A smart conveying equipment for processing fresh sweet and waxy corn

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of conveying equipment technology and discloses an intelligent conveying device for processing fresh sweet and waxy corn. The device includes: a conveyor body, a conveyor belt mounted on the conveyor body, and several baffle units fixedly arranged at equal intervals on the bearing surface of the conveyor belt along its operating direction. Each baffle unit includes: a fixed plate, a telescopic plate, an elastic reset component, a locking structure, and a trigger assembly. The fixed plate is fixedly installed on the bearing surface of the conveyor belt. The baffle units of this invention require no electric drive; they automatically switch between retracting, extending, and resetting states in the feeding, rising, and unloading zones through mechanical cooperation with the fixed trigger component on the frame. This results in a simple structure and high reliability. In the rising section, the telescopic plate automatically pops out and remains in a blocking state, forming a reliable rear barrier, thus solving the problem of corn rolling backward during inclined conveying.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of conveying equipment technology, and more specifically, to an intelligent conveying device for processing fresh sweet and glutinous corn. Background Technology

[0002] Fresh sweet corn undergoes multiple processing steps, with conveyor equipment commonly used to transfer materials between these steps. To prevent corn from scattering from the sides of the conveyor belt during transport, existing conveyors typically have fixed baffles on both sides of the frame. Additionally, to prevent corn from rolling backward during inclined transport, several fixed baffles are often installed at equal intervals on the conveyor belt's bearing surface, creating independent storage spaces between adjacent baffles to achieve separate material transport.

[0003] However, existing conveying equipment still has certain limitations in practical applications. Specifically, due to the fixed height of the baffles, in the feeding section, if the baffle height is too high, it will seriously hinder the corn from smoothly entering the receiving space, resulting in poor feeding, material splashing, or even jamming. In the inclined upward section, if the baffle height is insufficient, it cannot effectively prevent the corn from rolling backward due to gravity, which will lead to material accumulation, mutual crushing and damage, and on-site hygiene pollution. In the unloading section, excessively high baffles will also hinder the natural unloading of corn, causing material residue and affecting subsequent processing efficiency.

[0004] To address the aforementioned issues, if a motor is used to drive the independent lifting and lowering of a single baffle, complex engineering problems such as power supply and signal transmission need to be solved. This not only results in high costs but also leads to a high failure rate of electrical components in the humid environment of food processing and makes cleaning difficult. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide an intelligent conveying device for processing fresh sweet and waxy corn to solve the aforementioned technical problems.

[0006] The present invention solves the above-mentioned technical problems through the following technical solutions: The present invention provides an intelligent conveying device for processing fresh sweet and waxy corn, comprising: a conveyor body, a conveyor belt disposed on the conveyor body, and a plurality of material blocking units fixedly disposed at equal intervals on the bearing surface of the conveyor belt along the running direction of the conveyor belt; Each stop unit includes: A fixing plate is fixedly installed on the bearing surface of the conveyor belt; The telescopic plate is movably mounted on the fixed plate and has a retracted and locked state and an upwardly extended blocking state. An elastic reset element is disposed between the fixed plate and the telescopic plate, and is used to apply an elastic force to the telescopic plate to move it from the retracted state to the extended state; A locking structure, provided on the fixed plate, is used to lock the telescopic plate in the retracted state; The triggering component includes a first trigger fixedly installed at the starting position of the rising section of the conveyor body, and a second trigger fixedly installed in the unloading section of the conveyor body; When the blocking unit moves with the conveyor belt to the first trigger, the first trigger triggers the locking structure to unlock, and the telescopic plate pops up and switches to the blocking state under the action of the elastic reset member; when the blocking unit moves to the second trigger, the second trigger acts on the telescopic plate and overcomes the force of the elastic reset member to press it down, so that the telescopic plate retracts and is locked back into the retracted state by the locking structure.

[0007] Preferably, the locking structure includes a base fixedly mounted on the fixed plate, a transmission gear rotatably disposed within the base, a movable rod slidably disposed within the base and meshing with the upper part of the transmission gear, and a locking rod slidably disposed within the base and meshing with the lower part of the transmission gear. A torsion spring is provided between the transmission gear and the base. A trigger roller is provided at the free end of the movable rod. The locking rod is arranged parallel to the movable rod and moves in the opposite direction. A locking hole is provided on the side of the telescopic plate near the base to engage with the locking rod.

