An automatic purple menu sheet dispensing device and its dispensing method

Abstract

This invention discloses an automatic sheet-feeding device and method for laver, relating to the field of food packaging equipment technology. The device includes: a hopper with a discharge port at its bottom; a negative pressure adsorption material-taking mechanism for adsorbing laver sheets one by one from the discharge port and removing them downwards; a conveying mechanism for receiving and transporting the laver; and a dynamic support mechanism, including a rotatable support member whose free end can be screwed into the hopper to divide the laver pile into an upper storage area and a lower working area located above the discharge port, and can be screwed out to release the laver from the storage area into the working area; a fixed vertical distance is maintained between the lower surface of the support member and the discharge port. This invention isolates the stacking pressure of the laver pile in the hopper from the working area through the dynamic support mechanism, allowing only a small amount of unpressurized laver to be handled during material removal, effectively solving the problems of difficult material removal and double / multiple sheet issues caused by excessive pressure, while simultaneously achieving automatic material replenishment and ensuring the stability of continuous production.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of food packaging equipment technology, specifically to an automatic purple menu sheet dispensing device and method for packaging foods such as rice balls. Background Technology

[0002] On automated packaging production lines for foods such as rice balls, seaweed sheets typically need to be removed one by one and transported to the subsequent wrapping station. Seaweed itself is thin, soft, and easily broken, and its surface has a certain degree of adhesion, which poses significant challenges to single-sheet separation and stable transport.

[0003] In existing technologies, a common method for retrieving seaweed involves vertically stacking a whole pile of seaweed in a hopper and using a negative pressure suction cup to pick it up sheet by sheet from the bottom. However, when there is a large amount of seaweed stacked in the hopper, the seaweed at the bottom bears the weight of the entire stack above, increasing the suction resistance and making it easy to pick up multiple sheets (two or more sheets) at once. To solve this problem, some solutions attempt to set up a fixed support structure in the hopper, but its fixed position cannot be dynamically adjusted according to the consumption of seaweed. When there is a large amount of seaweed in the upper part of the hopper, there is still a problem of significant stacking pressure being transmitted to the bottom, affecting the stability and reliability of the retrieval process.

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a purple menu sheet automatic feeding device that can effectively reduce stacking pressure during material handling, ensure the success rate of single sheet separation, and achieve continuous and automatic material replenishment. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide an automatic sheet feeding device and method for laver, so as to solve the technical problem in the prior art that the laver at the bottom of the silo is subjected to excessive stacking pressure, which leads to unstable feeding and the easy occurrence of double or multiple sheets.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: An automatic sheet-feeding device for laver includes: a hopper for storing stacked laver sheets, with a discharge port at the bottom; a negative pressure adsorption and picking mechanism disposed below the hopper for adsorbing laver sheets one by one from the discharge port and removing them downwards; a conveying mechanism disposed below the negative pressure adsorption and picking mechanism for receiving the removed laver sheets and conveying them downstream; and a dynamic support mechanism, comprising a support member having a fixed end and a free end. The fixed end is rotatably connected to a frame, and the free end is configured to screw into the hopper to support the stacked laver sheets and divide them into an upper storage area and a lower working area located above the discharge port. The free end can also screw out to release the laver sheets in the storage area so that they fall into the working area under gravity. When the support member is screwed in, its lower surface maintains a preset fixed vertical distance from the discharge port.

[0007] Furthermore, the dynamic support mechanism also includes a drive assembly, which includes a motor, a lead screw driven by the motor to rotate, a slider fitted on the lead screw, and a connecting rod; the slider is threadedly engaged with the lead screw to convert rotational motion into linear motion; one end of the connecting rod is hinged to the slider, and the other end is hinged to the drive arm on the support member to form a crank-slider mechanism, which converts the linear motion of the slider into the rotational oscillation of the support member around the fixed end, so that the free end switches between the screw-in position and the screw-out position.

