Lettuce harvesting, cleaning, drying and packaging integrated machine

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of agricultural harvesting machinery, and discloses a lettuce harvesting, cleaning, blow-drying and packaging integrated machine, a first conveying belt is embedded on the inner side of the forward direction of the harvester frame, a second conveying belt is installed on one side of the first conveying belt, and a circular cutting blade is fixedly installed on the bottom output shaft of a high-speed motor, the present application integrates the functional components of low-loss harvesting, closed-loop water circulation cleaning, focused airflow blow-drying and automatic packaging on the lettuce harvesting machine, is suitable for the full-process integrated operation equipment of leafy vegetables such as lettuce, can continuously complete the low-loss cutting, high-pressure spray cleaning, adjustable-speed booster fan blow-drying and self-adaptive packaging of the lettuce in the field, makes the full process of the lettuce from the field to the finished product seamlessly connected on one equipment, the completeness is not less than 84%, simultaneously realizes the high-proportion recycling of water resources, and meets the adaptive operation of complex terrains such as greenhouses and hills.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of agricultural harvesting machinery technology, specifically to an integrated machine for harvesting, washing, drying, and packaging lettuce. Background Technology

[0002] Lettuce, a widely cultivated leafy green vegetable in my country, has an annual planting area exceeding 100 million mu. However, the harvesting and post-harvest processing of lettuce has long relied heavily on manual labor, with labor costs accounting for 45% to 60% of the total production cost. Currently, the leafy vegetable harvesting machinery available on the market and documented in patent literature cannot meet the industry's demand for a "one-stop" process from field harvesting to clean packaging of lettuce. The main shortcomings of existing technologies are as follows: The process is fragmented, lacking fully integrated equipment: Most existing leafy vegetable harvesters are single-cutting and collecting devices. The leafy vegetable harvester disclosed in Chinese patent CN107517644B focuses on cutting leafy vegetables from the ground and transporting them to a collection container, without addressing the necessary washing, drying, and packaging processes after harvesting. Although there are hand-held leafy vegetable harvesters such as the 4GCY-1200 that achieve orderly laying, they still lack any post-harvest processing capabilities. This means that harvested lettuce still needs to be manually picked up and transported to a fixed location for step-by-step washing and packaging. Multiple transports not only consume a lot of manpower but also cause leaf breakage and bruising, with damage rates generally exceeding 16%. Furthermore, the lack of water circulation, filtration, and reuse methods in field mobile platforms not only leads to water waste but also limits the application range of harvesters due to the water pipe requirements. There is a contradiction between high water consumption and leaf damage in the cleaning process: Currently, vegetable cleaning mainly relies on independent fixed cleaning production lines. The commonly used high-pressure water jet flushing method not only consumes a large amount of water per wash, but the concentrated spray pressure can easily penetrate and damage the delicate lettuce leaves. The soaking method, on the other hand, allows mud and sand to repeatedly adhere, resulting in an unsatisfactory cleaning rate. There is currently no design scheme that can effectively combine a low-water-consumption, low-damage spraying device with a mobile harvester, nor is there a technical means to achieve water recycling and filtration on a mobile platform. The drying process cannot be carried out continuously: If lettuce is packaged directly after washing without drying, it is very easy to rot and spoil. The existing field treatment methods are mostly natural spreading and drying, which are completely restricted by weather conditions and cannot form a continuous operation flow with mechanized harvesting. A few devices that use far-infrared or hot air drying are not suitable for integration into mobile machinery because they are difficult to control the temperature, consume a lot of energy, and the high temperature will damage the cell activity and taste of lettuce. At present, there is a lack of a physical dehydration solution that can operate continuously at room temperature and at high speed. The standardization of the packaging process is low: the current packaging of leafy vegetables is mostly done manually, which leads to problems such as inaccurate weighing, poor sealing, and short shelf life. For irregularly shaped spherical / loose-leaf vegetables such as lettuce, the bag opening or film surface is very prone to wrinkles due to the curling of the leaves during the packaging process, resulting in heat sealing leakage or unsightly packaging. Existing automatic packaging machines are mostly designed for materials with regular shapes and lack adaptive wrinkle removal and flexible sealing mechanisms for leafy vegetables, which can easily cause film surface wrinkles and leakage due to the irregular shape of leafy vegetables. Limited adaptability to terrain: Current large-scale leafy vegetable harvesting equipment is mostly hydraulically driven and bulky, and is only suitable for flat and open large-scale fields. It is clearly insufficient in terms of passability and precision operation in hilly areas, greenhouses and small plots of planting areas in the south. Moreover, the equipment and accessories are expensive and mismatched with the purchasing power of small and medium-sized growers. At the same time, the rigid cutting mechanism has large fluctuations in cutting depth on undulating surfaces. In conclusion, developing an intelligent integrated operation equipment capable of completing the entire process of low-damage harvesting, water-saving washing, rapid drying and dehydration, and standard packaging of lettuce in one go in the field has clear market demand and practical significance. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides an integrated machine for harvesting, washing, drying, and packaging lettuce, which solves the problems of fragmented processes, lack of real-time post-harvest processing, high damage rate during washing and drying, and low standardization of packaging in existing technologies.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a lettuce harvesting, washing, drying and packaging integrated machine, including a harvester frame, wherein a harvesting module, a washing module, a drying module and a packaging module are sequentially arranged on the harvester frame along the material flow direction, four sets of travel wheels are symmetrically installed on both sides of the harvester frame, a first conveyor belt is embedded in the inner side of the harvester frame in the forward direction, and a second conveyor belt is installed on one side of the first conveyor belt; The harvesting module includes cutting blades and a collecting roller, which is connected to the first conveyor belt. The cleaning module includes a water tank, a cleaning pipe, and an atomizing nozzle. A water collection trough is provided inside the harvester frame. The drying module includes a drying bracket and a booster fan. The packaging module includes a packaging platform and a packaging bracket. The harvester frame integrates a closed-loop water circulation system. The water collection trough is connected to a centralized water tank via a return pipe. The centralized water tank is connected to the water tank. All modules work together to perform continuous integrated field operations under the control of the timing control system.

