Automatic intelligent sea cucumber sorting and feeding equipment

Abstract

The invention discloses automatic and intelligent sea cucumber sorting and feeding equipment, and relates to the technical field of sea cucumber feeding and sorting, the automatic and intelligent sea cucumber sorting and feeding equipment comprises a third conveying belt, and the third conveying belt comprises two symmetrically arranged rotating rollers and a transmission belt arranged on the rotating rollers in a transmission and sleeving manner; a plurality of through grooves are formed in the transmission belt in the length direction of the transmission belt, and a micro roller is rotationally arranged in the middle of each through groove; the sorting assembly is used for receiving and detecting the sea cucumbers which are automatically arranged by the third conveying belt; the discharging assembly is provided with a plurality of receiving ends and is used for receiving the sea cucumbers detected and sorted by the sorting assembly through different receiving ends; wherein a plurality of power rollers are further arranged between the two rotating rollers, and the power rollers are configured to upwards abut against the micro rollers to drive the micro rollers to rotate, so that the sea cucumbers placed on the transmission belt are driven to move relative to the transmission belt, the sea cucumbers are adjusted and arranged one by one at preset intervals, and the overall sorting rhythm is good.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of sea cucumber feeding and sorting technology, specifically to an automated intelligent sorting and feeding device for sea cucumbers. Background Technology

[0002] As a high-value seafood product, sea cucumber's deep processing industry is increasingly demanding automation and intelligent processes. Among these, the sorting process is a key step that determines the quality and standardization of the final product.

[0003] Currently, existing automated sea cucumber sorting equipment typically employs a combination of conveyor belt transport, machine vision inspection, and mechanical sorting. The conveyor belt transports the sea cucumbers to the inspection area, industrial cameras capture images, and a control system drives the sorting mechanism to group the sea cucumbers into different grade troughs. This technology automates the sorting process to a certain extent, reducing the workload for manual labor.

[0004] However, due to the lubricating water film on the surface of the sea cucumbers after cleaning, the friction between them and the conveyor belt is low, causing the sea cucumbers to slip, slide erratically, or even roll during transport. This uncontrollable movement makes it impossible for the sea cucumbers to synchronize with the conveyor belt, let alone form the orderly material flow with constant spacing required for subsequent inspection. The chaotic material flow directly prevents the downstream vision inspection unit from operating at a fixed pace, severely restricting the automation level of the entire line.

[0005] Furthermore, existing visual inspection equipment often directly inspects sea cucumbers on the conveyor belt. Therefore, the parts of the sea cucumbers that come into contact with the conveyor belt cannot be effectively inspected. In other words, there are bound to be blind spots, resulting in low sorting accuracy.

[0006] In addition, existing technologies often only focus on the sorting process itself, while neglecting the entire process connection from cleaning to sorting.

[0007] Therefore, it is necessary to provide an automated intelligent sorting and feeding device for sea cucumbers to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0008] To address the above problems, the present invention provides the following technical solution: an automated intelligent sorting and feeding device for sea cucumbers, comprising: The third transmission belt includes two symmetrically arranged rotating rollers and a transmission belt sleeved on the rotating rollers; the transmission belt has multiple through slots along its length, and a miniature roller is rotatably arranged in the middle of each through slot. A sorting component is used to receive and detect sea cucumbers that have been automatically arranged by the third conveyor belt; A discharge assembly having multiple receiving ends for receiving sea cucumbers that have been detected and sorted by the sorting assembly through different receiving ends; Among them, multiple power rollers are also provided between the two rotating rollers. The power rollers are configured to push against the micro rollers upward to drive the micro rollers to rotate, thereby driving the sea cucumbers placed on the transmission belt to move relative to the transmission belt and realize the arrangement of them one by one at a predetermined interval.

[0009] Furthermore, as a preferred embodiment, two opposing baffles are arranged in the space above the third conveyor belt, and the distance between the two baffles is configured to be less than the length of the sea cucumber, so as to guide the sea cucumber to move in a predetermined direction.

[0010] Furthermore, as a preferred embodiment, the surface of the micro roller is provided with microneedles with a length of 1-3 mm.

[0011] Furthermore, preferably, the diameter of the micro roller is 1-3 mm larger than the thickness of the transmission belt.

[0012] Furthermore, as a preferred embodiment, the surface of the rotating roller is provided with a groove corresponding to the position of the micro-roller.

