Plant source hard capsule forming equipment and forming process thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to the field of capsule production equipment, in particular to plant source hard capsule forming equipment and a forming process thereof.The plant source hard capsule forming equipment is characterized in that a driving motor is provided with an oil scraping assembly, a capsule liquid pool is fixedly installed under the oil scraping assembly, and the oil scraping assembly automatically adapts to the shape of a capsule by periodically changing the position of the oil scraping assembly; the oil coating assembly is provided with a leveling assembly, and the leveling assembly is used for adjusting the shape of the leveling assembly along with the change of the phase position of the oil scraping assembly. The problem of how to periodically adapt to the shape of the capsule mold to level the glue liquid surface is solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of capsule production equipment, specifically to a plant-derived hard capsule molding equipment and its molding process. Background Technology

[0002] Plant-based hard capsules are capsules whose main raw material is plant fiber. Plant fiber materials, after extraction and processing, can be used to make the outer shell of plant-based hard capsules. Because plant-based hard capsule materials are natural and sustainable, and are suitable for certain specific groups, such as vegetarians or people whose religious beliefs prohibit the consumption of animal products, plant-based hard capsules are often considered an alternative to animal-based capsules and have practical application value. The molding equipment for plant-based hard capsules mainly involves dipping a capsule mold into a gelatin solution made by mixing a blend of plant fiber pulp with substances such as agar, potato starch, gellan gum, carrageenan, and polyethylene glycol, followed by drying and demolding to form the capsule.

[0003] In the process of molding plant-derived hard capsules, to ensure that the capsules are not damaged during demolding, an appropriate amount of lubricating oil needs to be applied to the capsule mold before immersing it in the adhesive solution. Then, the capsule mold needs to be dipped into the adhesive solution pool, which is a mixture of plant fiber pulp and pectin. During this process, the adhesive solution needs to be dipped at a relatively stable speed and the capsule mold needs to be lifted slowly. Otherwise, the adhesive solution will flow extensively on the capsule mold, resulting in uneven capsule shape. At the same time, to ensure that the capsules do not have defects such as uneven molding during the molding process, the adhesive solution needs to have a high viscosity. Therefore, in actual processing, the surface of the adhesive solution is uneven, which makes the depth of the capsule mold immersed in the adhesive solution uncertain.

[0004] However, during the processing of plant-derived hard capsules, the amount of lubricating oil applied during the dipping process is difficult to control. This can lead to insufficient adhesion of the adhesive to the capsule mold, resulting in uneven capsule surfaces. Additionally, the depth to which the capsule mold is immersed in the adhesive varies with processing time, causing numerous cases of uneven capsule surfaces and ultimately leading to a decline in capsule quality.

[0005] To address this, existing technologies offer several solutions. One such technology involves feeding the capsule into a cutting machine after it has been formed to remove excess material caused by uneven glue application. However, this method cannot handle capsules with gaps on the surface due to insufficient glue application, and it requires additional cutting steps, leading to decreased production efficiency.

[0006] In view of this, in order to overcome the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention designs a plant-derived hard capsule molding equipment and its molding process, thereby solving the above-mentioned technical problems. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to provide a plant-derived hard capsule molding device and its molding process, solving the problem of how to periodically adapt to the shape of the capsule mold to level the surface of the adhesive. To achieve the above objective, this invention provides the following technical solution: The present invention provides a plant-derived hard capsule molding equipment, including a drive motor, a glue tank, a flipping component, and a leveling component. The drive motor is equipped with the flipping component, and the glue tank is fixedly installed directly below the flipping component. The flipping component automatically adapts to the capsule shape by periodically changing its own position, thereby controlling the amount of lubricating oil remaining on the mold. The flipping component is equipped with a leveling component, which changes its own shape as the phase of the flipping component changes.

[0008] When capsules need to be prepared, the glue pool is first filled with the mixed and stirred glue solution. The drive motor is started, and the drive motor drives the flipping component to move periodically, scraping off the lubricating oil adhering to the surface of the capsule mold. The flipping component is immersed in the glue pool multiple times in one movement cycle. Each movement of the flipping component drives the leveling component to move. The leveling component levels the glue solution on the surface of the glue pool and removes air bubbles from the glue solution inside the glue pool.

[0009] Preferably, the flipping assembly includes a moving plate, a fixed plate, a main shaft, a collar, support plates, a limiting groove, a mold rod, a capsule mold, a driven rod, a transmission block, a spring, an oil scraper base, a slide groove, an oil scraper ring, a limiting plate, and a straight groove; the output shaft of the drive motor is fixedly connected to the moving plate via a key and a coupling, the fixed plate is fixed to the ground by bolts, the moving plate and the fixed plate are mounted on the same axis, the coaxiality of the moving plate and the fixed plate is between 0.003 and 0.005 mm, the fixed plate is fixedly connected to the main shaft via a key, the main shaft is fixedly connected to the collar by welding, multiple support plates are welded circumferentially to the collar, the support plates are arranged in a circumferential array on the collar, and the groove between the support plates and the fixed plate is a limiting groove. The limiting groove, on the side near the bottom of the fixed platen, is trapezoidal in shape, with both sides of the trapezoid being arc-shaped. The curvature of the arc-shaped sides is the same as the curvature of the bottom of the capsule mold, thus enabling the capsule mold to rise or fall along the arc-shaped sides of the limiting groove with the fixed platen, and making the movement speed of the capsule mold more stable. At the same time, since the curvature of the arc-shaped sides is the same as the curvature of the bottom of the capsule mold, the limiting groove allows the movement of the oil scraper ring and the mold rod to better adapt to the shape of the capsule mold. The limiting groove on the side away from the bottom of the fixed platen is rectangular, thus playing a limiting role in the movement of the mold rod, realizing the periodic flipping of the capsule mold. The function of the limiting groove is to automatically adapt to the shape of the capsule mold through the movement of the moving platen.

