An integrated, non-destructive food ingredient cylindrical screw conveyor system

Abstract

This invention provides an integrated, non-destructive food ingredient cylindrical screw conveyor system, relating to the field of automated food ingredient conveying equipment. The system includes a hopper shell and a conveying cylinder located at its lower part. A screw is installed inside the conveying cylinder, and the screw is fixedly connected to the conveying cylinder as an integral structure. A drive device is driven by the conveying cylinder, driving the conveying cylinder and screw to rotate synchronously. The feed end face of the screw extends beyond the feed inlet face of the conveying cylinder by 1 / 3 to 1 times the screw pitch. During conveying, the extended section of the screw continuously agitates the food ingredient at the feed inlet, breaking up bridging and achieving autonomous stirring and guiding. The conveying cylinder and screw rotate synchronously as a whole, eliminating relative shearing and compression between the food ingredient and the cylinder wall, achieving non-destructive conveying. This invention integrates stirring and guiding with non-destructive conveying, featuring a simplified structure and low cost, and is suitable for automated conveying of fragile food ingredients such as whole fruits and vegetables.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automated food conveying equipment, and in particular to an integrated, non-destructive food cylindrical screw conveyor system. Background Technology

[0002] Automated material handling is widely used in fresh food processing, pre-prepared meals, and other food processing fields, with screw conveyors being a common piece of equipment for material transport. Currently, conventional screw conveyors generally employ a structure with a fixed cylinder and an independently rotating internal screw, relying on rotating helical blades to propel the material forward. This structure is well-suited for conveying granular or powdery materials, but it has significant drawbacks when conveying easily damaged materials such as whole fruits and vegetables or whole grains: the helical blades and the fixed cylinder wall can easily create continuous pressure and scraping against the food, easily damaging the surface and causing breakage, thus affecting the quality of the finished product.

[0003] Meanwhile, food ingredients are prone to piling up and bridging at the hopper outlet. Most existing solutions involve adding a separate stirring mechanism inside the hopper, which requires additional drive components, resulting in complex equipment structure and increased costs. Without a stirring mechanism, food ingredients can easily accumulate and get stuck at the conveyor inlet, causing conveying interruptions and poor production continuity.

[0004] In addition, the mixing and conveying units of existing conveying equipment are independent and lack coordination, making it difficult to simultaneously achieve both feeding guidance and mixing, and stable conveying. Current technology lacks a conveying device that can be integrated, autonomously agitate and guide food at the feed inlet, and prevent food compression and maintain its integrity during conveying. Therefore, developing an integrated spiral conveying system that prevents feeding blockage and does not damage food during conveying has practical application value. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide an integrated, non-destructive food ingredient cylindrical screw conveyor system to solve the technical problems mentioned in the background art.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0007] An integrated, non-destructive food ingredient cylindrical screw conveyor system includes a hopper shell and a conveying cylinder disposed at the lower part of the hopper shell, characterized in that it further includes:

[0008] A screw, wherein the screw is disposed inside the conveying cylinder and the screw is fixedly connected to the conveying cylinder as an integral structure;

[0009] A driving device is connected to the conveying cylinder and is used to drive the conveying cylinder and the screw to rotate synchronously;

[0010] The feed end face of the screw extends beyond the feed inlet face of the conveying cylinder, and the extension length A is 1 / 3 to 1 times the screw pitch.

[0011] Based on the above technical solutions, the present invention also provides the following optional technical solutions:

[0012] Preferably, the conveying cylinder is rotatably supported on the hopper shell by bearings, and a bearing cover is provided on the outside of the bearings to limit the axial displacement of the conveying cylinder. This structure ensures the axial stability of the integrated rotating assembly consisting of the conveying cylinder and the screw during operation, prevents axial movement, and improves the reliability of equipment operation.

[0013] Preferably, the driving device includes a drive motor and a driving gear connected to the output end of the drive motor. A driven gear is provided on the conveying cylinder, and the driving gear meshes with the driven gear. The drive motor drives the conveying cylinder and the screw to rotate synchronously via gear transmission. By using a single drive motor to simultaneously drive the conveying cylinder and the screw, the stirring and conveying actions share the same power source, eliminating the need for an additional stirring drive motor, effectively simplifying the overall structure and reducing manufacturing costs and energy consumption.

[0014] Preferably, the helical blades of the screw are selected from any one of stepped helical blades, serrated helical blades, or smooth curved surface helical blades.

[0015] Preferably, the screw's helical blades are any one of conical helical blades, closed helical blades, or semi-closed helical blades. By selecting from these various types of helical blades, the conveying needs of ingredients of different sizes and with varying degrees of softness and hardness can be met, thus improving the equipment's versatility.

[0016] Preferably, the conveying direction of the conveying cylinder is any one of bottom-up conveying, top-down conveying, horizontal conveying, or lateral conveying.

[0017] Preferably, the transmission method between the drive device and the conveying cylinder is any one of gear transmission, belt transmission, friction transmission, or end face direct drive.