[0013] Furthermore, preferably, the sorting component includes: outer cylinder; A transparent tube fixed to the middle of the outer cylinder; A detection ring is rotatably mounted on the outside of the transparent tube, and multiple detectors are arrayed on the detection ring. A feeding hopper is fixedly connected to the top of the transparent tube; The detection rings are configured as two, and are distributed at intervals along the vertical direction and rotatably mounted on the inner wall of the outer cylinder.

[0014] Furthermore, as a preferred embodiment, a curved tube is rotatably provided below the bottom end of the transparent tube, the curved tube being driven by a transmission component, the transmission component being poweredly connected to a motor.

[0015] Furthermore, as a preferred embodiment, a ring frame is provided below each of the detection rings, and a plug is embedded in the ring frame. The plugging end of the plug can extend into the transparent tube, and a weighing sensor is provided on the plugging end of one of the plugs.

[0016] Furthermore, preferably, the discharge assembly includes: upper plate; The lower plate is spaced below the upper plate; Multiple connecting pipes are connected between the upper plate and the lower plate, and pass through the upper plate and the lower plate; Multiple discharge troughs are located below the lower plate and are connected to the connecting pipes one by one.

[0017] Furthermore, as a preferred option, it also includes: Cleaning tank; A hopper is located on one side of the cleaning tank; The first conveyor belt is L-shaped, with one end extending into the washing tank and the other end located above the hopper. The second conveyor belt is located below the hopper; The material handling assembly is used to pick up sea cucumbers one by one from the second conveyor belt and transfer them to the third conveyor belt.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the present invention provides an automated intelligent sorting and feeding device for sea cucumbers, which has the following beneficial effects: In this invention, a micro-roller with microneedles is provided. The active rotation of the micro-roller effectively overcomes the lubricity of the sea cucumber surface, actively adjusts the spacing between sea cucumbers, and forms an orderly material flow with stable rhythm and uniform spacing.

[0019] In this invention, by setting two detection rings, a detection mode combining preliminary all-round scanning and key verification is realized. With the help of a pauseable blocking device and an integrated weighing sensor, the equipment can weigh specific sea cucumbers during the detection process, ensuring the strict implementation of sorting standards. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an automated intelligent sorting and feeding device for sea cucumbers. Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional sectional view of the sorting components; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the planar structure of the third transmission belt; Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the material discharge assembly; In the diagram: 1. Washing tank; 2. First conveyor belt; 3. Hopper; 4. Second conveyor belt; 5. Material handling assembly; 6. Baffle; 7. Sorting assembly; 8. Third conveyor belt; 9. Discharge assembly; 71. Outer cylinder; 72. Transparent tube; 73. Discharge hopper; 74. Bend; 75. Transmission assembly; 76. Ring frame; 77. Blocker; 78. Detection ring; 79. Detector; 81. Rotating roller; 82. Groove; 83. Transmission belt; 84. Miniature roller; 85. Power roller; 91. Upper plate; 92. Lower plate; 93. Connecting pipe; 94. Discharge chute. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such terms are interchangeable where appropriate; this is merely a way of distinguishing objects with the same attributes in the embodiments of this application. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of elements is not necessarily limited to those elements, but may include other elements not explicitly listed or inherent to those processes, methods, products, or apparatuses.

[0022] Example: In this embodiment of the invention, please refer to... Figures 1-4 An automated intelligent sorting and feeding device for sea cucumbers is provided, comprising: The third transmission belt 8 includes two symmetrically arranged rotating rollers 81 and a transmission belt 83 sleeved on the rotating rollers 81; the transmission belt 83 has multiple through slots along its length, and a miniature roller 84 is rotatably arranged in the middle of each through slot. Sorting component 7, the sorting component 7 is used to receive and detect sea cucumbers that have been automatically arranged by the third conveyor belt 8; The discharge assembly 9 has multiple receiving ends for receiving sea cucumbers that have been detected and sorted by the sorting assembly 7 through different receiving ends. Among them, a plurality of power rollers 85 are provided between the two rotating rollers 81. The power rollers 85 are configured to push against the micro rollers 84 upward to drive the micro rollers 84 to rotate, thereby driving the sea cucumbers placed on the transmission belt 83 to move relative to the transmission belt 83 and to adjust and arrange them one by one at a predetermined interval.

