An online cigarette material scattering, separating, removing and guiding channel and method thereof

Abstract

The application discloses an online cigarette material scattering, shunting, removing and guiding channel and a method thereof, and belongs to the technical field of cigarette production equipment. The guiding channel comprises a channel main body, a feeding hopper and a discharging port which are arranged at two ends of the channel main body, and a conveying mechanism which is arranged inside the channel main body; a guiding scattering plate, a slitting assembly which is arranged in the middle and two symmetrical swingable guiding plates are sequentially arranged in the channel main body along the conveying direction; the guiding plates are located downstream of the slitting assembly and can swing away from each other to form a guiding slope which faces two side waste discharging ports; a lower passing gap for qualified materials to pass through is kept between the bottom of the slitting assembly and the bottom end of the guiding plates and the conveying surface. The application realizes step-by-step cooperative treatment through pre-loosening, middle slitting and double-side selective shunting, and eliminates the phenomenon that large-size lumps block the waste discharging port from the source, and remarkably improves the continuous operation stability of the cigarette production line and the raw material utilization rate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the technical field of cigarette production equipment, specifically relating to an online cigarette material dispersing, diverting, and rejecting guide channel and its method. Background Technology

[0002] In cigarette production, raw tobacco leaves, after initial processing, typically require a period of storage or buffering to balance the production rhythm of upstream and downstream processes or to regulate the uniformity of moisture content. During storage, due to the inherent moisture, sugar content, and fiber entanglement of tobacco leaves, coupled with the continuous gravitational pressure from the accumulation of tobacco leaves in the storage container, the leaves easily become intertwined and entangled, further compressed and compacted under gravity, forming clumps of varying sizes and densities. If these clumps are directly fed into the downstream rolling equipment, they can lead to quality defects such as uneven cigarette density, empty ends, and punctures in the cigarette paper. Therefore, they must be processed before entering the rolling process.

[0003] To address the aforementioned clumping problem, existing production lines typically employ a two-stage processing flow: "loosening first, then removing." The first stage utilizes a height difference to loosen the material. Specifically, a certain height difference is set in the conveyor path, allowing the tobacco shreds to fall freely from a certain height. The impact force generated during the fall and the friction between materials naturally disperse some loose clumps. This method requires no additional power and is effective in loosening temporary, low-density tobacco clumps. The second stage removes any remaining clumps that haven't dispersed after the loosening process. Specifically, a scraping device is installed downstream of the loosening section to intercept identified residual clumps and discharge them into a waste collection bin to prevent them from entering the rolling equipment and causing quality defects.

[0004] However, in actual production applications, this overall rigid rejection method has obvious drawbacks: the hard tobacco clumps formed during storage are generally large in size and irregular in shape, while the rejection and waste discharge ports and waste channels on the production line are limited by the overall machine layout and installation space, and the opening size cannot be increased arbitrarily. When large tobacco clumps are forcibly pushed laterally by the push plate for rejection, they are very likely to exceed the diameter of the waste discharge channel, causing material to be squeezed and stuck at the rejection station, and unable to fall smoothly into the waste box.

[0005] Once clumping and blockage occur, the continuous accumulation of material will directly block the normal rejection process and even interfere with the stable operation of adjacent conveyed materials. The only way to resolve the problem is to shut down the production line urgently and manually disassemble and clean it. Frequent material blockages and shutdowns for cleaning significantly reduce the continuous operating efficiency of the cigarette production line, increase manual maintenance costs, and also restrict the overall operational stability of the equipment.

[0006] This application is submitted to address the aforementioned issues. Summary of the Invention

[0007] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, such as the large overall size of hard tobacco clumps exceeding the conventional waste discharge port diameter, which easily leads to blockage and accumulation in the removal process, resulting in frequent production line shutdowns for manual cleaning and poor production continuity, this paper provides an online cigarette material dispersing, diversion, and removal guide channel and its method.

[0008] This invention employs a step-by-step, coordinated processing method for tobacco shreds by sequentially arranging guide plates, a centrally positioned cutting assembly, and synchronously swinging guide plates along the material conveying direction. First, the guide plates pre-loosen and comb the falling material. Then, for materials that cannot be dispersed, the centrally positioned cutting assembly cuts large, hard clumps crossing the central axis, ensuring the size of the resulting sub-blocks meets waste discharge requirements. Finally, the two guide plates swing synchronously in opposite directions based on material detection results, guiding the cut sub-blocks and any laterally independent clumps not crossing the cutting assembly to the waste discharge ports on both sides of the guide channel, and smoothly guiding the material out with the help of flow transition plates. Simultaneously, qualified bulk materials and small materials are stably conveyed normally through the lower passage gap.

[0009] This invention enables online in-situ segmentation and reliable double-sided diversion and removal of large-sized hard tobacco blocks, eliminating waste discharge blockage caused by material size exceeding limits from the source. It eliminates the need for frequent machine shutdowns for manual cleaning, effectively improving the continuous operation stability and efficiency of the cigarette production line, while ensuring smooth delivery of qualified materials and reducing unnecessary raw material losses.

