Tea leaf steam fixation device

Abstract

The invention provides a tea leaf steam fixation device, and relates to the technical field of tea leaf processing equipment. The conveying system is arranged on the rack and comprises an annular conveying belt with a plurality of through holes; the steam fixation chamber is arranged above the conveying system and is used for performing steam treatment on the tea leaves positioned on the conveying belt; and the tea leaf conveying device is communicated with the steam fixation chamber, upwards sprays airflow through an air nozzle arranged below the conveying belt and is matched with a guide plate above the conveying belt to forcibly enable the tea leaves to be continuously thrown up, turned over and scattered in the conveying process, and the dynamic turning process ensures that each tea leaf can be in all-directional contact with high-temperature steam from different angles, so that the tea leaf fixation effect is improved. The problems of insufficient bottom-layer fixation and excessive top-layer fixation caused by tea stacking in the traditional process are thoroughly solved, so that the whole batch of tea leaves are uniformly and consistently subjected to fixation, green grass gas residue and leaf yellowing are effectively avoided, and the color, aroma and taste quality of the finished tea is remarkably improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of tea processing equipment technology, and in particular to a steam fixation device for tea. Background Technology

[0002] Steam fixation is a key step in the processing of green tea, yellow tea, and other teas. Its purpose is to use high-temperature steam to quickly destroy the activity of enzymes in fresh leaves, stop fermentation, and evaporate some moisture, laying the foundation for subsequent processes such as rolling and drying.

[0003] In existing tea steam fixation equipment, fresh leaves are typically laid flat on a mesh conveyor belt and moved at a uniform speed through a chamber filled with high-temperature steam. However, this method has significant technical drawbacks. Firstly, steam, being lighter in density, naturally rises upon entering the chamber. This allows the tea leaves at the top to be processed quickly and thoroughly with high-temperature steam, while those at the bottom, especially those close to the conveyor belt, are obstructed and covered by the upper leaves, making it difficult for steam to penetrate and resulting in slow heating and poor withering. This leads to severely uneven withering within the same batch of leaves. The upper leaves are prone to over-withering, resulting in yellowing and mushy texture; while the lower leaves are under-withered, retaining a grassy smell and easily turning red during subsequent processing, seriously affecting the color, aroma, and taste of the finished tea and lowering the overall quality.

[0004] Secondly, the steam fixation process causes a large amount of condensation to adhere to the surface of the tea leaves, significantly increasing their moisture content. To prevent residual moisture from causing problems in subsequent processes, traditional methods typically include a long cooling and conveying stage after fixation, using cold or hot air to dehydrate the leaves. This method not only requires long conveyor belts, resulting in a large overall equipment structure and footprint, increasing production costs, but also, if dehydration is incomplete, the excessively moist leaves are prone to clumping and sticking to the machine drums during the rolling process. More seriously, the residual heat and excessive moisture in the fixation leaves can cause a "yellowing" phenomenon, further damaging the quality of the tea.

[0005] Therefore, how to achieve uniform heating of tea leaves during the steam fixation process and effectively solve the problem of excessive moisture content after fixation is a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved in the field of tea processing equipment. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide a steam fixation device for tea leaves, so as to solve the problems of uneven fixation of tea leaves, high moisture content after fixation, difficulty in dehydration, and large equipment footprint in existing steam fixation equipment.

[0007] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: A steam fixation device for tea leaves, comprising a frame; The conveying system installed on the frame includes an annular conveyor belt with several through holes; A steam fixation chamber, located above the conveyor system, is used for steam treatment of tea leaves on the conveyor belt; and A steam supply system connected to the steam blanching chamber for supplying steam therein; The device further includes: Tea leaf turning system, the tea leaf turning system comprising: An airflow duct is installed in the internal space enclosed by the conveyor belt and extends along the conveying direction of the conveyor belt; Several air nozzles are disposed on the airflow pipe and directed toward the upper surface of the conveyor belt, for spraying airflow to propel the tea leaves on the conveyor belt upwards; and A guide plate is fixedly installed in the steam fixation chamber to guide and tumble the tea leaves that are blown upward by the airflow.

