A central hopper

Abstract

The application discloses a center hopper, which comprises a feeding mechanism, a guide shroud and a collecting hopper, the guide shroud is provided with an inlet and an outlet, the height of the guide shroud is reduced from the inlet to the outlet, and the guide shroud is curved in a streamline shape, the inlet of the collecting hopper is communicated with the outlet of the guide shroud, and the collecting hopper is in a funnel shape; and the discharging mechanism comprises a discharging pipe, the inlet of the discharging pipe is communicated with the outlet of the collecting hopper, and the application has the beneficial effects that the streamline guide shroud replaces the traditional right-angle broken line structure, the smooth curved surface is attached to the parabolic trajectory of the material, rigid impact between the material and the inner wall of the hopper is avoided, the material crushing, dust flying and material escaping are greatly reduced, the flexible guide of the streamline guide shroud and the gathering and restraining of the funnel-shaped collecting hopper double the regular material falling path, the trajectory deviation caused by the parabolic falling is offset, and the material always falls along the center of the hopper.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of bulk material conveying, and more specifically to a central hopper. Background Technology

[0002] As a core hub for fuel transfer in coal-fired power plants, bucket wheel excavators play a crucial role in receiving and unloading coal. They have very few opportunities for downtime for maintenance and must operate continuously under complex conditions. Their operating conditions are dynamic and varied, including switching between stacking and reclaiming positions, changes in the direction of the conveyor belt, and the pitching and rotating movements of the cantilever conveyor belt, resulting in the bucket wheel excavator's conveyor system constantly operating in an unstable state.

[0003] Chinese utility model patent CN203740659U discloses a dust removal device for the central hopper of a bucket wheel excavator and a bucket wheel excavator using the device. The device includes a hopper, a belt conveyor located below the hopper, and at least a guide support connected to the bucket wheel excavator gate; a side cover plate and a sliding plate connected to the guide support plate; a top cover plate connected to the side cover plate; at least two end dustproof curtains; a return pipe; and the top cover plate, side cover plate, sliding plate dustproof curtains, and conveyor belt of the belt conveyor form a closed box. The hopper outlet is connected to the top of the closed box, the lower interface of the return pipe is connected to the top of the closed box, and the upper interface of the return pipe is connected to the hopper. The two end dustproof curtains are located at opposite ends of the closed box. The closed box between the two end dustproof curtains also includes one or more trapezoidal rotary pipes, with dustproof curtains connected to the bottom of the trapezoidal rotary pipes.

[0004] The above has the following defects: the feed inlet of the hopper adopts a right-angle broken line structure. When the material on the conveyor belt enters the hopper, it falls in a parabolic direction and is prone to rigid collision with the inner wall of the hopper, causing the material to scatter and the falling trajectory to deviate. This results in the material falling point not being centered, and finally, the material spills. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the above-mentioned technical deficiencies and propose a central hopper to solve the technical problems of material spillage and deviation when materials enter the hopper in the prior art.

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned technical objectives, the present invention provides a central hopper for connecting an upstream belt conveyor, a midstream belt conveyor, and a downstream belt conveyor. It includes a feeding mechanism, a flow guide shroud, and a collecting hopper. The flow guide shroud has an inlet and an outlet, its height decreases from the inlet to the outlet, and it is streamlined and curved. The inlet of the collecting hopper communicates with the outlet of the flow guide shroud, and the collecting hopper is funnel-shaped. The material discharge mechanism includes a discharge pipe, the inlet of which is connected to the outlet of the collecting hopper.

[0007] In some embodiments, the feeding mechanism further includes a centering component, which includes a centering plate and a driving member. The centering plate is rotatably connected inside the flow guide shroud, and the receiving surface of the centering plate faces the outlet of the upstream belt conveyor. The fixed end of the driving member is connected to the flow guide shroud, and the movable end of the driving member is connected to the centering plate, so that the material falls into the center of the collecting hopper.

