Full-automatic container sterilizing and cleaning line and cleaning method

Abstract

The invention provides a technical scheme of a full-automatic container sterilizing and cleaning line, which structurally comprises a first conveyor, a first elevator arranged at the output end of the first conveyor, a first unstacking and stacking machine connected with the output end of the first elevator, and a first turnover machine positioned at the output end of the first unstacking and stacking machine, a container cleaning machine is further arranged at the output end of the first turnover machine, a second turnover machine is arranged at the output end of the container cleaning machine, a second unstacking machine is installed at the output end of the second turnover machine, the output end of the second unstacking machine is connected with a second elevator, and a second conveyor is arranged at the output end of the second elevator. Through cooperation of a series of equipment, the full-process automatic operation of the containers from conveying, unstacking, overturning, cleaning, re-overturning, stacking to discharging is achieved, the manual participation links are remarkably reduced, the cleaning efficiency is improved, and meanwhile the labor cost is effectively reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of food machinery, and in particular relates to a fully automatic container sterilization and cleaning line and cleaning method. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, the food processing industry has increasingly stringent requirements for the cleanliness and sterility of containers. Traditional manual cleaning methods are not only inefficient and labor-intensive, but also fail to guarantee the stability and consistency of sterilization effects. Existing cleaning equipment is mostly single-function and lacks a high degree of automation, failing to meet the urgent needs of modern food production for high efficiency, high hygiene standards, and continuous operation. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this invention proposes a fully automated container sterilization and cleaning line and method, which can achieve full automation of container transfer, unpacking, cleaning, and stacking processes, reducing personnel and lowering labor costs.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows: a fully automatic container sterilization and cleaning line, mainly composed of conveying equipment, lifting equipment, destacking equipment, turning equipment and cleaning equipment. The system comprises a first conveyor located at the beginning, used to transport stacks of turnover boxes to be cleaned; a first elevator is installed at the output end of the first conveyor, responsible for lifting the stack of turnover boxes to a designated height; the output end of the first elevator is connected to a first destacking machine, used to separate the turnover boxes from the stack one by one; the output end of the first destacking machine is equipped with a first flipping machine, capable of flipping a single turnover box 180 degrees; the output end of the first flipping machine is further connected to a container washing machine, responsible for cleaning the flipped turnover boxes; the output end of the container washing machine is equipped with a second flipping machine, used to flip the cleaned turnover boxes back to their normal position; the output end of the second flipping machine is equipped with a second destacking machine, which re-stacks the single turnover boxes into a stack; the output end of the second destacking machine is equipped with a second elevator, responsible for lowering the stacked turnover boxes to a designated height; the output end of the second elevator is finally connected to a second conveyor, completing the output of the cleaned turnover boxes.

[0005] Preferably, the first conveyor is arranged at an angle, with a dedicated loading station at its lower end to facilitate the input of turnover box stacks; similarly, the second conveyor is also arranged at an angle, with a unloading station at its lower end to facilitate the removal of cleaned turnover box stacks.

[0006] Preferably, the system is also equipped with a first mobile trolley and a second mobile trolley, which are used to send the stacks of turnover boxes to be cleaned into the loading station and to transfer the cleaned stacks of turnover boxes on the unloading station to the designated area, respectively.

[0007] Preferably, both the first and second mobile carts are AGV carts to achieve automated and intelligent material handling, reduce manual intervention, and improve the overall operating efficiency of the system.

[0008] Preferably, the system also includes a temporary storage warehouse with a multi-layer support structure. Each layer of the support is equipped with a motor-driven conveyor roller, which can be used for temporary storage and transportation of stacked turnover boxes, improving the buffer capacity and flexibility of the production line.

[0009] Preferably, the first conveyor and the second conveyor have the same structural design, both including an inclined conveying section and a horizontal conveying section, and a guide frame is provided at the junction of the inclined section and the horizontal section to ensure that the turnover box transitions smoothly during the conveying process and avoids jamming or deviation.

[0010] Preferably, the first elevator and the second elevator have the same structure, the first stacker and the second stacker have the same structure, and the first tilter and the second tilter have the same structure. This symmetrical design helps to reduce the types of spare parts, reduce maintenance costs, and improve equipment interchangeability and ease of operation.

[0011] Preferably, the container washing machine is divided into multiple functional sections according to the process, including a pre-wash section, a main wash section, a rinsing section, a cleaning section, an air-drying section, and a drying section, to ensure that the turnover boxes are thoroughly cleaned, sterilized, and dried to meet hygiene standards and usage requirements.