[0010] The technical solution adopted in this invention is as follows:

[0011] The first aspect of the present invention provides an online cigarette material dispersing, diverting, and rejecting guide channel, comprising a channel body 1, the channel body 1 being a closed cavity structure, a feeding hopper 101 at the top of one end of the channel body 1, and a discharge port 102 at the bottom of the other end of the channel body 1, a conveying mechanism 3 being installed inside the channel body 1, and a guide dispersing plate 103, a cutting component 208, and two guide plates 202 and 203 being arranged sequentially inside the channel body 1 along the material conveying direction; the guide dispersing plate 103 is located below the material dropping area of ​​the feeding hopper 101;

[0012] The cutting component 208 is fixedly installed inside the channel body 1. The cutting component 208 is provided with a cutting blade for dividing the material clumps, and the cutting component 208 is arranged centrally in the width direction of the channel body 1.

[0013] The two guide plates 202 and 203 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the width direction inside the channel body 1 and are located downstream of the cutting assembly 208. The two guide plates 202 and 203 are oscillatingly installed and configured to oscillate away from each other to form guide slopes facing the two sides of the channel body 1 respectively, guiding the cut material to the two sides of the channel body 1 respectively.

[0014] Waste discharge ports 207 are respectively opened on the left and right side walls of the channel body 1 at the flow-guiding end positions of the two guide plates 202 and 203;

[0015] The bottom of the slitting component 208 and the bottom ends of the two guide plates 202 and 203 maintain a downward passage gap with the conveying surface of the conveying mechanism 3 to allow qualified materials to pass through.

[0016] Preferably, the guide plate 103 is fixedly installed on the inner wall of the channel body 1, and is located below the feed hopper 101 and above the conveying mechanism 3. The guide plate 103 is a continuous sloping plate that slopes downwards in the conveying direction. The upper surface of the plate forms a guide slope for the material to slide down. The guide slope is provided with a plurality of protruding ribs 1031 extending in the material conveying direction, and a guide groove 1032 is formed between adjacent protruding ribs 1031. The protruding ribs 1031 are used to impact and loosen the lumps in the material when the material falls from the feed hopper 101. The lower edge of the guide plate 103 extends above the conveying surface of the conveying mechanism 3, and a clearance is maintained between the bottom surface of the guide plate 103 and the conveying surface of the conveying mechanism 3.

[0017] Preferably, the slitting assembly 208 includes a blade holder 2081 fixedly installed on the top wall of the channel body 1, and a slitting blade 2082 fixed to the lower end of the blade holder 2081; the slitting blade 2082 is a smooth plate-shaped blade body that extends from the top wall of the channel body 1 toward the conveying surface of the conveying mechanism 3, and the blade edge faces the material feeding direction; the lowest point of the slitting blade 2082 maintains a gap with the conveying surface of the conveying mechanism 3 to allow qualified materials to pass through.

[0018] Preferably, the system further includes a support frame 201 fixed to the top of the channel body 1, and a drive mechanism mounted on the support frame 201; the tops of the two guide plates 202 and 203 are respectively fixed with rotating shafts 204, and the two rotating shafts 204 are rotatably mounted on the support frame 201 via bearings; the drive mechanism includes a servo motor 206 and two meshing gears 205 respectively fixed on the two rotating shafts 204; the servo motor 206 is fixedly mounted on the support frame 201, and its output end is connected to one of the rotating shafts 204 for driving the two guide plates 202 and 203 to swing synchronously in opposite directions.

[0019] Preferably, the bottom ends of the two guide plates 202 and 203 are respectively provided with a first guide slope 2021, which is used to guide qualified materials through the passage gap below the guide plate;

[0020] The two guide plates 202 and 203 are respectively provided with second guide slopes 2022 on the outer side walls facing the waste discharge port 207 on the same side. The second guide slopes 2022 are inclined from the inside of the guide plate to the outside towards the waste discharge port 207 along the width direction of the channel body 1. When the two guide plates 202 and 203 swing away from each other to the unfolded position, the outer edge of the second guide slope 2022 is connected with the inner edge of the waste discharge port 207 to guide the divided material to the waste discharge port 207.

[0021] Preferably, a waste discharge pipe 2 is fixedly connected to the outer side of the waste discharge port 207.

[0022] Preferably, a plurality of support rollers are rotatably installed inside the channel body 1, below the belt of the conveying mechanism 3; the plurality of support rollers are arranged at intervals along the material conveying direction to support the belt surface of the conveying mechanism 3 from below, so as to keep the lower passage gap for the qualified material to pass through constant.

[0023] Preferably, the channel body 1 is provided with a detection component, which includes an image acquisition module installed on the top wall of the channel body 1 and located upstream of the cutting component 208, and a controller electrically connected to the image acquisition module. The image acquisition module is used to acquire image information of the material on the conveying mechanism 3 and identify the size and position of the material clumps. The controller is electrically connected to the driving mechanism of the two guide plates 202 and 203, and is used to control the two guide plates 202 and 203 to swing away from each other to the unfolded position when the size of the identified material clump is greater than a preset threshold, forming guide slopes facing the waste discharge ports 207 on both sides, so as to guide the divided material clumps to the waste discharge ports 207.

[0024] Preferably, a flow guide plate is fixedly provided at the bottom edge of the waste discharge port 207. The flow guide plate extends obliquely upward from the bottom edge of the waste discharge port 207 towards the lower edge of the conveying surface of the conveying mechanism 3, and maintains a clearance with the conveying surface of the conveying mechanism 3. The flow guide plate is used to receive the segmented material pushed out from the conveying surface and guide it into the waste discharge port 207. When the two guide plates 202 and 203 are in the unfolded position, the outer edge of their second guide slope 2022 is connected to the inner edge of the waste discharge port 207, which is used to guide the segmented material to the waste discharge port 207.

