An automated processing and manufacturing apparatus for a seasoning

Abstract

This application relates to the field of food processing technology and discloses an automated processing and production equipment for seasonings, including a vertical cylindrical body. A feeding and forming module, a pneumatic wall-attachment constraint module, a centrifugal confluence module, and an exhaust and unloading module are coaxially arranged along the longitudinal central axis of the vertical cylindrical body. The feeding and forming module is located at the top of the vertical cylindrical body and includes an annular powder curtain forming component and a suspended concentric double-layer pressure equalization guide component. The annular powder curtain forming component is used to form a vertically descending hollow cylindrical powder waterfall inside the vertical cylindrical body. The suspended concentric double-layer pressure equalization guide component extends from the top and is suspended within the internal cavity of the hollow cylindrical powder waterfall. A micro-positive pressure airflow is actively injected into the internal cavity through an outer compensation sleeve, neutralizing the Bernoulli effect and ensuring that the powder waterfall can fall vertically under gravity without centripetal collapse.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of food processing technology, specifically to an automated processing and production equipment for seasonings. Background Technology

[0002] In the industrial production system of modern high-end compound seasonings, a highly challenging core process is to uniformly coat trace amounts of high-viscosity liquid flavor extracts (such as chili oleoresin, garlic oil, or concentrated compound sauces) onto the surface of individual particles of a solid powder carrier (such as crystallized sea salt or coarse-grained spices). Currently, the mainstream equipment paradigm for handling this process in the industry almost entirely relies on the traditional closed-type stirred tank structure. This conventional equipment typically has high-pressure microporous atomizing nozzles on its top or side walls to spray the liquid, while heavy-duty stirring paddles and high-speed mechanical blades are installed at the bottom to forcibly agitate and disperse the materials.

[0003] However, this hybrid architecture, based on the physical accumulation and forced friction of materials at the bottom, reveals insurmountable physical limitations when faced with complex high-viscosity fluids. High-viscosity flavor substances possess extremely high surface tension and internal friction, making them very difficult to completely shear and atomize using conventional micropores. In actual production, to avoid extremely frequent nozzle clogging incidents, manufacturers are often forced to use overloaded high-pressure pumping systems or directly enlarge the nozzle orifice. This results in the liquid material failing to form a uniform micron-level mist field, instead being directly injected into the churning dry powder bed below as a coarse liquid column or large droplets. The instantaneous contact with high-concentration oils causes local powder to quickly become supersaturated, leading to caking and shrinkage, forming extremely stubborn, moist, hard agglomerates.

[0004] Faced with the large amount of lumpy clumps generated, existing technologies have fallen into a destructive cycle of reactive remediation. Operators must keep the high-speed mechanical cutters running inside the reactor for extended periods, attempting to forcibly dismantle the clumps through sheer physical chopping. This indiscriminate mechanical intervention is devastating to the process: while the sharp metal blades pulverize the agglomerates, they also mercilessly crush the originally clear, highly textured large crystalline carrier particles into unappealing, irregular dust. The mechanical frictional heat generated by the intense shearing further accelerates the irreversible loss of heat-sensitive volatile flavor molecules in the spices. Simultaneously, the highly adhesive gas-solid-liquid mixture is continuously and violently hurled and impacted against the metal walls by the centrifugal force of the agitator. This rigid physical contact causes the material to adhere layer upon layer to the inner wall, rapidly evolving into a thick scale layer. This not only significantly reduces the yield of valuable raw materials but also forces the entire automated production line to frequently shut down, requiring a large amount of manual labor for extremely tedious wall-scraping and cleaning operations. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides an automated processing and production device for seasonings, which solves the problems in existing technologies such as the difficulty in uniformly atomizing trace amounts of high-viscosity seasoning liquids and the tendency to produce viscous strings, the tendency of high-viscosity mixtures to violently impact the inner wall of the machine body to form stubborn scale, and the serious damage to the original physical crystallization morphology and heat-sensitive flavor of solid powder carriers when traditional mechanical flying knives forcibly break up clumps.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention is implemented through the following technical solution: an automated processing and production equipment for seasonings, comprising a vertical cylindrical body, and a feeding and forming module, a pneumatic wall-attachment constraint module, a centrifugal confluence module, and an exhaust and unloading module coaxially arranged along the longitudinal central axis of the vertical cylindrical body;

[0007] The feeding and forming module is located at the top of the vertical cylindrical body and includes an annular powder curtain forming component and a suspended concentric double-layer pressure equalization and flow guiding component. The annular powder curtain forming component is used to form a vertically falling hollow cylindrical powder waterfall inside the vertical cylindrical body. The suspended concentric double-layer pressure equalization and flow guiding component is suspended from the top and suspended in the internal cavity of the hollow cylindrical powder waterfall.

[0008] The centrifugal confluence module is located in the lower half of the vertical cylindrical body cavity, including a central static support column and a micro-toothed hyperboloid centrifugal throwing disc. The micro-toothed hyperboloid centrifugal throwing disc is located at the top of the central static support column and its working surface is open and faces the end opening of the suspended concentric double-layer pressure equalization flow guiding component. It is used to receive fluid and throw out a centrifugal micro-droplet curtain to intercept the hollow cylindrical powder waterfall.

[0009] The inner wall of the vertical cylindrical body is a smooth, inverted frustum-shaped guide liner wall that tapers inward. The pneumatic wall-attaching constraint module includes an annular air knife located on the upper part of the inner wall of the vertical cylindrical body. The annular air knife is used to spray airflow that is closely attached to the inverted frustum-shaped guide liner wall and flows downward under the wall-attaching effect, so that it naturally evolves into an inverted funnel-shaped aerodynamic air curtain that converges towards the center in the outer space of the hollow cylindrical powder waterfall.

