Tobacco leaf grading system and grading method thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to the field of tobacco leaf grading and sorting, in particular to a tobacco leaf grading system which comprises a tobacco leaf grading box, a high-definition industrial camera, a near-infrared detection scanner, an electric control cabinet and a tobacco leaf grading and sorting conveying line used for conveying tobacco leaves, and the tobacco leaf grading box is arranged on the tobacco leaf grading and sorting conveying line; the high-definition industrial camera and the near-infrared detection scanner are arranged in the tobacco leaf grading box, and tobacco leaves sequentially pass through the high-definition industrial camera and the near-infrared detection scanner when being conveyed on the tobacco leaf grading and sorting conveying line; a tobacco leaf unfolding buffer conveying line is arranged at the front end of the tobacco leaf grading sorting conveying line; a tobacco leaf fixed-height detector and a tobacco leaf fixed-length detector are arranged on the tobacco leaf grading sorting conveying line at the front end of the tobacco leaf grading box; and a synchronous lifting controller for synchronously lifting the high-definition industrial camera and the near-infrared detection scanner is arranged in the tobacco grading box.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of tobacco leaf grading and sorting, and more specifically, to a tobacco leaf grading system and grading method thereof. Background Technology

[0002] In the tobacco processing industry, accurate grading of tobacco leaves is a key step in ensuring product quality and value. In existing technologies, tobacco leaf grading usually relies on automated testing equipment. High-definition industrial cameras are used to collect surface images of tobacco leaves (such as color, texture, and shape), while near-infrared scanners assess the physicochemical properties of tobacco leaves by performing spectral analysis on the internal components (such as sugar, nicotine, and moisture). Both types of testing equipment need to collect data from the same tobacco leaf sample sequentially to ensure the comprehensiveness and accuracy of the grading results.

[0003] Currently, the high-definition industrial camera and near-infrared scanner inside the tobacco leaf grading box are usually installed independently above the conveyor line and their heights are adjusted separately during inspection to accommodate the thickness or inspection requirements of different batches of tobacco leaves. However, this independent adjustment method has the following technical drawbacks:

[0004] 1. Structural complexity and cost issues: High-definition industrial cameras and near-infrared inspection scanners require two independent lifting controllers and drive mechanisms, resulting in bulky equipment structures, large space occupation, and significantly increased manufacturing and maintenance costs. Furthermore, the poor coordination of multiple control systems can easily affect inspection efficiency due to asynchronous adjustments.

[0005] 2. Optical interference problem: When the high-definition industrial camera is close to the near-infrared detection scanner, the high-intensity visible light (especially white light or light of a specific wavelength) emitted by the camera's supplementary light during the shooting process will directly or indirectly illuminate the near-infrared detection area. Since near-infrared detection relies on infrared spectral analysis of a specific wavelength, the interference of visible light will cause spectral data distortion, which will seriously affect the detection accuracy and reliability.

[0006] 3. Synchronization and efficiency bottlenecks: Although some solutions attempt to use a single lifting system to simultaneously control the lifting of the high-definition industrial camera and the near-infrared inspection scanner, a baffle plate needs to be installed in the middle. The synchronous lifting of the baffle plate will also increase the load value of the lifting.

[0007] Therefore, it is necessary to propose a tobacco grading system and grading method to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0008] To overcome at least one of the defects (deficiencies) of the prior art described above, the present invention provides a tobacco leaf grading system and a grading method thereof.

[0009] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the technical solution of the present invention is as follows: a tobacco leaf grading system, including a tobacco leaf grading box, a high-definition industrial camera, a near-infrared detection scanner, an electrical control cabinet, and a tobacco leaf grading and sorting conveyor line for transporting tobacco leaves;

[0010] The tobacco grading box is installed on the tobacco grading and sorting conveyor line;

[0011] The high-definition industrial camera and the near-infrared detection scanner are respectively installed in the tobacco leaf grading box. When the tobacco leaves are transported on the tobacco leaf grading and sorting conveyor line, they pass through the high-definition industrial camera and the near-infrared detection scanner in sequence.

[0012] The tobacco leaf grading and sorting conveyor line is equipped with a tobacco leaf unfolding buffer conveyor line at its front end.

[0013] The tobacco leaf height detector and tobacco leaf length detector are installed on the tobacco leaf grading and sorting conveyor line at the front end of the tobacco leaf grading box.

[0014] The tobacco grading box is equipped with a synchronous lifting controller for simultaneously raising and lowering a high-definition industrial camera and a near-infrared scanner. The high-definition industrial camera, near-infrared scanner, tobacco grading and sorting conveyor line, tobacco unfolding buffer conveyor line, synchronous lifting controller, tobacco height detector, and tobacco length detector are all connected to the electrical control cabinet. The tobacco unfolding buffer conveyor line facilitates the opening of the outer wrapping cloth of the tobacco bales and the arrangement of the tobacco leaves within, ensuring they are stacked systematically on the conveyor line. Furthermore, the height at which the near-infrared scanner scans the tobacco leaves and the shooting height of the high-definition industrial camera both affect the near-infrared detection results. For example, if the near-infrared scanner is too close to the stacked tobacco leaves, it can only detect partial information of the tobacco leaves during the near-infrared scan, and the high-definition industrial camera can only capture a portion of the image. When taking partial photos of tobacco leaves, such as during near-infrared (NIIR) scanning, if the NIIR scanner is too far from the tobacco leaves, the NIIR detection results will be inaccurate. Similarly, the tobacco leaves captured by a high-definition industrial camera will be small, and surrounding objects will also be included in the photo, affecting the grading results. Therefore, it is necessary to adjust the height of the NIIR scanner and the shooting height of the high-definition industrial camera according to the stacking height and length of the tobacco leaves in each tobacco bale. In this invention, when the tobacco leaves are transported to the tobacco grading and sorting conveyor line, the height and length detectors on the tobacco grading and sorting conveyor line at the front of the grading box detect the height and length of the stacked tobacco leaves. Based on the detected information, the electrical control cabinet controls the synchronous lifting controller to simultaneously raise and lower the height of the high-definition industrial camera and the NIIR scanner, thereby enabling better photography and NIIR scanning detection of the tobacco leaves, resulting in more accurate grading.

