Drying equipment for tea processing

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of tea leaf drying, and particularly discloses a drying device for tea leaf processing, which comprises a drying box, a plurality of layers of drying plates are arranged in the drying box, the top of each layer of drying plate is provided with a movable scraper and a high-temperature air plate, and the high-temperature air plates are used for blowing out circulating hot air to tea leaves on the drying plates. The movable scraping plate is installed on the hard belt, the hard belt is installed on the transmission wheel to enable the movable scraping plate to act on the upper layer and the lower layer, through the arrangement of the movable scraping plate, inherent circulating motion can be used as a power source, heat energy of a drying environment is used as a control signal, aroma substances are released in an atomized mode at the optimal temperature in the box, and therefore the aroma substances can be effectively dried. And the tea leaves are carried by circulating hot air and can be in full and uniform contact with each layer of tea leaves, so that the effect of the traditional scenting process is simulated, the efficiency is far higher than that of manual scenting, the fragrance is released at the most appropriate moment, waste caused by premature release is avoided, and the damage of high temperature to fragrance substances is also prevented.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of tea drying, more particularly to a tea processing drying equipment. BACKGROUND

[0002] Tea drying is a key process in tea processing, which aims to remove excess moisture in tea, fix quality and develop aroma. The existing tea drying machines mostly adopt multi-layer conveyor belt or chain plate structure to realize continuous drying of tea through hot air circulation. Although these devices have made progress in improving space utilization and drying efficiency, they still have the following inherent defects: Single function, unable to actively improve quality: The existing equipment can only complete the basic dehydration drying task, which belongs to "passive" processing. For tea raw materials with insufficient aroma, or tea that needs to be endowed with special aroma (such as jasmine tea, osmanthus oolong, etc.), it is impossible to intervene during the drying process. Traditional aroma enhancement processes (such as enfleurage) require independent complex processes, which are time-consuming, low in efficiency and dependent on manual experience, and are difficult to integrate with modern continuous production lines.

[0003] Conflict between aroma loss and drying uniformity: During the drying process, the aroma substances of tea will be partially lost with the evaporation of water. To ensure uniformity, the hot air flow needs to be ensured, but this will further exacerbate the loss of aroma. The existing equipment cannot make up for this loss.

[0004] Low degree of intelligence: The control parameters of the existing equipment are mostly temperature, time and wind speed, which lack active regulation ability of key factors (such as aroma) for tea quality formation, and cannot realize precise "quality improvement and aroma enhancement".

[0005] Therefore, there is an urgent need in the art for a new intelligent drying equipment that can automatically, accurately and uniformly release aroma substances during the drying process, thereby actively improving the quality of tea. SUMMARY

[0006] In order to overcome the above-mentioned defects of the prior art, the present application provides a tea processing drying equipment to solve the problems in the background art.

[0007] The present application provides the following technical solution: A tea processing drying equipment, comprising a drying box, a plurality of drying plates are installed inside the drying box, a moving scraper and a high-temperature air plate are installed on the top of each drying plate, the high-temperature air plate is used to blow circulating hot air on the tea on the drying plate, the moving scraper is installed on a hard belt, and the hard belt is installed on a transmission wheel so that the moving scraper acts on the upper and lower layers, a descending groove is formed on the drying plate, and a flow guide plate is installed on the descending groove; Furthermore, the movable scraper includes a scraper body and a support rod. The support rod is mounted on the scraper body and includes a main support rod and a cam assembly. The main support rod is snapped onto a rigid belt. A cam rod spring is sleeved on the cam rod assembly. The cam assembly is mounted at the top of the cam rod assembly. The bottom of the cam rod assembly is connected to the main channel. One-way valve slots are installed on both sides of the main channel located on the cam rod assembly. The one-way valve slots allow liquid to enter the buffer chamber only from the storage chamber. An inlet hole is opened at the top of the storage chamber. The main channel and the release tank are connected through a secondary channel. A temperature sensing component is installed in the middle of the secondary channel as a temperature sensing valve.

[0008] Furthermore, an input conveyor belt is installed on the side of the drying box, and a homogenizing plate and a material baffle are installed on the input conveyor belt. The homogenizing plate flattens the tea leaves during use to maintain a uniform thickness. The front of the drying box is equipped with an upper closed door, a lower closed door, and an outer door. The upper closed door and the lower closed door are mounted on a sliding groove.