[0010] The exhaust and unloading module is connected to the bottom of the vertical cylindrical body and is used to receive and separate the gas-solid mixture carried down by the inverted funnel-shaped pneumatic air curtain.

[0011] Preferably, the suspended concentric double-layer pressure equalization and flow guiding assembly includes an inner infusion tube and an outer compensation sleeve sleeved outside the inner infusion tube. The inner infusion tube is connected to an external seasoning liquid supply device for conveying the seasoning fluid downward. The top end of the outer compensation sleeve is connected to an external positive pressure air source, and its bottom opening is used to continuously inject compensation airflow into the internal cavity of the hollow cylindrical powder waterfall to actively counteract the internal negative pressure and maintain the static pressure balance inside and outside the hollow cylindrical powder waterfall.

[0012] Preferably, the main spindle motor is embedded in the top cavity of the central static support column in an upright position, and the back center flange of the micro-toothed hyperboloid centrifugal slinger is fixedly connected to the upward output shaft of the main spindle motor. The upper surface of the micro-toothed hyperboloid centrifugal slinger has a smooth concave hyperbola transition and no connecting parts obstructing the surface.

[0013] Preferably, the centrifugal confluence module further includes a static rectification and anti-turbulence cone, which is in the shape of a frustum of a circle. The top part of the static rectification and anti-turbulence cone, which serves as the central static support column, is fixedly covered to the outside of the main spindle motor. The widest edge of the top of the static rectification and anti-turbulence cone extends upward to near the bottom edge of the back of the micro-toothed hyperboloid centrifugal slinger, which is used to physically shield the chaotic boundary layer centrifugal vortex generated by the rotation of the main spindle motor and the back of the micro-toothed hyperboloid centrifugal slinger, and to provide a smooth static aerodynamic guide surface for the powder falling from the outside.

[0014] Preferably, the outermost edge of the micro-toothed hyperboloid centrifugal slinger is processed with a continuous micro-toothed shearing array, and the outer diameter of the micro-toothed hyperboloid centrifugal slinger is smaller than the inner diameter of the hollow cylindrical powder waterfall.

[0015] Preferably, the centrifugal confluence module further includes a bottom-mounted coaxial pneumatic shear ring. The bottom-mounted coaxial pneumatic shear ring is fixed as a stationary component to the top outer edge of the central static support column, and its spatial position is close to the bottom of the micro-toothed shear array. The bottom-mounted coaxial pneumatic shear ring has a small spray slit in the circumference for horizontally radially outwardly jetting airflow, which is used to launch airflow to instantly cut off the capillary bridge formed by centrifugal stretching of the high-viscosity fluid at the tip of the micro-tooth from the root.

[0016] Preferably, the annular powder curtain wall forming component includes an annular powder storage silo concentrically arranged on the top of the vertical cylindrical body, and the bottom of the annular powder storage silo is provided with a concentric annular material discharge gap and a servo opening adjustment valve.

[0017] Preferably, the exhaust and unloading module adopts a concentric double-layer nested configuration, including a deep conical solid collection hopper located in the inner layer and an outer reverse exhaust jacket covering the outside of the deep conical solid collection hopper. The central static support column is connected to the inner cavity of the deep conical solid collection hopper, and the bottom end of the deep conical solid collection hopper is airtightly connected to an unloading valve.

[0018] Preferably, the top of the outer reversing exhaust jacket is connected to the negative pressure dust removal fan through an exhaust pipe, and the bottom edge of the outer reversing exhaust jacket is sealed and welded to the outer wall of the deep conical solid collection hopper. A ring of louvered ventilation openings with an outward and upward tilting angle is opened on the middle and lower side wall of the deep conical solid collection hopper, so that the internal process waste gas unloaded from the solid load can pass laterally into the outer reversing exhaust jacket and be drawn out upward in a 180° U-shaped fold.

[0019] This invention provides an automated processing and manufacturing device for seasonings. It has the following beneficial effects:

[0020] 1. This invention, starting from the underlying physical logic of multiphase flow field intervention, creates a synergistic mechanism between a suspended concentric double-layer pressure-equalizing flow guiding component and a bottom-mounted micro-toothed aerodynamic liquid-dispersing structure. Addressing the aerodynamic blind zone where high-speed rotating components in a closed cavity easily induce negative pressure suction at the center, a micro-positive pressure airflow is actively injected into the internal cavity through an outer compensation sleeve, neutralizing the Bernoulli effect and ensuring that the powder waterfall can fall straight down under gravity without centripetal collapse. Simultaneously, when the high-viscosity flavoring fluid is stretched by the concentrated stress of the micro-toothed structure at the edge of the hyperboloid, the horizontal high-speed airflow ejected by the bottom-mounted aerodynamic shear ring instantly severs the capillary bridge from the root. This mechanism completely overcomes the problems of high-viscosity materials being difficult to atomize and prone to stringing, as well as the problem of powder backflow causing the core rotating component to become stuck, creating fluid boundary conditions for subsequent convergence.

[0021] 2. Based on the stable powder flow and uniform centrifugal droplets constructed in the above steps, this invention reconstructs the spatial physical paradigm of seasoning mixing, realizing targeted orthogonal coating of materials in a fully suspended state. The highly viscous liquid streams, losing their physical adhesion, are transformed into a 360° horizontally radiating centrifugal microdroplet curtain, striking the vertically falling powder waterfall with a tangential trajectory. The liquid film coating process on the surface of a single solid-phase carrier particle is completely detached from the support of the rigid metal body. This eliminates the need for heavy-duty bottom-mounted blades and high-speed shearing blades in traditional mixing vessels, avoiding destructive mechanical grinding of valuable crystalline carriers such as large-particle sea salt and coarse-grained spices from the source of force, and preventing the irreversible loss of heat-sensitive flavor caused by intense friction, thus preserving the three-dimensional crystalline morphology and flavor fullness of the compound seasoning.