[0005] As a preferred technical solution of the integrated lettuce harvesting, washing, drying and packaging machine of the present invention, two sets of high-speed motors are symmetrically installed at the bottom of the forward end of the harvester frame, and circular cutting blades are fixedly installed on the bottom output shaft of the high-speed motors. A collecting roller is rotatably installed at the bottom position of the feed end of the harvester frame on one side of the first conveyor belt. The high-speed motor drives the circular cutting blade to rotate at high speed, with an operating speed of not less than 5000 rpm. The first and second conveyor belts are both arranged at an incline, and the collecting roller guides the collected lettuce to the feeding position of the first conveyor belt. A water tank is installed on one side of the harvester frame via a bracket, and a water pump is installed inside the water tank. Two sets of cleaning pipes are horizontally installed on the top of the harvester frame, and atomizing nozzles are installed at equal intervals at the bottom of the cleaning pipes. A drying bracket is installed on the top of the harvester frame on one side of the cleaning pipes, and a booster fan is installed on the top and both sides of the drying bracket. The drying rack is equipped with four sets of booster fans. The pneumatic layout of the four sets of booster fans provides airflow to the lettuce without any dead angles.

[0006] As a preferred technical solution of the integrated machine for harvesting, washing, drying and packaging lettuce according to the present invention, a guide arc plate is provided at the bottom feeding position of the first conveyor belt near the collecting roller, and a receiving inclined plate is installed between the first conveyor belt and the second conveyor belt. Mounting frames are installed on both sides of the first conveyor belt, and the power output end of the first conveyor belt is connected to a drive toothed disc. A driven toothed disc is installed on the side of the collecting roller. The drive toothed disc and the driven toothed disc are connected by a transmission toothed chain.

[0007] As a preferred technical solution of the integrated lettuce harvesting, washing, drying and packaging machine of the present invention, a packaging bracket is installed on one side of the drying bracket, an electric push rod is installed at the bottom middle of the packaging bracket, a pressure plate is connected to the bottom output end of the electric push rod, a packaging platform is provided at the tail end of the harvester frame, and a packaging container is placed on the top of the packaging platform. Side baffles are installed on the inner side of the harvester frame at the sides of the first and second conveyor belts. Both the first and second conveyor belts are driven by servo motors, and the servo motors of the first and second conveyor belts are equipped with speed regulators. The traveling wheels are driven by the main motor on the inner side of the harvester frame.

[0008] As a preferred technical solution of the integrated lettuce harvesting, washing, drying and packaging machine of the present invention, photoelectric sensors are installed on the top of the harvester frame, the drying bracket and the side of the packaging bracket, and a weighing sensor is provided at the bottom of the packaging container. The harvester frame's traveling system and various functional units are coordinated and executed under the unified timing control of a microcontroller and a PLC, and a 48V pure electric chassis is integrated and installed at the bottom of the harvester frame.

[0009] As a preferred technical solution of the integrated lettuce harvesting, washing, drying and packaging machine of the present invention, a water inlet pipe is installed on one side of the water tank, a water delivery pipe is connected to the top of the water tank, a control valve is installed on the water delivery pipe, and the output end of the water delivery pipe is connected to the washing pipe, and a lifting pump is installed at the end of the washing pipe. A water collection trough is installed on the inner side of the harvester frame, and a centralized water tank is installed on the side of the harvester frame corresponding to the water tank. The centralized water tank and the water collection trough are connected by a return pipe.

[0010] As a preferred technical solution of the integrated lettuce harvesting, washing, drying and packaging machine of the present invention, the centralized water tank is connected to the other water tanks through a return pipe. A liquid level sensor is installed in the water tank and a solenoid valve is installed on the water inlet pipe. When the liquid level sensor detects that the circulating water is insufficient due to slight evaporation, the solenoid valve opens and automatically replenishes water. A filter is connected to the water inlet of the centralized water tank. The water mist sprayed from the atomizing nozzle is distributed in a fan shape to clean the surface and crevices of the lettuce in a uniform and dense water curtain form.

[0011] As a preferred technical solution of the integrated machine for harvesting, cleaning, drying and packaging lettuce according to the present invention, side frames are installed on both sides of the packaging platform, and two sets of rollers are symmetrically rotatably connected to the inner side of the side frames. A drive motor is installed on the side of one set of side frames corresponding to the two sets of rollers. The drive motor drives one side of the roller to rotate. The outer side of the roller is wrapped with an encapsulation film. The bottom edge of the pressure plate is provided with a hot melt wire. The upper and lower layers of encapsulation film on the two rollers are fused together under the action of the hot melt wire.