[0012] A cleaning method using the aforementioned fully automated container sterilization and cleaning line includes the following steps: a first conveyor transports the stacked turnover boxes to be cleaned to a first elevator; the first elevator lifts the stack of turnover boxes to the working height of a first destacking machine; the first destacking machine disassembles the entire stack of turnover boxes into individual boxes; each turnover box enters a first turning machine to complete a 180-degree turn, placing it in an inverted state; the turned turnover boxes are sent to a container cleaning machine, undergoing four cleaning processes in sequence: pre-washing, main washing, rinsing, and final washing, followed by two dewatering processes: air drying and baking; after cleaning and drying, the turnover boxes enter a second turning machine to undergo another 180-degree turn, restoring them to their normal placement position; the uprighted individual turnover boxes are sent to a second destacking machine to be re-stacked into a stack; the stacked turnover boxes are lowered by a second elevator to the height of a second conveyor; the second conveyor outputs the cleaned turnover box stack to the unloading position.

[0013] Preferably, the first mobile cart is responsible for automatically transporting the stacks of turnover boxes to be cleaned to the loading station, while the second mobile cart is responsible for transferring the cleaned stacks of turnover boxes from the unloading station to the temporary storage warehouse or other designated areas, thereby realizing fully automated logistics management.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the advantages and positive effects of the present invention are as follows: it realizes fully automated operation from conveying, lifting, destacking, flipping, cleaning, drying to restacking and output, which significantly improves cleaning efficiency and consistency, reduces labor costs and operational errors, and enhances the reliability and maintainability of the system through modular and symmetrical equipment design. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the fully automated container sterilization and cleaning line of the present invention.

[0016] In the above figures: 1. First conveyor; 11. Inclined conveyor section; 12. Horizontal conveyor section; 13. Guide frame; 14. Loading station; 2. First elevator; 3. First stacker; 4. First tilter; 5. Container washing machine; 51. Pre-wash section; 52. Main wash section; 53. Rinse section; 54. Cleaning section; 55. Air drying section; 56. Drying section; 6. Second tilter; 7. Second stacker; 8. Second elevator; 9. Second conveyor; 91. Unloading station. Detailed Implementation

[0017] The present invention will now be described in detail through exemplary embodiments. However, it should be understood that, without further description, elements, structures, and features in one embodiment may be advantageously incorporated into other embodiments. Example

[0018] A fully automated container sterilization and cleaning line, see [link / reference] Figure 1 It includes a first conveyor 1, which is arranged at an angle and has a feeding station 14 at its lower end.

[0019] A first elevator 2 is installed at the output end of the first conveyor 1 to lift the stack of turnover boxes to a certain height. The output end of the first elevator 2 is connected to a first destacking machine 3 to separate the entire stack of turnover boxes one by one.

[0020] The output end of the first destacking machine 3 is equipped with a first flipping machine 4, which is used to flip a single turnover box 180 degrees.

[0021] The output end of the first flipping machine 4 is further connected to the container washing machine 5, which is internally divided into a pre-washing section 51, a main washing section 52, a rinsing section 53, a cleaning section 54, an air-drying section 55, and a drying section 56, to ensure that the turnover box is thoroughly cleaned and dried.

[0022] The output end of the container cleaning machine 5 is equipped with a second flipping machine 6, which flips the cleaned turnover box back to its normal position.

[0023] The output end of the second flipper 6 is equipped with the second destacking machine 7, which is responsible for re-stacking individual turnover boxes into a stack.

[0024] The second elevator 8 is arranged at the output end of the second stacker 7 to lower the stacked turnover boxes to a suitable height.

[0025] The output end of the second elevator 8 is connected to the second conveyor 9, which is also arranged at an angle. The lower end of the second conveyor 9 is equipped with a discharge station. The elevator, stacker destabilizer, tilter and container cleaner are all existing technologies.

[0026] The system is also equipped with a first mobile trolley and a second mobile trolley, which are used to send the stack of turnover boxes to be cleaned into the loading station 14, and to transfer the stack of cleaned turnover boxes on the unloading station to other areas.

[0027] Both the first and second mobile carts use AGV carts to achieve automated and intelligent transportation.

[0028] The system also includes a temporary storage warehouse with a multi-layered support structure. Each layer contains a motor-driven conveyor roller conveyor for the temporary storage and transport of pallets of reusable boxes. The drive system efficiently transports the reusable boxes arranged in a stack, ensuring their stable flow and precise positioning on the production line.