[0015] Furthermore, the synchronous lifting controller includes a lifting mounting frame, a synchronous lifting drive motor, a first lifting drive main transmission gear, a second lifting drive main transmission gear, a lifting drive main transmission chain, a connecting bracket, a first lifting drive auxiliary transmission gear, a second lifting drive auxiliary transmission gear, a lifting drive auxiliary transmission chain, a first main gear for the up-and-down lifting of the near-infrared detector, a second main gear for the up-and-down lifting of the near-infrared detector, a first transmission chain for the up-and-down lifting of the near-infrared detector, a first auxiliary gear for the up-and-down lifting of the near-infrared detector, a second auxiliary gear for the up-and-down lifting of the near-infrared detector, a second transmission chain for the up-and-down lifting of the near-infrared detector, and a connecting bracket;

[0016] The lifting and mounting frame is located inside the tobacco grading box. A partition is provided in the middle of the lifting and mounting frame, which divides the lifting and mounting frame into a high-definition photography area and a near-infrared detection and scanning area.

[0017] The first and second main gears of the lifting drive are respectively mounted on the lifting mounting frames at the upper and lower ends of the high-definition photography area. The synchronous lifting drive motor is connected to the first main gear of the lifting drive, and the lifting drive chain is sleeved on the outside of the first and second main gears of the lifting drive.

[0018] The first and second gears of the lifting drive auxiliary transmission are mounted on the lifting mounting frame on the side near the feed end of the tobacco grading box. The lifting drive auxiliary transmission chain is sleeved on the outside of the first and second gears of the lifting drive auxiliary transmission. One end of the connecting bracket is connected to the main lifting drive transmission chain, and the other end is connected to the lifting drive auxiliary transmission chain. The high-definition industrial camera is mounted on the connecting bracket.

[0019] The first main gear for vertical lifting of the near-infrared detector and the second main gear for vertical lifting of the near-infrared detector are respectively set on the lifting mounting frame at the upper and lower ends of the near-infrared detection scanning area. The first transmission chain for vertical lifting of the near-infrared detector is sleeved on the outside of the first main gear for vertical lifting of the near-infrared detector and the second main gear for vertical lifting of the near-infrared detector. The first main transmission gear for lifting drive meshes with the first main gear for vertical lifting of the near-infrared detector.

[0020] The first and second auxiliary gears for the up-and-down movement of the near-infrared detector scanner are mounted on a lifting frame near the discharge end of the tobacco grading box. The second transmission chain for the up-and-down movement of the near-infrared detector scanner is sleeved on the outside of the first and second auxiliary gears. One end of the connecting plate is connected to the first transmission chain for the up-and-down movement of the near-infrared detector scanner, and the other end is connected to the second transmission chain. The near-infrared detector scanner is mounted on the connecting plate. Driven by a synchronous lifting drive motor, the main lifting drive chain, the auxiliary lifting drive chain, the first and second transmission chains for the up-and-down movement of the near-infrared detector scanner all move up and down synchronously, enabling the high-definition industrial camera and the near-infrared detector scanner to perform unified lifting control based on the measured height of the tobacco stack.

[0021] Furthermore, it also includes meshing transmission wheels, of which there are an even number. One end of each meshing transmission wheel meshes with the first gear of the lifting drive main transmission, and the other end meshes with the first main gear of the near-infrared detector scanner for vertical lifting. Through the even number of meshing transmission wheels, synchronous linkage between the first gear of the lifting drive main transmission and the first main gear of the near-infrared detector scanner for vertical lifting can be achieved. In practical applications, the number of meshing transmission wheels can be zero, two, or more even numbers, all of which are determined by the length of the tobacco grading box.

[0022] Furthermore, brackets are provided on the lifting drive main transmission chain, the lifting drive secondary transmission chain, the near-infrared detector scanner lifting first transmission chain, and the near-infrared detector scanner lifting second transmission chain. The brackets facilitate the installation and fixation of the connecting brackets and connecting plates.

[0023] Furthermore, the partition frame is equipped with a light-shielding baffle. The installation height of the baffle is higher than the maximum height that the high-definition industrial camera and near-infrared scanner can be raised and lowered. Because the baffle is installed on the partition frame, it will not affect the movement of the main transmission chain of the lifting drive or the first transmission chain of the near-infrared scanner. In addition, since the installation height of the baffle is higher than the maximum height that the high-definition industrial camera and near-infrared scanner can be raised and lowered, even when the high-definition industrial camera and near-infrared scanner are working simultaneously, the light generated by the high-definition industrial camera when photographing tobacco leaves will be blocked by the baffle, and will not affect the near-infrared scanning results of the tobacco leaves. Moreover, since the baffle is set on the partition frame, it will not move up and down with the connecting bracket and connecting plate, thus effectively reducing the drive load of the synchronous lifting drive motor.

[0024] Furthermore, the tobacco leaf height detector is a height detection sensor, and the tobacco leaf length detector is a length detection sensor. In practical applications, other devices can also be used to detect the height and length of the tobacco leaf, which are all alternative solutions that are easy for those skilled in the art to conceive of.

[0025] Furthermore, the tobacco leaf grading and sorting conveyor line includes a conveyor line support frame, a tobacco leaf conveyor belt, a conveyor drive motor, a main drive shaft, and a secondary drive shaft;

[0026] The main drive shaft and the auxiliary drive shaft are respectively arranged on both sides of the conveyor line support frame. The conveyor drive motor is connected to the main drive shaft, and the tobacco leaf conveyor belt is sleeved on the outside of the main drive shaft and the auxiliary drive shaft.