[0008] Preferably, the guide plate includes a first arc-shaped plate and a second arc-shaped plate spaced apart along the conveyor belt conveying direction, and the reverse arc-shaped surface formed between the first arc-shaped plate and the second arc-shaped plate is used for the tea leaves to fall back onto the conveyor belt after being flipped.

[0009] Preferably, a plurality of comb strips are arranged in an array along the width direction at one end of the second arc-shaped plate facing the first arc-shaped plate, and a channel for tea leaves to pass through is formed between adjacent comb strips.

[0010] Preferably, the side of the first arc-shaped plate and the second arc-shaped plate facing the steam supply system is a solid plate surface, used to receive steam heating and dry the tea leaves in contact with it through heat conduction.

[0011] Preferably, the airflow duct is supplied with dry, hot air, which is used to initially dehydrate the tea leaves while they are being turned over.

[0012] Preferably, the air nozzles are arranged in a linear array along the length of the airflow duct.

[0013] Preferably, the steam supply system includes a steam generator, a first pipe connected to the steam generator, at least two second pipes connected to the first pipe, and a steam manifold connected to the second pipes and disposed at the top of the steam blanching chamber.

[0014] Preferably, the steam manifold is provided with several branch outlets on the side facing the conveyor belt to evenly spray steam onto the guide plate and tea leaves.

[0015] Preferably, the device further includes a feeding mechanism disposed at the feeding end of the conveying system, the feeding mechanism including a discharger for temporarily storing tea leaves and a guide trough for guiding the tea leaves from the discharger to the conveyor belt.

[0016] Preferably, the conveying system further includes a drive unit and a transmission unit connected to the drive unit, the transmission unit being connected to the rollers of the conveyor belt for driving the conveyor belt to circulate.

[0017] The beneficial effects of this invention are: 1. By spraying air upwards through nozzles located below the conveyor belt, and in conjunction with the guide plate above, the tea leaves are forced to be constantly tossed, turned, and scattered during the conveying process. This dynamic turning process ensures that each tea leaf can come into contact with high-temperature steam from different angles and all directions. This completely solves the problem of insufficient withering at the bottom and excessive withering at the top caused by the stacking of tea leaves in the traditional process. It makes the withering of the whole batch of tea leaves uniform and consistent, effectively avoids the residual grassy smell and yellowing of leaves, and significantly improves the color, aroma, and taste quality of the finished tea.

[0018] 2. This invention ingeniously integrates the dehydration function into the fixation process. On the one hand, the dry hot air sprayed from the nozzle turns the tea leaves over and removes the moisture from the surface of the tea leaves through convection heat exchange. On the other hand, the steam-heated guide plate evaporates the moisture through contact heat transfer when the tea leaves come into contact with it. This combined air blowing and heat-sealing drying method greatly reduces the moisture content of the tea leaves when fixation is completed, eliminating the need for a lengthy subsequent cooling and dehydration line and simplifying the process. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a steam fixation device for tea leaves; Figure 2 for Figure 1 The diagram shows the structure of the device after the housing has been removed. Figure 3 for Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the device shown; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the guide plate structure; Reference numerals: 1. Box body; 2. Steam manifold; 3. Steam generator; 4. First pipe; 5. Second pipe; 6. First support; 7. Conveyor belt outer frame; 8. Conveyor belt; 9. Drive unit; 10. Transmission unit; 11. Second support; 12. Guide chute; 13. Unloader; 14. Third pipe; 15. Diverter port; 16. Air nozzle; 17. Guide plate; 171. First arc plate; 172. Second arc plate; 173. Comb. Detailed Implementation

[0020] To facilitate understanding of the present invention, a more complete description will be given below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Preferred embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings. However, the invention can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a thorough and complete understanding of the disclosure of the invention.

[0021] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terminology used herein in the description of the invention is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention.