[0023] It is important to note that after the cleaning process, sea cucumbers have a layer of moisture on their surface, making them slippery. When such sea cucumbers are placed on the third conveyor belt 83, the friction between the sea cucumbers and the conveyor belt 83 is insufficient to ensure synchronous movement. This leads to two consequences: first, the sea cucumbers may slip or slide erratically on the conveyor belt 83; second, the originally set spacing is disrupted, making it impossible to form a stable material flow.

[0024] To solve the slippage problem mentioned above, in this embodiment, the power roller 85 located inside the transmission belt 83 pushes against the micro roller 84 upward, which can transmit power to the micro roller 84 embedded in the through groove, so that it can obtain independent rotational power.

[0025] Each micro-roller 84 is equivalent to an independent, small drive wheel. They are in direct contact with the lubricated sea cucumber and apply a controllable driving force to the sea cucumber through rotation. This driving force is greater than the friction that the sea cucumber can obtain on the smooth drive belt 83, effectively overcoming the lubricity of its surface and forcibly moving the sea cucumber.

[0026] Since each micro-roller 84 can be controlled independently, the rotation speed and direction of a specific micro-roller 84 can be adjusted based on the sea cucumber's position information. For example, if the distance between two sea cucumbers is detected to be too small, the micro-roller 84 of the sea cucumber behind can be driven to rotate in the opposite direction, while the micro-roller 84 of the sea cucumber in front can be driven to operate normally or at an accelerated speed, thereby actively widening the distance. Conversely, when the distance is too large, corresponding adjustments can also be made.

[0027] Through the aforementioned active traction and spacing adjustment, this equipment ensures that the sea cucumbers entering the downstream sorting component 7 always maintain an orderly, predetermined spacing. This stable material cycle time is a prerequisite for ensuring that subsequent automated units such as testing, weighing, and sorting can operate continuously, efficiently, and without errors, thereby effectively maintaining the rhythm of the entire production line.

[0028] Of course, in other embodiments, the transmission belt 83 can be configured as multiple plates hinged together in sequence, and the rotating roller 81 can be rotatably set in an independent plate to ensure overall reliability.

[0029] Furthermore, two opposing baffles 6 are arranged in the space above the third conveyor belt 8, and the distance between the two baffles 6 is configured to be less than the length of the sea cucumber, so as to guide the sea cucumber to move in a predetermined direction.

[0030] The surface of the micro roller 84 is provided with micro needles with a length of 1-3 mm.

[0031] In addition, the diameter of the micro roller 84 is 1-3 mm larger than the thickness of the transmission belt 83.

[0032] In this embodiment, the conveyor belt 83 is primarily responsible for transporting sea cucumbers from point A to point B. If the diameter of the micro roller 84 is less than or equal to the thickness of the conveyor belt 83, it will be completely submerged in the channel and unable to contact the sea cucumbers above, thus losing any adjustment capability. By designing the diameter of the micro roller 84 to be 1-3 mm greater than the thickness of the conveyor belt 83, so that its roller surface protrudes from the surface of the conveyor belt, the necessary physical contact prerequisite for adjustment is established.

[0033] The protruding micro-roller 84 and the surface of the transmission belt 83 together form a composite bearing surface. The weight of the sea cucumber is still mostly supported by the transmission belt 83. At the same time, the protruding micro-roller 84 creates additional contact points with the sea cucumber when needed. The protrusion of the micro-roller 84 allows its curved surface to form a larger contact area with the soft body of the sea cucumber.

[0034] When the sea cucumber surface is relatively smooth, the smooth micro-roller 84 cannot provide an effective anchoring force and will slip on the sea cucumber's surface. However, the 1-3mm microneedles can pierce the water film and embed themselves in the sea cucumber's epidermis, providing a reliable gripping force sufficient to counteract the friction of the conveyor belt. As mentioned earlier, the 1-3mm microneedle length represents a balance between effective gripping and product protection.

[0035] In this embodiment, the surface of the rotating roller 81 is provided with a groove 82 corresponding to the position of the micro roller 84.

[0036] In this embodiment, the sorting component 7 includes: outer cylinder 71; A transparent tube 72 fixed to the middle of the outer cylinder 71; A detection ring 78 is rotatably disposed outside the transparent tube 72, and multiple detectors 79 are arrayed on the detection ring 78. The feeding hopper 73 is fixedly connected to the top of the transparent tube 72; The detection rings 78 are configured as two, and are distributed at intervals along the vertical direction and rotatably mounted on the inner wall of the outer cylinder 71.