[0008] In some embodiments, the drive includes a first motor mounted on the flow guide shield, and the output shaft of the first motor is connected to the centering plate.

[0009] In some embodiments, the collecting hopper has a polygonal cross-section structure to eliminate right-angle accumulation dead corners.

[0010] In some embodiments, the polygonal cross-sectional structure of the collecting hopper is a regular polygonal structure, and the included angle between adjacent inner wall surfaces of the collecting hopper is 135°.

[0011] In some embodiments, the discharge mechanism further includes a three-way pipe and a diversion component. The inlet of the three-way pipe is connected to the outlet of the collecting hopper, and one of the outlets of the three-way pipe is connected to the inlet of the discharge pipe. The diversion component is installed inside the three-way pipe to adjust the opening and closing of the two outlets of the three-way pipe.

[0012] In some embodiments, the diversion assembly includes a diversion plate and a second motor. The diversion plate is rotatably connected inside the tee pipe, the second motor is installed in the tee pipe, and the output shaft of the second motor is connected to the diversion plate.

[0013] In some embodiments, the diversion plate includes a middle plate and two end plates. The middle plate is rotatably connected to the three-way pipe. The output shaft of the second motor is connected to the middle plate. The two end plates are respectively connected to both sides of the middle plate. The end plates are in contact with the inner wall of the three-way pipe to block material from entering the gap between the diversion plate and the inner wall of the three-way pipe.

[0014] In some embodiments, the discharge pipe is inclined forward along the conveying direction of the downstream belt conveyor to reduce the internal air pressure at the discharge point and suppress powder spraying. The discharge pipe is constricted to allow the material to fall to the middle of the downstream belt conveyor to avoid the downstream belt conveyor from deviating.

[0015] In some embodiments, the outlet of the discharge pipe extends into the downstream conveyor belt, and the distance between the outlet of the discharge pipe and the belt surface of the downstream conveyor belt is 180mm-220mm, which is adapted to the pitch stroke of the downstream conveyor belt.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention include: The streamlined flow guide cover replaces the traditional right-angled zigzag structure. The smooth curved surface conforms to the parabolic trajectory of the material, avoiding rigid impact between the material and the inner wall of the hopper. This significantly reduces material breakage, dust flying and material spillage, and solves the problems of spillage and leakage caused by impact in traditional hoppers, thus improving the on-site working environment. By using the flexible guidance of the streamlined flow guide and the converging constraint of the funnel-shaped collecting hopper, the material falling path is doubled and regulated, which offsets the trajectory deviation caused by the parabolic falling line. This ensures that the material always falls along the center of the hopper, solving the problems of belt misalignment and uneven load spillage caused by the skewed falling point, and improving the stability of material conveying. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the central hopper provided by the present invention; Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the overall structure of the central hopper provided by the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the feeding mechanism provided by the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the tee pipe provided by the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the material discharge mechanism provided by the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the centering component provided by the present invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the shunt component provided by the present invention.

[0018] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 1. Feeding mechanism; 11. Flow guide cover; 12. Collecting hopper; 13. Centering assembly; 131. Centering plate; 132. Drive component; 1321. First motor; 2. Upstream belt conveyor; 3. Discharge mechanism; 31. Drop pipe; 32. T-pipe; 321. First outlet; 322. Second outlet; 33. Diverting assembly; 331. Diverting plate; 3311. Middle plate; 3312. End plate; 332. Second motor; 4. Downstream belt conveyor; 5. Midstream belt conveyor. Detailed Implementation

[0019] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the invention.

[0020] This invention provides a central hopper, the structure of which is as follows: Figure 1 - Figure 7As shown, a feeding mechanism 1, used to connect the upstream conveyor belt 2, the midstream conveyor belt 5, and the downstream conveyor belt 4, includes a flow guide shroud 11 and a collecting hopper 12. The flow guide shroud 11 has an inlet and an outlet, and its height decreases from the inlet to the outlet, exhibiting a streamlined curve. The inlet of the collecting hopper 12 communicates with the outlet of the flow guide shroud 11, and the collecting hopper 12 is funnel-shaped. The material discharge mechanism 3 includes a discharge pipe 31, the inlet of which is connected to the outlet of the collecting hopper 12.