[0009] Furthermore, the high-temperature gas plate and the high-temperature reflux box form a circulating hot air system. The high-temperature gas plate delivers hot air to each layer of tea leaves through multi-layer distribution, causing the aroma substances to diffuse to both sides. The hot air from both sides rises and enters the high-temperature reflux box.

[0010] Furthermore, the upper and lower layers of the transmission wheel are connected by a belt on the transmission pulley, and the lowest transmission pulley is connected to the motor in the transmission box by a belt. The transmission wheel has multiple large tooth grooves, and the gap between the large tooth grooves is the same as the interval between the moving scrapers.

[0011] Furthermore, the temperature sensing component includes a double-layer temperature-sensitive plate, which is mounted on a heat-conducting copper plate and fixedly connected to a heat-sensing plate. The heat-sensing plate is installed on the outside of the scraper body to transfer heat from the outside of the scraper body. A temperature-sensing valve is installed on the double-layer temperature-sensitive plate and is installed at the bottom of the secondary channel. The valve opens the secondary channel to release aroma substances when the temperature is high.

[0012] Furthermore, the double-layer temperature-sensitive plate is made of double-layer metal material, with the active layer and passive layer being made of manganese-nickel-copper alloy and Invar steel, respectively.

[0013] Furthermore, the buffer chamber serves as a buffer control, with a buffer spring installed inside to buffer the pressure, and both ends of the support rod are snapped onto a rigid belt.

[0014] Furthermore, a position sensor is installed on the bottom drying plate. When the tea leaves have finished conveying the entire drying box, the sensor controls the end of the conveying. Every two layers of the drying plate form a circulating conveying structure, and the upper and lower circulating conveying mechanisms are connected in parallel by a high-temperature resistant belt.

[0015] The technical effects and advantages of this invention are as follows: 1. This invention, by incorporating a movable scraper, leverages the inherent cyclical motion as a power source and the thermal energy of the drying environment as a control signal. Aroma substances are released in atomized form at the optimal temperature inside the chamber and carried by circulating hot air, ensuring full and uniform contact with each layer of tea leaves. This simulates the effect of traditional scenting processes but is far more efficient than manual scenting, ensuring that the aroma is released at the most suitable time, avoiding waste caused by premature release, and preventing damage to aroma substances from high temperatures.

[0016] 2. The present invention has a liquid storage chamber, which allows the aroma liquid to be easily replenished through the liquid inlet. The core temperature-sensing valve is a mechanical structure, which can meet the requirements of multiple uses and has a low failure rate. The entire aroma enhancement system is integrated into a moving scraper, which has a high degree of modularity and is easy to install and maintain. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the drying oven structure of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 3 For the present invention Figure 2 Schematic diagram of structure A in the middle.

[0020] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the drying assembly structure of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the movable scraper structure of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view of the movable scraper structure of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the temperature sensing component structure of the present invention.

[0024] The attached figures are labeled as follows: 1. Drying oven; 2. Drying plate; 3. Moving scraper; 301. Scraper body; 302. Support rod; 3021. Support main rod; 3022. Cam assembly; 303. Liquid inlet; 304. Temperature sensing component; 3041. Heat-conducting copper plate; 3042. Double-layer temperature-sensitive plate; 3043. Heat-sensing plate; 3044. Temperature-sensing valve; 305. Cam rod assembly; 306. One-way valve groove; 307. Cam rod spring; 308. Storage 309. Liquid chamber; 310. Buffer chamber; 311. Main channel; 312. Secondary channel; 313. Release trough; 4. Drive wheel; 5. Rigid belt; 6. High-temperature gas plate; 7. Guide plate; 8. High-temperature reflux box; 9. Output conveyor belt; 10. Upper closing door; 11. Lower closing door; 12. Outer door; 13. Transmission box; 14. Sliding trough; 15. Homogenizing plate; 16. Input conveyor belt; 17. Material baffle; 18. Drive pulley; 19. Buffer spring. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, the forms of the various structures described in the following embodiments are merely illustrative. The tea drying equipment involved in the present invention is not limited to the structures described in the following embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0026] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 This invention provides a drying device for tea processing, including a drying box 1. The drying box 1 has multiple drying plates 2 installed inside. Each drying plate 2 has a movable scraper 3 and a high-temperature air plate 6 installed on its top. The high-temperature air plate 6 is used to blow circulating hot air onto the tea leaves on the drying plate 2. The movable scraper 3 is installed on a rigid belt 5, and the rigid belt 5 is installed on a drive wheel 4 so that the movable scraper 3 acts on the upper and lower layers. A descending groove is opened on the drying plate 2, and a guide plate 7 is installed on the descending groove for conveying and guiding the tea leaves. In this embodiment, it should be specifically noted that: every two layers of drying plates 2 form a circulating conveying structure, and the upper and lower circulating conveying mechanisms are connected in parallel by high-temperature resistant belts, and multiple sets of circulating conveying mechanisms are set in the drying box.