[0018] Preferably, the cross-sectional shape of the conveying cylinder is any one of circular, square, or irregular shapes. The flexible configuration of the above-mentioned various conveying directions, transmission methods, and cylinder shapes enables the present invention to adapt to the layout requirements of diverse food processing production lines, exhibiting strong versatility and adaptability.

[0019] Preferably, the driving device is a set of drive motors, and the stirring action and the conveying action share the same drive motor.

[0020] By adopting the above technical solution, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0021] This invention abandons the traditional screw conveyor model of "fixed cylinder and independent screw rotation," and adopts a technical solution in which the conveying cylinder and screw are fixedly connected as a whole and rotate synchronously. During the conveying process, the food rotates together with the screw and the conveying cylinder. There is no relative shearing or squeezing motion between the food and the cylinder wall, effectively avoiding the problems of scratching or crushing damage to the food surface, and ensuring the integrity and quality of the food. This technical solution is particularly suitable for conveying materials with high integrity requirements, such as whole fruits and vegetables and whole pieces of food.

[0022] In this invention, the feed end face of the screw extends beyond the feed inlet face of the conveying cylinder by a length set to 1 / 3 to 1 times the screw pitch. The extended section of the screw rotates synchronously with the main shaft, continuously agitating the food at the bottom of the hopper at the conveying inlet, effectively breaking up food bridging and accumulation, and automatically guiding the food into the conveying cylinder. This structure integrates the agitation and guiding function with the material conveying function, eliminating the need for a separate agitator motor and agitator mechanism, thus solving the problem of feed inlet blockage at the structural level. Attached Figure Description

[0023] To more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an integrated non-destructive food ingredient cylindrical screw conveyor system that also has feeding and mixing functions according to the present invention.

[0025] Figure label annotations: 1-Hopper shell; 2-Conveying cylinder; 3-First bearing; 4-Screw; 5-Second bearing; 6-Bearing cover; 7-Drive motor; 8-Driving gear; 9-Driven gear; 10-Food ingredient. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The technical solution of the present invention will now be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0027] The left, right, up, and down positions of the various components shown in the attached diagram are just one arrangement method; the specific positions should be set according to specific needs.

[0028] like Figure 1As shown, the present invention provides an integrated non-destructive food ingredient cylindrical screw conveyor system that also has feeding and mixing functions, including a hopper shell 1, a conveying cylinder 2, a first bearing 3, a screw 4, a second bearing 5, a bearing cover 6, a drive motor 7, a drive gear 8, and a driven gear 9.

[0029] The interior of the hopper shell 1 forms a cavity for containing the food ingredient 10, and a conveying cylinder 2 is connected to the lower end of the hopper shell 1. The interior of the conveying cylinder 2 is hollow, used to accommodate the screw 4 and serve as a conveying channel for the food ingredient 10. A first bearing 3 and a second bearing 5 are sleeved on the outside of the conveying cylinder 2. The first bearing 3 and the second bearing 5 are respectively installed in corresponding bearing seats in the hopper shell 1, allowing the conveying cylinder 2 to rotate freely relative to the hopper shell 1. A bearing cover 6 is provided on the outside of the second bearing 5. The bearing cover 6 is fixedly installed on the hopper shell 1 to limit the axial displacement of the conveying cylinder 2, prevent axial movement of the integrated rotating assembly during operation, and ensure the stability of the equipment operation.

[0030] The conveying cylinder 2 has a screw 4 inside, which is fixedly connected to the conveying cylinder 2 as an integral structure. Specifically, the screw 4 can be fixedly connected to the conveying cylinder 2 by welding, keying, or integral casting, so that the screw 4 and the conveying cylinder 2 form a synchronously rotating integral assembly. The outer circumferential surface of the screw 4 is provided with helical blades, which are used to push the food 10 along the axial direction of the conveying cylinder 2 during rotation. A driven gear 9 is also fixedly connected to the outside of the conveying cylinder 2.

[0031] The drive motor 7 is fixedly mounted on the outer shell 1 of the hopper. The output shaft of the drive motor 7 is equipped with a drive gear 8, which meshes with the driven gear 9. When the drive motor 7 receives a start command, the output shaft of the drive motor 7 drives the drive gear 8 to rotate. The drive gear 8 drives the driven gear 9 to rotate through meshing transmission, thereby driving the conveyor cylinder 2 and the screw 4 to rotate synchronously.

[0032] At the feed end (i.e.) Figure 1 The screw 4 extends beyond the feed inlet end face of the conveyor cylinder 2 (the upper end of the conveyor cylinder 2), with the extension length denoted as A. This extension length A is set to 1 / 3 to 1 times the screw pitch of the screw 4. When the screw 4 rotates synchronously with the conveyor cylinder 2, the extended section of the screw 4 continuously rotates in the discharge port area at the bottom of the hopper shell 1, agitating the food 10 stacked at the discharge port, breaking up the bridging and accumulation of the food 10, and guiding and pushing the food 10 into the conveyor cylinder 2. After entering the conveyor cylinder 2, the food 10 moves axially along the conveyor cylinder 2 under the pushing action of the screw 4's spiral blades, and finally exits from the discharge end of the conveyor cylinder 2 (i.e., the upper end of the conveyor cylinder 2). Figure 1 The lower end of the middle section is conveyed out.

