Full-automatic soft candy transfer valve centering integrated pouring machine

Abstract

This invention discloses a fully automatic soft candy rotary valve sandwich casting machine, comprising a frame, a casting device, and two hoppers. The two hoppers are used to store the skin material and the filling material, respectively. The casting device includes several sandwich casting nozzles and two quantitative feeding components. The two quantitative feeding components are connected to the two hoppers, and the two feed ends inside the sandwich casting nozzles are connected to the two quantitative feeding components. The quantitative feeding components include a rotary valve, several quantitative cylinders, several valve stems, and a power component. The power component is mounted on the frame, and the quantitative cylinders are located on the upper end of the rotary valve and connected to the rotary valve. The other two ports of the rotary valve are connected to the hoppers and the sandwich casting nozzles, respectively. This invention achieves fully automatic conveying, casting, and demolding operations in the production of sandwich soft candies through the coordinated linkage of various components, effectively solving the pain points of traditional equipment such as material solidification, inaccurate metering, difficulty in demolding, and poor linkage, thereby improving production efficiency, product quality, and reducing maintenance costs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of food machinery technology, specifically a fully automatic soft candy rotary valve sandwich casting machine. Background Technology

[0002] In the gummy production industry, filled gummies are loved by consumers for their unique taste. However, the complexity of raw material processing in the production process places extremely high demands on quality stability and production efficiency. Traditional filled gummy casting equipment has many technical bottlenecks in practical applications, making it difficult to meet the needs of large-scale and standardized production. Currently, traditional filling equipment for gummy candies mostly adopts a split structure, with the conveying, heating, and metering of the skin and filling materials completed by independent devices. This results in poor equipment coordination, a cumbersome production process, and excessive manual intervention, which not only reduces production efficiency but also makes the product quality susceptible to human error. Furthermore, in the material conveying process, the viscosity of gummy candy raw materials changes significantly with temperature; at excessively low temperatures, the viscosity increases dramatically, easily leading to pipe blockage. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide a fully automatic soft candy filling and casting machine with a rotary valve to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a fully automatic soft candy rotary valve sandwich casting machine, comprising a frame, a conveying mechanism, a casting device and two hoppers, the two hoppers being used to store the skin material and the filling material respectively, the casting device comprising a plurality of sandwich casting nozzles and two quantitative feeding components, the two quantitative feeding components being connected to the two hoppers respectively, and the two feeding ends inside the sandwich casting nozzles being connected to the two quantitative feeding components respectively; The quantitative feeding assembly includes a rotary valve, several quantitative cylinders, several valve stems, and a power assembly. The power assembly is mounted on the frame. The quantitative cylinders are located at the top of the rotary valve and communicate with it. The other two ports of the rotary valve are connected to the hopper and the sandwich casting nozzle, respectively. The valve stems are slidably arranged inside the quantitative cylinders. The top of each valve stem is connected to the power assembly, thereby driving the valve stems to move up and down through the power assembly. The frame is mounted on the conveying mechanism. Multiple molds are installed at intervals on the conveying surface of the conveying mechanism. An auxiliary demolding mechanism is provided at the end of the conveying mechanism to vibrate the molds and separate the formed sandwich gummy candies from the mold cavity. Each hopper has several stirring components at its bottom. Each stirring component includes a support rod with a lead screw at its upper part. A connecting seat is threaded onto the lead screw, and a support is connected to the top of the connecting seat via a bearing. The support is connected to a power component, thus moving synchronously with the valve stem. A stirring element is movably connected to the support rod. The stirring element is connected to the connecting seat via several connecting rods. When the support rises or falls, it drives the connecting seat to move synchronously. The rising and falling of the connecting seat along the lead screw converts linear motion into rotational motion, thereby causing the stirring element to rotate.

[0005] Furthermore, the stirring component includes a rotating seat and several stirring racks distributed on the rotating seat. The rotating seat is movably sleeved on the surface of the support rod and connected to the connecting seat through the connecting rod. The stirring rack has a passage opening, and rotating shafts are rotatably connected to the left and right sides of the passage opening. Sealing plates are symmetrically connected to the two rotating shafts. When the sealing plates on both sides are closed, they block the passage opening. A limiting plate is provided at the upper end of the inner wall of the passage opening. The limiting plate is located above the sealing plate, so that the sealing plate can only rotate downwards.