[0021] In operation, when the material conveyed by the upstream belt conveyor 2 leaves the belt and enters the guide shield 11 in a parabolic trajectory, the rigid blocking mode of the traditional right-angled zigzag inner wall is abandoned. Instead, the smooth curved surface of the streamlined guide shield 11 conforms to the parabolic trajectory of the material, providing flexible guidance and avoiding vertical impact or hard contact between the material and the inner wall of the shield. After the material is initially regulated by the streamlined guide shield 11, it smoothly enters the funnel-shaped collecting hopper 12. The funnel-shaped curved surface of the hopper gradually narrows from top to bottom, which provides secondary gathering and guidance for the material, gradually constraining the scattering range of the material and correcting the falling trajectory. Finally, after being gathered by the collecting hopper 12, the material smoothly enters the discharge pipe 31 and falls centrally along the discharge pipe 31 to the downstream belt conveyor 4. There is no rigid collision or sudden change in trajectory throughout the entire process, ensuring that the material falls at the center from the source.

[0022] In this invention, the streamlined flow guide cover 11 replaces the traditional right-angled zigzag structure. The smooth curved surface conforms to the parabolic trajectory of the material, avoiding rigid impact between the material and the inner wall of the hopper. This significantly reduces material breakage, dust flying and material leakage, solves the problem of material spillage and leakage caused by impact in traditional hoppers, and improves the on-site working environment. By using the flexible guidance of the streamlined guide shield 11 and the converging constraint of the funnel-shaped collecting hopper 12, the material falling path is doubled and regulated, which offsets the trajectory deviation caused by the parabolic falling line, so that the material always falls along the center of the hopper. This solves the problems of belt deviation and uneven load spillage caused by the skewed falling point, and improves the stability of material conveying.

[0023] To achieve central adjustment, please refer to Figure 2 In a preferred embodiment, the feeding mechanism 1 further includes a centering component 13, which includes a centering plate 131 and a driving member 132. The centering plate 131 is rotatably connected inside the flow guide shroud 11, and the receiving surface of the centering plate 131 faces the outlet of the upstream belt conveyor 2. The fixed end of the driving member 132 is connected to the flow guide shroud 11, and the movable end of the driving member 132 is connected to the centering plate 131, so that the material falls into the middle of the collecting hopper 12.

[0024] In use, after the material leaves the upstream conveyor belt, it first falls onto the receiving surface of the centering plate 131 of the centering component 13. The centering plate 131 serves as the core flow guiding component before the material enters the collecting hopper 12. The angle is adaptively adjusted by the driving component 132: the fixed end of the driving component 132 is firmly installed on the inner wall of the flow guiding cover 11, and the movable end drives the centering plate 131 to rotate around the hinge point of the inner wall of the flow guiding cover 11, thereby adjusting the tilt angle and receiving posture of the centering plate 131 in real time.

[0025] Regardless of whether the bucket wheel excavator's stacking and reclaiming station is switched, the belt running direction is changed, the cantilever's pitching and rotation causes the material's parabolic trajectory to deviate, or the material flow rate and belt speed changes cause the drop point to skew, the deflection angle of the centering plate 131 can be adjusted by the drive component 132 to change the guiding direction of the material on the receiving surface, forcibly guiding and gathering the skewed material flow to the central axis position of the guide shield 11, correcting the material's falling trajectory, and ensuring that the material enters the downstream collection hopper 12 without skew or side overflow.

[0026] To drive the centering plate 131 to rotate, please refer to... Figure 6 In a preferred embodiment, the drive unit 132 includes a first motor 1321, which is mounted on the flow guide cover 11, and the output shaft of the first motor 1321 is connected to the centering plate 131.

