A basket conveying device and an autoclave

Abstract

The application discloses a cage conveying device and an ultra-high pressure sterilization equipment, and belongs to the technical field of conveying devices. The cage conveying device comprises an inlet cabin conveying line and an outlet cabin conveying line; a displacement assembly is used for horizontally translating the cage on the outlet cabin conveying line to the outside; a discharging assembly is provided with an avoiding unit for providing transition support and lowering to make room, a lifting and clamping unit is used for suspending and clamping the cage after transfer, a turnover unit is used for driving the whole cage to deflect and discharge, and a jam-preventing unit is used for providing a movable play in transmission; a shaking unit of a turnover assembly cooperates with the play to drive the cage to reciprocatingly rotate, a collecting unit is used for receiving materials and guiding the empty cage to slide and fall in an inclined manner; and a return conveying line is used for reversely conveying the empty cage. The application realizes automatic horizontal translation, deflection and shaking and discharging, solves the problems of labor and low efficiency caused by manually pouring the heavy cage loaded with water, and realizes automatic return through the return line, so that the fatigue caused by manual repeated carrying of the empty cage is avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of conveying device technology, and in particular to a cage conveying device and an ultra-high pressure sterilization device. Background Technology

[0002] Ultra-high pressure sterilization (UHPC) technology, as an advanced cold sterilization process, is widely used in the processing of aquatic products, food, and beverages. In existing UHPC production lines, the flow of materials is highly dependent on the matching cages and their linear conveyor systems. During routine operation, the materials to be sterilized are collected and loaded into cages, which are then placed on the inlet conveyor line and linearly fed into the UHPC sealed chamber by the transmission mechanism for pressurization. After sterilization, the cages are then linearly output to the unloading station at the end via the outlet conveyor line.

[0003] Because ultra-high pressure sterilization chambers are precision pressure vessels, in order to prevent stress concentration caused by scratches on the inner wall of the chamber by hard objects, the matching cages are generally made of engineering plastics with a certain degree of elasticity and structural strength. At the same time, in order to meet the carrying requirements of fine and bulk materials and take into account daily loading operations, these cages are usually designed as an integral solid columnar structure with a large opening on one side. The current conveying device can only realize the unidirectional linear displacement of the cages in and out of the chamber.

[0004] When performing high-temperature sterilization on bulk materials, a solid, integral material frame with a large loading opening is typically used. However, this method has drawbacks in actual unloading and conveying: Firstly, because the frame is a solid structure, after sterilization, it not only contains material but also accumulates a large amount of residual water, resulting in a heavy overall load. Existing equipment relies heavily on manual unloading, which is labor-intensive, inefficient, and requires significant labor intensity. Secondly, after unloading, the empty frame still needs to be manually moved from the discharge end to the initial position of the inlet conveyor line. Although most existing frames are made of plastic, they still have considerable weight, which can easily lead to worker fatigue from repeated handling. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention provides a cage conveying device and an ultra-high pressure sterilization device to solve the technical problems of existing equipment that rely on manual dumping and cross-line handling in the unloading and return stages of the material basket, resulting in high labor intensity, worker fatigue, and low overall work efficiency.

[0006] The present invention adopts the following technical solution: a cage conveying device and an ultra-high pressure sterilization device. It includes an inlet conveyor line and an outlet conveyor line, respectively arranged on both sides of the sterilization device, both used for conveying cages with internal grooves at both ends; A displacement component is located above one side of the out-of-cabin conveyor line and is used to move the cage on the out-of-cabin conveyor line outward across the line. The unloading assembly, located on one side of the outgoing conveyor line, includes a lifting clamping unit, a tilting unit, an anti-blocking unit, and a clearance unit. The clearance unit is located below the transfer path of the displacement assembly to provide transition support and is suitable for descent and clearance. The lifting clamping unit is suitable for extending into the inner groove to suspend and clamp the transferred cage. The tilting unit is drivenly connected to the lifting clamping unit to drive its overall deflection for unloading. The anti-blocking unit is assembled between the tilting unit and the lifting clamping unit to provide play. The flipping component, located on the side of the unloading component, includes a collection unit and a shaking unit. Both the shaking unit and the collection unit are located on the side of the outgoing conveyor line and are suitable for cooperating with the movable clearance of the anti-blocking unit to drive the cage to reciprocate. The collection unit is used to receive the unloaded material and guide the empty cage to tilt and slide down after the clamping is released. The return conveyor line is arranged parallel to one side of the outlet conveyor line and is used to receive empty cages and transport them back to the feed end in the reverse direction.

[0007] Furthermore, the lifting and clamping unit includes a linear movement mechanism, a sliding seat, an arched frame, a lifting cylinder, a lifting frame, and a disc-shaped clamp. The outgoing conveyor line has an outgoing frame and an installation chamber fixed at one end of the outgoing frame. The linear movement mechanism is horizontally fixed to the bottom surface of the inner wall of the installation chamber. The linear movement mechanism has two sliding seats. The arched frame is fixed on the corresponding sliding seats. The lifting cylinder is fixed inside the arched frame. The lifting frame is fixed at the telescopic end of the lifting cylinder. The disc-shaped clamp is rotatably mounted on the lifting frame and is adapted to extend into the inner groove sidewall for friction and clamping.

