Drying device and drying method for traditional Chinese medicine processing

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of raw material drying, and discloses a drying device and a drying method for traditional Chinese medicine processing. Through the arrangement of the locking modules, the defect that the accuracy is insufficient due to the fact that the drying cart needs to be manually locked and positioned conventionally is overcome; due to the arrangement of the airflow guide mechanism in the drying cavity, a plurality of airflow channels passing through the drying stations respectively are formed in the drying cavity, and then it is guaranteed that the drying discs in the drying cart are located in the airflow channels, so that the situation that the drying cart slides to be separated from the drying stations due to the influence of airflow is avoided, and the drying efficiency is improved. According to the drying device, the material drying effect of all the drying discs in all the drying carts can be effectively guaranteed, locking and unlocking of all the locking modules can be controlled according to locking and unlocking of the electromagnetic door locks, the positioning and unlocking time of the drying carts can be saved, and the utilization efficiency of the whole drying device is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of raw material drying technology, specifically to a drying device and a drying method for processing traditional Chinese medicine. Background Technology

[0002] Drying equipment is an indispensable post-processing device in modern industrial production, widely used in many industries such as food, chemical, pharmaceutical, ceramic, textile, electroplating, and wood processing. Its core function is to use heat energy (which may come from steam, electricity, gas, or hot air furnaces, etc.) to heat materials that have been cleaned, coated, impregnated, or contain natural moisture, causing the moisture or solvent inside and on the surface of the material to evaporate, thereby achieving the specified degree of dryness or moisture content standard.

[0003] When drying equipment is used in the processing of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) herbs, the purpose of drying is to remove excess moisture, inhibit the activity of microorganisms and enzymes, prevent mold and spoilage, and simultaneously fix the active ingredients for easy storage, transportation, and subsequent dispensing. Unlike drying ordinary materials, drying TCM herbs requires extremely stringent process requirements. Many active ingredients in herbs, such as volatile oils, glycosides, and alkaloids, are highly sensitive to heat. Excessive drying temperature, prolonged drying time, or uneven heating can lead to the decomposition, oxidation, or volatilization of these active ingredients, resulting in a significant reduction in efficacy and even adverse reactions. Conversely, if drying is incomplete and residual moisture is too high, the herbs are highly susceptible to moisture absorption, mold growth, and insect infestation during storage, which can also lead to ineffectiveness and safety hazards.

[0004] In intermittent or batch drying operations, drying trolleys serve as a crucial link between upstream processes (such as loading and cleaning) and the core drying stage. These trolleys are typically designed with a multi-layered structure to maximize the use of the drying chamber space, fully loaded with workpieces to be dried placed on trays or racks. To ensure a stable and efficient drying process, the trolleys must be precisely locked into pre-set positions after entering the drying chamber. This ensures that the trolley maintains a precise relative position with the floor air vents or side wall air duct outlets of the drying chamber, allowing hot air to smoothly and evenly pass through the material layer on the trolley along the designed path, avoiding airflow "short circuits" or dead zones. It also ensures that the trolley, as a whole, will not shift or vibrate due to the impact of strong airflow during fan operation, affecting safety and stability. However, in existing technologies, if the drying trolley is not accurately positioned, it disrupts the carefully designed uniformity of the airflow field within the drying chamber. This can easily lead to over-drying of materials in the strong airflow zone, potentially causing surface hardening, charring, or damage to physicochemical properties. Meanwhile, materials in the dead zone, lacking sufficient heat and airflow, cannot effectively evaporate moisture, resulting in under-drying, internal dampness, or mold. This leads to severe uneven drying and poor quality consistency within the same batch of products. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides a drying apparatus and a drying method for processing traditional Chinese medicine.

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides the following technical solution: A drying device includes an oven shell and several oven doors. Each oven door, when closed with the oven shell, forms a drying cavity. Several oven tracks are provided at the bottom of the oven shell. When each oven door is opened, several drying trolleys can be pushed into the drying cavity along the oven tracks. Several drying stations are provided inside the drying cavity. Several locking modules are provided inside the oven tracks. When the oven doors are open, each locking module can be hidden inside the oven tracks. Each drying trolley has a sliding mounting mechanism. The oven contains several drying trays, each capable of holding materials to be dried. An airflow guiding mechanism is also provided on the outside of the oven shell to guide drying gas into the drying chamber and exhaust humid gas from inside the drying chamber. The oven door is equipped with an electromagnetic door lock, which closes and locks the oven door to the oven shell. When the electromagnetic door locks the oven door, each locking module retracts into the oven track, locking the drying trolley inside the drying station corresponding to the locking module.

