unqualified grains to the return conveyor belt 106 through vibration. The return conveyor belt 106 conveys them in the opposite direction to the return distribution guide plate 107. The return distribution guide plate 107 uses a distribution structure to evenly guide the grains back to the two feed ports of the feeding vibrating plate 101, realizing the recycling and reprocessing of unqualified materials and reducing material waste.

[0034] The photoelectric sensor 108 on the upper inner wall of the feeding vibratory plate 101 detects the height of the remaining material in the plate in real time. When the height of the remaining material is lower than the preset threshold, the photoelectric sensor 108 sends an electrical signal to the external control terminal. The control terminal reminds the operator to add material in time through sound and light alarms to avoid interruption of subsequent processes due to lack of material.

[0035] The core function of microwave heating machine 2 is to heat the areca nut seeds of qualified shape to a softened state, providing plasticity for subsequent extrusion and shaping. The specific operating steps are as follows: The microwave heating conveyor belt 201 is precisely aligned with the placement range of the parallel robot 104. After the parallel robot 104 places qualified seeds onto the microwave heating conveyor belt 201, the conveyor belt 201 transports the seeds into the microwave heating furnace at a constant speed. Once the seeds enter the microwave heating furnace, the furnace starts microwave heating according to preset parameters. Microwave energy penetrates the seeds, softening their fiber structure and making them easier to extrude and shape. During the heating process, the microwave heating conveyor belt 201 continuously transports the seeds, ensuring uniform heating and consistent heating time. The softened areca nuts are transported to the discharge end of the heating furnace by the microwave heating conveyor belt 201. At this time, the areca nut transfer robot 202 located on the side of the discharge end is activated. The end of the areca nut transfer robot 202 is equipped with a vacuum suction cup, which is connected to an external negative pressure generating device through an air pipe. After the negative pressure is activated, it generates an adsorption force to accurately adsorb the softened areca nuts. Then, the areca nut transfer robot 202 transfers the adsorbed nuts to the preset station of the connecting line moving trolley 302 of the areca nut shaping machine main unit 3 through the movement of the multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm, completing the seamless connection from the heating stage to the shaping stage. During the transfer, the vacuum adsorption force can prevent the nuts from deforming or falling, ensuring the integrity of the material.

[0036] After the areca nut transfer robot 202 places the softened areca nut kernels onto the workstation of the connecting line moving trolley 302, the positioning sensor built into the connecting line moving trolley 302 confirms that the material is in place. Then the trolley starts the mold closing structure; the drive cylinder pushes the two shaping pressure plates to close inward, applying a preset pressure to the softened areca nut kernels. The squeezing and shaping time lasts for 15 to 20 seconds, so that the kernel shape is fixed to the preset opening size and shape. After the shaping is completed, the feeding lifting component 301 is activated, and the lifting cylinder pushes the lifting platform up, which in turn drives the connecting line moving trolley 302 to rise to be level with the upper track of the circulating line of the main body 3 of the areca nut shaping machine. Then, the shift fork drive component 303 is activated. One end of the drive shift fork of the shift fork drive component 303 is engaged in the slot on the side wall of the connecting line moving trolley 302, and the other end moves along the guide rail under the push of the electric cylinder, thereby driving the connecting line moving trolley 302 to slide along the upper track of the circulating line to the next station. At the same time, another unloaded connecting line moving trolley 302 moves from the lower track of the circulating line to the return lifting component 304 station, waiting to receive the next batch of softened areca nuts.

[0037] When the connecting trolley 302, carrying the shaped areca nuts, slides along the upper track of the circulation line to the rightmost finished product station, the mold closing structure of the connecting trolley 302 is activated and reset, and the shaping pressure plate opens outward. At this time, the shaped areca nuts lose their clamping force and slide off the connecting trolley 302 station under the action of gravity, falling into the receiving box 306 located below, completing the finished product collection. The receiving box 306 can hold multiple finished products, and when the box is full, the operator can remove it and replace it with an empty box without affecting the continuous operation of the equipment.