[0022] 3. In addressing the radial diffusion effect of materials inevitably accompanying the aforementioned suspended coating action, this solution further utilizes the gas adhesion effect and geometric flow channel deflection to achieve non-contact anti-wall-attachment interception and inertial decoupling of the finished product. The annular air knife jet guided by the inverted frustum-shaped inner wall evolves into a downward-converging inverted funnel-shaped aerodynamic curtain around the reaction zone. Its vertical impulse absorbs and flexibly neutralizes the outward horizontal kinetic energy generated by the impact on the mixed particles, thus fundamentally insulating the physical contact between the highly viscous material and the metal machine wall. Subsequently, the high-speed gas-solid mixture, carried by the air curtain, rushes into the bottom dual-chamber exhaust base, where it is forcibly subjected to a 180° U-shaped reverse rotation under external negative pressure. The solid finished product naturally detaches and is discharged due to its own physical inertia, while the exhaust gas is drawn away in a spiral motion. This closed-loop system achieves zero-dead-angle self-cleaning and non-destructive material separation throughout the entire processing flow. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the vertical cylindrical body of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the suspended concentric double-layer pressure equalization and flow guiding component in this invention;

[0026] Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the annular powder curtain wall forming component in this invention;

[0027] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram showing the position of the spindle motor in this invention;

[0028] Figure 6 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the micro-toothed hyperboloid centrifugal spinning disc in this invention.

[0029] The components include: 1. Vertical cylindrical body; 2. Annular powder curtain wall forming component; 3. Suspended concentric double-layer pressure equalization and flow guiding component; 301. Inner layer infusion pipe; 302. Outer layer compensation sleeve; 4. Central static support column; 5. Micro-toothed hyperboloid centrifugal throwing disc; 6. Annular air knife; 7. Main shaft motor; 8. Static rectification and anti-turbulence cone cover; 9. Bottom-mounted coaxial pneumatic shearing ring; 10. Deep conical solid collection hopper; 1001. Louvered ventilation opening; 11. Outer layer reverse exhaust jacket; 1101. Exhaust pipe; 12. Discharge valve. Detailed Implementation

[0030] 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.

[0031] Please see the appendix Figure 1 - Appendix Figure 6 This invention provides an automated processing and production equipment for seasonings, including a vertical cylindrical machine body 1, and a feeding and forming module, a pneumatic wall-attachment constraint module, a centrifugal confluence module, and an exhaust and unloading module coaxially arranged along the longitudinal central axis of the vertical cylindrical machine body 1.

[0032] The feeding and forming module is located at the top of the vertical cylindrical body 1, including an annular powder curtain forming component 2 and a suspended concentric double-layer pressure equalization and flow guiding component 3. The annular powder curtain forming component 2 is used to form a vertically falling hollow cylindrical powder waterfall inside the vertical cylindrical body 1. The suspended concentric double-layer pressure equalization and flow guiding component 3 is suspended in the internal cavity of the hollow cylindrical powder waterfall through the top.

[0033] The centrifugal confluence module is located in the lower half of the inner cavity of the vertical cylindrical body 1, including a central static support column 4 and a micro-toothed hyperbolic centrifugal throwing disc 5. The micro-toothed hyperbolic centrifugal throwing disc 5 is located at the top of the central static support column 4 and its working surface is open and faces the end opening of the suspended concentric double-layer pressure equalization and flow guiding component 3. It is used to receive the fluid and throw out a centrifugal micro-droplet curtain to intercept the hollow cylindrical powder waterfall.

[0034] The inner wall of the vertical cylindrical body 1 is a smooth, inverted frustum-shaped guide liner wall that tapers inward. The aerodynamic wall-attaching constraint module includes an annular air knife 6 located on the upper part of the inner wall of the vertical cylindrical body 1. The annular air knife 6 is used to spray airflow that is closely attached to the inverted frustum-shaped guide liner wall and flows downward under the wall-attaching effect, so that it naturally evolves into an inverted funnel-shaped aerodynamic air curtain that converges towards the center in the outer space of the hollow cylindrical powder waterfall.

[0035] The exhaust and unloading module is connected to the bottom of the vertical cylindrical body 1 and is used to receive and separate the gas-solid mixture material carried down by the inverted funnel-shaped pneumatic air curtain.

[0036] The macroscopic physical boundary of the equipment is defined by the external vertical cylindrical body 1, which forms a closed cylindrical processing chamber running through the top and bottom. In order to eliminate the lateral cutting off and spatial interference of the transmission components on the material falling trajectory in traditional suspended mixing equipment, this embodiment introduces a strict design principle of separation of dynamic and static parts in the vertical Z-axis (central axis).

[0037] Specifically, the upper half of the processing chamber is configured as a gravity and aerodynamic static flow guidance zone without mechanically powered rotating parts. Within this zone, the feeding and forming module is positioned on the top end face of the vertical cylindrical body 1, responsible for independently introducing the solid carrier and liquid flavoring substance vertically downwards using their original gravity vectors. The pneumatic wall-attachment constraint module is fixedly attached to the inner wall of the upper half of the body, responsible for establishing a downwardly extending virtual fluid isolation boundary in the near-wall area.

[0038] The lower half of the processing chamber is configured as an upward-facing mechanical support area. The centrifugal confluence module is concealed in the central area of ​​the lower part of the vertical cylindrical body 1, with its power output opening directly upwards to provide support for the centrifugal expansion of the fluid falling from above, thus freeing up completely unobstructed suspended confluence space in the upper half. The sealing flange of the exhaust unloading module is connected to the bottommost end of the vertical cylindrical body 1, serving as a unified converging point for the entire system's gravity-fall terminal and gas-solid exhaust gas return.

