A new type of herbal screening machine and screening method thereof

Abstract

This invention discloses a novel herbal medicine screening machine and its screening method, relating to the field of screening machines. The machine includes: a disturbance screening mechanism, a negative pressure system, and a collection component. The disturbance screening mechanism is located inside the screening machine housing near the conveyor belt, used to disturb and loosen the herbs on the conveyor belt, creating dust. The negative pressure system provides graded negative pressure suction inside the screening machine housing, extracting and separating various impurities in the dusty state. The collection component is used to grade and classify the extracted impurities for collection. This invention features a dedicated disturbance screening mechanism that, through an arc-shaped disturbance plate and a baffle arc surface, forces the herbs to climb, loosen, and create dust, breaking the compacted state of the stacked herbs and fully exposing gaps and hidden impurities at the bottom. Simultaneously, a bottom-vented air-blowing structure disperses the herbs from the bottom. Combined with a multi-stage negative pressure adsorption structure, this completely solves the shortcomings of traditional equipment that can only clean surface impurities and cannot screen deep impurities, significantly improving the accuracy and thoroughness of herbal medicine screening.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of screening machine technology, and specifically to a novel herbal medicine screening machine and its screening method. Background Technology

[0002] During the harvesting, drying, and transportation of Chinese medicinal herbs, they are easily mixed with various impurities such as stones, soil, dust, straw, broken plastic film, and substandard herb fragments. The mixture of impurities will seriously affect the quality, efficacy, and subsequent deep processing precision of the finished Chinese medicinal herbs. Therefore, herb screening is an indispensable core process in the processing and production of Chinese medicinal herbs.

[0003] Currently, traditional herbal medicine screening equipment mostly adopts a single negative pressure dust collection or fixed screen sieving structure, which has many shortcomings in practical use. First, traditional dust collection equipment can only adsorb light dust and debris exposed on the surface of herbs, and cannot effectively clean impurities such as stones and fine herb fragments piled at the bottom of herbs and trapped between the herbs, resulting in large screening residue and low screening thoroughness. Second, conventional screening equipment lacks a structure for classifying and collecting impurities, and various light and heavy impurities accumulate together, which can easily cause pipe blockage, leading to poor equipment operation stability, frequent shutdowns for cleaning, and seriously affecting production efficiency. Third, existing screening equipment mostly operates in a single pump constant negative pressure mode, and the equipment operates at full load regardless of the amount of material or the level of impurities, resulting in high energy consumption and poor energy efficiency.

[0004] To address these issues, we provide a novel herbal medicine screening machine and its screening method. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the problems existing in the prior art, this invention provides a novel herbal medicine screening machine and its screening method, which solves the problem that the prior art cannot achieve automated classification and collection of light and heavy impurities, and that the subsequent sorting and processing of impurities is labor-intensive.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention employs a novel herbal medicine screening machine, comprising a screening chamber, which is a vertical rectangular pipe structure. The screening chamber has an open bottom and is positioned above a conveyor belt used for transporting herbs. The width of the screening chamber is greater than the width of the conveyor belt. Also includes: Disturbance screening mechanism, negative pressure system and collection components; The disturbance screening mechanism is located inside the screening machine box near the conveyor belt, and is used to disturb and loosen the herbs on the conveyor belt and generate dust. The negative pressure system is used to provide graded negative pressure suction inside the screening chamber to suck out and separate various impurities in the dusty state; The collection component is used to classify and collect the extracted impurities. The disturbance screening mechanism includes a baffle and a disturbance component, which are arranged sequentially at the bottom of the screening machine box along the conveyor belt conveying direction; The baffle is fixed at both ends to the inner walls of both sides of the screening machine box, the bottom surface of the baffle is movably attached to the surface of the conveyor belt, and an arc-shaped surface is provided on the side of the baffle near the disturbance component. The disturbance component is used to propel the herbs up and over the curved surface, thereby loosening and dusting the herbs.

[0007] As a further optimization of the above solution, the disturbance component includes a hollow transmission rod, an arc-shaped disturbance plate, and a rigid stop bar. The hollow transmission rod is rotatably connected to the inner wall of the screening machine box, and multiple arc-shaped disturbance plates are provided and fixed at equal angles to the outer ring of the hollow transmission rod. The arc-shaped disturbance plate has a hollow interlayer inside, and the inner arc surface of the arc-shaped disturbance plate has a number of holes that communicate with the hollow interlayer. The hollow interlayer is connected to the hollow transmission rod. A base plate is fixed to the rear side of the screening machine box, and a servo motor for driving the hollow transmission rod to rotate is installed on the base plate. The rigid baffle is fixed to the inner wall of the screening machine box and arranged along the length of the hollow transmission rod. The rigid baffle is located between the hollow transmission rod and the baffle and is higher than the baffle.

[0008] As a further optimization of the above solution, the end of the hollow transmission rod near the servo motor moves out of the screening box and is sleeved and fixed to the outer ring of the servo motor's shaft. The hollow transmission rod has several rectangular connecting slots distributed at equal angles on the outer ring of one end located outside the screening machine box, and an annular sleeve is movably fitted on the outer ring of the hollow transmission rod. The annular sleeve is fixed to the outer wall of the screening machine box by a connecting plate. An annular cavity is formed between the annular sleeve and the hollow transmission rod. The annular cavity is connected to the inside of the hollow transmission rod by a connecting groove. The bottom of the annular sleeve is connected to a negative pressure suction tube, which is connected to an external negative pressure vacuuming mechanism.

[0009] As a further optimization of the above solution, the baffle is provided with an air cavity inside, and the surface of the baffle is provided with an array of air holes communicating with the air cavity; A second negative pressure suction pump is installed on the front surface of the screening box. The output end of the second negative pressure suction pump is connected to the inside of the air cavity and is used to provide airflow to the air hole.