[0010] A mold rod is fixedly connected to the end of the support plate away from the collar by a pin. An even number of capsule molds are linearly arrayed on the mold rod along its axis. The capsule molds are cylindrical, with both ends forming hemispheres of the same diameter as the cylinder. Half of the capsule molds has a slightly smaller diameter than the other half. The larger capsule molds produce capsule heads, and the smaller molds produce capsule bodies, thus achieving mutual pairing of the produced capsule heads and capsule bodies. A driven rod is fixedly connected to the end of the mold rod near the moving plate by a pin, allowing the driven rod to move with the mold rod along the axis of the moving plate. Springs are fixedly connected to both ends of the driven rod to prevent the glue on the capsule mold from slipping due to vibration during the lifting of the mold rod. The end of the spring away from the driven rod is fixedly connected to the fixed plate to achieve spring positioning and load bearing. The axis of the driven rod is parallel to the axis of the moving plate, with a parallelism of 0.03-0.06mm, thus preventing the driven rod from shifting and causing excessive friction of the oil scraper ring against the capsule mold. The driven rod changes its phase relative to the limiting groove synchronously with the mold rod. Since the driven rod is fixedly connected to the mold rod, it can change its phase relative to the limiting groove synchronously with the mold rod. The mold rod drives the driven rod to move, and the position of the oil scraper ring is controlled by controlling the displacement of the driven rod. At the same time, the vibration transmitted on the mold rod is initially reduced by the driven rod, and the vibration is further buffered by the spring to prevent the glue on the capsule mold from sliding off due to the vibration of the mold rod. A transmission block is fixedly connected to the end of the driven rod away from the mold rod. The transmission block is semi-ellipsoidal. The function of the transmission block is to change the position of the oil scraper ring relative to the slide groove, so that the oil scraper ring moves along the surface of the capsule mold. The semi-ellipsoidal transmission block is conducive to the smooth movement of the oil scraper ring and can control the movement speed of the oil scraper ring from slow to fast and then the speed drops again, so as to slowly scrape off the lubricating oil of the cylindrical part of the capsule mold and quickly scrape off the lubricating oil of the hemispherical part of the capsule mold. This process is conducive to demolding and improves the movement stability of the mold rod.

[0011] The fixed plate is connected to an oil scraping base, which has an arc-shaped groove arranged radially along the oil scraping base. This allows the oil scraping ring to adapt to the shape of the capsule mold as it moves through the groove. An oil scraping ring, also arc-shaped, is slidably connected inside the groove. The oil scraping ring changes position according to the curvature of the capsule mold head shape curve. Since the oil scraping ring itself is arc-shaped and the groove is also arc-shaped, the groove can move along the curve of the hemispherical head of the capsule mold to fully scrape off excess lubricating oil. The oil scraping base is slidably connected to a limiting plate, which has straight grooves arranged in a circular array to prevent the oil scraping ring from deviating from the limiting plate during movement.

[0012] When capsules need to be processed, the drive motor drives the moving plate to rotate through the main shaft. The fixed plate is fixed on the ground, and the collar below the fixed plate supports the support plate. When the moving plate rotates, it drives the mold rod, which is fixedly connected to the moving plate, to rotate around the axis of the moving plate. When the mold rod passes through the limiting groove, it is driven by the limiting groove to move along the axis of the moving plate, thereby controlling the capsule mold to dip into the glue pool. After 6-8 seconds, the capsule mold is raised with the mold rod, thereby achieving full dipping into the glue. Then the capsule mold flips over and dips into the glue again, repeating the above process. During the movement of the mold rod, it also drives the driven rod to move. The vibration on the mold rod is absorbed by the transmission rod and the spring, while the transmission block moves with the driven rod, thereby driving the oil scraping base to rotate. The oil scraping base restricts the movement trajectory of the oil scraping ring through the sliding groove, thereby controlling the oil scraping ring to adapt to the shape of the capsule mold for oil scraping. The limiting plate prevents the oil scraping ring from detaching from the oil scraping base through the straight groove.

