Uniform sugar-coating device for sugarcoated haws on sticks

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of food processing equipment, and particularly discloses a uniform sugar coating device for sugarcoated haws on sticks, which comprises a box seat and a syrup heating groove, a closed-loop conveying groove is formed in the upper surface of the box seat, a plurality of conveying moving blocks are arranged in the closed-loop conveying groove through a closed-loop conveying assembly, each conveying moving block is provided with a mounting seat, and the mounting seats are arranged on the box seat. A vertical limiting sliding groove is formed in the mounting base, a limiting sliding block is connected into the vertical limiting sliding groove through a spring, an inserting rod used for fixing a sugar-coated haw string rod is rotationally connected into the limiting sliding block, a first gear and a guide wheel are arranged on the inserting rod, and a closed-loop groove plate is arranged on the box base; a guide groove formed by connecting a flat line section, a lower convex section and a sawtooth section is formed in the closed-loop groove plate; according to the device disclosed by the invention, sugar soaking, rotating, brushing, slurry shaking, cooling and discharging are integrated, a continuous closed-loop automatic production line is formed, the production efficiency is improved, meanwhile, the height uniformity of the sugar coating thickness is also realized, and the product quality is kept.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of food processing equipment technology, and specifically discloses a device for evenly coating candied hawthorn with sugar. Background Technology

[0002] In the process of making candied hawthorn skewers, the skewered hawthorns, strawberries, and other fruits need to be dipped into syrup to coat their surface with a layer of sugar. Traditional manual candied hawthorn skewer making is not only inefficient but also suffers from uneven sugar coating and the risk of burns.

[0003] Utility model patent application number 201520231757.1 discloses a sugar-coating device for an automatic candied hawthorn processing machine. The device includes a frame with a conveyor belt rotatably connected to it. A clamp is mounted on the conveyor belt. The sugar-coating device includes a mixing tank for holding syrup fixed to one side of the frame and several drip tubes fixed to the same side. Candied hawthorn sticks strung with hawthorns can move to a position below the drip tubes. The conveyor belt has a drive mechanism that rotates the candied hawthorn sticks when they are below the drip tubes. This utility model patent discloses a sugar-coating device that uses drip tubes to discharge syrup while simultaneously driving the candied hawthorn sticks to rotate, completing the sugar-coating process. While this device can automatically coat candied hawthorn berries with sugar, it still has some technical problems and shortcomings: First, the dripping method requires continuous heating of the syrup to maintain it in a molten state, and the heat loss during the dripping and reflux collection process is significant, resulting in high energy consumption for the entire device; second, even when the candied hawthorn berries are rotated to ensure even coating, the coating effect is not uniform; third, during the transport process after coating, some surfaces may have excessive syrup coating, causing it to drip onto subsequent machines and contaminate the working environment. Therefore, to address the above-mentioned shortcomings of traditional manual sugar coating of candied hawthorn berries and existing sugar coating devices, this application proposes a device for uniformly coating candied hawthorn berries that can effectively solve the aforementioned technical problems. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a device for evenly coating candied hawthorns with sugar, so as to achieve automatic and even coating of candied hawthorns with sugar and shake off excess syrup online, thereby avoiding waste of raw materials and pollution of the machine.

[0005] This invention is achieved through the following technical solution: A device for evenly coating candied hawthorn skewers with sugar includes a base and a syrup heating tank. The upper surface of the base has a closed-loop conveying trough. Multiple conveying blocks are arranged in the closed-loop conveying trough via a closed-loop conveying assembly. Each conveying block is equipped with a mounting base, and the mounting base has a vertical limiting groove. A vertically movable limiting slider is connected to the vertical limiting groove via a spring. A connecting rod for fixing the candied hawthorn skewer is rotatably connected to the limiting slider, and the connecting rod is equipped with a first gear and a guide wheel. The box base is provided with a closed-loop groove plate, and the closed-loop groove plate is provided with a guide groove composed of a flat line segment, a convex section and a sawtooth section. The guide wheel interacts with the flat line segment, the convex section and the sawtooth section in turn to realize the conveying, slurry dipping and shaking of the candied hawthorn string rod. A rotary power component is provided on the closed-loop groove plate located at the position of the convex section, and a second gear is provided on the rotary power component to interact with the first gear.