[0006] Furthermore, the rotary valve includes a valve body and a valve core. The valve body has several feed ports, several injection ports, and several discharge ports along its length, corresponding to the number of sandwich casting nozzles. The valve core has several independent channels. The feed ports are connected to the hopper. The metering cylinder is installed on the side of the valve body and connected to the injection port. The discharge port is connected to the corresponding sandwich casting nozzle. A pair of telescopic cylinders are hinged to the side of the frame. The rotating shaft of the valve core is provided with a swing block. The piston rod of the telescopic cylinder is hinged to the swing block.

[0007] Furthermore, the outer side of the metering cylinder is covered with a heating cylinder, and a heating box is provided at the side end of the frame. A heating component is provided inside the heating box for heating the fluid stored therein. A flow hole is opened at one end of the heating cylinder near the rotary valve. The flow hole is connected to the heating box through a pipe. A sealing annular push block is slidably arranged inside the heating cylinder. The upper end of the sealing annular push block is connected to the valve stem, so that it moves synchronously with the valve stem.

[0008] Furthermore, a base is provided at the upper end of the valve body, and the metering cylinder and heating cylinder are both embedded in the base. A guide rod and a first rack are provided at the upper end of the sealing annular push block. The top end of the guide rod extends to be slidably connected to the base. A groove is provided at the side end of the valve stem, and a second rack is provided in the groove. A gear is rotatably connected to the base, and the gear meshes between the first rack and the second rack, thereby realizing the synchronous reverse movement of the valve stem and the sealing annular push block through gear transmission.

[0009] Furthermore, the heating chamber is equipped with a partition that divides the heating chamber into a hot water zone and a cold water zone. The heating component is located in the hot water zone, and there is a gap between the top of the partition and the top of the heating chamber. A second rotary valve is provided at the bottom of the heating chamber. The three ports of the second rotary valve are respectively connected to the hot water zone, the cold water zone, and the flow hole through pipelines. The rotating shaft of the second rotary valve meshes with the rotating shaft of the corresponding side of the rotary valve through a gear set to achieve synchronous rotation.

[0010] Furthermore, the sandwich casting nozzle includes a core rod and a casting outer nozzle; the core rod has an axially oriented inner flow channel for core material, and a positioning boss is integrally formed in the middle of the core rod; the casting outer nozzle has an axially oriented inner hole for the outer nozzle seat, and the core rod passes through the inner hole of the outer nozzle seat. The positioning boss abuts against the inner wall of the inner hole of the outer nozzle seat to achieve axial positioning of the core rod and the casting outer nozzle; a material flow channel is formed between the outer wall of the core rod and the inner hole of the outer nozzle seat; threaded connecting seats are respectively provided at the top ends of the core rod and the casting outer nozzle.

[0011] Furthermore, the power assembly includes a servo motor and a pressure frame mounted on the frame. The pressure frame is slidably disposed within the frame, and each corresponding valve stem is installed at the bottom end of the pressure frame. A drive frame is disposed at the upper end of the pressure frame, and a third rack is disposed on the drive frame. The third rack meshes with the servo motor for transmission.

[0012] Furthermore, the mold includes a mold base and a module. The module is slidably embedded in the top of the mold base, and several buffer springs are connected between the bottom of the module and the mold base. The weight of the module is greater than the elastic force of the buffer springs. The auxiliary demolding mechanism includes a demolding motor, which is installed on the bottom side of the conveying end of the conveying mechanism. A protruding wheel is provided on the output shaft of the demolding motor, and the protrusion of the protruding wheel abuts against the module on the lower side of the conveying surface of the conveying mechanism. Both ends of the pressure frame are provided with a downward pressure rod. A pressing rod is slidably embedded in the bottom of the downward pressure rod, and a spring is connected between the pressing rod and the downward pressure rod. When the pressure frame descends, the pressing rod descends synchronously and contacts the top surface of the module to press down.

[0013] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: This invention features a compact structure and reasonable design, enabling fully automated sandwich casting and improving production efficiency. The equipment integrates functions such as storage of skin and core materials, quantitative conveying, and sandwich molding. Through valve reversal and power component drive, it achieves a continuous cycle of feeding, delivery, and casting, and supports the synchronous operation of multiple casting nozzles, significantly improving the production efficiency of gummy candies and reducing manual intervention.

[0014] This invention utilizes a linkage structure of a rotary valve, a metering cylinder, and a valve stem, along with a servo motor to precisely control the lifting and lowering stroke of the valve stem, to achieve quantitative feeding of leather and core materials, ensuring accurate metering and consistent product quality.