[0013] Preferably, the leveling assembly includes clamping blocks, connecting rods, locking pins, push rods, limiting blocks, guide holes, connecting rods, leveling plates, swing rods, and lifting lugs. There are two clamping blocks, symmetrically arranged, which clamp the limiting blocks when the mold rod moves to the center of the clamping blocks, ensuring the stability of the mold rod's movement. Connecting rods are fixedly connected to the bottom of each clamping block, and the connection between the two connecting rods is a rotatable connection. After installation, the two connecting rods form a rhombus. A gear and gear ring structure is provided at the rotatable connection point between the connecting rod and the clamping block. The function of the gear and gear ring structure is to restrict the degree of freedom of the clamping block around the axis of the connecting rod. The gear and gear ring structure includes a gear and a gear ring. A gear is fixedly connected to the hinge point between the connecting rod and the clamping block via a key. The gear ring is welded to the bottom of the clamping block, and the gear meshes with the gear ring. When the clamping block needs to work, the gear rotates and drives the clamping block to move via a rack. The mechanism involves a gear that, when the clamping block is about to deflect, provides support and limits the clamping block via a rack, preventing it from deflecting. The connecting rod, near the clamping block, alters the clamping force by changing the torque. A locking pin is detachably fixed at the rotation center of the two connecting rods. This locking pin periodically restricts the rotation of the connecting rods as the rotating assembly moves. When installed, the locking pin locks the connecting rods, allowing them to move only up and down with the mold rod. When the locking pin is open, the rhombus formed by the two connecting rods can move and change its angle, resulting in a smaller angle as the two connecting rods approach each other. This increases the torque provided by the connecting rods to the clamping block, making the mold rod more stable. Simultaneously, the decreasing angle pushes the mold rod, generating lift and assisting in its elevation, improving the flatness of the glue pool surface as the capsule mold moves away from the glue pool.

[0014] Two connecting rods are rotatably connected to push rods at their ends away from the clamping block, thus allowing them to swing with the deformation of the connecting rods. A limit block, which is a sleeve, is slidably connected at the intersection of the two push rods. The limit block moves with the push rods and has a guide hole on it to control the direction of the push rod's movement. The guide hole restricts all degrees of freedom of the push rod except for the degree of freedom of movement along its own axis. The shape of the guide hole is consistent with the shape of the push rod and is arranged along the axial direction of the push rod. The function of the guide hole is to control the direction of the push rod's movement, thereby controlling the movement trajectory of the entire plate, so that the movement trajectory of the entire plate is elliptical, improving the mixing effect of the adhesive, and controlling the lifting or lowering of the entire plate, thus improving the working efficiency of the entire plate.

[0015] A connecting rod is rotatably connected to the end of the push rod away from the connecting rod. The connecting rod positions the entire plate and improves its structural strength. The lower end of the connecting rod is fixedly connected to the entire plate, thus achieving radial positioning and load-bearing of the entire plate. The entire plate is circular to adapt to the shape of the capsule mold. The connection point between the swing rod and the entire plate is located at the center of the entire plate. The curved edge of the entire plate is serrated to eliminate air bubbles in the adhesive, thereby improving the mixing effect of the entire plate on the adhesive when the swing rod pushes the entire plate to rotate. As the swing rod drives the entire plate to rotate, the shape of the connecting rod is a rhombus with a gradually decreasing included angle. The circular entire plate and the swing rod located at the center of the entire plate can provide a greater torque to the connecting rod, assisting the clamping block to clamp the mold rod. A swing rod is rotatably connected to the side of the connecting rod away from the entire plate. The function of the swing rod is to control the mixing of the adhesive by the entire plate. Lifting lugs are provided on both sides of the swing rod, thereby improving the working stability of the swing rod.

[0016] When capsules need to be processed, the drive motor drives the rotating disc to rotate, which in turn drives the mold rod to move. When the locking pin is engaged, the mold rod drives the connecting rod to move, and the entire plate descends. At this time, the locking pin does not engage the connecting rod. While moving, the connecting rod swings around the position of the locking pin, which in turn drives the push rod to swing. The degree of freedom of the push rod is restricted by the limiting block and the guide hole, so the push rod can only move along the push rod axis. This causes the entire plate to move closer to the glue pool and to move along the glue pool, thus leveling the surface of the glue pool. At this time, the swing rod applies a thrust to the entire plate around the connecting rod, which in turn causes the entire plate to rotate. The entire plate is now at the surface of the glue. The rotating entire plate stirs the glue, making the glue mixture more uniform. At the same time, the serrated edge of the entire plate removes air bubbles from the glue within the immersion area of ​​the capsule mold.

[0017] This application also provides a process for molding plant-derived hard capsules, the process flow of which is as follows: S1: Fix the flipping component of this application on the wall or ground of the factory. The capsule mold needs to be installed vertically. The flipping component is located directly above the glue pool. Select an even number of capsule molds and install them on the mold rod. S2: Before immersing in the adhesive liquid, lubricate it with a sufficient amount of edible vegetable oil. Then, scrape off the excess vegetable oil using the flipping component to prevent insufficient vegetable oil from causing demolding difficulties. Then, the leveling component clamps the mold rod away from the moving plate, and the capsule mold is immersed in the adhesive liquid pool with the top end facing down. The mold rod is completely immersed in the adhesive liquid pool for about 6-8 seconds. Then, the flipping component slowly lifts the mold rod. After the mold rod leaves the surface of the adhesive liquid, flip the mold rod again. Repeat the flipping of the mold several times to allow it to cool. S3: Place the mold with adhesive in a constant temperature drying oven and dry at 60℃ for 40 minutes. Use shell-pulling pliers to pull the dried capsule shells out of the capsule mold. If the climate is dry, spray water mist to allow the capsule shells to regain moisture before proceeding. Cut the pulled-out capsule shells into a certain length. Finally, combine the shell shells and the cap to form a complete hollow capsule shell. S4: The viscosity of the compounded adhesive solution after sol was measured using a viscometer, the gel strength of the adhesive solution was measured using a gel strength tester, the gel melting temperature was measured using the falling ball method, and the time required from dipping into the mold to solidification of the adhesive solution was recorded using a timer.