[0008] Furthermore, the side wall of the hopper is provided with at least one horizontal strip-shaped notch, and the free end of the support member is screwed into or out of the hopper through the notch, and the depth to which the free end extends into the hopper when screwed in is less than the overall size of the hopper in that direction.

[0009] Furthermore, the discharge port of the hopper is conical and tapering, and the minimum lateral dimension of the discharge port is smaller than the corresponding external dimensions of a single sheet of seaweed when laid flat.

[0010] Furthermore, the negative pressure adsorption material handling mechanism includes a lifting plate, a suction cup mounting plate mounted on the lifting plate, at least one negative pressure suction cup fixed on the suction cup mounting plate, and a vacuum generator connected to the negative pressure suction cup via an air circuit; the lifting plate can be raised and lowered under the drive of a vertical linear module, causing the negative pressure suction cup to move upward to approach the discharge port to adsorb seaweed, and downward to place the seaweed on the conveying mechanism.

[0011] Furthermore, the conveying mechanism includes two parallel and synchronously operating annular conveyor belts with a gap between them; the width of the suction cup mounting plate and the negative pressure suction cup is smaller than the width of the gap, so that the suction cup mounting plate can move up and down through the gap without interfering with the conveyor belts.

[0012] Furthermore, each of the conveyor belts has multiple flexible scrapers on its outer surface, and the flexible scrapers on the two conveyor belts are aligned along the conveying direction to apply a thrust from the rear edge of the seaweed during conveying.

[0013] Furthermore, it also includes: a first sensor, set on the conveying mechanism at the corresponding material placement station, used to detect whether the seaweed is in place; a working area material level sensor, set at the discharge port, used to detect whether seaweed exists at the discharge port; a controller, communicatively connected to the first sensor, the working area material level sensor, the conveying mechanism, the negative pressure adsorption material handling mechanism, and the dynamic support mechanism, configured to control the conveying mechanism to step according to the detection signal of the first sensor, and to control the dynamic support mechanism to perform a feeding action of rotating out and then rotating in according to the detection signal of the working area material level sensor; or, configured to count the number of completed material handling cycles, and when the count value reaches a preset threshold, control the dynamic support mechanism to perform a feeding action of rotating out and then rotating in.

[0014] The present invention also provides a method for automatically sending a purple menu sheet, comprising the following steps: Step 1: Provide a storage bin containing a certain amount of seaweed; Step 2: Screw a rotatable support into the hopper to support the seaweed pile and divide it into an upper storage area and a lower working area located above the discharge port, wherein the lower surface of the support and the discharge port maintain a fixed distance. Step 3: Using negative pressure adsorption, the bottommost sheet of seaweed in the working area is adsorbed one by one from the discharge port, and then pulled down and placed on a conveyor belt for transport. Step 4: Repeat Step 3 until the seaweed in the work area is consumed and the preset replenishment trigger condition is met; Step 5: In response to the fulfillment of the feeding trigger condition, the support is rotated out, causing the laver in the storage area to fall as a whole to the discharge port under the action of gravity; Step Six: Screw the support back into the fallen seaweed pile to re-divide the work area.

[0015] Furthermore, the preset replenishment trigger condition in step four is: no seaweed is detected at the discharge port, or the cycle count in step three reaches a preset number of times.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: (1) The present invention divides the seaweed pile in the silo into an upper storage area and a lower working area through a dynamic support mechanism. When taking out the material, only a small amount of seaweed in the working area needs to be operated. The stacking pressure above is completely isolated by the support component. The seaweed at the bottom only bears its own weight and the weight of a small amount of seaweed in the working area, which greatly reduces the adsorption resistance and effectively solves the problems of difficulty in taking out the material and double or multiple sheets caused by excessive pressure.

[0017] (2) The support component is rotated in or out of the notch on the side wall of the silo. The depth of rotation is only required to reliably support the seaweed pile, without having to penetrate the entire silo. The structure is ingenious and the movement is flexible. With the crank-slider drive mechanism, the rotational motion of the motor is accurately converted into the rotational swing of the support component, with fast response speed and high control accuracy.