[0008] Preferably, the first trigger is an unlocking ramp block fixed on the conveyor body. After the trigger roller contacts the unlocking ramp, the movable rod can overcome the elastic force of the torsion spring and move and retract into the base.

[0009] Preferably, the top end of the telescopic plate is provided as an arc-shaped guide surface, and the second triggering element is a lower pressure plate fixed on the conveyor body. The lower pressure plate has a lower pressure surface that gradually decreases along the conveying direction. When the lower pressure surface slides into contact with the arc-shaped guide surface, it forces the telescopic plate to retract downward against the force of the elastic reset element.

[0010] Preferably, the telescopic plate is disposed on the side of the fixed plate opposite to the conveying direction, the fixed plate is provided with a limiting groove on the side near the telescopic plate, and the telescopic plate is provided with a limiting flange that slides in cooperation with the limiting groove.

[0011] Preferably, the elastic reset member is two compression springs, each of which is disposed between a limiting groove and a corresponding limiting flange.

[0012] Preferably, there are two locking structures, which are symmetrically distributed at both ends of the telescopic plate along its length.

[0013] Preferably, a sliding seal is provided between the fixed plate and the telescopic plate to prevent corn scraps and liquid from entering the mating gap between the telescopic plate and the fixed plate.

[0014] Preferably, a spare reset rail is provided before the main body of the conveyor is located at the beginning of the feeding section. The spare reset rail is used to force down and reset the telescopic plate that has not been successfully locked.

[0015] Preferably, both the fixed plate and the telescopic plate are rectangular plates, and the length of the telescopic plate is less than the length of the fixed plate.

[0016] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: The material blocking unit of this invention requires no electric drive; it automatically switches between retracted, extended, and reset states in the feeding, rising, and unloading zones solely through mechanical interaction with a fixed trigger on the frame. Its structure is simple and highly reliable. In the rising zone, the telescopic plate automatically pops out and remains in a blocking state, forming a reliable rear barrier and solving the problem of corn rolling backward during inclined conveying. In the feeding zone, the telescopic plate remains retracted and locked, completely submerged within the fixed plate area, preventing interference with corn falling into the receiving space. In the unloading zone, the telescopic plate is forcibly compressed back, ensuring smooth unloading of corn without residue. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an intelligent conveying device for processing fresh sweet and glutinous corn according to the present invention; Figure 2 This is a front view of the conveying unit in an intelligent conveying device for processing fresh sweet and glutinous corn according to the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a partial position in the front view of a conveying unit in an intelligent conveying device for processing fresh sweet and glutinous corn according to the present invention; Figure 4 This is a side cross-sectional view of the conveying unit in an intelligent conveying device for processing fresh sweet and glutinous corn according to the present invention; Figure 5 This is a partial top view of the intelligent conveying equipment for processing fresh sweet and glutinous corn according to the present invention.

[0018] In the diagram: 10. Conveyor body; 20. Conveyor belt; 30. Material blocking unit; 301. Fixed plate; 302. Limiting groove; 303. Telescopic plate; 304. Locking hole; 305. Arc-shaped guide surface; 306. Limiting flange; 307. Elastic reset component; 308. Locking structure; 3081. Base; 3082. Transmission gear; 3083. Torsion spring; 3084. Movable rod; 3085. Trigger roller; 3086. Locking rod; 309. Sliding seal; 401. First trigger component; 402. Second trigger component; 403. Spare reset pressure rail. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The subject matter described herein will now be discussed with reference to exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are discussed only to enable those skilled in the art to better understand and implement the subject matter described herein, and changes may be made to the function and arrangement of the elements discussed without departing from the scope of this specification. Various processes or components may be omitted, substituted, or added as needed in the examples. Furthermore, features described in some examples may be combined in other examples.

[0020] Please refer to the following: Figures 1 to 5 A smart conveying device for processing fresh sweet and glutinous corn includes: a conveyor body 10, a conveyor belt 20, and several material blocking units 30.

[0021] The conveyor body 10 is constructed with a stainless steel frame, on which are mounted drive rollers, driven rollers, tensioning devices, and other related components. The conveyor belt 20 is a food-grade chain conveyor belt 20, mounted on the conveyor body 10, and its bearing surface is used for conveying fresh sweet corn. According to processing requirements, the conveying path is divided into a feeding section, an ascending section, and an unloading section from front to back. The ascending section is an upward-sloping section, and the unloading section is a horizontal or near-horizontal discharge end.

