Fully-automatic hot dog preparation and vending integrated machine conveying system

Abstract

The present application belongs to a kind of mechanical structure innovation, its innovation point is in simple structure inside small automatic vending machine Integration bread preparation, delivery, storage, sausage roasting, and the whole process of putting roasted sausage into bread and realizing automatic vending.The whole process includes delivering prepared bread into bread delivery capsule in vertical conveying system, bread delivery capsule moves up and down and left and right in vertical conveying system under the action of push rod, it realizes the shunt of bread and capsule by adopting three inclined surface design.The whole conveying system connects hot dog preparation, storage and vending together, with the advantages of simple structure, easy to realize, etc.The whole conveying system is composed of three parts, namely bread preparation conveying system, sausage roasting conveying system and hot dog conveying system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of material conveying innovation in small-scale fully automatic food processing. This fully automatic material conveying system can simultaneously bake bread and roast sausages, and put the roasted sausages into bread for automatic vending. Background Technology

[0002] With technological advancements and people's growing need for convenient living, various automated vending systems have emerged in the market. These include community water dispensers, beverage and food vending machines in subways and other public places, and recently, even automated noodle cooking and vending systems and automated egg pancake robots. These systems liberate vending from traditional staffed vending operations, providing convenience and creating new employment opportunities. Hot dogs, commonly known as buns and sausages, are similar to hamburgers and are considered fast food in Europe and America. Currently, there are no fully automated hot dog vending machines on the market. This invention represents a further technological innovation based on a previously filed patent for an automated bread preparation and vending machine (patent application number: 2026103509783). It innovatively designs a material conveying system that can be integrated into a single hot dog preparation and vending machine. This machine, controlled automatically by a PLC and supporting online mobile payment, requires no manual supervision during the preparation and vending process, and can prepare and sell 50-80 hot dogs per day. This system can free individuals from the tedious waiting process of selling goods, allowing consumers to conveniently and quickly purchase freshly baked hot dog buns. Summary of the Invention

[0003] On March 21, 2026, we submitted an innovative patent for automated bread preparation, entitled "Fully Automated Bread Preparation and Vending Integrated Machine Material Conveying and Storage System" (application number: 2026103509783). Based on this patent, we further innovated by designing a material conveying system that combines bread preparation and sausage baking, enabling automated preparation and vending of hot dogs.

[0004] The entire conveying system consists of three main parts: a bread preparation conveying system, a sausage baking conveying system, and a hot dog vertical conveying system. (See attached diagram.) Figure 1The bread preparation and conveying system consists of a bread preparation raw material storage and conveying system (1), a bread preparation system (2), and a rotating container (3). The bread raw material storage and conveying system (1) and the bread preparation system (2) can be referenced in the patent: Material Conveying and Storage System for Fully Automatic Bread Preparation and Vending Machine, Application No.: 2026103509783. The rotating container (3) consists of 8-12 cylindrical or square containers arranged side by side at an angle with one end open. A rotating shaft is installed in the middle of the container, and the rotating shaft is driven by a stepper motor and a worm gear reduction system. After the bread is baked, the bread baking mold will flip from the opening vertically upward to the same inclined plane as the rotating container (3), that is, the opening of the baking mold and the opening of the rotating container (3) are opposite each other. The bread will slide out of the bread baking mold and fall into the rotating container (3). The rotating container (3) can only temporarily store one row of bread, with a quantity of 8-12 pieces. The container (3) is then rotated 180 degrees, and its upper opening is flipped so that it is aligned with the right-side inlet (4) of the hot dog vertical conveyor system. The bread slides through this inlet into the hot dog vertical conveyor system (5). The upper part of the hot dog vertical conveyor system (5) is a sausage baking conveyor system, which includes a sausage storage chamber (6) and a sausage baking device (7). The sausages in the sausage storage chamber (6) are pushed from left to right into the vertical sausage baking device on the lower right by a pneumatic pusher on the left side of the storage chamber, with a row of 8-12 sausages. After baking, the sausages are kept warm. If someone buys them, the 8-12 independently controlled cylinder pushers (8) above the sausage baking device push the sausages into the bread delivery capsules in the hot dog vertical conveyor system (5) below. The bread delivery capsules in the hot dog vertical conveyor system (5) are arranged in 3-4 rows, with 8-12 capsules per row, for a total storage capacity of 24-48 breads. Including the 16-24 loaves temporarily stored in the rotating container and bread mold, the entire system can store 40-72 loaves of bread.