[0018] (3) A fixed vertical distance is provided between the lower surface of the support and the outlet. This distance determines the constant volume of the working area, so that the amount of seaweed in the working area is basically the same after each replenishment, ensuring the consistency of the material taking process, which is extremely beneficial to the rhythm control of the subsequent packaging process.

[0019] (4) This invention provides two feeding control strategies: sensor triggering and counting triggering. These strategies can be flexibly selected or combined to adapt to different production scenarios. The sensor triggering method is based on feedback control of the actual material level, which has high reliability; the counting triggering method can simplify sensor configuration and reduce system complexity.

[0020] (5) This invention achieves comprehensive perception and early warning of material status through the graded monitoring of high-level reserve early warning sensor and working area material level sensor, prevents the risk of equipment running dry and sudden shutdown, and improves the continuity and safety of system operation.

[0021] (6) The negative pressure adsorption material picking mechanism and the conveying mechanism adopt a gap through layout. The suction cup mounting plate can pass through the conveying surface without interfering with the operation of the conveyor belt. The structure is compact and the operation is smooth, which effectively shortens the cycle time of picking and placing materials and improves production efficiency.

[0022] (7) The strict alignment design of the flexible scraper on the conveying mechanism ensures that the rear edge of the seaweed is subjected to uniform force during the conveying process, effectively preventing the thin seaweed from curling and deviating during the acceleration and deceleration stages, and ensuring the stability of the conveying posture and the accuracy of the downstream handover. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the automatic purple menu sheet delivery device.

[0024] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the purple menu automatic sheet delivery device from another perspective.

[0025] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the conveying and detection unit and the negative pressure adsorption material collection unit.

[0026] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the conveying and detection unit and the negative pressure adsorption material collection unit from another perspective.

[0027] Figure 5 This is a structural diagram of the silo unit.

[0028] Reference numerals: 1. Hopper unit; 11. Conical discharge port; 12. Strip notch; 2. Conveying and detection unit; 21. Circular conveyor belt; 22. Flexible scraper; 23. First drive motor; 3. Negative pressure adsorption material handling unit; 31. Lifting plate; 32. Suction cup mounting plate; 33. Negative pressure suction cup; 34. Vacuum generator; 35. Second drive motor; 4. Dynamic support mechanism; 41. Support plate; 42. Third drive motor; 43. Lead screw; 44. Slider; 45. Connecting rod; 51. High position margin early warning sensor; S1. First station sensor; S2. Second station sensor; S3. Third station sensor. Detailed Implementation

[0029] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention clearer, the appendices in the embodiments of the present invention will be described below. Figure 1-5 The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described so that those skilled in the art can implement them.

[0030] An automatic sheet feeding device for rice ball packaging is disclosed. The mechanical layout of this device follows the principle of "vertical stacking, bottom-mounted material picking, and horizontal conveying." Each unit is rigidly connected by a frame and coordinated by an electronic control system. The hopper unit 1, serving as the core storage unit, is located at the top; directly below it, adjacent to the feed end of the conveying and detection unit 2; the negative pressure adsorption material picking unit 3 vertically runs between the conveying unit and the hopper; and the dynamic support mechanism 4 horizontally intersects in the middle of the hopper.

[0031] The hopper unit 1 is a rectangular vertical hopper with an open top and a converging bottom. A conical discharge port 11 is formed at the bottom, and the lateral dimension of the discharge port is slightly smaller than the external dimensions of a single sheet of seaweed. On the lower part of the two side walls of the hopper, there are symmetrical horizontal strip-shaped notches 12. The width of the notches is slightly greater than the thickness of the support plate 41, and the height is sufficient to allow the support plate to be rotated and inserted.

[0032] The conveying and detection unit 2, located immediately below the silo, is responsible for accurately conveying a single sheet of seaweed from the picking station to the downstream handover location, and providing multi-station arrival detection during the conveying process.