[0018] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: 1. A plant-derived hard capsule molding device of the present invention, wherein the device periodically changes the phase and then uses the cooperation of the flipping component and the leveling component to automatically control the leveling component to change its angle relative to the glue pool, thereby achieving adaptive shape of the capsule mold to level the glue surface in a local area and ensure that the glue in that area is free of bubbles.

[0019] 2. A plant-derived hard capsule molding device of the present invention, which utilizes the principle of motion synthesis and the change in distance between the flipping component and the capsule mold to periodically scrape off excess lubricating oil from the surface of the capsule mold, thereby improving the smoothness of the process from oiling to glue application to demolding.

[0020] 3. The present invention provides a plant-derived hard capsule molding process. This method processes capsules through dip coating, which completes the secondary use of capsule molds and multi-directional drying, further optimizing the process flow and enabling workers to flexibly control the production efficiency of capsules. At the same time, the dip coating method effectively reduces the learning cost for workers and avoids the need for workers to operate complex machines during the capsule molding process, which would result in low processing accuracy. Attached Figure Description

[0021] To more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below.

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall appearance of the present invention; Figure 2This is a top view of part of the flipping component of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of section AA of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a front view of the leveling component of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of the BB section of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the overall appearance of the present invention after the moving plate is removed; Figure 7 This is the present invention. Figure 7 Enlarged view at point C; Figure 8 This is a diagram illustrating the fixed plate structure of the present invention; Figure 9 This is a process flow diagram of the present invention.

[0023] In the diagram: 1. Drive motor; 2. Adhesive pool; 3. Tilting assembly; 31. Moving plate; 32. Fixed plate; 321. Main shaft; 322. Collar; 323. Support plate; 324. Limiting groove; 33. Mold rod; 34. Capsule mold; 35. Driven rod; 351. Transmission block; 36. Spring; 37. Oil scraper base; 371. Slide groove; 38. Oil scraper ring; 39. Limiting plate; 391. Straight groove; 4. Leveling assembly; 41. Clamping block; 42. Connecting rod; 421. Gear ring structure; 43. Locking pin; 44. Push rod; 45. Limiting block; 451. Guide hole; 46. Connecting rod; 47. Swing rod; 48. Lifting lug; 49. Leveling plate; 491. Serrated. Implementation

[0024] The present invention will be further described below with reference to embodiments and accompanying drawings. The following description is intended to disclose the invention so that those skilled in the art can implement it. The preferred embodiments described below are merely examples, and other obvious variations will occur to those skilled in the art.

[0025] like Figure 1-8 As shown, a plant-derived hard capsule molding device includes a drive motor 1 equipped with a flipping component 3. A glue pool 2 is fixedly installed directly below the flipping component 3. The flipping component 3 automatically adapts to the capsule shape by periodically changing its position, thereby controlling the amount of lubricating oil remaining on the mold. The flipping component 3 is equipped with a leveling component 4, which changes its shape according to the phase change of the flipping component 3. To facilitate understanding of the working process and structural connection relationship of this application, only one flipping component 3 and leveling component 4 are shown in the figure. In fact, this application has multiple flipping components 3 and leveling components 4 arranged in the same position.

[0026] When it is necessary to prepare capsules, first fill the glue pool 2 with the mixed and stirred glue solution, start the drive motor 1, drive motor 1 drives the flipping component 3 to move periodically, scrape off the lubricating oil attached to the surface of the capsule mold 34, the flipping component 3 is immersed in the glue pool 2 multiple times in one movement cycle, and each movement of the flipping component 3 drives the leveling component 4 to move, the leveling component 4 levels the glue solution on the surface of the glue pool 2 and removes air bubbles in the glue solution inside the glue pool 2.

[0027] In existing technologies, excess material is often removed from already formed capsules using a cutting machine to avoid problems such as excessive gaps or excess material when the capsule head and capsule body are fitted together. However, this does not take into account the impact of missing adhesive during processing on capsule production. This application utilizes the cooperation of the flipping component 3 and the leveling component 4, and uses the leveling component 4 to automatically change its angle relative to the adhesive pool 2, thereby improving the quality of the process.