[0029] In this embodiment, the first elevator 2 and the second elevator 8 adopt completely identical structural designs to achieve symmetrical arrangement and collaborative operation. Similarly, the first destacking machine 3 and the second destacking machine 7 are structurally identical and are used for destacking and restacking processes, respectively. The first flipping machine 4 and the second flipping machine 6 also adopt the same structure and are used to realize the 180-degree flipping operation of the turnover boxes. In addition, the first conveyor 1 and the second conveyor 9 have identical structural components. Each conveyor includes an inclined conveying section 11 and a horizontal conveying section 12, which are connected by a smooth transition structure. At the intersection of the inclined conveying section 11 and the horizontal conveying section 12, a guide frame 13 device is specially provided. This guide frame 13 can effectively guide the movement path of the turnover boxes, prevent deviation, and ensure the continuity and stability of the conveying process. Example

[0030] A cleaning method using a fully automated container sterilization and cleaning line includes the following steps: First, the stacked turnover boxes to be cleaned are smoothly transported to the feeding position of the first elevator 2 by the first conveyor 1; after receiving the turnover boxes, the first elevator 2 vertically lifts them to the required height of the first destacking machine 3 and accurately feeds them into the first destacking machine 3; the first destacking machine 3 performs a destacking action, disassembling the entire stack of turnover boxes into individual independent units, and then feeding these units sequentially into the first flipping machine 4; the first flipping machine 4 performs a 180-degree flipping operation on each turnover box, making it in an inverted state to facilitate subsequent cleaning; the flipped turnover boxes... The containers are conveyed forward to the container washing machine 5, where they undergo a thorough cleaning process involving four stages: pre-washing, main washing, rinsing, and final washing. After cleaning, the containers enter a two-stage dehydration process involving air drying and baking to remove residual moisture from the surface. Once clean and dry, the containers enter the second flipping machine 6 and are flipped 180 degrees again to restore them to their upright position. The upright containers are then conveyed to the second destacking machine 7, where they are re-stacked into a neat stack. The stacked containers then enter the second elevator 8 and are lowered to the input end of the second conveyor 9. Finally, the second conveyor 9 outputs the cleaned stack of containers to the designated location.

[0031] During this process, the first mobile trolley is responsible for transporting the stacked turnover boxes to be cleaned to the loading station 14 of the system, while the second mobile trolley receives the cleaned stacked turnover boxes from the unloading station 91 and safely transfers them to the temporary storage warehouse for temporary storage.

[0032] The above description is merely a specific embodiment 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 fully automated container sterilization and cleaning line, characterized in that: The system includes a first conveyor, a first elevator at the output position of the first conveyor, a first destacking machine at the output end of the first elevator, a first tilting machine at the output end of the first destacking machine, a container washing machine at the output end of the first tilting machine, a second tilting machine at the output end of the container washing machine, a second destacking machine at the output end of the second tilting machine, a second elevator at the output end of the second destacking machine, and a second conveyor at the output end of the second elevator.

2. The fully automated container sterilization and cleaning line according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first conveyor is arranged at an angle, with a loading station at its lower end; the second conveyor is also arranged at an angle, with a unloading station at its lower end.

3. The fully automated container sterilization and cleaning line according to claim 2, characterized in that: It also includes a first mobile trolley for transporting stacked turnover boxes to be cleaned to the loading station, and a second mobile trolley for transferring the stacked turnover boxes that have been cleaned at the unloading station to a designated location.

4. The fully automated container sterilization and cleaning line according to claim 3, characterized in that: Both the first and second mobile vehicles are AGVs with automatic navigation functions.

5. The fully automated container sterilization and cleaning line according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a temporary storage system, which has multiple storage racks, each rack having a motor-driven conveyor roller conveyor for temporarily storing and conveying stacked turnover boxes.

6. The fully automated container sterilization and cleaning line according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first conveyor and the second conveyor have the same structure, both including an inclined conveying section and a horizontal conveying section, and a guide frame structure is set at the intersection of the two sections to ensure a smooth transition of the box.

7. The fully automated container sterilization and cleaning line according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first elevator and the second elevator have the same structure, the first stacker and the second stacker have the same structure, and the first tilting machine and the second tilting machine have the same structure.

8. The fully automated container sterilization and cleaning line according to claim 1, characterized in that: The container cleaning machine is divided into a pre-cleaning section, a main cleaning section, a rinsing section, a washing section, an air-drying section, and a drying section according to the process.

9. A cleaning method using the fully automated container sterilization and cleaning line according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The process includes the following steps: A first conveyor transports the stacked turnover boxes to be cleaned to a first elevator, which lifts them and sends them to a first destacking machine; the first destacking machine breaks the stack of turnover boxes into individual boxes and sends them to a first tilting machine, which tilts them 180 degrees to make the containers upside down; then they enter a container cleaning machine for four cleaning processes in sequence: pre-washing, main washing, rinsing, and final washing, followed by air drying and oven drying to remove moisture; after cleaning, the turnover boxes enter a second tilting machine and tilt them 180 degrees again to restore them to an upright position; then the individual boxes enter the second destacking machine to be stacked back into a whole stack, and the whole stack of turnover boxes is lowered by the second elevator and transported to the second conveyor, finally completing the unloading process.

10. The cleaning method according to claim 9, characterized in that: The first mobile trolley is responsible for transporting the turnover boxes to be cleaned to the loading station, and the second mobile trolley is responsible for transporting the cleaned turnover boxes from the unloading station to the temporary storage warehouse.

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