[0015] Meanwhile, the conveyor mechanism drives the mold to rotate, allowing the module to slide out of the mold base due to its own weight and be demolded by the inertia of falling. Then, the demolding motor and the vibration of the convex wheel assist in preventing the gummy candy from sticking to the mold, ultimately ensuring the quality of gummy candy molding and smooth demolding, and improving production continuity.

[0016] In addition, the heating chamber and heating cylinder achieve uniform heating of the metering cylinder. Combined with the synchronous switching of the rotary valve and the second rotary valve, and the synchronous reverse movement of the valve stem and the sealing ring push block, the cooled fluid is discharged when feeding and the heated fluid is injected when feeding, ensuring that the material is at a suitable temperature when it enters the metering cylinder, avoiding material solidification, and ensuring smooth conveying and pouring. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a fully automatic soft candy rotary valve sandwich casting machine according to the present invention; Figure 2 This is the front view of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a side view of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the stirring assembly structure of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a sectional view of the casting apparatus; Figure 6 for Figure 5 Enlarged view of a portion of point A in the middle; Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional view of the heating chamber; Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the sandwich casting nozzle structure; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the conveying mechanism; Figure 10 This is a structural diagram of the lower pressure rod.

[0018] In the diagram, the components are: frame-1, hopper-2, sandwich casting nozzle-3, metering cylinder-4, valve stem-5, support rod-6, lead screw-7, connecting seat-8, support-9, rotating seat-10, mixing rack-11, sprue inlet-12, sealing plate-13, valve body-14, valve core-15, telescopic cylinder-16, swing block-17, heating cylinder-18, heating box-19, heating assembly-20, flow hole-21, sealing ring pusher-22, base-23, guide rod-24, first rack-25, second rack-26, and gear-2. 7. Partition plate - 28. Second rotary valve - 29. Core rod - 30. Casting nozzle - 31. Positioning boss - 32. Servo motor - 33. Pressure frame - 34. Drive frame - 35. Third rack - 36. Mixing assembly - 37. Connecting rod - 38. Feed port - 39. Injection port - 40. Discharge port - 41. Conveying mechanism - 42. Mold - 43. Mold base - 44. Module - 45. Buffer spring - 46. Demolding motor - 47. Raised wheel - 48. Lower pressure rod - 49. Pressing rod - 50. Spring component - 51. Detailed Implementation

[0019] 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.

[0020] like Figures 1 to 8 As shown, a fully automatic soft candy rotary valve sandwich casting machine includes a frame 1, a casting device and two hoppers 2. The two hoppers 2 are used to store the skin material and the filling material respectively. The casting device includes a plurality of sandwich casting nozzles 3 and two quantitative feeding components. The two quantitative feeding components are respectively connected to the two hoppers 2, and the two feeding ends in the sandwich casting nozzles 3 are respectively connected to the two quantitative feeding components. The quantitative feeding assembly includes a rotary valve, several quantitative cylinders 4, several valve stems 5, and a power assembly. The power assembly is mounted on the frame 1. The quantitative cylinders 4 are located at the top of the rotary valve and are connected to the rotary valve. The other two ports of the rotary valve are connected to the hopper 2 and the sandwich casting nozzle 3, respectively. The valve stems 5 are slidably arranged inside the quantitative cylinders 4. The top of each valve stem 5 is connected to the power assembly, thereby driving the valve stems 5 to move up and down through the power assembly. The frame 1 is mounted on the conveying mechanism 42. Multiple molds 43 are installed at intervals on the conveying surface of the conveying mechanism 42. An auxiliary demolding mechanism is provided at the conveying end of the conveying mechanism 42 to vibrate the mold and separate the molded filled gummy candy from the mold cavity.

[0021] Each hopper 2 has several stirring components 37 at its bottom. Each stirring component 37 includes a support rod 6, a lead screw 7 at its upper part, a connecting seat 8 threaded onto the lead screw 7, and a support 9 bearing at the top of the connecting seat 8. The support 9 is connected to the power component and moves synchronously with the valve stem 5. A stirring element is movably connected to the support rod 6. The stirring element is connected to the connecting seat 8 via several connecting rods 38. When the support 9 rises or falls, it drives the connecting seat 8 to move synchronously. The connecting seat 8 rises or falls along the lead screw 7, converting linear motion into rotational motion, which in turn drives the stirring element to rotate.