[0022] The material blocking units 30 are fixedly installed at equal intervals on the bearing surface along the operating direction of the conveyor belt 20. A receiving space for corn is formed between two adjacent material blocking units 30. The specific structure of the material blocking unit 30 is as follows: Each stop unit 30 includes a fixed plate 301, a telescopic plate 303, an elastic reset member 307, and a locking structure 308.

[0023] The fixing plate 301 is a rectangular stainless steel plate, which is fixedly installed on the bearing surface of the conveyor belt 20 by bolts or quick-release fittings. Each end of the fixing plate 301 has an upwardly extending side wing for mounting the locking structure 308. The side of the fixing plate 301 opposite to the conveying direction (i.e., the back side) has two vertically extending limiting grooves 302.

[0024] The telescopic plate 303 is a rectangular stainless steel plate, shorter than the length of the fixed plate 301, and is movably mounted on the back of the fixed plate 301. A limiting flange 306 is provided on the side of the telescopic plate 303 closest to the fixed plate 301, which slides into the limiting groove 302. Through the engagement of the limiting groove 302 and the limiting flange 306, the telescopic plate 303 can only slide up and down in a direction perpendicular to the bearing surface, and the maximum extension height is limited by the limiting step at the bottom of the limiting groove 302. An arc-shaped guide surface 305 is provided at the top of the telescopic plate 303, which plays a role in reducing friction and guiding during subsequent downward pressing and resetting.

[0025] The elastic reset element 307 consists of two compression springs, each positioned between a limiting groove 302 and a corresponding limiting flange 306. The upper end of the compression spring abuts against the lower surface of the limiting flange 306, and the lower end abuts against the bottom wall of the limiting groove 302. When the telescopic plate 303 is in the retracted state, the compression spring is compressed and stores energy; when unlocked, the compression spring is released, driving the telescopic plate 303 to pop upward.

[0026] Two locking structures 308 are provided, symmetrically installed at both ends of the fixed plate 301 along the length direction. Each locking structure 308 includes a base 3081, a transmission gear 3082, a movable rod 3084, and a locking rod 3086.

[0027] The base 3081 is fixedly mounted on the side wing of the fixing plate 301. The transmission gear 3082 is rotatably mounted inside the base 3081 via a rotating shaft. A torsion spring 3083 is sleeved between the rotating shaft and the base 3081. One end of the torsion spring 3083 is engaged with the rotating shaft, and the other end is engaged with the base 3081, providing a reset torque for the transmission gear 3082.

[0028] The movable rod 3084 is slidably disposed within the base 3081, and its lower side has a toothed section that meshes with the upper part of the transmission gear 3082. The free end (i.e., the outer end) of the movable rod 3084 is provided with a trigger roller 3085, which can rotate freely around its own axis to reduce sliding friction when in contact with the first trigger element 401. The locking rod 3086 is also slidably disposed within the base 3081, and its upper side has a toothed section that meshes with the lower part of the transmission gear 3082. The locking rod 3086 is arranged parallel to the movable rod 3084 and moves in the opposite direction—that is, when the movable rod 3084 retracts inward, the transmission gear 3082 drives the locking rod 3086 to retract outward.

[0029] The telescopic plate 303 has a locking hole 304 on the side near the base 3081, which engages with the locking rod 3086. When the telescopic plate 303 is in the retracted state, the locking rod 3086 is kept in the extended state under the action of the torsion spring 3083 and inserted into the locking hole 304, thereby locking the telescopic plate 303 onto the fixed plate 301.

[0030] To prevent corn scraps and liquid from entering the gap between the telescopic plate 303 and the fixed plate 301, a sliding seal 309 is provided between the contact surfaces of the fixed plate 301 and the telescopic plate 303. In this embodiment, the sliding seal 309 is a lip-shaped sealing strip made of food-grade silicone material, arranged along the circumference of the telescopic plate 303.