[0008] Furthermore, the flipping unit includes a drive motor, a belt drive unit, a support frame, and a drive shaft. The drive motor is horizontally fixed on the lifting frame. The lifting frame rotatably supports a rotating shaft coaxial with the output end of the drive motor via bearings. One end of the support frame is fixedly sleeved on the rotating shaft. The drive shaft is mounted on the top of the support frame via bearings. The belt drive unit is connected between the output end of the drive motor and the drive shaft. The disc-shaped clamp is rotatably mounted on one end of the drive shaft. The anti-clogging unit includes a material-pulling rod and an arc-shaped waist groove. The arc-shaped waist groove is formed on the side of the disc-shaped clamp. The material-pulling rod is set at a right angle and fixed to the side of the drive shaft. In the initial state, one end of the material-pulling rod abuts against the bottom end of the arc-shaped waist groove on the side near the unloading and flipping direction. A first magnetic attraction element is embedded in the bottom end of the arc-shaped waist groove on the side near the unloading and flipping direction. A second magnetic attraction element is correspondingly embedded on the surface of the end of the material-pulling rod that extends into the arc-shaped waist groove, which is used to attract and lock the initial relative position when unloading and resetting.

[0009] Furthermore, the avoidance unit includes an auxiliary frame, a displacement cylinder, a mounting plate, a mounting back plate, and a third conveying track. The auxiliary frame is fixed inside the installation chamber, the displacement cylinder is vertically fixed on the auxiliary frame, the mounting plate is fixed to the telescopic end of the displacement cylinder, the mounting back plate is fixed to the side of the mounting plate, and the third conveying track includes a fixed bracket set on the side of the mounting back plate and several third support wheels distributed along a straight line. The third conveying track is at the same horizontal plane as the outgoing conveyor line at the initial working position and is used to provide auxiliary support when the cage is moved in.

[0010] Furthermore, the belt drive unit includes a driving pulley sleeved on the output end of the drive motor and a driven pulley sleeved on the transmission shaft. The diameter of the driven pulley is larger than that of the driving pulley to form a speed reduction transmission structure. This structure is used to push the arc-shaped waist groove through the material-pulling rod during the initial start-up of the drive motor to achieve the overall flipping of the support frame and delay the rotation of the cage.

[0011] Furthermore, the collection unit includes a receiving frame, a horizontal end, a buffer platform, and a receiving basket. The receiving frame is fixed to the side of the installation chamber, and its receiving surface is arranged in an inclined manner. Guide side baffles are symmetrically fixed on both sides of its receiving surface. The horizontal end is set on the upper part of the receiving frame for auxiliary support. The buffer platform is set at the bottom of the inclined surface of the receiving frame for buffering the material discharge. The receiving basket is placed below the receiving frame.

[0012] Furthermore, the swaying unit includes side frames, auxiliary support wheels, and forward and reverse motors. The two side frames are fixed to the side of the exit frame and maintain a preset distance so as to contact and avoid the openings at both ends of the cage. The auxiliary support wheels are rotatably supported on the side frames. The forward and reverse motors are horizontally fixed on the side frames and their output ends are connected to the shaft of the auxiliary support wheels. The forward and reverse driving stroke of the forward and reverse motors is less than the arc length stroke of the arc-shaped waist groove.

[0013] Furthermore, the return conveyor line is arranged parallel to one side of the outlet frame, and its bearing surface is in contact with the lower edge of the buffer platform. The buffer platform has a curved design and is provided with an elastic buffer pad.

[0014] Furthermore, the discharge conveyor line includes a second conveying track, a second support wheel, and a discharge end conveyor belt. The second conveying track includes two fixed supports symmetrically arranged along the center of the discharge frame. Several second support wheels are distributed along the straight direction of the fixed supports. The discharge end conveyor belt is located on the discharge frame near the discharge end of the ultra-high pressure sterilization equipment. The length of the second conveying track only covers one-third of the length of the discharge frame. The second conveying track is parallel to and side by side with the third conveying track to form a translational transfer channel for the displacement component. The displacement assembly includes a mounting frame, a belt linear module, a sliding seat, an extension frame, and a pneumatic gripper. The belt linear module is horizontally fixed on the mounting frame and has a sliding seat. The extension frame is vertically fixed to the side of the sliding seat. The pneumatic gripper is fixed to the bottom of the extension frame, and its gripping center is collinear with the central axis of the cage on the outboard conveyor line in the vertical direction.

[0015] And an ultra-high pressure sterilization device, including a water supply device; Ultra-high pressure sterilization chamber; In the aforementioned cage conveying device, the in-chamber conveying line and the out-chamber conveying line are respectively located on both sides of the ultra-high pressure sterilization chamber, and the displacement component is fixed to the side of the outer shell of the water supply equipment.