[0037] Sea cucumbers enter through hopper 73 and fall along transparent tube 72 fixed in the middle of outer cylinder 71. When a sea cucumber passes the first detection ring 78, the first detection ring 78 performs a preliminary 360-degree scan. The goal of this stage is to quickly obtain basic information such as the overall outline, size range, and presence of obvious abnormalities of the sea cucumber, forming a preliminary digital profile.

[0038] If the first detection ring 78 identifies a suspected defect, a size at the grading threshold, or other features of interest, the detector 79 on the second detection ring 78 can automatically adjust the focus and exposure to perform high-resolution imaging of the area for verification.

[0039] Therefore, when the sea cucumber falls into the scanning area of ​​the second detection ring 78, the detection is no longer a blind, repetitive scan, but a targeted detection with a clear purpose.

[0040] In this embodiment, a bent tube 74 is rotatably disposed below the bottom end of the transparent tube 72. The bent tube 74 is driven by a transmission assembly 75, which is powered by a motor. The motor provides power to the transmission assembly 75, thereby driving the bent tube 74 to rotate, so that the discharge end of the bent tube 74 is aligned with different positions of the discharge assembly 9.

[0041] In this embodiment, a ring frame 76 is provided below each of the detection rings 78. A blocker 77 is embedded in the ring frame 76. The blocking end of the blocker 77 can extend into the transparent tube 72. A weighing sensor is provided on the blocking end of one of the blockers 77.

[0042] The ring frame 76 positioned below the detection ring 78 and the sealing device 77 inside it constitute a physically intervened stopping point. The sealing device 77 can be a telescopic rod, such as a telescopic rod driven by a cylinder or hydraulic cylinder. When a sea cucumber is being detected, the sealing end of the sealing device 77 will quickly extend and insert into the transparent tube 72, thereby intercepting and stopping the sea cucumber's fall.

[0043] Furthermore, one of the plugs 77 integrates a weighing sensor at its plugging end. When the system determines that a sea cucumber needs to be accurately weighed based on the scanning results of the detection ring 78, the sea cucumber will be guided to fall onto this special plug 77. After weighing is completed, the plug 77 retracts, releasing the sea cucumber so that it can continue to fall to the subsequent discharge assembly.

[0044] In this embodiment, the discharge assembly 9 includes: upper plate 91; The lower plate 92 is spaced below the upper plate 91; Multiple connecting pipes 93 are connected between the upper plate 91 and the lower plate 92, and pass through the upper plate 91 and the lower plate 92; Multiple discharge troughs 94 are located below the lower plate 92 and are connected to the connecting pipes 93 one by one.

[0045] After being detected and judged by the sorting component 7, the sea cucumbers are guided to the inlet of a connecting pipe 93 corresponding to their judgment grade. Once the sea cucumbers enter a connecting pipe 93, their final flow direction is determined by the physical structure. Under the influence of gravity, the sea cucumbers pass through the connecting pipe 93 and fall directly into the discharge trough 94 located directly below it. Since each discharge trough 94 corresponds to a specific sorting grade (such as large, medium, small, or special grade, first grade, substandard grade, etc.), the sea cucumbers are accurately collected into their respective containers, completing the final step of the entire sorting process.

[0046] In addition, the automated intelligent sorting and feeding equipment for sea cucumbers also includes: Cleaning tank 1; Hopper 3 is located on one side of the cleaning tank 1; The first conveyor belt 2 is L-shaped, with one end extending into the washing tank 1 and the other end located above the hopper 3; The second conveyor belt 4 is located below the hopper 3; The material handling component 5 is used to pick up the sea cucumbers one by one from the second conveyor belt 4 and transfer them to the third conveyor belt 8.

[0047] In this embodiment, the entire process begins in the cleaning tank 1, which is the centralized storage area for sea cucumbers that have completed the cleaning process. The first conveyor belt 2, which is L-shaped in shape, extends into the cleaning tank 1 at one end. Its function is to automatically scoop out the sea cucumbers that are soaking in the tank. Through its L-shaped structure, it not only realizes the transfer from the liquid surface to the plane, but also simultaneously completes the vertical lifting and horizontal conveying of materials, transporting the sea cucumbers to the hopper 3 located on the upper side.

[0048] The function of the second conveyor belt 4 is to initially spread out the concentrated sea cucumbers, forming a relatively sparse, single-layer material flow, creating conditions for the next step of grabbing them one by one. For example, the second conveyor belt 4 can be a vibrating feeder, which uses slight vibration to make the sea cucumbers spread evenly on the belt surface.