[0010] As a further optimization of the above solution, the negative pressure system includes a first negative pressure suction pump, a second negative pressure suction pump and a negative pressure suction pipe corresponding to a negative pressure dust collection mechanism, and a circular upper casing is integrally provided on the upper end of the screening box; An annular material distribution box is fixedly installed on the outside of the upper casing, and the first negative pressure suction pump is fixedly installed on the outside of the annular material distribution box.

[0011] As a further optimization of the above solution, the annular material distribution box is provided with an inner tube that communicates with the upper casing. The outer ring of the inner tube and the inner wall of the annular material distribution box form an annular separation cavity, and the bottom of the inner tube communicates with the annular separation cavity. The bottom of the annular material distribution box is fixed with a second dust discharge pipe and a first dust discharge pipe, and the inner pipe is isolated from the second dust discharge pipe by a partition. The bottom of the annular separation chamber is provided with a plurality of rectangular holes arranged in an array, the rectangular holes are connected to the first dust discharge pipe, and the input end of the first negative pressure suction pump is connected to the upper end of the annular separation chamber; A third dust discharge pipe is installed at the bottom of the second dust discharge pipe, and a fourth dust discharge pipe is sleeved at the bottom of the first dust discharge pipe. Both the third and fourth dust discharge pipes have collection buckets at their bottoms.

[0012] As a further optimization of the above solution, an upwardly curved arc-shaped intercepting plate is fixed to the inner wall of the lower end of the upper casing, and a feed inlet is formed between the arc-shaped intercepting plate and the inner wall of the upper casing. The upper casing is equipped with a negative pressure sensor and an infrared material detection sensor. The sensor is electrically connected to the first negative pressure suction pump and is used to adaptively adjust the negative pressure power.

[0013] As a further optimization of the above solution, the second negative pressure suction pump is connected to the inside of the first dust discharge pipe through a bend in the pipe; The second dust discharge pipe is equipped with a first switch valve, and the first dust discharge pipe is equipped with a second switch valve below the bend. Both the first and second switching valves have a single-end hinged unloading plate structure. A return spring is connected between the bottom of the unloading plate and the inner wall of the pipe, forming a gravity-driven automatic unloading sealing structure.

[0014] As a further optimization of the above solution, the arc-shaped disturbance plate is made of food-grade wear-resistant silicone and glass fiber composite material, which has flexible elastic properties and can be used in conjunction with a rigid stop bar to achieve elastic deformation and material release.

[0015] This invention also discloses a novel method for screening herbs, applied to a novel herb screening machine, comprising the following steps: S1. Screening machine debugging and pretreatment: Check the sealing of the screening machine and the operating status of the parts, place the sorting collection bucket, adjust the servo motor speed and the initial power of the negative pressure pump according to the type of herbs and the degree of dryness and moisture, preheat the equipment and standby, and control the conveyor belt to transport the single layer of herbs at a uniform speed. S2, Herbal loosening and dust control: The conveyor belt carries the herbs into the screening area. The flow is limited by the baffle, and the arc-shaped disturbance plate pushes the herbs to climb and turn over, thus loosening the herbs and controlling dust. At the same time, the second negative pressure suction pump blows air through the air holes at the bottom to break up the stacked structure of the herbs and achieve preliminary separation of impurities. S3. In-situ adsorption of fine impurities: Fine stones, medicinal debris, and dust that fall out between the herbs enter the hollow transmission rod through the holes and are then sucked out and collected in situ by the external negative pressure dust collection mechanism. S4. Impurity Classification and Air Separation: The dual pumps work together to form a negative pressure air field. Dust and impurities enter the annular distribution box with the airflow. Based on the principle of gravity settling, heavy impurities fall into the first and fourth dust discharge pipes for collection, while light impurities fall into the second and third dust discharge pipes for collection. S5. Secondary purification to prevent backflow: The arc-shaped interception plate intercepts backflowing impurities, and the sensor monitors parameters in real time, adaptively increasing the negative pressure power to achieve secondary adsorption and purification of impurities. S6. Automated continuous operation: The switching valve automatically unloads and resets the seal according to the weight of impurities, and the pure herbs are output with the conveyor belt, completing the manual re-inspection and collection. S7. Shutdown Maintenance: After the operation is completed, stop the machine, clean the impurities from the screening machine, check the wear and tear of parts, and complete the screening machine maintenance.

[0016] The present invention discloses a novel herbal medicine screening machine and screening method, which has the following beneficial effects: 1. This invention features a dedicated disturbance screening mechanism. Through an arc-shaped disturbance plate and a baffle arc-shaped surface, herbs are forced to climb, loosen, and disperse dust, breaking up the compacted state of stacked herbs and fully exposing gaps and hidden impurities at the bottom. At the same time, it is combined with a bottom air hole blowing structure to disperse the herbs from the bottom. Combined with a multi-stage negative pressure adsorption structure, it completely solves the shortcomings of traditional equipment that can only clean surface impurities and cannot screen deep impurities, greatly improving the screening accuracy and thoroughness of herbs. 2. This invention utilizes a ring-shaped material distribution box combined with multiple dust removal pipes to automatically classify, screen, and collect heavy impurities (pebbles, lumpy medicinal debris) and light impurities (straw, mulch film, dust) using the principle of gravity settling. This avoids the accumulation of various impurities that could cause pipe blockage and ensures continuous and stable operation of the equipment. Simultaneously, the medicinal debris can be recycled and reused as raw materials for veterinary drugs and organic fertilizers, maximizing resource utilization and reducing material waste. 3. This invention adopts a collaborative working mode of the first negative pressure suction pump and the second negative pressure suction pump. Under normal conditions, the negative pressure is provided by the linkage of the two pumps, without the need for the main pump to operate at full load. The negative pressure sensor monitors the negative pressure intensity inside the machine box in real time and adaptively adjusts the power of the main pump to make up for the defects of negative pressure fluctuation. Under the premise of ensuring stable screening effect, the energy consumption of the equipment is greatly reduced, and the energy saving is excellent.