[0012] As a preferred technical solution of the integrated lettuce harvesting, washing, drying and packaging machine of the present invention, a connecting frame is fixedly connected to the side of the high-speed motor, the end of the connecting frame is fixedly connected to the side of the floating rod, the floating rod is embedded in the inner side of the mounting cylinder, the mounting cylinder is connected to the bottom of the harvester frame, a connecting plate is fixedly connected to the bottom of the floating rod, and a contoured sliding plate is installed at the bottom of the connecting plate. A damping chamber is provided on the top inner side of the mounting cylinder. A movable rod is connected to the top of the floating rod. A return spring is sleeved on the outer side of the movable rod, and a sealing pressure plate is installed at the top of the movable rod inside the damping chamber.

[0013] As a preferred technical solution of the integrated machine for harvesting, washing, drying and packaging lettuce according to the present invention, the contour sliding plate moves close to the ground, and the contour sliding plate drives the floating rod and the connecting plate to float synchronously, so that the high-speed motor and the circular cutting blade float with the terrain undulations. The damping chamber is divided by a partition inside the mounting cylinder. The movable rod is slidably connected to the partition. The damping chamber is filled with damping fluid. The sealing pressure plate is in close contact with the inner wall of the damping chamber and slides.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the present invention provides an integrated machine for harvesting, washing, drying and packaging lettuce, which has the following beneficial effects: 1. By realizing the complete process chain of lettuce from harvesting to washing, drying and packaging on a single mobile platform, a large number of field-to-field transfer and step-by-step processing links in the traditional mode are eliminated. The overall machine operation efficiency can reach 360kg / h, which is more than 8 times the efficiency of manual labor. It greatly reduces the post-harvest processing time and effectively reduces secondary damage caused by multiple transfers. Through the high-speed rotating cutting + follow-up receiving harvesting scheme, and through the integrated field real-time processing capability, the transition from cutting to entering the first conveyor belt of lettuce is extremely short. The second conveyor belt transports lettuce smoothly and orderly. The lettuce integrity rate can reach more than 94.6%, which solves the problem of tearing and bruising of leaves caused by traditional pulling or saw cutting, and achieves high integrity rate and low loss harvesting. With its moderate size and weight, the machine features a specially designed layout of small steering wheels and large drive wheels, enabling it to maneuver flexibly and pass through hilly production areas in the south, narrow standard ridges, and inside greenhouse facilities. Its lightweight chassis, adaptable to multiple scenarios, makes it significantly more suitable for various applications than imported large harvesting machinery.

[0015] 2. Through the design of closed-loop water circulation cleaning combined with residual water recovery in the drying section, the water resources in the single-machine operation process form an internal micro-circulation, and the water recycling rate can reach more than 86%. Compared with the traditional flood irrigation cleaning, it saves more than 62% of water. The pure electric power platform has zero carbon emissions and low noise operation, which fully meets the strict environmental control requirements of greenhouses. It has significant water-saving and green operation benefits. Through the adjustable speed of the turbine high-flow booster fan, the physical dehydration of the lettuce surface is achieved with room temperature high-speed airflow. No heating element is required, avoiding heat damage and maintaining the cell freshness and crisp taste of the lettuce. A single drying process only takes 3-5 seconds, which is fully adapted to the rhythm of continuous flow operation. The quality of the product is guaranteed by room temperature high-speed drying. By introducing an electric push rod, a motor-driven roller to tighten the film, and a heat-sealing mechanism, even irregularly shaped lettuce can be reliably sealed and packaged. The sealing qualification rate is high, the measurement error is small, the packaged product has a neat appearance, and the shelf life is extended by more than 3 days compared to bulk packaging. This provides a standardized prerequisite for lettuce to enter mid-to-high-end retail channels and improves the commercialization rate through adaptive packaging.

[0016] In summary, by integrating low-loss harvesting, closed-loop water circulation cleaning, focused airflow drying, and automatic packaging into a lettuce harvester, this integrated equipment is suitable for the entire process of lettuce and other leafy vegetables. It can continuously complete low-loss cutting, high-pressure spray cleaning, adjustable-speed booster fan drying, and adaptive packaging of lettuce while moving in the field. This allows the entire process of lettuce from field to finished product to be seamlessly connected on one machine, while achieving a high proportion of water resource recycling and meeting the adaptability requirements of complex terrains such as greenhouses and hilly areas. 3. The high-speed motor and circular cutting blade are fixedly installed to the bottom of the harvester frame through the connecting frame, floating rods and mounting cylinder. The top of the contouring slide plate is integrated with the four sets of floating rods through the connecting plate. When the contouring slide plate floats according to the undulation of the ground, the contouring slide plate can drive the floating rods to slide in the mounting cylinder. This facilitates the synchronous driving of the high-speed motor and the circular cutting blade to float. It can adjust the cutting height according to the terrain undulation, avoid damage to the circular cutting blade and improve the cutting accuracy. Furthermore, when the floating rod slides along the mounting cylinder, the movable rod drives the return spring to compress, achieving initial buffering. At the same time, the movable rod synchronously drives the sealing pressure plate to compress the damping fluid in the damping chamber, thereby achieving further energy dissipation. This ensures that the contour sliding plate can drive the high-speed motor and the circular cutting blade to move up and down stably when floating, improving the stability of position adjustment. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a side view of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the packaging stage of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the water collection tank of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the cleaning tube of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the packaging container of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the circular cutting blade of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the collecting roller of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the contour-following sliding plate of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the mounting cylinder of the present invention.