[0027] During use, the material output from the upstream belt conveyor 2 falls in a parabolic direction and enters the streamlined guide shield 11. It first impacts the receiving surface of the centering plate 131 of the centering component 13. The first motor 1321 is fixedly installed on the housing of the guide shield 11 as a power source. When powered on, its output shaft directly drives the centering plate 131 to rotate around the hinge point, precisely controlling the tilt angle of the centering plate 131, thereby changing the direction of material flow and the point of fall.

[0028] To eliminate dead zones for material accumulation, please refer to... Figure 3 In a preferred embodiment, the collecting hopper 12 adopts a polygonal cross-section structure to eliminate right-angle material accumulation dead corners.

[0029] During use, the polygonal cross-section has no right-angled recesses or sharp corners, allowing materials to slide smoothly down the inclined surface without accumulating or adhering at the corners of the hopper's inner wall. This solves the problem of blockages in bulk materials like coal at the source, keeping the hopper's inner wall clean. The absence of material accumulation maintains a constant flow cross-section in the hopper, preventing problems like poor material flow, blockages, and shutdowns caused by accumulated material gradually obstructing the passage. This design is suitable for the continuous operation and low maintenance requirements of bucket wheel excavators, improving transport stability.

[0030] To achieve both blocking and centering simultaneously, please refer to... Figure 3In a preferred embodiment, the polygonal cross-sectional structure of the collecting hopper 12 is a regular polygonal structure, and the included angle between adjacent inner wall surfaces of the collecting hopper 12 is 135°.

[0031] In use, the 135° obtuse angle structure completely eliminates the stagnation blind zone of the traditional rectangular hopper's 90° right angle. There are no depressions or sharp corners causing blockages, allowing materials to slide smoothly down the inner wall slope without accumulating or sticking at the corners. Even during long-term continuous operation, material accumulation will not obstruct the channel or reduce the flow area. The fully symmetrical inner wall provides a uniform circumferential guiding and converging effect on the falling material, automatically correcting lateral deviations. Combined with the pre-adjustment effect of the upstream centering component 13, this forms a double centering constraint, ensuring that the material always falls stably along the hopper's central axis.

[0032] To achieve real-time switching of material flow direction, please refer to... Figure 4 In a preferred embodiment, the discharge mechanism 3 further includes a three-way pipe 32 and a diversion component 33. The inlet of the three-way pipe 32 is connected to the outlet of the collecting hopper 12, and one of the outlets of the three-way pipe 32 is connected to the inlet of the discharge pipe 31. The diversion component 33 is installed inside the three-way pipe 32 to adjust the opening and closing of the two outlets of the three-way pipe 32.

[0033] During use, the bulk materials collected and centered by the upstream collecting hopper 12 and transported smoothly without accumulation are smoothly conveyed. They then enter the main inlet of the three-way pipe 32 from the outlet of the collecting hopper 12 and enter the closed reversing flow channel inside the three-way pipe 32. There is no overflow or trajectory deviation throughout the process, providing a stable centered material flow for subsequent reversing conveying.

[0034] The diversion component 33, as the core of the reversing execution, is installed at the confluence of the flow channels inside the three-way pipe 32. By adjusting its own working posture, it achieves independent and precise control over the on / off states of the first outlet 321 and the second outlet 322 of the three-way pipe 32, adapting to the two core operating conditions of bucket wheel excavator material stacking and material reclaiming, and specifically divided into two working modes: Material handling and conveying mode: When the bucket wheel excavator performs material handling operations and needs to convey materials to the downstream belt conveyor 4, the diversion component 33 moves to the preset position, completely blocking the second outlet 322 of the three-way pipe 32, while simultaneously opening the first outlet 321 across the entire cross section. At this time, the material entering the three-way pipe 32, under the guidance and constraint of the diversion component 33, all flows along the open channel into the first outlet 321, flows into the coal drop pipe connected to it, and finally, through the forward-inclined closing structure of the coal drop pipe, falls precisely and centrally onto the belt surface of the downstream belt conveyor 4, completing the material transfer in the material handling operation.