[0017] Specific embodiments of the present invention are disclosed in detail with reference to the following description and accompanying drawings, indicating how the principles of the present invention can be adopted. It should be understood that the embodiments of the present invention are not limited in scope as a result, and that the embodiments of the present invention include many changes, modifications and equivalents within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a first-view structural schematic diagram of the novel herbal medicine screening machine of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the second-view structure of the novel herbal medicine screening machine of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a third-view structural diagram of the novel herbal medicine screening machine of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional structural cross-sectional view of the novel herbal medicine screening machine of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the disturbance component and baffle structure of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view of the planar structure of the novel herbal medicine screening machine of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the novel herbal medicine screening machine of the present invention when used in combination with a conveyor belt; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the baffle of the present invention when it is used to adhere to the surface of the conveyor belt; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the arc-shaped disturbance plate of the present invention during rotational operation; Figure 10 This is a cross-sectional view of the assembly structure of the annular material distribution box, the first dust discharge pipe, and the third dust discharge pipe of the present invention; Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the annular dispensing box of the present invention; Figure 12 For the present invention Figure 10 Enlarged schematic diagram of the structure at point A in the middle; Figure 13 This is a cross-sectional view of the annular sleeve of the present invention. Figure 14 For the present invention Figure 13 Enlarged schematic diagram of the structure at point B; Figure 15 This is a cross-sectional view of the annular sleeve of the present invention from another perspective; Figure 16 For the present invention Figure 15 Enlarged schematic diagram of the structure at point C.

[0019] In the diagram: 1. Screening box; 2. Upper box; 3. Annular material distribution box; 4. First negative pressure suction pump; 5. First dust discharge pipe; 6. Second dust discharge pipe; 7. Third dust discharge pipe; 8. Fourth dust discharge pipe; 9. Second negative pressure suction pump; 10. Baffle; 11. Disturbance component; 12. Base plate; 13. Servo motor; 14. Annular sleeve; 15. Arc-shaped interception plate; 16. Feed inlet; 17. Negative pressure suction pipe; 18. Air chamber; 19. Air hole; 20. Arc-shaped surface; 21. Hollow transmission rod; 22. Arc-shaped disturbance plate; 23. Hollow interlayer; 24. Leakage hole; 25. Rigid baffle; 26. Conveyor belt; 27. Annular separation chamber; 28. Inner tube; 29. ​​Rectangular hole; 30. First switching valve; 31. Second switching valve; 32. Bend; 33. Connecting plate; 34. Connecting groove; 35. Rotating shaft. Detailed Implementation

[0020] Please refer to the instruction manual appendix. Figure 1-16 This invention provides a technical solution: a novel herbal medicine screening machine, comprising: a screening box 1, which is a vertically distributed pipe structure, preferably rectangular, with an opening at the lower end of the screening box 1 for covering the conveyor line that transports the herbs, providing negative pressure suction to the screening box 1, thereby sucking out stones, straw, plastic film, herb fragments (herb debris that does not meet medicinal standards) and dust that are lighter than herbs; the herbs are retained on the conveyor line and continue to be transported, and can be screened manually to complete the screening work.

[0021] refer to Figure 7 As shown, the screening box 1 is installed on the support on the side of the conveyor belt 26. The screening box 1 is completely covered above the conveyor belt 26, and the width of the screening box 1 is greater than the width of the conveyor belt 26 to ensure that the herbs in the conveying process can be completely covered. In this invention, the conveyor belt 26 is used to transport herbs such as Salvia miltiorrhiza. Similarly, it can also be used to screen most commonly used Chinese herbs such as flowers, leaves, and fruits, and has a wide range of applications.

[0022] The novel herbal medicine screening machine of this invention consists of three parts: Part 1: Disturbance screening mechanism. The disturbance screening mechanism is located inside the screening box 1 near the conveyor belt 26. It is used to disturb the herbs conveyed on the conveyor belt 26, so that the herbs are lifted up and the stones, straw, plastic film, herb debris and dust are screened out by wind separation. Part Two: Negative Pressure System. The negative pressure system is used to provide stable and graded negative pressure suction inside the screening chamber 1 to match the adsorption requirements of impurities of different weights, so that stones, straw, plastic film, herb chips and dust in the disturbed herbs can be sucked out by negative pressure. Part Three: Collection Components. The collection components are used to classify and collect stones, straw, plastic film, medicinal debris, and dust sucked out by negative pressure according to their weight and volume specifications, so as to realize the graded recycling of impurities and at the same time avoid pipe blockage, ensuring the continuous, efficient and stable operation of this new type of herbal medicine screening machine.

[0023] refer to Figures 1 to 3 and Figure 5 The diagram shows a three-dimensional structure of the novel herbal medicine screening machine from three perspectives; it illustrates the connection relationship and structural arrangement of the perturbation screening mechanism, negative pressure system, and collection components in this invention; specifically: The disturbance screening mechanism includes: baffle 10 and disturbance component 11; Both the baffle 10 and the disturbance component 11 are located at the bottom of the screening box 1 and close to the conveyor belt 26. The disturbance component 11 and the baffle 10 are arranged sequentially along the conveying direction of the conveyor belt 26. The two ends of the baffle 10 are fixedly installed on the inner walls of both sides of the screening box 1. The bottom surface of the baffle 10 is movably attached to the surface of the conveyor belt 26. The baffle 10 is used to block the herbs on the conveyor belt 26. The side of the baffle 10 close to the disturbance component 11 is provided with an arc-shaped surface 20. The disturbance component 11 is used to disturb the herbs and drive them to climb uphill along the height direction of the arc-shaped surface 20. After climbing to the top of the baffle 10, it falls from the side of the baffle 10 away from the curved surface 20 onto the upper surface of the continuously running conveyor belt 26. This process is used for dust removal from the herbs. During this process, the negative pressure suction in the screening box 1 can suck out stones, straw, plastic film, herb chips and dust from the herbs, reducing residue. This replaces the conventional dust collection equipment that cannot suck out stones, straw, plastic film, herb chips and dust mixed in the bottom or gaps of the herbs. It can efficiently separate and screen out stones, straw, plastic film, herb chips and dust from the herbs through the dust removal phenomenon.