[0022] When the power component drives the valve stem 5 to rise and fall, the support 9 synchronously drives the connecting seat 8 to move. The connecting seat 8 moves up and down along the screw 7. Since the screw 7 and the connecting seat 8 are threadedly connected, the linear rising and falling motion is converted into the rotational motion of the connecting seat 8. The connecting seat 8 drives the agitator to rotate around the support rod 6 through the connecting rod 38, thereby agitating the material in the hopper 2, preventing the material from settling and solidifying locally, and ensuring the fluidity of the material.

[0023] In this embodiment, the stirring component includes a rotating seat 10 and a plurality of stirring racks 11 distributed on the rotating seat 10. The rotating seat 10 is movably sleeved on the surface of the support rod 6 and connected to the connecting seat 8 through the connecting rod 38. The stirring rack 11 has a through-hole 12. Rotating shafts are rotatably connected to the left and right sides of the through-hole 12. Sealing plates 13 are symmetrically connected to the two rotating shafts. When the sealing plates 13 on both sides are closed, they block the through-hole 12. A limiting plate is provided at the upper end of the inner wall of the through-hole 12. The limiting plate is located above the sealing plate 13, so that the sealing plate 13 can only rotate downward.

[0024] When the stirring rack 11 rotates with the rotating seat 10 and moves from top to bottom, the material exerts a downward impact force on the sealing plate 13. Since the limiting plate restricts the sealing plate 13 to rotate only downward, the sealing plate 13 is blocked by the impact of the material. The closed sluice gate 12 can bring the material on the upper liquid surface to the bottom, effectively preventing the material on the liquid surface from solidifying due to static contact with air. When the stirring rack 11 rises from bottom to top, the direction of the impact force of the material on the sealing plate 13 changes, and the sealing plate 13 rotates downward to open, opening the sluice gate 12, allowing the material to flow through the sluice gate 12, preventing the material at the bottom of the hopper 2 from being overturned when the stirring rack 11 rises.

[0025] In this embodiment, the rotary valve includes a valve body 14 and a valve core 15. The valve body 14 is provided with a plurality of feed ports 39, a plurality of injection ports 40 and a plurality of discharge ports 41 corresponding to the number of sandwich casting nozzles 3 along its length direction. The valve core 15 is provided with a plurality of independent channels. The feed ports 39 are connected to the hopper 2. The metering cylinder 4 is installed on the side end of the valve body 14 and is connected to the injection ports 40. The discharge ports 41 are connected to the corresponding sandwich casting nozzles 3. A pair of telescopic cylinders 16 are hinged to the side end of the frame 1. The rotating shaft of the valve core 15 is provided with a swing block 17. The piston rod of the telescopic cylinder 16 is hinged to the swing block 17.

[0026] When the telescopic cylinder 16 extends or retracts, it pushes the swing block 17 to rotate around the valve core 15's axis, thereby causing the valve core 15 to rotate and achieving the switching of the internal channels of the valve core 15: when switched to the connection between the feed port 39 and the injection port 40, the hopper 2 feeds material into the metering cylinder 4; when switched to the connection between the injection port 40 and the discharge port 41, the metering cylinder 4 feeds material into the sandwich casting nozzle 3. In this embodiment, the outer side of the metering cylinder 4 is covered by a heating cylinder 18, and a heating box 19 is provided at the side end of the frame 1. A heating component 20 is provided inside the heating box 19 for heating the fluid stored therein. A flow hole 21 is provided at one end of the heating cylinder 18 near the rotary valve. The flow hole 21 is connected to the heating box 19 through a pipe. A sealing ring pusher 22 is slidably provided inside the heating cylinder 18. The upper end of the sealing ring pusher 22 is connected to the valve stem 5, so that it moves synchronously with the valve stem 5.

[0027] The metering cylinder 4 is covered by a heating cylinder 18. A heating component 20 (such as an electric heating tube) is installed in the heating box 19 at the side end of the frame 1. The heating component 20 heats the fluid (hot water or heat transfer oil) stored in the heating box 19. A flow hole 21 is opened at the end of the heating cylinder 18 near the rotary valve. The flow hole 21 is connected to the heating box 19 through a pipe. The heated fluid flows into the gap between the heating cylinder 18 and the metering cylinder 4 through the pipe, so as to uniformly heat the metering cylinder 4, keep the material in the metering cylinder 4 at a suitable temperature, avoid solidification, and ensure the fluidity of the material.