[0006] As a further feature of the above scheme, the first gear and the guide wheel are located at the inner end of the plug rod near the closed-loop groove plate, and the outer end of the plug rod is provided with a rubber plug with a cross-shaped cut for plugging and fixing the candied hawthorn skewer rod.

[0007] As a further feature of the above solution, the syrup heating tank is provided with a downwardly recessed syrup storage part at the position corresponding to the lower convex section, and the upper ends of the front and rear sides of the syrup storage part are provided with lower groove openings to avoid the candied hawthorn skewer rod.

[0008] As a further provision of the above scheme, the closed-loop conveying assembly includes two conveying wheels and a closed-loop conveying component, with the closed-loop conveying component disposed between the two conveying wheels, one of which is connected to a power motor.

[0009] As a further provision of the above scheme, the closed-loop conveying trough is provided with a closed-loop slide rail that is parallel to the closed-loop conveying component and interacts with the conveying moving block.

[0010] As a further feature of the above scheme, a brush roller is rotatably mounted on the upper end of the closed-loop groove plate located at the lower convex section position via a connecting frame, and one end of the brush roller is connected to a rotary motor.

[0011] As a further feature of the above scheme, a wind hood is provided at the turning position of the closed-loop conveyor trough downstream of the sawtooth section, and a cold air fan is provided below the wind hood. The cold air fan blows cold air into the wind hood through the air guide pipe to accelerate the cooling and setting of the syrup.

[0012] As a further feature of the above solution, the air inlet of the air cooler is equipped with a filter.

[0013] The specific working process of this invention is as follows: After the device is started, the closed-loop conveying assembly drives multiple conveying moving blocks to run at a constant speed along the set circular track; when it runs to the loading station, the operator inserts the stringy candied hawthorns into the rubber plug at the front end of the plug rod to complete the fixation.

[0014] As the conveying assembly continues to advance, the guide wheel fixed to the insertion rod begins to interact with the specially contoured guide groove set on the closed-loop trough plate. When the guide wheel enters the concave section, it pushes the entire insertion rod mechanism to overcome spring resistance and descend smoothly, allowing the candied hawthorn to be accurately immersed in the syrup storage section of the syrup heating tank. At the same time, due to the downward movement of the insertion rod, the first gear at its end automatically meshes with the second gear output from the rotary power component, driving the candied hawthorn to rotate at a uniform speed in the syrup, ensuring that the syrup evenly coats the surface of the fruit. During this process, the brush roller set above the syrup tank rotates synchronously, brushing the upper part of the candied hawthorn to further ensure the uniformity of the sugar coating thickness.

[0015] After the sugar soaking process is completed, the candied hawthorns enter the serrated section of the guide trough along with the conveyor assembly. At this time, the guide wheel generates high-frequency vibration under the action of the special contour. Through the energy storage-release mechanism of the spring, the candied hawthorns are driven to shake rapidly, which fully shakes off the excess syrup on the surface and collects it back into the syrup tank, which saves raw materials and avoids pollution.

[0016] Next, the coated candied hawthorns enter the cooling station, where they receive filtered cold air from a bottom-mounted fan within a sealed hood, accelerating the solidification and setting of the sugar coating. Finally, the finished candied hawthorns are conveyed to the unloading station, where operators remove and package them, while the unloaded connecting rod continues to cycle back to its starting position, ready to begin the next work cycle.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: This invention eliminates the randomness and unevenness of existing drip-type sugar coating methods, employing an "immersion-type rotating coating" method. This allows the lower half of the candied hawthorn to be immersed in the syrup and rotates at a uniform speed under the action of transmission, ensuring that the syrup adheres to the fruit surface 360° without any blind spots. Furthermore, this invention also includes a synchronously rotating brush roller above the sugar-immersion station to actively brush the upper part of the candied hawthorn, effectively solving the problem of syrup aggregation caused by surface tension or gaps between fruits. This results in a highly uniform sugar coating thickness, maintaining product quality.