[0027] The tobacco conveyor belt has multiple linearly arranged dividing lines, and sensing plates are located at the edges of these dividing lines. The tobacco grading box has sensors that interact with these sensing plates. Since simple fixed-length sensors can only detect the overall length of the tobacco leaf and cannot determine its starting position on the conveyor belt, the use of multiple linearly arranged dividing lines on the conveyor belt, sensing plates at the edges of these dividing lines, and the interaction between the sensors on the grading box and these sensing plates allows for the detection of the specific position of the tobacco leaf on the conveyor belt. This facilitates the control cabinet's ability to adjust the tobacco leaf's position based on its overall length. The start-up time for segmented shooting and segmented near-infrared scanning of tobacco leaves is divided. The reason for simultaneously setting up a fixed-length detection sensor, dividing line, sensing plate, and sensor is to save the length of the tobacco leaf conveyor belt, reduce the space occupied by the equipment, and facilitate the setting of the sensor. Specifically, placing the sensor on the tobacco leaf grading box facilitates the sensor setting and eliminates the need for additional accessories. Since the sensor is mounted on the tobacco leaf grading box, if the length of the tobacco leaf is not known in advance, the electrical control cabinet cannot reasonably divide the start-up time for segmented shooting and segmented near-infrared scanning of tobacco leaves. Therefore, it is necessary to measure the length of the tobacco leaf in advance using a fixed-length detection sensor.

[0028] Furthermore, the tobacco leaf unfolding buffer conveyor line includes a buffer conveyor bracket, a buffer conveyor drive motor, a buffer main drive shaft, a buffer secondary drive shaft, a first buffer belt, a second buffer belt, concealed connecting fasteners and fastener blocks;

[0029] The buffer main drive shaft and the buffer secondary drive shaft are respectively installed on both sides of the buffer conveyor support. One end of the buffer conveyor drive motor is connected to the electrical control cabinet, and the other end is connected to the buffer main drive shaft.

[0030] The first buffer belt is connected to the second buffer belt by a concealed connecting buckle. A gap is provided at the junction of the first buffer belt and the second buffer belt for the buckle to pass through. The buckle passes through the gap at the junction of the first buffer belt and the second buffer belt and is connected to the concealed connecting buckle.

[0031] After being connected, the first and second buffer belts are fitted onto the outside of the main and auxiliary buffer drive shafts. The connection between the first and second buffer belts can be achieved through the hidden connecting buckles. Since there is a gap for the buckle to pass through at the junction of the first and second buffer belts, and the buckle passes through the gap at the junction of the first and second buffer belts and is connected to the hidden connecting buckle, when the tobacco bale is placed on the first and second buffer belts, the buckle hole on the outer wrapping cloth of the tobacco bale is fastened to the buckle at the junction of the first and second buffer belts. At this time, the control cabinet drives the tobacco unfolding buffer conveyor line to rotate, and the tobacco leaves placed on the first or second buffer belt are conveyed to the tobacco grading and sorting conveyor line. The outer wrapping cloth of the tobacco bale is separated from the tobacco leaves as the tobacco unfolding buffer conveyor line rotates.

[0032] Furthermore, after the tobacco leaves are unfolded on the tobacco leaf unfolding buffer conveyor line, the tips of the tobacco leaves are stacked relatively. Since the tips of the tobacco leaves are relatively thin and the petioles at the ends of the tobacco leaves are relatively thick, stacking the tips of the tobacco leaves can make the overall height of the stacked tips roughly the same as the height of the stacked petioles, and also effectively reduce the occurrence of damage to the tips of the tobacco leaves during movement.

[0033] This invention also discloses a method for grading tobacco leaves, comprising the following steps:

[0034] Step 1: Place the tobacco leaf bale containing the tobacco leaves on the first or second buffer belt of the tobacco leaf unfolding buffer conveyor line, unfold the tobacco leaf bale so that the tips of the tobacco leaves inside the tobacco leaf bale are stacked relative to each other, and fasten the buckle hole on the wrapping cloth on the outside of the tobacco leaf bale to the buckle block at the junction of the first and second buffer belts.

[0035] Step 2: The electrical control cabinet drives the tobacco leaf unfolding buffer conveyor line to rotate. The tobacco leaves placed on the first buffer belt or the second buffer belt are conveyed to the tobacco leaf grading and sorting conveyor line. The wrapping cloth on the outside of the tobacco leaf bale rotates with the tobacco leaf unfolding buffer conveyor line, realizing the separation of the wrapping cloth from the tobacco leaf.

[0036] Step 3: The tobacco leaf height detector on the tobacco leaf grading and sorting conveyor line detects the height of the stacked tobacco leaves on the tobacco leaf grading and sorting conveyor line and transmits the detected tobacco leaf height information back to the electrical control cabinet.

[0037] Step 4: The tobacco leaf length detector on the tobacco leaf grading and sorting conveyor line detects the length of the stacked tobacco leaves on the tobacco leaf grading and sorting conveyor line and transmits the detected tobacco leaf length information back to the electrical control cabinet.

[0038] Step 5: Based on the height of the tobacco leaf stack obtained in Step 3, the electrical control cabinet controls the synchronous lifting controller, enabling the high-definition industrial camera and near-infrared detection scanner to achieve synchronous height adjustment.

[0039] Step 6: The sensor on the tobacco grading box and the sensor at the edge of the dividing line on the tobacco conveyor belt recognize each other to determine the starting position of the tobacco leaf. Combined with the length of the tobacco leaf measured in Step 4, the start time of segmented shooting and segmented near-infrared scanning of the tobacco leaf is divided.

[0040] Step 7: The high-definition industrial camera and near-infrared scanner inside the tobacco grading box capture images and perform near-infrared scanning on the passing tobacco leaves to obtain the grading results.