[0005] To insert a baked sausage vertically into a loaf of bread, the bread machine mold needs to be modified. The modification results in a round hole in the center of each loaf, into which the sausage can be inserted. See the attached image for modification details. Figure 2According to our previously submitted patent: Fully Automatic Bread Preparation and Sales Integrated Machine Material Conveying and Storage System Application No.: 2026103509783. The flour and liquid used for bread preparation are conveyed through a fixed integrated dispensing plate (1). Below the integrated dispensing plate are stainless steel flour dispensing pipes (2) and stainless steel liquid dispensing pipes (3), which are welded to a stainless steel round cover (4). A stainless steel round pipe (5) with a sealed bottom is fixed in the middle position below the stainless steel round cover by welding or spring. When the flour and liquid ingredients are stirred and fermented in the bread mold (6) by the stirring motor (7) below driving the stirring paddle (8) at the bottom to form dough, the stainless steel round pipe will be inserted into the middle of the dough as the dough volume expands. After baking, the bread mold moves vertically downwards, and the bread will form a vertical hole with the same diameter as the stainless steel round pipe (5). This vertical hole is then used to insert baked sausages, thereby realizing the preparation of hot dog buns.

[0006] In our previous patent, we emphasized that the entire bread mold can not only move vertically up and down, but also flip. After the bread is prepared, the bread mold descends and flips, at which point the prepared bread slides into the flipping container below. Because the bread mold flips, the holes in the bread inside the bread mold face downwards inside the flipping container. When the flipping container flips again to pour the bread into the hot dog delivery system, the center holes of the bread face upwards again.