[0016] The technical solutions adopted in the embodiments of the present invention can achieve the following beneficial effects: A cage conveying device and an ultra-high pressure sterilization equipment are disclosed. The invention features a displacement component on one side of the outgoing conveyor line, which automatically moves the heavy cage containing sterilized material and residual water across the line to the outside. In conjunction with the lowering and yielding of the avoidance unit and the suspension and extraction of the lifting and clamping unit in the unloading component, the cage is driven by a rotating unit connected by a transmission to achieve overall deflection and unloading. This overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art, which is labor-intensive and has low unloading efficiency due to manual dumping of heavy cages.

[0017] Meanwhile, in the tilting and unloading state, the anti-blocking unit, which is installed between the tilting unit and the lifting clamping unit, provides a movable clearance, allowing the swaying unit located on the side to independently drive the cage to rotate back and forth. This swaying effectively prevents bulk materials from accumulating and blocking, ensuring smooth unloading.

[0018] In addition, after the unloaded material is received by the collection unit, the collection unit can directly guide the empty cage with a certain weight to tilt and slide down to the parallel return conveyor line on one side when the clamp is released. Then the return conveyor line will automatically transport the empty cage back to the feeding end, eliminating the heavy work of workers repeatedly moving empty cages at high frequency. While reducing human fatigue, it realizes the seamless connection and efficient automated circulation of the entire process from cage sterilization in the cabin, unloading in the cabin to empty cage return. Attached Figure Description

[0019] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and form part of this invention, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention and are used to explain the invention, but do not constitute an undue limitation of the invention.

[0020] In the attached diagram: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a cage conveying device and an ultra-high pressure sterilization equipment according to this application; Figure 2 For the present invention Figure 1 Enlarged structural diagram at point A in the middle; Figure 3 For the present invention Figure 1 A partial structural diagram; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly structure of the unloading component and the tilting component in this invention; Figure 5 For the present invention Figure 4 Enlarged structural diagram at point B; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the outboard conveyor line in this invention; Figure 7 For the present invention Figure 6 Enlarged structural diagram at point C; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the installation structure of the unloading assembly in this invention; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the in-cabin conveyor line structure in this invention; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the initial workstation structure before the cage crosses the line for translation. Figure 11 A schematic diagram of the unloading state structure after the unloading component clamps the cage and deflects 90 degrees. Figure label: 1. Water supply equipment; 2. Ultra-high pressure sterilization chamber; 3. Inlet conveyor line; 31. Inlet frame; 32. First conveyor track; 33. First support wheel; 34. Synchronous belt linear module; 35. Moving seat; 36. Push rod; 4. Outlet conveyor line; 41. Outlet frame; 42. Installation chamber; 43. Outlet end conveyor belt; 44. Second conveyor track; 45. Second support wheel; 5. Displacement assembly; 51. Installation frame; 52. Belt linear module; 53. Sliding seat; 54. Extension frame; 55. Pneumatic gripper; 6. Unloading assembly; 61. Linear movement mechanism; 62. Sliding seat; 63. Arched frame; 6 4. Lifting cylinder; 65. Lifting frame; 66. Drive motor; 67. Belt drive unit; 68. Support frame; 681. Drive shaft; 69. Material guide bar; 610. Disc-shaped clamp; 611. Arc-shaped waist groove; 612. Auxiliary frame; 613. Displacement cylinder; 614. Mounting plate; 615. Mounting back plate; 616. Third conveyor track; 617. Third support wheel; 7. Tilting assembly; 71. Receiving frame; 72. Horizontal end; 73. Buffer platform; 74. Receiving basket; 75. Side frame; 76. Auxiliary support wheel; 77. Forward and reverse motors; 8. Return conveyor line; 9. Cage; 91. Opening. Detailed Implementation

[0021] To further illustrate the technical means and effects of the present invention in achieving its intended purpose, the following detailed description of the specific implementation methods, structures, features, and effects of the present invention, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and preferred embodiments, is provided below.

[0022] The technical solutions provided by the various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0023] Reference Figures 1-11 As shown, this embodiment provides a cage conveying device applied in an ultra-high pressure sterilization equipment, including a water supply device 1 and an ultra-high pressure sterilization chamber 2; it also includes an inlet conveyor line 3 and an outlet conveyor line 4, respectively arranged on both sides of the ultra-high pressure sterilization chamber 2, both used to convey cages 9 with grooves at both ends. The outlet conveyor line 4 has an outlet frame 41 and an installation chamber 42 fixed at one end of the outlet frame 41; a displacement component 5 is arranged above one side of the outlet conveyor line 4, and its function is to move the cages on the outlet conveyor line 4... The basket 9 moves outward across the line; the unloading assembly 6, located on one side of the outgoing conveyor line 4, includes a lifting clamping unit, a flipping unit, an anti-blocking unit, and a clearance unit. The clearance unit is located below the transfer path of the displacement assembly 5 to provide transition support and is suitable for descent and clearance. The lifting clamping unit is suitable for extending into the inner grooves at both ends of the basket 9 to suspend and clamp the transferred basket 9. The flipping unit is connected to the lifting clamping unit to drive its overall deflection for unloading. The anti-blocking unit is assembled between the flipping unit and the lifting clamping unit to provide a clearance.