[0041] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the technical solution of the present invention are:

[0042] The tobacco leaf grading system disclosed in this invention, through the setting of a tobacco leaf unfolding buffer conveyor line, facilitates the opening of the outer wrapping cloth of the tobacco leaf bales within the conveyor line, and allows for the arrangement of the tobacco leaves inside, ensuring that the tobacco leaves are stacked systematically on the conveyor line. Furthermore, the height at which the near-infrared scanner performs the scan and the shooting height of the high-definition industrial camera both affect the near-infrared detection results. If the near-infrared scanner is too close to the stacked tobacco leaves, it can only detect localized information during the scan, and the high-definition industrial camera can only capture localized images. Conversely, if the near-infrared scanner is too far from the tobacco leaves, the near-infrared detection results will be inaccurate. The tobacco leaves captured by the industrial camera are often small, and surrounding items are also captured in the photos, affecting the grading results. Therefore, it is necessary to adjust the height of the near-infrared detection scanner and the shooting height of the high-definition industrial camera according to the stacking height and length of the tobacco leaves in each tobacco bale. In this invention, when the tobacco leaves are transported to the tobacco grading and sorting conveyor line, the height detector and length detector on the tobacco grading and sorting conveyor line at the front end of the tobacco grading box detect the height and length of the stacked tobacco leaves. Based on the detected information, the electrical control cabinet controls the synchronous lifting controller to synchronously control the height of the high-definition industrial camera and the near-infrared detection scanner, thereby enabling better shooting and near-infrared scanning detection of the tobacco leaves, making the grading of the tobacco leaves more accurate. Attached Figure Description

[0043] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the tobacco grading system in this invention.

[0044] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the tobacco grading system in this invention from another angle.

[0045] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the internal synchronous lifting controller of the tobacco grading box in this invention.

[0046] Figure 4 This is a structural schematic diagram of the second angle of the synchronous lifting controller in this invention.

[0047] Figure 5 This is a structural schematic diagram of the synchronous lifting controller at the third angle in this invention.

[0048] Figure 6 This is a structural schematic diagram of the synchronous lifting controller at the fourth angle in this invention.

[0049] Figure 7 This is an enlarged view of the meshing transmission wheel in this invention.

[0050] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the tobacco leaf unfolding buffer conveyor line in this invention.

[0051] Figure 9 This is an enlarged view of the latching block in this invention.

[0052] In the diagram, 1 is the tobacco leaf grading box, 2 is the high-definition industrial camera, 3 is the near-infrared detector, 4 is the electrical control cabinet, 5 is the tobacco leaf grading and sorting conveyor line, 6 is the tobacco leaf unfolding buffer conveyor line, 7 is the tobacco leaf height detector, 8 is the tobacco leaf length detector, 9 is the synchronous lifting controller, 10 is the lifting mounting frame, 11 is the synchronous lifting drive motor, 12 is the first gear of the main lifting drive, 13 is the second gear of the main lifting drive, 14 is the main lifting drive chain, 15 is the connecting bracket, 16 is the first gear of the auxiliary lifting drive, 17 is the second gear of the auxiliary lifting drive, 18 is the auxiliary lifting drive chain, 19 is the first main gear for the near-infrared detector's vertical lifting, 20 is the second main gear for the near-infrared detector's vertical lifting, and 21 is the first transmission chain for the near-infrared detector's vertical lifting. 22 is the first gear for the up-and-down lifting of the near-infrared detection scanner; 23 is the second gear for the up-and-down lifting of the near-infrared detection scanner; 24 is the second transmission chain for the up-and-down lifting of the near-infrared detection scanner; 25 is the connecting tray; 26 is the separator frame; 27 is the high-definition photography area; 28 is the near-infrared detection scanning area; 29 is the meshing transmission wheel; 30 is the bracket; 31 is the shield; 32 is the conveyor line support frame; 33 is the tobacco leaf conveyor belt; 34 is the conveyor drive motor; 35 is the main drive shaft; 36 is the auxiliary drive shaft; 37 is the separator line; 38 is the sensor sheet; 39 is the sensor; 40 is the buffer conveyor bracket; 41 is the buffer conveyor drive motor; 42 is the buffer main drive shaft; 43 is the buffer auxiliary drive shaft; 44 is the first buffer belt; 45 is the second buffer belt; 46 is the concealed connecting buckle; 47 is the buckle block. Detailed Implementation

[0053] The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this patent. To better illustrate this embodiment, some components in the drawings may be omitted, enlarged, or reduced, and do not represent the actual dimensions of the product. It is understandable to those skilled in the art that some well-known structures and their descriptions may be omitted in the drawings.