[0024] refer to Figure 3 and Figure 5As shown, the disturbance component 11 includes a hollow transmission rod 21, an arc-shaped disturbance plate 22, and a rigid stop bar 25. The hollow transmission rod 21 is rotatably connected to the inner wall of the screening machine housing 1. Multiple arc-shaped disturbance plates 22 are provided, and multiple arc-shaped disturbance plates 22 are fixedly connected at equal angles to the outer ring of the hollow transmission rod 21. A hollow interlayer 23 is provided inside the arc-shaped disturbance plate 22. The arc-shaped disturbance plate 22 has an arc-shaped plate structure. Several holes 24 are provided on the inner arc surface of the arc-shaped disturbance plate 22. The holes 24 communicate with the hollow interlayer 23. The hollow interlayer 23 and the hollow... The internal structure of the transmission rod 21 is open. A base plate 12 is fixedly installed on the rear side of the screening box 1. A servo motor 13 is fixedly installed on the upper surface of the base plate 12. The servo motor 13 is used to drive the hollow transmission rod 21 to rotate. A rigid stop bar 25 is fixedly installed on the inner wall of the screening box 1 and arranged along the length of the hollow transmission rod 21. The rigid stop bar 25 is located between the hollow transmission rod 21 and the baffle 10, and the position of the rigid stop bar 25 is higher than that of the baffle 10. It is used to cooperate with the arc-shaped disturbance plate 22 with flexible elastic properties to achieve elastic material removal.

[0025] refer to Figures 13 to 16 As shown, a rotating shaft 35 is mounted on the servo motor 13. One end of the hollow transmission rod 21, near the servo motor 13, moves through the outer surface of the screening chamber 1. The hollow transmission rod 21 is fitted onto the outer ring of the rotating shaft 35 and fixed with screws and nuts to ensure synchronous transmission and prevent slippage. A connecting groove 34 is provided on the outer ring of the end of the hollow transmission rod 21 outside the screening chamber 1. The connecting groove 34 is a rectangular groove structure, and multiple connecting grooves 34 are provided. These multiple connecting grooves 34 are distributed at equal angles along the axis of the hollow transmission rod 21. A ring sleeve 14 is movably fitted at the ring. The end of the ring sleeve 14 is fixedly installed on the outer surface of the screening box 1 through the connecting plate 33. The ring sleeve 14 covers the outside of the connecting groove 34 and forms an annular cavity with the outer ring of the hollow transmission rod 21. The annular cavity is connected to the inside of the hollow transmission rod 21 through the connecting groove 34. A negative pressure suction pipe 17 is connected to the bottom of the ring sleeve 14. The negative pressure suction pipe 17 is connected to the external negative pressure dust collection mechanism (not shown in the figure, which is a conventional commercially available negative pressure fan with a high-precision dust removal filter, which can be used for negative pressure dust collection and impurity interception).

[0026] When the servo motor 13 drives the hollow transmission rod 21 to rotate, the hollow transmission rod 21 drives the arc-shaped disturbance plate 22 to rotate synchronously, pushing the herbs stacked on the upper surface of the conveyor belt 26 towards the arc-shaped surface 20. The end of the arc-shaped disturbance plate 22 is attached to the surface of the arc-shaped surface 20. As the arc-shaped disturbance plate 22 continues to rotate, the herbs can be continuously pushed towards the top of the arc-shaped surface 20 and the baffle 10. When the herbs fall from the other side of the baffle 10, a sufficient dust phenomenon is generated, thoroughly exposing the internal impurities; while the herbs are affected by the arc-shaped disturbance plate 22 During the pushing, rubbing, and loosening process, the small stones, medicinal debris, and dust contained in the herbs can enter the hollow interlayer 23 through the perforation 24. As the arc-shaped disturbance plate 22 continues to rotate, the stones, medicinal debris, and dust in the hollow interlayer 23 fall into the hollow transmission rod 21. At this time, the negative pressure suction mechanism is activated, which can suck out the stones, medicinal debris, and dust in the hollow transmission rod 21 in sequence through the connecting groove 34, the annular chamber, and the negative pressure suction pipe 17 to the external collection bucket for centralized collection (the collection bucket is not shown in the figure).

[0027] To meet the needs of routine Chinese medicinal herb screening, this embodiment defines the core structural parameters as follows: The aperture of the perforation 24 is set to 3mm. The cross-sectional height of the hollow interlayer 23 for dust, particles or other impurities to pass through is 5mm. The inner diameter of the hollow transmission rod 21 is 20mm. The length of the connecting groove 34 is 15mm and the width is 8mm. The inner diameter of the negative pressure suction tube 17 is 25mm. It can allow stones, medicinal debris and dust smaller than 3mm to pass through for screening. For coarse root and stem medicinal materials, the aperture can be enlarged to 5mm, and for fine flower and leaf medicinal materials, the aperture can be reduced to 2mm. The arc-shaped disturbance plate 22 of the corresponding specification can be flexibly replaced according to the type of herb to be screened, which has strong adaptability.

[0028] refer to Figure 1 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 , Figure 5 As shown, the baffle 10 has an air chamber 18 inside, and the surface of the baffle 10 has air holes 19. The air holes 19 are connected to the air chamber 18, and the diameter of the air holes 19 is set to 2mm, so that the air is evenly discharged without dead corners. A second negative pressure suction pump 9 is installed on the front surface of the screening box 1. The output end of the second negative pressure suction pump 9 is connected to the inside of the air chamber 18. When the second negative pressure suction pump 9 is started, it can provide a continuous low-pressure air force to the air chamber 18. The air force blows vertically out of the air holes 19 and blows directly onto the bottom of the disturbed and uphill herbs, lifting and scattering the herbs from the bottom, further breaking down the stacked structure of the herbs, so that the stones, straw, plastic film, herb chips and dust in the herbs are quickly separated from the herbs, greatly improving the thoroughness of screening.