[0033] Its conveying section adopts a dual-belt synchronous drive design: two circular conveyor belts 21 are kept absolutely synchronized through a common drive shaft and driven shaft. The gap width between them is precisely calculated to allow only the suction cup mounting plate 32 of the negative pressure adsorption material handling unit and its connecting parts to pass through perpendicularly. The outer surface of each conveyor belt is equipped with a flexible scraper 22 made of food-grade polyurethane material. The height, spacing, and strict alignment of the scrapers on the two belts ensure that the entire trailing edge of the seaweed can bear the thrust simultaneously and evenly during conveying, preventing the thin seaweed from curling or deviating during acceleration / deceleration.

[0034] The conveyor belt is powered by the first drive motor 23. The positioning detection section includes three photoelectric sensors S1, S2, and S3, whose installation positions are precisely calibrated based on the standard length (step distance) of the seaweed. The beam focus of the first station sensor S1 is aligned with the center vertical line of the discharge port 11 to determine whether the "placement" action is successful; the second and third station sensors S2 and S3 are used to provide position feedback during the conveying process, forming a discrete closed-loop control.

[0035] The negative pressure adsorption material handling unit 3 completes the material handling and placement process. This unit adopts a modular design and is used to pick up sheets of seaweed one by one from the bottom of the hopper and place them downwards onto the conveyor belt. Its main components include: a lifting plate 31, a suction cup mounting plate 32, one or more negative pressure suction cups 33, a vacuum generator 34, and a second drive motor 35. The lifting plate 31, as a motion base, is mounted on an independent vertical linear module and is driven by the second drive motor 35, allowing for precise reciprocating lifting and lowering movements in the vertical direction. The suction cup mounting plate 32 is fixed to the upper surface of the lifting plate 31 and is a flat plate with a width smaller than the gap between the two conveyor belts 21, allowing it to pass through the conveying plane without interference. Its upper surface is used to mount the negative pressure suction cups 33. The negative pressure suction cups 33 are mounted on the upper surface of the suction cup mounting plate 32, and their number can be flexibly configured according to the size of the seaweed. They are made of food-grade silicone material with elastic sealing lips to provide a good initial seal when in contact with the seaweed; the air paths of all suction cups are connected in parallel to the vacuum generator 34. The vacuum generator 34 is fixed on the frame or lifting plate 31 and connected to each negative pressure suction cup 33 through air pipes. It generates or releases vacuum under the command of the controller. The second drive motor 35 is installed at the end of the vertical linear module and drives the lifting plate 31 and all its components to rise and fall together through a transmission mechanism such as a lead screw or synchronous belt.

[0036] During operation, the second drive motor 35 drives the lifting plate 31 to rise via the vertical linear module. The suction cup mounting plate 32 and the negative pressure suction cup 33 then move upward through the gap in the conveyor belt. After contacting the bottom layer of seaweed in the working area, the controller instructs the vacuum generator 34 to operate, and the suction cup 33 adsorbs the seaweed. Subsequently, the lifting plate 31 descends, pulling the seaweed down and placing it onto the conveyor belt through the conical discharge port 11. Upon reaching the release position, the vacuum generator 34 shuts off, the suction cup 33 releases the seaweed, and the lifting plate 31 continues to descend and reset. This complete "rise-adsorption-pull-release-reset" stroke is precisely calculated and set to ensure that the seaweed can generate sufficient elastic deformation to pass through the discharge port 11 during the pull-down process, but without excessive stretching that could cause breakage.