[0018] This invention also utilizes a "mechanical shaking to remove excess syrup" mechanism. Through the design of the serrated section in the guide groove, combined with the energy storage and instantaneous release of the spring, the candied hawthorn generates high-frequency, low-amplitude mechanical shaking after leaving the syrup. This process can efficiently and quickly shake off excess syrup adhering to the surface, allowing it to flow back into the syrup tank for reuse. This not only precisely controls the thickness of the finished sugar coating, but also directly reduces the amount of syrup consumed per candied hawthorn, while completely solving the problem of syrup dripping and contaminating the conveyor line and working environment.

[0019] The device disclosed in this invention integrates sugar soaking, rotation, brushing, slurry shaking, cooling, and feeding into a continuous closed-loop automated production line. The candied hawthorn completes all processes during the conveying process without the need for intermediate manual intervention. In particular, the built-in cold air cooling system forces convection heat exchange, which greatly shortens the waiting time for the sugar coating to solidify naturally, making the production cycle faster. The daily output capacity of a single machine far exceeds that of traditional manual or semi-automatic equipment, making it very suitable for the needs of large-scale and standardized food processing. Attached Figure Description

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the present invention from a first angle; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the second-angle three-dimensional structure of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the housing, closed-loop conveying assembly, etc. in this invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the closed-loop groove plate, guide groove, etc. in this invention; Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the mounting base, limiting slider, and plug-in rod in this invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the cooling fan, fan cover, etc. in this invention; Figure 7 For the present invention Figure 1 A magnified structural diagram of point A in the middle. Detailed Implementation

[0022] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0023] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other. The following will refer to the appendix... Figures 1-7 This application will be described in detail with reference to the embodiments. Example 1

[0024] Example 1 discloses a device for evenly coating candied hawthorns with sugar, as shown in the attached document. Figures 1-3 The main structure includes a base 1 and a syrup heating tank 2. A control box 3 for controlling the entire device is provided on the front side of the base 1, and a closed-loop conveying trough 100 is provided on the upper surface of the base 1. A closed-loop conveying assembly 3 is provided in the closed-loop conveying trough 100, and a closed-loop slide rail 4 parallel to the closed-loop conveying assembly 3 is provided around the closed-loop conveying assembly 3. Specifically, the closed-loop conveying assembly 3 includes two conveying wheels 301, and the lower end of one of the conveying wheels 301 is connected to a power motor (not shown in the figure) provided in the inner cavity of the base 1. Then, a closed-loop conveying component 302 is provided between the two conveying wheels 301. The closed-loop conveying component 302 can be a conveyor chain or a conveyor belt. Then, multiple conveying moving blocks 303 are connected at equal intervals on the closed-loop conveying component 302, and the lower end of each conveying moving block 303 interacts with the closed-loop slide rail 4, so that under the action of the closed-loop conveying component 3, all the conveying moving blocks 303 can be driven to move and convey along the closed-loop conveying groove 100.

[0025] Reference Appendix Figure 1 Appendix Figure 2 and attached Figure 5 Each conveying moving block 303 is fixedly equipped with a mounting base 5, which has a vertical limiting groove 501. The bottom of the vertical limiting groove 501 is connected to a limiting slider 500 via a spring 502. Each vertical limiting groove 501 is rotatably connected to an insertion rod 503 that is perpendicular to the conveying direction of the closed-loop conveying assembly 3 via a bearing. The outer end of the insertion rod 503 is provided with a rubber plug 504 with a cross-cut, so that the candied hawthorn skewer rod can be inserted into the insertion rod 503 and fixed by inserting the rubber plug 504. Then, a first gear 505 and a guide wheel 506 are provided at the inner end of the insertion rod 503.

[0026] Reference Appendix Figure 4A closed-loop groove plate 6 is fixedly installed on the upper surface of the housing 1 of the inner ring of the closed-loop conveyor 302. A guide groove 60 is formed on the outer circular surface of the closed-loop groove plate 6, which can interact with all the guide wheels 506. The guide groove 60 includes a flat line segment 601, a convex section 602, and a serrated section 603 connected end to end. When the guide wheel 506 interacts with the flat line segment 601, the limiting slider 500 is at the top of the vertical limiting groove 501. When the guide wheel 506 interacts with the convex section 602, the limiting slider 500 moves downward along the vertical limiting groove 501. When the guide wheel 506 interacts with the serrated section 603, the limiting slider 500 moves downward along the vertical limiting groove 501 first, and then rises instantaneously to generate an impact.