[0038] After the finished products are collected, the unloaded connecting line trolley 302 continues to slide along the upper track of the circulation line to the return lifting assembly 304. The return lifting assembly 304 is activated, and the lifting cylinder drives the lifting platform to descend, making the connecting line trolley 302 aligned with the lower track of the circulation line. Subsequently, the lower fork drive assembly 303 is activated, driving the fork to push the unloaded trolley along the lower track to the initial position next to the loading lifting assembly 301, waiting to receive the next batch of softened areca nuts transferred by the areca nut transfer robot 202, forming a cyclical operation of the connecting line trolley 302 to ensure the continuous operation of the shaping process.

[0039] To ensure food processing hygiene and safety, the equipment initiates an automatic cleaning process after each workday to clean the connecting line trolleys 302. Operators send cleaning commands via an external control terminal, or the equipment initiates the cleaning process according to a preset program. At this time, all connecting line trolleys 302 are unloaded and move to the return lifting assembly 304. The return lifting assembly 304 is activated, and the lifting cylinder lowers the lifting platform, slowly immersing the connecting line trolleys 302 into the cleaning tank of the ultrasonic cleaner 305 located beside it. The cleaning tank is pre-filled with food-grade cleaning solution. The ultrasonic cleaner 305 is activated, generating high-frequency ultrasonic vibrations. These ultrasonic vibrations create microbubbles in the cleaning solution; when these bubbles burst, they generate impact force, penetrating deep into the gaps and hard-to-reach areas of the connecting line trolleys 302, such as the surface of the mold pressing plate, to remove residual areca nut residue and stains. After cleaning, the ultrasonic cleaner 305 stops working, and the return lifting assembly 304 lifts the connecting line trolleys 302, removing them from the cleaning tank. The equipment then activates a drying device, such as a compressed air nozzle, to dry the surface of the connecting line moving trolley 302, preventing residual cleaning solution from breeding bacteria. After drying, the connecting line moving trolley 302 moves along the circulation track to its initial workstation, awaiting startup the next day. All connecting line moving trolleys 302 are cleaned sequentially according to the above process to ensure that each trolley meets the cleaning standards.

[0040] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An intelligent areca nut seed shaping machine, characterized in that, It includes a betel nut seed double-outlet feeding machine (1), a microwave heating machine (2), and a betel nut shaping machine main unit (3) connected in sequence. The areca nut seed double-outlet feeding machine (1) includes a feeding vibratory plate (101), a feeding conveyor belt (102), a camera component (103), and a parallel robot (104). The inner wall of the feeding vibratory plate (101) is provided with a vibration channel structure for outputting areca nut seeds with the opening facing downwards. The discharge end of the feeding vibratory plate (101) is connected to the feed end of the feeding conveyor belt (102). The camera component (103) is fixedly installed directly above the feeding conveyor belt (102) for collecting the posture data of the areca nut seeds on the conveyor belt. The parallel robot (104) is located above the feeding conveyor belt (102) on the side away from the feeding vibratory plate (101), and the gripping range of the parallel robot (104) covers the discharge end of the feeding conveyor belt (102). The microwave heating machine (2) includes a microwave heating conveyor belt (201) and a betel nut transfer robot (202). The feeding end of the microwave heating conveyor belt (201) corresponds to the placement range of the parallel robot (104).

2. The intelligent areca nut seed shaping machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The areca nut seed double-outlet feeding machine (1) also includes a return material vibrating channel (105), a return material conveyor belt (106), and a return material distribution guide plate (107). The feeding end of the return material vibrating channel (105) is located on the side of the feeding conveyor belt (102) close to the parallel robot (104). The return material vibrating channel (105) is used to receive areca nut seeds that are not grabbed by the parallel robot (104). The discharge end of the return material vibrating channel (105) is fixedly connected to the feeding end of the return material conveyor belt (106). The discharge end of the return material conveyor belt (106) is connected to the feeding end of the return material distribution guide plate (107). The two discharge ends of the return material distribution guide plate (107) correspond to the two feeding ports of the feeding vibrating plate (101) respectively, and are used to guide the returned areca nut seeds back to the feeding vibrating plate (101).