[0022] Specific embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0023] Example 1 This embodiment presents a tea steam fixation device; please refer to [link / reference]. Figures 1-4 The overall frame of the device consists of a first support 6 and a second support 11. A conveyor belt frame 7 is mounted on the first support 6, and rollers (not shown in the figure) are rotatably mounted at both ends of the conveyor belt frame 7.

[0024] A circular mesh conveyor belt 8 with densely perforated openings is fitted onto these rollers, forming a circular conveying path. A drive unit 9 (e.g., an electric motor) is connected to one of the rollers via a transmission unit 10 (e.g., a chain or belt drive mechanism) to provide power for the movement of the conveyor belt 8.

[0025] Above the conveyor belt 8, a box 1 is installed, forming a steam fixation chamber. The box 1 has openings at both ends, serving as the inlet and outlet for the tea leaves, respectively. A steam manifold 2 is installed on the top of the box 1. Steam is generated by an external steam generator 3, distributed through a first pipe 4 to two second pipes 5, and then flows into the steam manifold 2. The bottom surface of the steam manifold 2 faces the conveyor belt 8, and several branch outlets 15 are evenly distributed along its length and width. This allows high-temperature steam to be evenly distributed in the space below in a spray pattern.

[0026] The core innovation of this invention lies in a system installed inside the housing 1 for forcibly agitating the tea leaves and simultaneously dehydrating them. Specifically, a third pipe 14 is horizontally arranged between the upper and lower layers of the conveyor belt 8, i.e., within the internal space enclosed by the conveyor belt 8. This pipe serves as an airflow conduit. The third pipe 14 is connected to a dry hot air source consisting of a blower and a heater (not shown in the figure). On the top wall of the third pipe 14, several upward-spraying nozzles 16 are installed in a straight array along its length. The positions of these nozzles 16 correspond precisely to the areas on the conveyor belt 8 where the tea leaves are spread.

[0027] A set of guide plates 17 is fixedly installed directly above the conveyor belt 8 and directly below the steam manifold 2. The guide plates 17 consist of a first arc-shaped plate 171 and a second arc-shaped plate 172 arranged sequentially along the tea-carrying direction. Both arc-shaped plates have upward-convex cross-sections; their tops (the parts closest to the steam manifold 2) are solid metal plates, while their sides curve downwards. The first arc-shaped plate 171 and the second arc-shaped plate 172 form a continuous arc surface, allowing the turned tea leaves to fall smoothly. Furthermore, at the inlet end of the second arc-shaped plate 172 (the side facing the first arc-shaped plate 171), multiple comb bars 173 are vertically welded along its width direction. These comb bars are spaced apart, forming a comb-like structure.

[0028] To achieve continuous production, the device is equipped with a feeding mechanism at the feed end. This mechanism includes a tall second support 11, on top of which is a discharge device 13 (such as a vibrating feeder) for temporarily storing fresh leaves to be processed. A guide chute 12 is connected below the discharge device 13, and the end of the guide chute 12 extends to the starting position of the conveyor belt 8, which can evenly spread the fresh leaves on the conveyor belt 8.

[0029] The working process of this device is as follows: When the drive unit 9 is started, the conveyor belt 8 begins to move at a constant speed. The fresh tea leaves to be processed are released quantitatively by the unloader 13, spread flat on the inlet end of the conveyor belt 8 through the guide chute 12, and enter the box 1 with the conveyor belt 8.

[0030] Meanwhile, the high-temperature steam generated by the steam generator 3 is sprayed downwards through the pipeline system and steam manifold 2 via the diversion port 15. The steam first contacts and heats the top surface of the guide plate 17, and then diffuses into the entire chamber 1 space to perform basic steam fixation on the tea leaves.

[0031] When the conveyor belt 8 carrying tea leaves runs above the third pipe 14, dry hot air is forcefully ejected upward from the nozzle 16. This rising airflow passes through the through-hole of the conveyor belt 8, blowing the tea leaves off the belt surface and throwing them upward.