[0007] Preferably, every two oven tracks form a track group, and the center distance between the two oven tracks in each track group is equal to the center distance between the wheel axles of the drying trolley. Each track group can restrict the movement direction of several drying trolleys in a row. Each oven track has a track opening at the end near the oven door, and the track spacing of the track opening gradually increases towards the end of the oven door.

[0008] Preferably, the oven shell and the interior of the oven doors are filled with a heat-insulating structure; the bottom of the oven shell is provided with a telescopic inclined surface, which is slidably connected to the interior of the oven shell, and can extend into and out of the bottom of the oven shell; the surface of the telescopic inclined surface is provided with a drag handle.

[0009] Preferably, the locking module includes a module mounting housing, two side limiting wedges, a module lifting assembly, and a locking drive assembly. The two side limiting wedges are respectively disposed on both sides of the module lifting assembly. A limiting groove is provided on the side of the side limiting wedges near the module lifting assembly, and a limiting slider is provided on the side of the two sliding wedges of the module lifting assembly near the corresponding side limiting wedges. Each limiting slider is embedded in the corresponding limiting groove. The module lifting assembly can slide up and down under the restriction of the two side limiting wedges on both sides, and maintains contact with the corresponding side limiting wedges during the sliding process of the sliding wedges.

[0010] Preferably, the module lifting assembly further includes an expansion spring, and the two limiting sliders are connected by the expansion spring. The distance between the two limiting sliders needs to be adjusted to overcome the elastic force of the expansion spring. The top ends of the two sliding wedges are respectively provided with interlocking teeth, and the interlocking teeth of the two sliding wedges are kept interlocked with each other. When the distance between the two sliding wedges is arbitrary, the planar connection of the top ends of the sliding wedges is maintained.

[0011] Preferably, the locking drive assembly includes a locking electromagnet, and the bottom end of the sliding wedge is also provided with a traction magnet. The electromagnetic door lock is provided with a door closing signal transmitter. When the electromagnetic door lock locks the oven door, the door closing signal transmitter continuously emits a door closing signal. The locking electromagnet remains energized while receiving the door closing signal. When the locking electromagnet is energized, the locking electromagnet attracts the two traction magnets, causing the two sliding wedges to move synchronously towards the end closer to the locking electromagnet, and at the same time overcome the elastic force of the expansion spring to move closer to each other, switching the module lifting assembly from the unlocked state to the locked state.

[0012] Preferably, when the module lifting assembly is in the locked state, the module lifting assembly restricts the rollers mounted on the bottom end of the axle of the corresponding drying trolley within the groove formed by the exposed side limiting wedge and the sliding wedge; when the module lifting assembly is in the unlocked state, under the elastic force of the expansion spring, the distance between the two sliding wedges remains at its maximum, the two sliding wedges are located at the top of the limiting groove, and the plane of the top of the sliding wedge is coplanar with the corresponding oven track.

[0013] Preferably, a heater is also provided inside the oven shell to maintain the drying environment of the drying chamber; the airflow guiding mechanism includes several exhaust fans and several intake fans, each of the exhaust fans and each of the intake fans is embedded inside the oven shell, and each of the intake fans is provided with a gas filter and a fan heating filter plate at the air inlet end located outside the oven shell.

[0014] Preferably, each of the air intake fans is located at the bottom of each drying station, and each of the exhaust fans is located at the top of each drying station; inside each drying station, the airflow direction is from the air intake fan, through the drying trolley, and out through the exhaust fan; several gas filter plates are slidably installed inside the gas filter, and each of the gas filter plates can slide out from inside the gas filter for replacement.