[0054] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation" and "connection" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances. The technical solution of this invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0055] like Figure 1-2As shown, a tobacco leaf grading system includes a tobacco leaf grading box 1, a high-definition industrial camera 2, a near-infrared detector 3, an electrical control cabinet 4, and a tobacco leaf grading and sorting conveyor line 5 for transporting tobacco leaves. The tobacco leaf grading box 1 is installed on the tobacco leaf grading and sorting conveyor line 5. The high-definition industrial camera 2 and the near-infrared detector 3 are respectively installed inside the tobacco leaf grading box 1. When the tobacco leaves are transported on the tobacco leaf grading and sorting conveyor line 5, they pass through the high-definition industrial camera 2 and the near-infrared detector 3 in sequence. A tobacco leaf unfolding buffer conveyor line 6 is provided at the front end of the tobacco leaf grading and sorting conveyor line 5. A tobacco leaf height detector 7 and a tobacco leaf length detector 7 are provided on the tobacco leaf grading and sorting conveyor line 5 at the front end of the tobacco leaf grading box 1. Detector 8; The tobacco grading box 1 is equipped with a synchronous lifting controller 9 for synchronously raising and lowering the high-definition industrial camera 2 and the near-infrared detector 3. The high-definition industrial camera 2, the near-infrared detector 3, the tobacco grading and sorting conveyor line 5, the tobacco unfolding buffer conveyor line 6, the synchronous lifting controller 9, the tobacco height detector 7, and the tobacco length detector 8 are respectively connected to the electrical control cabinet 4. The setting of the tobacco unfolding buffer conveyor line 6 makes it easy for people to open the outer wrapping cloth of the tobacco bales in the tobacco unfolding buffer conveyor line 6 and arrange the tobacco leaves in the tobacco bales so that the tobacco leaves are stacked in a regular manner on the tobacco unfolding buffer conveyor line 6. In addition, due to The height at which the near-infrared scanner 3 performs near-infrared scanning of the tobacco leaves and the shooting height of the high-definition industrial camera 2 both affect the near-infrared detection results. If the near-infrared scanner 3 is too close to the stacked tobacco leaves, it can only detect localized information, and the high-definition industrial camera 2 can only capture localized images. Conversely, if the near-infrared scanner 3 is too far from the tobacco leaves, the near-infrared detection results will be inaccurate, and the tobacco leaves captured by the high-definition industrial camera 2 will be smaller, with surrounding objects also appearing in the image, affecting the grading results. Therefore, it is necessary to adjust the near-infrared scanner 3 according to the specific conditions of each tobacco leaf. The stacking height and length of tobacco leaves within a tobacco bale are adjusted to control the height of the near-infrared detection scanner and the shooting height of the high-definition industrial camera 2. In this invention, when the tobacco leaves are transported to the tobacco grading and sorting conveyor line 5, the height detector 7 and length detector 8 on the tobacco grading and sorting conveyor line 5 at the front end of the tobacco grading box 1 detect the height and length of the stacked tobacco leaves. Based on the detected information, the electrical control cabinet 4 controls the synchronous lifting controller 9 to synchronously control the height of the high-definition industrial camera 2 and the near-infrared detection scanner 3, thereby enabling better shooting and near-infrared scanning detection of the tobacco leaves and making the grading of the tobacco leaves more accurate.

[0056] like Figure 3-6As shown, the synchronous lifting controller 9 includes a lifting mounting frame 10, a synchronous lifting drive motor 11, a first main lifting drive gear 12, a second main lifting drive gear 13, a main lifting drive chain 14, a connecting bracket 15, a first auxiliary lifting drive gear 16, a second auxiliary lifting drive gear 17, a second auxiliary lifting drive chain 18, a first main lifting gear for the near-infrared detector scanner 19, a second main lifting gear for the near-infrared detector scanner 20, a first transmission chain for the near-infrared detector scanner 21, and a first auxiliary lifting chain for the near-infrared detector scanner 22. The system includes gear 22, a second set of gears 23 for lifting and lowering the near-infrared detector, a second transmission chain 24 for lifting and lowering the near-infrared detector, and a connecting plate 25; a lifting and mounting frame 10 is located inside the tobacco grading box 1, and a partition frame 26 is provided in the middle of the lifting and mounting frame 10, which divides the lifting and mounting frame 10 into a high-definition photography area 27 and a near-infrared detection scanning area 28; a first gear 12 and a second gear 13 for lifting and driving the main transmission are respectively located on the lifting and mounting frame 10 at the upper and lower ends of the high-definition photography area 27, and a synchronous lifting and driving motor 11 and a lifting and driving motor 12 are connected to the lifting and mounting frame 10. The first gear 12 of the main drive is connected to the lifting drive main drive chain 14, which is sleeved on the outside of the first gear 12 and the second gear 13. The first gear 16 and the second gear 17 of the lifting drive auxiliary drive are mounted on the lifting mounting frame 10 near the feed end of the tobacco grading box 1. The second gear 18 of the lifting drive auxiliary drive chain is sleeved on the outside of the first gear 16 and the second gear 17. One end of the connecting bracket 15 is connected to the lifting drive main drive chain 14, and the other end is connected to the lifting drive auxiliary drive chain. 18 are connected, and the high-definition industrial camera 2 is mounted on the connecting bracket 15; the first main gear 19 and the second main gear 20 of the near-infrared detection scanner are respectively mounted on the lifting mounting frame 10 at the upper and lower ends of the near-infrared detection scanning area 28; the first transmission chain 21 of the near-infrared detection scanner is sleeved on the outside of the first main gear 19 and the second main gear 20 of the near-infrared detection scanner; the first main transmission gear 12 of the lifting drive meshes with the first main gear 19 of the near-infrared detection scanner.The first and second auxiliary gears 22 and 23 of the near-infrared detector scanner are mounted on the lifting frame 10 near the discharge end of the tobacco grading box 1. The second transmission chain 24 of the near-infrared detector scanner is sleeved on the outside of the first and second auxiliary gears 22 and 23. One end of the connecting plate 25 is connected to the first transmission chain 21 and the other end is connected to the second transmission chain 24. The near-infrared detector scanner 3 is mounted on the connecting plate 25. Driven by the synchronous lifting drive motor 11, the main lifting drive chain 14, the auxiliary lifting drive chain 18, the first and second transmission chains 21, and the second transmission chain 24 of the near-infrared detector scanner all move up and down synchronously, so that the high-definition industrial camera 2 and the near-infrared detector scanner 3 can be uniformly lifted and lowered according to the measured height of the tobacco stack.

[0057] like Figure 7 As shown, it also includes meshing transmission wheels 29. There are an even number of meshing transmission wheels 29. One end of the meshing transmission wheel 29 meshes with the first gear 12 of the lifting drive main transmission, and the other end meshes with the first main gear 19 of the near-infrared detector scanner. Through the even number of meshing transmission wheels 29, synchronous linkage between the first gear 12 of the lifting drive main transmission and the first main gear 19 of the near-infrared detector scanner can be achieved. In practical applications, the number of meshing transmission wheels 29 can be zero, two or more even numbers, which are determined by the length of the tobacco grading box 1. In addition, brackets 30 are provided on the lifting drive main transmission chain 14, the lifting drive secondary transmission chain 18, the first transmission chain 21 of the near-infrared detector scanner, and the second transmission chain 24 of the near-infrared detector scanner. The brackets 30 facilitate the installation and fixation of the connecting bracket 15 and the connecting plate 25.

