A high-efficiency air-drying equipment and method for kelp production

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of kelp processing technology, and provides a high-efficiency air-drying equipment and method for kelp production, including a hot air circulation chamber, a circulating moving mechanism, a hanging module, a hook-off module, and an air-drying rack. The circulating moving mechanism includes a driving component, a transmission shaft, a gear, and a transmission belt. The gear is fixedly mounted on the surface of the transmission shaft. The driving component controls the rotation of the transmission shaft. The inner side of the transmission belt is connected to the gear. The hanging module includes a hook, an inclined surface, and a movable pin. The movable pin is fixedly connected to the hook body of the hook. The hook groove of the hook has inclined surfaces on both sides that face the component. The hook is used to suspend the rope loops binding the kelp. The hook-off module includes a limiting frame and a telescopic cylinder. The telescopic cylinder is located between the air-drying rack and the limiting frame. The hook body can contact the limiting frame, thereby ensuring smooth hook-off and realizing the function of automatically collecting the air-dried kelp.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of food kelp processing technology, and more specifically, to a high-efficiency air-drying equipment and method for kelp production. Background Technology

[0002] In food processing, when processing kelp, because the kelp leaves are large and thin, they tend to stack together when laid flat, leading to uneven heating and difficulty in evaporating moisture. Therefore, hanging and air-drying are generally used. In this way, each piece of kelp can fully contact the air, increasing the surface area and speeding up the drying process. In addition, gravity may help the moisture to flow downwards, reducing the amount of residual moisture inside.

[0003] The existing kelp drying equipment still has the following defects: (1) Although traditional kelp drying equipment can achieve continuous operation, the salt crystals, sticky algae, mud and small organisms on the surface of kelp will hinder the evaporation of water, seriously affecting the drying speed and the quality of the finished product (such as dull color and poor rehydration). The existing technology lacks effective and automatic means of removing impurities, and relies heavily on manual handling and beating, which has the problems of high labor intensity, low efficiency, high cost and difficulty in ensuring the uniformity of beating.

[0004] (2) During the drying process, the salt and mucus that seep out of the kelp will cause the hanging rope ring to stick to the metal hook and crystallize and solidify. Existing unhooking methods (such as manual pulling, simple vibration or impact) have problems such as incomplete unhooking, low efficiency, easy to break the rope ring or damage the kelp, and low degree of automation. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a high-efficiency air-drying equipment and method for kelp production. Through the unique integration of mechanical beating into a continuous air-drying line, intelligent phased control of beating intensity, and a highly reliable dual-protection automatic unhooking mechanism, continuous assembly line operation, significant improvement in product quality, and full automation of the entire process from hanging to collection are achieved.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a high-efficiency air-drying device for kelp production, comprising a hot air circulation chamber and an air-drying rack, and further comprising:

[0007] The circulating moving mechanism is installed on the drying rack. The circulating moving mechanism includes a driving component, a transmission shaft, a gear, and a transmission belt. The gear is fixedly installed on the surface of the transmission shaft. The driving component is used to control the rotation of the transmission shaft. The inner side of the transmission belt is connected to the gear for transmission.

[0008] A hanging module is installed on the surface of the transmission belt. The hanging module includes a hook, an inclined surface and a movable pin. The movable pin is fixedly connected to the hook body. The hook groove has inclined surfaces on both sides that are inclined toward the component. The hook is used to suspend the rope ring for binding kelp.

[0009] The unhooking module is installed above the drying rack. The unhooking module includes a limiting frame and a telescopic cylinder. The telescopic cylinder is located between the drying rack and the limiting frame. The hook body can contact the limiting frame.

[0010] As a further embodiment of the present invention, a patting mechanism is also included, which includes a movable ring, a spherical protrusion, a Z-shaped rod, and a multi-link. The spherical protrusion is fixedly provided on the inner side of the movable ring, one end of the Z-shaped rod is rotatably connected to the bottom of the drying rack, and a multi-link is hinged between the movable ring and the Z-shaped rod.

[0011] As a further embodiment of the present invention, the surface of the transmission shaft is provided with a curved groove, and the spherical protrusion is slidably disposed within the curved groove.

[0012] As a further embodiment of the present invention, the drying rack is fixedly connected to a limiting rod, and the limiting rod passes through the movable ring.