[0049] The feeding assembly 5 can be a multi-axis robotic arm, with its end effector being a flexible gripper or a vacuum suction cup, capable of simulating the movements of a human hand to precisely grasp individual sea cucumbers. Subsequently, the feeding assembly 5 transfers the grasped sea cucumbers to a predetermined starting position on the third conveyor belt 8.

[0050] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any equivalent substitutions or modifications made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present invention, based on the technical solution and inventive concept of the present invention, should be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automated intelligent sorting and feeding device for sea cucumbers, characterized in that, include: The third transmission belt (8) includes two symmetrically arranged rotating rollers (81) and a transmission belt (83) sleeved on the rotating rollers (81); the transmission belt (83) has multiple through slots along its length, and a miniature roller (84) is rotatably arranged in the middle of each through slot. Sorting component (7), the sorting component (7) is used to receive and detect sea cucumbers that have been automatically arranged by the third conveyor belt (8); The discharge assembly (9) has multiple receiving ends for receiving sea cucumbers that have been detected and sorted by the sorting assembly (7) through different receiving ends; Among them, a plurality of power rollers (85) are provided between the two rotating rollers (81). The power rollers (85) are configured to push against the micro rollers (84) upward to drive the micro rollers (84) to rotate, thereby driving the sea cucumbers placed on the transmission belt (83) to move relative to the transmission belt (83) and realize the arrangement of them one by one at a predetermined interval.

2. The automated intelligent sorting and feeding equipment for sea cucumbers according to claim 1, characterized in that, Two opposing baffles (6) are arranged in the space above the third conveyor belt (8), and the distance between the two baffles (6) is configured to be less than the length of the sea cucumber, so as to guide the sea cucumber to move in a predetermined direction.

3. The automated intelligent sorting and feeding equipment for sea cucumbers according to claim 1, characterized in that, The surface of the micro roller (84) is provided with micro needles with a length of 1-3 mm.

4. The automated intelligent sorting and feeding equipment for sea cucumbers according to claim 1, characterized in that, The diameter of the micro roller (84) is 1-3 mm larger than the thickness of the transmission belt (83).

5. The automated intelligent sorting and feeding equipment for sea cucumbers according to claim 1, characterized in that, The surface of the rotating roller (81) is provided with a groove (82) corresponding to the position of the micro roller (84).

6. The automated intelligent sorting and feeding equipment for sea cucumbers according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sorting component (7) includes: outer cylinder (71); A transparent tube (72) fixed in the middle of the outer cylinder (71); A detection ring (78) is rotatably disposed outside the transparent tube (72), and multiple detectors (79) are arrayed on the detection ring (78). The feeding hopper (73) is fixedly connected to the top of the transparent tube (72); The detection rings (78) are configured as two, and are distributed at intervals along the vertical direction and rotatably disposed on the inner wall of the outer cylinder (71).

7. The automated intelligent sorting and feeding equipment for sea cucumbers according to claim 6, characterized in that, A bend (74) is rotatably disposed below the bottom end of the transparent tube (72). The bend (74) is driven by a transmission assembly (75), which is powered by a motor.

8. The automated intelligent sorting and feeding equipment for sea cucumbers according to claim 6, characterized in that, Each of the detection rings (78) is provided with a ring frame (76) below it. A plug (77) is embedded in the ring frame (76). The plug end of the plug (77) can extend into the transparent tube (72). A weighing sensor is provided on the plug end of one of the plugs (77).

9. The automated intelligent sorting and feeding equipment for sea cucumbers according to claim 1, characterized in that, The discharge assembly (9) includes: Upper board(91); The lower plate (92) is spaced below the upper plate (91); Multiple connecting pipes (93) are connected between the upper plate (91) and the lower plate (92) and pass through the upper plate (91) and the lower plate (92). Multiple discharge troughs (94) are located below the lower plate (92) and are connected to the connecting pipes (93) one by one.

10. The automated intelligent sorting and feeding equipment for sea cucumbers according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: Cleaning tank (1); The hopper (3) is located on one side of the cleaning tank (1); The first conveyor belt (2) is L-shaped, with one end extending into the cleaning tank (1) and the other end located above the hopper (3); The second conveyor belt (4) is located below the hopper (3); The material handling component (5) is used to pick up sea cucumbers one by one from the second conveyor belt (4) and transfer them to the third conveyor belt (8).

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