[0027] The main difference between this embodiment and the prior art is that this embodiment uses the inherent cyclic motion as the power source and the heat energy of the drying environment as the control signal. The aroma substances are released in the form of atomization at the optimal temperature in the box and carried by the circulating hot air, so that they can fully and evenly contact the tea leaves in each layer. Specifically, it is the moving scraper 3. The above structure is the main structure of this embodiment, which solves the problem that aroma substances are difficult to release evenly during the drying process, especially at specific temperatures. The homogenizing plate 15 is an existing structure, and the specific structure and connection method of the homogenizing plate 15 will not be described in detail in this embodiment.

[0028] Reference Figures 2-3 An input conveyor belt 16 is installed on the side of the drying box 1, and an output conveyor belt 9 is installed at the bottom of the drying box 1. A homogenizing plate 15 and a material baffle 17 are installed on the input conveyor belt 16. The homogenizing plate 15 flattens the tea leaves during use to maintain a uniform thickness. An upper closing door 10, a lower closing door 11 and an outer door 12 are installed on the front of the drying box 1. The upper closing door 10 and the lower closing door 11 are mounted on a sliding groove 14.

[0029] In this embodiment, it should be specifically explained that: the high-temperature air plate 6 and the high-temperature reflux box 8 form a circulating hot air system. The high-temperature air plate 6 delivers hot air to each layer of tea leaves through multi-layer distribution, driving the aroma substances to diffuse to both sides. The hot air on both sides rises and enters the high-temperature reflux box 8. After being processed by the high-temperature reflux box 8, it is discharged through the high-temperature air plate 6, forming an internal circulation.

[0030] Reference Figure 4 The upper and lower layers of the transmission wheel 4 are connected by a belt on the transmission pulley 18, so that the upper and lower layers rotate synchronously. The lowermost transmission pulley 18 is connected to the motor in the transmission box 13 by a belt. The transmission wheel 4 has multiple large tooth grooves. The gap between the large tooth grooves is the same as the interval between the moving scrapers 3, which helps the moving scrapers 3 not to collide when rotating.

[0031] The two ends of the support rod 302 are attached to the rigid belt 5 by snap-fit. Due to the function of the liquid inlet hole 303, the movable scraper 3 is not installed every time it is used, but is replenished after multiple uses.

[0032] In this embodiment, it should be specifically noted that a position sensor is installed on the bottom drying plate 2. The sensor controls the end of the conveying process when the tea leaves have been conveyed through the entire drying box.

[0033] Reference Figure 6The movable scraper 3 includes a scraper body 301 and a support rod 302. The support rod 302 is installed on the scraper body 301 and includes a main support rod 3021 and a cam assembly 3022. The main support rod 3021 is installed on the rigid belt 5 by snap-fit. A cam rod spring 307 is sleeved on the cam rod assembly 305. The cam assembly 3022 is installed at the top of the cam rod assembly 305. The bottom of the cam rod assembly 305 is connected to the main channel 310. One-way valve grooves 306 are installed on both sides of the main channel 310 located on the cam rod assembly 305. The one-way valve grooves 306 allow liquid to enter the buffer chamber 309 only from the liquid storage chamber 308. The liquid storage chamber 308 has an inlet hole 303 at the top. The main channel 310 and the release groove 312 are connected through a secondary channel 311. A temperature sensing component 304 is installed in the middle of the secondary channel 311 as a temperature control valve.