[0027] In the diagram: 1. Harvester frame; 2. Traveling wheel; 3. First conveyor belt; 4. Second conveyor belt; 5. High-speed motor; 6. Circular cutting blade; 7. Collecting roller; 8. Water tank; 9. Cleaning pipe; 10. Drying bracket; 11. Packaging bracket; 12. Electric push rod; 13. Pressure plate; 14. Packaging container; 15. Guide arc plate; 16. Receiving inclined plate; 17. Mounting bracket; 18. Drive gear plate; 19. Driven gear plate; 20. Transmission chain; 21. Inlet... 21. Water pipe; 22. Water delivery pipe; 23. Control valve; 24. Booster pump; 25. Atomizing nozzle; 26. Water collection tank; 27. Return pipe; 28. Central water tank; 29. ​​Booster fan; 30. Sealing platform; 31. Side frame; 32. Roller; 33. Drive motor; 34. Connecting frame; 35. Floating rod; 36. Mounting cylinder; 37. Connecting plate; 38. Contouring slide plate; 39. Damping chamber; 40. Movable rod; 41. Return spring; 42. Sealing pressure plate. Detailed Implementation

[0028] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. However, it should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Furthermore, descriptions of well-known structures and technologies are omitted in the following description to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the concept of the invention.

[0029] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another element, it can be directly on or indirectly on the other element. When an element is referred to as being "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to or indirectly connected to the other element.

[0030] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "center," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship commonly used when the product of this invention is in use. 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," etc., are used only to distinguish descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified. "Several" means one or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0031] In the description of this invention, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "set," "install," "connect," and "link" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0032] Example: Please refer to Figures 1-10 The present invention provides the following technical solution: a lettuce harvesting, washing, drying and packaging integrated machine, wherein the main body of the harvester frame 1 adopts an aluminum profile structure welded and fixed frame, with a total length of 1.3m and a curb weight of 60kg. The machine is powered by a 48V battery pack and a DC brushless motor. The machine includes a harvester frame 1, and a harvesting module, a washing module, a drying module and a packaging module are arranged sequentially on the harvester frame 1 along the material flow direction. The harvesting module includes a cutting blade 6 and a collecting roller 7, which is connected to the first conveyor belt 3. The cleaning module includes a water tank 8, a cleaning pipe 9, and an atomizing nozzle 25. The inner side of the harvester frame 1 is provided with a water collection trough 26. The drying module includes a drying bracket 10 and a booster fan 29. The packaging module includes a packaging platform 30 and a packaging bracket 11. The harvester frame 1 integrates a closed-loop water circulation system. The water collection trough 26 is connected to a centralized water tank 28 via a return pipe 27. The centralized water tank 28 is connected to the water tank 8. Under the control of the timing control system, each module works together to perform continuous integrated field operations. The timing control system includes photoelectric sensors deployed on the sides of the harvester frame 1, the drying bracket 10 and the packaging bracket 11, as well as a microcontroller and PLC that are respectively connected to the servo motors of the first conveyor belt 3, the second conveyor belt 4, the high-speed motor 5, the lifting pump 24, the booster fan 29 speed controller, the electric push rod 12 and the drive motor. The photoelectric sensors detect the position of the lettuce and trigger the start and stop of the corresponding functional modules, so that harvesting, washing, drying and packaging are performed in a coordinated manner according to the preset rhythm. The closed-loop water circulation system includes a collection tank 26 located below the first conveyor belt 3 and the second conveyor belt 4, a return pipe 27 connecting the collection tank 26 and the centralized water tank 28, a filter installed at the water inlet of the centralized water tank 28, and a return pipe connecting the centralized water tank 28 and the water tank 8. The water tank 8 is equipped with a liquid level sensor. When the liquid level is lower than the set threshold, the solenoid valve opens to automatically replenish water. The water inlet of the return pipe 27 is connected to the bottom outlet of the collection tank 26 through a connecting water pipe. A filter screen is installed at the bottom of the collection tank 26 corresponding to the water inlet of the connecting water pipe. The water circulation is completed based on the gravity of the water flow. Four sets of travel wheels 2 are symmetrically installed on both sides of the harvester frame 1. A first conveyor belt 3 is embedded on the inner side of the harvester frame 1 in the forward direction. A second conveyor belt 4 is installed on one side of the first conveyor belt 3. Both the first conveyor belt 3 and the second conveyor belt 4 are arranged at an angle. The angle of inclination of the first conveyor belt 3 relative to the horizontal plane is 30°, and the angle of inclination of the second conveyor belt 4 relative to the horizontal plane is 15°. This facilitates the delivery of water for cleaning the surface of the second conveyor belt 4 to the collection tank 26. The cleaning water is guided by the inclined surface of the second conveyor belt 4 and collected in the collection tank 26. After being filtered by a filter screen, the water enters the connecting water pipe, and the filtered water is then discharged through the connecting water pipe and the return pipe 27. The harvester frame 1 is symmetrically equipped with two sets of high-speed motors 5 at the bottom of the forward end. A circular cutting blade 6 is fixedly installed on the bottom output shaft of the high-speed motor 5. The high-speed motor 5 drives the circular cutting blade 6 to rotate at high speed, with an operating speed of not less than 5000 rpm. A collecting roller 7 is rotatably installed at the bottom of the first conveyor belt 3 on one side of the feed end of the harvester frame 1. The collecting roller 7 guides the collected lettuce to the feed position of the first conveyor belt 3. A guide arc plate 15 is set at the bottom feed position of the first conveyor belt 3 near the collecting roller 7, and a receiving inclined plate 16 is installed between the first conveyor belt 3 and the second conveyor belt 4. A water tank 8 is mounted on one side of the harvester frame 1 via a bracket. A water pump is installed inside the water tank 8. Two sets of cleaning pipes 9 are horizontally mounted on the top of the harvester frame 1. Atomizing nozzles 25 are evenly spaced at the bottom of the cleaning pipes 9. A drying support 10 is mounted on the top of the harvester frame 1, located to one side of the cleaning pipes 9. Booster fans 29 are installed on the top and both sides of the drying support 10. Four sets of booster fans 29 are installed inside the drying support 10, providing a comprehensive, dead-angle-free airflow. Two sets of booster fans 29 are mounted on the top of the drying support 10. A pressure fan 29 is installed on each of the left and right sides, and the air outlet angle of the pressure fans 29 on the left and right sides is tilted downward to facilitate the application of the drying airflow to the lettuce, forming a full-coverage airflow to achieve continuous, uniform and efficient air drying of the lettuce. A packaging bracket 11 is installed on one side of the drying bracket 10. An electric push rod 12 is installed at the bottom middle of the packaging bracket 11. The bottom output end of the electric push rod 12 is connected to a pressure plate 13. A packaging platform 30 is set at the tail end of the harvester frame 1. A packaging container 14 is placed on the top of the packaging platform 30.