[0039] In terms of transverse radial topology, all functional components are arranged in a tightly concentric, multi-layered nested layout along the longitudinal central axis. The core central axis serves as the downward dripping channel for the fluid and the upward-supporting high-speed centrifugal extension surface. The annular cavity surrounding this center is statically defined as a purely gravity channel for the solid powder to fall vertically in a curtain-like manner. The outermost annular gap, close to the metal sidewall of the cylinder, is specifically designed for the flow of the downward-rushing high-pressure air curtain. This coaxial flow field configuration, progressing from the inside out, ensures that multiphase materials are all within the strict envelope protection of the defined hydrodynamic interface when they collide orthogonally in mid-air.

[0040] The pneumatic wall-attachment restraint module is installed on the inner wall of the vertical cylindrical body 1. Its core function is to construct an invisible virtual gas boundary layer, which flexibly intercepts the highly viscous mixture that is splashed by impact in a non-contact fluid dynamics manner, thereby preventing the material from adhering to the rigid metal wall.

[0041] In order to ensure that the flow direction and shape of the aerodynamic barrier meet the requirements of material interception and gathering, the inner wall of the vertical cylindrical body 1 does not adopt a vertical equal diameter structure in the upper and middle sections, but is shaped into an inverted frustum-shaped guide inner lining wall that smoothly converges inward.

[0042] The generating component of the pneumatic wall-attachment constraint module is an annular air knife 6. The annular air knife 6 is embedded and fixed at the uppermost end of the aforementioned inverted frustum-shaped guide liner wall, and is located vertically adjacent to the lower periphery of the annular powder curtain wall forming component 2. The air inlet back side of the annular air knife 6 is connected to an external high-pressure compressed air system in a sealed manner through a pipeline.

[0043] The annular air knife 6 has slit-shaped exhaust nozzles continuously opened on its circumferential working end face facing the interior of the processing chamber. The jet angle of the slit nozzle is set to be inward and downward, and its included angle is geometrically parallel to the convergence angle of the inverted frustum-shaped guide liner wall inside the vertical cylindrical body 1.

[0044] When high-pressure air from the outside is introduced into the annular air knife 6 and compressed and released by the slit, it transforms into a downward inclined jet with extremely high initial velocity. Based on the wall adhesion effect in fluid mechanics, after the high-speed jet leaves the nozzle, the fluid boundary layer spontaneously and firmly adheres to the metal surface of the inverted frustum-shaped guide liner wall, and slides downward at high speed along its inclined surface that converges towards the center.

[0045] As the airflow continues to advance towards the lower part of the fuselage, it is constrained by the guiding contour of the physical wall and the inward inertia of the airflow itself. In the space surrounding the hollow cylindrical powder waterfall, a high-speed, high-pressure air layer that converges towards the center is naturally formed, namely the inverted funnel-shaped aerodynamic wind curtain.

[0046] This inverted funnel-shaped aerodynamic air curtain creates a dynamic buffer layer between the solid powder flow and the solid machine wall. In the core convergence area, individual particles within the hollow cylindrical powder waterfall are coated by the horizontally radiating centrifugal microdroplet curtain. In this spatial orthogonal collision, some particles coated with highly viscous flavoring liquid inevitably bear extremely strong radial impulses, generating outward splashing motion vectors.

[0047] When these highly viscous particles attempting to escape the core area approach the fuselage sidewall, their trajectories cut directly into the inverted funnel-shaped aerodynamic air curtain. This air curtain not only possesses a vertically downward motion vector but also, due to its inverted funnel configuration, inherently carries a reverse momentum impulse pointing clearly towards the center. The air curtain instantly absorbs and neutralizes the horizontal outward kinetic energy of the splashing particles, forcibly altering their flight trajectory and compelling them to conform to the converging flow field direction and spiral downwards to settle. This aerodynamic interception mechanism eliminates the physical possibility of viscous materials contacting and forming scale on the walls, achieving self-cleaning of the processing cavity throughout its entire lifecycle without cleaning.

[0048] The suspended concentric double-layer pressure equalization and flow guiding assembly 3 includes an inner infusion pipe 301 and an outer compensation sleeve 302 sleeved outside the inner infusion pipe 301. The inner infusion pipe 301 is connected to an external seasoning liquid supply device for conveying the seasoning fluid downward. The top end of the outer compensation sleeve 302 is connected to an external positive pressure air source, and its bottom opening is used to continuously inject compensation airflow into the internal cavity of the hollow cylindrical powder waterfall to actively counteract the internal negative pressure and maintain the static pressure balance inside and outside the hollow cylindrical powder waterfall.

[0049] The annular powder curtain wall forming component 2 includes an annular powder storage bin concentrically arranged on the top of the vertical cylindrical body 1. The bottom of the annular powder storage bin is provided with a concentric annular material dropping gap and a servo opening adjustment valve.

[0050] The feeding and forming module is located at the top end cap area of ​​the vertical cylindrical body 1. It is used to complete the initial continuous introduction of gaseous and solid phase materials and to uniformly reshape their spatial physical macroscopic morphology under the action of gravity. The feeding and forming module includes an annular powder curtain wall forming component 2 concentrically arranged at the top of the body. The annular powder curtain wall forming component 2 consists of an annular powder storage bin and a material discharge structure located at its bottom. The annular powder storage bin has a hollow annular deep groove funnel configuration, which constitutes a circumferentially uniform temporary storage space for the solid phase carrier before entering the sealed processing chamber.

[0051] At the bottom geometric convergence point of the annular powder storage silo, a concentric annular discharge slit is formed along the entire circumference. A servo-driven opening adjustment valve is installed at the discharge port of this slit. When the opening adjustment valve is opened, the temporarily stored solid dry powder detaches from its physical support and slides freely down the inner cavity of the vertical cylindrical body 1 under its own weight. During its descent, the discrete particles follow the geometric constraints of the upper slit, stably evolving into a continuous, uninterrupted hollow cylindrical powder waterfall.