[0037] The core of the "dynamic zone weight reduction" function is the dynamic support mechanism 4, which is installed on the frame corresponding to the notches 12 on both sides of the hopper. This mechanism mainly consists of a support plate 41, a third drive motor 42, a lead screw 43, a slider 44, and a connecting rod 45. The support plate 41 is a rectangular metal plate, one end of which is hinged to a bearing seat fixed to the frame via a vertical short axis, allowing it to swing freely in the horizontal plane around this vertical axis. The end with the short axis is the fixed end, and the other end away from the short axis is the free end. The free end can be screwed into or out of the hopper through the strip notch 12 on the side wall of the hopper, and the screwing depth only needs to be sufficient to support the seaweed pile, without the entire plate needing to pass through the hopper. The drive assembly constitutes a crank-slider mechanism: the third drive motor 42 is fixed to the frame, and its output shaft is coaxially connected to the lead screw 43; the slider 44 is equipped with a nut that matches the lead screw 43 and is fitted onto the lead screw 43. When the motor 42 drives the lead screw 43 to rotate forward / reverse, the slider 44 makes a precise linear reciprocating motion along the lead screw axis; one end of the connecting rod 45 is hinged to the side of the slider 44, and the other end is hinged to the drive arm extending from the outside of the support plate 41 (or directly to the hinge point on the plate), thereby converting the linear motion of the slider 44 into the rotational oscillation of the support plate 41 around the vertical axis.

[0038] In terms of spatial and functional relationship, when the support plate 41 is in the screw-in state, its body is roughly horizontal, and the free end extends into the hopper through the notch 12. At this time, the upper surface of the plate supports the entire weight of the stack of laver above, forming the upper storage area; the lower surface of the plate maintains a fixed vertical distance H (the fixed vertical distance between the lower surface of the support plate and the top of the conical discharge port 11), creating a lower working area with a constant capacity. The amount of laver in the working area is determined only by the spatial dimensions and is not affected by the stacking pressure above. The dynamic support mechanism works as follows: When partitioning is required, the controller instructs the third drive motor 42 to rotate forward, and the lead screw 43 drives the slider 44 to move closer to the hopper. Through the connecting rod 45, the support plate rotates around its vertical axis, and the free end smoothly screws into the hopper through the notch, supporting the upper seaweed and dividing the seaweed pile into upper and lower sections. When replenishment is needed, the controller instructs the motor to rotate in reverse, and the slider moves away from the hopper. Through the connecting rod, the support plate rotates in the opposite direction, and the free end screws out of the notch and completely exits the hopper space. At this time, the upper seaweed loses support and falls as a whole under gravity. Through the alternation of "screwing in" and "screwing out," the mechanism achieves dynamic partitioning and intermittent replenishment. The fixed distance H ensures that the volume of the lower working area remains consistent after each replenishment, thus obtaining a stable quantity of seaweed.

[0039] Regarding the sensing and electronic control system, a high-level inventory warning sensor 51 is installed on the upper side wall of the silo to monitor the total amount of laver. A working area level sensor is installed on the bottom side wall of the conical discharge port, with its beam passing horizontally through the discharge port to directly detect whether laver is present at that location. The device controller uses a programmable logic controller (PLC), which is connected to all drive motors, vacuum generators, and the aforementioned sensors, and is responsible for coordinating and executing various action logics.

[0040] The following section, in conjunction with the above structure, details the working process and coordination sequence of this device. The complete workflow is an automated, closed-loop control process of "initialization → cyclic material feeding and conveying → monitoring and triggering automatic material replenishment → early warning and protection." Here, we will describe two embodiments: one based on sensor triggering and the other based on counting triggering.

[0041] Example 1: Sensor-triggered automatic purple menu sheet delivery device

[0042] First, power on and reset are performed: After the device is powered on, the controller performs a self-test, all drive motors reset, and the vertical linear module of the negative pressure adsorption material handling unit 3 is driven to descend to the standby position below the conveyor belt plane. At this time, the top surface of the suction cup is lower than the bearing surface of the conveyor belt; the conveying and detection unit 2 stops; the support plate 41 of the dynamic support mechanism 4 is in the retracted state, and its free end is outside the hopper notch. Then, the partitioning is performed. The controller instructs the dynamic support mechanism 4 to work, the third drive motor 42 starts, and drives the support plate to rotate around the vertical axis through the lead screw, slider and connecting rod, so that its free end is screwed into the hopper containing the seaweed from the notch, and screwed into the middle position of the seaweed pile and kept horizontal. At this time, two distinct areas are formed in the hopper: the upper storage area is the whole stack of seaweed on the support plate, and the entire weight is supported by the plate; the lower working area is the space between the plate and the discharge port, with a constant volume, storing only a small amount of seaweed (e.g., 5-15 sheets). This part of the seaweed is not affected by the pressure of the stack above, but only by its own weight and slight friction with the surface under the plate. Initialization is now complete, and the device is ready.