[0015] A drying method for processing traditional Chinese medicine, using the aforementioned drying apparatus, includes the following steps: The oven door is opened between the oven cabinet and the oven shell by unlocking the electromagnetic door lock; Place the Chinese medicinal herbs into each drying tray, and then slide each drying tray containing the Chinese medicinal herbs into each drying trolley. Each drying trolley loaded with Chinese medicinal herbs is pushed into the oven shell along the track of each oven, and each drying trolley is placed at its respective drying station. The oven door is closed and locked to the oven shell by electromagnetic door lock. Each locking module can retract into the oven track as the electromagnetic door lock is locked, locking the drying trolley in the drying station corresponding to the locking module. The drying temperature of the drying chamber and the airflow guidance of the airflow guiding mechanism are used to introduce dry gas into the drying chamber and exhaust the humid gas inside the drying chamber to dry the Chinese medicinal materials. After drying is complete, the oven door is unlocked by electromagnetic door lock. Each locking module is coplanar with the corresponding oven track, thereby releasing the lock on each drying trolley and moving each drying trolley out of the oven shell.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the present invention provides a drying device and a drying method for processing traditional Chinese medicine, which has the following beneficial effects: 1. This type of drying device uses locking modules to fix the drying trolley to each drying station, avoiding the inaccuracies of manual positioning required for conventional drying trolley locking. Due to the airflow guiding mechanism inside the drying chamber, several airflow channels are formed, each passing through a drying station. This ensures that each drying tray inside the drying trolley is positioned within its respective airflow channel, preventing the trolley from sliding off its drying station due to airflow interference. This effectively guarantees the drying effect of the materials on each drying tray within the trolley. Furthermore, the locking and unlocking of each locking module can be controlled by the electromagnetic door lock, saving positioning and unlocking time and improving the overall utilization efficiency of the drying device.

[0017] 2. This type of drying device maintains the drying temperature inside the drying chamber by filling the oven shell and several oven doors with heat-insulating structures, and balances the temperature loss when the airflow guiding mechanism discharges humid gas. The telescopic inclined plane can be slid out from the bottom of the oven shell by dragging the handle. Then, through the cooperation between the telescopic inclined plane and the oven track, and through the opening of the track, the drying trolley can be easily moved into the drying chamber along the corresponding oven track. The setting of the oven track can stably position the drying trolley, ensuring the drying effect of the material inside the drying trolley.

[0018] 3. In this drying device, when the locking module is in the unlocked state, the plane of the top of the sliding wedge is coplanar with the corresponding oven track, so as not to affect the continued movement of the rollers of the drying trolley along the oven track; and when the locking module is in the locked state, the module lifting assembly restricts the rollers installed at the bottom of the axle of the corresponding drying trolley into the groove formed by the exposed side limiting wedge and the sliding wedge, so that the rollers can be stably limited and locked by the inclined surface and groove of the side limiting wedge; during the process of the locking module switching between the locked and unlocked states, the two sliding wedges are kept in mutual insertion by the interlocking teeth, so that the plane of the top of the sliding wedge is maintained when the two sliding wedges are at any distance, thereby ensuring the support of the rollers in any state. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is one of the three-dimensional structural schematic diagrams of a drying device according to the present invention; Figure 2 This is a second three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of a drying device according to the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a drying device according to the present invention; Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a drying trolley for a drying device according to the present invention; Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the drying oven track of a drying device according to the present invention; Figure 6 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the air intake fan and gas filter of a drying device according to the present invention; Figure 7 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the air intake fan and the fan heating filter plate of a drying device according to the present invention; Figure 8 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a locking module of a drying device according to the present invention; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram showing the unlocked state of the locking module of a drying device according to the present invention; Figure 10This is a schematic diagram of the locking state of a locking module of a drying device according to the present invention; Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly structure of the locking module of a drying device according to the present invention in the locked state.

[0020] In the diagram: 1. Oven shell; 11. Telescopic ramp; 12. Drag handle; 2. Oven door; 3. Oven track; 31. Track opening; 4. Drying trolley; 41. Axle; 42. Roller; 5. Locking module; 51. Module mounting shell; 52. Side limiting wedge; 521. Limiting groove; 53. Module lifting assembly; 531. Sliding wedge; 532. Limiting slider; 533. Expansion spring; 534. Inserting tooth; 535. Traction magnet; 54. Locking drive assembly; 541. Locking electromagnet; 6. Drying tray; 7. Airflow guiding mechanism; 71. Exhaust fan; 72. Intake fan; 73. Gas filter; 731. Gas filter plate; 74. Fan-heated filter plate; 8. Electromagnetic door lock. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The technical solutions of 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.

[0022] As described in the background section, there are shortcomings in the existing technology. In order to solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this application proposes a drying device and a drying method for processing traditional Chinese medicine.