[0052] The aforementioned hollow cylindrical powder waterfall naturally forms a cylindrical physical central cavity inside the vertical cylindrical body 1. In response to the centripetal suction negative pressure generated in this central cavity when the power component below rotates at high speed, this embodiment has a suspended concentric double-layer pressure equalizing flow guiding component 3 installed along the longitudinal central axis at the top center of the body.

[0053] The suspended concentric double-layer pressure equalizing and guiding component 3 is inserted vertically downwards from the outside of the equipment top cover and precisely suspended in the middle of the internal cavity surrounded by the hollow cylindrical powder waterfall. No transmission support or bearing is installed below the suspended concentric double-layer pressure equalizing and guiding component 3; it is in a static, suspended state, and its internal configuration presents a standard pipe-within-a-pipe concentric double-layer sleeve structure.

[0054] Specifically, the inner layer of the casing structure is a straight-through inner infusion tube 301, with its upper end connected to an external high-precision micro-metering pump and its lower end being a smooth, downward-facing opening. The inner infusion tube 301 is perfectly vertical and without bends, effectively reducing the frictional resistance loss of high-viscosity flavoring fluids within the tube and ensuring that extremely small amounts of liquid are dripped downwards smoothly and at low pressure.

[0055] The metal sleeve surrounding the inner infusion tube 301 is defined as the outer compensation sleeve 302. An external micro-positive pressure gas source is sealed upstream of the annular gap formed between the inner wall of the outer compensation sleeve 302 and the outer wall of the inner infusion tube 301; the bottom opening of the outer compensation sleeve 302 is exposed to the core area of ​​the hollow cylindrical powder waterfall cavity.

[0056] During system operation, the outer compensation sleeve 302 continuously and forcibly injects a small amount of supplementary airflow into the internal cavity of the hollow cylindrical powder waterfall under controlled pressure. This injected airflow actively replenishes the gas volume displaced by the rotating boundary layer below from a hydrodynamic perspective, establishing a transient equilibrium of hydrostatic pressure between the inner and outer ring flow fields of the hollow cylindrical powder waterfall. Through this spontaneous compensation mechanism of hydrostatic pressure, the powder carrier is freed from the interference and traction of lateral aerodynamics, and the drop trajectory remains absolutely vertical.

[0057] The main spindle motor 7 is embedded in the cavity at the top of the central static support column 4 in an upright position. The back center flange of the micro-toothed hyperboloid centrifugal slinger 5 is fixedly connected to the upward output shaft of the main spindle motor 7. The upper surface of the micro-toothed hyperboloid centrifugal slinger 5 has a smooth transition of concave hyperbola and no connecting parts obstructing the surface.

[0058] The centrifugal confluence module also includes a static rectification and anti-turbulence cone 8, which is in the shape of a frustum of a circle. The top part of the central static support column 4 is fixedly covered to the outside of the main spindle motor 7. The widest edge of the top of the static rectification and anti-turbulence cone 8 extends upward to near the bottom edge of the back of the micro-toothed hyperboloid centrifugal slinger 5. This is used to physically shield the chaotic boundary layer centrifugal vortex generated by the rotation of the main spindle motor 7 and the back of the micro-toothed hyperboloid centrifugal slinger 5, and to provide a smooth static aerodynamic guide surface for the powder falling from the outside.

[0059] The outermost edge of the micro-toothed hyperboloid centrifugal sling 5 is machined with a continuous micro-toothed shearing array, and the outer diameter of the micro-toothed hyperboloid centrifugal sling 5 is smaller than the inner diameter of the hollow cylindrical powder waterfall.

[0060] The centrifugal confluence module also includes a bottom-mounted coaxial pneumatic shear ring 9. The bottom-mounted coaxial pneumatic shear ring 9 is fixed as a stationary component to the top outer edge of the central static support column 4, and its spatial position is close to the bottom of the micro-toothed shear array. The bottom-mounted coaxial pneumatic shear ring 9 has tiny spray slits that spray air outward in a horizontal radial direction around its circumference. These slits are used to launch airflow to instantly cut off the capillary bridge formed by centrifugal stretching at the tip of the micro-tooths from the root of the high-viscosity fluid.

[0061] The centrifugal confluence module is located in the lower half of the inner cavity of the vertical cylindrical body 1, providing suspended support power to the upper cavity to achieve uniform pneumatic cutting and atomization of a small amount of high-viscosity flavoring fluid, as well as fixed-point orthogonal confluence of the gas, solid and liquid phases in space.

[0062] The supporting structure of the centrifugal confluence module is a central static support column 4 that rises from the bottom. This central static support column 4 is anchored to the inner wall of the lower component by streamlined air-breaking support rods, with its top suspended and forming a sealed chamber to accommodate the drive components.

[0063] A spindle motor 7 is embedded in the cavity at the top of the central static support column 4, in an upright position. The power output shaft of the spindle motor 7 points vertically upward toward the machining cavity. At the end of the upward output shaft of the spindle motor 7, a micro-toothed hyperboloid centrifugal slewing disc 5 is fixedly connected in the opposite direction via a central flange.

[0064] The upper surface of the micro-toothed hyperboloid centrifugal disc 5 features a concave hyperboloidal smooth transition configuration, and the entire disc surface is a continuous solid mirror surface without openings or fastening bolts. In terms of vertical alignment, the end opening of the inner infusion tube 301 of the upper suspended concentric double-layer pressure equalizing flow guide assembly 3 is precisely aligned with the lowest point of the center of the upper surface of the micro-toothed hyperboloid centrifugal disc 5, with no physical interference between them.