[0043] Next, we enter the main production cycle, which is a single material handling and conveying cycle.

[0044] Step 1: The material handling command is triggered, and the controller receives a start signal or a signal indicating the completion of the previous cycle.

[0045] Step 2: Lifting and Adsorption. The controller starts the second drive motor 35 of the negative pressure adsorption material handling unit 3, which drives the lifting plate 31 and the suction cup mounting plate 32 to rise, pass through the gap of the conveyor belt, until the uppermost negative pressure suction cup 33 contacts and adsorbs the bottom layer of the seaweed in the lower working area. The vacuum generator 34 continues to work to ensure that the adsorption is firm.

[0046] Step 3: Pulling down, deforming and separating, and placing. After the adsorption stabilizes, the negative pressure adsorption material collection unit 3 immediately turns downward. The suction cup pulls down the adsorbed seaweed. Due to its flexibility, the seaweed bends and deforms upward. The edges gradually separate from the upper layer of seaweed and are finally pulled out of the hopper completely through the smaller conical discharge port. The unit continues to descend and places the seaweed on the waiting conveyor belt position 1 below.

[0047] Step 4: Negative pressure release and reset. When the descent stroke reaches the preset placement completion position, the controller shuts off the air path of the vacuum generator 34, the vacuum in the suction cup 33 disappears, and the seaweed is released. At the same time, the negative pressure adsorption material taking unit 3 continues to descend and returns to the standby position below the conveyor belt 21 to prepare for the next material taking. This process relies on stroke synchronization control and does not rely on the S1 sensor.

[0048] Step 5: Conveying trigger and verification. The first station sensor S1 monitors position 1 in real time. After detecting that the seaweed has arrived, it sends a high-level signal to the controller to verify the success of the "picking up and placing" action. The controller then instructs the first drive motor 23 of the transmission and detection unit 2 to run, driving the two conveyor belts 21 to advance synchronously and accurately by a preset step distance.

[0049] Step Six: Conveying Verification and Cycle Preparation. The seaweed being conveyed moves to position 2 along with conveyor belt 21, triggering sensor S2 to verify the accurate completion of this step conveying action. Conveyor belt 21 continues to run, and when the leading edge of the seaweed reaches position 3, sensor S3 detects the seaweed and immediately sends a signal to the controller. This signal serves as confirmation of the end point of this conveying cycle. Based on this signal, the controller instructs conveyor belt 21 to stop precisely, allowing the seaweed to remain stably at the downstream handover position. At the same time, the trigger signal of S3 is regarded as the closed-loop completion mark of the entire "picking-conveying" cycle, and the system status is reset, ready to start the next cycle.

[0050] While the above cycle continues, the device performs intermittent automatic replenishment in a back-end operation mode. The material level sensor in the working area continuously monitors the bottom of the discharge port. As the material feeding cycle is repeatedly executed, the laver in the lower working area gradually decreases. When the laver is about to run out and there is no laver obstructing the bottom of the discharge port, the sensor 52 beam resumes and generates a "no material" signal. The controller interprets this as an instruction that the lower working area needs to be replenished immediately, triggering the automatic replenishment program (the controller can choose to perform replenishment after completing the current material feeding cycle to maintain a stable cycle time). The replenishment process is executed in three steps: First, the support plate rotates out. The controller instructs the third drive motor 42 to reverse, driving the support plate 41 to rotate rapidly around the vertical axis. The free end smoothly rotates out of the material hopper gap 12, completely exiting the material hopper space. Second, the entire structure falls. The seaweed in the upper storage area, previously supported by the support plate 41, instantly loses its support and falls freely under gravity. The falling distance is the fixed distance from the lower surface of the support plate 41 to the top of the discharge port 11, precisely filling the entire lower working area. Third, the structure re-rotates and re-divides. After the seaweed pile stabilizes (or after a very short delay), the controller instructs the third drive motor 42 to rotate forward, driving the support plate 41 to rotate back into the new middle position of the fallen seaweed pile through the gap 12. The remaining seaweed in the upper part is lifted up to become a new storage area, while the lower part forms a new working area with sufficient material. Due to the fixed distance design, the amount of seaweed in the working area remains essentially constant after each replenishment. The entire material replenishment process is completed in milliseconds. After completion, the controller does not need to pause the main process and immediately resumes the material feeding and conveying cycle, achieving truly uninterrupted continuous production.