[0024] The flipping component 7 is located on the side of the unloading component 6 and includes a collection unit and a shaking unit. Both the shaking unit and the collection unit are located on the side of the discharge conveyor line 4 and are suitable for cooperating with the movable clearance of the anti-blocking unit to drive the cage 9 to reciprocate. The collection unit is used to receive the unloaded material and guide the empty cage 9 to tilt and slide down after the clamp is released. The return conveyor line 8 is located parallel to one side of the discharge conveyor line 4 and is used to receive the empty cage 9 and transport it back to the feeding end in the opposite direction.

[0025] The overall working principle of this device is as follows: the cage 9 is fed into the ultra-high pressure sterilization chamber 2 by the inlet conveyor line 3, and after sterilization, it is sent out by the outlet conveyor line 4. The displacement component 5 moves the cage 9 across the line to the avoidance unit. The unloading component 6 clamps the cage 9, the avoidance unit descends to make way, and the flipping unit drives the cage 9 to deflect 90 degrees to unload. After flipping into place, the shaking unit uses the clearance of the anti-blocking unit to drive the cage 9 to rotate back and forth to unload. The material falls into the collection unit. After unloading is completed and the cage is reset and released, the empty cage 9 slides down the collection unit to the return conveyor line 8 and is automatically sent back.

[0026] To enable the cage 9 to enter the ultra-high pressure sterilization chamber 2 for sterilization, refer to Figure 1 , Figure 3 and Figure 9 As shown, the inlet conveyor line 3 includes an inlet frame 31, a first conveyor track 32, first support wheels 33, a synchronous belt linear module 34, a movable seat 35, and a pusher rod 36. The first conveyor track 32 includes two fixed supports symmetrically arranged along the center of the inlet frame 31 and a plurality of first support wheels 33 distributed along the straight direction of the fixed supports. The synchronous belt linear module 34 is horizontally fixed on the inlet frame 31, and the pusher rod 36 is horizontally fixed on the movable seat 35 to push one end of the cage 9.

[0027] During the feeding stage, the cage 9 to be sterilized is placed on the first conveying track 32. The control system drives the synchronous belt linear module 34 to run, which drives the moving seat 35 to move forward horizontally. The push rod 36 abuts against and pushes the tail end of the cage 9, and pushes it smoothly into the ultra-high pressure sterilization chamber 2 along the first support wheel 33.

[0028] To facilitate the receipt of sterilized cages 9 after removal from the chamber and to provide a handover channel for cross-line transfer, refer to Figures 1-5As shown, the out-of-chamber conveyor line 4 includes a second conveyor track 44, a second support wheel 45, and an out-of-chamber conveyor belt 43. The second conveyor track 44 includes two fixed supports (not shown in the figure) symmetrically arranged along the center of the out-of-chamber frame 41. Several second support wheels 45 are distributed along the straight direction of the fixed supports. The out-of-chamber conveyor belt 43 is set on the out-of-chamber frame 41 near the out-of-chamber end of the ultra-high pressure sterilization chamber 2. The length of the second conveyor track 44 only covers one-third of the length of the out-of-chamber frame 41. After sterilization, the cage 9 is pushed out of the ultra-high pressure sterilization chamber 2 and is first received by the out-of-chamber conveyor belt 43 and simultaneously supported on the second conveyor track 44.

[0029] To achieve the cross-line translation and handover of cage 9, refer to Figures 1-2 As shown, the displacement assembly 5 includes a mounting frame 51, a belt straight module 52, a sliding seat 53, an extension frame 54, and a pneumatic gripper 55. The mounting frame 51 is installed on the side of the housing of the water supply equipment 1. The belt straight module 52 is horizontally fixed on the mounting frame 51. The sliding seat 53 is slidably disposed on the belt straight module 52. The extension frame 54 is vertically fixed on the side of the sliding seat 53. The pneumatic gripper 55 is fixed at the bottom end of the extension frame 54, and its gripping center is collinear with the central axis of the cage 9 on the outflow conveyor line 4 in the vertical direction.

[0030] Once the cage 9 is in place on the second conveyor track 44, the pneumatic gripper 55 moves downward to clamp one end of the cage 9. Then, the belt linear module 52 drives the sliding seat 53 to move horizontally to move the clamped cage 9 onto the track. After moving to the designated position, the pneumatic gripper 55 releases.

[0031] To provide initial support during transfer and to allow space for the lower part to flip after being clamped by the lifting clamping unit, refer to Figures 6-8 and Figures 10-11 As shown, the avoidance unit includes an auxiliary frame 612, a displacement cylinder 613, a mounting plate 614, a mounting back plate 615, a third conveying track 616, and third support wheels 617. The auxiliary frame 612 is fixed inside the installation chamber 42. The displacement cylinder 613 is vertically fixed on the auxiliary frame 612. The mounting plate 614 is fixed to the telescopic end of the displacement cylinder 613. The mounting back plate 615 is fixed to the side of the mounting plate 614. The third conveying track 616 includes two fixed brackets symmetrically arranged along the side of the mounting back plate 615 along the exit frame 41 and several third support wheels 617 distributed along its straight direction. In the initial working position, the third conveying track 616 is at the same horizontal plane as the exit conveyor line 4 and is used to provide auxiliary support when the cage 9 is moved in.