[0065] To eliminate boundary layer eddy interference caused by the rotation of the lower-mounted power component on the external flow field, a static rectification and anti-turbulence cone shroud 8 is fixedly wrapped around the main spindle motor 7. The static rectification and anti-turbulence cone shroud 8 is a truncated cone shape that expands smoothly from bottom to top, serving as a static extension of the central static support column 4. Its widest edge at the top extends upwards to a point very close to the bottom edge of the back side of the micro-toothed hyperboloid centrifugal slinger 5. This cone structure physically isolates the chaotic airflow generated by the rotation of the main spindle motor 7 and the back side of the micro-toothed hyperboloid centrifugal slinger 5, providing an absolutely smooth static aerodynamic guide wall for the hollow cylindrical powder waterfall falling from the outside.

[0066] After the high-viscosity flavoring liquid, dripped at low pressure by the inner infusion tube 301, reaches the center point of the micro-toothed hyperboloid centrifugal disc 5, it is driven by a huge centrifugal inertial force field and accelerates outward along the unobstructed concave hyperboloid disc surface, becoming extremely thin. At the outermost physical edge of the micro-toothed hyperboloid centrifugal disc 5, a continuous array of micro-toothed shears is precisely machined. When the fluid is pushed to this outer edge, it is squeezed into the micro-toothed structure, generating extreme physical stress concentration, and forming filamentous capillary bridges due to the high tensile viscosity.

[0067] To overcome the aforementioned rheological drawing defects, the centrifugal confluence module is equipped with a bottom-mounted coaxial pneumatic shear ring 9. The bottom-mounted coaxial pneumatic shear ring 9 is fixedly installed as a stationary component on the outermost top edge of the central static support column 4, and its spatial position is precisely close to the bottom of the micro-toothed shear array.

[0068] The bottom-mounted coaxial pneumatic shearing ring 9 has tiny horizontally radially outward-spraying slits on its outer circumferential wall. When the high-viscosity fluid undergoes centrifugal stretching deformation at the tip of the micro-tooth, the extremely fast, thin airflow ejected from these slits applies a rigid pneumatic shearing force to it on the horizontal cross-section, instantly severing the capillary bridge of the fluid at its root. After the fluid is broken up and pulverized, it is transformed into a curtain of centrifugal microdroplets with uniform particle size, which then cuts into the outer hollow cylindrical powder waterfall at high speed with a horizontal radial trajectory, completing targeted suspended coating.

[0069] The exhaust and unloading module adopts a concentric double-layer nested configuration, including a deep conical solid collection hopper 10 located in the inner layer and an outer reverse exhaust jacket 11 covering the outside of the deep conical solid collection hopper 10. The central static support column 4 is connected to the inner cavity of the deep conical solid collection hopper 10, and the bottom end of the deep conical solid collection hopper 10 is airtightly connected to the unloading valve 12.

[0070] The top of the outer reverse exhaust jacket 11 is connected to the negative pressure dust removal fan through the exhaust pipe 1101. The bottom edge of the outer reverse exhaust jacket 11 is sealed and welded to the outer wall of the deep conical solid collection hopper 10. A ring of louvered ventilation openings 1001 with an outward and upward tilting angle is opened on the middle and lower side wall of the deep conical solid collection hopper 10, so that the internal process waste gas unloaded from the solid load can pass laterally into the outer reverse exhaust jacket 11 and be drawn out upward in a 180° U-shaped turn.

[0071] In this embodiment, the exhaust unloading module is sealed and connected to the bottom opening of the vertical cylindrical body 1. It is used to receive the high-speed gas-solid two-phase mixed flow carried down by the inverted funnel-shaped pneumatic air curtain, and to use a specific internal cavity geometric flow channel design to stimulate the physical momentum decoupling mechanism to achieve efficient closed-loop separation of solid-phase seasoning products and process waste gas.

[0072] The exhaust and unloading module constructs a concentric double-layer nested independent spatial flow channel in the equipment's final hub area. The core supporting inner layer of this module is a deep conical solid collection hopper 10. The wide opening at the top of the deep conical solid collection hopper 10 is directly connected to the processing chamber of the upper body. Its shell presents a funnel-shaped geometric surface that smoothly converges at a large angle from top to bottom towards the central longitudinal axis, providing smooth gravity sliding support for falling solid particles.

[0073] At the bottom discharge constriction of the deep conical solid collection hopper 10, a flange is airtightly connected to a continuously operating discharge valve 12. The discharge valve 12, through the periodic blocking of its internal star rotor, maintains the air pressure field inside the upper reaction chamber and the base, and quantitatively transfers and discharges the solid seasoning product that has settled and gathered at the bottom of the hopper.

[0074] A coaxial, centered outer reversing exhaust jacket 11 surrounds the outer contour of the deep conical solid collection hopper 10. A uniformly wide concentric annular gap is reserved between the outer reversing exhaust jacket 11 and the outer surface of the deep conical solid collection hopper 10, forming a sealed outer jacket specifically for the upward and reversal of exhaust gas. The bottom edge of the outer reversing exhaust jacket 11 is directly and sealingly welded to the outer wall of the deep conical solid collection hopper 10, forming a bottom blind end.

[0075] An airflow outlet channel is provided on the side wall of the outer reverse exhaust jacket 11. This outlet channel is connected to the negative pressure dust removal fan outside the workshop through the exhaust pipe 1101, thus establishing a clear upward negative pressure suction guide field inside the jacket.

[0076] In the physical connection design of the inner and outer flow channels, a ring of venting holes is opened through the lower middle side wall of the deep conical solid collection hopper 10, that is, the corresponding area located directly above the bottom weld of the outer reverse exhaust jacket 11. To prevent solid heavy particles from leaking obliquely into the outer reverse exhaust jacket 11 when falling under gravity, the ring of venting holes is specifically processed into louvered venting openings 1001 with an outward and upward tilting angle.

[0077] When the inverted funnel-shaped pneumatic air curtain above carries the coated, highly viscous particles at high speed into the exhaust and unloading module, the mixed fluid penetrates deep into the conical solid collection hopper 10. After encountering the physical obstruction of the bottom unloading valve 12, the fluid loses its downward space. Under the strong negative pressure traction of the exhaust pipe 1101, the high-pressure process waste gas, having unloaded part of the solid load, passes laterally through the louvered vent opening 1001 and enters the jacket gap. At the moment of entering the outer reverse exhaust jacket 11, due to the restriction of the bottom blind end, it is forcibly and sharply turned back 180 degrees upward.