[0058] like Figure 8-9As shown, a light-shielding baffle 31 is provided on the partition frame 26. The installation height of the baffle 31 is higher than the maximum height that the high-definition industrial camera 2 and the near-infrared inspection scanner 3 can be raised and lowered. Because the baffle 31 is provided on the partition frame 26, the baffle 31 will not affect the movement of the lifting drive main transmission chain 14 or the first transmission chain 21 for the up and down movement of the near-infrared inspection scanner. In addition, because the installation height of the baffle 31 is higher than the maximum height that the high-definition industrial camera 2 and the near-infrared inspection scanner 3 can be raised and lowered, even when the high-definition industrial camera 2 and the near-infrared inspection scanner 3 are working simultaneously, the high-definition industrial camera 2 will not be affected. The light generated by the camera 2 when photographing tobacco leaves is also blocked by the shield 31, which will not affect the near-infrared detection and scanning results of the tobacco leaves. In addition, since the shield 31 is set on the separator 26, it will not move up and down with the connecting bracket 15 and the connecting plate 25, thus effectively reducing the driving load of the synchronous lifting drive motor 11. In this invention, the tobacco leaf height detector 7 is a height detection sensor and the tobacco leaf length detector 8 is a length detection sensor. In practical applications, the height and length of tobacco leaves can also be detected by other devices, which are all alternative solutions that are easy for those skilled in the art to conceive of.

[0059] In this invention, the tobacco leaf grading and sorting conveyor line 5 includes a conveyor support frame 32, a tobacco leaf conveyor belt 33, a conveyor drive motor 34, a main drive shaft 35, and a secondary drive shaft 36. The main drive shaft 35 and the secondary drive shaft 36 are respectively arranged on both sides of the conveyor support frame 32. The conveyor drive motor 34 is connected to the main drive shaft 35. The tobacco leaf conveyor belt 33 is sleeved on the outside of the main drive shaft 35 and the secondary drive shaft 36. The tobacco leaf conveyor belt 33 is provided with multiple linearly arranged dividing lines 37. The edges of the dividing lines 37 are provided with sensing plates 38. The tobacco leaf grading box 1 is provided with a sensor 39 that recognizes the sensing plates 38. The sensor 39 and the sensing plates 38 sense each other. Since a simple fixed-length detection sensor can only detect the overall length of the tobacco leaf and cannot determine the starting position of the tobacco leaf on the tobacco leaf conveyor belt 33, multiple linearly arranged dividing lines 37 are provided on the tobacco leaf conveyor belt 33, and sensing plates 38 are provided at the edges of the dividing lines 37. The sensor 39 and sensor plate 38 installed on the tobacco grading box 1 can recognize each other and detect the specific position of the tobacco leaf on the tobacco leaf conveyor belt 33. This allows the electrical control cabinet 4 to divide the start time of segmented shooting and segmented near-infrared scanning of the tobacco leaf according to the overall length of the tobacco leaf. The reason for setting up the fixed length detection sensor, the dividing line 37, the sensor plate 38 and the sensor 39 at the same time is to save the length of the tobacco leaf conveyor belt 33, reduce the space occupied by the equipment, and facilitate the setting of the sensor 39. Specifically, setting the sensor 39 on the tobacco grading box 1 can facilitate the setting of the sensor 39 without adding additional accessories. Since the sensor 39 is installed on the tobacco grading box 1, if the length of the tobacco leaf is not known in advance, the electrical control cabinet 4 cannot reasonably divide the start time of segmented shooting and segmented near-infrared scanning of the tobacco leaf. Therefore, it is necessary to measure the length of the tobacco leaf in advance through the fixed length detection sensor.

[0060] In this invention, the tobacco leaf unfolding buffer conveyor line 6 includes a buffer conveyor support 40, a buffer conveyor drive motor 41, a buffer main drive shaft 42, a buffer secondary drive shaft 43, a first buffer belt 44, a second buffer belt 45, a concealed connecting buckle 46, and a fastener 47. The buffer main drive shaft 42 and the buffer secondary drive shaft 43 are respectively arranged on both sides of the buffer conveyor support 40. One end of the buffer conveyor drive motor 41 is connected to the electrical control cabinet 4, and the other end is connected to the buffer main drive shaft 42. The first buffer belt 44 is connected to the second buffer belt 45 through the concealed connecting buckle 46. A gap is provided at the junction of the first buffer belt 44 and the second buffer belt 45 for the fastener 47 to pass through. After passing through the gap at the junction of the first buffer belt 44 and the second buffer belt 45, the fastener 47 is connected to the concealed connecting buckle 46. After the first buffer belt 44 and the second buffer belt 45 are connected, they are sleeved on the buffer main drive shaft 42 and the buffer belt 45. On the outside of the auxiliary drive shaft 43, the connection between the first buffer belt 44 and the second buffer belt 45 can be achieved through the setting of the hidden connecting buckle 46. Since there is a gap for the buckle block 47 to pass through at the junction of the first buffer belt 44 and the second buffer belt 45, and the buckle block 47 passes through the gap at the junction of the first buffer belt 44 and the second buffer belt 45 and connects with the hidden connecting buckle 46, when the tobacco leaf bale is placed on the first buffer belt 44 and the second buffer belt 45, the buckle hole on the wrapping cloth on the outside of the tobacco leaf bale is fastened to the buckle block 47 at the junction of the first buffer belt 44 and the second buffer belt 45. At this time, the electrical control cabinet 4 drives the tobacco leaf unfolding buffer conveyor line 6 to rotate, and the tobacco leaves placed on the first buffer belt 44 or the second buffer belt 45 are conveyed to the tobacco leaf grading and sorting conveyor line 5. The wrapping cloth on the outside of the tobacco leaf bale is separated from the tobacco leaves as the tobacco leaf unfolding buffer conveyor line 6 rotates.