[0023] Example 1: Please see Figures 1-11A drying device includes an oven shell 1 and several oven doors 2. Each oven door 2, when closed with the oven shell 1, forms a drying cavity. Several oven tracks 3 are provided at the bottom of the oven shell 1. When each oven door 2 is opened, several drying trolleys 4 can be pushed into the drying cavity along the oven tracks 3. Several drying stations are provided inside the drying cavity. Several locking modules 5 are provided inside the oven tracks 3. When the oven doors 2 are open, each locking module 5 can be hidden inside the oven tracks 3. Each drying trolley 4 can... Several drying trays 6 are slidably loaded, each capable of holding the material to be dried; an airflow guiding mechanism 7 is also provided on the outside of the oven shell 1, which is used to guide the drying gas into the drying chamber and exhaust the humid gas inside the drying chamber; the oven door 2 is equipped with an electromagnetic door lock 8, which can close and lock the oven door 2 to the oven shell 1; when the electromagnetic door lock 8 locks the oven door 2, each locking module 5 can retract into the oven track 3 and lock the drying trolley 4 inside the drying station corresponding to the locking module 5.

[0024] In use, the materials to be dried (solids, fluids, such as Chinese medicinal herbs, herbal extracts, food ingredients, etc.) are placed evenly inside the drying trays 6. The drying trays 6 containing the materials are then slidably loaded into the drying trolleys 4. The oven doors 2 and oven shells 1 are then opened by unlocking the electromagnetic door locks 8 (whether preheating is required inside the drying chamber depends on the type of material). The drying trolleys 4 loaded with materials are then pushed into the oven shells 1 along the respective oven tracks 3 and placed at their respective drying positions. The oven doors 2 and oven shells 1 are then closed and locked by the electromagnetic door locks 8. Each locking module 5 retracts into the oven tracks 3 as the electromagnetic door locks 8 are locked, locking the drying trolleys 4 in the drying positions corresponding to the locking modules 5. This allows the drying gas to be introduced into the drying chamber through the drying temperature and the airflow guidance mechanism 7. The system vents humid gas from the drying chamber to dry the material. Specifically, during the drying process, each locking module 5 secures the drying trolley 4 to its respective drying station. This design avoids the inaccuracies of manual positioning required for conventional drying trolley 4 locking. The airflow guiding mechanism 7 within the drying chamber creates several airflow channels that pass through each drying station, ensuring that each drying tray 6 inside the drying trolley 4 is positioned within these channels. This prevents the drying trolley 4 from sliding off its drying station due to airflow issues, effectively guaranteeing the drying effect on the materials in each drying tray 6. Furthermore, the locking and unlocking of each locking module 5 is controlled by the electromagnetic door lock 8, saving positioning and unlocking time and improving the overall efficiency of the drying device.

[0025] Example 2: Please see Figures 1-11 The difference from the above embodiment is that every two oven tracks 3 form a track group, and the center distance between the two oven tracks 3 in each track group is equal to the center distance between the wheel axles 41 of the drying trolley 4. Each track group can restrict the movement direction of several drying trolleys 4 in a row. Each oven track 3 is provided with a track opening 31 at the end near the oven door 2, and the track spacing of the track opening 31 gradually increases towards the end of the oven door 2.

[0026] The oven shell 1 and several oven doors 2 are filled with heat-insulating structures; the bottom of the oven shell 1 is provided with a telescopic inclined surface 11, which is slidably connected to the inside of the oven shell 1. The telescopic inclined surface 11 can extend into and out of the bottom of the oven shell 1, and a drag handle 12 is provided on the surface of the telescopic inclined surface 11.

[0027] In practical use, the drying temperature inside the drying chamber is maintained by the heat insulation structure filled inside the oven shell 1 and several oven doors 2, and the temperature loss when the airflow guiding mechanism 7 discharges humid gas is balanced. The telescopic inclined plane 11 can be slid out from the bottom of the oven shell 1 by dragging the handle 12. Then, through the cooperation between the telescopic inclined plane 11 and the oven track 3, and through the opening of the track opening 31, the drying trolley 4 can be moved into the drying chamber along the corresponding oven track 3. The position of the drying trolley 4 can be stably positioned by the setting of the oven track 3, ensuring the drying effect of the material inside the drying trolley 4.