[0029] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown in the figure, the negative pressure system in this invention consists of a second negative pressure suction pump 9, a first negative pressure suction pump 4, and a negative pressure dust collection system connected to the negative pressure suction pipe 17, forming a three-stage negative pressure screening structure. The upper chamber 2 is integrally set on the upper end of the screening chamber 1. The upper chamber 2 is a circular shell structure. An annular material distribution box 3 is fixedly installed on the side of the upper chamber 2. The first negative pressure suction pump 4 is installed on the side of the annular material distribution box 3 away from the upper chamber 2. When the upper chamber 2 is started, it generates negative pressure suction, providing an upward negative pressure air field for the screening chamber 1, so that the stones, straw, plastic film, medicine chips, and dust that are screened out can be stably sucked upward, realizing air separation.

[0030] refer to Figures 10 to 13 As shown, the annular material distribution box 3 has a circular shell structure. An inner tube 28 is provided inside the annular material distribution box 3. The inner tube 28 is connected to the inside of the upper casing 2. The outer ring of the inner tube 28 and the inner wall of the annular material distribution box 3 form an annular separation cavity 27. The bottom of the inner tube 28 is connected to the inside of the annular separation cavity 27. A second dust discharge pipe 6 is fixedly connected to the bottom of the annular material distribution box 3. The second dust discharge pipe 6 and the inner tube 28 are separated by a partition to avoid mixing of impurities of different weights. A third dust discharge pipe 7 is installed at the bottom of the second dust discharge pipe 6. A first dust discharge pipe 5 is provided on one side of the third dust discharge pipe 7. The upper end of the first dust discharge pipe 5 is fixedly provided at the bottom of the annular material distribution box 3. A plurality of rectangular holes 29 are arranged in an array at the bottom of the annular material distribution box 3. The upper end of the rectangular holes 29 is connected to the inside of the annular separation cavity 27. The bottom end of the rectangular holes 29 is connected to the first dust discharge pipe 5. The input end of the first negative pressure suction pump 4 is connected to the upper end of the annular separation cavity 27. When the first negative pressure suction pump 4 starts and generates negative pressure suction, the screened stones, straw, plastic film, medicinal debris, and dust enter the bottom of the annular separation chamber 27 through the inner pipe 28, achieving graded screening based on the principle of gravity settling. Stones and medicinal debris heavier than straw, dust, and plastic film settle rapidly under gravity and fall into the first dust discharge pipe 5 through the rectangular hole 29 for collection, while the lighter straw, dust, and plastic film are drawn by the negative pressure airflow and pass through the annular separation chamber 27 and the second dust discharge pipe 6 in sequence into the third dust discharge pipe 7. This accurately achieves the separation, screening, and classification collection of heavy impurities (stones and medicinal debris) and light impurities (straw, plastic film, and dust), fundamentally avoiding the accumulation and blockage of pipe impurities and ensuring screening efficiency.

[0031] It should be noted that the input end of the first negative pressure suction pump 4 is equipped with a double-layer filtration structure of high-density filter screen and dustproof filter cotton, with a filtration accuracy of up to 1mm. This can effectively intercept impurities and prevent stones, straw, plastic film, medicine chips and dust from entering the interior of the first negative pressure suction pump 4, thus preventing equipment wear and malfunction and extending the service life of the equipment.

[0032] refer to Figure 4As shown in the diagram, as a further design, an arc-shaped intercepting plate 15 is fixedly installed on the lower inner wall of the upper casing 2. The arc-shaped intercepting plate 15 is curved upward into an arc shape, and an inlet 16 is formed between the arc-shaped intercepting plate 15 and the inner wall of the upper casing 2. When stones, straw, plastic film, medicinal debris, and dust are sucked into the upper part of the screening box 1 by negative pressure, they smoothly enter the interior of the upper casing 2 through the inlet 16. The arc-shaped intercepting plate 15 can form a buffer intercepting structure to avoid the problem of stones, straw, plastic film, medicinal debris, and dust falling back due to fluctuations in negative pressure suction or insufficient suction. This prevents stones, straw, plastic film, medicinal debris, and dust from falling back to the conveyor belt 26 and causing secondary pollution of the herbs. The adsorbed stones, straw, plastic film, medicinal debris, and dust will preferentially stay on the upper surface of the arc-shaped intercepting plate 15 under the inertia of negative pressure adsorption and the guiding effect of the inner wall of the upper casing 2.

[0033] In this embodiment, a pressure sensor and an infrared material detection sensor are fixedly installed on the inner wall of the upper casing 2 to detect the negative pressure intensity inside the casing and the amount of impurities accumulated on the surface of the intercepting plate in real time. When the amount of impurities accumulated exceeds the standard or the negative pressure intensity is insufficient, the operating power of the first negative pressure suction pump 4 is automatically increased to suck up and discharge the impurities remaining on the upper surface of the arc-shaped intercepting plate 15, ensuring the continuity of screening.

[0034] refer to Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, the arc-shaped disturbance plate 22 is made of food-grade wear-resistant silicone and glass fiber composite material. This material has the characteristics of high strength, high flexibility, wear resistance and anti-aging. At the same time, it is soft and will not scratch the herb body, which can protect the integrity of fragile Chinese medicinal materials such as danshen and white peony. Due to the limiting and blocking effect of the rigid baffle 25, when the arc-shaped disturbance plate 22 rotates continuously to disturb and push the herb, the arc-shaped disturbance plate 22 will produce reverse elastic deformation after contacting the rigid baffle 25 and rebound quickly. This allows the herb stored on the concave surface of the arc-shaped disturbance plate 22 to completely fall off and be thrown above the baffle 10, completely eliminating the problem of the herb being carried by the arc-shaped disturbance plate 22 and being transported back, and avoiding the accumulation and sieving of herb.