[0013] As a further embodiment of the present invention, a wedge-shaped unhooking structure is provided on the side of the limiting frame away from the transmission belt. One end of the wedge-shaped unhooking structure can be distributed at the hook body position of the hook, and the other end can be located at the hook tip position of the hook. The rope loop can contact the wedge-shaped unhooking structure.

[0014] As a further embodiment of the present invention, the hanging module also includes a C-shaped frame and fasteners. The C-shaped frame is inserted into the surface of the transmission belt, and fasteners are fixedly connected between the transmission belt and the C-shaped frame. The movable pin is connected to the surface of the C-shaped frame.

[0015] As a further embodiment of the present invention, a bracket is fixedly connected above the drying rack, the fixed end of the telescopic cylinder is connected to the bracket, the limiting frame is fixedly connected to the movable end of the telescopic cylinder, and the horizontal side of the limiting frame is in contact with the surface of the bracket.

[0016] As a further embodiment of the present invention, a spring is movably sleeved on the surface of the limiting rod.

[0017] An efficient air-drying method for kelp production includes:

[0018] S100: The drive belt is controlled to move cyclically within the drying rack by using a drive unit, drive shaft and gears. The user hangs the rope loops for binding kelp in the hooks in the designated positions.

[0019] S200: After setting the wind speed and temperature parameters, the kelp is driven to dry in the hot air circulation chamber by the uniformly moving transmission belt and hanging module.

[0020] S300 After air drying, the telescopic cylinder controls the limit frame to move to the preset position of the air drying rack. When the hanging module passes through this position, the limit frame limits the position of the hook body, causing the hook to rotate 90 degrees counterclockwise around the movable pin axis and maintain sliding contact with the lower surface of the limit frame. Under the gravity of the kelp itself, the rope loop can slide naturally down the slope between the hook groove and the tip of the groove to achieve the purpose of automatic hook release.

[0021] The beneficial effects of the present invention are: (1) The present application utilizes the combination of the inclined structure design of the hook and the unhooking module, gravity unhooking (hook rotation) and forced unhooking (wedge structure) can solve the problem of rope loop adhesion, thereby ensuring the absolute reliability and automation of the unhooking process;

[0022] (2) This application can effectively simulate manual beating during continuous movement by using the linkage of curved groove, multi-link and Z-bar mechanism. By adjusting the speed of the transmission belt, it can dynamically match the drying process, achieve strong beating in the early stage and gentle anti-breakage in the later stage, which not only improves the drying speed, but also improves the product quality. Attached Figure Description

[0023] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0024] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the drying process according to the present invention.

[0026] Figure 3 This is a perspective view of the air-drying rack according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 4 This is a perspective view of the cyclic moving mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 5 This is a perspective view of the hanging module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 6 This is a bottom view of the hanging module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 7 This is a perspective view of the tapping mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 8 This is a perspective view of the unhooking module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 9 For the present invention Figure 2 Enlarged view of point a in the middle.

[0033] Figure 10 This is a partially enlarged view of the rope loop being unhooked using the unhooking module in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 11 This is a top-view enlarged view of the wedge-shaped unhooking structure and the rope loop in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 12 For the present invention Figure 1 Enlarged view of point b in the middle.

[0036] Figure 13 This is a front view of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 14 For the present invention Figure 13 Cross-sectional view at point AA.

[0038] Explanation of the labels in the diagram:

[0039] 1. Hot air circulation chamber; 2. Drying rack; 21. Limiting rod; 22. Spring; 23. Bracket; 3. Circulating movement mechanism; 31. Drive component; 32. Drive shaft; 33. Gear; 34. Drive belt; 35. Curved groove; 4. Hanging module; 41. Hook; 411. Inclined surface; 42. Movable pin; 43. C-shaped frame; 44. Fastener; 5. Beating mechanism; 51. Movable ring; 52. Spherical protrusion; 53. Z-shaped rod; 54. Multi-link; 6. Unhooking module; 61. Limiting frame; 62. Telescopic cylinder; 63. Wedge-shaped unhooking structure; 7. Rope ring; 8. Kelp. Detailed Implementation

[0040] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0041] Please see Figures 1 to 12 In one embodiment of the present invention, a high-efficiency air-drying device for kelp production includes a hot air circulation chamber 1 and an air-drying rack 2, and further includes:

[0042] The circulating moving mechanism 3 is set on the drying rack 2. The circulating moving mechanism 3 includes a driving component 31, a transmission shaft 32, a gear 33 and a transmission belt 34. The gear 33 is fixedly set on the surface of the transmission shaft 32. The driving component 31 is used to control the rotation of the transmission shaft 32. The inner side of the transmission belt 34 is connected to the gear 33. The surface of the transmission shaft 32 is provided with a curved groove 35.