[0035] Material stacking and conveying mode: When the bucket wheel excavator performs material stacking operations and needs to convey materials to the midstream belt conveyor 5, the diversion component 33 reverses its movement to the corresponding station, completely blocking the first outlet 321 of the three-way pipe 32, while simultaneously opening the second outlet 322 across the entire cross section. At this time, the material entering the three-way pipe 32 is guided by the diversion component 33 and flows along the open channel into the second outlet 322, directly conveying it to the midstream belt conveyor 5, thus completing the material transfer in the material stacking operation.

[0036] To drive the splitter plate 331 to rotate, please refer to... Figure 7 In a preferred embodiment, the diversion assembly 33 includes a diversion plate 331 and a second motor 332. The diversion plate 331 is rotatably connected to the three-way pipe 32, the second motor 332 is installed in the three-way pipe 32, and the output shaft of the second motor 332 is connected to the diversion plate 331.

[0037] In use, the body of the second motor 332 is fixedly installed on the outer wall of the three-way pipe 32. Its output shaft passes through the housing of the three-way pipe 32 and is rigidly connected to the rotation center of the diverter plate 331, forming a gapless direct-drive transmission structure with precise and reliable power transmission. When powered on, the second motor 332 directly drives the diverter plate 331 to rotate around its rotation center through forward and reverse start / stop and angle control, making a fixed-angle rotational motion at the confluence of the flow channels of the three-way pipe 32. This precisely controls the deflection position of the diverter plate 331, realizing the controllable switching between the conduction and blocking states of the first outlet 321 and the second outlet 322 of the three-way pipe 32.

[0038] When the bucket wheel excavator performs material handling operations and needs to transport the material to the downstream conveyor belt 4, the second motor 332 drives the diverter plate 331 to deflect forward to the preset sealing position, so that the diverter plate 331 completely fits the inner sealing surface of the second outlet 322 of the three-way pipe 32, completely blocking the flow channel of the second outlet 322, while completely opening the flow section of the first outlet 321 of the three-way pipe 32. At this time, the material collected and centered by the upstream collecting hopper 12 enters the three-way pipe 32, and under the constraint of the smooth guiding surface of the diverter plate 331, it all enters the first outlet 321 along the guided flow channel, flows into the coal drop pipe connected to it, and finally completes the central and stable conveying to the downstream conveyor belt 4.

[0039] When the bucket wheel excavator performs a stacking operation and needs to transport the material to the midstream conveyor belt 5, the second motor 332 drives the diverter plate 331 to deflect in the opposite direction to the corresponding sealing position. This causes the diverter plate 331 to completely fit the inner sealing surface of the first outlet 321 of the three-way pipe 32, completely sealing the flow channel of the first outlet 321. At the same time, the flow passage of the second outlet 322 of the three-way pipe 32 is completely opened. At this time, the material entering the three-way pipe 32 is guided by the diverter plate 331 and flows along the open channel into the second outlet 322, directly transported to the midstream conveyor belt 5, completing the material transfer in the stacking operation.

[0040] To reduce the possibility of material jamming, please refer to... Figure 7 In a preferred embodiment, the diversion plate 331 includes a middle plate 3311 and two end plates 3312. The middle plate 3311 is rotatably connected to the three-way pipe 32. The output shaft of the second motor 332 is connected to the middle plate 3311. The two end plates 3312 are respectively connected to both sides of the middle plate 3311. The end plates 3312 are in contact with the inner wall of the three-way pipe 32 to block the material from entering the gap between the diversion plate 331 and the inner wall of the three-way pipe 32.