[0028] In this embodiment, a base 23 is provided at the upper end of the valve body 14. The metering cylinder 4 and the heating cylinder 18 are both embedded in the base 23. A guide rod 24 and a first rack 25 are provided at the upper end of the sealing annular push block 22. The top end of the guide rod 24 extends to slide and connect with the base 23. A groove is provided at the side end of the valve stem 5. A second rack 26 is provided in the groove. A gear 27 is rotatably connected to the base 23. The gear 27 meshes between the first rack 25 and the second rack 26, thereby realizing the synchronous reverse movement of the valve stem 5 and the sealing annular push block 22 through the transmission of the gear 27.

[0029] When the power unit drives the valve stem 5 to move upward (feeding stage, i.e., when the valve stem 5 draws the material into the metering cylinder 4), the second rack 26 moves upward, driving the gear 27 to rotate counterclockwise, the first rack 25 moves downward, and the sealing ring push block 22 moves downward synchronously. At this time, the sealing ring push block 22 will discharge the heating fluid between the heating cylinder 18 and the metering cylinder 4. When the valve stem 5 moves downward (feeding stage, i.e., when the valve stem 5 discharges the material from the metering cylinder 4), the second rack 26 moves downward, driving the gear 27 to rotate clockwise. The gear 27 drives the first rack 25 to move upward, which in turn drives the sealing ring push block 22 to move upward. At this time, the sealing ring push block 22 will draw the heating fluid into the gap between the heating cylinder 18 and the metering cylinder 4. With this synchronous reverse design, the heating fluid heats the empty metering cylinder 4. When the material is drawn into the metering cylinder 4, the metering cylinder 4 has already been preheated to a suitable temperature, ensuring that the material will not solidify and its flowability is stable after entering. If the heating fluid and the material are designed to be drawn in and discharged synchronously, the heating fluid will only start to enter the heating gap to heat the metering cylinder 4 after the material has been drawn in. At this time, the material may solidify due to insufficient initial temperature, affecting the conveying and pouring effect.

[0030] In this embodiment, a partition 28 is provided inside the heating box 19, which divides the heating box 19 into a hot water zone and a cold water zone. The heating component 20 is located in the hot water zone, and there is a gap between the top of the partition 28 and the top of the heating box 19. A second rotary valve 29 is provided at the bottom of the heating box 19. The three ports of the second rotary valve 29 are respectively connected to the hot water zone, the cold water zone and the flow hole 21 through pipelines. The rotating shaft of the second rotary valve 29 meshes with the rotating shaft of the corresponding side of the rotary valve through a gear 27 set to achieve synchronous rotation.

[0031] The core function of this interval is to allow cold water to automatically flow into the hot water zone after the cold water zone is filled. This design avoids the drastic impact on the hot water temperature caused by directly pumping cold water into the hot water zone. Since the cold water flows into the hot water zone automatically from the top, it will not directly disturb the hot water at the bottom of the hot water zone, thus ensuring a stable temperature for the hot water drawn from the bottom of the hot water zone and introduced into the heating cylinder 18.

[0032] When the rotary valve is switched to the feeding stage (working position, the rotary valve channel connects the hopper 2 and the metering cylinder 4) under the drive of the telescopic cylinder 16, the second rotary valve 29, which rotates synchronously with the rotary valve, will be switched to the drain port. At this time, the channel of the second rotary valve 29 is connected to the flow hole 21 of the heating cylinder 18 and the drain end, so as to realize the discharge of the heated fluid and realize the synchronous operation of material entering the metering cylinder 4 and fluid discharge. When the rotary valve is switched to the feeding stage (working position, the rotary valve channel connects the metering cylinder 4 and the sandwich casting nozzle 3), the second rotary valve 29 is switched to the water injection port, connecting the hot water area and the flow hole 21 of the heating cylinder 18, and injecting hot water into the gap between the heating cylinder 18 and the metering cylinder 4.