[0035] refer to Figure 10 and Figure 12 As shown in the figure, a fourth dust discharge pipe 8 is connected to the bottom of the first dust discharge pipe 5. A collection bucket is detachably attached to the bottom of the fourth dust discharge pipe 8. A separate collection bucket is also attached to the bottom of the third dust discharge pipe 7. The different collection buckets (not shown in the figure) are used to classify and collect impurities, and are used to collect different stones, straw, plastic film, medicine residue, and dust. The heavier stones and medicine residue are mainly collected in the collection bucket at the bottom of the fourth dust discharge pipe 8. The medicine residue can be screened out later for secondary crushing and processing into veterinary drug raw materials or organic fertilizer raw materials to achieve resource recycling. The lighter straw, plastic film, and dust are collected in the collection bucket at the bottom of the third dust discharge pipe 7 for unified centralized harmless treatment.

[0036] In summary, this invention achieves the classification and recovery of impurities through a graded negative pressure collection structure, reducing subsequent manual sorting and impurity treatment steps, and significantly improving the overall efficiency of herbal medicine screening.

[0037] In this invention, the second negative pressure suction pump 9 is internally connected to the first dust discharge pipe 5 via a bend 32. To achieve energy saving and consumption reduction, and stable negative pressure regulation, this invention adopts a dual-pump linkage energy-saving control logic. A negative pressure sensor is installed on the inner wall of the upper casing 2 to dynamically detect the negative pressure intensity inside the upper casing 2 in real time. When the equipment is initially started and in normal operation, the second negative pressure suction pump 9 acts in both directions. The output end of the second negative pressure suction pump 9 generates airflow and delivers it to the air chamber 18 to achieve bottom airflow and material turning of the herbs. At the same time, the input end of the second negative pressure suction pump 9 generates auxiliary negative pressure suction, which acts on the inside of the upper casing 2 through the bend 32 and the first dust discharge pipe 5, forming a dual-pump collaborative negative pressure supply with the first negative pressure suction pump 4. The first negative pressure suction pump 4 does not need to operate at full power, which greatly reduces the energy consumption of the equipment. When the negative pressure sensor detects that the negative pressure inside the upper casing 2 is lower than the set threshold and cannot meet the impurity adsorption requirements, the control system automatically increases the operating power of the first negative pressure suction pump 4 to quickly make up for the negative pressure difference and ensure stable screening effect.

[0038] To ensure the effectiveness of the negative pressure linkage and prevent negative pressure leakage, a first switching valve 30 is installed in the second dust discharge pipe 6, and a second switching valve 31 is installed at the bottom of the first dust discharge pipe 5. The second switching valve 31 is located below the position where the bend 32 connects to the first dust discharge pipe 5. Both the first switching valve 30 and the second switching valve 31 adopt a weighted spring unloading valve structure, similar to the working principle of a weighted level gauge. Under normal conditions, they remain in a sealed and closed state, and only open automatically to unload when impurities in the pipe accumulate to a set weight threshold. This structure can ensure that the lower end of the second dust discharge pipe 6 and the lower end of the first dust discharge pipe 5 are in a sealed state for a long time, eliminating negative pressure leakage and ensuring that the auxiliary negative pressure suction force generated by the second negative pressure suction pump 9 can be fully applied to the inside of the upper casing 2.

[0039] Specifically, the first switch valve 30 and the second switch valve 31 are single-end rotating unloading plate structures. One end of the unloading plate is hinged to the inner wall of the pipe by a pin, and a return spring is connected between the bottom of the unloading plate and the inner wall of the pipe. Under normal conditions, the return spring supports the unloading plate to maintain a horizontal seal and blocks the ventilation of the pipe. When the weight of the stones, straw, plastic film, medicine chips, and dust accumulated in the pipe exceeds the supporting force of the return spring, the unloading plate is pressed and rotates, compressing the return spring. The stones, straw, plastic film, medicine chips, and dust fall and are discharged automatically. After the impurities are discharged, the return spring drives the unloading plate to quickly return to its original position and re-form a sealing structure. The entire process is automatic and requires no manual intervention.

[0040] In this invention, the first dust discharge pipe 5, the second dust discharge pipe 6, the third dust discharge pipe 7, and the fourth dust discharge pipe 8 together form a graded collection component to realize the graded, zoned, and classified collection of impurities.

[0041] This invention also provides a novel method for screening medicinal herbs, the working process of which is as follows: Step 1: Screening machine debugging and pre-treatment operation; Before starting the screening machine, the staff checked the sealing of each pipe, valve and negative pressure pump connection, confirmed that the arc-shaped disturbance plate 22, switch valve and sensor were operating normally, and placed the corresponding collection buckets at the bottom of the third dust discharge pipe 7 and the fourth dust discharge pipe 8. Based on the type, particle size, and dry / wet state of the herbs to be screened, adjust the speed of servo motor 13, the initial power of the first negative pressure suction pump 4 and the second negative pressure suction pump 9 to match the corresponding screening parameters; at the same time, start the screening machine to preheat for 3-5 minutes, check the negative pressure value inside the machine and the air outlet status to ensure that the screening machine is in normal standby working state. Then, the conveyor belt 26 is started, and the herbs to be screened, such as Salvia miltiorrhiza and other Chinese medicinal materials, are evenly spread on the surface of the conveyor belt 26. The conveying speed is controlled at 0.2-0.5m / s to ensure that the herbs are conveyed evenly in a single layer without any heavy stacking.

[0042] Step 2: Loosening and dust removal of herbs and preliminary impurity removal; Conveyor belt 26 drives herbs into the screening area at the bottom of screening box 1 at a uniform speed. Baffle 10 blocks and restricts the flow of herbs, extending the screening residence time; Servo motor 13 drives hollow transmission rod 21 to drive arc-shaped disturbance plate 22 to rotate continuously, pushing the herbs continuously towards the arc surface 20 of baffle 10, forcing the herbs to climb, lift and overturn along the arc surface 20, completing multi-layer loosening and dust removal in the process, thoroughly exposing impurities such as stones, herb chips, dust, straw, and mulch mixed in with the herbs; At the same time, the second negative pressure suction pump 9 starts, and blows air continuously from the bottom of the herb through the air chamber 18 and air hole 19 to further break up the stacked structure of the herb and achieve the initial separation of impurities from the herb body.