[0031] The triggering assembly includes a first trigger 401 and a second trigger 402. The first trigger 401 is an unlocking ramp block fixed to the frame of the conveyor body 10, and its specific installation position corresponds to the starting end of the rising section. The unlocking ramp block has a ramp that gradually protrudes inward toward the conveyor belt 20. When the stop unit 30 moves to this position with the conveyor belt 20, the trigger roller 3085 contacts the unlocking ramp block, and the ramp of the unlocking ramp block pushes the movable rod 3084 to retract inward toward the base 3081. When the movable rod 3084 moves inward, it drives the transmission gear 3082 to rotate against the torque of the torsion spring 3083, thereby driving the locking rod 3086 to move outward and exit from the locking hole 304 of the telescopic plate 303. At this time, the constraint of the compression spring is released, the stored energy is quickly released, and the telescopic plate 303 is pushed upward to the blocking state. In this state, the height of the telescopic plate 303 is sufficient to prevent the corn in the accommodating space from rolling backward.

[0032] The second trigger 402 is a lower pressure plate fixed to the frame of the conveyor body 10, and its specific installation position corresponds to the starting end of the feeding section. The lower pressure plate has a lower pressure surface that gradually decreases along the conveying direction. When the material blocking unit 30 moves to this position with the conveyor belt 20, the arc-shaped guide surface 305 at the top of the telescopic plate 303 contacts the lower pressure surface of the lower pressure plate. As the conveyor belt 20 continues to move forward, the lower pressure surface applies a downward component force to the telescopic plate 303 through the arc-shaped guide surface 305, forcing the telescopic plate 303 to retract downward against the force of the compression spring. When the telescopic plate 303 retracts to the lowest position, the locking hole 304 is realigned with the locking rod 3086. At this time, the trigger roller 3085 has disengaged from the range of the unlocking inclined block, and the movable rod 3084 resets outward under the action of the torsion spring 3083. Through the transmission gear 3082, it drives the locking rod 3086 to move inward and re-insert into the locking hole 304, locking the telescopic plate 303 in the retracted state.

[0033] Both the fixed plate 301 and the telescopic plate 303 are rectangular plates, and the length of the telescopic plate 303 is less than the length of the fixed plate 301. This size design ensures that the telescopic plate 303 is completely hidden within the outline of the fixed plate 301 when it is retracted, avoiding any obstruction to the corn falling into the receiving space in the feeding section; on the other hand, it provides sufficient space for the installation of the locking structures 308 on both sides.

[0034] In addition, a spare reset rail 403 is provided on the frame of the conveyor body 10, located before the beginning of the feeding section (i.e., at the end of the return section of the conveyor belt 20). The structure of the spare reset rail 403 is similar to that of the second trigger 402, with a downward pressing surface that gradually decreases along the conveying direction. If a certain blocking unit 30 fails to be successfully locked in the feeding section due to an unexpected reason, its telescopic plate 303 may still be in a partially extended state. When the blocking unit 30 runs to the spare reset rail 403, the spare reset rail 403 will forcibly press down the telescopic plate 303 and reset and lock it, ensuring that all blocking units 30 return to the retracted and locked state before entering the feeding section.

[0035] The working process of this invention is as follows: Initial state: Before the conveying equipment is started, the telescopic plates 303 of all the material blocking units 30 are in a retracted and locked state, and the elastic reset members 307 are in a compressed and energy-storing state.

[0036] Feeding section: Corn falls into the accommodating space formed by adjacent baffle units 30 on the bearing surface of the conveyor belt 20 through the feeding device; since the telescopic plate 303 is in a retracted state, its top is basically flush with the top of the fixed plate 301, and will not interfere with the feeding action.

[0037] Ascending Section: When the material blocking unit 30 enters the starting end of the ascending section along with the conveyor belt 20, the trigger roller 3085 contacts the first trigger member 401, the locking structure 308 unlocks, and the telescopic plate 303 pops upward to the blocking state under the action of the elastic reset member 307. Throughout the entire ascending section conveying process, the telescopic plate 303 remains extended, effectively preventing the corn from rolling backward due to gravity.

[0038] Discharge section: When the material blocking unit 30 enters the starting end of the discharge section along with the conveyor belt 20, the arc-shaped guide surface 305 at the top of the telescopic plate 303 contacts the second trigger 402, is forced down and relocked in the contracted state; the corn is unobstructed at the front end of the accommodating space and is successfully discharged.