[0033] In this embodiment, the sandwich casting nozzle 3 includes a core rod 30 and a casting outer nozzle 31; the core rod 30 has an axially oriented inner channel for core material, and a positioning boss 32 is integrally formed in the middle of the core rod 30; the casting outer nozzle 31 has an axially oriented inner hole for the outer nozzle seat, and the core rod 30 passes through the inner hole of the outer nozzle seat. The positioning boss 32 abuts against the inner wall of the inner hole of the outer nozzle seat, thereby achieving axial positioning of the core rod 30 and the casting outer nozzle 31; a material flow channel is formed between the outer wall of the core rod 30 and the inner hole of the outer nozzle seat; threaded connecting seats 8 are respectively provided at the top ends of the core rod 30 and the casting outer nozzle 31; the positioning boss 32 of the core rod 30 abuts against the inner wall of the inner hole of the outer nozzle seat, thereby achieving axial positioning of the core rod 30 and the casting outer nozzle 31, and preventing the core rod 30 from shifting, which would cause uneven distribution of the material and the core material.

[0034] In this embodiment, the power assembly includes a servo motor 33 and a pressure frame 34 mounted on the frame 1. The pressure frame 34 is slidably disposed within the frame 1, and each corresponding valve stem 5 is installed at the bottom end of the pressure frame 34. A drive frame 35 is provided at the upper end of the pressure frame 34, and a third rack 36 is provided on the drive frame 35. The third rack 36 meshes with the servo motor 33 for transmission.

[0035] When the servo motor 33 starts, the output gear 27 rotates, driving the third rack 36 to move up and down, which in turn drives the drive frame 35 and the pressure frame 34 to rise and fall synchronously. The pressure frame 34 drives all valve stems 5 to move up and down along the metering cylinder 4, realizing precise control of metered feeding.

[0036] In this embodiment, the mold 43 includes a mold base 44 and a module 45. The module 45 is slidably embedded in the top of the mold base 44, and a plurality of buffer springs 46 are connected between the bottom of the module 45 and the mold base 44. The weight of the module 45 is greater than the elastic force of the buffer springs 46. The auxiliary demolding mechanism includes a demolding motor 47, which is installed on the bottom side of the conveying end of the conveying mechanism 42. A protruding wheel 48 is provided on the output shaft of the demolding motor 47. The protrusion of the protruding wheel 48 abuts against the module 45 on the lower side of the conveying surface of the conveying mechanism 42. Both ends of the pressure frame 34 are provided with a pressing rod 49. A pressing rod 50 is slidably embedded in the bottom of the pressing rod 49, and a spring 51 is connected between the pressing rod 50 and the pressing rod 49. When the pressure frame 34 descends, the pressing rod 50 descends synchronously and contacts the top surface of the module 45 to press down.

[0037] Since the weight of module 45 is greater than the elastic force of buffer spring 46, when mold 43 moves to the upper conveying surface with conveying mechanism 42, module 45 sinks completely into and fits into mold base 44 under the action of gravity, ensuring that module 45 is stable and will not shift during pouring. In addition, at the pouring station, when pressure frame 34 is driven down by power components (servo motor 33, drive frame 35, third rack 36) to perform the pouring action, the pressure rods 49 at both ends of pressure frame 34 descend synchronously, and the pressure rod 50 flexibly presses down on the top surface of module 45 under the action of spring 51, so that module 45 is further pressed and positioned, while avoiding rigid impact damage to mold 43.

[0038] When the mold 43 moves to the lower return section with the conveying mechanism 42, the mold 43 flips over and the module 45 faces downward. At this time, the module 45 is no longer supported upward and automatically slides down out of the mold base 44 under its own gravity. The formed gummy candy loses the cavity clamping force and naturally separates and falls off from the module 45, realizing automatic demolding.

[0039] Meanwhile, an auxiliary demolding mechanism is provided below the end of the conveying mechanism 42: a demolding motor 47 is installed at the bottom of the conveying end, and a protruding wheel 48 is mounted on its output shaft. The protrusion of the protruding wheel 48 can abut against the bottom of the module 45 that has moved to that position. The demolding motor 47 drives the protruding wheel 48 to rotate, and the protrusion periodically pushes the module 45, causing the module 45 to vibrate slightly, further promoting the smooth release of the candy and preventing it from sticking to the mold.

[0040] The working principle of this embodiment is as follows: The staff pours the soft candy crust and filling into the two corresponding hoppers 2, respectively, and starts the heating component 20 of the heating box 19 to heat the fluid in the hot water zone. The hot water is then introduced into the heating cylinder 18 through the second rotary valve 29 to preheat the metering cylinder 4, ensuring that the material maintains suitable fluidity after entering the metering cylinder 4. At the same time, the power component is in standby mode, and the rotary valve is in the feeding position, that is, the rotary valve channel connects the hopper 2 and the metering cylinder 4.