[0043] The hanging module 4 is disposed on the surface of the transmission belt 34. The hanging module 4 includes a hook 41, an inclined surface 411, a movable pin 42, a chamfered frame 43, and a fastener 44. The movable pin 42 is fixedly connected to the hook body of the hook 41. The hook groove of the hook 41 is provided with inclined surfaces 411 that are inclined towards the component. The hook 41 is used to suspend the rope ring 7 for binding kelp 8. The chamfered frame 43 is inserted and connected to the surface of the transmission belt 34. The fastener 44 is fixedly connected between the transmission belt 34 and the chamfered frame 43. The movable pin 42 is connected to the surface of the chamfered frame 43.

[0044] The unhooking module 6 is installed above the drying rack 2. The unhooking module 6 includes a limiting frame 61 and a telescopic cylinder 62. The hook body of the hook 41 can contact the limiting frame 61. A bracket 23 is fixedly connected above the drying rack 2. The fixed end of the telescopic cylinder 62 is connected to the bracket 23. The limiting frame 61 is fixedly connected to the movable end of the telescopic cylinder 62. The horizontal side of the limiting frame 61 is in contact with the surface of the bracket 23.

[0045] In this embodiment of the invention, the transmission belt 34 drives the hook 41 of the suspended kelp 8 to move at a constant speed in the hot air circulation chamber 1, realizing the efficient drying of kelp 8 in batches and continuously. The telescopic cylinder 62 lowers the limit frame 61 to a preset position. When the hook 41 reaches this position, its hook body is blocked by the limit frame 61, forcing the hook 41 to rotate 90 degrees counterclockwise around the movable pin 42. At this time, under the action of the kelp 8's own gravity, most of the rope loops 7 can slide down naturally along the inclined plane 411. The gravity-based unhooking has the characteristics of being labor-saving and efficient.

[0046] Please see Figure 1 , Figures 7 to 14 In another embodiment of the present invention, a patting mechanism 5 is also included. The patting mechanism 5 includes a movable ring 51, a spherical protrusion 52, a Z-shaped rod 53 and a multi-link 54. The spherical protrusion 52 is fixedly provided on the inner side of the movable ring 51. One end of the Z-shaped rod 53 is rotatably connected to the bottom of the drying rack 2. The multi-link 54 is hinged between the movable ring 51 and the Z-shaped rod 53. The spherical protrusion 52 is slidably provided in the curved groove 35.

[0047] In this embodiment of the invention, the drying rack 2 is fixedly connected to a limiting rod 21, which passes through the movable ring 51. A spring 22 is movably sleeved on the surface of the limiting rod 21. The movable ring 51 with a spherical protrusion 52 is driven by the curved groove 35 on the transmission shaft 32. The linear reciprocating motion of the movable ring 51 is converted into the eccentric rotational motion of one end of the Z-shaped rod 53 (similar to a crank rocker) through the multi-link 54 mechanism. The rotating Z-shaped rod 53 has a smooth surface and can gently but effectively pat the seaweed 8 that passes by (especially in the early and middle stages of drying). The ingenious design of the eccentric rotational motion of the Z-shaped rod 53 can effectively pat the seaweed and allow the moving seaweed 8 to slide smoothly over its surface without hindering continuous transport.

[0048] Please see Figure 11 In another embodiment of the present invention, a wedge-shaped unhooking structure 63 is provided on the side of the limiting frame 61 away from the transmission belt 34. One end of the wedge-shaped unhooking structure 63 can be distributed at the hook body position of the hook 41, and the other end can be located at the hook tip position of the hook 41. The rope loop 7 can contact the wedge-shaped unhooking structure 63.

[0049] In this embodiment of the invention, for the special case where the rope loop 7 is stuck to the hook 41 due to crystallized salt and cannot be detached by gravity, the wedge-shaped unhooking structure 63 set on the limiting frame 61 plays a role. When the hook 41 rotates, the rope loop 7 will contact the wedge-shaped surface. The wedge-shaped structure can force the stuck rope loop 7 out along the inclined surface 411 of the hook groove by horizontal compression. The wedge-shaped structure is used to ensure a 100% unhooking success rate and realize true automated collection.