[0027] Reference Appendix Figure 3 The syrup heating tank 2 is fixedly installed at the front end of the base 1, and its length is at least longer than the length of the lower convex section 602 + the serrated section 603. A downwardly recessed syrup storage part 201 is provided at the position of the lower convex section 602 in the syrup heating tank 2. The upper part of the front and rear side surfaces of the syrup storage part 201 is provided with a lower groove opening 202 corresponding to the lower convex section 602, so that there is no obstruction when the candied hawthorn skewer rod moves downward.

[0028] Finally, a rotary power assembly 7 is fixedly installed on the inner ring of the closed-loop groove plate 6 at the corresponding lower convex section 602 position. The rotary power assembly 7 consists of a power motor and a reduction gear. Then, a second gear 701 is set on the output shaft of the rotary power assembly 7 extending out of the closed-loop groove plate 6. When the first gear 505 moves down and meshes with the second gear 701, the rotary power assembly 7 is started, which makes the candied hawthorn string rod rotate around the bearing in the limit slider 500 along with the plug rod 503, thereby coating the surface of the candied hawthorn with a layer of syrup.

[0029] In the operation of the candied hawthorn uniformly coated with sugar device disclosed in Embodiment 1, all conveying moving blocks 303 are driven by the closed-loop conveying component 3 to move and convey along the closed-loop conveying groove 100, thereby driving the mounting base 5, plug-in rod 503 and other components to perform cyclical movement.

[0030] When the candied hawthorn skewers are moved to the loading station, the skewered hawthorn skewers are inserted from the rubber stopper 504 into the connecting rod 503 for fixation by manual labor or a robot. Then, the candied hawthorn skewers are moved by the closed-loop conveyor assembly 3. When they reach the position corresponding to the lower protrusion 602, the guide wheel 506 and the lower protrusion 602 cause the limiting slider 500 to move downwards against the force of the spring 502, thus immersing the lower half of the candied hawthorn skewers into the syrup heating tank 2. At this time, the first gear 505 and the second gear 701 on the connecting rod 503 mesh. Next, the rotational power assembly 7 is activated, and the connecting rod 503 and the inserted candied hawthorn skewers rotate under the gear meshing transmission. During the rotation of the candied hawthorn skewers, a layer of syrup adheres to their surface.

[0031] After the candied hawthorn berries are coated with syrup, the closed-loop conveyor assembly 3 moves them to the toothed section 603. When the guide wheel 506 interacts with the toothed section 603, the limiting slider 500 first overcomes the force of the spring 502 and moves downward. Then, through the instantaneous release of the compressive potential energy of the spring 502, it moves upward smoothly and impacts the berries. This impact shakes off excess syrup from the surface of the candied hawthorn berries, which is then heated in the syrup heating tank 2. This avoids waste of raw materials caused by excessive syrup on the surface of the candied hawthorn berries, as well as pollution caused by syrup dripping onto the equipment during subsequent conveying. Finally, the candied hawthorn berries are conveyed by the closed-loop conveyor assembly 3 to the unloading station, where operators or robots pull them out of the insertion rod 503 and wrap them with a layer of packaging film. Example 2

[0032] Example 2 discloses a device for uniformly coating candied hawthorns with sugar, which is further optimized based on the technical solution in Example 1. The similarities between the device and Example 1 will not be described again.

[0033] Reference Appendix Figure 1 Appendix Figure 4 and attached Figure 7 In this embodiment 2, a connecting frame 61 is fixedly welded to the upper end of the closed-loop groove plate 6 at the corresponding lower convex section 602. A brush roller 62 is rotatably mounted in the connecting frame 61, located directly above the syrup storage section 201. A rotary motor 63 is provided at the front end of the connecting frame 61 to drive the brush roller 62 to rotate. When the candied hawthorn is immersed in the syrup and the syrup sticks, the rotary motor 63 synchronously drives the brush roller 62 to rotate, so that the brush roller 62 brushes the upper half of the candied hawthorn, thereby ensuring that the syrup is evenly coated on the surface of the candied hawthorn.