[0028] Example 3: Please see Figures 1-11 The difference from the above embodiment is that the locking module 5 includes a module mounting housing 51, two side limiting wedges 52, a module lifting assembly 53, and a locking drive assembly 54. The two side limiting wedges 52 are respectively disposed on both sides of the module lifting assembly 53. A limiting groove 521 is provided on the side of the side limiting wedges 52 near the module lifting assembly 53. A limiting slider 532 is provided on the side of the two sliding wedges 531 of the module lifting assembly 53 near the corresponding side limiting wedges 52. Each limiting slider 532 is embedded in the corresponding limiting groove 521. The module lifting assembly 53 can slide up and down under the restriction of the two side limiting wedges 52 on both sides, and maintains contact with the corresponding side limiting wedges 52 during the sliding of the sliding wedges 531.

[0029] The module lifting assembly 53 also includes an expansion spring 533. The two limit sliders 532 are connected by the expansion spring 533. The distance between the two limit sliders 532 needs to be adjusted to overcome the elastic force of the expansion spring 533. The top ends of the two sliding wedges 531 are respectively provided with interlocking teeth 534. The interlocking teeth 534 of the two sliding wedges 531 are kept interlocked with each other. When the distance between the two sliding wedges 531 is arbitrary, the planar connection of the top ends of the sliding wedges 531 is maintained.

[0030] The locking drive assembly 54 includes a locking electromagnet 541, and a traction magnet 535 is provided at the bottom of the sliding wedge 531. The electromagnetic door lock 8 is provided with a door closing signal transmitter. When the electromagnetic door lock 8 locks the oven door 2, the door closing signal transmitter continuously sends a door closing signal. The locking electromagnet 541 remains energized while receiving the door closing signal. When the locking electromagnet 541 is energized, it attracts two traction magnets 535, which drive the two sliding wedges 531 to move synchronously towards the end closer to the locking electromagnet 541. At the same time, they overcome the elastic force of the expansion spring 533 and move closer to each other, switching the module lifting assembly 53 from the unlocked state to the locked state.

[0031] When the module lifting assembly 53 is in the locked state, the module lifting assembly 53 restricts the roller 42 installed at the bottom end of the axle 41 of the corresponding drying trolley 4 within the groove formed by the exposed side limiting wedge 52 and the sliding wedge 531; when the module lifting assembly 53 is in the unlocked state, under the elastic force of the expansion spring 533, the distance between the two sliding wedges 531 remains at its maximum, the two sliding wedges 531 are located at the top of the limiting groove 521, and the plane of the top of the sliding wedge 531 is coplanar with the corresponding oven track 3.

[0032] This locking module 5 uses a door-closing signal transmitter on the electromagnetic door lock 8. When the electromagnetic door lock 8 locks the oven door 2, the door-closing signal transmitter continuously sends a door-closing signal. The locking electromagnet 541 remains energized while receiving the door-closing signal. When the locking electromagnet 541 is energized, it attracts the two traction magnets 535, causing them to slide towards one side of the locking electromagnet 541. Simultaneously, it overcomes the elastic force of the expansion spring 533 and moves closer to each other, causing the two sliding wedges 531 to slide synchronously along the limiting groove 521 and the limiting slider 532, thus switching the module lifting assembly 53 from the unlocked state to the locked state. Similarly, when the locking electromagnet 541 is de-energized, under the elastic force of the expansion spring 533, the two sliding wedges 531 maintain their maximum distance and slide to the top of the limiting groove 521, ensuring that the locking module 5 is in the unlocked state. In the locked state, the plane at the top of the sliding wedge 531 is coplanar with the corresponding oven track 3, so as not to affect the continued movement of the roller 42 of the drying trolley 4 along the oven track 3; and when the locking module 5 is in the locked state, the module lifting assembly 53 restricts the roller 42 installed at the bottom of the axle 41 of the corresponding drying trolley 4 into the groove formed by the exposed side limiting wedge 52 and the sliding wedge 531, so that the roller 42 can be stably limited by the inclined surface and groove of the side limiting wedge 52 (the diameter of the roller 42 is greater than the length of the plane at the top of the two sliding wedges 531 at this time) and locked; during the process of the locking module 5 switching between the locked state and the unlocked state, the two sliding wedges 531 are kept in mutual insertion by the insertion teeth 534, so that the plane at the top of the sliding wedge 531 is maintained when the two sliding wedges 531 are at any distance, thereby ensuring the support of the roller 42 in any state.