[0025] A second aspect of the present invention provides an online cigarette material dispersing, diverting, and rejecting guide channel according to claim 1, and a cigarette material dispersing, diverting, and rejecting method based on the guide channel, comprising the following steps:

[0026] Step 1: Start the conveying mechanism 3 to send the cigarette material into the main body of the channel 1 through the feed hopper 101. The material falls onto the guide plate 103 and is loosened by the guide slope and protrusion 1031 of the guide plate 103. It then slides onto the conveying surface of the conveying mechanism 3 and is conveyed towards the discharge port 102 by the conveying mechanism 3.

[0027] Step 2: The image acquisition module of the detection component acquires material image information on the upstream conveyor surface of the cutting component 208 in real time, identifies the size and position of the material clumps, and transmits the identification information to the controller;

[0028] Step 3: The material moves with the conveyor 3 to the slitting component 208, where the cutting blades of the slitting component 208 perform targeted segmentation of the material clumps. For material clumps that cross the cutting blades of the slitting component 208, the cutting blades divide them into at least two sub-clumps. For material clumps that do not cross the cutting blades, the cutting blades do not contact them, and these material clumps continue to move forward with the conveyor.

[0029] Step 4: The controller receives the material agglomerate size and position information transmitted in Step 2, and synchronously controls the drive mechanism of guide plates 202 and 203 to start, driving the two rotating shafts 204 to rotate synchronously in opposite directions through the meshing gear set 205, causing the two guide plates 202 and 203 to swing away from each other to the unfolded position, so that the outer edge of the second guide slope 2022 of the guide plate connects with the inner edge of the corresponding side waste outlet 207;

[0030] Step 5: The material sub-blocks after being cut in Step 3 are conveyed to guide plates 202 and 203 by the conveying mechanism, and are guided by the second guide slope 2022 of the two guide plates respectively;

[0031] Step 6: For the material clumps that were not cut in Step 3, they are carried by the conveying mechanism to the guide plates 202 and 203, and are guided by the guide plate on the side closest to their position to the corresponding waste discharge port 207.

[0032] Step 7: Material sub-blocks and uncut clumps that are guided to the waste discharge port 207 by the guide plate are received and guided into the waste discharge port 207 by the guide transition plate at the bottom of the waste discharge port 207, and then discharged from the main body of the channel 1 through the waste discharge pipe 2 on the outside of the waste discharge port, thus completing the removal of material clumps.

[0033] Step 8: Qualified bulk materials and small materials with a size less than or equal to the preset threshold pass through the passage gap between the bottom of the cutting component 208 and the conveying surface, and continue to run to the guide plates 202 and 203. Guided by the first guide slope 2021 at the bottom of the guide plate, they pass through the lower passage gap between the two guide plates.

[0034] Step 9: Qualified materials passing through the gap of the guide plate are conveyed by the conveying mechanism 3 towards the discharge port 102, and finally discharged from the main body of the channel 1 through the discharge port 102 to enter the downstream rolling process, completing the entire process of dispersing, cutting, diverting and rejecting cigarette materials.

[0035] The advantages of this invention over the prior art are as follows:

[0036] 1. This invention sets up a front-mounted guide plate in the feeding and unloading area, which can perform secondary impact combing and auxiliary dispersion on the tobacco material after the first loosening, based on the original height drop unloading material in the production line; by using the structural combination of inclined guide slope and raised edge, it further eliminates the residual slight adhesion and clumps, makes up for the defects of limited effect and incomplete loosening of single drop unloading material, effectively improves the overall material loosening uniformity, and reduces the processing load of the back-end cutting and rejection unit.

[0037] 2. This invention uses a cutting component arranged in the center of the channel width direction, which can specifically divide large, high-density hard tobacco shreds across the center line online, cutting oversized large pieces of material into small sub-pieces of controllable size, fundamentally solving the core problem that the overall size of hard clumps is larger than the diameter of the waste discharge port and cannot be discharged smoothly, and avoiding the material blockage risk caused by hard removal.

[0038] 3. This invention is equipped with two sets of guide plates that can swing synchronously in opposite directions. Combined with visual detection and servo drive control, it can switch between a retracted state and an expanded state. When the size of the material agglomerate is detected to be greater than a preset threshold, the guide plates are controlled to swing synchronously in opposite directions to a preset expanded position. This achieves double-sided diversion and guidance for the divided sub-blocks and the lateral uncut agglomerates, and the sections are discharged into the waste outlets on both sides. The rejection logic is clear and the flow transition is smooth, effectively avoiding material accumulation, jamming and blockage.

[0039] 4. The present invention reserves a constant passage gap at the bottom of the slitting component and the bottom of the guide plate, and with the support of the support rollers below the conveying mechanism, it effectively prevents the conveyor belt from being compressed and dented, ensuring the stable passage of qualified bulk materials and small materials throughout the process, realizing the separation operation of directional rejection of bad materials and normal conveying of good materials, and avoiding the waste of high-quality raw materials caused by one-cut rejection.