[0043] Step 3: In-situ adsorption of fine impurities; During the material turning process of the arc-shaped disturbance plate 22, the fine stones, medicine chips and dust that fall off the surface and gaps of the herbs enter the hollow interlayer 23 through the holes 24 on the surface of the arc-shaped disturbance plate 22, and then flow into the hollow transmission rod 21. The external negative pressure suction mechanism connected to the negative pressure suction tube 17 works continuously, quickly sucking out the fine impurities inside the hollow transmission rod 21 and transporting them to the external collection bucket through the annular chamber and the negative pressure suction tube 17, thus completing the in-situ precise adsorption of fine impurities and avoiding the residue of fine impurities.

[0044] Step 4: Overall air separation and impurity classification and adsorption; The first negative pressure suction pump 4 and the second negative pressure suction pump 9 form a linked negative pressure air field, creating a stable upward negative pressure suction force inside the screening box 1 and the upper box 2. Dust and impurities generated during the process of herbs falling over the baffle 10 are carried upward by the airflow into the upper box 2 under the action of negative pressure, and enter the annular distribution box 3 through the feed inlet 16; Based on the principle of gravity sedimentation, heavy stones and lumpy herb chips settle quickly, enter the first dust discharge pipe 5 through the rectangular hole 29, and finally fall into the collection bucket at the bottom of the fourth dust discharge pipe 8; Light straw, plastic film, and floating dust enter the second dust discharge pipe 6 with the airflow and fall into the collection bucket at the bottom of the third dust discharge pipe 7, realizing the classification and screening of impurities.

[0045] Step 5: Impurity Retention and Secondary Purification; The arc-shaped retention plate 15 retains impurities that do not settle in time and impurities that fall back due to negative pressure fluctuations. The sensor monitors the amount of impurities accumulated and the intensity of negative pressure in real time. When there are too many impurities or insufficient negative pressure, the power of the first negative pressure suction pump 4 is automatically increased to suck up and discharge the retained impurities a second time, preventing impurities from falling back and contaminating the herbs, and ensuring thorough screening.

[0046] Step 6: Automatic unloading and continuous operation; As impurities continue to accumulate in the pipeline, when the weight reaches the threshold of the switching valve, the first switching valve 30 and the second switching valve 31 automatically open to unload. After unloading is completed, the reset spring returns to its original position, keeping the pipeline sealed and ensuring the continuous and stable operation of the negative pressure system. After multiple screening and purification processes, the pure herbs are continuously output via conveyor belt 26. Staff only need to perform simple manual re-inspection to complete the collection of finished products. The entire process is automated and continuous, greatly reducing the intensity of manual labor.

[0047] Step 7: Shutdown, cleaning, and maintenance; After the screening operation is completed, turn off the conveyor belt 26, servo motor 13, and each negative pressure suction pump in sequence. After the screening machine has completely stopped, remove the bottom collection bucket, sort and process the recovered impurities, clean the leakage holes 24 on the arc-shaped disturbance plate 22 and the residual impurities inside the pipe, check the wear and tear of the filter screen, spring, and arc-shaped disturbance plate 22, and complete the daily maintenance of the screening machine in preparation for the next use.

Claims

1. A novel herbal screening machine characterized in that: Includes a screening box (1), which is a vertical rectangular pipe structure. The screening box (1) has an opening at the bottom and is covered above the conveyor belt (26) used for transporting herbs. The width of the screening box (1) is greater than the width of the conveyor belt (26). Also includes: Disturbance screening mechanism, negative pressure system and collection components; The disturbance screening mechanism is located inside the screening box (1) near the conveyor belt (26) and is used to disturb and loosen the herbs on the conveyor belt (26) and generate dust. The negative pressure system is used to provide graded negative pressure suction inside the screening box (1) to extract and separate various impurities in the dusty state; The collection component is used to classify and collect the extracted impurities. The disturbance screening mechanism includes a baffle (10) and a disturbance component (11), and the disturbance component (11) and the baffle (10) are arranged sequentially at the bottom of the screening box (1) along the conveyor belt (26); The baffle (10) is fixed at both ends to the inner walls of both sides of the screening box (1), the bottom surface of the baffle (10) is movably attached to the surface of the conveyor belt (26), and an arc-shaped surface (20) is provided on the side of the baffle (10) near the disturbance component (11). The disturbance component (11) is used to push the herbs up the curved surface (20) to achieve dust and loosening of the herbs.

2. The novel herbal medicine screening machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The disturbance component (11) includes a hollow transmission rod (21), an arc-shaped disturbance plate (22), and a rigid stop bar (25). The hollow transmission rod (21) is rotatably connected to the inner wall of the screening box (1). Multiple arc-shaped disturbance plates (22) are provided and are fixed at equal angles to the outer ring of the hollow transmission rod (21). The arc-shaped disturbance plate (22) is provided with a hollow interlayer (23) inside. The inner arc surface of the arc-shaped disturbance plate (22) is provided with a number of holes (24) that communicate with the hollow interlayer (23). The hollow interlayer (23) is connected to the hollow transmission rod (21). A base plate (12) is fixed to the rear side of the screening box (1), and a servo motor (13) for driving the hollow transmission rod (21) to rotate is installed on the base plate (12). The rigid baffle (25) is fixed to the inner wall of the screening box (1) and arranged along the length of the hollow transmission rod (21). The rigid baffle (25) is located between the hollow transmission rod (21) and the baffle (10) and is higher than the baffle (10).