[0028] like Figure 1-8 As shown, the output shaft of the drive motor 1 is fixedly connected to a moving plate 31 via a key and a coupling. A fixed plate 32 is fixed to the ground with bolts. The moving plate 31 and the fixed plate 32 are mounted on the same axis, with a coaxiality between 0.003 and 0.005 mm. The fixed plate 32 is fixedly connected to a main shaft 321 via a key. A collar 322 is fixedly connected to the main shaft 321 by welding. Multiple support plates 323 are welded circumferentially to the collar 322. The support plates 323 are arranged in a circumferential array on the collar 322. The slot between the support plates 323 and the fixed plate 32 is a limiting groove 324. The limiting groove 324 is trapezoidal in shape on the side near the bottom of the fixed plate 32, and the two sides of the trapezoid... The limiting groove 324 is arc-shaped, and the curvature of the arc-shaped edge is the same as the curvature of the bottom of the capsule mold 34. This allows the capsule mold 34 to rise or fall along the arc-shaped edge of the limiting groove 324 with the fixed plate 32, and the moving speed of the capsule mold 34 is more stable. At the same time, since the curvature of the arc-shaped edge is the same as the curvature of the bottom of the capsule mold 34, the limiting groove 324 allows the movement of the oil scraper ring 38 and the mold rod 33 to better adapt to the shape of the limiting groove 324 away from the bottom of the fixed plate 32. The shape of the limiting groove 324 is rectangular, which plays a limiting role in the movement of the mold rod 33, realizing the periodic flipping of the capsule mold 34. The function of the limiting groove 324 is to automatically adapt to the shape of the capsule mold 34 through the movement of the moving plate 31.

[0029] A mold rod 33 is fixedly connected to the end of the support plate 323 away from the collar 322 by a pin. An even number of capsule molds 34 are linearly arranged along the axis of the mold rod 33. The capsule molds 34 are cylindrical in shape, with both ends being hemispherical with the same diameter as the cylinder. The diameter of one half of the capsule mold 34 is slightly smaller than that of the other half. The larger capsule mold 34 produces the capsule head, and the smaller mold produces the capsule body, thus achieving mutual pairing of the produced capsule head and capsule body. A driven rod 35 is fixedly connected to the end of the mold rod 33 near the moving plate 31 by a pin. The driven rod 35 moves axially along the moving plate 31 with the mold rod 33. Springs 36 are fixedly connected to both ends of the driven rod 35 to prevent vibration during the lifting of the mold rod 33 from causing the adhesive on the capsule mold 34 to slip. The end of the spring 36 away from the driven rod 35 is fixedly connected to the fixed plate 32, thus achieving the positioning and load-bearing function of the spring 36. The axis of the driven rod 35 is parallel to the axis of the moving plate 31, with a parallelism of 0.03-0.06 mm, thus preventing the driven rod 35 from shifting and causing excessive friction between the scraper ring 38 and the capsule mold 34. The driven rod 35 and the mold rod 33... The phase relative to the limiting groove 324 is changed synchronously. Since the driven rod 35 is fixedly connected to the mold rod 33, the driven rod 35 can change its phase relative to the limiting groove 324 synchronously with the mold rod 33. The mold rod 33 drives the driven rod 35 to move, and the position of the scraper ring 38 is controlled by controlling the displacement of the driven rod 35. At the same time, the vibration transmitted on the mold rod 33 is initially reduced by the driven rod 35, and the vibration is further buffered by the spring 36 to prevent the glue on the capsule mold 34 from slipping due to the vibration of the mold rod 33. The end of the driven rod 35 away from the mold rod 33 is fixedly connected. There is a transmission block 351, which is semi-ellipsoidal. The function of the transmission block 351 is to change the position of the oil scraper ring 38 relative to the slide groove 371, thereby causing the oil scraper ring 38 to move along the surface of the capsule mold 34. The semi-ellipsoidal transmission block 351 is conducive to the smooth movement of the oil scraper ring 38 and can control the movement speed of the oil scraper ring 38 from slow to fast and then the speed drops again, thereby realizing the slow scraping of the lubricating oil of the cylindrical part of the capsule mold 34 and the fast scraping of the lubricating oil of the hemispherical part of the capsule mold 34. This process is conducive to demolding and improves the movement stability of the mold rod 33.

[0030] The fixed plate 32 is fixedly connected to the oil scraping base 37. The oil scraping base 37 has a sliding groove 371. The sliding groove 371 is arc-shaped and arranged radially along the oil scraping base 37. This allows the oil scraping ring 38 to adapt to the shape of the capsule mold 34 when it moves through the sliding groove 371. The oil scraping ring 38 is slidably connected in the sliding groove 371. The oil scraping ring 38 is arc-shaped and its function is to change position according to the curvature of the head shape curve of the capsule mold 34. Since the oil scraping ring 38 itself is arc-shaped and the sliding groove 371 is also arc-shaped, the sliding groove 371 can move along the direction of the hemispherical head curve of the capsule mold 34 to fully scrape off excess lubricating oil. The oil scraping base 37 is slidably connected to the limiting plate 39. The limiting plate 39 has straight grooves 391 arranged in a circular array on it to prevent the oil scraping ring 38 from deviating from the limiting plate 39 during movement.