[0040] 5. The present invention adopts a closed cavity integrated structure, which integrates pre-loosening, cutting and crushing, detection and identification, bidirectional diversion and stable waste discharge, with a high degree of automation; it completely abandons the traditional push plate hard push rejection mode, eliminates the need for frequent machine stoppages for manual cleaning of material blockage, significantly improves the continuous operation capability and equipment operation stability of cigarette production line, reduces manual operation and maintenance costs, and adapts to the long-term continuous production needs of cigarettes.

[0041] 6. This invention features two sets of movable guide plates that can swing synchronously in opposite directions, enabling the guide plates to operate in two states: normally retracted and abnormally extended. Unlike fixed, normally open flow guiding structures, the guide plates of this invention remain retracted and closed under normal operating conditions without excessive clumps, forming a spacious channel for qualified materials. This allows for the smooth passage of local thickness fluctuations caused by occasional accumulation of qualified bulk materials, preventing qualified bulk materials from being misled into the waste discharge channel due to factors such as material fluctuations, uneven distribution, or conveyor vibrations that cause them to diffuse outwards to both sides of the channel and thicken at the edges. This avoids unnecessary rejection and waste of qualified raw materials from the source. Only when the visual inspection system identifies excessive material clumps will the controller drive the guide plates to momentarily swing away to the extended position, forming a diversion and waste-guiding slope as needed, achieving bilateral directional rejection of the segmented sub-pieces and laterally uncut clumps. This controllable opening and closing structural design achieves precise and intelligent material sorting, with clear rejection logic and smooth flow transition, effectively avoiding material accumulation, jamming, and accidental rejection, significantly improving raw material utilization. Attached Figure Description

[0042] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0043] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure when the two guide plates are in the unfolded position in this invention;

[0045] Figure 3 This is a longitudinal sectional view of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection between the bottom guide transition plate of the waste outlet and the conveying surface in this invention;

[0047] Figure 5a This is a top view of the structure of the two guide plates in the retracted state in this invention;

[0048] Figure 5b This is a top view of the structure of the two guide plates in the unfolded state in this invention;

[0049] Figure 6 This is a top view of the guide plate structure in this invention.

[0050] The diagram shows the following markings: 1. Channel body; 101. Feed hopper; 102. Discharge port; 103. Guide plate; 1031. Protruding ridge; 1032. Flow channel; 2. Waste discharge pipe; 201. Support frame; 202, 203. Guide plate; 2021. First guide slope; 2022. Second guide slope; 204. Rotating shaft; 205. Gear; 206. Servo motor; 207. Waste discharge port; 208. Slitting assembly; 2081. Knife holder; 2082. Slitting knife; 3. Conveying mechanism; 301. Support roller; 4. Image acquisition module; 5. Flow transition plate. Detailed Implementation

[0051] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0052] Example 1

[0053] See Figures 1 to 6 This embodiment provides an online cigarette material dispersing, diverting, and rejecting guide channel, including a channel body 1, a conveying mechanism 3, a guide material dispersing plate 103, a slitting component 208, two guide plates 202 and 203, and a detection component. The guide channel is fixedly installed at the working position between the upstream material conveying equipment and the downstream rolling equipment via a base set at the bottom of the channel body 1.

[0054] The main body of the channel 1 is welded from stainless steel plates, forming a closed cavity structure that effectively prevents smoke and dust from overflowing and facilitates cleaning. A feed hopper 101 is located at the top of one end of the main body 1 to receive cigarette materials from the upstream conveying equipment; a discharge port 102 is located at the bottom of the other end to deliver the processed, qualified materials to the downstream rolling process. A conveying mechanism 3, a belt conveyor, is installed inside the main body 1. The conveying mechanism 3 consists of a circular conveyor belt forming a horizontal conveying surface, driven by a motor reducer. It conveys materials from below the feed hopper 101 to the discharge port 102 along the length of the main body 1. The operating speed can be adjusted according to the production line cycle.

[0055] like Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, inside the main body of the channel 1, along the material conveying direction, a guide plate 103, a cutting component 208, and two guide plates 202 and 203 are arranged in sequence.

[0056] The guide plate 103 is fixedly installed on the two opposing inner side walls of the channel body 1. Its width is adapted to the internal width of the channel body 1, and it completely covers the material dropping area of ​​the feed hopper 101 in the length direction, ensuring that all falling materials can be effectively received. The guide plate 103 is located above the conveying mechanism 3 and is a continuous sloping plate that slopes downwards in the material conveying direction. Its inclination angle is preferably 35°-55° with the horizontal plane, allowing the material to slide down smoothly by its own weight. The upper surface of the plate forms a guide slope for the material to slide down. Figure 6 As shown, multiple protruding ridges 1031 extending along the material conveying direction are machined on the guide slope. The cross-section of the protruding ridges 1031 is preferably a triangle with the apex pointing upwards (and the apex of the triangle is rounded to facilitate impact loosening; a concave guide groove 1032 is formed between adjacent protruding ridges 1031. When the tobacco material from the feed hopper 101 falls, the clumps in the material collide with the tips of the triangular protruding ridges, causing the slightly adhered clumps to loosen further; the loosened material and the originally qualified loose material slide down along the guide groove 1032 and finally fall onto the conveying surface. The lower edge of the guide loose material plate 103 extends to the top of the conveying surface near the conveying mechanism 3, and its bottom surface maintains a clearance gap of about 10mm-20mm with the conveyor belt surface to ensure smooth operation of the conveyor belt without interference with the guide loose material plate. This pre-positioned secondary loosening structure makes up for the shortcomings of the limited effect and incomplete loosening of single falling loose material in the production line, and effectively improves the overall loosening uniformity of the material.