[0034] The separation arrangement of the liquid storage chamber 308 and the buffer chamber 309 is conducive to meeting the requirements of multiple use environments. The automatic opening and closing valve under temperature control ensures that the valve is closed before each drying. The cam rod assembly 305 takes out liquid from the liquid storage chamber 308 and puts it into the buffer chamber 309.

[0035] In this embodiment, it should be specifically noted that: the buffer chamber 309 serves as a buffer control, and a buffer spring 19 is installed inside to buffer the pressure, so that the liquid in the buffer chamber 309 is automatically released when the secondary channel 311 is opened.

[0036] Reference Figure 7 The temperature sensing component 304 includes a double-layer temperature-sensitive plate 3042, which is mounted on a heat-conducting copper plate 3041. The heat-conducting copper plate 3041 is fixedly connected to a heat-sensing plate 3043, which is mounted on the outside of the scraper body 301 to transfer heat from the outside of the scraper body 301. A temperature-sensing valve 3044 is mounted on the double-layer temperature-sensitive plate 3042. The temperature-sensing valve 3044 is mounted at the bottom of the secondary channel 311 and opens the secondary channel 311 to release aroma substances when the temperature is high.

[0037] In this embodiment, it should be specifically noted that the double-layer temperature-sensitive plate 3042 is made of double-layer metal material. The active layer and passive layer of the double-layer metal are made of manganese-nickel-copper alloy and Invar steel, respectively, which makes it easy to bend and deform under high temperature environment.

[0038] Working principle of the invention: The main problem solved by this embodiment is that by using the inherent cyclic motion as a power source and the heat energy of the drying environment as a control signal, the aroma substances are released in the form of atomization at the optimal temperature inside the chamber and carried by the circulating hot air, so that they can fully and evenly contact the tea leaves on each layer. This solves the problem that the aroma substances are difficult to release evenly during the drying process, especially at specific temperatures.

[0039] The specific steps are as follows: A large amount of tea leaves are placed in the material baffle 17. After being sorted by the homogenizing plate 15, the tea leaves are gradually fed into the drying box 1 by the conveyor belt 16 and fall into one end of the drying plate 2. As the drive wheel 4 rotates continuously, the rigid belt 5 drives the moving scraper 3 to make a circular motion on the upper and lower layers of the drying plate 2. Since the support rod 302 is fixed on the rigid belt 5 and the angle remains unchanged, the angle of the scraper body 301 is always downward. The support rod 302 rotates 180 degrees relative to the scraper body 301. The cam group 3022 pushes the cam rod group 305 to move up and down. During this process, the pressure change applied by the cam rod group 305 causes the liquid in the liquid storage chamber 308 to enter the buffer chamber 309 under the action of the one-way valve groove 306. Under the scraping action of the moving scraper 3, the tea leaves move from one end of the drying plate 2 to the other end and enter the lower drying plate 2 from the descending groove. The guide plate 7 guides the tea leaves during this process. Since the moving scraper 3 is always in the standby position when the tea leaves are descending, the tea leaves will not fall to the bottom of the moving scraper 3 and be pressed down. Instead, they fall between the two moving scrapers 3. After continuous descent, the tea leaves cover all the drying plates 2 in the drying box 1. At this time, the internal environment is sealed by sliding the lower closing door 11 and the upper closing door 10 on the sliding groove 14. After drying begins, the temperature gradually rises. Once the threshold is reached, i.e. the hot air temperature inside the drying chamber reaches the optimal temperature for tea aroma formation, the double-layer temperature-sensitive plate 3042 begins to bend, the temperature-sensitive valve 3044 separates from the passage of the secondary channel 311, and the high-pressure aroma substances accumulated inside the buffer chamber 309 are quickly released into the tea leaves through the release groove 312. Under the drive of hot air circulation, the aroma substances are evenly distributed in the tea leaf layer. After drying is complete, the temperature drops, the bending effect of the double-layer temperature-sensitive plate 3042 disappears, the valve automatically closes, the system resets, and it prepares for the next use.