[0031] When capsules need to be processed, the drive motor 1 drives the moving plate 31 to rotate via the main shaft 321. The fixed plate 32 is fixed to the ground, and the collar 322 below the fixed plate 32 supports the support plate 323. When the moving plate 31 rotates, it drives the mold rod 33, which is fixedly connected to the moving plate 31, to rotate around the axis of the moving plate 31. When the mold rod 33 passes through the limiting groove 324, it is driven by the limiting groove 324 to move along the axis of the moving plate 31, thereby controlling the capsule mold 34 to dip into the glue pool 2. After staying for 6-8 seconds, the capsule mold 34 is raised with the mold rod 33, thereby realizing the filling. After dipping the capsule mold 34 in the adhesive solution, the capsule mold 34 is flipped over and dipped in the adhesive solution again. The above process is repeated. During the movement of the mold rod 33, the driven rod 35 is moved simultaneously. The vibration on the mold rod 33 is absorbed by the transmission rod and the spring 36. The transmission block 351 moves with the driven rod 35, which in turn drives the oil scraping base 37 to rotate. The oil scraping base 37 restricts the movement trajectory of the oil scraping ring 38 through the slide groove 371, thereby controlling the oil scraping ring 38 to adapt to the shape of the capsule mold 34 for oil scraping. The limiting plate 39 prevents the oil scraping ring 38 from detaching from the oil scraping base 37 through the straight groove 391.

[0032] like Figure 1-7As shown, there are two clamping blocks 41, symmetrically arranged. When the mold rod 33 moves to the center of the clamping block 41, it clamps the limiting block 45, ensuring the stability of the mold rod 33's movement. Connecting rods 42 are fixedly connected to the bottom of each clamping block 41, and the connection between the two connecting rods 42 is a rotatable connection. After installation, the two connecting rods 42 form a rhombus. The gear and gear ring structure 421 includes a gear and a gear ring. The gear is fixedly connected to the hinge point between the connecting rod 42 and the clamping block 41 by a key. The gear ring is welded to the bottom of the clamping block 41, and the gear meshes with the gear ring. When the clamping block 41 needs to work, the gear rotates and drives the clamping block 41 to move via a rack, locking the mold rod 33. When the clamping block 41 is about to deflect, the gear supports and limits the clamping block 41 via the rack, preventing deflection. The function of the connecting rod 42 is to change the clamping force of the clamping block 41 by changing the torque at the end of the connecting rod 42 near the clamping block 41. The center point of rotation of the two connecting rods 42 is detachably fixed with the locking pin 43. The function of the locking pin 43 is to periodically restrict the rotation of the connecting rod 42 with the flipping component 3. When the locking pin 43 is installed, it locks the connecting rod 42, so that the connecting rod 42 only moves up and down with the mold rod 33. When the locking pin 43 is opened, the rhombus formed by the two connecting rods 42 can move and change the included angle, so that the included angle of the rhombus is smaller when the two connecting rods 42 are close, thereby increasing the torque provided by the connecting rod 42 to the clamping block 41, making the mold rod 33 more stable. At the same time, as the included angle of the rhombus decreases, it pushes the mold rod 33, generating a lifting force on the mold rod 33, assisting the mold rod 33 to rise, and improving the flatness of the liquid surface of the glue pool 2 as the capsule mold 34 moves away from the glue pool 2.

[0033] Two connecting rods 42 are rotatably connected to push rods 44 at their ends away from the clamping block 41, thus allowing them to swing with the deformation of the connecting rods 42. A limit block 45 is slidably connected at the intersection of the two push rods 44. The limit block 45 is a sleeve that moves with the push rods 44. The limit block 45 has a guide hole 451 for controlling the direction of movement of the push rods 44. The guide hole 451 restricts all degrees of freedom of the push rods 44 except for the degree of freedom of movement along its own axis. The shape of the guide hole 451 is consistent with the shape of the push rods 44. The guide hole 451 is arranged along the axial direction of the push rods 44. The function of the guide hole 451 is to control the direction of movement of the push rods 44, thereby controlling the movement trajectory of the plate 49, so that the movement trajectory of the plate 49 is elliptical, improving the stirring effect of the adhesive. At the same time, it controls the lifting or lowering of the plate 49, improving the working efficiency of the plate 49.

[0034] The push rod 44 is rotatably connected to a connecting rod 46 at the end away from the connecting rod 42. The connecting rod 46 positions the plate 49 and improves its structural strength. The lower end of the connecting rod 46 is fixedly connected to the plate 49, thereby achieving radial positioning and load-bearing of the plate 49. The plate 49 is circular to adapt to the shape of the capsule mold 34. The connection point between the swing rod 47 and the plate 49 is located at the center of the plate 49. The arc-shaped edge of the plate 49 is serrated 491 to eliminate air bubbles in the adhesive, thereby improving the rotation of the plate 49 when the swing rod 47 pushes it. The mixing effect of the platen 49 on the adhesive is due to the fact that while the rocker arm 47 drives the platen 49 to rotate, the connecting rod 42 is a rhombus with a gradually decreasing included angle. The circular platen 49 and the rocker arm 47 set at the center of the platen 49 can provide a greater torque to the connecting rod 42. The auxiliary clamping block 41 clamps the mold rod 33. The connecting rod 46 is rotatably connected to the rocker arm 47 on the side away from the platen 49. The function of the rocker arm 47 is to control the mixing of the adhesive by the platen 49. The rocker arm 47 is provided with lifting lugs 48 on both sides, which improves the working stability of the rocker arm 47.