[0007] Hot dog vertical delivery system (see attached) Figure 3 The main innovation of this invention is that the hot dog vertical conveying system consists of two U-shaped stainless steel profiles with their left and right openings welded vertically to both sides of a stainless steel partition (1), thus forming two adjacent vertical channels, a left vertical channel (2) and a right vertical channel (3). The number of symmetrical channels is consistent with the number of bread molds and turning jars, generally 8-12 pairs. The upper and lower sections of the stainless steel partitions of the left and right vertical channels are empty, that is, the upper and lower left and right channels are connected. The top of the left and right vertical channels is sealed, and there is a downward slope from right to left. The middle of the top of the right slope is a circular opening (4), and the circular opening is connected to a cylindrical section (5). A row of cylindrical sausage baking containers is placed on the upper part of the cylindrical section. The upper part of the baking containers has independently moving pneumatic pushers. The pneumatic pushers push the baked sausages into the lower right vertical channel (3) through the cylindrical section (5). Three to four bread conveying capsules (6) with a long parallelogram cross section are stacked vertically in the right vertical channel. A three-dimensional schematic diagram of the bread conveying capsules is attached. Figure 4The bread conveyor capsule (6) adopts a three-sloped design, with the upper and lower slopes parallel and the middle slope symmetrical. The bottom slope of the bread conveyor capsule (6) can be used to introduce wheels to reduce friction. In addition, a counterweight can be added to the bottom of the bread conveyor capsule to prevent it from swaying left and right when moving in the vertical channel. The right side of the middle slope of the bread conveyor capsule (6) has no baffle, but there is a baffle on the left side. The height of the baffle is about one-third to two-thirds of the height of the bread. When the bread slides from the turning container into the bread conveyor capsule (6), the left baffle can prevent the bread from tilting to the left. There is no baffle on the right side, and the bread is supported by the inner wall of the right vertical channel in the bread conveyor capsule (6) to maintain an upright posture. The bread conveyor capsule (6) moves counterclockwise in the left and right vertical channels. When the bread conveyor capsule (6) is at the bottom of the left vertical channel, the bread falling from the turning container slides along the inclined pipe (7) into the bread conveyor capsule (8) at the bottom of the left vertical channel (2). The lower left of the left vertical channel (2) is a horizontal pneumatic push rod (9), with an electromagnet (10) fixed at the front end of the pneumatic push rod (9). A magnetic sheet or pure iron sheet is attached to the lower left of the bread conveying capsule. When the bread conveying capsule is at the bottom of the left vertical channel (2), the electromagnet (10) at the front of the cylinder push rod (9) is energized and will attract the bread conveying capsule (8), thus preventing the bread conveying capsule (8) from tilting to the right. When the cylinder extends, the bread conveying capsule (8) will be pushed into the bottom of the right vertical channel (3). At this time, the electromagnet at the end of the pneumatic push rod is de-energized, and the push rod still holds the bread conveying capsule (8) so that it does not tilt to the left. When a consumer buys a hot dog, the 8-12 independent electric push rods (11) at the bottom of the right vertical channel push the corresponding number of bread conveying capsules upward according to the number of purchases. One to two retractable spring clips (12) are fixed at approximately the height of one bread conveyor capsule on the inner wall of the front and rear channels of the right vertical channel. When the bread conveyor capsule at the bottom of the right side is pushed upward by the lower electric push rod, its front and rear outer walls will squeeze the retractable spring clips (12), causing them to be compressed inward. After the bread conveyor capsule passes through the retractable spring clips (12), the clips spring back to prevent the bread conveyor capsule from falling. 3 to 4 bread conveyor capsules (6) can be stacked on top of the retractable spring clips in the right vertical channel (3). With 8 to 10 bread conveyor capsules in a row, a total of 24 to 40 loaves of bread can be accommodated. Including the bread stored in the rotating container and bread mold, the entire system can store 40 to 60 loaves of bread. The upper part of the vertical channel on the right is the bread separation outlet (13), and the right side of the bread separation outlet is the bread delivery chute (14). When the uppermost bread conveying capsule (15) is pushed upward to this position by the lower electric push rod (11), that is, when the bottom of the middle slope of the bread conveying capsule and the bottom of the bread separation outlet (13) are on the same horizontal plane, the bread in the bread conveying capsule (15) will slide from the middle slope into the delivery chute (14) under the action of gravity.

[0008] The bread conveyor capsule has three positions within the vertical channel. These positions are achieved by an inward-retracting spring latch within the right vertical channel and a bottom independent electric push rod that pushes the lowest bread conveyor capsule upwards. See the attached diagram for the three position states. Figure 5 Position State 1 (1): The bread conveying capsule in the left vertical channel is at the bottom, and the bread conveying capsule in the right channel is at the top of the inward spring buckle. At this time, the flipping container flips, and the bread inside slides down into the bread conveying capsule at the bottom of the left vertical channel by gravity. The bread conveying capsule at the top of the right vertical channel is in a low position, and at this time, the bread conveying capsule can receive the roasted sausage falling from the top. Position State 2 (2): After the bread is loaded into the bread conveying capsule in the left vertical channel, it is pushed to the right and lifted by the independent electric push rod at the bottom. The bread conveying capsule at the top of the right vertical channel is in the middle position, and the roasted sausage has been inserted inside. The lowest point of the middle slope of the bread conveying capsule is flush with the bottom opening of the bread separation outlet. The bread slides down from the middle slope into the discharge chute under the action of gravity. Position State 3 (3): The uppermost bread conveying capsule in the right vertical channel is pushed to the top by the bottom independent electric push rod. The lowest point of the bottom slope of the capsule is higher than the stainless steel partition in the middle of the upper part of the left and right vertical channels. The upper bread conveying capsule slides down into the right vertical channel under the action of gravity with the help of the slope of the lower bread conveying capsule.