3. The novel herbal medicine screening machine according to claim 2, characterized in that: The hollow transmission rod (21) extends out of the screening box (1) at one end near the servo motor (13) and is fitted and fixed to the outer ring of the rotating shaft (35) of the servo motor (13); The hollow transmission rod (21) has a number of rectangular connecting slots (34) distributed at equal angles on one end of its outer ring outside the screening box (1), and the hollow transmission rod (21) is movably fitted with an annular sleeve (14). The annular sleeve (14) is fixed to the outer wall of the screening box (1) by the connecting plate (33). An annular cavity is formed between the annular sleeve (14) and the hollow transmission rod (21). The annular cavity is connected to the interior of the hollow transmission rod (21) through the connecting groove (34). The bottom of the annular sleeve (14) is connected to a negative pressure suction tube (17), which is connected to an external negative pressure vacuuming mechanism.

4. The novel herbal medicine screening machine according to claim 3, characterized in that: The baffle (10) has an air cavity (18) inside, and the surface of the baffle (10) has an array of air holes (19) communicating with the air cavity (18). The front surface of the screening box (1) is equipped with a second negative pressure suction pump (9), the output end of which is connected to the inside of the air cavity (18) to provide airflow to the air hole (19).

5. A novel herbal medicine screening machine according to claim 4, characterized in that: The negative pressure system includes a first negative pressure suction pump (4), a second negative pressure suction pump (9), and a negative pressure suction pipe (17) corresponding to a negative pressure dust collection mechanism. A circular upper casing (2) is integrally provided on the upper end of the screening box (1). An annular material distribution box (3) is fixedly installed on the outside of the upper casing (2), and the first negative pressure suction pump (4) is fixedly installed on the outside of the annular material distribution box (3).

6. A novel herbal medicine screening machine according to claim 5, characterized in that: The annular material distribution box (3) is provided with an inner tube (28) that communicates with the upper casing (2). The outer ring of the inner tube (28) and the inner wall of the annular material distribution box (3) form an annular separation cavity (27). The bottom of the inner tube (28) communicates with the annular separation cavity (27). The bottom of the annular material distribution box (3) is fixed with a second dust discharge pipe (6) and a first dust discharge pipe (5), and the inner tube (28) is separated from the second dust discharge pipe (6) by a partition. The bottom of the annular separation chamber (27) is provided with a plurality of rectangular holes (29) arranged in an array. The rectangular holes (29) are connected to the first dust discharge pipe (5). The input end of the first negative pressure suction pump (4) is connected to the upper end of the annular separation chamber (27). The bottom of the second dust discharge pipe (6) is equipped with a third dust discharge pipe (7), and the bottom of the first dust discharge pipe (5) is fitted with a fourth dust discharge pipe (8). The bottoms of the third dust discharge pipe (7) and the fourth dust discharge pipe (8) are both connected to a collection bucket.

7. A novel herbal medicine screening machine according to claim 6, characterized in that: The upper casing (2) has an upwardly curved arc-shaped retaining plate (15) fixed to the inner wall at the lower end, and the arc-shaped retaining plate (15) and the inner wall of the upper casing (2) form a feed inlet (16). The upper casing (2) is equipped with a negative pressure sensor and an infrared material detection sensor on its inner wall. The sensor is electrically connected to the first negative pressure suction pump (4) for adaptive adjustment of negative pressure power.

8. A novel herbal medicine screening machine according to claim 7, characterized in that: The second negative pressure suction pump (9) is connected to the inside of the first dust discharge pipe (5) through a bend (32); The second dust discharge pipe (6) is equipped with a first switch valve (30), and the first dust discharge pipe (5) is equipped with a second switch valve (31) below the bend (32). Both the first switch valve (30) and the second switch valve (31) are single-end hinged unloading plate structures. A reset spring is connected between the bottom of the unloading plate and the inner wall of the pipe to form a gravity automatic unloading sealing structure.

9. A novel herbal medicine screening machine according to claim 8, characterized in that: The arc-shaped disturbance plate (22) is made of food-grade wear-resistant silicone and glass fiber composite material, which has flexible elastic properties and works in conjunction with the rigid stop bar (25) to achieve elastic deformation and material removal.

10. A novel method for screening medicinal herbs, characterized in that: The novel herbal medicine screening machine according to claim 9 comprises the following steps: S1. Screening machine debugging and pretreatment: Check the sealing of the screening machine and the operating status of the parts, place the classification collection bucket, adjust the speed of the servo motor (13) and the initial power of the negative pressure pump according to the type of herbs and the degree of dryness and wetness, preheat the equipment and standby, and control the conveyor belt (26) to uniformly transport the single layer of herbs. S2, Herbal loosening and dust dispersal: The conveyor belt (26) carries the herbs into the screening area. The flow is limited by the baffle (10), and the arc-shaped disturbance plate (22) pushes the herbs to climb and over, thus loosening and dispersing the dust. At the same time, the second negative pressure suction pump (9) blows air through the air hole (19) at the bottom, breaking up the stacked structure of the herbs and achieving preliminary separation of impurities. S3. In-situ adsorption of fine impurities: Fine stones, medicinal debris, and dust that fall out between the herbs enter the hollow transmission rod (21) through the hole (24) and are collected in-situ by the external negative pressure dust collection mechanism; S4. Impurity classification and air separation: The dual pumps work together to form a negative pressure air field. Dust and impurities enter the annular distribution box (3) with the airflow. Based on the principle of gravity settling, heavy impurities fall into the first dust discharge pipe (5) and the fourth dust discharge pipe (8) for collection, while light impurities fall into the second dust discharge pipe (6) and the third dust discharge pipe (7) for collection. S5, Secondary purification to prevent fallback: Arc-shaped interception plate (15) intercepts fallback impurities, sensor monitors parameters in real time, adaptively increases negative pressure power, and realizes secondary adsorption and purification of impurities; S6. Automated continuous operation: The switch valve automatically unloads and resets the seal according to the weight of impurities. Pure herbs are output with the conveyor belt (26) and manual re-inspection and collection are completed. S7. Shutdown Maintenance: After the operation is completed, stop the machine, clean the impurities from the screening machine, check the wear and tear of parts, and complete the screening machine maintenance.

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