[0078] At the instant the flow channel exhibits a U-shaped reverse deflection, the gas and solid phases undergo a dramatic separation due to their inherent mass and inertia differences. The solid flavoring particles, encased in a liquid film, cannot overcome their own powerful downward inertia and struggle to follow the gas's sharp-angle trajectory deflection. The solid particles completely break free from the aerodynamic drag of the gas flow and, following their original linear gravity vector, fall into the bottom of the deep conical solid collection hopper 10, where they are discharged by the unloading valve 12. The clean airflow carrying the unloaded material then spirals and rises along the outer reverse exhaust jacket 11 and is safely extracted. Through the kinetic decoupling of the purely mechanical flow channel, the material is collected without damage.

[0079] In this embodiment, the aforementioned independent modules, which are concentrically nested in space, are connected in series to construct a continuous processing operation method based on zero mechanical interference, which is a fully suspended targeted intersection and aerodynamic decoupling.

[0080] At the beginning of the processing sequence, the system prioritizes starting the fans of the pneumatic wall-attachment constraint module and the exhaust unloading module. High-pressure air is ejected from the inclined slit of the annular air knife 6 on the upper part of the machine body, and guided by the wall-attachment effect, it flows down along the inverted frustum-shaped wall, first forming a centripetal inverted funnel-shaped pneumatic air curtain in the chamber, thus pre-establishing a gas barrier that isolates the solid machine wall.

[0081] Subsequently, the feeding and forming module intervenes. The outer compensation sleeve 302 of the suspended concentric double-layer pressure equalizing and guiding component 3 begins to pump a micro-positive pressure airflow into the core area of ​​the machine body cavity; simultaneously, the servo valve at the bottom of the annular powder storage silo opens, and the powder carrier falls in a curtain-like manner, evolving into a hollow cylindrical powder waterfall. Relying on the static pressure compensation actively injected by the outer compensation sleeve 302, the air pressure difference between the inner and outer cavities of the powder waterfall returns to zero. This completely neutralizes the centripetal suction negative pressure caused by the rotating parts in the lower half, allowing the powder to maintain a straight downward trajectory with absolute orientation, avoiding the engineering hazard of the central mechanical parts sticking and seizing due to the inward collapse of the curtain wall.

[0082] After the material discharge area reaches a steady state, the centrifugal confluence module is activated. The embedded spindle motor 7 drives the micro-toothed hyperboloid centrifugal slinger 5 at the top to rotate at high speed. The external static rectification and anti-turbulence cone 8 provides absolute physical shielding against the rotating vortex, ensuring that the powder flow close to the outside is not disturbed by lateral wind. The high-viscosity seasoning liquid dripping directly from the inner liquid delivery pipe 301 reaches the center of the slinger, and is driven by the centrifugal force field to accelerate and spread along the concave hyperboloid and be pushed to the outermost edge of the slinger.

[0083] When an extremely thin, minute amount of fluid is forced into the micro-toothed shear array, a localized stress limit is generated, inducing tensile deformation and attempting to form capillary bridges for filamentation. At this moment, a bottom-mounted coaxial pneumatic shear ring 9, stationary below the tooth edge, continuously ejects a horizontally outward, extremely fast, thin airflow. This airflow instantly severs the viscous bonds of the fluid at its root with a sharp hydrodynamic shear surface. The highly viscous fluid bundle, freed from physical constraints, immediately breaks apart and shatters, transforming into a highly discrete, uniform, and horizontally radiating 360° centrifugal microdroplet curtain.

[0084] The horizontally rapidly moving centrifugal microdroplet curtain and the vertically falling powder waterfall cross-shaped orthogonal in mid-air, free from any mechanical support. The solid carrier is precisely wrapped by the droplets on the outer surface of each particle as it passes through the microdroplet flow field, avoiding the forced grinding and chopping of mechanical blades in traditional reactors, and completely preserving the spatial three-dimensional layered appearance of the original crystal carrier.

[0085] Wet and sticky mixed particles, ejected outward by the impact of liquid phase momentum, collide with the high-speed descending inverted funnel-shaped aerodynamic air curtain as they invade the outer boundary. The vertical impulse of the air curtain instantly absorbs the radial outward kinetic energy of the mixed particles, forcibly changing their motion vector, and enveloping the already coated material to undergo a spiral settling along the field, thereby severing the mass transfer path of the material contacting the wall at the level of physical displacement.

[0086] Finally, the mixed fluid, carried by the pneumatic air curtain, rushes directly into the deep conical solid collection hopper 10 at the bottom. Due to internal structural obstruction and external negative pressure, the high-pressure exhaust gas passes through the louvered ventilation openings 1001 on the side wall and undergoes a forced 180° U-shaped sharp turn within the outer reverse exhaust jacket 11. At the critical point of reverse direction, the solid product, with its overwhelming physical inertia, breaks free from the fluid drag and falls along its original straight vector, being discharged by the unloading valve 12. Meanwhile, the clean exhaust gas spirals upwards and is extracted, thus achieving a closed loop and automated high-quality preparation with zero contact damage and zero wall residue.