[0061] In this invention, after the tobacco leaves are unfolded on the tobacco leaf unfolding buffer conveyor line 6, the tips of the tobacco leaves are stacked relative to each other. Since the tips of the tobacco leaves are relatively thin and the petioles at the ends of the tobacco leaves are relatively thick, stacking the tips of the tobacco leaves can make the overall height of the stacked tips approximately the same as the height of the stacked petioles, and also effectively reduce the occurrence of damage to the tips of the tobacco leaves during movement.

[0062] This invention also discloses a method for grading tobacco leaves, comprising the following steps:

[0063] Step 1: Place the tobacco leaf bale containing the tobacco leaves on the first or second buffer belt of the tobacco leaf unfolding buffer conveyor line, unfold the tobacco leaf bale so that the tips of the tobacco leaves inside the tobacco leaf bale are stacked relative to each other, and fasten the buckle hole on the wrapping cloth on the outside of the tobacco leaf bale to the buckle block at the junction of the first and second buffer belts.

[0064] Step 2: The electrical control cabinet drives the tobacco leaf unfolding buffer conveyor line to rotate. The tobacco leaves placed on the first or second buffer belt are conveyed to the tobacco leaf grading and sorting conveyor line. The wrapping cloth on the outside of the tobacco leaf bale rotates with the tobacco leaf unfolding buffer conveyor line, realizing the separation of the wrapping cloth from the tobacco leaf.

[0065] Step 3: The tobacco leaf height detector on the tobacco leaf grading and sorting conveyor line detects the height of the stacked tobacco leaves on the tobacco leaf grading and sorting conveyor line and transmits the detected tobacco leaf height information back to the electrical control cabinet.

[0066] Step 4: The tobacco leaf length detector on the tobacco leaf grading and sorting conveyor line detects the length of the stacked tobacco leaves on the tobacco leaf grading and sorting conveyor line and transmits the detected tobacco leaf length information back to the electrical control cabinet.

[0067] Step 5: Based on the height of the tobacco leaf stack obtained in Step 3, the electrical control cabinet controls the synchronous lifting controller, enabling the high-definition industrial camera and near-infrared detection scanner to achieve synchronous height adjustment.

[0068] Step 6: The sensor on the tobacco grading box and the sensor at the edge of the dividing line on the tobacco conveyor belt recognize each other to determine the starting position of the tobacco leaf. Combined with the length of the tobacco leaf measured in Step 4, the start time of segmented shooting and segmented near-infrared scanning of the tobacco leaf is divided.

[0069] Step 7: The high-definition industrial camera and near-infrared scanner inside the tobacco grading box capture images and perform near-infrared scanning on the passing tobacco leaves to obtain the grading results.

[0070] The positional relationships described in the figures are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting this patent. Clearly, the above embodiments of the present invention are merely examples to clearly illustrate the invention and are not intended to limit the implementation of the invention. Those skilled in the art can make other variations or modifications based on the above description. It is neither necessary nor possible to exhaustively list all possible implementations here. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the claims of this invention.

Claims

1. A tobacco leaf grading system, comprising a tobacco leaf grading box, a high-definition industrial camera, a near-infrared detector scanner, an electrical control cabinet, and a tobacco leaf grading and sorting conveyor line for transporting tobacco leaves, characterized in that: The tobacco grading box is installed on the tobacco grading and sorting conveyor line; The high-definition industrial camera and the near-infrared detection scanner are respectively installed in the tobacco leaf grading box. When the tobacco leaves are transported on the tobacco leaf grading and sorting conveyor line, they pass through the high-definition industrial camera and the near-infrared detection scanner in sequence. The tobacco leaf grading and sorting conveyor line is equipped with a tobacco leaf unfolding buffer conveyor line at its front end. The tobacco leaf height detector and tobacco leaf length detector are installed on the tobacco leaf grading and sorting conveyor line at the front end of the tobacco leaf grading box. The tobacco grading box is equipped with a synchronous lifting controller for synchronously raising and lowering a high-definition industrial camera and a near-infrared detector. The high-definition industrial camera, the near-infrared detector, the tobacco grading and sorting conveyor line, the tobacco unfolding buffer conveyor line, the synchronous lifting controller, the tobacco height detector, and the tobacco length detector are respectively connected to the electrical control cabinet.

2. The tobacco leaf grading system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The synchronous lifting controller includes a lifting mounting frame, a synchronous lifting drive motor, a first main lifting drive gear, a second main lifting drive gear, a main lifting drive chain, a connecting bracket, a first auxiliary lifting drive gear, a second auxiliary lifting drive gear, a secondary lifting drive chain, a first main lifting gear for the near-infrared detector scanner, a second main lifting gear for the near-infrared detector scanner, a first transmission chain for the near-infrared detector scanner, a first auxiliary gear for the near-infrared detector scanner, a second auxiliary gear for the near-infrared detector scanner, a second transmission chain for the near-infrared detector scanner, and a connecting plate. The lifting and mounting frame is located inside the tobacco grading box. A partition is provided in the middle of the lifting and mounting frame, which divides the lifting and mounting frame into a high-definition photography area and a near-infrared detection and scanning area. The first and second main gears of the lifting drive are respectively mounted on the lifting mounting frames at the upper and lower ends of the high-definition photography area. The synchronous lifting drive motor is connected to the first main gear of the lifting drive, and the lifting drive chain is sleeved on the outside of the first and second main gears of the lifting drive. The first and second gears of the lifting drive auxiliary transmission are mounted on the lifting mounting frame on the side near the feed end of the tobacco grading box. The lifting drive auxiliary transmission chain is sleeved on the outside of the first and second gears of the lifting drive auxiliary transmission. One end of the connecting bracket is connected to the main lifting drive transmission chain, and the other end is connected to the lifting drive auxiliary transmission chain. The high-definition industrial camera is mounted on the connecting bracket. The first main gear for vertical lifting of the near-infrared detector and the second main gear for vertical lifting of the near-infrared detector are respectively set on the lifting mounting frame at the upper and lower ends of the near-infrared detection scanning area. The first transmission chain for vertical lifting of the near-infrared detector is sleeved on the outside of the first main gear for vertical lifting of the near-infrared detector and the second main gear for vertical lifting of the near-infrared detector. The first main transmission gear for lifting drive meshes with the first main gear for vertical lifting of the near-infrared detector. The first and second auxiliary gears for the up-and-down movement of the near-infrared detector scanner are mounted on a lifting frame near the discharge end of the tobacco grading box. The second transmission chain for the up-and-down movement of the near-infrared detector scanner is sleeved on the outside of the first and second auxiliary gears. One end of the connecting plate is connected to the first transmission chain for the up-and-down movement of the near-infrared detector scanner, and the other end is connected to the second transmission chain for the up-and-down movement of the near-infrared detector scanner. The near-infrared detector scanner is mounted on the connecting plate.