[0033] Since the conveying cylinder 2 and the screw 4 are a fixed integrated structure, they rotate synchronously during operation. The food ingredient 10 rotates together with the spiral blades of the screw 4 and the inner wall of the conveying cylinder 2 inside the conveying cylinder 2. There is no relative sliding or squeezing between the food ingredient 10 and the inner wall of the conveying cylinder 2, so the surface of the food ingredient 10 will not be scratched or crushed, thus achieving lossless conveying.

[0034] The conveying direction of this invention is not limited and can be set to any direction, such as bottom-up conveying, top-down conveying, horizontal conveying, or lateral conveying, according to actual production needs. Specifically, by adjusting the installation angle and position of the hopper shell 1 and the conveying cylinder 2, food conveying in different directions can be achieved, which can flexibly adapt to the spatial layout requirements of various food processing production lines.

[0035] The spiral shape of the screw 4 in this invention can be selected and adjusted according to the characteristics of the food being transported. For example, for food with a thin skin that is easily damaged, a smooth curved spiral blade can be used to reduce contact stress on the food; for food with an irregular shape, a stepped or serrated spiral blade can be used to enhance the propulsion effect. The width of the spiral blade can be adjusted according to the transport volume requirements, and the pitch can be adjusted according to the transport speed and the size of the food. In addition, the spiral blade can also be configured as a conical structure, a closed structure, or a semi-closed structure to adapt to the transport requirements of food with different softness and hardness characteristics and different sizes.

[0036] The driving method of this invention is not limited to gear transmission; it can also employ belt transmission, friction transmission, or end-face direct drive, among other transmission methods. Specifically, a driving pulley can be provided at the output end of the drive motor 7, and a driven pulley can be provided on the conveyor drum 2 for transmission via a belt; or a friction wheel transmission can be used; or an end-face direct drive motor can be used to directly drive the conveyor drum 2 to rotate. All of the above driving methods can achieve the technical effects of this invention.

[0037] The cross-sectional shape of the conveyor cylinder 2 of the present invention is not limited to a circle, and can also be square, elliptical or irregular in shape. Specifically, a suitable cross-sectional shape of the conveyor cylinder 2 can be selected according to the space constraints and pipeline connection requirements of the food processing production line.

[0038] The main advantages of this invention are that it does not compress the food during the conveying process, does not damage the surface of the food, and can effectively ensure the integrity of the food. It is especially suitable for automated conveying of materials with high requirements for appearance, such as whole fruits and vegetables and whole ingredients.

[0039] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing the invention and for simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

Claims

1. An integrated, non-destructive food ingredient cylindrical screw conveyor system, comprising a hopper shell and a conveying cylinder disposed at the lower part of the hopper shell, characterized in that, Also includes: A screw, wherein the screw is disposed inside the conveying cylinder and the screw is fixedly connected to the conveying cylinder as an integral structure; A driving device is connected to the conveying cylinder and is used to drive the conveying cylinder and the screw to rotate synchronously; The feed end face of the screw extends beyond the feed inlet face of the conveying cylinder by a length that is 1 / 3 to 1 times the screw pitch.

2. The integrated non-destructive food ingredient cylindrical screw conveyor system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The conveying cylinder is rotatably supported on the outer shell of the hopper by a bearing. A bearing cover is provided on the outside of the bearing to limit the axial displacement of the conveying cylinder.

3. The integrated non-destructive food ingredient cylindrical screw conveyor system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The driving device includes a drive motor and a drive gear connected to the output end of the drive motor. The conveying cylinder is provided with a driven gear. The drive gear meshes with the driven gear. The drive motor drives the conveying cylinder and the screw to rotate synchronously through gear transmission.

4. The integrated non-destructive food ingredient cylindrical screw conveyor system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The screw's helical blades are any one of stepped helical blades, serrated helical blades, or smooth curved helical blades.

5. The integrated non-destructive food ingredient cylindrical screw conveyor system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The screw's helical blades can be any one of conical helical blades, closed helical blades, or semi-closed helical blades.

6. The integrated non-destructive food ingredient cylindrical screw conveyor system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The conveying direction of the conveying cylinder can be any one of bottom-up conveying, top-down conveying, horizontal conveying, or lateral conveying.

7. The integrated non-destructive food ingredient cylindrical screw conveyor system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The transmission method between the drive device and the conveying cylinder is any one of gear transmission, belt transmission, friction transmission, or end face direct drive.

8. The integrated non-destructive food ingredient cylindrical screw conveyor system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The cross-sectional shape of the conveying cylinder can be any one of a circle, a square, or an irregular shape.

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