[0057] like Figure 1 , Figure 3As shown, a slitting assembly 208 is fixedly installed downstream of the guide material plate 103, at a central position within the width of the channel body 1. The slitting assembly 208 includes a blade holder 2081 and a plate-shaped slitting blade 2082. The blade holder 2081 is fixedly installed on the top wall of the channel body 1, and the slitting blade 2082 is detachably fixed to the lower end of the blade holder 2081 via a fastening connector. The slitting blade 2082 is made of high-strength stainless steel with a smooth surface. Its blade extends vertically from the top wall of the channel body 1 downwards towards the conveying surface, with a V-shaped cutting edge formed at the front end, directly facing the material feeding direction. The slitting assembly 208 is centrally positioned along the width of the channel body 1, ensuring that the cutting edge of the slitting blade 2082 is located on the central symmetrical plane of the conveying mechanism 3. A pre-set clearance is provided between the lowest point of the slitting blade 2082 and the surface of the conveyor belt. The height of this clearance is set to the maximum allowable thickness of qualified bulk materials, ranging from 15mm to 25mm, ensuring that small, qualified bulk materials can pass smoothly without obstruction. During the conveying process, if oversized hard tobacco clumps cross the centerline of the channel, the centrally located V-shaped blade can cut the hard clumps in half in situ, dividing the large clumps into two groups of smaller sub-pieces. The dimensions of the slit sub-pieces meet the requirements for the equipment's waste outlet, preventing blockages and clogging of the waste outlet caused by oversized hard clumps from the source.

[0058] Downstream of the cutting assembly 208, a guiding mechanism is provided for diverting and guiding the cut material and residual clumps. For example... Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, a support frame 201 is fixedly installed on the top of the main channel body 1. The support frame 201 is a portal frame structure that spans across the conveying surface. Guide plates 202 and 203 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the width direction inside the main channel body 1, and rotating shafts 204 are fixedly installed on the top of each of the two guide plates. The two ends of the two rotating shafts 204 are rotatably mounted on the support frame 201 through bearing seats, so that both guide plates 202 and 203 can swing freely around the axis of their respective rotating shafts.

[0059] The drive mechanism of the guide plate includes a servo motor 206 and a set of meshing gears 205. The two gears 205 are respectively fixedly sleeved on the same side end of the two rotating shafts 204. The servo motor 206 is fixedly mounted on the support frame 201, and its output shaft is connected to one of the rotating shafts 204. When the servo motor 206 drives one rotating shaft 204 to rotate, the meshing gears 205 drive the other rotating shaft 204 to rotate synchronously in the opposite direction, thereby achieving synchronous reverse swinging of the two guide plates 202 and 203, that is, simultaneously opening outwards (away from each other) or simultaneously closing inwards (closer to each other).

[0060] Guide plates 202 and 203 have a unique double-sloped structure. For example... Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the bottom ends of the two guide plates are respectively provided with first guide slopes 2021. The first guide slopes 2021 are slopes formed by cutting inward from the bottom end of the plate body. Their inclination direction can guide the qualified materials passing under the guide plates and prevent the materials from accumulating at the bottom of the plates. Figure 2 , Figure 5a and Figure 5b As shown, each guide plate has a second guide ramp 2022 on its outer wall facing the waste outlet 207 on the same side. The second guide ramp 2022 extends smoothly and inclinedly from the inside of the guide plate toward the waste outlet 207 along the width direction of the channel body 1.

[0061] Waste discharge ports 207 are respectively provided on the left and right side walls of the main channel 1, corresponding to the flow-guiding end positions of the two guide plates 202 and 203. Waste discharge pipes 2 are fixed to the outside of the waste discharge ports 207 by flange connection, and the waste discharge pipes 2 extend downward at an angle to the external waste collection container.

[0062] like Figure 4 As shown, a flow guide plate 5 is fixedly installed at the bottom edge of the waste discharge port 207. The flow guide plate 5 is a bent thin metal plate that extends obliquely upward from the bottom edge of the waste discharge port 207 towards the lower edge of the conveying surface of the conveying mechanism 3. Its end extends below the edge of the conveyor belt and maintains a small clearance gap of 0.5mm-1mm with the moving conveyor belt surface. When the two guide plates 202 and 203 swing away from each other to... Figure 5b When the material is in the unfolded position shown, the outer edge of its second guide slope 2022 smoothly connects with the inner edge of the waste discharge port 207 on the same side, and at the same time forms a continuous flow path with the upper surface of the flow guide transition plate 5. The material pushed out by the guide plate first contacts the upper surface of the flow guide transition plate 5, slides smoothly along the plate surface into the waste discharge port 207, and is then discharged by the waste discharge pipe 2, effectively avoiding the jamming or scattering caused by the material directly impacting the edge of the waste discharge port.