[0041] When the power unit is activated, it drives the support 9 and the connecting seat 8 to rise and fall synchronously. The connecting seat 8 rotates along the lead screw 7, which in turn drives the agitator to rotate around the support rod 6 via the connecting rod 38, thus agitating the skin and core materials in the hopper 2 separately and preventing the materials from solidifying. At the same time, the rotary valve is in the feeding position, and the second rotary valve 29 switches to the drain port synchronously with the rotary valve. The power unit drives the valve stem 5 to move upward, creating a negative pressure in the metering cylinder 4. The material in the hopper 2 flows into the metering cylinder 4 through the feed port 39 and the injection port 40 of the rotary valve, completing the feeding process. When the material in the metering cylinder 4 reaches the set amount, the servo motor 33 stops driving the valve stem 5 to rise, and the telescopic cylinder 16 on the side of the frame 1 starts, pushing the swing block 17 to rotate, which in turn drives the valve core 15 to rotate, realizing channel switching and connecting the filling port 40 of the rotary valve with the discharge port 41 (entering the feeding station). At this time, the second rotary valve 29 switches to the water filling port (connecting the hot water area and the flow hole 21 of the heating cylinder 18) synchronously with the rotary valve. Subsequently, the servo motor 33 starts in reverse, driving the valve stem 5 to move downward, squeezing the material in the metering cylinder 4. The material is conveyed to the sandwich casting nozzle 3 through the discharge port 41 of the rotary valve. At the same time, the sealing ring pusher 22 moves in reverse (upward) synchronously with the valve stem 5, cooperating with the water filling action of the second rotary valve 29, to draw the heating fluid into the gap between the heating cylinder 18 and the metering cylinder 4, preheating the empty metering cylinder 4, and preparing for the next feeding.

[0042] The skin and core are simultaneously fed to the filling nozzle 3 by two quantitative feeding components. The core flows out through the core material inner channel of the core rod 30, and the skin flows out through the skin material channel between the core rod 30 and the outer nozzle 31. The skin wraps the core to form a sandwich structure, and is poured from the bottom of the filling nozzle 31 into the mold below to complete the filling of a single gummy candy.

[0043] Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A fully automatic soft candy rotary valve sandwich casting machine, characterized in that: It includes a frame, a conveying mechanism, a casting device, and two hoppers. The two hoppers are used to store the skin material and the core material, respectively. The casting device includes several sandwich casting nozzles and two quantitative feeding components. The two quantitative feeding components are connected to the two hoppers, and the two feed ends in the sandwich casting nozzles are connected to the two quantitative feeding components. The quantitative feeding assembly includes a rotary valve, several quantitative cylinders, several valve stems, and a power assembly. The power assembly is mounted on the frame. The quantitative cylinders are located at the top of the rotary valve and communicate with it. The other two ports of the rotary valve are connected to the hopper and the sandwich casting nozzle, respectively. The valve stems are slidably arranged inside the quantitative cylinders. The top of each valve stem is connected to the power assembly, thereby driving the valve stems to move up and down through the power assembly. The frame is mounted on the conveying mechanism. Multiple molds are installed at intervals on the conveying surface of the conveying mechanism. An auxiliary demolding mechanism is provided at the end of the conveying mechanism to vibrate the molds and separate the formed sandwich gummy candies from the mold cavity. Each hopper has several stirring components at its bottom. Each stirring component includes a support rod with a lead screw at its upper part. A connecting seat is threaded onto the lead screw, and a support is connected to the top of the connecting seat via a bearing. The support is connected to a power component, thus moving synchronously with the valve stem. A stirring element is movably connected to the support rod. The stirring element is connected to the connecting seat via several connecting rods. When the support rises or falls, it drives the connecting seat to move synchronously. The rising and falling of the connecting seat along the lead screw converts linear motion into rotational motion, thereby causing the stirring element to rotate.

2. The fully automatic soft candy rotary valve sandwich casting machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The stirring component includes a rotating seat and several stirring racks distributed on the rotating seat. The rotating seat is movably sleeved on the surface of the support rod and connected to the connecting seat through the connecting rod. The stirring rack has a passage opening. Rotating shafts are rotatably connected to the left and right sides of the passage opening. Sealing plates are symmetrically connected to the two rotating shafts. When the sealing plates on both sides are closed, they block the passage opening. A limiting plate is provided at the upper end of the inner wall of the passage opening. The limiting plate is located above the sealing plate, so that the sealing plate can only rotate downward.