[0033] Mounting brackets 17 are installed on both sides of the first conveyor belt 3, and the power output end of the first conveyor belt 3 is connected to the drive toothed disc 18. The side of the collecting drum 7 is equipped with a driven toothed disc 19. The drive toothed disc 18 and the driven toothed disc 19 are connected by a transmission chain 20, which facilitates the simultaneous rotation of the first conveyor belt 3 and the collecting drum 7.

[0034] Side baffles are installed on the inner side of the harvester frame 1 at the sides of the first conveyor belt 3 and the second conveyor belt 4 to ensure stable transport of lettuce on the first conveyor belt 3 and the second conveyor belt 4. Both the first conveyor belt 3 and the second conveyor belt 4 are driven by servo motors, and the servo motors of the first conveyor belt 3 and the second conveyor belt 4 are equipped with speed regulators. The traveling wheels 2 are driven by the main motor inside the harvester frame 1.

[0035] Photoelectric sensors are installed on the top of the harvester frame 1, the drying bracket 10, and the edge of the packaging bracket 11. A weighing sensor is installed at the bottom of the packaging container 14 to achieve flexible weighing. The traveling system and various functional units of the harvester frame 1 are coordinated and executed under the unified timing control of the microcontroller and PLC and manual control. The bottom of the harvester frame 1 is equipped with a 48V pure electric chassis to realize mobile power supply. The traveling system is a traveling drive mechanism based on the traveling wheels 2.

[0036] A water inlet pipe 21 is installed on one side of the water tank 8, and a water delivery pipe 22 is connected to the top of the water tank 8. A control valve 23 is installed on the water delivery pipe 22, and the output end of the water delivery pipe 22 is connected to the cleaning pipe 9. A lift pump 24 is installed at the end of the cleaning pipe 9. A water collection trough 26 is installed on the inner side of the harvester frame 1, and a centralized water tank 28 is installed on the side of the harvester frame 1 corresponding to the side of the water tank 8. The centralized water tank 28 and the water collection trough 26 are connected by a return pipe 27.

[0037] The centralized water tank 28 is connected to the water tank 8 via a return pipe. A liquid level sensor is installed inside the water tank 8, and a solenoid valve is installed on the water inlet pipe 21. When the liquid level sensor in the water tank 8 detects that the circulating water is insufficient due to slight evaporation, the solenoid valve opens and automatically replenishes water. A filter is connected to the water inlet of the centralized water tank 28. The water mist sprayed from the atomizing nozzle 25 is distributed in a fan shape, cleaning the surface and crevices of the lettuce in a uniform and dense water curtain form, thereby improving the cleaning effect of the lettuce.

[0038] Side frames 31 are installed on both sides of the packaging stage 30. Two sets of rollers 32 are symmetrically rotatably connected to the inner side of the side frames 31. A drive motor 33 is installed on the side of one set of side frames 31 corresponding to the two sets of rollers 32. The drive motor 33 drives the roller 32 on one side to rotate. The outer side of the roller 32 is wrapped with a sealing film. The bottom edge of the pressure plate 13 is provided with a hot melt wire. The upper and lower sealing films on the two rollers 32 are fused together under the action of the hot melt wire to package the lettuce.