[0041] In use, firstly, by setting end plates 3312 on both sides of the middle plate 3311 and ensuring that the end plates 3312 are tightly fitted to the inner wall of the three-way pipe 32, the gap between the diverter plate 331 and the inner wall of the three-way pipe 32 is completely sealed. This structurally prevents material from entering the gap and causing blockage, ensuring smooth rotation and reliable reversal of the diverter plate 331. Secondly, the fit between the end plates 3312 and the inner wall of the three-way pipe 32 forms a sealed partition. During diversion and guidance, the material can only flow along the preset channel and will not leak from the side of the diverter plate 331 or flow into another outlet, ensuring accurate diversion, no mixing, and no overflow, thus improving the stability of material transfer. Finally, the middle plate 3311 and the two end plates 3312 form an integral flow guiding structure, which constrains and guides the material as a whole, allowing the material to flow smoothly along the plate and avoiding material trajectory deviation and off-center loading caused by gap turbulence. This further ensures that the material drop point is centered and reduces downstream belt deviation.

[0042] To reduce the possibility of powder spraying and deviation, please refer to... Figure 5 In a preferred embodiment, the discharge pipe 31 is inclined forward along the conveying direction of the downstream belt conveyor 4 to reduce the internal air pressure at the discharge point and suppress powder spraying. The discharge pipe 31 is constricted so that the material falls to the middle of the downstream belt conveyor 4 to avoid the downstream belt conveyor 4 from deviating.

[0043] When in use, the material drop pipe 31 is arranged in a forward-leaning manner along the conveying direction of the downstream belt conveyor 4, which can effectively expand the internal space at the material drop point, reduce the local positive pressure in the material drop area, avoid powder spraying and dust generation due to sudden pressure increase, thereby suppressing dust escape and improving the working environment; at the same time, the forward-leaning structure makes the material drop direction more consistent with the running direction of the downstream belt conveyor 4, reducing the relative impact and speed difference between the material and the belt, reducing belt wear, and extending the belt service life.

[0044] The material drop pipe 31 adopts a constricted structure, which can gather and constrain the falling material, forcing the material to fall into the middle area of ​​the downstream belt conveyor 4, ensuring that the material drop point is centered, avoiding problems such as the downstream belt conveyor 4 running off-center and spilling material due to uneven material drop, and improving the stability and continuity of material conveying.

[0045] The material discharge pipe 31, through the combination of a forward-inclined pressure to prevent powder spraying and a closing-off centering structure to prevent deviation, optimizes the material falling state from three aspects: dust suppression, flow stabilization, and centering. This achieves low dust, low impact, and stable material discharge in a centered position, effectively solving the technical defects of traditional material discharge pipes 31, such as easy powder spraying, easy deviation, and easy material spillage.

[0046] To further reduce the possibility of powder spraying, please refer to... Figure 5 In a preferred embodiment, the outlet of the discharge pipe 31 extends into the downstream conveyor belt 4, and the distance between the outlet of the discharge pipe 31 and the belt surface of the downstream conveyor belt 4 is 180mm-220mm, which is adapted to the pitch stroke of the downstream conveyor belt 4.

[0047] During operation, when material falls from the outlet of the discharge pipe 31, the outlet extends into the downstream conveyor belt 4, creating a complete enclosure around the material's path and preventing it from splashing or scattering outwards. Simultaneously, the appropriate spacing of 180mm–220mm ensures that the material falls smoothly and steadily to the center of the belt, preventing scraping or interference with the belt surface due to insufficient spacing, and avoiding material diffusion or powdering due to excessive spacing. When the downstream conveyor belt 4 performs a pitching motion, this spacing always provides sufficient space for the belt to move, ensuring that the belt does not collide with or jam against the outlet of the discharge pipe 31 throughout the entire pitching stroke, allowing the equipment to operate stably and continuously under different working conditions such as material stacking and unloading.