[0039] Return section: The retaining unit 30 continues to be in a retracted state in the return section of the conveyor belt 20 to reduce running resistance. If there is a failure to lock, the backup reset rail 403 will force it to reset before entering the next feeding cycle. This cycle repeats to realize the automatic attitude switching of the retaining unit 30 in the three sections.

[0040] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. The specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art can make many other forms under the guidance of the present invention, all of which are within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An intelligent conveying device for processing fresh sweet and waxy corn, characterized in that, include: The conveyor body, the conveyor belt set on the conveyor body, and several baffle units fixed at equal intervals on the bearing surface of the conveyor belt along the direction of the conveyor belt's operation; Each stop unit includes: A fixing plate is fixedly installed on the bearing surface of the conveyor belt; The telescopic plate is movably mounted on the fixed plate and has a retracted and locked state and an upwardly extended blocking state. An elastic reset element is disposed between the fixed plate and the telescopic plate, and is used to apply an elastic force to the telescopic plate to move it from the retracted state to the extended state; A locking structure, provided on the fixed plate, is used to lock the telescopic plate in the retracted state; The triggering component includes a first trigger fixedly installed at the starting position of the rising section of the conveyor body, and a second trigger fixedly installed in the unloading section of the conveyor body; When the blocking unit moves with the conveyor belt to the first trigger, the first trigger triggers the locking structure to unlock, and the telescopic plate pops up and switches to the blocking state under the action of the elastic reset member; when the blocking unit moves to the second trigger, the second trigger acts on the telescopic plate and overcomes the force of the elastic reset member to press it down, so that the telescopic plate retracts and is locked back into the retracted state by the locking structure.

2. The intelligent conveying equipment for processing fresh sweet and waxy corn according to claim 1, characterized in that, The locking structure includes a base fixedly mounted on the fixed plate, a transmission gear rotatably disposed within the base, a movable rod slidably disposed within the base and meshing with the upper part of the transmission gear, and a locking rod slidably disposed within the base and meshing with the lower part of the transmission gear. A torsion spring is provided between the transmission gear and the base. A trigger roller is provided at the free end of the movable rod. The locking rod is arranged parallel to the movable rod and moves in the opposite direction. A locking hole is provided on the side of the telescopic plate near the base to engage with the locking rod.

3. The intelligent conveying equipment for processing fresh sweet and waxy corn according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first trigger is an unlocking ramp block fixed on the conveyor body. After the trigger roller contacts the unlocking ramp, the movable rod can overcome the elastic force of the torsion spring and move and retract into the base.

4. The intelligent conveying equipment for processing fresh sweet and waxy corn according to claim 1, characterized in that, The top of the telescopic plate is set as an arc-shaped guide surface, and the second trigger is a lower pressure plate fixed on the conveyor body. The lower pressure plate has a lower pressure surface that gradually decreases along the conveying direction. When the lower pressure surface slides in contact with the arc-shaped guide surface, it forces the telescopic plate to retract downward against the force of the elastic reset member.

5. The intelligent conveying equipment for processing fresh sweet and waxy corn according to claim 1, characterized in that, The telescopic plate is located on the side of the fixed plate opposite to the conveying direction. The fixed plate has a limiting groove on the side near the telescopic plate, and the telescopic plate has a limiting flange that slides in cooperation with the limiting groove.

6. The intelligent conveying equipment for processing fresh sweet and waxy corn according to claim 5, characterized in that, The elastic reset component consists of two compression springs, each of which is disposed between a limiting groove and a corresponding limiting flange.

7. The intelligent conveying equipment for processing fresh sweet and waxy corn according to claim 1, characterized in that, Two locking structures are provided, and the two locking structures are symmetrically distributed at both ends of the telescopic plate along the length direction.

8. The intelligent conveying equipment for processing fresh sweet and waxy corn according to claim 1, characterized in that, A sliding seal is also provided between the fixed plate and the telescopic plate to prevent corn scraps and liquids from entering the gap between the telescopic plate and the fixed plate.

9. The intelligent conveying equipment for processing fresh sweet and waxy corn according to claim 1, characterized in that, A spare reset rail is also provided before the main body of the conveyor is located at the beginning of the feeding section. The spare reset rail is used to force down and reset the telescopic plate that has not been successfully locked.

10. The intelligent conveying equipment for processing fresh sweet and waxy corn according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both the fixed plate and the telescopic plate are rectangular plates, and the length of the telescopic plate is less than the length of the fixed plate.

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