[0087] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An automated processing and production device for seasonings, comprising a vertical cylindrical machine body (1), characterized in that, Along the longitudinal central axis of the vertical cylindrical body (1), there are a feeding and forming module, a pneumatic wall-attachment constraint module, a centrifugal confluence module, and an exhaust and unloading module. The feeding and forming module is located at the top of the vertical cylindrical body (1), including an annular powder curtain forming component (2) and a suspended concentric double-layer pressure equalization and flow guiding component (3). The annular powder curtain forming component (2) is used to form a vertically falling hollow cylindrical powder waterfall inside the vertical cylindrical body (1). The suspended concentric double-layer pressure equalization and flow guiding component (3) is suspended from the top in the internal cavity of the hollow cylindrical powder waterfall. The centrifugal confluence module is located in the lower half of the inner cavity of the vertical cylindrical body (1), including a central static support column (4) and a micro-toothed hyperboloid centrifugal throwing disc (5). The micro-toothed hyperboloid centrifugal throwing disc (5) is located at the top of the central static support column (4) and its working surface is open and faces the end opening of the suspended concentric double-layer pressure equalization flow guide component (3). It is used to receive fluid and throw out centrifugal micro-droplet curtain to intercept hollow cylindrical powder waterfall. The inner wall of the vertical cylindrical body (1) is a smooth, inverted frustum-shaped guide liner wall that tapers inward. The pneumatic wall-attaching constraint module includes an annular air knife (6) located on the upper part of the inner wall of the vertical cylindrical body (1). The annular air knife (6) is used to spray airflow that is closely attached to the inverted frustum-shaped guide liner wall and flows downward under the wall-attaching effect, so that it naturally evolves into an inverted funnel-shaped aerodynamic wind curtain that converges towards the center in the outer space of the hollow cylindrical powder waterfall. The exhaust unloading module is connected to the bottom of the vertical cylindrical body (1) and is used to receive and separate the gas-solid mixture material carried down by the inverted funnel-shaped pneumatic air curtain.

2. The automated processing and manufacturing equipment for seasonings according to claim 1, characterized in that, The suspended concentric double-layer pressure equalization flow guide assembly (3) includes an inner infusion tube (301) and an outer compensation sleeve (302) sleeved outside the inner infusion tube (301). The inner infusion tube (301) is connected to an external seasoning liquid supply device and is used to deliver seasoning fluid downward. The top end of the outer compensation sleeve (302) is connected to an external positive pressure air source, and its bottom opening is used to continuously inject compensation airflow into the internal cavity of the hollow cylindrical powder waterfall to actively counteract the internal negative pressure and maintain the static pressure balance inside and outside the hollow cylindrical powder waterfall.

3. The automated processing and manufacturing equipment for seasonings according to claim 1, characterized in that, The main spindle motor (7) is embedded in the cavity at the top of the central static support column (4) in an upright position. The back center flange of the micro-toothed hyperboloid centrifugal slinger (5) is fixedly connected to the upward output shaft of the main spindle motor (7). The upper surface of the micro-toothed hyperboloid centrifugal slinger (5) has a smooth transition of concave hyperbola and no connecting parts obstructing the surface.

4. The automated processing and manufacturing equipment for seasonings according to claim 3, characterized in that, The centrifugal confluence module also includes a static rectification anti-turbulence cone (8), which is in the shape of a frustum of a circle. The top part of the central static support column (4) is fixedly covered to the outside of the main shaft motor (7). The widest edge of the top of the static rectification anti-turbulence cone (8) extends upward to near the bottom edge of the back of the micro-toothed hyperboloid centrifugal slinger (5), which is used to physically shield the chaotic boundary layer centrifugal vortex generated by the rotation of the main shaft motor (7) and the back of the micro-toothed hyperboloid centrifugal slinger (5), and to provide a smooth static aerodynamic guide surface for the powder falling on the outside.

5. The automated processing and manufacturing equipment for seasonings according to claim 3, characterized in that, The outermost edge of the micro-toothed hyperboloid centrifugal slinger (5) is processed with a continuous micro-toothed shearing array, and the outer diameter of the micro-toothed hyperboloid centrifugal slinger (5) is smaller than the inner diameter of the hollow cylindrical powder waterfall.

6. The automated processing and manufacturing equipment for seasonings according to claim 5, characterized in that, The centrifugal confluence module also includes a bottom-mounted coaxial pneumatic shear ring (9). The bottom-mounted coaxial pneumatic shear ring (9) is fixed as a stationary component to the top edge of the central static support column (4) and is spatially positioned close to the bottom of the micro-toothed shear array. The bottom-mounted coaxial pneumatic shear ring (9) has a small spray slit in the circumference for horizontally radially outward jetting airflow, which is used to launch airflow to instantly cut off the capillary bridge formed by centrifugal stretching of the high-viscosity fluid at the tip of the micro-tooth from the root.

7. The automated processing and production equipment for seasonings according to claim 1, characterized in that, The annular powder curtain wall forming component (2) includes an annular powder storage bin arranged concentrically on the top of the vertical cylindrical body (1), and the bottom of the annular powder storage bin is provided with a concentric annular material drop gap and a servo opening adjustment valve.

8. The automated processing and production equipment for seasonings according to claim 1, characterized in that, The exhaust and unloading module adopts a concentric double-layer nested configuration, including a deep conical solid collection hopper (10) located in the inner layer and an outer reverse exhaust jacket (11) covering the outside of the deep conical solid collection hopper (10). The central static support column (4) is connected to the inner cavity of the deep conical solid collection hopper (10) at a height. The bottom end of the deep conical solid collection hopper (10) is airtightly connected to an unloading valve (12).

9. The automated processing and production equipment for seasonings according to claim 8, characterized in that, The top of the outer reverse exhaust jacket (11) is connected to the negative pressure dust removal fan through an exhaust pipe (1101). The bottom edge of the outer reverse exhaust jacket (11) is sealed and welded to the outer wall of the deep conical solid collection hopper (10). A ring of louvered ventilation openings (1001) with an outward and upward tilting angle is opened on the middle and lower side wall of the deep conical solid collection hopper (10) in the circumferential direction, so that the internal process waste gas unloaded from the solid load can pass through laterally into the outer reverse exhaust jacket (11) and undergo a 180° U-shaped fold and be drawn upward.

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