[0035] When capsules need to be processed, the drive motor 1 drives the moving plate 31 to rotate, and the moving plate 31 drives the mold rod 33 to move. When the locking pin 43 is locked, the mold rod 33 drives the connecting rod 42 to move, and the flat plate 49 descends. At this time, the locking pin 43 does not lock the connecting rod 42. While moving, the connecting rod 42 swings around the position of the locking pin, and then the connecting rod 42 drives the push rod 44 to swing. However, the degree of freedom of the push rod 44 is restricted by the limiting block 45 and the guide hole 451, so the push rod 44 can only move along the axis of the push rod 44. The entire plate 49 is moved closer to the glue pool 2, and at the same time, the entire plate 49 is moved horizontally along the glue pool 2, thereby leveling the surface of the glue pool 2. At this time, the swing rod 47 applies a pushing force to the entire plate 49 around the connecting rod 46, thereby driving the entire plate 49 to rotate. The entire plate 49 is now at the surface of the glue, and the rotating entire plate 49 stirs the glue, making the glue mixture more uniform. At the same time, the serrated edge 491 of the entire plate 49 removes air bubbles from the glue in the immersion area of ​​the capsule mold 34.

[0036] This application also provides a process for molding plant-derived hard capsules, the process flow of which is as follows: S1: Fix the flipping component 3 of this application on the wall or ground of the factory. The capsule mold 34 needs to be installed vertically. The flipping component 3 is located directly above the glue pool 2. Select an even number of capsule molds 34 and install them on the mold rod 33. S2: Before immersing in the adhesive liquid, lubricate it with sufficient edible vegetable oil. Then, scrape off the excess vegetable oil using the flipping component 3 to prevent insufficient vegetable oil from causing demolding difficulties. Next, the leveling component 4 clamps the end of the mold rod 33 away from the moving plate 31, and the capsule mold 34 is immersed in the adhesive liquid pool 2 with the top end facing down. The mold rod 33 is completely immersed in the adhesive liquid pool 2 for about 6-8 seconds. Then, the flipping component 3 slowly lifts the mold rod 33. After the mold rod 33 leaves the surface of the adhesive liquid, flip the mold rod 33 again. Repeat the flipping process several times to allow the mold to cool. S3: Place the mold with adhesive in a constant temperature drying oven and dry at 60℃ for 40 minutes. Use shell-pulling pliers to pull the dried capsule shells out of the capsule mold 34. If the climate is dry, spray water mist to allow the capsule shells to regain moisture before proceeding. Cut the pulled-out capsule shells into a certain length. Finally, combine the shell shells and the cap to form a complete hollow capsule shell. S4: The viscosity of the compounded adhesive solution after sol was measured using a viscometer, the gel strength of the adhesive solution was measured using a gel strength tester, the gel melting temperature was measured using the falling ball method, and the time required from dipping into the mold to solidification of the adhesive solution was recorded using a timer.

[0037] The above are merely specific embodiments of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A plant-derived hard capsule molding device, comprising a drive motor (1) and a glue tank (2), characterized in that: It also includes a flipping component (3) and a leveling component (4). The drive motor (1) is equipped with the flipping component (3). The glue pool (2) is fixedly installed directly below the flipping component (3). The flipping component (3) automatically adapts to the shape of the capsule by periodically changing its own position, thereby controlling the amount of lubricating oil remaining on the mold. The oiling component is equipped with the leveling component (4). The function of the leveling component (4) is to change its own shape as the phase of the flipping component (3) changes.

2. A plant-based hard capsule molding apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flipping assembly (3) includes a moving plate (31), a fixed plate (32), a main shaft (321), a collar (322), a support plate (323), a limiting groove (324), a mold rod (33), a capsule mold (34), a driven rod (35), a transmission block (351), a spring (36), an oil scraping base (37), a sliding groove (371), an oil scraping ring (38), a limiting plate (39), and a straight groove (391); the output shaft of the drive motor (1) is fixedly connected to the moving plate (31), the fixed plate (32) is fixed on the ground, and the moving plate (31) is connected to the fixed plate (32). A fixed plate (32) is installed on the same axis. The fixed plate (32) is fixedly connected to a main shaft (321). The main shaft (321) is fixedly connected to a collar (322). A support plate (323) is fixedly connected to the collar (322) circumferentially. The groove between the support plate (323) and the fixed plate (32) is a limiting groove (324). A mold rod (33) is fixedly connected to the end of the support plate (323) away from the collar (322). An even number of capsule molds (34) are arranged linearly along the axis of the mold rod (33). A driven rod (35) is fixedly connected to one end near the moving plate (31). Springs (36) are fixedly connected to both ends of the driven rod (35). The end of the springs (36) away from the driven rod (35) is fixedly connected to the fixed plate (32). The axis of the driven rod (35) is parallel to the axis of the moving plate (31). The driven rod (35) and the mold rod (33) synchronously change their phase relative to the limiting groove (324). A transmission block (351) is fixedly connected to the end of the driven rod (35) away from the mold rod (33). An oil scraper is fixedly connected to the fixed plate (32). (37) The oil scraping base (37) is provided with a sliding groove (371), the sliding groove (371) is arc-shaped, the sliding groove (371) is arranged radially along the oil scraping base (37), and an oil scraping ring (38) is slidably connected in the sliding groove (371). The oil scraping ring (38) is arc-shaped, and the function of the oil scraping ring (38) is to change its position according to the curvature of the head shape curve of the capsule mold (34). The oil scraping base (37) is slidably connected with a limiting plate (39), and straight grooves (391) are arranged in a circular array on the limiting plate (39).