3. The fully automatic soft candy rotary valve sandwich casting machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The power assembly includes a servo motor and a pressure frame mounted on a frame. The pressure frame is slidably disposed within the frame, and each corresponding valve stem is mounted on the bottom end of the pressure frame. A drive frame is disposed at the upper end of the pressure frame, and a third rack is disposed on the drive frame. The third rack meshes with the servo motor for transmission.

4. The fully automatic soft candy rotary valve sandwich casting machine according to claim 3, characterized in that: The mold includes a mold base and a module. The module is slidably embedded in the top of the mold base, and several buffer springs are connected between the bottom of the module and the mold base. The weight of the module is greater than the elastic force of the buffer springs. The auxiliary demolding mechanism includes a demolding motor, which is installed on the bottom side of the conveying end of the conveying mechanism. A protruding wheel is provided on the output shaft of the demolding motor. The protrusion of the protruding wheel abuts against the module on the lower side of the conveying surface of the conveying mechanism. Both ends of the pressure frame are provided with a downward pressure rod. A pressing rod is slidably embedded in the bottom of the downward pressure rod, and a spring is connected between the pressing rod and the downward pressure rod. When the pressure frame descends, the pressing rod descends synchronously and contacts the top surface of the module to press down.

5. The fully automatic soft candy rotary valve sandwich casting machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotary valve includes a valve body and a valve core. The valve body has several feed ports, several injection ports, and several discharge ports along its length, corresponding to the number of sandwich casting nozzles. The valve core has several independent channels. The feed ports are connected to the hopper. The metering cylinder is installed on the side of the valve body and is connected to the injection port. The discharge port is connected to the corresponding sandwich casting nozzle. A pair of telescopic cylinders are hinged to the side of the frame. The rotating shaft of the valve core is provided with a swing block. The piston rod of the telescopic cylinder is hinged to the swing block.

6. The fully automatic soft candy rotary valve sandwich casting machine according to claim 5, characterized in that: The outer side of the metering cylinder is covered by a heating cylinder, and a heating box is provided at the side end of the frame. A heating component is provided inside the heating box for heating the fluid stored therein. A flow hole is opened at the end of the heating cylinder near the rotary valve. The flow hole is connected to the heating box through a pipe. A sealing ring pusher is slidably arranged inside the heating cylinder. The upper end of the sealing ring pusher is connected to the valve stem, so that it moves synchronously with the valve stem.

7. The fully automatic soft candy rotary valve sandwich casting machine according to claim 6, characterized in that: The valve body is provided with a base at its upper end. The metering cylinder and the heating cylinder are both embedded in the base. The upper end of the sealing annular push block is provided with a guide rod and a first rack. The top end of the guide rod extends to be slidably connected to the base. The side end of the valve stem is provided with a groove, and a second rack is provided in the groove. A gear is rotatably connected to the base. The gear meshes between the first rack and the second rack, thereby realizing the synchronous reverse movement of the valve stem and the sealing annular push block through gear transmission.

8. The fully automatic soft candy rotary valve sandwich casting machine according to claim 6, characterized in that: The heating chamber is equipped with a partition that divides it into a hot water zone and a cold water zone. The heating element is located in the hot water zone, and there is a gap between the top of the partition and the top of the heating chamber. A second rotary valve is provided at the bottom of the heating chamber. The three ports of the second rotary valve are respectively connected to the hot water zone, the cold water zone, and the flow hole through pipelines. The rotating shaft of the second rotary valve meshes with the rotating shaft of the corresponding side of the rotary valve through a gear set to achieve synchronous rotation.

9. The fully automatic soft candy rotary valve sandwich casting machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sandwich casting nozzle includes a core rod and a casting outer nozzle; the core rod has an axially oriented inner channel for core material flow, and a positioning boss is integrally formed in the middle of the core rod; the casting outer nozzle has an axially oriented inner hole for the outer nozzle seat, and the core rod passes through the inner hole of the outer nozzle seat. The positioning boss abuts against the inner wall of the inner hole of the outer nozzle seat to achieve axial positioning of the core rod and the casting outer nozzle; a material flow channel is formed between the outer wall of the core rod and the inner hole of the outer nozzle seat; threaded connecting seats are respectively provided at the top of the core rod and the casting outer nozzle.

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