[0063] To ensure that the conveyor belt maintains a constant gap under the pressure of the slitting blade 2082 and the material, such as Figure 3 As shown, multiple support rollers 301 are rotatably installed at intervals along the material conveying direction inside the main channel body 1 and below the belt of the conveying mechanism 3. The two ends of the support rollers 301 are mounted on the side wall supports of the main channel body 1 via bearings, with their highest outer edges contacting the lower surface of the conveyor belt, effectively supporting the conveyor belt from below and preventing localized dents due to pressure. This design ensures that the clearance at the bottom of the slitting assembly 208 and the clearance below the bottom of the two guide plates remain constant, guaranteeing stable passage of qualified bulk materials and small materials throughout the process.

[0064] To achieve intelligent identification and selective rejection, this embodiment also includes a detection component. For example... Figure 3 As shown, the detection component includes an image acquisition module 4 installed on the top wall of the channel body 1 and located upstream of the slitting component 208, and a controller electrically connected to the image acquisition module 4. The image acquisition module 4 is an industrial camera equipped with a light source, whose field of view covers the material on the conveyor surface. The controller can be a PLC or an industrial computer, with built-in image processing algorithms, capable of analyzing the acquired material images in real time, identifying the outline of material clumps, and calculating their maximum size and position in the channel width direction. The controller is also electrically connected to the servo motor 206 that drives the guide plate, and has a preset size threshold that matches the maximum material size that can safely pass through the waste discharge port 207 and the waste discharge pipe 2.

[0065] When the controller determines that the size of a material agglomeration is greater than a preset threshold, it issues a control command to activate the servo motor 206, driving the two guide plates 202 and 203 to swing outwards. Figure 5b The unfolded position shown indicates the preparation to remove either the slit sub-blocks or the unslit whole block from the clumping. When there are no oversized clumps, the guide plate is in the [position missing]. Figure 5a The converging position shown indicates that a channel for qualified materials to pass smoothly is formed between the inner walls of the two guide plates. The passage gap between the first guide slope 2021 at the bottom of the guide plate and the conveying surface allows qualified bulk materials to pass smoothly.

[0066] Example 2

[0067] This embodiment uses an online cigarette material dispersing, diverting, and rejecting guide channel as described in Embodiment 1 to disperse, divert, and reject cigarette materials. The specific method includes the following steps:

[0068] Step 1: Start the conveyor mechanism 3 to make the conveyor belt run at the set speed. The cigarette material is fed into the main body of the channel 1 through the feed hopper 101 from the upstream equipment. Under its own weight, the material falls onto the guide plate 103 and impacts the triangular cross-section of the convex edge 1031 at multiple points, which further breaks up the slightly sticky clumps that remain after the initial dispersion upstream. Subsequently, the loose material and qualified bulk material slide down the guide groove 1032 between adjacent convex edges 1031 and fall onto the conveying surface of the conveyor mechanism 3, and are conveyed towards the discharge port 102 by the conveyor belt.

[0069] Step 2: The image acquisition module 4 continuously captures images of the material passing under the conveyor surface. The controller analyzes the captured material images in real time, extracts the outline size of each material clump and its coordinate position on the channel, and stores the identification information in the cache so that the controller can determine whether to trigger the guide plate to unfold and remove the material in subsequent steps.

[0070] Step 3: The material moves with the conveyor mechanism 3 to the slitting component 208. If a material lump crosses the channel centerline in the width direction, that is, crosses the cutting edge of the slitting blade 2082 located on the central symmetry plane, the V-shaped blade will cut the lump into two smaller sub-pieces. If the lump is completely located on one side of the channel centerline and does not cross the cutting edge, the slitting blade 2082 will not contact it, and such lumps will remain in their original shape and continue to move forward with the conveyor belt.

[0071] Step 4: The controller makes a judgment based on the material agglomeration size and position information obtained in Step 2. Once it is detected that the size of the currently arriving agglomeration is greater than a preset threshold, the controller synchronously sends a control command to the servo motor 206. The servo motor 206 drives the rotating shaft 204 connected to it to rotate, and through the meshing gear set 205, drives another rotating shaft 204 to rotate synchronously in the opposite direction, causing the two guide plates 202 and 203 to swing outward synchronously. Figure 5b The preset deployment position is shown. At this time, the outer edges of the second guide slopes 2022 of the two guide plates form a continuous and smooth guide path with the inner edge of the waste discharge port 207 on the same side and the upper surface of the guide transition plate 5, respectively;

[0072] Step 5: The material sub-blocks generated after the three-part cutting in step 3 are located on both sides of the center line of the conveyor surface. When they run with the conveyor belt to the areas of guide plates 202 and 203, the sub-blocks on the left are guided by the second guide slope 2022 of guide plate 202, and the sub-blocks on the right are guided by the second guide slope 2022 of guide plate 203, and are respectively guided to the direction of the waste discharge port 207 on the corresponding side.

[0073] Step Six: For the material clumps that were not cut in Step Three, they are located on one side of the channel width direction. When they run with the conveyor belt to the area of ​​guide plates 202 and 203, they are intercepted by the guide plate on the side with the closest spatial position, and guided by the second guide slope 2022 of the guide plate to the waste discharge port 207 on the corresponding side.

[0074] Step 7: All material sub-blocks and uncut clumps that are guided to the waste discharge port 207 by the guide plate first fall onto the upper surface of the guide transition plate 5 when they leave the edge of the conveyor belt. The guide plate 5 receives and guides them into the waste discharge port 207, and then they are smoothly discharged into the main body of the channel 1 through the waste discharge pipe 2 connected to the outside of the waste discharge port 207, thus completing the directional removal of material clumps.