[0032] In the initial state, the displacement cylinder 613 maintains the third conveying track 616 at the same height as the second conveying track 44 to receive the cage 9 transferred by the pneumatic gripper 55. After the subsequent lifting and clamping unit clamps the cage 9, the displacement cylinder 613 retracts to drive the third conveying track 616 to descend and avoid it, thereby eliminating spatial interference when unloading from below.

[0033] To achieve reliable suspended clamping at both ends of the cage 9, refer to Figures 4-7 As shown, the lifting and clamping unit includes a linear movement mechanism 61, a sliding seat 62, an arched frame 63, a lifting cylinder 64, a lifting frame 65, and a disc-shaped clamp 610. The linear movement mechanism 61 is horizontally fixed to the bottom surface of the inner wall of the installation chamber 42. The linear movement mechanism 61 has two sliding seats 62. The arched frame 63 is fixed on the corresponding sliding seat 62. The lifting cylinder 64 is fixed inside the arched frame 63. The lifting frame 65 is fixed to the telescopic end of the lifting cylinder 64. The disc-shaped clamp 610 is rotatably mounted on the lifting frame 65 and is adapted to extend into the inner groove sidewalls of both ends of the cage 9 for frictional contact.

[0034] First, the lifting cylinder 64 drives the lifting frame 65 to rise. Then, the linear movement mechanism 61 drives the sliding seats 62 on both sides to move towards each other, so that the disc-shaped clamp 610 is inserted into the inner grooves at both ends of the cage 9 and clamped by contact friction, providing a power center and operating space for the subsequent deflection action.

[0035] To achieve the unloading and tilting of cage 9, refer to Figures 6-7 As shown, the flipping unit includes a drive motor 66, a belt drive unit 67, a support frame 68, and a drive shaft 681. The drive motor 66 is horizontally fixed on the lifting frame 65. The lifting frame 65 rotatably supports a rotating shaft (not shown in the figure) coaxial with the output end of the drive motor 66 via bearings. One end of the support frame 68 is fixedly sleeved on the rotating shaft. The drive shaft 681 is set at the top of the support frame 68 via bearings. The belt drive unit 67 is connected between the output end of the drive motor 66 and the drive shaft 681. The disc-shaped clamp 610 is rotatably set at one end of the drive shaft 681. The anti-blocking unit includes a material-pushing rod 69 and an arc-shaped waist groove 611. The arc-shaped waist groove 611 is opened on the side of the disc-shaped clamp 610. The material-pushing rod 69 is set at a right angle and fixed on the side of the drive shaft 681.

[0036] In the initial state, one end of the feeding rod 69 abuts against the bottom end of the arc-shaped waist groove 611 on the side near the unloading and flipping direction. The belt drive unit 67 includes a driving pulley sleeved on the output end of the drive motor 66 and a driven pulley sleeved on the drive shaft 681. The diameter of the driven pulley is larger than the diameter of the driving pulley to form a speed reduction transmission structure.

[0037] In the initial stage of starting the drive motor 66, since the driven pulley has a larger diameter than the driving pulley, a speed reduction and torque increase structure is formed, which enables the support frame 68 and the entire unloading assembly 6 to rotate and flip to the right first, delaying the relative rotation and flipping of the cage 9 around its own axis. This effectively avoids premature leakage of internal materials due to the opening 91 on the surface of the cage 9 facing downwards too early in the initial stage of rotation.

[0038] To receive the unloaded material and prevent blockage during subsequent reciprocating rotation, refer to... Figures 4-6 As shown, the collection unit includes a receiving frame 71, a horizontal end 72, a buffer platform 73, and a receiving basket 74. The receiving frame 71 is fixed to the side of the installation chamber 42, and its receiving surface is arranged in an inclined manner. Guide side baffles (not shown in the figure) are symmetrically fixed on both sides of its receiving surface. The horizontal end 72 is set on the upper part of the receiving frame 71 for auxiliary support. The buffer platform 73 is set at the bottom of the inclined surface of the receiving frame 71 for buffering the material discharge. The receiving basket 74 is placed below the receiving frame 71.

[0039] The swaying unit includes side frames 75, auxiliary support wheels 76, and forward and reverse motors 77. The two side frames 75 are fixed to the side of the exit frame 41 and maintain a preset distance so as to contact and avoid the openings 91 at both ends of the cage 9. The auxiliary support wheels 76 are rotatably supported on the side frames 75. The forward and reverse motors 77 are horizontally fixed on the side frames 75 and their output ends are connected to the axis of the auxiliary support wheels 76. The forward and reverse driving stroke of the forward and reverse motors 77 is less than the arc length stroke of the arc-shaped waist groove 611.

[0040] When the support frame 68 is rotated 90 degrees to its final position, the opening 91 of the cage 9 faces downwards, and the outer walls of its cylindrical ends fall and press against the auxiliary support wheel 76. At this time, the forward and reverse motors 77 are started, and the cage 9 is driven to rotate back and forth in place by surface friction. During this rotation, the material feeding rod 69 slides back and forth in the arc-shaped waist groove 611 without touching the bottom of the groove. By utilizing this clearance, the high-frequency reciprocating rotation of the cage 9 to shake the loose material inside is realized, while avoiding mechanical interference with the main drive structure above.