3. The intelligent areca nut seed shaping machine according to claim 2, characterized in that, A photoelectric sensor (108) is fixedly installed on the upper part of the inner side wall of the feeding vibratory plate (101). The photoelectric sensor (108) is connected to an external control terminal. The photoelectric sensor (108) is used to detect the height of the remaining material in the feeding vibratory plate (101). When the height of the remaining material is lower than a preset threshold, a feeding reminder signal is sent to the external control terminal.

4. The intelligent areca nut seed shaping machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The photographing component (103) includes an industrial camera and a light source module. The lens of the industrial camera faces the feeding conveyor belt (102) directly below. The light source module is arranged around the lens of the industrial camera. The photographing component (103) is connected to an external control computer and can transmit the collected areca nut seed posture data to the external control computer in real time.

5. The intelligent areca nut seed shaping machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The areca nut transfer robot (202) includes a multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm and a vacuum suction cup. The vacuum suction cup is fixedly installed at the execution end of the multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm. The vacuum suction cup is connected to an external negative pressure generating device through an air pipe. It can generate negative pressure to adsorb the softened areca nut seeds at the discharge end of the microwave-heated conveyor belt (201) and, under the drive of the multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm, place the areca nut seeds stably on the preset work position of the connecting line moving trolley (302).

6. The intelligent areca nut seed shaping machine according to claim 5, characterized in that, The main body (3) of the areca nut shaping machine includes a feeding lifting assembly (301), a connecting line moving trolley (302), a shift fork drive assembly (303), a return lifting assembly (304), and a receiving box (306). The connecting line moving trolley (302) is slidably mounted on a preset circulating track and is located between the feeding lifting assembly (301) and the return lifting assembly (304). The shift fork drive assembly (303) is adapted to the connecting line moving trolley (302) and is used to drive the trolley to move along the track. The receiving box (306) is located at the end of the main body (3) of the areca nut shaping machine away from the microwave heating machine (2) and is located below the end of the circulating track. The areca nut transfer robot (202) is located between the discharge end of the microwave heating conveyor belt (201) and the connecting line moving trolley (302), and its gripping range covers both the discharge end of the microwave heating conveyor belt (201) and the connecting line moving trolley (302).

7. The intelligent areca nut seed shaping machine according to claim 6, characterized in that, The main unit (3) of the betel nut shaping machine also includes an ultrasonic cleaner (305). The cleaning tank of the ultrasonic cleaner (305) faces upward. The return lifting component (304) is controlled by an external control terminal to drive the connecting line moving trolley (302) to descend, so that the trolley is immersed in the cleaning tank of the ultrasonic cleaner (305). The connecting line moving trolley (302) is cleaned by ultrasonic vibration. After cleaning, the return lifting component (304) drives the trolley to reset, and the cleaning of all connecting line moving trolleys (302) is completed in sequence.

8. The intelligent areca nut seed shaping machine according to claim 7, characterized in that, The loading lifting assembly (301) includes a lifting platform and a lifting cylinder. The lifting platform is slidably adapted to the circulating track. The piston rod of the lifting cylinder is fixedly connected to the bottom of the lifting platform. When the lifting platform is driven to rise by the lifting cylinder, it can drive the connecting line moving trolley (302) to rise to the upper track of the circulating line of the areca nut shaping machine main unit (3). The structure of the return lifting assembly (304) is the same as that of the loading lifting assembly (301). When its lifting platform falls, it can drive the connecting line moving trolley (302) to fall to the lower track of the circulating line, so as to realize the cyclic movement of the connecting line moving trolley (302) between the upper and lower tracks of the circulating line.

Images