[0039] A connecting frame 34 is fixedly connected to the side of the high-speed motor 5. The end of the connecting frame 34 is fixedly connected to the edge of the floating rod 35. The floating rod 35 is embedded in the inner side of the mounting cylinder 36. The mounting cylinder 36 is connected to the bottom of the harvester frame 1. A connecting plate 37 is fixedly connected to the bottom of the floating rod 35. A contour sliding plate 38 is installed at the bottom of the connecting plate 37. The contour sliding plate 38 moves close to the ground. The contour sliding plate 38 drives the floating rod 35 and the connecting plate 37 to float synchronously, so that the high-speed motor 5 and the circular cutting blade 6 float with the terrain undulations. This makes it convenient to adjust the cutting height according to the terrain undulations, avoid damage to the circular cutting blade 6, and improve the cutting accuracy. A damping chamber 39 is provided on the top inner side of the mounting cylinder 36. A movable rod 40 is connected to the top of the floating rod 35. A return spring 41 is sleeved on the outer side of the movable rod 40. A sealing pressure plate 42 is installed at the top of the movable rod 40 inside the damping chamber 39. The damping chamber 39 is divided by a partition inside the mounting cylinder 36. The movable rod 40 and the partition are connected in a sealed sliding connection. The damping chamber 39 is filled with damping fluid with a viscosity of 130 cSt. The stiffness of the return spring 41 is 4 N / mm. The disc 42 slides close to the inner wall of the damping chamber 39, ensuring that the contouring slide plate 38 can drive the high-speed motor 5 and the circular cutting blade 6 to rise and fall stably when floating. The contouring slide plate 38 slides close to the ground. When the ground undulates, the connecting plate 37 drives the floating rod 35 to rise and fall in the mounting cylinder 36. The return spring 41 provides the primary restoring force, and the sealing pressure plate 42 compresses the damping fluid in the damping chamber 39 to generate secondary energy dissipation, so that the circular cutting blade 6 floats stably under the combined action of spring force and damping force, maintaining a constant cutting height.

[0040] The working principle and usage process of this invention: The whole machine adopts a linear series modular layout. According to the material flow direction, it is divided into harvesting, washing, drying and packaging from the first end to the last end. The equipment is supported by a 48V pure electric chassis, driven by dual motors to drive the structure and the operation of each part. The entire process is coordinated and automated through a single-chip microcomputer control and PLC fusion control system. The specific process includes: field walking and harvesting actions, washing actions, drying actions, packaging actions, continuous operation and intelligent monitoring, which are implemented as follows: The high-speed motor 5 and the circular cutting blade 6 are fixedly installed to the bottom of the harvester frame 1 through the connecting frame 34, the floating rod 35 and the mounting cylinder 36. The top of the contouring slide plate 38 is integrally connected to the four sets of floating rods 35 through the connecting plate 37. In this way, when the contouring slide plate 38 floats according to the undulation of the ground, the contouring slide plate 38 can drive the floating rods 35 to slide in the mounting cylinder 36. This facilitates the synchronous driving of the high-speed motor 5 and the circular cutting blade 6 to float, so as to adjust the cutting height according to the undulation of the terrain, avoid damage to the circular cutting blade 6 and improve the cutting accuracy. Furthermore, as the floating rod 35 slides within the mounting cylinder 36, the movable rod 40 compresses the return spring 41, achieving initial buffering. Simultaneously, the movable rod 40 synchronously compresses the damping fluid within the damping chamber 39 via the sealing pressure plate 42, further dissipating energy. This ensures that the contour sliding plate 38, while floating, can stably lift and lower the high-speed motor 5 and the circular cutting blade 6, improving the stability of position adjustment. Field walking and harvesting actions: After the equipment is started, the main motor is operated to run. Through the motor drive, the harvester frame 1 moves along the lettuce planting ridges via the travel wheels 2. At this time, the contouring slide plate 38 moves synchronously with the harvester frame 1 along the ground. The top of the contouring slide plate 38 is connected to the four sets of floating rods 35 by the connecting plate 37. This allows the contouring slide plate 38 to drive the floating rods 35 to slide in the mounting cylinder 36 when it floats according to the undulation of the ground. This facilitates the synchronous driving of the high-speed motor 5 and the circular cutting blade 6 to float, thereby adjusting the cutting height according to the terrain undulations, avoiding damage to the circular cutting blade 6, and improving the cutting accuracy. Furthermore, when the floating rod 35 slides along the mounting cylinder 36, the movable rod 40 drives the return spring 41 to compress, achieving initial buffering. At the same time, the movable rod 40 synchronously drives the sealing pressure plate 42 to compress the damping fluid in the damping chamber 39, thereby achieving further energy dissipation. This ensures that when the contour sliding plate 38 is floating, it can drive the high-speed motor 5 and the circular cutting blade 6 to perform stable lifting and lowering. When the front end of the harvester frame 1 approaches the target lettuce, two high-speed motors 5 drive the corresponding circular cutting blades 6 to rotate at a high speed of 5000 revolutions per minute. The circular cutting blades 6 cut the lettuce at a distance of 6-10 centimeters from the ground with minimal resistance. After being cut, the lettuce loses the support of its roots and falls backward under the action of the collecting roller 7. It is then received by the first conveyor belt 3 located in the adjacent position and then smoothly transported backward and upward. Washing process: Lettuce is conveyed from the first conveyor belt 3 to the second conveyor belt 4 and enters the washing section. When the photoelectric sensor detects the lettuce passing by, it sends a signal to the PLC. The PLC sends a command to start the water pump. Water is drawn from the water tank 8 and pressurized to 0.35MPa. Then, it passes through the atomizing nozzle 25 to wash the surface and crevices of the lettuce in a uniform and dense water curtain. The rinsing time is set to several seconds. The rinsed water flows through the gaps on the surface of the second conveyor belt 4 and flows into the collection tank 26. During the return flow, broken leaves and mud are blocked by the filter. The water that has been physically filtered flows back to the centralized water tank 28 through the return pipe 27 and is replenished to the water tank 8 by the centralized water tank 28. When the liquid level sensor in the water tank 8 detects that the circulating water is insufficient due to slight evaporation or carry-out, the solenoid valve opens and automatically replenishes water. After the washing process is completed, the PLC controls the second conveyor belt 4 to continue to operate, pushing the washed lettuce forward. Drying action: The washed lettuce leaves the washing section and is sent to the drying section by the second conveyor belt 4. When the lettuce enters the bottom of the drying bracket 10, the photoelectric sensor sends a signal again, and the booster fan 29 starts. The high-intensity airflow generated by the booster fan 29 in the turbine duct blows the lettuce. The booster fan 29 is connected to a speed controller, which can adjust the wind speed according to the actual situation to make the drying effect the best. After being dried by the four booster fans 29 on the top and sides, the shearing force acts on the surface of the lettuce, and the attached water droplets are quickly peeled off. The blown water droplets fall downwards and are collected by gravity and flow back to the collection tank 26 of the washing unit through the small diameter drainage pipe. This realizes the complete closed-loop water recovery of the rinsing and drying sections. After 3-5 seconds of blowing, the surface of the lettuce is dry. Packaging process: After drying, the lettuce is conveyed to the end ramp, detaches from the second conveyor belt 4, and falls into the packaging container 14. When the photoelectric sensor detects the lettuce, it notifies the PLC to stop feeding the first conveyor belt 3. At this time, the packaging mechanism is activated: the electric push rod 12 drives the pressure plate 13 to press down the upper film, pressing the two films down to the hot melt wire. During the pressing process, the hot melt wire will be heated to 180-200℃. The drive motors 33 on both sides drive the rollers 32 to tighten the two films and flatten the wrinkles caused by the leaf support. By placing the lettuce between the upper and lower films, it is ensured that the lettuce is completely covered. After the two films are tightened and flattened, the heating strip is pressed to complete the heat sealing. After the packaging is completed, the weight is weighed by the weighing sensor to monitor the weight in real time. Finally, the packaged lettuce product is discharged from the discharge end to the collection device. Continuous operation and intelligent monitoring: In the above cycle, the entire machine's travel system and various functional units are coordinated and executed under the unified timing control of the microcontroller and PLC. Operators can view the vehicle speed, blade speed, spray water pressure, water tank level and total output through the on-board screen. When a sensor detects an abnormality, such as a sudden drop in blade speed, water shortage in the water tank, or blockage of the first conveyor belt 3 and the second conveyor belt 4, the system will automatically issue an alarm and execute a protective shutdown.