[0041] Furthermore, to address the issue that the disc-shaped clamp 610's free rotation during unloading reset causes the arc-shaped groove 611 to fail to accurately return to its initial engagement position with the material-pulling rod 69, a first magnetic attractor is embedded at the bottom inner end of the arc-shaped groove 611 (i.e., the side closest to the unloading flipping direction in the initial state), and a second magnetic attractor is correspondingly embedded on the surface of the end of the material-pulling rod 69 that extends into the arc-shaped groove 611. The contact friction between the auxiliary support wheel 76 and the cage 9 is greater than the magnetic attraction between the first and second magnetic attractors, and this magnetic attraction is greater than the force exerted when the disc-shaped clamp 610 rotates in the empty state. By utilizing the resistance difference between friction and magnetic attraction, the positioning and holding of the disc-shaped clamp 610 are achieved while the empty cage 9 is successfully pulled out.

[0042] To achieve automatic return of the empty cage 9 after unloading, refer to Figures 1-6 As shown, the return conveyor line 8 is arranged parallel to one side of the outlet frame 41, and its bearing surface is in contact with the lower edge of the material dropping edge of the buffer platform 73. The buffer platform 73 has a curved surface design and is equipped with an elastic buffer pad. The bearing surface of the return conveyor line 8 is in contact with the lower edge of the material dropping edge of the buffer platform 73, so that the horizontal end 72, the bearing surface, the buffer platform 73 and the return conveyor line 8 are connected in a step-by-step manner from top to bottom in space to form a gravity reset slide that guides the empty cage 9 to slide down by gravity.

[0043] After unloading is completed, the forward and reverse motors 77 start, and the cage 9 and the disc-shaped clamp 610 rotate, causing the material-pulling rod 69 to rotate to the side of the arc-shaped waist groove 611 with the first magnetic attraction element. The material-pulling rod 69 magnetically engages with the first magnetic attraction element through the second magnetic attraction element. Then, the linear movement mechanism 61 drives the disc-shaped clamp 610 to retract to both sides to release it.

[0044] Then, the forward and reverse motors 77 are restarted to drive the auxiliary support wheel 76 to rotate, causing the empty cage 9 on it to roll from the horizontal end 72 to the inclined bearing surface on the receiving frame 71. Simultaneously, it is restricted by the guide side baffles on both sides. When it rolls to the end, the curved surface design of the buffer platform 73 and the elastic buffer pad block and absorb the rolling kinetic energy to slow it down. Then, the empty cage 9 is guided to slide down to the return conveyor line 8 below, and the return conveyor line 8 automatically transports it back to the feeding end. Then, the drive motor 66 reverses to rotate the support frame 68 and the entire unloading assembly 6 to the left to restore it to the initial state. Finally, the lifting cylinder 64 drives the lifting frame 65 to move down to restore the initial state, completing the entire closed loop of the flow.

[0045] The specific workflow is as follows: During the feeding stage, the operator or the preceding section places the cage 9 to be sterilized on the first conveyor track 32 of the inlet conveyor line 3. The control system issues a feeding command, and the synchronous belt linear module 34 starts running, driving the moving seat 35 to move forward at a constant speed in the horizontal direction. The push rod 36 fixed on the moving seat 35 then abuts against and pushes the tail end of the cage 9, pushing the cage 9 along the first support wheel 33 at the end of the inlet frame 31 into the ultra-high pressure sterilization chamber 2 for sterilization. After the sterilization process is completed, the discharge door of the ultra-high pressure sterilization chamber 2 is opened, and the cage 9 is pushed out of the chamber. First, it is unsupported by the discharge end conveyor belt 43, and the cage 9 is moved horizontally and synchronously supported on the second conveyor track 44, which only covers one-third of the length of the discharge frame 41, where it is in a static standby state.

[0046] At this time, the pneumatic gripper 55 at the bottom of the extension frame 54 moves downward to grip the top outer wall of the cage 9, and moves the cage 9 in the clamped state from above the second conveyor track 44 across the line to above the adjacent third conveyor track 616. Finally, the pneumatic gripper 55 releases, and the cage 9 falls onto the third conveyor track 616. During this handover process, the displacement cylinder 613 of the avoidance unit always remains extended, keeping the third conveyor track 616 at the same height as the second conveyor track 44, providing bottom transition support for the cage 9 that has just completed the cross-line translation, and preventing it from shaking.

[0047] After the cage 9 is in place at the unloading station, the unloading assembly 6 is activated. First, the lifting cylinder 64 drives the lifting frame 65 to move upward. Then, the linear movement mechanism 61 drives the sliding seats 62 on both sides to move in a straight line towards each other, so that the disc-shaped clamps 610 at both ends extend into the inner grooves at both ends of the cage 9 and clamp them by the friction of the contact surface. After clamping, the displacement cylinder 613 retracts, driving the third conveying track 616 to move downward to make space avoidance and eliminate mechanical interference on the lower flipping path.