[0051] Regarding total quantity early warning and system safety protection, a high-level inventory early warning sensor 51 installed on the upper part of the silo continuously monitors the total height. After multiple automatic replenishments, the total height of the entire stack of seaweed continuously decreases. When the top of the seaweed pile falls below the sensor, the sensor is triggered, and the controller issues an early warning that "the total amount of seaweed in the silo is about to be exhausted, and manual replenishment is required," for example, by illuminating a yellow warning light. This warning is only a reminder and does not trigger automatic replenishment or stop the equipment; the equipment continues to operate relying on the remaining seaweed in the working area. If manual replenishment is not carried out in time, resulting in the upper reserve area being completely depleted, when the working area is depleted again and replenishment is triggered, the replenishment action will be ineffective because there is no material in the upper part, and the working area level sensor will always be in the "no material" state. If the controller detects that this state continues for more than the safety delay, or determines that there is still no material after replenishment, it immediately determines that the "material exhausted" fault, triggers the highest level audible and visual alarm, and urgently stops the operation of all equipment to prevent it from running dry.

[0052] Example 2: Automatic Purple Menu Sheet Delivery Device Based on Count Trigger

[0053] This embodiment is completely identical to Embodiment 1 in terms of initialization, single material feeding and conveying cycle, and early warning and protection. The only difference lies in the triggering condition for automatic replenishment: In this embodiment, the work area level sensor can be omitted, and the triggering of automatic replenishment relies on counting logic. The controller counts successful "material feeding-conveying" cycles, typically using each valid trigger of sensor S1 as a count of one successful cycle. Trigger execution: When the count value reaches the threshold preset by the operator through the human-machine interface, the controller automatically triggers the replenishment program regardless of the actual physical material level at that time. Subsequent actions: The replenishment execution actions—the support plate 41 rotates out, the seaweed falls as a whole, the support plate 41 rotates back in—and the resumption of production after replenishment are exactly the same as the corresponding steps in Embodiment 1.

[0054] In summary, regardless of whether sensor triggering or counting triggering is used, the core workflow of this device follows an intelligent cycle of "dynamic zone material collection → quantitative consumption → triggering → intermittent overall drop replenishment → recovery". The reliability of single-action operation is ensured through negative pressure stroke synchronous release and multi-station conveying verification; the quantitative and efficient replenishment is guaranteed through dynamic support and fixed distance design; and the robustness and safety of continuous system operation are ensured through dual-mode triggering strategy and graded early warning. The above embodiments are merely descriptions of preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Various modifications and improvements made to the technical solutions of the present invention by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention should fall within the protection scope defined by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automatic purple menu sheet dispensing device, comprising: The hopper is used to store stacks of seaweed, and it has a discharge port at the bottom. A negative pressure adsorption material handling mechanism is set below the hopper to adsorb seaweed sheets one by one from the discharge port and remove them downwards; A conveying mechanism is located below the negative pressure adsorption material collection mechanism to receive the extracted laver and transport it downstream. The feature is that it further includes a dynamic support mechanism, which includes a support member having a fixed end and a free end. The fixed end is rotatably connected to the frame, and the free end is configured to screw into the hopper to support stacked seaweed and divide the seaweed into an upper storage area and a lower working area located above the discharge port. The free end can also screw out to release the seaweed in the storage area so that it falls into the working area under gravity. When the support member is screwed in, its lower surface maintains a preset fixed vertical distance from the discharge port.