3. The plant-derived hard capsule forming equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: The limiting groove (324) is trapezoidal in shape on the side near the bottom of the fixed plate (32), and the two sides of the trapezoid are arc-shaped. The curvature of the arc-shaped side is the same as the curvature of the bottom of the capsule mold (34). The limiting groove (324) is rectangular on the side away from the bottom of the fixed plate (32). The function of the limiting groove (324) is to automatically adapt to the shape of the capsule mold (34) through the movement of the moving plate (31).

4. A plant-based hard capsule molding apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that: The transmission block (351) is semi-ellipsoidal and its function is to change the position of the oil scraper ring (38) relative to the slide groove (371), thereby causing the oil scraper ring (38) to move along the surface of the capsule mold (34).

5. A plant based hard capsule forming apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein: The leveling assembly (4) includes clamping blocks (41), connecting rods (42), locking pins (43), push rods (44), limiting blocks (45), guide holes (451), connecting rods (46), leveling plates (49), swing rods (47), and lifting lugs (48). There are two clamping blocks (41), which are symmetrically arranged. Connecting rods (42) are fixedly connected to the bottom of each clamping block (41). The two connecting rods (42) are rotatably connected. Locking pins (43) are detachably fixedly connected to the rotation center points of the two connecting rods (42). The function of the locking pins (43) is to periodically restrict the rotation of the connecting rods (42) with the flipping assembly (3). One of the connecting rods (42) is rotatably connected to a push rod (44) at the end away from the clamping block (41). A limit block (45) is slidably connected at the intersection of the two push rods (44). A guide hole (451) for controlling the movement direction of the push rod (44) is provided on the limit block (45). A connecting rod (46) is rotatably connected to the end of the push rod (44) away from the connecting rod (42). A flat plate (49) is fixedly connected to the lower end of the connecting rod (46). A swing rod (47) is rotatably connected to the side of the connecting rod (46) away from the flat plate (49). The function of the swing rod (47) is to control the flat plate (49) to stir the adhesive. Lifting lugs (48) are provided on both sides of the swing rod (47).

6. A plant based hard capsule forming apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein: The connecting rod (42) is provided with a gear ring structure (421) at the rotatable connection with the clamping block (41). The function of the gear ring structure (421) is to restrict the degree of freedom of the clamping block (41) around the axis of the connecting rod (42). The function of the connecting rod (42) is to change the clamping force of the clamping block (41) by changing the torque at the end of the connecting rod (42) near the clamping block (41).

7. A plant based hard capsule forming apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein: The shape of the guide hole (451) is consistent with the shape of the push rod (44). The guide hole (451) is arranged along the axial direction of the push rod (44). The function of the guide hole (451) is to control the moving direction of the push rod (44) and thus control the movement trajectory of the whole plate (49).

8. A plant based hard capsule forming apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein: The flat plate (49) is circular to fit the shape of the capsule mold (34). The connection point between the swing rod (47) and the flat plate (49) is located at the center of the flat plate (49). The arc edge of the flat plate (49) is serrated (491) to eliminate air bubbles in the adhesive.

9. A process for forming plant-derived hard capsules, characterized in that: This method is applicable to the plant-derived hard capsule molding equipment according to any one of claims 1-8, and the process flow is as follows: S1: Fix the flipping component (3) of this application on the wall or ground of the factory. The capsule mold (34) needs to be installed vertically. The flipping component (3) is located directly above the glue pool (2). Select an even number of capsule molds (34) and install them on the mold rod (33). S2: Before immersing in the adhesive liquid, lubricate it with a sufficient amount of edible vegetable oil. Then, scrape off the excess vegetable oil by the flipping component (3) to prevent insufficient vegetable oil from causing demolding difficulties. Then, the leveling component (4) clamps the mold rod (33) away from the moving plate (31). The capsule mold (34) is immersed in the adhesive liquid pool (2) with the upper end facing down. The mold rod (33) is completely immersed in the adhesive liquid pool (2) for about 6-8 seconds. Then, the flipping component (3) slowly lifts the mold rod (33). After the mold rod (33) leaves the adhesive liquid surface, flip the mold rod (33) again. Repeat the flipping of the mold several times to cool it down. S3: Place the glued mold in a constant temperature drying oven and dry at 60℃ for 40 minutes. Use shell-pulling pliers to pull the dried capsule shell out of the capsule mold (34). If the climate is dry, spray water mist to allow the capsule shell to rehydrate properly before proceeding. Cut the pulled-out capsule shell into a certain length. Finally, combine the shell and the cap to form a complete hollow capsule shell. S4: The viscosity of the compounded adhesive solution after sol was measured using a viscometer, the gel strength of the adhesive solution was measured using a gel strength tester, the gel melting temperature was measured using the falling ball method, and the time required from dipping into the mold to solidification of the adhesive solution was recorded using a timer.

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