[0048] Afterwards, the drive motor 66 of the flipping unit starts. Since the belt drive unit 67 adopts a speed reduction and torque increase structure with the driven wheel being larger than the driving wheel, in the initial stage of startup, the power prioritizes the rigid contact of one end of the material-pushing rod 69 of the anti-blocking unit with the bottom of the arc-shaped waist groove 611 near the flipping direction, causing the support frame 68 and the entire unloading assembly 6 to deflect to the right first, delaying the relative rotation of the cage 9 around its own axis, effectively avoiding the situation where the opening 91 of the cage 9 faces downward too early in the initial stage of deflection, which would cause the material to leak prematurely.

[0049] When the support frame 68 is rotated 90 degrees to the right, the opening 91 of the cage 9 faces downward, and the outer walls of its cylindrical ends fall and press against the auxiliary support wheel 76 of the swaying unit. At this time, the forward and reverse motors 77 start, using the friction between the auxiliary support wheel 76 and the surface of the cage 9 to drive the cage 9 to rotate back and forth in place. During the reciprocating rotation, the material-pulling rod 69 only slides non-interferingly within the arc length of the arc-shaped waist groove 611 without touching the bottom of the groove. Without interfering with the main drive structure, the reciprocating swaying of the cage 9 is realized, and the loose material inside is smoothly unloaded into the receiving basket 74 below.

[0050] After unloading is complete, the forward and reverse motors 77 start to rotate the cage 9 and the disc-shaped clamp 610 until the material-pulling rod 69 rotates to the side of the arc-shaped waist groove 611 with the magnet and engages. Then, the linear movement mechanism 61 drives the disc-shaped clamp 610 to retract and release to both sides. At this time, the forward and reverse motors 77 start again briefly, driving the auxiliary support wheel 76 to rotate, which pushes the empty cage 9, which is no longer clamped, to roll smoothly from the horizontal end 72 to the inclined bearing surface of the receiving frame 71. The empty cage 9 slides down under the posture restriction of the guide side baffles on both sides until it contacts the curved surface of the bottom buffer platform 73 and the elastic buffer pad to absorb deceleration. Then it slides down to the return conveyor line 8 below and is automatically sent back in the opposite direction. Finally, the drive motor 66 reverses to reset the support frame 68 and the entire unloading assembly 6 to the initial state. The lifting cylinder 64 drives the lifting frame 65 to move down to restore the default state, completing a complete closed loop of conveying and unloading.

[0051] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention in any way. Although the present invention has been disclosed above with reference to preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art can make some modifications or alterations to the above-disclosed technical content to create equivalent embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. Any simple modifications, equivalent changes and alterations made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the scope of the present invention shall still fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A cage conveying device, applied to ultra-high pressure sterilization equipment, characterized in that, include The in-chamber conveyor line (3) and the out-chamber conveyor line (4) are respectively set on both sides of the sterilization equipment, and are used to convey cages (9) with inner grooves at both ends; The displacement component (5) is located above one side of the out-of-cabin conveyor line (4) and is used to move the cage (9) on the out-of-cabin conveyor line (4) outward across the line. The unloading assembly (6) is located on one side of the out-of-cabin conveyor line (4) and includes a lifting clamping unit, a flipping unit, an anti-blocking unit and a clearance unit. The clearance unit is located below the transfer path of the displacement assembly (5) to provide transition support and is suitable for lowering and clearance. The lifting clamping unit is suitable for extending into the inner groove to hold the transferred cage (9) in the air. The flipping unit is connected to the lifting clamping unit to drive its overall deflection for unloading. The anti-blocking unit is assembled between the flipping unit and the lifting clamping unit to provide a clearance. The flipping component (7) is located on the side of the unloading component (6) and includes a collection unit and a shaking unit. Both the shaking unit and the collection unit are located on the side of the out-of-cabin conveyor line (4) and are suitable for cooperating with the movable clearance of the anti-blocking unit to drive the cage (9) to reciprocate. The collection unit is used to receive the unloaded material and guide the empty cage (9) to tilt and slide down after the clamping is released. The return conveyor line (8) is arranged parallel to one side of the outlet conveyor line (4) and is used to receive empty cages (9) and transport them back to the feed end in the reverse direction.

2. The cage conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lifting and clamping unit includes a linear moving mechanism (61), a sliding seat (62), an arched frame (63), a lifting cylinder (64), a lifting frame (65), and a disc-shaped clamp (610). The outgoing conveyor line (4) has an outgoing frame (41) and an installation chamber (42) fixed at one end of the outgoing frame (41). The linear moving mechanism (61) is horizontally fixed to the bottom surface of the inner wall of the installation chamber (42). The linear moving mechanism (61) has two sliding seats (62). The arched frame (63) is fixed on the corresponding sliding seat (62). The lifting cylinder (64) is fixed inside the arched frame (63). The lifting frame (65) is fixed at the telescopic end of the lifting cylinder (64). The disc-shaped clamp (610) is rotatably mounted on the lifting frame (65) and is adapted to extend into the inner groove side wall for friction and tightness.