[0009] The bread conveyor capsules in the left and right vertical channels move counterclockwise. When all 8-12 bread conveyor capsules in a row are at the bottom of the left vertical channel, the entire row of capsules is packed in one go, and then pushed into the bottom of the right channel by the pneumatic pusher on the left side of the left vertical channel. When a customer pays for the corresponding number of hot dogs, the PLC issues a command, and the same number of grilled sausages in the upper part of the right channel are pushed into the bread holes of the uppermost bread conveyor capsule in the right vertical channel by the downward pressure of the upper pneumatic pusher. The pneumatic pusher continues to move downward, pressing the sausages into the bread holes. The bread conveyor capsule is then pushed upward by the bottom electric pusher, and the bread slides into the delivery chute. After the bread is delivered, the bread conveyor capsule is pushed upward again until it is above the partition between the left and right channels, and then falls into the left vertical conveyor channel. To reduce the impact force of the bread conveyor capsule falling from the high left side, wave-shaped spring damping strips can be installed on the front and rear inner walls of the left vertical channel to slow down the falling speed of the bread conveyor capsule.

[0010] Appendix Figure 5This is a schematic diagram of the sausage roasting and conveying system. Cylindrical sausages are stored horizontally in the cold storage chamber (1). The cold storage chamber has 8-12 vertical compartments, each of which can stack 10 sausages, for a total storage of 80-120 sausages, which is enough for the hot dog machine to use for two days. On the left side of the sausage cold storage chamber (1) is a cylinder, which is connected to 8-12 hollow push rods. The push rods are inserted into the sausage storage compartments and hold the bottom sausage in place. The push rods are designed with a hollow structure. After the push rod pushes the sausage out of the cold storage chamber, it remains extended inside the compartment. The extended push rod can prevent the high temperature of the roasting below from penetrating the cold storage chamber. The pneumatic push rod pushes the 8-12 sausages at the bottom of the cold storage chamber into the 8-12 closed slides (3) on the right side at one time. The sausages enter the 8-12 cylindrical sausage roasting containers (4) along the slides. Each container has a constant temperature electric heater (5) on the outside, which can heat and roast the sausages inside the container. The container has a retractable spring ring (6) at the bottom. When the sausage to be baked slides into the sausage baking container (4), the weight of the sausage is insufficient to open the spring ring (6), and the spring ring (6) remains in a contracted state. After baking, the sausage is kept at a constant temperature of 40-50 degrees Celsius in the sausage baking container (4). The upper part of the closed slide (3) has a row of independently controlled pneumatic push rods (7). When a consumer purchases a certain number of hot dogs, the corresponding number of pneumatic push rods (7) extend downwards, pushing the baked and kept-warm sausages downwards to open the spring ring (6). After passing through the spring ring, the sausages fall into the bread holes in the bread conveying capsule below. The pneumatic push rods continue to extend downwards, pressing the sausages into the bread holes, and the upper pneumatic push rods (7) retract. The hot dog buns are delivered by the electric push rods at the bottom of the conveying channel and fall along the left and right vertical channels to complete the cycle. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall hot dog bun preparation and conveying system.

[0013] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the modified bread mold. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a vertical hot dog delivery system. Figure 4 This is a 3D schematic diagram of a bread delivery capsule. Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram showing the three conveying states of the bread delivery capsules within the vertical hot dog delivery channel. Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a sausage roasting and conveying system.

Claims

1. The conveying system of the fully automatic hot dog preparation and vending integrated machine consists of three parts: a flipping and turnover storage tank, a vertical conveying system for hot dog buns, and a conveying system for roasting sausages.