3. The tobacco leaf grading system according to claim 2, characterized in that: It also includes meshing transmission wheels, which are an even number. One end of each meshing transmission wheel meshes with the first gear of the lifting drive main transmission, and the other end meshes with the first main gear of the near-infrared detection scanner for vertical lifting.

4. The tobacco grading system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The lifting drive main transmission chain, the lifting drive auxiliary transmission chain, the near-infrared detector scanner lifting first transmission chain, and the near-infrared detector scanner lifting second transmission chain are all equipped with brackets.

5. The tobacco grading system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The partition frame is equipped with a light-shielding plate, which is installed at a height higher than the maximum height that the high-definition industrial camera and near-infrared detection scanner can be raised and lowered.

6. The tobacco leaf grading system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tobacco leaf height detector is a height detection sensor, and the tobacco leaf length detector is a length detection sensor.

7. The tobacco leaf grading system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tobacco leaf grading and sorting conveyor line includes a conveyor line support frame, a tobacco leaf conveyor belt, a conveyor drive motor, a main drive shaft, and a secondary drive shaft; The main drive shaft and the auxiliary drive shaft are respectively arranged on both sides of the conveyor line support frame. The conveyor drive motor is connected to the main drive shaft, and the tobacco leaf conveyor belt is sleeved on the outside of the main drive shaft and the auxiliary drive shaft. The tobacco conveyor belt is provided with multiple dividing lines arranged in a linear pattern. The edges of the dividing lines are provided with sensing plates. The tobacco grading box is provided with a sensor that recognizes the sensing plates. The sensor and the sensing plates sense each other.

8. The tobacco grading system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tobacco leaf unfolding buffer conveyor line includes a buffer conveyor bracket, a buffer conveyor drive motor, a buffer main drive shaft, a buffer secondary drive shaft, a first buffer belt, a second buffer belt, concealed connecting fasteners and fastener blocks; The buffer main drive shaft and the buffer secondary drive shaft are respectively installed on both sides of the buffer conveyor support. One end of the buffer conveyor drive motor is connected to the electrical control cabinet, and the other end is connected to the buffer main drive shaft. The first buffer belt is connected to the second buffer belt by a concealed connecting buckle. A gap is provided at the junction of the first buffer belt and the second buffer belt for the buckle to pass through. The buckle passes through the gap at the junction of the first buffer belt and the second buffer belt and is connected to the concealed connecting buckle. The first and second buffer belts are connected and then fitted onto the outside of the main buffer drive shaft and the secondary buffer drive shaft.

9. The tobacco grading system according to claim 1, characterized in that: After the tobacco leaves are unfolded on the tobacco leaf unfolding buffer conveyor line, the tips of the tobacco leaves are stacked opposite each other.

10. A method for grading tobacco leaves, characterized in that: Includes the following steps: Step 1: Place the tobacco leaf bale containing the tobacco leaves on the first or second buffer belt of the tobacco leaf unfolding buffer conveyor line, unfold the tobacco leaf bale so that the tips of the tobacco leaves inside the tobacco leaf bale are stacked relative to each other, and fasten the buckle hole on the wrapping cloth on the outside of the tobacco leaf bale to the buckle block at the junction of the first and second buffer belts. Step 2: The electrical control cabinet drives the tobacco leaf unfolding buffer conveyor line to rotate. The tobacco leaves placed on the first buffer belt or the second buffer belt are conveyed to the tobacco leaf grading and sorting conveyor line. The wrapping cloth on the outside of the tobacco leaf bale rotates with the tobacco leaf unfolding buffer conveyor line, realizing the separation of the wrapping cloth from the tobacco leaf. Step 3: The tobacco leaf height detector on the tobacco leaf grading and sorting conveyor line detects the height of the stacked tobacco leaves on the tobacco leaf grading and sorting conveyor line and transmits the detected tobacco leaf height information back to the electrical control cabinet. Step 4: The tobacco leaf length detector on the tobacco leaf grading and sorting conveyor line detects the length of the stacked tobacco leaves on the tobacco leaf grading and sorting conveyor line and transmits the detected tobacco leaf length information back to the electrical control cabinet. Step 5: Based on the height of the tobacco leaf stack obtained in Step 3, the electrical control cabinet controls the synchronous lifting controller, enabling the high-definition industrial camera and near-infrared detection scanner to achieve synchronous height adjustment. Step 6: The sensor on the tobacco grading box and the sensor at the edge of the dividing line on the tobacco conveyor belt recognize each other to determine the starting position of the tobacco leaf. Combined with the length of the tobacco leaf measured in Step 4, the start time of segmented shooting and segmented near-infrared scanning of the tobacco leaf is divided. Step 7: The high-definition industrial camera and near-infrared scanner inside the tobacco grading box capture images and perform near-infrared scanning on the passing tobacco leaves to obtain the grading results.

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