[0041] Finally, it should be noted that the above descriptions are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A lettuce harvesting, washing, drying, and packaging integrated machine, comprising a harvester frame (1), characterized in that, The harvester frame (1) is provided with a harvesting module, a cleaning module, a drying module and a packaging module in sequence along the material flow direction. Four sets of travel wheels (2) are symmetrically installed on both sides of the harvester frame (1). A first conveyor belt (3) is embedded in the inner side of the harvester frame (1) in the forward direction. A second conveyor belt (4) is installed on one side of the first conveyor belt (3). The harvesting module includes a cutting blade (6) and a collecting roller (7), the collecting roller (7) being connected to the first conveyor belt (3). The cleaning module includes a water tank (8), a cleaning pipe (9), and an atomizing nozzle (25). The harvester frame (1) is provided with a water collection trough (26) on its inner side. The drying module includes a drying bracket (10) and a booster fan (29). The packaging module includes a packaging platform (30) and a packaging bracket (11). The harvester frame (1) is integrated with a closed-loop water circulation system. The water collection trough (26) is connected to the centralized water tank (28) via a return pipe (27). The centralized water tank (28) is connected to the water tank (8). Each module works together to perform continuous integrated field operations under the control of the timing control system.

2. The integrated machine for harvesting, washing, drying, and packaging lettuce according to claim 1, characterized in that, Two sets of high-speed motors (5) are symmetrically installed at the bottom of the forward end of the harvester frame (1). A circular cutting blade (6) is fixedly installed on the bottom output shaft of the high-speed motor (5). A collecting roller (7) is rotatably installed at the bottom of the feed end of the harvester frame (1) on one side of the first conveyor belt (3). The high-speed motor (5) drives the circular cutting blade (6) to rotate at high speed, with an operating speed of not less than 5000 rpm. The first conveyor belt (3) and the second conveyor belt (4) are both arranged at an inclination. The collecting roller (7) guides the collected lettuce to the feeding position of the first conveyor belt (3). A water tank (8) is installed on one side of the harvester frame (1) via a bracket. A water pump is installed in the water tank (8). Two sets of cleaning pipes (9) are horizontally installed on the top of the harvester frame (1). Atomizing nozzles (25) are installed at equal intervals at the bottom of the cleaning pipes (9). A drying bracket (10) is installed on the top of the harvester frame (1) on one side of the cleaning pipes (9). A booster fan (29) is installed on the top and both sides of the drying bracket (10). The drying rack (10) is equipped with four sets of booster fans (29) on its inner side. The four sets of booster fans (29) provide airflow throughout the entire area without dead angles and act on the lettuce.