[0075] Step 8: Qualified bulk materials and small materials with dimensions less than or equal to the preset threshold can pass smoothly without being blocked by the slitting blade because their thickness or height is less than the passage gap between the bottom of the slitting blade 2082 and the conveying surface. When they reach the guide plates 202 and 203, they can pass smoothly through the passage gap below the first guide slope 2021 at the bottom of the guide plate without being blocked throughout the process, and continue to be steadily conveyed forward with the conveyor belt.

[0076] Step Nine: Qualified materials passing through the guide plate area continue to be conveyed towards the discharge port 102 by the conveying mechanism 3, and finally exit the main body of the channel 1 through the discharge port 102 to enter the downstream rolling process. This completes the entire process of online dispersing, cutting, diverting, and rejecting of cigarette materials.

[0077] This invention organically integrates the pre-loosening of the guide plate, the online segmentation of the central slitting blade, the intelligent recognition of visual inspection, and the selective diversion of the synchronous guide plate on both sides into a closed cavity, achieving step-by-step coordinated processing of hard clumps in tobacco materials. This solution fundamentally eliminates the phenomenon of large clumps clogging the waste outlet, completely abandons the traditional push-plate removal method, eliminates the need for frequent machine shutdowns for manual cleaning, significantly improves the continuous operation capability and equipment stability of the cigarette production line, while maximizing the retention of qualified materials and reducing unnecessary losses of high-quality raw materials.

[0078] Of course, the above description is not intended to limit the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the examples given above. Any changes, alterations, additions or substitutions made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the present invention should be protected by the present invention.

Claims

1. An online cigarette material dispersing, diverting, and rejecting guide channel, comprising a channel body (1), wherein the channel body (1) is a closed cavity structure, a feeding hopper (101) is provided at the top of one end of the channel body (1), and a discharge port (102) is provided at the bottom of the other end of the channel body (1), and a conveying mechanism (3) is installed inside the channel body (1), characterized in that, Inside the main body of the channel (1), along the material conveying direction, a guide plate (103), a cutting component (208), and two guide plates (202, 203) are arranged in sequence; the guide plate (103) is located below the material dropping area of ​​the feed hopper (101); The cutting component (208) is fixedly installed inside the channel body (1). The cutting component (208) is provided with a cutting blade for dividing the material clumps, and the cutting component (208) is centrally arranged in the width direction of the channel body (1). The two guide plates (202, 203) are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the width direction inside the channel body (1) and located downstream of the cutting assembly (208). The two guide plates (202, 203) are oscillatingly installed and configured to oscillate away from each other to form guide slopes facing the two sides of the channel body (1) respectively, guiding the divided material to the two sides of the channel body (1); Waste outlets (207) are respectively opened on the left and right side walls of the channel body (1) at the flow-guiding end positions of the two guide plates (202, 203). The bottom of the cutting component (208) and the bottom ends of the two guide plates (202, 203) maintain a lower passage gap between them and the conveying surface of the conveying mechanism (3) to allow qualified materials to pass through.

2. The online cigarette material dispersing, diverting, and rejecting guide channel according to claim 1, characterized in that, The guide plate (103) is fixedly installed on the inner wall of the channel body (1) and located below the feed hopper (101) and above the conveying mechanism (3). The guide plate (103) is a continuous plate in the shape of a slope that is inclined from top to bottom in the conveying direction. The upper surface of the plate forms a guide slope for the material to slide down. The guide slope is provided with a plurality of protruding ribs 1031 extending along the material conveying direction. A guide groove 1032 is formed between adjacent protruding ribs 1031. The protruding ribs 1031 are used to impact and loosen the lumps in the material when the material falls from the feed hopper (101). The lower edge of the guide plate (103) extends to the upper part of the conveying surface of the conveying mechanism (3), and the bottom surface of the guide plate (103) and the conveying surface of the conveying mechanism (3) maintain a clearance gap.

3. The online cigarette material dispersing, diverting, and rejecting guide channel according to claim 1, characterized in that, The slitting assembly (208) includes a knife holder 2081 fixedly installed on the top wall of the channel body (1) and a slitting knife 2082 fixed at the lower end of the knife holder 2081; the slitting knife 2082 is a smooth plate-shaped knife body that extends from the top wall of the channel body (1) toward the conveying surface of the conveying mechanism (3) and the blade faces the material inlet direction; the lowest point of the slitting knife 2082 and the conveying surface of the conveying mechanism (3) maintain a gap for qualified materials to pass through.

4. The online cigarette material dispersing, diverting, and rejecting guide channel according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a support frame (201) fixed to the top of the channel body (1) and a drive mechanism mounted on the support frame (201); the tops of the two guide plates (202, 203) are respectively fixed with rotating shafts (204), and the two rotating shafts (204) are respectively rotatably mounted on the support frame (201) through bearings; the drive mechanism includes a servo motor (206) and two meshing gears (205) respectively fixed on the two rotating shafts (204); the servo motor (206) is fixedly mounted on the support frame (201), and its output end is connected to one of the rotating shafts (204) for driving the two guide plates (202, 203) to swing synchronously in opposite directions.