[0034] Reference Appendix Figure 6In this embodiment 2, a fan hood 8 is also provided at the turning position of the closed-loop conveyor trough 100 downstream of the sawtooth section 603. Both ends of the fan hood 8 are provided with strip-shaped openings for the smooth passage of the candied hawthorn. A cooler 9 is fixedly installed on the base 1 below the fan hood 8. The air inlet of the cooler hood 9 is provided with a filter 901, and the air outlet of the cooler hood 9 is connected to a guide pipe 902. A row of exhaust ports 903 extending into the inside of the fan hood 8 are provided on the guide pipe 902. The above-mentioned design of the fan hood 8, cooler hood 9, etc., allows the cooler hood 9 to continuously blow cold air from the bottom when the candied hawthorn, which is evenly coated with syrup, moves into the inside of the fan hood 8, thereby accelerating the cooling and setting of the syrup on the surface of the candied hawthorn.

[0035] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A device for evenly coating candied hawthorn skewers with sugar, comprising a base and a syrup heating tank, characterized in that, The upper surface of the box base is provided with a closed-loop conveying groove. Multiple conveying moving blocks for circulating conveying are set in the closed-loop conveying groove through a closed-loop conveying assembly. Each conveying moving block is provided with a mounting base, and the mounting base is provided with a vertical limiting slide groove. A limiting slider that moves up and down is connected to the vertical limiting slide groove through a spring. A plug rod for fixing the candied hawthorn string rod is rotatably connected to the limiting slider, and the plug rod is provided with a first gear and a guide wheel. The box base is provided with a closed-loop groove plate, and the closed-loop groove plate is provided with a guide groove composed of a flat line segment, a convex section and a sawtooth section. The guide wheel interacts with the flat line segment, the convex section and the sawtooth section in turn to realize the conveying, slurry dipping and shaking of the candied hawthorn string rod. A rotary power component is provided on the closed-loop groove plate located at the position of the convex section, and a second gear is provided on the rotary power component to interact with the first gear.

2. The device for uniformly coating candied hawthorn skewers with sugar according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first gear and guide wheel are located at the inner end of the plug rod near the closed-loop groove plate. The outer end of the plug rod is provided with a rubber plug with a cross-shaped cut for plugging and fixing the candied hawthorn skewer rod.

3. The device for uniformly coating candied hawthorn skewers with sugar according to claim 1, characterized in that, The syrup heating tank is provided with a downwardly recessed syrup storage part at the position corresponding to the lower convex section. The upper part of the front and rear sides of the syrup storage part is provided with a lower groove to avoid the candied hawthorn skewer rod.

4. The device for uniformly coating candied hawthorn skewers with sugar according to claim 1, characterized in that, The closed-loop conveying assembly includes two conveying wheels and a closed-loop conveying component, with the closed-loop conveying component positioned between the two conveying wheels, one of which is connected to a power motor.

5. The device for uniformly coating candied hawthorn skewers with sugar according to claim 4, characterized in that, The closed-loop conveying trough is provided with a closed-loop slide rail that is parallel to the closed-loop conveying component and interacts with the conveying moving block.

6. The device for uniformly coating candied hawthorn skewers with sugar according to claim 1, characterized in that, A brush roller is rotatably mounted on the upper end of the closed-loop groove plate located at the lower convex section via a connecting frame, and one end of the brush roller is connected to a rotary motor.

7. The device for uniformly coating candied hawthorn skewers with sugar according to claim 1, characterized in that, A hood is installed at the turning position of the closed-loop conveyor trough downstream of the sawtooth section. A cold air fan is installed below the hood. The cold air fan blows cold air into the hood through the air guide pipe to accelerate the cooling and setting of the syrup.

8. The device for uniformly coating candied hawthorn skewers with sugar according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air cooler is equipped with a filter at its air inlet.

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