[0048] To better understand this invention, the following is combined with... Figure 1 - Figure 7 The working principle of a central hopper according to the technical solution of the present invention is described in detail as follows: When the material conveyed by the upstream belt conveyor 2 leaves the belt and enters the guide shroud 11 in a parabolic trajectory, the rigid blocking mode of the traditional right-angled zigzag inner wall is abandoned. Instead, the smooth curved surface of the streamlined guide shroud 11 conforms to the parabolic trajectory of the material, providing flexible guidance to avoid vertical impact or hard contact between the material and the inner wall of the shroud. After the material is initially regulated by the streamlined guide shroud 11, it smoothly enters the funnel-shaped collecting hopper 12. Relying on the funnel-shaped curved surface of the hopper that gradually narrows from top to bottom, the material is secondary gathered and guided, gradually constraining the scattering range of the material and correcting the falling trajectory. Finally, after being gathered by the collecting hopper 12, the material smoothly enters the discharge pipe 31 and falls centrally along the discharge pipe 31 to the downstream belt conveyor 4. There is no rigid collision or sudden change in trajectory throughout the entire process, ensuring that the material drop point is centered from the source.

[0049] The specific embodiments of the present invention described above do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of the present invention. Any other corresponding changes and modifications made in accordance with the technical concept of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A central hopper for connecting an upstream belt conveyor, a midstream belt conveyor, and a downstream belt conveyor, characterized in that, include: The feeding mechanism includes a flow guide shroud and a collecting hopper. The flow guide shroud has an inlet and an outlet, and its height decreases from the inlet to the outlet, exhibiting a streamlined curve. The inlet of the collecting hopper communicates with the outlet of the flow guide shroud, and the collecting hopper is funnel-shaped. The material discharge mechanism includes a discharge pipe, the inlet of which is connected to the outlet of the collecting hopper.

2. The central hopper according to claim 1, characterized in that, The feeding mechanism also includes a centering component, which includes a centering plate and a driving component. The centering plate is rotatably connected inside the flow guide shroud, and the receiving surface of the centering plate faces the outlet of the upstream belt conveyor. The fixed end of the driving component is connected to the flow guide shroud, and the movable end of the driving component is connected to the centering plate, so that the material falls into the middle of the collecting hopper.

3. The central hopper according to claim 2, characterized in that, The driving component includes a first motor, which is mounted on the flow guide cover, and the output shaft of the first motor is connected to the centering plate.

4. The central hopper according to claim 1, characterized in that, The collecting hopper adopts a polygonal cross-section structure to eliminate right-angle material accumulation dead corners.

5. The central hopper according to claim 4, characterized in that, The collecting hopper has a regular polygonal cross-sectional structure, and the included angle between adjacent inner wall surfaces of the collecting hopper is 135°.

6. The central hopper according to claim 1, characterized in that, The discharge mechanism also includes a three-way pipe and a diversion component. The inlet of the three-way pipe is connected to the outlet of the collecting hopper, and one of the outlets of the three-way pipe is connected to the inlet of the discharge pipe. The diversion component is installed inside the three-way pipe to adjust the opening and closing of the two outlets of the three-way pipe.

7. The central hopper according to claim 6, characterized in that, The diversion assembly includes a diversion plate and a second motor. The diversion plate is rotatably connected inside the three-way pipe, and the second motor is installed in the three-way pipe. The output shaft of the second motor is connected to the diversion plate.

8. The central hopper according to claim 7, characterized in that, The diversion plate includes a middle plate and two end plates. The middle plate is rotatably connected to the three-way pipe. The output shaft of the second motor is connected to the middle plate. The two end plates are respectively connected to both sides of the middle plate. The end plates are in contact with the inner wall of the three-way pipe to block material from entering the gap between the diversion plate and the inner wall of the three-way pipe.

9. The central hopper according to claim 1, characterized in that, The material discharge pipe is inclined forward along the conveying direction of the downstream belt conveyor to reduce the internal air pressure at the material discharge point and suppress powder spraying. The material discharge pipe is tapered so that the material falls to the middle of the downstream belt conveyor to avoid the downstream belt conveyor from running off-center.

10. The central hopper according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outlet of the discharge pipe extends into the downstream conveyor belt, and the distance between the outlet of the discharge pipe and the belt surface of the downstream conveyor belt is 180mm-220mm, which is adapted to the pitch stroke of the downstream conveyor belt.

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