[0033] Example 4: Please see Figures 1-11The difference from the above embodiment is that a heater is also provided inside the oven shell 1, which is used to maintain the drying environment of the drying chamber; the airflow guiding mechanism 7 includes a number of exhaust fans 71 and a number of intake fans 72. Each exhaust fan 71 and each intake fan 72 is embedded inside the oven shell 1. Each intake fan 72 is provided with a gas filter 73 and a fan heating filter plate 74 at the air inlet end outside the oven shell 1.

[0034] Each air intake fan 72 is located at the bottom of each drying station, and each exhaust fan 71 is located at the top of each drying station. Inside each drying station, the airflow direction is from the air intake fan 72 through the drying trolley 4 and out through the exhaust fan 71. Several gas filter plates 731 are slidably installed inside the gas filter 73, and each gas filter plate 731 can slide out from inside the gas filter 73 for replacement.

[0035] In use, each intake fan 72 and an exhaust fan 71 work together to create an airflow path for a drying station. Each locking module 5 restricts each drying cart 4 within its respective airflow path, effectively expelling moisture from the material inside the drying cart 4 through the airflow path and ensuring the drying effect. While the intake fans 72 work together to create the airflow path, the air is filtered and purified by the gas filter plates 731 of the gas filter 73. The air is then heated by the fan heating the filter plates 74, reducing disturbance to the environment inside the drying chamber and preventing dust and other contaminants from the outside air from polluting the material, thus ensuring the cleanliness and efficiency of the drying process.

[0036] Example 5: A drying method for processing traditional Chinese medicine, using a drying apparatus as described in any one of Examples 1-4, includes the following steps: The oven door 2 and the oven shell 1 are opened by unlocking the electromagnetic door lock 8. Place the Chinese medicinal herbs into each drying tray 6, and then slide each drying tray 6 containing the Chinese medicinal herbs into each drying cart 4. Each drying cart 4 loaded with Chinese medicinal materials is pushed into the oven shell 1 along the oven track 3, and each drying cart 4 is placed at the drying station. The oven door 2 and the oven shell 1 are closed and locked by the electromagnetic door lock 8. Each locking module 5 can be retracted into the oven track 3 as the electromagnetic door lock 8 is locked, locking the drying trolley 4 inside the drying station corresponding to the locking module 5. The drying temperature of the drying chamber and the airflow guidance of the airflow guiding mechanism 7 are used to introduce the drying gas into the drying chamber and exhaust the humid gas inside the drying chamber to dry the Chinese medicinal materials. After drying is completed, the oven door 2 is unlocked by the electromagnetic door lock 8. Each locking module 5 is coplanar with the corresponding oven track 3, thereby releasing the lock on each drying trolley 4 and moving each drying trolley 4 out of the oven shell 1.

[0037] 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. A drying apparatus, comprising an oven shell and a plurality of oven doors, wherein each oven door, when closed with the oven shell, forms a drying cavity, characterized in that: The bottom of the oven shell is provided with several oven tracks, and when each of the oven doors is opened, several drying trolleys can be pushed into the drying cavity along each of the oven tracks. The drying chamber is equipped with several drying stations, and the oven track is equipped with several locking modules. When the oven door is open, each locking module can be hidden inside the oven track. Each of the aforementioned drying trolleys can slide and load several drying trays inside, and each of the aforementioned drying trays can hold materials that need to be dried. An airflow guiding mechanism is also provided on the outside of the oven shell. The airflow guiding mechanism is used to guide the drying gas into the drying chamber and to exhaust the humid gas inside the drying chamber. The oven door is equipped with an electromagnetic door lock, which can close and lock the oven door to the oven shell. When the electromagnetic door lock locks the oven door, each of the locking modules can retract into the oven track and lock the drying trolley inside the drying station corresponding to the locking module.

2. The drying apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each pair of oven tracks forms a track group, and the center distance between the two oven tracks in each track group is equal to the center distance between the wheel axles of the drying trolley. Each track group can restrict the movement direction of several drying trolleys in a row. Each of the oven tracks has a track opening at one end near the oven door, and the track spacing of the track openings gradually increases towards the oven door.