2. The process of the buns in the conveying system of the fully automatic hot dog preparation and vending integrated machine during processing and conveying should include the following steps:

1. The buns are perforated in the molds; 2. After the bun molds are flipped, the openings of the bun holes face downward; 3. The flipping and turnover storage tank then flips the openings of the bun holes upward and the buns enter the vertical conveying system; 4. The roasted sausages are inserted into the buns in the vertical conveying system.

3. The vertical conveying system for hot dog buns described in Claim 1 consists of a vertical conveying channel for buns and a bread conveying capsule running inside. The bread conveying capsule is moved in the vertical conveying channel for buns by two groups of push rods; the vertical conveying channel consists of two channels, one is the left vertical channel and the other is the right vertical channel. The cross-sections of the two channels are in the shape of a Japanese character, and the upper and lower parts of the two channels are connected.

4. The bread conveying capsule described in Claim 3 is in the shape of an oblique prism, and its middle cross-section is square. The bread conveying capsule adopts a three-slope structure, and the angle of the slope is between 15 degrees and 45 degrees. The upper slope at the top of the bread conveying capsule and the lower slope at the bottom are parallel. The middle slope for accommodating the bun in the middle and the upper and lower slopes are inclined in opposite directions. The lower slope and the middle slope form a closed structure as the base of the bread conveying capsule. There is a vertical baffle on the upper edge of the middle slope of the bread conveying capsule, and there is no vertical baffle on the lower edge. The height of the vertical baffle on the upper edge of the middle slope is one-third to two-thirds of the height of the bun. The description of the shape of the bread conveying capsule is not limited to the above text description, and the shape right can refer to the 3D schematic diagram of the bread conveying capsule in Figure 4.

5. The bread conveying capsule described in Claim 3 can be processed in two ways. One is to use a section of stainless steel square tube and process it through cutting and welding. The other is to use a section of stainless steel or aluminum alloy square bar and complete the processing through cutting on a machining center.

6. For the right vertical channel described in Claim 3, the bottom of the channel faces upward by approximately the height of one bread conveying capsule, and two or four symmetrically retractable buckles are fixed on the channel wall. After the bread conveying capsule passes upward through the buckles, it is held by them and will not fall.

7. The two groups of push rods described in Claim 3 complete the movement of the bread conveying capsule in the vertical conveying channel for buns. One group of the two groups of push rods is a pneumatic push rod, which can push a row of 8 - 12 bread conveying capsules at the bottom of the left vertical channel to the bottom of the right vertical channel at one time. The other group of push rods is 8 - 12 independent electric push rods, and each push rod can independently push the bread conveying capsule upward to three positions: low, medium, and high. The three positions have three functions:

1. When the bread conveying capsule is in the low position, the sausage roasting conveying system described in Claim 1 pushes the roasted sausages into the upper holes of the buns; 2. When the bread conveying capsule is in the middle position, the bun slides out from the middle slope of the bread conveying capsule; 3. When the bread conveying capsule is in the high position, the bread conveying capsule slides from the right vertical channel into the left vertical channel. The movement of the bread conveying capsule in the left and right channels is in a counterclockwise direction.

8. The set of pneumatic push rods as described in claim 7, wherein the push rods are located at the lower left of the left vertical channel, and the push rods are operated simultaneously by one or more cylinders. An electromagnet is installed in front of the pneumatic push rod against the plane of the bread conveying capsule. When the bread conveying capsule falls from a height, the electromagnet can attract the bread conveying capsule to prevent it from falling over. When the bread capsule is pushed into the bottom of the right vertical channel, the electromagnet is de-energized, and the bread conveying capsule can be pushed upward by the electric push rod below.

9. The left and right vertical conveying channels as described in claim 3, wherein the bread enters the bread conveying capsule in the channel from the lower left of the left vertical channel, and the bread separates in the upper right of the right vertical conveying channel and enters the right-side discharge chute.

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