[0040] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A drying apparatus for processing tea leaves, comprising a drying box (1), characterized in that: The inside of the drying box (1) is provided with multiple layers of drying plates (2), the top of each layer of drying plates (2) is provided with a movable scraper (3) and a high-temperature air plate (6), the high-temperature air plate (6) is used for blowing circulating hot air on the tea leaves on the drying plate (2), the movable scraper (3) is installed on a hard belt (5), the hard belt (5) is installed on a transmission wheel (4) so that the movable scraper (3) acts on the upper and lower layers, the drying plate (2) is provided with a descending groove, and a guide plate (7) is installed on the descending groove. The movable scraper (3) comprises a scraper main body (301) and a supporting rod (302), the supporting rod (302) is installed on the scraper main body (301), the supporting rod (302) comprises a supporting main rod (3021) and a cam group (3022), the supporting main rod (3021) is installed on the hard belt (5) through clamping, a cam rod spring (307) is sleeved on the cam rod group (305), the cam group (3022) is installed at the top of the cam rod group (305), the bottom of the cam rod group (305) is communicated with a main channel (310), the main channel (310) is provided with a one-way valve groove (306) on the two sides of the cam rod group (305), the one-way valve groove (306) allows liquid to only enter the buffer chamber (309) from the liquid storage chamber (308), the liquid storage chamber (308) is provided with an inlet hole (303) at the top, the main channel (310) and a release groove (312) are connected through a secondary channel (311), and a temperature sensing assembly (304) is installed in the middle of the secondary channel (311) as a temperature sensing valve.

2. A drying apparatus for processing tea leaves as claimed in claim 1 wherein: The side of the drying box (1) is provided with an input conveying belt (16), the bottom of the drying box (1) is provided with an output conveying belt (9), the input conveying belt (16) is provided with a homogenizing plate (15) and a material baffle (17), the homogenizing plate (15) is used for flattening the tea leaves and keeping the uniform thickness, the front of the drying box (1) is provided with an upper closing door (10), a lower closing door (11) and an outer door (12), and the upper closing door (10) and the lower closing door (11) are installed on a sliding groove (14) to form a group.

3. A drying apparatus for processing tea leaves as claimed in claim 1 wherein: The high-temperature air plate (6) and the high-temperature reflux box (8) form a circulating hot air system, the high-temperature air plate (6) sends hot air to each layer of tea leaves through multiple layers of distribution, and drives the aroma substances to diffuse to both sides, and the hot air on both sides rises into the high-temperature reflux box (8).

4. The drying apparatus for processing tea leaves as claimed in claim 1, wherein: The upper and lower layers of the transmission wheel (4) are connected through the belts on the transmission belt pulleys (18), the lowermost transmission belt pulley (18) is connected with the motor in the transmission box (13) through the belt, the transmission wheel (4) is provided with multiple large tooth grooves, and the gap of the large tooth grooves is the same as the interval between the movable scrapers (3).

5. The tea processing drying apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein: The temperature sensing assembly (304) comprises a double-layer temperature sensitive plate (3042) mounted on a heat-conducting copper plate (3041), the heat-conducting copper plate (3041) is fixedly connected with a heat sensing plate (3043), the heat sensing plate (3043) is mounted on the outer side of the scraper main body (301) for transmitting heat on the outer side of the scraper main body (301), the double-layer temperature sensitive plate (3042) is provided with a temperature sensing valve (3044) mounted at the bottom of the auxiliary channel (311), the temperature sensing valve (3044) opens the auxiliary channel (311) to release aroma substances at high temperature.

6. A drying apparatus for processing tea leaves as claimed in claim 5 wherein: The double-layer temperature sensitive plate (3042) is made of double-layer metal material, the active layer and the passive layer of the double-layer metal material are manganese-nickel-copper alloy and invar steel respectively.

7. The tea processing drying apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein: The buffer chamber (309) is used for buffer control, and is internally provided with a buffer spring (19) for buffering pressure, and the two ends of the supporting rod (302) are clamped and mounted on the hard belt (5).

8. The drying apparatus for processing tea leaves as claimed in claim 1, wherein: The bottom layer of the drying plate (2) is provided with a position sensor, and the sensor controls the end of the conveying when the tea conveying is completed in the whole drying box.

9. The tea processing drying apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein: The drying plate (2) comprises a circulating conveying structure every two layers, and the upper and lower two circulating conveying mechanisms are connected in parallel through a high-temperature-resistant belt.

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