3. The cage conveying device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The flipping unit includes a drive motor (66), a belt drive unit (67), a support frame (68), and a drive shaft (681). The drive motor (66) is horizontally fixed on the lifting frame (65). The lifting frame (65) is rotatably supported by a rotating shaft coaxial with the output end of the drive motor (66) through a bearing. One end of the support frame (68) is fixedly sleeved on the rotating shaft. The drive shaft (681) is set at the top of the support frame (68) through a bearing. The belt drive unit (67) is connected between the output end of the drive motor (66) and the drive shaft (681). The disc-shaped clamp (610) is rotatably set at one end of the drive shaft (681). The anti-blocking unit includes a material-pulling rod (69) and an arc-shaped waist groove (611). The arc-shaped waist groove (611) is opened on the side of the disc-shaped clamp (610). The material-pulling rod (69) is set at a right angle and fixed on the side of the transmission shaft (681). In the initial state, one end of the material-pulling rod (69) abuts against the bottom end of the arc-shaped waist groove (611) near the unloading and flipping direction. The bottom end of the arc-shaped waist groove (611) near the unloading and flipping direction is provided with a first magnetic attracting element. The surface of the end of the material-pulling rod (69) that extends into the arc-shaped waist groove (611) is correspondingly provided with a second magnetic attracting element, which is used to attract and lock the initial relative position when unloading and resetting.

4. The cage conveying device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The avoidance unit includes an auxiliary frame (612), a displacement cylinder (613), a mounting plate (614), a mounting back plate (615), and a third conveying track (616). The auxiliary frame (612) is fixed inside the installation chamber (42). The displacement cylinder (613) is vertically fixed on the auxiliary frame (612). The mounting plate (614) is fixed on the telescopic end of the displacement cylinder (613). The mounting back plate (615) is fixed on the side of the mounting plate (614). The third conveying track (616) includes a fixed bracket set on the side of the mounting back plate (615) and several third support wheels (617) distributed along a straight line. The third conveying track (616) is at the same level as the out-of-chamber conveying line (4) at the initial working position and is used to provide auxiliary support when the cage (9) is moved in.

5. The cage conveying device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The belt drive unit (67) includes a drive pulley sleeved on the output end of the drive motor (66) and a driven pulley sleeved on the transmission shaft (681). The diameter of the driven pulley is larger than that of the drive pulley to form a speed reduction transmission structure. It is used to push the arc-shaped waist groove (611) through the material pusher (69) in the initial stage of the drive motor (66) to realize the overall flipping of the support frame (68) and delay the rotation of the cage (9).

6. The cage conveying device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The collection unit includes a receiving frame (71), a horizontal end (72), a buffer platform (73), and a receiving basket (74). The receiving frame (71) is fixed to the side of the installation chamber (42), and its receiving surface is arranged in an inclined manner. Guide side baffles are symmetrically fixed on both sides of its receiving surface. The horizontal end (72) is set on the upper part of the receiving frame (71) for auxiliary support. The buffer platform (73) is set at the bottom of the inclined surface of the receiving frame (71) for buffering the material discharge. The receiving basket (74) is placed below the receiving frame (71).

7. A cage conveying device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The swaying unit includes a side frame (75), an auxiliary support wheel (76), and a forward and reverse motor (77). The two side frames (75) are fixed to the side of the exit frame (41) and maintain a preset distance so as to contact and avoid the openings (91) at both ends of the cage (9). The auxiliary support wheel (76) is rotatably supported on the side frame (75). The forward and reverse motor (77) is horizontally fixed on the side frame (75) and its output end is connected to the axis of the auxiliary support wheel (76).

8. A cage conveying device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The return conveyor line (8) is arranged parallel to one side of the outlet frame (41), and its bearing surface is in contact with the lower edge of the material drop of the buffer table (73). The buffer table (73) is curved and has an elastic buffer pad on it.

9. A cage conveying device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The outgoing conveyor line (4) includes a second conveyor track (44), a second support wheel (45), and an outgoing end conveyor belt (43). The second conveyor track (44) includes two fixed supports symmetrically arranged along the center of the outgoing frame (41). The second support wheel (45) is distributed in a plurality of directions along the straight line of the fixed supports. The outgoing end conveyor belt (43) is located on the outgoing frame (41) near the outgoing end of the ultra-high pressure sterilization equipment. The length of the second conveyor track (44) only covers one-third of the length of the outgoing frame (41). The second conveyor track (44) is parallel to and side by side with the third conveyor track (616) to form a translational transfer channel for the displacement component (5). The displacement assembly (5) includes a mounting frame (51), a belt straight module (52), a sliding seat (53), an extension frame (54), and a pneumatic gripper (55). The belt straight module (52) is horizontally fixed on the mounting frame (51) and has a sliding seat (53). The extension frame (54) is vertically fixed on the side of the sliding seat (53). The pneumatic gripper (55) is fixed at the bottom of the extension frame (54), and its gripping center is collinear with the central axis of the cage (9) on the out-of-cabin conveyor line (4) in the vertical direction.

10. An ultra-high pressure sterilization device, characterized in that, include: Water supply equipment (1); Ultra-high pressure sterilization chamber (2); as well as A cage conveying device as described in any one of claims 1 to 9; The inlet conveyor line (3) and the outlet conveyor line (4) are respectively located on both sides of the ultra-high pressure sterilization chamber (2), and the displacement component (5) is fixed to the side of the outer shell of the water supply equipment (1).

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