[0050] An efficient air-drying method for kelp production includes:

[0051] S100, Reference Appendix Figure 9 In the initial state, the telescopic cylinder 62 controls the limit frame 61 to move above the drying rack 2 to prevent the hook 41 from touching the limit frame 61. The drive unit 31, the drive shaft 32 and the gear 33 control the drive belt 34 to move cyclically within the drying rack 2. The user hangs the rope ring 7 that is used to tie the kelp 8 in the hook 41 (hook groove) in the designated position.

[0052] S200 After setting the wind speed and temperature parameters, the seaweed 8 is driven to dry in the hot air circulation chamber 1 by the uniformly circulating transmission belt 34 and the hanging module 4.

[0053] S300, Reference Appendix Figure 12The rotating drive shaft 32, through a curved groove 35 and a spherical protrusion 52, drives the movable ring 51 to reciprocate up and down along the limiting rod 21 (the spring 22 acts as a buffer). The moving movable ring 51, through a multi-link 54, controls one end of the Z-shaped rod 53 to rotate eccentrically around the axis of its other end (the principle is similar to a crank-connecting rod mechanism). See attached diagram. Figure 14 One end of the Z-shaped rod 53, which rotates eccentrically, can pat the kelp 8 as it passes by, without affecting the movement of the kelp 8 (the moving kelp 8 can slide directly over the smooth surface of the Z-shaped rod 53). This simulates manual patting, which removes salt crystals, sticky alginic acid, mud, small marine organisms, and other impurities from the kelp 8. Furthermore, removing the thick salt layer and mucus allows the internal moisture of the kelp 8 to evaporate more smoothly, thus accelerating the drying process. Patting also helps to break down some of the tight structures on the surface of the kelp 8, making it easier for the dried kelp 8 to absorb water and soften during subsequent soaking and rehydration, resulting in a more uniform texture. To ensure even drying, the kelp 8 will have a more uniform and vibrant color and a better texture. To prevent the kelp 8 from being easily broken during the later stages of drying, the moving speed of the transmission belt 34 gradually decreases during the early, middle, and late stages of drying. In the early stages of drying, the kelp 8 has a high moisture content and good toughness, so a faster moving speed (i.e., the Z-shaped bar 53 beats it relatively more frequently) can effectively remove initial impurities and mucus. In the later stages of drying, the kelp 8 becomes drier and more brittle, so slowing down the moving speed (i.e., the beating interval of the Z-shaped bar 53 is relatively longer, and the single contact force is relatively reduced) effectively prevents the kelp 8 from being broken. This adaptive beating intensity adjustment based on the drying process can ensure the beating effect is maximized while avoiding damage.

[0054] S400, after air drying, refer to the attached document. Figure 10 and 11 The telescopic cylinder 62 controls the movement of the limiting frame 61 to the preset position of the drying rack 2. When the hanging module 4 passes this position, the limiting frame 61 limits the position of the hook body, causing the hook 41 to rotate 90 degrees counterclockwise around the axis of the movable pin 42 and maintain sliding contact with the lower surface of the limiting frame 61. Under normal circumstances, the rope ring 7 can slide naturally down the inclined surface 411 between the hook groove and the tip of the groove under the gravity of the kelp 8, so as to achieve the purpose of automatic unhooking. However, when some rope rings 7 are attached to the hook 41 due to the presence of crystallized salt during the drying process, they are not easy to detach. The wedge-shaped unhooking structure 63 can force the rope ring 7 to be squeezed out of the hook 41 along the inclined surface 411 by horizontal compression, thereby ensuring smooth unhooking and realizing the function of automatically collecting the dried kelp 8.

[0055] In summary, this application utilizes the combination of the inclined surface 411 structure design of the hook 41 and the unhooking module 6 to solve the problem of rope loop 7 adhesion through gravity unhooking (hook 41 rotation) and forced unhooking (wedge structure), thereby ensuring the absolute reliability and automation of the unhooking process.

[0056] This application utilizes the coordinated mechanism of the curved groove 35, multi-link 54, and Z-shaped bar 53 to effectively simulate manual patting during continuous movement. By adjusting the speed of the transmission belt 34, the drying process is dynamically matched, achieving strong patting in the early stage and gentle anti-breakage in the later stage, which improves both the drying speed and the product quality.