2. The purple menu sheet automatic feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The dynamic support mechanism further includes a drive assembly, which includes a motor, a lead screw driven by the motor to rotate, a slider fitted on the lead screw, and a connecting rod. The slider is threadedly engaged with the lead screw to convert rotational motion into linear motion. One end of the connecting rod is hinged to the slider, and the other end is hinged to the drive arm on the support member to form a crank-slider mechanism, which converts the linear motion of the slider into the rotational oscillation of the support member around the fixed end, so that the free end switches between the screw-in position and the screw-out position.

3. The purple menu automatic sheet feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The side wall of the hopper is provided with at least one horizontal strip-shaped notch. The free end of the support member is screwed into or out of the hopper through the notch, and the depth to which the free end extends into the hopper when screwed in is less than the overall size of the hopper in that direction.

4. The purple menu sheet automatic feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The discharge port of the hopper is conical and narrows, and the minimum lateral dimension of the discharge port is smaller than the corresponding external dimensions of a single sheet of seaweed when it is laid flat.

5. The purple menu sheet automatic feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The negative pressure adsorption material handling mechanism includes a lifting plate, a suction cup mounting plate installed on the lifting plate, at least one negative pressure suction cup fixed on the suction cup mounting plate, and a vacuum generator connected to the negative pressure suction cup through an air circuit; the lifting plate can be raised and lowered under the drive of a vertical linear module, driving the negative pressure suction cup to move upward to approach the discharge port to adsorb seaweed, and downward to place the seaweed on the conveying mechanism.

6. The purple menu sheet automatic feeding device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The conveying mechanism includes two parallel and synchronously operating annular conveyor belts with a gap between them; the width of the suction cup mounting plate and the negative pressure suction cup is smaller than the width of the gap, so that the suction cup mounting plate can move up and down through the gap without interfering with the conveyor belts.

7. The purple menu sheet automatic feeding device according to claim 6, characterized in that, Each of the conveyor belts has multiple flexible scrapers on its outer surface. The flexible scrapers on the two conveyor belts are aligned along the conveying direction to apply a thrust from the rear edge of the seaweed during conveying.

8. A purple menu sheet automatic feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, Also includes: The first sensor is set on the conveying mechanism at the corresponding material placement station to detect whether the seaweed has arrived in place; A working area level sensor is installed at the discharge port to detect whether laver is present at the discharge port; The controller is communicatively connected to the first sensor, the working area level sensor, the conveying mechanism, the negative pressure adsorption material handling mechanism, and the dynamic support mechanism. It is configured to control the conveying mechanism to step according to the detection signal of the first sensor, and to control the dynamic support mechanism to perform a feeding action of rotating out and then rotating in according to the detection signal of the working area level sensor; or, it is configured to count the number of completed material handling cycles, and when the count value reaches a preset threshold, control the dynamic support mechanism to perform a feeding action of rotating out and then rotating in.

9. A method for automatically sending out purple menu sheets, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Step 1: Provide a storage bin containing a certain amount of seaweed; Step 2: Screw a rotatable support into the hopper to support the seaweed pile and divide it into an upper storage area and a lower working area located above the discharge port, wherein the lower surface of the support and the discharge port maintain a fixed distance. Step 3: Using negative pressure adsorption, the bottommost sheet of seaweed in the working area is adsorbed one by one from the discharge port, and then pulled down and placed on a conveyor belt for transport. Step 4: Repeat Step 3 until the seaweed in the work area is consumed and the preset replenishment trigger condition is met; Step 5: In response to the fulfillment of the feeding trigger condition, the support is rotated out, causing the laver in the storage area to fall as a whole to the discharge port under the action of gravity; Step Six: Screw the support back into the fallen seaweed pile to re-divide the work area.

10. The method for automatically sending out purple menu sheets according to claim 9, characterized in that, The preset replenishment trigger condition in step four is: no seaweed is detected at the discharge port, or the cycle count in step three reaches the preset number of times.

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