[0032] The tea leaves, thrown into the air, strike the lower surface of the scorching first arc-shaped plate 171. On the one hand, the contact between the tea leaves and the hot plate causes the surface moisture to evaporate instantly, achieving initial drying; on the other hand, the curved structure of the arc-shaped plate guides the tea leaves to tumble towards the center.

[0033] After tumbling, the tea leaves, under the influence of gravity, begin to fall back through the gap between the first arc plate 171 and the second arc plate 172. During the fall, the tea leaves pass through the comb bar array 173 at the front end of the second arc plate 172. Any clumps of tea leaves that may form will be broken up and guided by these comb bars, ensuring that the tea leaves fall back onto the conveyor belt 8 below in a dispersed state.

[0034] After being processed throughout the entire process inside box 1, the tea leaves, which are evenly withered and relatively dry on the surface, are sent out from the outlet of box 1 to enter the next processing step.

[0035] In summary, this invention, through the ingenious combination of airflow and mechanical guidance, successfully integrates the three major functions of tea leaf turning, uniform fixation, and simultaneous dehydration into one, which not only fundamentally solves the problems of uneven quality and high moisture content in traditional fixation processes, but also greatly optimizes the equipment structure and production process, and has extremely high practical value and promotion prospects.

[0036] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0037] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementations of the present invention, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these all fall within the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of this invention patent should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A steam fixation device for tea leaves, comprising: frame; The conveying system installed on the frame includes an annular conveyor belt with several through holes; A steam fixation chamber is located above the conveying system for steaming tea leaves located on the conveyor belt. as well as A steam supply system connected to the steam blanching chamber for supplying steam therein; The device is characterized in that it further includes: Tea leaf turning system, the tea leaf turning system comprising: An airflow duct is installed in the internal space enclosed by the conveyor belt and extends along the conveying direction of the conveyor belt; Several air nozzles are disposed on the airflow pipe and directed toward the upper surface of the conveyor belt, for spraying airflow to propel the tea leaves on the conveyor belt upwards; and A guide plate is fixedly installed in the steam fixation chamber to guide and tumble the tea leaves that are blown upward by the airflow.

2. The tea steam fixation device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The guide plate includes a first arc-shaped plate and a second arc-shaped plate spaced apart along the conveyor belt conveying direction. The reverse arc-shaped surface formed between the first arc-shaped plate and the second arc-shaped plate is used for the tea leaves to fall back onto the conveyor belt after being flipped.

3. The tea steam fixation device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The second arc-shaped plate has a plurality of comb strips arranged in an array along its width at one end facing the first arc-shaped plate, and a channel for tea leaves to pass through is formed between adjacent comb strips.

4. A tea steam fixation device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The side of the first and second arc-shaped plates facing the steam supply system is a solid plate surface, which is used to receive steam heating and dry the tea leaves in contact with it through heat conduction.

5. The tea steam fixation device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The airflow duct introduces dry, hot air, which is used to initially dehydrate the tea leaves while they are being turned over.

6. The tea steam fixation device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air nozzles are arranged in a linear array along the length of the airflow duct.

7. The tea steam fixation device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The steam supply system includes a steam generator, a first pipe connected to the steam generator, at least two second pipes that are branched off from the first pipe, and a steam manifold box that is connected to the second pipes and installed at the top of the steam blanching chamber.

8. The tea steam fixation device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The steam manifold is arranged with several branch outlets on one side facing the conveyor belt, which are used to evenly spray steam onto the guide plate and tea leaves.

9. A tea steam fixation device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The device also includes a feeding mechanism disposed at the feed end of the conveying system, the feeding mechanism including a discharger for temporarily storing tea leaves and a guide trough for guiding the tea leaves from the discharger to the conveyor belt.

10. A tea steam fixation device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The conveying system further includes a drive unit and a transmission unit connected to the drive unit. The transmission unit is connected to the roller shaft of the conveyor belt and is used to drive the conveyor belt to move in a circular motion.

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