[0057] While several embodiments and examples of the present invention have been described for those skilled in the art, these embodiments and examples are provided as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These new embodiments can be implemented in various other ways, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0058] Furthermore, it should be understood that although this specification describes embodiments, not every embodiment contains only one independent technical solution. This narrative style is merely for clarity. Those skilled in the art should consider the specification as a whole, and the technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A high-efficiency air-drying device for kelp production, comprising a hot air circulation chamber (1) and an air-drying rack (2), characterized in that, Also includes: The circulating moving mechanism (3) is set on the drying rack (2). The circulating moving mechanism (3) includes a driving member (31), a transmission shaft (32), a gear (33) and a transmission belt (34). The gear (33) is fixedly set on the surface of the transmission shaft (32). The driving member (31) is used to control the rotation of the transmission shaft (32). The inner side of the transmission belt (34) is connected to the gear (33) for transmission. The hanging module (4) is set on the surface of the transmission belt (34). The hanging module (4) includes a hook (41), an inclined surface (411) and a movable pin (42). The movable pin (42) is fixedly connected to the hook body of the hook (41). The hook groove of the hook (41) is provided with inclined surfaces (411) that are inclined toward the component. The hook (41) is used to suspend the rope loop (7) for binding the kelp (8). The unhooking module (6) is set above the drying rack (2). The unhooking module (6) includes a limiting frame (61) and a telescopic cylinder (62). The telescopic cylinder (62) is set between the drying rack (2) and the limiting frame (61). The hook body of the hook (41) can contact the limiting frame (61). The patting mechanism (5) includes a movable ring (51), a spherical protrusion (52), a Z-shaped rod (53) and a multi-link (54). The spherical protrusion (52) is fixedly provided on the inner side of the movable ring (51). One end of the Z-shaped rod (53) is rotatably connected to the bottom of the drying rack (2). The movable ring (51) and the Z-shaped rod (53) are hinged to a multi-link (54). The drive shaft (32) has a curved groove (35) on its surface. The spherical protrusion (52) is slidably disposed in the curved groove (35). The drying rack (2) is fixedly connected to a limiting rod (21), which passes through the movable ring (51).

2. The high-efficiency air-drying equipment for kelp production according to claim 1, characterized in that, The limiting frame (61) is provided with a wedge-shaped unhooking structure (63) on the side away from the transmission belt (34). One end of the wedge-shaped unhooking structure (63) can be distributed at the hook body position of the hook (41), and the other end can be located at the hook tip position of the hook (41). The rope loop (7) can contact the wedge-shaped unhooking structure (63).

3. The high-efficiency air-drying equipment for kelp production according to claim 2, characterized in that, The hanging module (4) also includes a convex frame (43) and a fastener (44). The convex frame (43) is inserted into the surface of the transmission belt (34). The fastener (44) is fixedly connected between the transmission belt (34) and the convex frame (43). The movable pin (42) is connected to the surface of the convex frame (43).

4. The high-efficiency air-drying equipment for kelp production according to claim 3, characterized in that, A bracket (23) is fixedly connected above the air drying rack (2). The fixed end of the telescopic cylinder (62) is connected to the bracket (23). The limiting frame (61) is fixedly connected to the movable end of the telescopic cylinder (62). The horizontal side of the limiting frame (61) is in contact with the surface of the bracket (23).

5. The high-efficiency air-drying equipment for kelp production according to claim 1, characterized in that, A spring (22) is movably sleeved on the surface of the limiting rod (21).

6. A high-efficiency air-drying method for kelp production, applied to a high-efficiency air-drying equipment for kelp production as described in any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, include: S100, using the drive unit (31), drive shaft (32) and gear (33) to control the drive belt (34) to move cyclically within the drying rack (2), and the user hangs the rope loops (7) binding the kelp (8) in the hook (41) in sequence at the designated position; S200. After setting the wind speed and temperature parameters, the kelp (8) is driven to dry in the hot air circulation chamber (1) by the uniformly circulating transmission belt (34) and the hanging module (4). S300. After air drying, the telescopic cylinder (62) is used to control the limit frame (61) to move to the preset position of the air drying frame (2). When the hanging module (4) passes through this position, the limit frame (61) limits the position of the hook body so that the hook (41) rotates 90 degrees counterclockwise around the axis of the movable pin (42) and maintains sliding contact with the lower surface of the limit frame (61). Under the gravity of the kelp (8), the rope ring (7) can slide naturally along the inclined surface (411) between the hook groove and the tip of the groove to achieve the purpose of automatic unhooking.

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