5. The online cigarette material dispersing, diverting, and rejecting guide channel according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom ends of the two guide plates (202, 203) are respectively provided with a first guide slope 2021, which is used to guide qualified materials through the passage gap below the guide plate; The two guide plates (202, 203) are respectively provided with a second guide slope 2022 on the outer side wall facing the waste discharge port (207) on the same side. The second guide slope 2022 is inclined from the inside of the guide plate to the outside towards the waste discharge port (207) along the width direction of the channel body (1). When the two guide plates (202, 203) swing away from each other to the unfolded position, the outer edge of the second guide slope 2022 is connected with the inner edge of the waste discharge port (207) to guide the divided material to the waste discharge port (207).

6. The online cigarette material dispersing, diverting, and rejecting guide channel according to claim 1, characterized in that, The waste discharge port (207) is fixedly connected to the outer side of the waste discharge port (207).

7. The online cigarette material dispersing, diverting, and rejecting guide channel according to claim 1, characterized in that, Inside the main body of the channel (1), a number of support rollers are rotatably installed below the belt of the conveying mechanism (3); the number of support rollers are arranged at intervals along the material conveying direction to support the belt surface of the conveying mechanism (3) from below, so as to keep the lower passage gap for the qualified material to pass through constant.

8. The online cigarette material dispersing, diverting, and rejecting guide channel according to claim 1, characterized in that, The channel body (1) is equipped with a detection component. The detection component includes an image acquisition module installed on the top wall of the channel body (1) and located upstream of the cutting component (208), and a controller electrically connected to the image acquisition module. The image acquisition module is used to acquire image information of the material on the conveying mechanism (3) and identify the size and position of the material clumps. The controller is electrically connected to the driving mechanism of the two guide plates (202, 203) and is used to control the two guide plates (202, 203) to swing away from each other to the unfolded position when the size of the identified material clump is greater than a preset threshold, forming a guide slope facing the waste discharge ports (207) on both sides respectively, so as to guide the divided material clumps to the waste discharge ports (207).

9. The online cigarette material dispersing, diverting, and rejecting guide channel according to claim 1, characterized in that, A flow guide plate is fixedly provided at the bottom edge of the waste discharge port (207). The flow guide plate extends obliquely upward from the bottom edge of the waste discharge port (207) to the lower edge of the conveying surface of the conveying mechanism (3) and maintains a clearance with the conveying surface of the conveying mechanism (3). The flow guide plate is used to receive the segmented material pushed out from the conveying surface and guide it into the waste discharge port (207). When the two guide plates (202, 203) are in the unfolded position, the outer edge of their second guide slope 2022 is connected to the inner edge of the waste discharge port (207) to guide the segmented material to the waste discharge port (207).

10. The online cigarette material dispersing, diverting, and rejecting guide channel according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method for dispersing, diverting, and removing cigarette materials based on this guide channel includes the following steps: Step 1: Start the conveying mechanism (3) and send the cigarette material into the main body of the channel (1) through the feed hopper (101). The material falls onto the guide plate (103), and after being loosened by the guide slope and the protrusion 1031 of the guide plate (103), it slides onto the conveying surface of the conveying mechanism (3) and is conveyed towards the discharge port (102) by the conveying mechanism (3). Step 2: The image acquisition module of the detection component acquires material image information on the upstream conveying surface of the cutting component (208) in real time, identifies the size and position of the material clumps, and transmits the identification information to the controller; Step 3: The material is carried by the conveying mechanism (3) to the cutting component (208). The cutting blade of the cutting component (208) performs targeted segmentation of the material clumps. For material clumps that cross the cutting blade of the cutting component (208), the cutting blade divides them into at least two sub-clumps. For material clumps that do not cross the cutting blade, the cutting blade does not contact them, and such material clumps continue to move forward with the conveying mechanism. Step 4: The controller receives the material agglomerate size and position information transmitted in Step 2, and synchronously controls the drive mechanism of the guide plate (202, 203) to start, driving the two rotating shafts (204) to rotate synchronously in opposite directions through the meshing gear set (205), causing the two guide plates (202, 203) to swing away from each other to the unfolded position, so that the outer edge of the second guide slope 2022 of the guide plate connects with the inner edge of the corresponding side waste outlet (207); Step 5: The material sub-blocks after being cut in Step 3 are conveyed to the guide plates (202, 203) by the conveying mechanism, and are guided by the second guide slopes 2022 of the two guide plates respectively; Step 6: For the material clumps that were not cut in Step 3, they are carried by the conveying mechanism to the guide plates (202, 203), and then guided by the guide plate on the side closest to their position to the corresponding waste discharge port (207). Step 7: Material sub-blocks and uncut clumps that are guided to the waste discharge port (207) by the guide plate are received and guided into the waste discharge port (207) by the guide transition plate at the bottom of the waste discharge port (207), and then discharged into the main body of the channel (1) through the waste discharge pipe (2) on the outside of the waste discharge port, thus completing the removal of material clumps; Step 8: Qualified bulk materials and small materials with a size less than or equal to the preset threshold pass through the passage gap between the bottom of the cutting component (208) and the conveying surface, and continue to run to the guide plates (202, 203). Guided by the first guide slope 2021 at the bottom of the guide plate, they pass through the lower passage gap between the two guide plates. Step 9: The qualified material passing through the gap of the guide plate is conveyed by the conveying mechanism (3) towards the discharge port (102), and finally discharged from the main body of the channel (1) through the discharge port (102) and enters the downstream rolling process to complete the entire process of dispersing, cutting, diverting and rejecting cigarette materials.

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