3. The drying apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that: The oven shell and several oven doors are all filled with heat-insulating structures. The bottom end of the oven shell is provided with a telescopic inclined surface, which is slidably connected to the inside of the oven shell. The telescopic inclined surface can extend into and out of the bottom end of the oven shell, and a drag handle is provided on the surface of the telescopic inclined surface.

4. The drying apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that: The locking module includes a module mounting housing, two side limiting wedges, a module lifting assembly, and a locking drive assembly. The two side limiting wedges are respectively disposed on both sides of the module lifting assembly. The side limiting wedge is provided with a limiting groove on the side near the module lifting assembly, and the two sliding wedges of the module lifting assembly are provided with limiting sliders on the side near the corresponding side limiting wedges. Each of the limiting sliders is embedded in the corresponding limiting groove. The module lifting assembly can slide up and down under the restriction of the two side limiting wedges on both sides, and maintains contact with the corresponding side limiting wedge during the sliding process of the sliding wedge.

5. A drying apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that: The module lifting assembly also includes an expansion spring, and the two limit sliders are connected by the expansion spring. The distance between the two limit sliders needs to be adjusted to overcome the elastic force of the expansion spring. The top ends of the two sliding wedges are respectively provided with interlocking teeth, and the interlocking teeth of the two sliding wedges are kept interlocked with each other. When the two sliding wedges are at any distance, the planar connection of the top ends of the sliding wedges is maintained.

6. A drying apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that: The locking drive assembly includes a locking electromagnet, and the bottom end of the sliding wedge is also provided with a traction magnet. The electromagnetic door lock is provided with a door closing signal transmitter. When the electromagnetic door lock locks the oven door, the door closing signal transmitter continuously sends a door closing signal. The locking electromagnet remains energized while receiving the door closing signal. When the locking electromagnet is energized, it attracts the two traction magnets, causing the two sliding wedges to move synchronously toward the end closer to the locking electromagnet, and at the same time overcomes the elastic force of the expansion spring to move closer to each other, switching the module lifting assembly from the unlocked state to the locked state.

7. A drying apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that: When the module lifting assembly is in the locked state, the module lifting assembly restricts the rollers installed at the bottom end of the axle of the corresponding drying trolley within the groove formed by the exposed side limiting wedge and the sliding wedge; When the module lifting assembly is in the unlocked state, under the elastic force of the expansion spring, the distance between the two sliding wedges remains at its maximum, the two sliding wedges are located at the top of the limiting groove, and the plane of the top of the sliding wedge is coplanar with the corresponding oven track.

8. A drying apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that: The oven shell is also equipped with a heater to maintain the drying environment of the drying chamber; the airflow guiding mechanism includes several exhaust fans and several intake fans, each of which is embedded inside the oven shell, and each of which is equipped with a gas filter and a fan heating filter plate at the air inlet end outside the oven shell.

9. A drying apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that: Each of the aforementioned air intake fans is located at the bottom of each drying station, and each of the aforementioned exhaust fans is located at the top of each drying station. Inside each drying station, the airflow direction is from the intake fan, through the drying trolley, and out from the exhaust fan; The gas filter has several gas filter plates that are slidably installed inside, and each gas filter plate can be slid out from inside the gas filter for replacement.

10. A drying method for processing traditional Chinese medicine, characterized in that, The use of a drying apparatus as described in any one of claims 1-9 includes the following steps: The oven door is opened between the oven cabinet and the oven shell by unlocking the electromagnetic door lock; Place the Chinese medicinal herbs into each drying tray, and then slide each drying tray containing the Chinese medicinal herbs into each drying trolley. Each drying trolley loaded with Chinese medicinal herbs is pushed into the oven shell along the track of each oven, and each drying trolley is placed at its respective drying station. The oven door is closed and locked to the oven shell by electromagnetic door lock. Each locking module can retract into the oven track as the electromagnetic door lock is locked, locking the drying trolley in the drying station corresponding to the locking module. The drying temperature of the drying chamber and the airflow guidance of the airflow guiding mechanism are used to introduce dry gas into the drying chamber and exhaust the humid gas inside the drying chamber to dry the Chinese medicinal materials. After drying is complete, the oven door is unlocked by electromagnetic door lock. Each locking module is coplanar with the corresponding oven track, thereby releasing the lock on each drying trolley and moving each drying trolley out of the oven shell.

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