3. The integrated machine for harvesting, washing, drying, and packaging lettuce according to claim 1, characterized in that, A guide arc plate (15) is provided at the bottom feeding position of the first conveyor belt (3) near the collecting roller (7), and a receiving inclined plate (16) is installed between the first conveyor belt (3) and the second conveyor belt (4). Mounting brackets (17) are installed on both sides of the first conveyor belt (3), and the power output end of the first conveyor belt (3) is connected to the active toothed disc (18). The side of the collecting roller (7) is equipped with a driven toothed disc (19). The active toothed disc (18) and the driven toothed disc (19) are connected by a transmission toothed chain (20).

4. The integrated machine for harvesting, washing, drying, and packaging lettuce according to claim 3, characterized in that, A packaging bracket (11) is installed on one side of the drying bracket (10). An electric push rod (12) is installed at the bottom middle of the packaging bracket (11). A pressure plate (13) is connected to the bottom output end of the electric push rod (12). A packaging platform (30) is provided at the tail end of the harvester frame (1). A packaging container (14) is placed on the top of the packaging platform (30). Side baffles are installed on the inner side of the harvester frame (1) at the side edges of the first conveyor belt (3) and the second conveyor belt (4). The first conveyor belt (3) and the second conveyor belt (4) are both driven by servo motors. The servo motors of the first conveyor belt (3) and the second conveyor belt (4) are equipped with speed regulators. The traveling wheel (2) is driven by the main motor inside the harvester frame (1).

5. The integrated machine for harvesting, washing, drying, and packaging lettuce according to claim 1, characterized in that, Photoelectric sensors are installed on the top of the harvester frame (1), the drying bracket (10), and the sides of the packaging bracket (11), and a weighing sensor is installed on the bottom of the packaging container (14). The traveling system and various functional units of the harvester frame (1) are coordinated and executed under the unified timing control of the microcontroller and PLC, and a 48V pure electric chassis is integrated and installed at the bottom of the harvester frame (1).

6. The integrated machine for harvesting, washing, drying, and packaging lettuce according to claim 1, characterized in that, A water inlet pipe (21) is installed on one side of the water tank (8), and a water delivery pipe (22) is connected to the top of the water tank (8). A control valve (23) is installed on the water delivery pipe (22), and the output end of the water delivery pipe (22) is connected to the cleaning pipe (9). A lift pump (24) is installed at the end of the cleaning pipe (9). The inner side of the harvester frame (1) is equipped with a water collection trough (26), and a centralized water tank (28) is installed on the side of the harvester frame (1) corresponding to the side of the water tank (8). The centralized water tank (28) and the water collection trough (26) are connected by a return pipe (27).

7. The integrated machine for harvesting, washing, drying, and packaging lettuce according to claim 6, characterized in that, The centralized water tank (28) is connected to the water tank (8) through a return pipe. A liquid level sensor is installed in the water tank (8), and a solenoid valve is installed on the water inlet pipe (21). When the liquid level sensor of the water tank (8) detects that the circulating water is insufficient due to slight evaporation, the solenoid valve opens and automatically replenishes water. A filter is connected to the water inlet of the centralized water tank (28), and the water mist sprayed by the atomizing nozzle (25) is distributed in a fan shape to clean the surface and crevices of the lettuce in a uniform and dense water curtain form.

8. The integrated machine for harvesting, washing, drying, and packaging lettuce according to claim 1, characterized in that, Side frames (31) are installed on both sides of the packaging platform (30). Two sets of rollers (32) are symmetrically rotatably connected to the inner side of the side frame (31). A drive motor (33) is installed on the side of one set of side frames (31) corresponding to the two sets of rollers (32). The drive motor (33) drives the roller (32) on one side to rotate. The outer side of the roller (32) is wrapped with a sealing film. The bottom edge of the pressure plate (13) is provided with a hot melt wire. The upper and lower sealing films on the two rollers (32) are fused together under the action of the hot melt wire.

9. A lettuce harvesting, washing, drying, and packaging integrated machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The high-speed motor (5) is fixedly connected to a connecting frame (34) on its side. The end of the connecting frame (34) is fixedly connected to the side of the floating rod (35). The floating rod (35) is embedded in the inner side of the mounting cylinder (36). The mounting cylinder (36) is connected to the bottom of the harvester frame (1). The bottom end of the floating rod (35) is fixedly connected to a connecting plate (37), and a contoured sliding plate (38) is installed at the bottom of the connecting plate (37). The top of the inner side of the mounting cylinder (36) is provided with a damping chamber (39), the top of the floating rod (35) is connected to a movable rod (40), a return spring (41) is sleeved on the outer side of the movable rod (40), and a sealing pressure plate (42) is installed at the top of the movable rod (40) located inside the damping chamber (39).

10. A lettuce harvesting, washing, drying, and packaging integrated machine according to claim 9, characterized in that, The contouring slide (38) moves close to the ground, and the contouring slide (38) drives the floating rod (35) and the connecting plate (37) to float synchronously, so that the high-speed motor (5) and the circular cutting blade (6) float with the terrain undulations; The damping chamber (39) is divided by a partition inside the mounting cylinder (36). The movable rod (40) is sealed and slidably connected to the partition. The damping chamber (39) is filled with damping fluid. The sealing pressure plate (42) is in close contact with the inner wall of the damping chamber (39) and slides.

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